I want to apologize for
the lack of blog posts this past month. The internet situation is
rough, but even more so it was a rough month for me personally. I am
still processing a few things that I experienced here and more blogs
will surely come. But for now here is a picture of what the month has
looked like…
On July 13th
I arrived in Villa Tecii, Romania for month two of ministry. My team
was paired up with the all girls team which meant Garrett and I were
outnumbered 11 to 2. Let’s just say we were never short on
estrogen. We had a blast with them though serving and growing
together as one body. Both teams were split up into three separate
houses within the small village where we were to do ministry amongst
the Gypsy people for the month. The village resides in a valley
surrounded by beautiful green rolling hills. The people of Villa
Tecii are extremely generous and were such a blessing to live and
work amongst. However we found the village to be a dark place. We
sensed a spirit of violence and oppression that influenced the
community and held them captive. This was a difficult environment to
live in, unlike anything I have ever experienced. But I realized we
are called to be a light in the dark. We are called to be a lamp on a
stand. Ministry would be pointless and boring if we just sought out
the light and not the darkness. So we ministered in the darkness. For
me this consisted of playing guitar for people in their homes,
helping our contacts work around their house, speaking to church
congregations, visiting and praying with families in their homes,
loving on the children down by the corner store, giving children’s
messages in nearby villages, and going up on top of the hill early in
the mornings to pray and speak life over the city. This was what my
ministry looked like in a place where for so long I struggled to see
where God was. But I found the Lord up on that hill. I found the Lord
in the lives of our ministry contacts. I found the Lord when I heard
stories of redemption from an oppressed people. I found the Lord in
the beauty of nature that surrounds this place. The Lord is real and
he is ever present. Jesus Christ lives in Villa Tecii.
On August 3rd
I will regroup with the entire squad in Bucharest, Romania and then
head out at midnight on a flight to Dublin, Ireland! I am so stoked
about ministry there. My team will be working with the homeless in
Dublin for the entire month. Please pray for safe travels for our
team. Also, we don’t really have solid housing plans yet for the
first week, so pray that God will provide once we get there. Thank
you so much for all of your support!
