Heyya, Folks!
IMMEDIATE UPDATE: I am in Romania, ministry has begun, and the Race is officialy underway! Now, before I dive into race things and the general feels I want to start this blog off by sharing with ya’ll an opportunity to partner alongside me and my squad as we pursue the unreached of Romania. IF YOU REMEMBER NOTHING ELSE FROM THIS BLOG REMEMBER THIS! This month my squad and I wil be serving alongside our brothers and siters at Hope church (based in a small town in southern Romania called Draganesti-Olt). One of the passions of this church is to get a copy of the new-testament into the households of families in the their region. (You can read specifics about their mission statement and differenet projects at this link http://www.hoperomania.org/a-new-testament-for-every-home.html ) What they have found is that people are more receptive of these Bible’s when they are given with personal testimonies in the pages. If you would like to partner with my squad in this ministry, you can email me a short personal testimony of where God proved faithful in your life. Nothing long and complicated. Just a quick story of God’s faithfullness or the way you were changed because of the power of the Gospel. If you are interested, email me your testimony at [email protected]. Thanks so much, ya’ll!
Now, back to an update, the race has officially begun and I am in Romania! I woke up this morning in a bunk bed at our, “Squad-House” to the sound of a donkey pulling a cart out on the road and my first though was, “Oh yes, we made it!” As I went to the word this morning the scripture that the Father had prepared for me was the last few chapters of Acts where the misfortune’s of Pauls, “travel day” to Rome are recorded. (On the race, a travel day is any period of time spent travelling from one place to another even if it spans a longer timeframe than a normal 24 hour day.) On reading this passage, my first though was, “Thank you Father for the way you showed yourself faithful in our own travel over these last few days!” Unlike Paul, we did not have to undergo a shipwreck or get bitten by vipers or survive months on a foreign island. However, like Paul, God showered us with grace through our four days of travel, providing for needs we did not even think to ask for. He is a Father who gives good gifts even when we get too caught up in what is happening around us to ask!
Over the past week I have been typing up bits and pieces of a blog, trying to capture my general feels about leaving home for nine months. For those who don’t know, I left home on Thurdsday the seventh to go down to Atlanta for a couple of days of training before we left the country. Those three days of launch were just a great time of community with my squad as we all got back together and were able to process through some of the emotions that come with saying goodbye to those at home. I think it’s safe to say that launch was a very surreal couple of days. Even now looking back I’m like, “Did that even happen or was that just a dream?” I would say it wasn’t at all what I expected, but I’m now realizing I didn’t really have any expectations going in. Launch was always that blurry period between home life and life on the field that I hadn’t given any thought to. Needless to say it kind of blind-sided me.
Saying goodbye at home was far harder than I thought it would be, and it deffinitely brought on the whole, “What in the world am I doing?…” kind of thinking. However, the Father was faithful through it all and while it was harder to leave than I had ever expected, there was never a moment where I questioned that this is what I’m meant to do. Throughout the past six months, I’ve been reading through the Gospels over and over again. In doing this, there has been one story that has really stuck out to me for a reason that I had never been able to discern. That story/passage has been the last chapter of John. It tells of an instance after Jesus resurrection that the apostles were re-united with Christ. It’s just a really sweet time where we get a glimpse into the kind of intimacy that exists between Jesus and His closest friends and what feels like a behind the scenes moment. Theyre just chilling on the shores of the sea of Galilee enjoying a meal of miraculously caught fish. I can’t explain it, but I really love this chapter! The way John wrote it, the description of the fellowship they hade together, and near the end, Jesus re-instating Peter.
Like I said above, saying goodbye wrecked me up in more ways than I thought it would. The night before I left I was pretty much experiencing the epitome of the farewell blues. I had just said, “see ya later” to my fam (three best mates) at our favorite coffee hang out and, to be honest, I pretty much wept. As I drove out of our small town of Bedford, VA swerving all over the road (courtesy of watery eyes) I clearly heard the Father ask, “Do you trust me?” over and over again the entire way home. Like I said above, I never really had a moment where I was like, “What am I doing? This is not right for me.” However, the desire to stay where I was comfortable and not step out into what is unknown was almost overwhelming that night. It’s not like I was leaving behind a life of sin and wreckless living either. The things I miss, my home, is truly a good gift that God blessed me with. However, there is a point where I can value what is good to such an extent that it keeps me from running after what God has for me. The next morning, I woke up and dove straight into the word for my last meeting with Papa at home. The few days before, I had been reading up to John 21 so that I would have my favorite passage to read before I set off on this great adventure. Again, I’ve read this chapter many times over the last few months. I don’t have it memorized, but I deffinitely know it well. I didn’t expect to find anything new in reading it this time. As I sat there with my cup of coffee, wrapped up in my comfy chair I’m not going to lie, I kind of zoned out. Whether it was due to exhaustion from packing, being emotionally drained, or from entering into that surreal semi-awareness that accompanies big change. Either way, I zoned out. Regardless, God again spoke to me, asking me to trust Him despite what I may be feeling or thinking. If you will recall, near the end of the chapter, Jesus asks Peter three times, “Do you love me?” This is a significant example of Christs compassions and forgiveness because just a few chapters earlier in the story Peter denied even knowing Christ three times. You know how you tend to mistake words when you read absentmindedly? Wel, that happened to me in this moment. As I half mindedly skimmed through this passage, instead of reading the words, “Do you love me?” I read the words, “Do you trust me?” When I came back to reality, realizing I had read the words differently, I was just like, “Wow! That’s a really good word!” I went back through the passage paying full attention to the message this time, but replacing the word, “love,” with, “trust.” It’s amazing how the Father gives us exactly what is needed even when we aren’t even completely commited to finding Him in the times we need Him the most. This wasn’t anything ground-breaking. Not some faith shaking revelation or huge theological point, but it still gave me assurance in the middle of a time where I was not feeling sure about anything. An assurance that I know will follow me wherever this journey may take me!
Thank you again for your prayers through this time of transition from life at home to life on the field. I have definitely felt the Fathers peace and courage because of your intercessory prayer back home. Today was my first full day of ministry ya’ll! We got to work with a missionary couple handing out glasses and praying over people in a small village in rural Romania. There have been so many great conversatins with people in different cities we traveled to and now that we are here it feels less like we are just now beginning ministry but more like we are continuing what we started during our travel. Well, I’m kind of rushing because we have to get off the wifi. I apologize for gramatical errors in the like, but cant wait to share more stories and pictures about how the Father is moving in the posts to come! OH! By the way my squad and I are going to Greece so please consider praying for us on our trip there. Thank you!
Through His Grace,
Love Ya’ll!
Colby
