Romania: Month 4
Children’s ministry in the gypsy community; evangelism; support of the long-term missionaries
Dragonesti-Olt
Team Reckless Pursuit
I always:
+ will vividly remember the night I spent at a teenage girl’s sleepover. It was the night a vision was born and my dreams became my future.
+ pretend like I never ate massive amounts of fake Nutella.
+ wish I could have spent more time with Pastor Raul and his wife, Ana. They were some of the most delightfully direct, challenging, loving people of God I have ever met. They kept you on your toes and never let you dodge answering a question. There were many questions and much love.
I sometimes:
+ wonder how I never gave myself a concussion on the three story bunk bed made for sailor’s quarters in which I slept.
+ wish I could teleport back to Brasov where our week of debrief was spent. Charming, magical, whimsical—all words that describe this Romanian city.
+ laugh when I think of my pre-Race thoughts on what a typical Race day would entail. The reality is that it always, always changes. One day, you might be writing chapter summaries of a book on the Welsh Revival. The next, you are leading worship at a church service (another of my “crowning” moments of the Race. I finally realized this month that I would never be able to escape “special songs”.)
I never:
+ made a Disney music video like some of my dear friends did this month.
+ cease to be amazed by how the Lord God speaks to me in such a beautiful, unique manner. His Words are precious to me. And, it was this month which began my journey of continuous listening and obeying. It is no longer flashes of clarity, moments of intimacy. It is a deep abiding—a dwelling in the garden, a constant intimacy.
+ will never forget Team Lumi-P and our family dinners and our massive feedback session. (Team Luminous was Team Reckless Pursuit’s unofficial “sister team.” We spent so much time together we felt as if we were one; hence Team Lumi-P.)
Ukraine: Month 5
CCX – University Student Ministry
Odessa
Team Sozo
I always:
+ crave the sunshine. And, we lived ten minutes walking distance from the Black Sea beach. Which meant many, many wonderful afternoons with my dear Mary and Alyssa.
+ love dancing. Going to a salsa/bachata class with some international students was my highlight of the month.
+ think the concept of night trains is magical. However, the reality of night trains is not.
I sometimes:
+ dream of being a ballerina, especially after watching Swan Lake in the old world beauty of the Odessa Opera House.
+ remember and laugh at the mild obsession the boys had with the street vendor shawarma (an Arab type of sandwich wrap).
+ struggle to “embrace the gold.” These three words define my journey of refinement this year. He is refining me into pure gold. Will I embrace this gold, along with the pain of refinement that accompanies it? Or will I reject it, thinking I will remain comfortable, but, in reality, sentencing myself to chaos and separation? The choice is simple, but trying.
I never:
+ had so much free time in my life as I had this month. I battled frustration at this.
+ stopped loving the massive amounts of cabbage we ate.
+ want to stop counting all as grace. Eucharisteo. (if you haven’t yet, read One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. It is beautiful.)
