If I had to sum up in one word my time here in Romania I would choose "abundance". God poured out His abundance on us in so many different ways. I can still remember the moment we arrived at Communal Felix and they showed us where we would be living for the next month. My teammates and I were overcome with laughter and screams of excitement as we jumped up and down at the sight of comfortable beds, hot showers, couches to sit on, AC, internet, and a huge kitchen to cook meals in. After our experience last month, it felt like we had just walked into a paradise. We felt so blessed!
I felt especially blessed being able to cook – and I felt God pouring out His abundance even in that. Obviously I had to stick to a tight budget with food and feeding 12 people isn't cheap, so I was a little concerned about that at first. I'd bite my lip every time it came to pay for the shopping cart overflowing with food. Somehow, the grocery bill was always way lower than it should have been. And several times people showed up at the kitchen door with bags full of freshly picked produce for us all for free.
I saw an abundance of love where we were working at. We were told we would be working at an orphanage, and after last month, I was expecting to come into a hard and broken environment. I was envisioning more kids with dirty faces and worn shoes living in a packed facility that can only offer the minimum of what the children need. Instead, we walked into a loving community where hope is being lived out every single day. There is a sense of safety and peace flowing out of this place. The orphan children live with couples who have committed to being parents to not just a few, but up to 15 children, sometimes taking in a whole group of siblings. It shows in the smiles and love that the children express so freely that they are loved so well.
This was also a month of abundant time. We had quite a bit of free time each day inbetween ministry, and it was such sweet time. Time to rest. Time to think and process. Time to spend in prayer and worship. Time to enjoy fellowship with my teammates. Time to catch up with family on skype and reconnect with friends and their lives.
As much as I've enjoyed my time of abundance in Romania, I'm ready for the next chapter in this journey – India! I can't wait for the adventures that await, both the good and the bad. I know I'll be stretched and tested and I'm ready. Jai Ho!
