Challenge Europe: Each team got to choose one out of six countries to do ministry in during the month of October.
Umoja did not have to choose, the door just opened…Romania it was.
I have felt the need to go to Romania for exactly one year now; so when God opened that door, I knew it was in God’s will. Why did I feel called to Romania? Well, that is a story for another time…what I am trying to say is, you will have to keep checking in for that specific blog! 😉
Anywho, the month of October started out different. For one thing, N Squad usually comes together at the end of every month in order to travel together and, well…that did NOT happen this time around; this was due to the fact that each team had to make their own plans for travel. Secondly, my team member, Auston Copeland, felt called to live with team Se7en for the month, because of the whole issue with Trevor Curington (if you would like to know more, you can check out his blog @http://trevorcurington.theworldrace.org); Auston got the, “Go!” from God so that he may be there for our squad mate, Taylor Woodham, for moral support. So it was weird, to say the least, to not have Auston with us that month. However, we did manage to gain a member. I know you are probably wondering, “What?” and may even be confused, but just stay with me! This is something I have grown accustomed too while on this race. Umoja was blessed to have Austin Robertson for the entire month of October. Austin is our Squad Leader (basically, he pours into the squad as a whole) and decided to join our team to rest and be filled up again. Austin, even though I give him a hard time, is pretty much awesome and fit right in to our little family. So that is it for all the craziness…are you still with me? GOOD. Now, for the ministry side of things… While in Romania, we got to speak/hang out with high school students, played with kids at a primary school, visited a school for disabled children, and did manual labor at an orphanage which was one of my favorite ministries of this year. Okay, to make it easy for you, I am just going to lay it out:
High School: So, basically, I got to hang out with the coolest kids I have ever met; seriously, there is a special anointing on the youth at this one Baptist High School we did ministry at. We got to share our experiences of this year with the students, which was great, but the best part was that the students spoke on major issues facing Romania today, what it is like being a follower of Christ in Romania, how their generation wants to see a change, and much more. I was blown away by their questions, concerns, and enthusiasm for life. It is awesome to know that these youths are the next generation to rise up for Christ!
Primary School: All I am going to say is that I have missed this kind of interaction with kids! Before the race, I was one of the Sunday school teachers for my church; so I would always play fun games and sing catchy songs to ignite each child. Well, I got to do this with the kids at this school and it was so much fun! I had forgotten how much I have missed it!
School for Disabled: I have had the privilege to work with A LOT of disabled kids this year; so when I found out we were going to hang out at a school for children with disabilities, I was not surprised at all. Our experience there was awesome! We went to an indoor playground and had the opportunity to be kids ourselves. The children we got to spend time with that day were so precious…I loved every moment of it.
Oaza: This orphanage was in dire need of extra helping hands and sure enough, we were there at the perfect time. Eliseo (Italy) and Noel (England) had been working hard trying to meet the deadline that was set for opening up the house that the kids were to move in too. The deadline: November 1st…and it was evident that the Lord had sent us to them in HIS perfect timing. Although they will tell you we were the blessing, I guarantee you…THEY WERE! The house was nowhere near to completion- there were about seven rooms in the building and all of them needed to be sanded and painted, the floors needed to be installed in the entire house, the bathrooms needed walls and all its necessities, and the garden area needed major work. Well, to make a long story short, in less than two weeks every wall was sanded and painted, the floors were in, the walls in the bathroom were up, and the garden area was completely cleared and ready for a beautiful landscape. I can honestly say, none of us could believe what God had done in such a short amount of time; it was incredible. To top it off, we made life-long friends with both Eliseo and Noel. These two men are some of the most amazing-God breathing men I have ever met! We felt as though we were part of their family. I can honestly say they were my favorite contacts of the year. We also got to spend time with the kids from Oaza which brought a lot of Joy to the task in hand; they were, after all, the reason why we were there. The best part about this ministry was that we felt like we were needed. I know this may sound funny, but I have not really felt NEEDED on this race. Do not get me wrong, there was a purpose for every place I have been to this year, but it wasn’t anywhere near the intensity we felt while working at Oaza. Talk about God’s perfect planning!
Romania will go down as one of my favorite months on the race. It was the first time I felt really needed and to be completely honest, I needed them. Let’s face it, I am at the end of this journey and I NEEDED to be awakened in my ministry-God’s ministry. There is a difference between doing ministry and being IN ministry; well, while in Romania I was IN ministry; allowing God to fill me up while filling the cups of others. So, it was obvious why God had called us to Romania and I know it may sound like too much, but there was another reason why Romania was the one chosen…and like I said…you’ll just have to come back to see exactly what that something is. Bye for now.
