Friends and family,
I write to you from the city of Craiova, which is in southwest Romania. Gap Year X Squad has been serving and becoming love here for two weeks. The city is beautiful, but spiritually dark. Our ministry host told us on our first day that other missionaries call this southwest region, “The Graveyard.” It’s called this because missionaries and Christians historically have lost hope for the salvation of the Romanian people here in this area. This is the city where most missionaries’ faith dies. And it’s not just the “Christians,” but most Romanians don’t see a future either. You can feel it on every street corner. You can feel it when visiting the Roma (gypsy) villages, where they own close to nothing but the clothes on their back. I was talking with a Romanian gentleman who attends the church plant we are helping build. He was around when communism fell in 1989. He told me most Romanians’ hearts are still hardened from living in communism for so long. It’s difficult for Romanians to trust anyone here, especially short-term American missionaries. We usually get the look of “What’s a bunch of young Americans doing in Craiova?” Many go to orthodox churches, but it’s just a checklist for them. There is no personal relationship with Jesus. It’s just dry religion. Most days, we spend hours talking to Romanians and inviting them to our church. When they hear the church isn’t orthodox, they usually turn their noses up and keep going about their business.
This is tough soil spiritually. Pioneering stretches you. But you know what? I think of when I went on the World Race back in 2016. The first country we went to was Indonesia. Our route was focused on the most unreached countries of the world, and this area in Indonesia had a heavy Islamic influence. I had an expectation that we would be sowing a lot of seeds and watering the field, but not necessarily seeing a lot of plant growth. I asked our ministry host who had been serving in Indonesia for decades, “What do you see yourself as? A sower or someone who waters?” He looked at me with tears filling his eyes and said, “I just want to be joyful taking the rocks out of the fields.” He knew the journey would be long and difficult for Indonesia to see a plentiful harvest, but he was joyful to be on God’s team. Fulfilled with being a part of giving the love and hope of God to Indonesia. So it’s okay that it’s tough soil. It’s okay that we might not see one unbeliever radically transformed by Jesus’ love in these three months. Do we pray for more Jesus followers and revival in Romania? Of course! But we are learning to be pioneers. We are learning to patiently pave the way for those behind us. We are learning to obey and proclaim the Good News without needing successful numbers and results. We are learning to become love and to tell others how much God loves them. We are learning that we don’t have to conform to the hopelessness here, but we can create a hope culture!
Last week, God gave me a vision. Visions and prophetic words from the Lord are new to me, but I’m learning to trust Holy Spirit when I receive one. I was praying for Craiova with our group and God showed me a beautiful red rose, and then the red rose dried up and died. That was all. I thought, “That was a bit dark. Could I get an interpretation, God?” And He gave it to me. He showed me that roses are usually what you see in graveyards. You see them on gravestones or placed on top of caskets. Well the wilting rose is an illustration of “The Graveyard” being no more. There is no rose, because there is nowhere to put it. There will be life and joy and hope in this city, in Jesus’ name! God is after Romanians’ hearts and His kingdom will be established all over Romania. Whether in two years or twenty years, revival is on the way! Come Lord Jesus. Fill this city and country!
Please join us in praying for revival in Romania and for more laborers to this harvest.
Thank you! I so appreciate your support. Never forget that you are greatly loved by God.
