Our entire squad spent the past 5 days in Brasov, Romania for debrief. Debrief is a time when we all come together and have a break from ministry and just get to spend time together processing what we’re going through and hang out together. This month Seth and Karen Barnes were at debrief, which is always a real treat for us!! They are our “Squad Parents” and they give us words of encouragement and remind us that whatever we may be struggling with God is bigger and He can still use us and heal us. They are both so kind and full of wisdom, we hang on every word when they speak.
During debrief we have team meetings with the squad leaders and the Barnes. It’s so nice being back in civilization! We have electricity, real beds, hot showers, paved roads, window shopping, pancakes with ice cream, internet, I could go on and on. Yesterday Charlotte, Ruth, and I got to ride in a car! We haven’t ridden in a car since we left for the WR. We were winding down the streets of Romania in a little sports car listening to Romanian electronica music! Charlotte said she felt like we were in a James Bond movie..haha!
We are spending the month with team Ripple Effect in Bucharest, Romania at Casa Shalom. We’ll be doing a lot of ATL (Ask the Lord) which means we’ll pray and then do whatever God leads us to do in the city. I’m excited to see the big things that God has in store for us this month! Our contact’s name is Becky and she is from America but has lived in Romania for the past 15 years. She shared some incredible stories with us last night and I am so excited to get to know her better and learn from her.
Today we went to church and besides the worship being in a different language it was just like being back in America. So far we’ve been to church services in India, Nepal, and Romania, and it never ceases to amaze me that the Holy Spirit never fails to show up. It amazes me that I can be standing there in a church service listening to the pastor pray in a language I don’t understand and I’m still moved to tears, or standing in worship to songs I can’t understand and really feeling the presence of God. I just hadn’t thought about feeling God’s presence in all the different church services before I came on the world race. It’s been a neat experience. I feel like God uses these times to really talk to me because it’s easier for me to hear Him without any distractions. I know that God has big plans for my life, and that the world race is only the beginning. I’ve wondered what He has in store for me after this and whenever I think I’m just going to go back home and live my life He says “No, dream bigger!” So today in a church service that I couldn’t understand, God showed me to dream big and not continue being stuck on things I lost in the past, because I don’t want to miss the things He’s doing RIGHT NOW or the amazing things He has in store for me RIGHT HERE!
Forget the former things, do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up, do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland. Isaiah 43:18-19
