It’s days like these that make me want to journal more. I should really do my thirty-year-old self a favor and write more of this stuff down. So here goes.
Our ministry contact, Alexe, showed up early this morning to pick up the guys on our team for the day of ministry. He took Drew, Howard, and I deep into the fields of Romania, to a vineyard owned by one of his friends. We spent the morning picking grapes, nibbling as we went. Alexe shared with us that we were doing this to serve his friend, who is soon to be working in the government, and will be a strong influence for the church here.
After washing our sticky grape hands, the other pickers invited us to join them for a picnic lunch. So we sat on the blanket, surrounded by rolling fields and grape vines in all directions, eating fresh vegetables and weird delicious meats and cheeses and a thought hit me:
This is not normal. This has become normal for us on the World Race, but this is not normal. I am picking grapes and eating lunch with locals of a remote town in the hills of Romania. Heck, I went to Greece last week! All this to say, I am so thankful for my supporters and blessed to be living this adventure.
So, back to the story. Lunch ends, we drink coffee, I pee behind a tree, and it’s back to grape-pickin’. While talking with pastor Alexe in the vineyard, I mention how interesting it would be to see what happens to the grapes after we pick them. He responds with, “Ok, I will take you to see after!” And in true World Race fashion, our plans changed, and we were soon on our way to the winemaker’s house. And when I say on our way, I mean that I rode with the pastor, while Drew and Howard jumped into the back of the van in complete darkness with four Romanians and the grapes.
Pastor Alexe had another team to meet, so he left us to make wine with our new friends who spoke zero English. We got to help with the entire process of making homemade wine, from squashing (by machine), to straining, to siphoning into barrels. After all the juice had been barreled, we sat down to an authentic Romanian dinner with their family, and laughed in broken English about American things, such as Barack Obama and Madonna. Hospitality is a huge part of Romanian culture. They sent us home with a jug of fresh grape juice and three jars of zacusca, a finger lickin’ stew-like vegetable spread.
Simple life adventures like these bring me so much joy. But wait, there’s more to this story!
While picking grapes, I thought it would be cool to meditate on what the Word says about vines and grapes and such, and the Lord gave me this:
“I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5
Today, that verse picked up some new relevancy in my life. Sure, this day was awesome, but it is easy to doubt how days like this can be considered ministry. In fact, that doubt creeps in often on the Race, as ministry around the world rarely looks like ministry in America. Of course we’ve prayed, preached, and teached, but we’ve also made wine, sanded fences, and played soccer. The Lord has used His truth to comfort me, telling me that all He desires is a willing heart for ministry, and He’ll take care of the details. I will follow Him wherever He leads, no matter how weird or unexpected it may be.
This life is so much more about abiding in the vine, and less about the fruit. More about being, less about doing. I’ve heard that stuff so many times, but now that I’m living that lifestyle, I’m being forced to believe it. And knowing that adventures like today’s are all a part of the Lord’s plan for me is so freeing, hope bringing, and downright exciting!
Here's a little instagram video that my teammate Howard made of the process:
