Extreme Makeover: World Race Edition
This month my team has been given the absolute honor of working with a host family who has had the dream to open up a no cost to the patient hospice here in Romania. The hospice is pretty much complete and they are already making home visits. But the cost of a full hospice care center is very expensive. To offset the cost of this endeavor they are opening a good will type shop where people can donate items and the proceeds from selling the items will go to support the hospice.
I have to admit when we got here and our ministry fell through I wasn’t really surprised. Our squad has been given the gift of change. We are even going to a different country next than was originally planned! Stay tuned for another blog about that! But we were given such a gift this month with our ministry host. They are AMAZING people who love Jesus and love others fiercely. They have such a heart for seeing people live out the last days of their lives with dignity. They have entrusted us with helping them remodel their shop for the grand opening in October.
Honestly, when I first heard our task I was terrified and a little less than ready to get to work. I know nothing about remodeling and the thought of 5 girls with power tools is scary! But our ministry host has most graciously taken us under his wing and showed us how to lay a hard wood floor, paint walls, use power tools and a whole lot of other awesome skills! As I write this my body is sore from climbing up and down a 10 foot ladder to paint walls all day. I’m not complaining I’m just saying. I just can’t believe I just wrote those words! But this experience has been so good. Not only have I learned a lot about remodeling, but God has been teaching me so much more! I have compiled a list of top five lessons I have learned this month! I have included a few pictures of our work in progress. Be on the look out for the big reveal when we are done!
- While scraping paint off the floor I noticed every tile is different, but all tiles were made by the same person and in the same way. It made me think of how God has created all of us “tiles” different but in His image and the same way. He reminded me to look at every person the way that He does. My prayer is to always see people the way Jesus does!
- Every tile had different amounts of paint on it and some paint is really tough to get off. A teammate and I scraped paint off a floor for over an hour. Jesus spoke to me about how all of us have different sin and amounts of sin. But we are all sinners. Some sin is harder to get rid of but everyone’s got it. He reminded me to have grace for others and for myself and to keep scraping the “paint” because we are all a work in progress.
- We are the hands and feet of Christ. That will look different each month of the race and every season of life. This month was less working with people and more preparing a place where hearts will be changed and people will find life everlasting. Sometimes we are entrusted with working directly with people. Both are equally important to furthering the kingdom.
- Power tools are powerful and not as hard to use when you have a great teacher. Using those tools reminded me of the power of our God. He has entrusted us with that power and all we have to do is pick up the “saw” and use it.
- The view from the top of the ladder gives you a different perspective. It took me a few minutes to get up the courage to climb up that wobbly thing and it was a balancing act. But I am so glad I got up there because the view was breath taking. I saw my teammates doing what they do best, serving with a happy heart. I saw them laughing, dancing, and throwing paint at each other. Just when I thought my arm couldn’t do one more stroke I would hear those sweet voices encouraging or singing at the top of their lungs. I also see my other teammate on the more dangerous ladder higher up on the wall. She’s fearless! I love them so much. We have our ups and downs but I am so blessed to be doing life with these beautiful radiant rubies. I also see our host working so diligently and precisely. It is evident their hearts are in this fully. Today he prayed for us in Romanian. I don’t know what he said but it encouraged me none the less. We got the opportunity to pray for them, the hospice and the store. It was a beautiful moment. The view from the top of the ladder, though it can be scary it is so worth it! PSA I did just fine on that ladder and like our host said, “it should be fine and if it’s not my wife is a doctor and worst thing that could happen is you meet Jesus!”
Work in Progress:
Sisay, my teammate showing off her mad painting skills!
Britt, my teammate working on the details!
This flower is the symbol for the store and hospice. There is new beginnings beyond this life.
More Remodeling!
Paint scraping at it’s finest!
Some of our fun tools!
You need a floor laid? We are your girls! The Radiant Rubies can get the job done! This is the hardwood floor we helped lay in the shop.
This month in Romania is coming to an end!!! I can’t believe in just a week and a half we will heading on to a weekend in Bulgaria and then on to GREECE! God is teaching me so much this year and every day I can’t thank him enough for this opportunity! I do want to clear up any questions you may have about the link that I posted a few days ago on my facebook and Instagram. As I said above my team has been rerouted to GREECE next month. The cost of living in Greece and the ministry we will be working with costs more than our original route. The three teams that will be raising a total of $2300 dollars that is totally separate from our original fundraising amount. I was fully funded until this route change. I believed God would provide the first amount and He did! I believe he will also provide this amount. We are already 40% to our goal and the link was posted yesterday! GOD IS SO GOOD! You can checkout the link below if you would like more information about what we will be doing in Greece and would like to pray for us and/or support our squad. We will have the opportunity to work with a refugee camp in Lesvos, Greece. We will be serving these precious people in whatever capacity is needed. If you have any more questions, feel free to contact me. I would love to hear from you! This episode of Extreme Makeover is to be continued…stay tuned for the big reveal. Get ready to MOVE THAT BUS!!
Greece Link:
