Nick Derington and I are rocking out Brasov Romania this month. We’ve been staying at the Rolling Stone Hostel, and have sort of 
become the guys who don’t leave…
become the guys who don’t leave…AIM has a conference in three days that will bring about 250 World Racers, WR alumni, Pastors and their wives, and AIM Staff to a camp on the fringe of the city. Nick and I were called in to make sure that what was planned would actually happen. We were given a list of things that we needed to accomplish before the conference, hitchhiked from Viile Tecii where our teams still are, and arrived in Brasov about a week ago.
Our task list involved things like finding a conference room within budget and within walking distance of the campground, figure out whether we have enough rooms reserved and communicate our needs to the campsite in person, among other things. The most bizarre request, however, was that one of the speakers at the conference needs four old doors. Nick and I then added a phamplet to the list of things we’d accomplish…to put our own little professional touch on it.
Everything was done as of this morning, with the exception of finding antique doors and finding a printer who could print our brochure. Every ally we walked down led to nothing – especially no doors. And no one we asked was able to give us any insight into where we could find a door. Likewise, there are lot of xerox places, but no professional printers. Art shops, photo labs and other places told Nick and me that we were out of luck and should settle to get the phamplet printed at a xerox place.
Frustrated and exhausted from our time here in the city, we decided to do the one thing that made sense today – eat. We heard of a Saorma place (basically a chicken gyro in a pita wrap twice the size of a chipotle burrito!) that we were intent on finding. We headed out in the direction of this fantastic, yet seemingly mythical restaurant, excited to EAT. about two blocks from our hostel, we came across a dumpster with a door in it. But at that exact moment, a man in a car with eight doors strapped to the roof pulled up. He didn’t speak english, but after pulling him into an ally to a translator, we found out he’d hook us up with doors. we needed doors, and a door guy pulled up next to us. coincidence, or providence?
so we walked and after about a half hour of frustration, found the Saormas (pronounced SHWARMAs). Because it was just a store front, there was no seating room, so we sat out on the step of the building next door. As providence would have it, it was a professional printer…the only one in Brasov.
It’s been hard being away from the squad. 50 members of the H Squad are in Viile Tecii, and we’re here preparing for them to recieve teaching and training. It’s a ministry onto it’s own…but it’s been hard to not be with people who i’m going to part from soon. But in those moments of frustration, God brought me back in my journal to May, where i prayed that He would allow me to have a ministry to the backpackers of Penang. “We all have something in common, so talking to them should be easy…” Well, between the dozens of people who have called this hostel home, if even for a night, they’ve heard about our trip and about Christ. I just needed that refocus. Again, God in his favor answered my prayer, much later than i thought, and in a different context…but an answer nonetheless.
