Working with Hope Church Romania this past month was absolutely amazing. We got to work with the church’s multiple partnering projects. Raul, the pastor of the church, has such a vision to spread God’s kingdom. He is devoted to making that happen and equipping others to walk out their calling.
Every person of the church kindly welcomed us into the work they were doing. And also went above and beyond to be intentional and help us see the plan God has for us.
That one short month turned strangers into life long friends. I will surely miss them and I pray for opportunities to see them again.
I’ll share a few of the many highlights from our time there.
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One day we were handing out bibles to a village. Some people accepted them, some rejected, some asked many questions, some asked for prayer. One little old man I will never forget. He was sitting on a stump on the side of the dirt road. We walked up with our translator and asked his name. As we began to tell him who we were we handed him a bible. Before our translator could explain, he opened it and started reading aloud. He would pause occasionally to look up and smile and nod his head a little, but for the most part he would never stop long enough to let us translate. So we let him continue as we prayed over him before we walked away.
It was such a sweet moment to see someone so excited to read God’s word. It was a reminder than no matter how many people rejected it or weren’t fond of what we were doing, it doesn’t matter, it is still worth bringing love of God everywhere.
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One week we helped prepare meals at a youth camp. Seriously, this was a camp… tents, sleeping bags, cooking over a fire, makes shift bathrooms from tarp, water from a spring, the whole shebang. We stayed around the big kitchen tent most of the time chopping veggies, cutting meat, pealing potatoes, slicing bread, and helping take care of the cook’s five month old granddaughter.
Each day as I looked out into the camp, my heart would smile seeing the leaders of the camp participate with so much joy and involvement. You could see the love and passion they had for these kids.
I really enjoyed being behind the scenes. Knowing that after we left, relationships were still being formed and the leaders would continue to reach out to the kids until the next camp. It was so cool to know that doing something as simple as chopping vegetables was helping bring hope and God’s love to kids of rough homes.
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During our time in Romania I seriously got to see the beauty of a church coming together and being support to one another and the city around them. I saw them seek out the needs of others daily through home visits and encouragement for those who lived alone, visiting with people in the parks and streets of their community, and seeking out the physical needs of the poor.
I encourage you all to check out their website and the many projects you can be a part of! (www.hoperomania.com)
Oh yeah!! Also, my parents came for a week!!
It was absolutely amazing to see their faces after 8 months. We had an amazing time catching up and spending time together. It was beautiful to see them jump into the ministry we were doing with open arms. They spent time with their host family, played with kids, and even searched for more ways to get involved once they left. But even better, I continued to see them seek into God and what he was laying on their heart. They prayed for me and encouraged me. Their actions continue to remind me how blessed I am to have them.
