Hello from Romania! I am currently in the city of Arad near the border of Hungary. I am serving with Team Umoja for the entire month. It is a joy to be with them. Most months I am traveling through the country and bouncing from team to team every week or two as a squad leader, but I decided to stick with just one team this month. It’s that season of the race for me. I needed a team again. I’ve been with teams almost every day of the race, but there’s definitely a difference between being with one and being on one. I chose this team because they can speak into this season of my life. They are going deep with the Lord and want every part of him. They are full of life and will fight to get the best out of each other.
It’s only been a week, and it’s been exactly what I needed. We’ve had such an incredible mix of fun, spiritual depth, and beautiful ministry. As I type this, I can hear a conversation going on in the background between Sarah and Alisa about the book of Ezekiel. Today, on our day off, I sat in McDonalds side by side by side on the same bench with John and Annie Rose for 3 hours talking about things we’ve learned this year, what life will be like when we return home, and what we’re still hoping will happen during the little time we have left. We’ve spent time cracking up together as we watch “The Office” and “Glee”. A few of us go on runs all over the city. For the first time in 8 months, I had a chance to pick up a football and throw it around with John and Kate. A couple nights ago I was able to tell the team my testimony so that they could hear where I’ve been in my faith and the things I’m currently struggling with. It’s been good. So good.
The ministry. It’s been all over the place so far. We spent one day helping out at an orphanage. We worked at a primary school another day and at a special needs school for another. We also spent two days at a high school. I’ve loved every moment of it. We’ve been sharing about who we are and what Christ has done in our lives at each stop. Friendships are being built with the high school students, and our schedules are filling up quickly! We went paintballing with the students yesterday and have movie plans early next week.
It’s sharing life, and it’s ministry. I am sharing life with the team this month, and the team is sharing life with the students. That is ministry. The team ministers to each other by laughing, crying, sharing the depths of who we are, exploring the mystery and beauty of the Lord, worshiping, throwing a football, praying, sitting down for dinner together, preferring each other’s needs above our own, and sitting 3 wide on a bench in McDonald’s for far too long while Romanians give you funny looks. The students immediately see the life of a healthy team and want to share in it. So that’s exactly what happens. We share life. We play soccer, talk about the crazy food we’ve eaten and how it’s caused us to scramble for a bathroom, talk about the sex trafficking problem in Thailand, go paintballing, have late-night faith conversations, hold hands with disabled students, and sing the same ridiculous songs that we’ve sung all over the world. It’s just life, but “just life” is a powerful ministry, and the Lord is so proud of us for living in a way that glorifies him. 
