Best Month of the Race!

How do you sum up your favorite month in the best year of
your life?  Looking back Romania
was nothing out of the ordinary. 
It was like any other month on the race, but was full of little moments
that made it absolutely extraordinary. 
Our month was full and a little random, but I hope to recap some of the
magic of the month I have enjoyed the most this year.

We arrived to find out we were staying in a finished attic
that really felt like our own apartment. 
We had 3 small bedrooms, which meant I had my own bed!!!  It was complete with flushing toilets,
HOT showers, free wireless internet. 
It was even stocked with toilet paper that didn’t feel like sand
paper.  We were in world race
heaven!

Our first week of ministry we went EVERYWHERE.  We helped at an orphanage where we
helped pick walnuts to store them for the winter.

We went to a disabled children’s orphanage and school to
help with the kids.  We had so much
fun playing with and loving on these beautiful children!!!

We also spoke at some local schools. We got to share with
them about our year, different countries and cultures, but most importantly we
shared our hearts.  We encouraged
them and spoke to them about their identity in Christ.  That they are the future of Romania and
God has given them each unique gifts and talents that they can use for His
Glory.  The youth of Romania has
such a hunger and passion for Jesus. 
IT BLEW ME AWAY!!!

We even formed some great friendships with some students and
hung out outside of school.  We had
so much fun pouring into them and getting to know their hearts.  My favorite memory with them was
paintballing in the woods!  Talk
about a fun ministry day!!

The second week we found our ministry home and maybe my all
time favorite project on the race! 
We were asked to help at Oaza Orphanage, not with the kids, but to do
construction.  You see, due to
budget cuts they were struggling to finish a home that the kids needed to move
in to.  A few amazing men of God
had been faithfully working on the house and were in desperate need of helping
hands.  We were the answer to their
cries for help!  Ministry this year
has been great, but it is even more fulfilling when there is a genuine, if not
desperate need for what you can give. 

 Meet Nole!!!

Nole
is an unbelievably joyful and kind hearted Englishman who has volunteered his
time at Oaza off and on for the last five years.  He has invested not only with his time and skills (engineer
by trade), but poured his love into the children when he visits to work.  He and his wife even sponsor a
child.  I think he may be the only
Englishman in the world who does not like tea, but we sure did enjoy taking to
him over coffee.  He has a fiery
passion for God and always looked foreword to his company.  He even bought us winter clothes to
help us finish the race!  What a
blessing

Meet Eliseo!

  Eliseo is a mighty man of God from Italy, specifically Sicily!  He and his wife, Eli (from Australia!),
are house parents at Oaza.  They
met at bible college in England and felt the Lord calling them to Romania.  Originally volunteering at the home for
just 2 months they soon realized they couldn’t leave that quickly… a year and a
half later they are still going strong. 
The children are so lucky to have them.  They have truly given their lives to the work of the Lord!  Eliseo is FULL of life, making work
with him a complete joy!  He was
always singing making us laugh.  He
loves food more than anyone I have ever met (which is saying a lot!)  and even invited us over for some true
Sicilian cooking! 

 

We worked so hard for the next 2 weeks sanding, painting,
laying floors, putting up walls, spackling, and clearing the yard.  You name it, we did it! 

It was a true blessing to use our hands and hearts to bless
others.  We all bonded at Oaza and
I can honestly say I left a piece of my heart their with them.  The house is still a work in progress
but should be done by the end of November!!!  This is what the body of Christ should look like, finding a
need and filling it with love and joy (maybe some sweat too!).  Working alongside brothers and sisters
from the US, England, Australia, and Romania to fulfill the call to LOVE Christ
asks us to live.  I can’t say there
was anything in particular that made this month spectacular, but to me it was
PERFECT!  These are the moments I
will miss and the memories I will carry with me for the rest of my life!

 

Thank you for sending my here, for being a part of this
year.  I am blessed beyond what I
could ever express.  You have made
an impact on me as I impact others. 
This is the abundant life Christ talks about.  This is the abundant life I know I will always live.