Thanks for sticking with me through this journey and keeping up with all my adventures and stories… I hope there are lots more to come! We have had a great month doing ministry with each other and being able to pour into our ministry contact. Mihai is one of the absolute most selfless people I have ever met. Every time we turn around he is bringing us a surprise or he has something cool and exciting for us to get into. His heart is so pure, and I am forever grateful for the month we have been able to spend with him and growing in the Lord.
Wednesday we will be heading into Month 7 of our race! It just keeps getting faster and faster it seems… Bittersweet for sure. Allow me if you will to tell you a little bit about the ministry we have gotten to do this month while in Romania and the things that the Lord had for us while we have been here.
One thing I have loved about this month is how diverse its been! I get burnt out doing the same thing day in and day out, so to mix it up a little has been a nice break! So here is a brief glimpse into some of the things we have done this month…
Carpet Cleaning & The Main Building:
The main building at the camp is where they run all of their conference during the camp seasons. Its a GINORMOUS 4 story building with several conference rooms, approximately 20 or 30 guest rooms, and more. God definitely blessed the camp with this beautiful facility! During our stay here, one of the pipes decided to explode and flood several of the rooms, the hallways, stairs, and bathrooms… Most of the building is tile… HOWEVER… ALL of the rooms and several other areas have the “carpet square” flooring in them… So, our job was to remove ALL of those, carry them to the bottom floor, drain them, dry them, clean them, carry them back up to their rooms, & then have fun putting together approximately 25 HUGE puzzles… LOL… I feel like a lot of times, my life is like a reality show… I just tried to imagine myself on “The Amazing Race” and like it was one of the tasks… It’s actually not a bad idea! I think I may send that in to CBS! HAHA
Shoveling Snow, Snow, Snow… & More Snow:
This one doesn’t really need an explanation… We got a TON of snow while we have been in Romania & that meant it was time to break out the snow shovels and go to town!
The “Great Flood of 2012” in the Blue House:
When we first arrived in Sistarovat’s, the men were all sleeping in the blue house across the street from the main host home. This lasted about a week and a half, and then one morning after Bible study, Francis returned to the house, only to find that water was 3 inches deep on all 3 floors and was still gushing! It was spraying from the light fixtures, the outlets, the pipes, and who knows where else! So… like the main building… We had the pleasure of doing the same thing to the blue house… Needless to say, all of us moved into the 1 house together and embraced community even more so!
Chopping Wood:
The furnace in both houses runs 24/7, so every three hours we take shifts to keep the fire going… Its part of ministry in a big way because it’s serving each other and helping keep us warm 😉
Marishca:
I want go into huge details here. If you have not read my blog titled, “Marishca”, go check it out. It will bless your heart no doubt. She is an incredible 91 year old romanian lady whom we all have fallen in love with over our time here. I’m not sure who ministered more to who… Us to her, or her to all of us on the World Race… She definitely made sure we didn’t go hungry!
Each Other:
One thing I have taken away from this month, is how much I have learned about investing more in each other. Living in a house with so many people has become one of the coolest, but hardest and most emotional experiences of my entire life. I have learned things though from this month and the people I am paired up with, that I couldn’t learn from anybody else or in any other place. I am so thankful… However… I don’t plan on signing up for “Big Brother” the TV show anytime in the near future!
English Class:
A couple of days we had the opportunity to go and help serve at the english class in town. It was a great chance to hang out with the local youth and get to know them.
and… last, but not least!
The College Retreat:
This past weekend, there were a group of about 20 college aged kids who were on break from school and they came to the came for a winter type retreat. While they were here, it was our job to serve in the kitchen helping prepare food, clean and maintain the dining area, and make sure everything was tidied up afterwards… It was a cool opportunity to hang out with them and hear about their lives… And we were even able to spend time with one of the students, Ben, who is from Tyler, Texas and is attending college here in Romania.
Welp, there you have it! That is a glimpse into the random, but goodness of our ministry this month. Its absolutely true that you never know what you will do from month to month! It keeps it interesting and fresh… and for that, I am thankful for. Pray for our team and our squad as we finish off month 6 of the race and head to Month 7: Bulgaria, TOMORROW!
Love y’all!
OH YEAH! Some of our group has been passing this photo around… Its pretty accurate I think, HAHA… Hope you get a good laugh out of it 😉
