Romania Recap

Here is a recap of my first month spent in Romania. My squad is currently into month 2 in Albania, but I wanted to sum up some of my thoughts of what I learned and studied and how I grew during our previous month in Romania. 

---

 

Month 1 Country: Romania 

Dates: August 13th- September 15th (I ended up staying in Romania until the 17th)

Currency: Lei also known as RON

Language: Romanian

City: Craiova 

Ministry: Hope Church Romania

Hosts: Raul and Ana 

The word the Lord gave me for this country: STEADFAST

My word for Romania was Steadfast. I was reflecting on James 1, John 15, and Psalm 1 during this month. 

James 1:2-4 

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” 

Since my squad had to quarantine immediately after arriving in Romania we were challenged to rethink what our expectations were for how our month would look like. This passage was a reminder that in the challenges to not lose perspective, but to trust that the Lord is bigger than our plans and He has a purpose through it all. 

John 15:5; 9-14

“I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing…As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your may may be full. This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you”. 

Quarantine and my time in Romania was a reminder to abide in the Father and that I can do nothing on my own strength, it is only through the Holy Spirit. A part of learning how to be steadfast is to recognize that we are supposed to be dependent on the Father and remain in His love as a foundation for how we are to love others. He’s got so much Joy for us in the day-to-day moments, the difficult times, and everything in between. 

Psalm 1:1-3

“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers”. 

I love the imagery of this tree that is planted and grounded by the stream of water. In the same way as being the branch and staying connected to the vine, we are like a grounded tree when we are connected to the Word of God. This is another way that I was continuing to learn how to be steadfast in this season. 

---

-What made me feel alive this month?

• Prayer for 1 hour a day for the city of Craiova, our squad, and the missionaries/needs connected with Hope Church

• Getting to know my squadmates deeper and knowing that I can trust them 

• Helping in little ways like cooking for our squad or organizing donations to give to the Roma communities

-What was difficult about this month? Why was it difficult? 

• Quarantine, because we were all so excited to get involved in the different ministries in Romania and it delayed us from starting in the way we had expected. Quarantine was also a gift at the same time. He uses everything for His good 🙂

• Evangelism is very stretching for me… challenging and good, but difficult at times. It is a continued opportunity to rely more on the Holy Spirit for guidance and for the Father’s voice to be the defining voice that speaks identity. 

• I slipped and fell down a flight of stairs and ended up getting a concussion in Bucharest so I stayed two extra days there before moving on to Albania. I am fully recovered now, praise God!

-What broke my heart this month? Why?

• Seeing a young generation that is searching for purpose and something real. They are tired of the rituals and traditions of Orthodoxy and are searching for meaning in status, reputation, success, or experimenting with occult and witchcraft. 

• These people have generations of hurt from the government and religion and when passing by people on the street very few will smile back at you. They tend to be cautious and mistrusting at first, but open up and are friendly when approached. 

• Praying for these Generations in Craiova… I am praying for families to be whole and to desire to seek the Lord. 

• For the older generations to find a real relationship with Jesus and to walk in a Hope they have not experienced and that they would see how God restores all stories. 

• For mamas and papas to train and teach their children about Jesus’ sacrifice and goodness and to see the Faithful hand of God in their lives. 

• For teenagers, young adults, and career-focused business men and women that they would know God intimately and know He is real, true, and worthy of praise.

• For children to know the Heart of the Father that welcomes and invites them to more of Himself. 

-What am I thankful for?

So so so much! God is so crazy good. To just name a few things… amazing ministry hosts this month, 100% negative Covid tests that we needed to transition to month 2, provision in squad transportation to Albania, crazy amazing squad and squad leadership, that the Lord desires to use us to reach people who don’t know Him, laughter, growth, opportunity to be in Romania, worship nights, cooler days, bright colored flowers, the 3 events that we were able to put on before we left Craiova (Youth night, Muslim/Culture night, and a Women’s event)

-What did I learn about myself this month? 

• I don’t need as much coffee as I thought. Haha, but I love coffee 🙂

• Counting the cost can be surrendering different elements of comfort (what I eat, how I exercise, how long I wait for the bathroom (when the ratio is 1 bathroom for 22 people) 

• The Lord is patient and cares about the process. He is for our growth and stays in the middle of the journey with us. 

• We are made for community…when I am weak there are people that want to help me through prayer, encouragement, hugs, etc. 

-What things do I want to make sure to remember (funny stories, big moments, small memories)

• The Quarateam crew of course (day to day life, Family time together, laundry hand washing parties, Barbie dance workout, meal times, crazy Dutch Blitz games, cooking for the squad with our team, & lots of laughter) 

• Learning how to serve and also being a recipient of service from my squadmates

• Our ministry hosts and the various opportunities that they use to creatively reach people in Craiova. 

-Reflecting on this month, what do I want to change for next month? 

• I want to remember the importance of sharing with people the power of the Word of God, testimonies, prayer, and the gospel. We do not know how an invitation to a church event, a prayer, or a faith-filled conversation will impact the person we are sharing with. 

• I want to slow down a bit and create space to live an interruptible life where the Holy Spirit has access to direct my day. This is much harder said than done and I am still in the beginning stages of learning this lesson. 

-What have I been reading? The Shack by W.M. Paul Young

-Song on Repeat this month? Spoken of Me by David and Valerie Carpenter

-Some of my favorite foods I tried in Romania? Bulgareasca Pita from Maestro, Chocolate filled pretzels, & shawarma

Thanks for reading my reflections on Month 1! I am so excited to fill you in on what God has already been doing during our month 2. Be on the lookout for some upcoming blog posts with some stories of the ways the Lord has been directing our time in Albania.  

Craiova Botanical Gardens

Women’s Event in Craiova

 

With some squadmates in Bucharest, Romania