Buna!
My time in Draganesti, Romania is coming to a close! The time has flown by, and I really have enjoyed every second. Honestly, living in a house with 40 other people was one of my favorite things (even though my fellow introverted friends would say otherwise), and my individual team has been able to connect and unify more as we prepare to split off for Ukraine.
My ministry this month was becoming part of a family in a nearby village. The mother and father, Ionel and Alina, have 3 children and are the only Christians in their village. Alina is a doctor and Ionel is a bee farmer and helps his wife with the logistics of her office. Everyday looks a little different. A lot of times, I sit with Alina and listen to her. Being a doctor, a mom, and the only Christian for miles is draining for her. She has such a burden and heart for her village, but she is learning how to balance that with family life. Encouraging her has been one of my favorite things and makes babysitting and cleaning have purpose and meaning. Other days, Alina gathers the children on the street for us to teach English to, play with, and love on. It’s been really beautiful to see how even the song “Jesus loves me” carries a lot of weight here. There is great darkness in this region, and my squad has experienced a lot of spiritual warfare. However, the word that keeps coming to mind is hope. Even through the heaviness and poverty, a hope shines brightly- and it is unmistakably the hope of Christ. Raul’s church, Hope Church, has missionaries placed in almost all the nearby villages. He is constantly brainstorming and coming up with new projects and ways to make Christ known. I’ve learned a great deal about ministry and the importance of partnership. With all the projects and visions Raul has for this region, he needs massive amounts of prayer, laborers, and financial support. Raul’s ministry will always live in my heart and prayers, and it was an honor to work with his church this month.
The Lord has been teaching me many things this month, and I’m so thankful for our leadership and how intentional they’ve been with my squad. I’m learning a lot about brokenness which has been hard, but I can tell it’s the start to something really good and beautiful. I’m falling more and more in love with the journey the Father is taking me on, and it continues to be clear that this is exactly where the Lord wants me. Romania holds some of my favorite memories and has taught me what hope really looks like.
“Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” Romans 5:3-4
