Romania ended up teaching me so much more than I thought, there were practical lessons I took away as a person, racer, leader and Christ follower. Here are my top 11 take-aways from Romania:
- Gogosi (a delicious Romanian pastry that is filled with chocolate and deep fried) is absolutely delicious!
- Living with 38 people is difficult. It is hard to find your space and quiet time, but it is possible! I found invaluable strength and comfort in my morning time with the Lord.
- Living with 38 people is fun!! It was so wonderful to learn different games, have a lot of different conversations and just have so many people to pour into me. A lot of good laughs with many people happened this month and it was because of them!
- Prayer is powerful. This is one of the biggest things I took away from this month. We prayed for the local community, greater Romania and all the church is doing internationally almost every day. I felt the fruit come from that. Not only was prayer time powerful, but I began being more intentional with my personal prayer time and saw a lot of growth come from there, too.
- Having a joyful attitude and a thankful heart is a conscious decision I have to choose to make. Being thankful and having joy in every situation is not something that just happens. It is a mindset that I have to intentionally put on, even if my circumstances tell me to do the opposite. “The joy of the Lord is my strength.” Nehemiah 8:10
- Technology is amazing! I was having a really rough day, and I was able to Skype with my parents back home. Talking to them and seeing them was just the medicine I needed in that moment. I am so thankful technology allows for such things to happen.
- Fall is a real season and it is beautiful! It is also colder than I had anticipated, but I truly enjoyed seeing the fall colors on the trees.
- People can make a difference in this world. Our host Mariana was incredible. She was such an example of being God’s hands and feet to her community. She was giving clothes, tutoring students, giving milk to low-income families, running her own family and loves Jesus with all her heart. It was an honor and privilege to work alongside her this month.
- It is only because of Christ in me I am able to do what I do. I came to quickly realize the best version of myself is firmly established in Christ’s love and who he is in me. It is not me, but Christ in me. My prayer is that this flows into every aspect of my life and is not exclusive to the race.
- There is new manna for each day. If we ask and we seek after it, God has something new to teach us every day. It is up to us to choose it and accept it.
- Life is so much more enjoyable if I stop trying to control the outcome. If I trust in the process and allow God to do His thing, it is going to turn out much better than I ever could. Sometimes the best thing to do is step back and allow the journey unfold the way Jesus wants it too.
Romania was a tough month for me. I was stretched in so many different ways, but when all things are considered I am beyond blessed. I had a bed to sleep on (which was shared with 5 other wonderful women), I had delicious food for every meal (graciously prepared by our cooking committee), and I was living in Romania (never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined myself there of all places)! I would not have traded this past month for anything. It taught me so much about myself and who I am in Christ. My prayer is I will take what I learned this month and begin implementing it into every aspect of my life. May next month in Albania, be different and more fruitful because of what I learned in Romania.
