[mustaches in gypsyland. photo also taken by emily.]
After 36 hours of planes, trains, and automobiles, we arrived in Viile Tecii, Romania, a small gypsy village filled with sunflowers, corn fields, green rolling hills, and beautiful faces. Arriving well after midnight, we quickly divided up according to the homes we would be living in for September. We were welcomed into our female quarters, threw down our bags, and crawled into some strangers’ beds.
As we laid in bed, we could not help but notice how comfortable we felt in these strangers’ beds. It already felt like home to us. They already felt like family to us. That feeling was so rare to me before the race. Even in homes that I was welcomed in, I still felt like a guest tip-toeing around. I still tossed and turned due to the unfamiliarity of my surroundings. But then, in Viile Tecii, I realized I finally understood these people weren’t strangers at all…
[andreea and alex. photo taken by jesse.]
The Holy Spirit is the common thread that runs through all believers… weaving in and out of hearts all over the world. Once we grasp this concept, that the same Jesus that lives in me, the same God that I live my life for… is that same God that resides in your heart… we won’t feel like strangers at all. We are family. This year, I have gotten to meet a lot of that family. What a joy it has been for them to paint a clearer picture of the way I believe the Lord intended the body of Christ to operate.
[lily and abi. photo also taken by jesse.]
