This month has been a roller coaster to say the least.
It started off with my parents coming to stay for 5 days and then the same whirlwind that brought them here took them back to California and I was suddenly left in Romania still spinning and expected to dive straight into ministry for a “normal” month.
Wow. That was hard.
But it has been incredible to see how much more God can use me when I am completely empty and have nothing of my own “strength” to give.
My team’s ministry this month, in conjunction with Hope Church, is called “9,000 Souls”. The vision behind it is to reach out to the community, which is majority traditional Orthodox, and allow each household the opportunity to have a New Testament. From there they hope and pray that the Holy Spirit will lead each person to read, study and discover the truth of the depth and intimacy of a relationship with The Lord they have been missing in their “religion”. 9,000 Souls also offers to personally study the Word with each person that has a Bible.
We worked with a team of 7 church members who have dedicated their entire lives to serve God in this direct and specific response to Jesus’s call to go out, spread His Good News and make disciples. They range from the age of 15 to 60 and each one makes a distinct and specific addition to their team.
In practice, this looks like going out every afternoon and canvassing the entire town of Dragonesti and the surrounding towns, knocking on every gate and calling out to offer a free New Testament to the inhabiter of each home. Usually we are met with lots of barking and growling dogs and the response of, “No I don’t want to talk to you or take your Bible. I am Orthodox.”. As heart-breaking as it is to see someone who thinks they are saved when really they are lost and without truth, the only response we can give is a smile, thank you and goodbye.
One of my favorite days of ministry was when we knocked on a gate and an elderly, fragile woman came to the gate with her daughter. We asked her if she wanted a Bible and her eyes got so big and her smile so bright I honestly thought she was going to cry. She looked like we had just offered to buy her the entire world and solve all its problems. Her daughter just stood there looking a little confused but said nothing. We then asked her if she would like to have someone come help her study it and she again gave a joy-filled response of yes. We left her that day with the promise of a staff member returning within the week to begin their study of the Bible together.
When we were first told about our ministry I was honestly a little apprehensive. At home I avoid people who come to my door trying to give me things or talk to me. Through my view of them as a burden and annoyance, I was worried that it would be the same here in Romania. Yet again, God showed me how much bigger He is than my expectations and experiences because it was completely acceptable and often welcomed for us to wander up to someone’s gate and talk to them.
Also, naively, I assumed that if the entire community was mostly Orthodox they would of course own a Bible. People in the US own multiple Bibles even if they never go to church or believe in God. It seemed simple to me. But here in Romania I had the privilege and honor to give someone the key and words to everlasting and abundant life that they had never had before. Even when I felt like I had nothing left to give, God allowed me to be used to give someone the best gift I could ever give them.
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” John 10:10
