I honestly thought to myself as I was packing my bag; should I bring toilet paper? My headlamp? Sheet and pillow? Surely not my tent and sleeping pad?
Failure once again on my part in asking effective questions.
I chanced it and nixed all of the above from packing.
I headed to the church early Monday morning. But of course, this was the day the 2 dogs at the mission house decided to escape. The puppy doing the best sneak attack grab and run from the unsuspecting street dog’s breakfast of a dead bird, I’ve ever seen. And Seal, the older dog(that only listens to Romanian), continue to bark and evade me for the next 10 minutes as I try and get him back in the gate.
I proceed to walk to the church frustrated from the dog incident.
Mornings. How I love thee.
I get a call asking me where I am.
Thinking really, I’m not even late yet?
I say I’m on my way. Getting a reply back with: “Okay, we’ll wait for you.”
“Um okay, thanks.”
End conversation.
Mornings.
Of course when I arrive, I get laughed at for my pack. The only bag I have (that I’ve been travelling with for the past year.) It’s smaller than it’s ever been and actually is too small because the straps can’t be tightened anymore. If I knew your language or you knew mine I would have had some choice words to say.
Mornings.
Conversations I don’t understand continue to go on around me as we wait for another 20 minutes to leave. I hear my name and get in a vehicle.
Mornings.
For being here a month now, I noticed a pattern of when getting in a vehicle you will stop a minimum of 2 or more times before arriving at your final destination. This 4 hour drive was no exemption to this pattern. We stopped twice before the lull of the car put me to sleep, so I could start this morning over again. And then of course we stopped twice more.
And we arrived. Beautiful. Beautiful Mountains.
Getting settled into the hostel of sorts (I think people rent out their homes), somebody said this is just alright. It had internet, a bed, a toilet with toilet paper, a nice shower, and a refrigerator. My perspective might be skewed a bit….but the place was excellent and I told them.
I believe 26 people attended from 3 (maybe 4) different towns. One of the guys said before this trip he only knew me and one other guy from the English lessons I had done previously. I'm super glad he got to meet people his own age following after the Lord. ANd I'm super glad many of them got out of bad home lifes for the week. AND i'm super super superdy pumped that a girl went home, had a dream, and asked Jesus to be Lord of her life when she woke up. Praise the Lord!
It was good to be able to meet more of the youth here, swim in an indoor public sulfur pool (healthy/smelly water), take 2 hikes on different mountains for amazing views, see a reenactment of American Indians done by Peruvians in Romanian (get your mind around that one), walk alone, and study the book of Ecclesiastes together. Eating lunch on the way back we asked one of the girls what was one good and bad things from the week. She only replied with everything was excellent.
Praying all the youth become wise in their understanding, to not become divided people, “while still seeking wisdom, I clutched at foolishness” (Ecc 2:3), that they would cling to the truths found in the God’s word and find meaning for their lives.
I however, became increasingly tired of not being able to understand everything that was happening around me. I could feel the morning frustrations of the day we left start to quickly spread into afternoon and night time frustrations. Not a good thing and I quickly had my squad pray for me.
The next morning I noticed in the cover of my Bible I had written “God’s word is like Gold. Honey. Milk.”
I think I’m starting to see the truth of those words.
God’s word is far more precious than gold, Sweeter than honey, and provides more nourishment than milk.
Over the last 11 months, His word has come alive to me. They seem to come just when I need them, like when I’m suddenly called on to preach or share a testimony, when I’m walking though Buddhist temples, seeking the definition of freedom, speaking with people who cling to their tradition instead of Jesus, or I simply just need a verse to encourage a brother or sister.
That mornings however I read through Habakkuk and then I hiked up a mountain. i literally when on the heights. I finally got it. I finally understood it. My eyes were open….
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.
The Sovereign Lord is my strength;
he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
he enables me to tread on the heights.
Habakkuk 3:17-19
So, even though I don’t have a plan (though something’s cooking, I can feel it),
Even though I don’t understand 90% of all that’s being said to me.
Even though my body has become weak.
Even though it bothers me that I have not worked in a year.
Even though I miss my family and my friends.
Even though I don’t understand everything that is going on around me.
God literally enabled me to tread on the heights and go in the valleys and walk through cool mountain stream. He provided fruit trees of apples, pears, and plums along the way, and wells for those that didn’t bring water. He provided friendly tractor drivers after 3 hrs of hiking to take you the hardest portion. And company on the way home.
Driving home from the mountains, the songs that were being played repeatedly caught my attention, like…
– know I'm not strong enough to be everything that I'm supposed to be…I give up…I'm not strong enough…Hands of mercy won't you cover me…Lord right now I'm asking you to be strong enough. Matthew west
– “You Are strength in my weakness. You are the refuge I seek. You are everything in my time of need. “ kutless
– I don't want to live like I don't care/ I don't want to say another empty prayer/ Oh, I refuse to sit around and wait for someone else/ To do what God has called me to do myself/ I could choose not to move/ But I refuse. John Wilson “I refuse”
Today I will rejoice in the Lord, the provider of all things. He is my strength and enables to do all He has commanded.
He’s answering prayers. Keep them coming. Pray for more of His leading and the courage to listen to it.
