Hello all!
We made it to Alba Iulia, Romania! It is stunning here! My entire squad (45 people) are staying in a beautiful building this month, with beds, showers, toilets and two kitchens. We are surrounded by mountains. It is hot during the day and cool at night. It is absolutely a blessing to be here in Romania this month!
There are 7 teams on my squad. This month, each team will be working with a different type of ministry in the afternoons. Ministry this month looks like: kindergarten, evangelism, administration work, ATL (Ask The Lord), etc.
The first day here, we had orientation, where we got to know our ministry host, Raul, and he got to know each one of us. He is full of wisdom and knowledge. He is intentional with each one of us and knows just the right questions to ask to challenge us on a deeper level Biblically and spiritually.
The past two days, we have spent about 5 hours evangelizing in the city, as a squad.
I’m writing this blog to be real. To be raw. To tell you that not every day on the World Race is flowers and sunshine.
Evangelizing is hard for me. Walking up to random people and starting a conversation with them is not natural for me. Trying to start a conversation with someone who speaks a different language, and ask them if they know Jesus, is even more difficult and intimidating to me. The past two days have been extremely hard. It’s been hard for me to focus. It’s been hard for me to have a mission mindset. Yesterday, I just straight up didn’t “feel” like evangelizing. The questions of, “why is this not fun?” “why am I not excited to tell random people about the Jesus I know?” “why is it so hard to share the hope that I’ve found in the Lord?”, began to consume me today.
Yesterday and today were really good days. We were able to meet people, have conversations with them, pray for them and encourage them. Two teenage boys gave their life to the Lord and I got to be apart of it. The angels in Heaven were rejoicing. Part of me was rejoicing with them, and the other part of me was doubting that what had just happened was even real and genuine.
You see, right now it’s hard for me to grasp the fact that we can have a 30 minute or less conversation with someone and then at the end of it, they want to give their life to the Lord and pray the salvation prayer. It’s hard for me, because it’s taken me years to understand and truly know the significance of the choice I made when I was 11 or so, to be saved and to give my life to the Lord. So, the questions of, “do they truly understand the decision they are making?” “do they understand the prayer they are praying?” “do they know what it means to give your life to the Lord and follow Him?”, runs through my head.
I found myself discouraged at the end of today. Not wanting to evangelize anymore. Not excited about having these conversations with people on the streets.
Thankfully, a few people on my squad, including my squad mentor, asked me how my time went during ministry hours today, and I was able to have this conversation with each of them. They were each able to shine some light on these questions and doubts of mine.
Some truth was spoken into my heart. The Lord has called each of us to go into the nations and share the Gospel. To go to the lost and share love and hope with them. I have to trust, and know that I am doing what the Lord has called me to do. I am planting seeds. Now, I have to surrender each person I have met and planted a seed in, to the Lord, and know that He is faithful and He is going to bring those seeds that were planted into fruition. The Lord already knew, before I was born, that I would be in Romania this month, evangelizing and reaching the lost to bring Him glory. He knows each person I have met, and their hearts. Who am I to judge or doubt anyone?
The Lord is working and moving, and I am so expectant and excited to see the growth that takes place this month in my own personal walk with the Lord. I can’t wait to look back at the end of the month and see how faithful and intentional God was with each seed that was planted in the last two days!
Please be praying for my heart. That I would be able to speak these truths over myself each day and truly believe them. That the Lord would renew my mind, strength and energy. That He would place a fire inside of me to run to the lost and tell them about the hope I have found in Jesus Christ! That a new and a fresh sense of awe and wonder would wash over me. Please pray for boldness and courage as I step out in faith to evangelize. Pray that all language barriers would be broken. And please pray for the people we have already come in contact with, and the ones we have not yet met, that their hearts would be softened, their eyes would be opened to see Jesus in a new way, that their ears would be attentive to hearing the Lord’s voice and that the Holy Spirit’s presence would be felt.
In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
