And now, as promised, here is the second post about Romanian happenings to date.
My first day of ministry with our ministry contact, Becky, was by far the most memorable moments I have had on the race yet. Becky is truly what a long term missionary and all around follower of Christ should be. She is reaching into the communities around her, letting the Holy Spirit guide her as she builds relationships, looking for ways to help, encourage, love, and share Christ with those who the Lord places on her path.
Becky is forming a new relationship with a very poor gypsy family in a village about a half hour away from Casa Shalom, and through her visits she has begun to bring people to Christ and introduce them to the redemption that comes through the acceptance of His love. The woman, who brought her in, brought Becky one day to meet with and pray from her elderly mother who has sick and having chest pains. Becky built a relationship with that woman, and not long after she had a stroke and was left unable to speak and very immobilized. The last time Becky visited this woman, she accepted Christ through hand squeezes and tears, unable to speak the affirmation of her faith, but showing it as she cried and received Christ, grabbing Becky’s hand and responding to her prayers, comforts, and questions. The next day, the woman passed away, a believer in the Lord, and an heir to the kingdom.
The first day we served with Becky, she asked if any of us wanted to go with her to meet with that woman’s family, to console them, pray for them and to bring food for them so that they could have the funeral for her as they traditionally do, but could not afford to do in their poverty. She told us a little about it, that they were Orthodox Christians; an ancestral faith derived from The Roman Catholic Church, and that according to their practices, the woman was kept in one of the rooms of the house to be mourned over and kept until the funeral a few days later.
5 of decided to go, first stopping at the grocery store to load up with lots of groceries for the family, and then heading out to the village. We were met with love and excitement, greeted with joy despite the circumstances, and humbled by their hospital. We were brought into the room with the woman, laying in an uncovered casket, and sat with them in reverent mourning for the life lost. Becky consoled them from her heart in Romanian, encouraging them about the fact that through Christ, a place had already been prepared for her in Heaven, and truly giving comfort to their grieving. We then sang Amazing Grace for them, but as we were singing, the entire atmosphere changed, and we were informed that the priest had arrived.
The priest and his apprentice brought a heavy cloud of spiritual darkness and such a spirit of fear with them. It was like night and day in that room, and haunting. The drunk priest, proceeded to coldly come in, offering no consolation, or even sense of emotion. He belittled the hurting family, first pointing out the way that they had not properly prepared the woman by arranging the money traditionally left in the casket incorrectly, then criticizing them for the way they themselves were carried. He proceeded to mumble through pages and pages of prayers from his book, slurring obviously, and stopping to angrily instruct them that the way they were doing the sign of the cross was incorrect. Then entire process was tense, abrasive, and anything BUT consoling.
Finally, he left, leaving behind a devastated family. Never before have I been so happy to have been able to be there and simply pray. Through the entire service, which was of course in Romanian, the world racers there and I were praying through serious spiritual warfare, and thankful that through God’s divine sovereignty we were able to be there at just that time.
Once He was gone, Becky was able to console them even further, gaining amazing rapport with the family as the contrasted the messages, finding truth, hope, and consoling in the true message of Christ. It was amazing and a true testimony to the power of God’s love, and the impeccability of His timing and will, and was such a humbling blessing to be a part of it.
Then we were able to bless them with sooooo much food, so that they could have the type of funeral they hope for, and have to food to spare, something this family is not used to. We left there, with new friends, mutual hopeful hearts, and an insatiable joy for the Lord that was felt throughout that home.
We even got to go and visit her daughter’s village a few days ago, playing music and singing with kids, playing with them, and just loving on them. It is amazing the way God works, such a blessing to be able to share His love with people otherwise so unloved, and to make new friends. 🙂
