Last weekend was a surreal one for me. Everyone on my team and I went to visit my family here in Romania! We got off the 5-hour long bus ride and as we were walking into my family’s village, Rachita, I thought to myself: this can’t be happening. Here I am walking down the street with 5 Americans and 1 Canadian. We are going to see my family. In Romania. Amazing.
In a small nut shell, the few days we spent in Rachita were nothing short of amazing. My uncle has a captivating persnality and you really can’t stop laughing when you’ve with him. My aunt, she’s one of the biggest servant’s heart I’ve ever met. My cousins, well they are a riot. And my grandparents, they’re just adorable and loving. I couldn’t believe how well everyone got along! My team fell in love with my family and my family fell in love with them and I think I fell more in love with both of them.
Having my World Race family together with my blood family was unbelievable. I mean, God completely has surpassed anything I’d ever imagined. Maybe about six or seven years ago I was at my family’s house in Rachita. I was reading Acts late one night and I was absolutely hooked on what I was reading. It was about 3am and I was the only one awake in the house. I got on my knees that night and I started crying my eyes out. It was a moment of surrender for me. I don’t think I’d fully surrendered my future to God until that moment. I told God I wanted to give Him everything in my life, every single part of me. I told Him I would do anything for Him, I would go anywhere. I said that wherever He would lead me I would follow. Even to the ends of the earth. And I was serious.
That was such a defining moment for me in my “missionary” history. I think it’s one of the first times I felt the Lord calling me toward international missions. About three years after this night I returned again to Rachita and in the same house God kept giving me visions of me being there with other missionaries and doing work with my uncle’s children house (See Lauren’s blog here).
I found myself thinking of these precious moments over this past weekend and I was so humbled. God answered my prayers. He’s full fulling the visions He’s given me. He’s giving me the desires of my heart far beyond anything I could have imagined. Back then, if you would’ve told me I’d be doing something like The World Race, I would’ve never believed you! But God is so faithful to complete the work He started in my heart that night in Rachita.
My family eating dinner one night
Me with my adorable cousin, Stefania. She stole everyone on my team’s heart.
Working hard de-pitting prunes to make jam!
Me with my sweet grandparents
The team with my uncle and aunt, Stefi and Moni. They are amazing!!!
