Hello! So sorry for the delay of this Romania report. Had to get some other things out of the way before sitting to blog. We started school last week and it has kept me quite busy.
Romania was fantastic! First of all, the flights were very easy for me considering I'm usually a nervous wreck on planes. I actually was not nervous on any of the 5 total flights. Also, we had NO problems with luggage or customs or passports. The traveling experience was easy and non stressful. I was so thankful for that.
Also, I only had 2 moments of real homesickness. Only 2 out of 10 days! And one of them was when I called home in the middle of the week (something I didn't expect to be able to do) to talk to Jeff and the kids. It was about 6:55 am American time. Jeff answered the phone out of his sleep and of course didn't recognize my voice being he was asleep and the call was very unexpected. When he answered I quickly explained that it was me, that I only had a couple of mins. to talk, and to hurry up and get the kids out of bed. This was his response: ".......(silence).....uh....they aren't here. They spent the night out last night."
Once I picked myself up off the floor and put the phone to my ear again I was fine. I then had a lovely conversation with my husband which then carried me the rest of the day until that evening when I called again to hear all their voices! After that day I was good until Sunday, which was when I came home. That was a great day!
Being in Romania gave me some great opportunities that I am so thankful for. Being in a different culture, speaking a different language, and living a different routine is quite eye opening. Getting to experience someone else's lifestyle will definitely change the way you see your own.
I was able to participate in teaching the older Romanians how to lead devotions during our worship times. This is very hard for them, a very uncomfortable thing for them to do. Their leadership is not supported especially in spiritual matters. But, when each of them got up to lead their assigned devotion, they blow us away. They are so spiritually mature in spite of the lack of support for their faith. They are so well spoken and bold. They were an inspiration to me.
I believe there were 9 decisions for Christ. That is wonderful but the thing that blessed me the most was seeing the growth in the ones who had made decisions in the past. Watching them flourish right before my eyes, amazing. It is what I hope to see the kids at my own church do, the ones in my own country.
That was the biggest revelation for me: what needs to happen in my own country, with my own people. It has challenged me to make a difference in the world directly around me.
I'm starting to make some changes with my ss class first. We have studied a lot about living like Jesus but I have done little to nothing to actually provide them with opportunities to live out their faith. I hope to be blogging about their acts of service periodically through this school year.
I hope to impact them the way I have been impacted. May no lessons that God ever teaches me be in vain!
PS. Thank you for your prayers during the trip. I know they were effective!
