On one of our last nights with our Moldovan friends, we sat in a circle to encourage each other and say our final "sappy" goodbyes.
It was my turn to share. In true Sarah-fashion, I made the following comment:
"Honestly, before coming to Moldova, I never knew it existed. But now I love it so much!"
But honestly, it was true.
How can I so dearly love a country that I knew nothing about?
My month in Moldova was such a rewarding one…for many reasons.
One of my biggest highlights was our Moldovan friends, which I spilled the beans about in my last blog (I'm Surrounded). They are seriously amazing!
You can tell how alive God was in that church community.
In a country that most look past or may not even realize exists (Yup, I am guilty.), there was such hope and faith in that church. The people exhibited so many gifts of the Spirit: kindness, gentleness, patience.
And if I were to add a gift, it would be hospitality, because that was their specialty.
I can't tell you how many meals were cooked for us, how many homes we were invited into, how many candy bars and sweet notes were dropped at our door and how many encouraging smiles and "Domnul sa te binecuvintezes" (God bless you in Romanian) were given to us.
This month I learned so much about what 1 Peter says about being hospitable as a believer. So practical and so good!
And personally this month, I heard God speak in ways that I hadn't yet all Race. I had plenty of time to escape up to the 3rd floor of the church, sit in the window sill and spend some one-on-one time with the Lord. It was amazing how much room God had to speak when I quieted my mouth, my thoughts, my soul.
During those times, God was able to encourage me, reveal areas for improvement in my life, help me dive deeper into issues that were holding me back from following Him wholeheartedly and, most importantly, just learn to BE IN HIS PRESENCE daily.
Like I said, very rewarding!
Needless to say, it was bittersweet to say goodbye this month. I know this is the "name of the game" I signed up for (only staying for a month), but it doesn't make it any easier.
And so, I press on to the next country…MOZAMBIQUE! (Our route got changed up a bit.)
As far as I know, we will be staying in Maputo, Mozambique working with an organization called Beacon of Hope, which disciples young boys.
Three months of Africa coming up…a little different than Europe!
