“She is tall and has a boy’s hair cut”, says a Romanian local after a quick conversation over his freshly made grape juice. We were passing out invitations a little over a week ago, and were stopped in conversation with the sweetest gentleman. I was a little taken back by the comment, but Marian, who was our translator, made sure to tell me that this was not an insult in any way, but just him stating something. I have slowly come to appreciate that about this culture here. They state the obvious and are real about what’s going on.
Last week was the opening week of Hope Church here in Draganesti, and there were visitors here from all over the world; the UK, Ireland, the US, and all over Romania. Everyone played a key role in the church’s opening which was a huge success in Father’s eyes. We had a great opening Sunday, large children and youth programs during the week, a moving women’s ministry morning, a leadership conference for surrounding churches on Saturday, and another impactful church service to conclude the week on Sunday. Us World Racers were plugged in as food servers, game organizers, worshipers, teachers, and mingelers. During one of the leadership conference breaks, I overheard Raul giving the head speaker some advice on how to connect with his Romanian audience more. Raul encouraged him to share as much personal experience as he could, and to speak from where he has been and to where it has brought him. Again, I loved to hear this.
So much of what I have grown up with is how to look like you have it all together. And the truth is… I don’t. This culture is accepting of everything that people have seen and been through, and they encourage nothing but pure honesty. To be raw. We expect things to be sugar coated in America, and for things to not be offensive, but what is that doing for us? It is guarding us from reality and from digging deeper into one another, and into our relationship with Father. My dares last night in feedback consisted of my team encouraging me to vocalize when I am not feeling well (physically or spiritually), and that it’s ok for me to not “have it all together”. This persona of a constant smiling face is so much of who I am, and who I want everyone else to see me as. I just need it to be genuine if that’s what I am showing people, or else it is only showing hypocrisy.
I want to encourage all of you to be real with yourselves and to be real with those close to you as well. To be raw. Being vulnerable and real is who we truly are, and what God has created us to be is nothing to be ashamed of. The walk that we have all been on is significant, and is going to speak to different people in such different ways. Be receptive to what others have to say about you, and don’t be offended when words aren’t sugar coated. Receive them in grace.
I am on this worldly adventure to experience God in a new way. I have not lived a perfect life, but God has taught me about His freedom through salvation with what I have been through. I am uniquely gifted to change people’s lives with the knowledge that has been given to me. My experiences allow me to relate to others in a way that God can only connect. I am a joyful because of God’s unconditional love. Oh and the more obvious being… I am tall with a boy’s hair cut.
Who are you?
