And just like that another month is over! I can’t believe how fast this time is going by (and how long it has been since I have actually written a blog – whoops!). I want to recap a bit of this past month and share a little more about what our ministry looked like in Romania.
MINISTRY:
This month we partnered with Hope Church in Draganesti-Olt, Romania. This area is considered the “graveyard for pastors and missionaries” as there are few laborers and the work in this area is difficult and tiring. In Draganesti there are many gypsy families and many people practice witchcraft. Raul (our host) cares deeply for this area and is continuously outpouring to others in his community. It was so great to partner with such an outreach-focused church community.
Hope Church
WHAT WE DID:
Since we were in an all-squad month (meaning all 29 of us lived and did ministry together), we were able to help out in a variety of ways. We did construction work, street evangelism, children’s and youth ministry, harvesting corn for a local family, picking up trash on the streets, office work for the church, and many other things.
Picking up trash around the neighborhood.
{Photo cred: Makayla Barlow}
A few of the girls we hung out with during a
night of outreach.
Passing out New Testament Bibles in the community.
I also got to help out with Eyeglass Ministry, which was one of my favorite ministries. The church sets up a clinic to give out free eyeglasses to the needy, check blood pressure, and offer prayer to people. In order to see if the glasses are the correct prescription we had people read the New Testament in Romanian. In addition to taking the glasses home, they also got to take a copy of the New Testament with them. It was such a cool way to tangibly meet the needs in the community, while also meeting their spiritual needs.
PEOPLE:
Walking on the streets in Draganesti I noticed many of the spiritual strongholds in the community. For example, kids stole some of our groceries while walking back from the store, I saw others gambling on the streets daily (even little kids participated in this), and I experienced how some men in the community verbally disrespect females.
Although I experienced these things, I also experienced many kind and generous people. For example, a neighbor would bring us homemade grape juice and homegrown grapes for the work we were doing in the town. The members of the church were also some of the most generous and others-focused people I have met. To hear the testimony of one of the missionaries, check out the YouTube video posted below.
FUN FACTS:
- Coffee vending machines on the streets were huge in Draganesti and they were surprisingly delicious! The Irish Cappuccino was one of my favorites!
- I went to the hospital with my teammate, Regan, because she drank some bad water and was feeling sick. At the hospital I noticed that the doctors wore bathrobes instead of lab coats and wore open-toed shoes!
- Grocery stores typically do not give back exact change, but rather round to the nearest ten. This caught me by surprise!
Stocking up on vending machine coffee
for office work ministry.
WHAT GOD HAS TAUGHT ME:
This past month God showed me more of who I am in Him. Words that I received from Him were BELOVED and ADORNED. He has been teaching me more of my identity in Him as a child of God. I am fearfully and wonderfully made in Him (Psalm 139:14) and He delights in me and rejoices over me with loud singing (Zephaniah 3:17) I knew these things before, but I had lost the heart-connection to them, so it was sweet that the Lord laid these things on my heart.
WHAT I AM WORKING ON AND PRAYER REQUESTS:
For the month of October my team and I will be doing ATL (Ask The Lord) month, which means that we will not be partnered with a host, but rather we will be praying that the Lord will show us what ministry looks like. The idea behind this month is to practice listening to God and Holy Spirit to guide us. Our mentor has a saying: “life is mission, mission is life,” which means that we are always on mission for the Lord wherever we are. Whether we are working as a nurse in America, sitting at a coffee shop, or living abroad there are ministry opportunities wherever we go. We shouldn’t compartmentalize our life into “mission work” and “every day life”. The two are intertwined and this month is all about that. I am excited to see what the Lord has in store and I can’t wait to share what He does with you all!
Please pray for my team and I this month as we step out in faith to follow what God has for us. Pray for boldness and courage to engage with others, faith to trust what God tells us, and unity as a team.
