So I think a big theme of Romania so far has been my bromance with Matt Patch. He’s pretty much the man and we’ve had some great times of bonding here in Bromania (for those of you that don’t know, Romanian parliament voted at the end of last month to change the name of the country to Bro-mania). We’ve poured two concrete floors, wrestled, killed, cooked, and eaten a pig, and we’re currently building a bathroom. It’s been awesome to do ministry that has a tangible result. In the process we’ve built relationships with two guys named Alin and Georgie, neither of whom are Christians, but both have agreed to come to church with us. I really feel like Patch and I are becoming brothers in a very real and deep sense. It’s good.
One of my biggest ministry opportunities here is pouring into the father of our host family, Adi (23). Adi is a great guy and we have a lot in common, so it’s been easy to get along with him and we have grown close pretty quickly. He is a Christian, but I think that he’s holding part of himself back from the Lord, and I know that he has had some issues with his marriage. I really want to pour into him and show him what being a real man of God is all about, but it’s hard when I’m still learning what a real man of God is. Becoming a man of God is one of my top goals for this year and Patch and I are striving for it together. I just hope to encourage Adi in the same pursuit.
Me, Adi, and Patch with our dinner – we have a video of me killing it if you’re interested 😉
One cool example of this has shown itself clearly to me. I love to play football (the real kind, with your feet), and if you ask anybody who has known me for the past three or four years will tell you that the way I play football has changed in the last year. I used to have a SERIOUS anger problem when I played. God has changed this and I think it’s probably one of the most evident ways that God has worked on me in the past year. Adi invited me to play football with him our second night here and I went. I know that part of it is cultural, but there are serious anger problems in this village that come out during football. Instantly, although I didn’t want to be there during the yelling and fighting, I knew that this would be part of my ministry. I want to show that men can play hard and be competitive without being angry. A lot of the guys who play are not Christians, so it could be a real ministry opportunity for Adi too since he’s here long term. I’m writing as if I have it all figured out, so please hear me when I say that I don’t, but I do feel that God has taught me this lesson and put me in this place for such a time as this. I have played several times since and I will probably play more while I’m here, so pray that I would be an example and that a door would open for a conversation with Adi about it.
Ministry has been amazing so far and next week is going to be cool too. We’ll be going to pick apples Tuesday through Friday with the really poor and downtrodden gypsies from our village – the “real gypsies”. Please pray that I would be able to communicate God’s love even through the language barrier. Thanks for your support as always!
Adam
