Apartment complex on the main street in Draganesti
“Uh oh.”
My team leader, Becca, had gathered up my teammates and me to tell us about our ministries for our first full week in Romania. In the mornings, I would continue to teach English while my teammates spent time in prayer for the missionaries and ministries here. In the evenings, we would meet up with some translators at the church and go out into the town in pairs for street evangelism.
I think I literally flinched when Becca told us this news. My thoughts immediately focused on how little I am qualified for this type of ministry. I began to talk to God about what a bad idea this was.
“I have to walk up to complete strangers in a foreign country and try to tell them about Jesus? Lord, I have no experience with sharing the Gospel to strangers. I have to know a person before I can bring up Jesus in conversation. You need someone with more boldness. The people here openly stare at us because we are different. They’re not going to want to talk to me. Plus, I’ve only used a translator for a few days. What if things get lost in translation anyway because of the language barrier? I think you should pick another team for this ministry.”
This is an area I went to several times during my evening ministry with Ana and Raul's 14-year-old son Sammy as my translator. We often to spoke with youth and kids he goes to school with.
Despite my reluctance, I knew God put my team in this ministry for a reason. I decided to pray for God’s help and just try to do my best.
Each night my team walked down to the church to meet up with Romanian missionaries or locals who have some knowledge of English. We would pair up (one American missionary with one Romanian translator) and go out into the town. As we walked we’d talk to our translators and try to teach them more English. We’d walk through neighborhoods and talk to people we met along the way. (In the evenings when the day is cooling down, Romanians sit outside on stools along the dirt roads and chat with neighbors.) I was surprised to find most people were not opposed to speaking to strange Americans.
A few of the translators I worked with: Madalin, George, and Sammy
During the week I didn’t have any incredible moments of Romanians accepting Christ after a short conversation with me. I had a few good conversations, though, and prayed with several people. God provided words when I didn’t know what to say.
Most people here believe they are Christians, but are actually Orthodox church-goers who are deceived into believing a skewed version of the Bible. It is difficult to convince them that a person can be assured of their salvation in Christ, or that God wants to know them intimately and personally.
This gypsy woman spoke with Ana and I for half an hour, and was kind enough to show us around her garden and house. She gave me a carrot she pulled out of the ground and a loaf of bread she'd baked that morning.
A few people I spoke with showed an interest in learning English. I invited them to my English class at the church (which is offered in hopes of drawing in non-believers) and a few of them came. Some people I spoke to opened up to me beyond my expectations, sharing personal stories, opinions, and beliefs. I was surprised that this ministry allowed me to feel more connected to the people here instead of feeling rejected like I had predicted.
At the start of the next week, my team was told we would not be changing ministries for the rest of the month. We would continue to do street evangelism every evening. I was still far from comfortable with the idea, but I prayed a little harder and went out with a fresh attitude.
We pass this beautiful garden every day on our way to Hope Church (our main ministry site).
God changed my heart about street evangelism this month. I saw the Spirit at work on the streets of Draganesti. I saw the need for His truth to be spoken to the people I met.
To be continued…..
