Lodging: We were in dorm-style housing again as we spent the first 3 weeks of the month at a summer camp. The last week we were in a hostel in Brasov.
(The view by our hostel in Romania)
Food: We ate primarily soup. Lots of potatoes and bread. It is very starchy here in Romania. Our food was provided for us but we could walk into town to a little store if we wanted a snack or some fruit to go with our meals.
People: Again, our interaction with the people of Romania was very limited. While we were at the camp (it was not in session) we pretty much only interacted with the property manager who would give us our tasks for the days. Every few days the cook would come to make the meals and so we were able to connect with her with the help of google translator. The shop owner in town also become somewhat of a friend for us. Based on the week we spent at debrief before our month of ministry started, the people of Romania are a little, well, rude. I asked our host if this was an accurate assessment and he, a Romanian, agreed. They are just very blunt, straightforward, and, well, just sometimes rude. It is really quite interesting actually, to interact with them. A small percentage of the country knows English so it has been interesting being out and about, especially traveling, to try and figure out which ones those are and ask for their help.
Ministry: Manual labor. We spent the first 3 weeks just mowing the property, weeding, planting flowers, creating new fields/courts (soccer, sand volleyball), and cleaning the inside of buildings/dormitories. Basically anything needed to get the property in shape for the upcoming camp season. It was a pretty decent sized property. The last week they had a conference and said our job would be to “stay out of the way.” So we took that as a hint and headed back to our meet-up city to do some ATL (ask the Lord) days of ministry. We prayed for the Lord to lead us as we head out into the city each day just trying to be his hands, feet, and especially mouthpiece to the people we encounter.
Prayer Requests:
– That we would continue to press in to our teammates and ministry as we head into the final two months.
-That I would continue to submit to and obey they Lord no matter how difficult it may seem. That I would choose to seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness and my mind would continue to focus on the things of heaven.
-Continue to pray for discernment for decisions we have to make concerning next steps after the race.
Thank you!!
