James 1:27

On Wednesday our teams made our way back to the gypsy village that we
had gone too the previous week for the funeral; this time it was to
spend time with them and have a service.  I have to be honest and say
that our time with the gypsys here in Romania has been some of my
favorite moments, and unfortunately we really haven’t had but a few
days with them.  Time is flying here in Romania and soon we will leave
on Thursday for Hungary; even the World Race with just having around a
month a country makes you realize the few precious moments you have
with people in life. 

So our team headed back to the village and soon after we there and
walked in the back trail near the broken homes I described in one of my
recent blogs, kids came out and immediately ran and followed us.  There
was Loringi, my buddy from last time coming to walk up and we held
hands as we walked.  We made our way up a trail to another part of the
community with a train of kids and young adults with us and there we
stopped to have some fun worship motion songs and acted out stories
like David & Goliath, and Jonah; I must give credit to the
wonderful story telling by teammates Rachael Hurt and the willingness
of Jedidiah getting dirty on the gravel road.  I met a little girl
named Cosmina, a little more pale with big blue eyes, as I talked to
her and her mom who remembered a former Racer named Stacy Povian.  Her
mom told me that she was sick and doctors don’t know what it was; so
there I prayed for healing in her body.

After our mini-service with the kids, Pastor Zsombor thought it would
be good to speak to the eight or so adults that were sitting on the
train tracks in a distance watching us.  So we sent the kids to a
different part of the road and he invited the adults over as Lindsey,
Katie, and I stayed.  For the next ten minutes Lindsey shared her
testimony to them and about God’s love; it was really good and moving.

 She asked if anyone was a Christian and no one said they were but
wanted to know more.  Then I told them I wanted to share a story with
them, and just like Tanzania I began to draw salvation on the ground of
the gravel road; the pastor handed me the end of a hoe to make it
easier and there in the next fifteen minutes these people understood
more of what the love of God and salvation meant.

The only man of the group spoke up and said, “I was baptized years ago,
but I struggle with sin so much.â€�  I told him that even baptism can’t
save you, only Jesus can and without Him you have no power to
overcome.  A few minutes later both Romanian and Hungarian gypsy people
there wanted to come to Christ, and we all held hands in a circle as
these people came to know Jesus that day.  I have no place or ability
to know whether professions are real, and I know just saying a prayer
doesn’t do it all, so I do ask for your prayers after reading this that
these professions of faith and repentance will be authentic and that
God will guard their hearts from the enemy doing anything to their
faith, and that there will great follow up for these people and a good
church somewhere in this gypsy community.  And so this man and his
wife, little Cosmina’s mom and four other ladies came to hear about the
true love of God, and that He desires none of His children to be lost
and that Jesus died for all.  God is working among the least of these.

Last night we had a “Christian Rock Concert� where we spent the week
putting up posters and flyers to market it and had a decent turnout
where people came and heard music glorifying God and testimonies.  But,
the most memorable part of the week are the conversations we’ve had on
the streets with people.  Being able to meet many students this week
and talk about faith has been exciting. 

I believe there’s a real need of life in this place, it’s been evident
in the city and I can’t say that the religions here are helping that. 
And I’m seeing more of the division between the Romanian and Hungarian;
more evident in the older generation.  Thursday I spoke to four
Jehovah’s Witnesses that were friends and from both cultures, but
Wednesday was yelled at by an older lady about the division between the
two.  I believe there’s a big need of harmony and peace here. 
(Vlad and Christina from the street)

Last Tuesday morning I got to milk my first cow here in Romania; an
interesting experience from a city boy like me.  I’ve come to be really
great friends with a family here who milks their four cows and sells
the milk to the locals.  Both father and son are named George, his son
drives a bus and the father who is now retired has a broken hand and
makes little money from the milk of the cows three times a day.  It’s a
humble place and home to be and after asking him how income is, he says
it’s very hard. 

I have much respect for those who grow up on the farm, but especially
people who are from places like this that it’s about all they can
make.  It was a fun experience even though I had to be there at seven
o’clock in the morning.  There’s just been something about having
ministry in the city but yet the simple village life we’ve had; two
sides of Romania of a people who are as beautiful as the country also. 
P.S. We really drink this stuff?  EWW!! But good.
(below are great photos taken of Romania in the last week, ENJOY THE SUNRISE near home!!)