If you didn’t know, my squad was in Romania this past month (our first month of four in Eastern Europe). My team was paired with Hope Ministry in southern Romania, through which we got to work alongside many national missionaries to amplify their work. Hope Ministry is the missional focus of Hope Church which is located in Draganesti-Olt in southern Romania. Hope Ministry aims to exist people with the hope of Christ locally in Draganesti-Olt, regionally throughout southern Romania, and internationally throughout the Balkans. They seek to do this by investing in Godly people, Godly projects, and Godly partnerships.
During the month, my team served alongside all of the national missionaries in Draganesti-Olt as well as in a nearby city, Craiova. Nearly every day of the month, we served alongside a different missionary so we got to do a variety of different ministries every day as well. I personally enjoy doing a large variety so this month was very enjoyable for me. Our host, Raul and his family, were truly a blessing to live beside and to serve.
On our first day of ministry, Raul individually interviewed every Racer. He asked each of us five questions. The first two or three were to get to know about us personally, and the rest was to see how we could benefit Hope Ministry & Raul during the month & how to be blessed by him and the ministry. It was truly a blessing to live, learn, and serve alongside Raul and his family. I fell in love with the tiny little town that we stayed in, the larger city that we visited and served in, the people and language of Romania, and most importantly the ministry. I loved it so much that it was very hard to leave.
Throughout the month, I told several people, that if the Lord is willing, I would either quit the Race or come back to Romania in a heartbeat. And, I even told my parents that I would legitimately consider coming back to Romania until I can serve in Croatia long-term. There are so many aspects of this month, ministry, and community that I loved that I want for the rest of my life and for my future ministerial work. This month was really helpful and inspirational for me as I look forward to Croatia to pursue long-term ministry. My vision is to what is already in the works, see ways for people to come alongside those that are already doing the Lord’s work in Croatia, and find & create ways that more people can be reached and led into deeper relationships with Jesus Christ & to profess His life-changing truth.
TL;DR– here are eight things I learned from the beginning of the Race through Month º8:
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Ministry can consist of anything as long as the ultimate is for God to be glorified,
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24/7 community is much more difficult than the type of intentional community that I experienced in university,
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If you put your complete trust in the Lord, He can and will do radical things that you could never think or imagine,
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If it is truly the Lord’s will for your life, He has already put in all the work and provisions for it to happen, you just need to be obedient to His will,
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Some of the wisest people in your life may be younger than you,
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Some of the best encouragers are the people who are running the same race as you at the same time,
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I love having a consistent schedule, but thrive doing something new from day to day, and
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My spiritual gifts are teaching, wisdom, serving, knowledge, and administration.
Pursuing restoration and reconciliation,
Angie Moore
