Heyya, Folks!
I wanted to post a little update about what ministry has looked like over the few weeks and also share some pictures of the adventures we have had so far!
Ministry first,
This month we have been hosted by Hope Church Romania serving alongside them and many of the churches they are partnered with in the surrounding villages. Hope Church was initiated in 2003 in Draganesti-Olt, a small town in southern Romania. There is a great need for the Gospel here as true born again believers number less than 1% of the southern population. The Orthodox church has a strong presence here, but they do not stay true to scripture, adopting some pagan practices. Southern Romanian’s tend to be more close minded and less receptive of the Gospel than those in the north. Hope Church is led by Raul Costea. His passion for the lost people of Romania is absolutely contagious! I have been absolutely blown away by the progress Raul has made, through the Father’s grace, over these last years. The church has so many projects that portray their desire to bring the transforming power of the Gospel to those in the region. I invite you to read more about his ministry and the things Hope Church is doing by checking out the link below.
While Hope Church has hosted us, most of the squad has been working with churches in the neighboring villages. We began ministry the day after we got back from Greece. We usually spend between four and eight hours with our ministry hosts each day. Our team has been split between two different hosts, which has been a bummer in that we have been separate, but has also been so cool to get back together and share stories each night.
Ministry has looked very different from what I had expected. I’m a routine type of person, so I had envisioned that things would be set on a weekly basis. That one week would be devoted to children’s ministry and maybe another would be given to street evangelism. Instead, each day has basically been a free-for-all, which, as a person that prefers routine, has definitely been a stretch. Regardless, our time with our host has been so sweet! Again, I have only been serving alongside half of my team (Cam, and Jacob). Our hosts names are Alexe and Veronica Costea. About fifteen years ago, Alexe moved down from the north to southern Romania to plant a church in the village of Comani. The progress has been slow, but God has been faithful in this ministry as there is now a core congregation. Pray that God will continue to water the seeds planted by the Costeas! We have spent the days doing many different things to bless this sweet family. In the beginning, I spent most of my time doing computer work for Alexe, but at the end I also was able to work with Cam and Jacob in the children’s ministry, teaching English and loving on the kids of the village.
Please pray that God is faithful to send people to the region of Southern Romania! So much progress has been made in these last years, but the need is still so great. Pray that those with churches here will not be discouraged, but be emboldened to share faithfully with those in their communities, shepherding their churches well.
Also, please pray for my squad as we leave Romania tomorrow for our next country… UKRAINE! Pray for safe travel but also for health. Sickness thrives on all squad month and Gap L is certainly not exempt from this rule. Pray for the hearts of those we come in contact with, that God will orchestrate divine appointments, and that He will give us courage and wisdom as well.
Here are some pictures of Romania and Greece!
On our way over here we had a long layover in Lisbon and had the opportunity to go out on the town. Such a fun time sight seeing, but also a great opportunity to seek out conversation with people of the city. I and a few other people spent a good deal of our time talking with a local restaurant owner. He spoke of his love for nature and of his desire to see people working together in unity to protect the environment. At the end of our time we had the opportunity to pray over him and talk about Jesus.
Last but not least, we have me. Just wanted to ease any doubts that I have died and one of my teammates is writing these blogs for me. I’m alive and well and loving the trail God has me on right now! (Sorry that there isn’t text explaining these pictures… still trying to understand the formatting here)
Thanks again for all the love and support!
Through His grace,
Colby
