It all begins with the current global financial reality and the increase in the Euro and decrease in Canadian Dollar and British Pound. In our Romania Church Planting project the money that is coming out to Romania to enable these courageous men and women to make disciples and work with Jesus so he can plant His church was committed in Euros. However the vast majority of our partner churches in this project come from Canada & the UK (in fact all but 1 church comes from a country who's currency has declined against the Euro). So we have had to make decisions that will affect the church planters here in Romania, not by choice, but out of necessity. The first reason I was not looking forward to this trip was this was my responsibility to explain this to the church planters and regional leadership team. Something I was not looking forward to as I would love to have another story to tell them. One about amazing provision and increased support, but that one is still in the making at this time. IN JESUS NAME!!!
Reason 2 is the simple fact that it is not easy leaving Janelle & Caleb for any period of time, but 9 full days is a long time to be away, especially with Janelle being 8 months pregnant :(
Reason 3 is the fact that the airline I was flying on Wednesday had changed my flight from leaving out of Birmingham @ 10am to 6am. Meaning I had to leave my house at 4:40 in the morning. Not fun!!!!
Reason 4 was because of this flight change I would either have to wait in Bucharest for about 4 hours in the train station, just to catch a 5 hour train ride. So this meant I had to take the dreaded bus for 3:30 hours. You see the train takes longer, but is so much more comfortable, no need to smell everyone else (like it is on the bus) and much easier to work on or watch a movie. Anyway, just another thing that I was not looking forward to.
So I guess my attitude was not really good to begin with?!
Isn't it great how God uses those situations to totally blow us away when we are obedient to doing what he asks of us. I think it is.
So I finally arrived in Constanta close to 7pm, where I was greeted by my good friend and our project director Traian. I have to admit that seeing Traian and listening to his English when I first arrive is always a treat for me. He is a great brother with a huge heart and so much love. The English part is that he always seems to start my trips with broken English (as he only really learned to speak it 15 months ago at the start of the project) and ends them speaking in full sentences like he has done it for years. He is so brave to translate for me with a number of the church planters. I love him.
Traian and I are able to meet for an hour and talk about the project, the church plants and what is happening on this trip while we wait at their church office (Traian is the pastor of a church in Constanta, mother church of the church plant in the Old City - Turkish/Gypsy area of Constanta) for a truck full of Crocs, Car Seats and Beans to arrive from Canada.
I was able to join with about 20 other people from their church for the next hour or two unloading these goods
that will be used for the church and a great ministry they have here called Heart to Heart.It was really fun and rewarding to be able to do this with them and to see how grateful they were for these gifts. In fact it was humbling to see how excited they were that each of the young guys who helped out was able to take home 3 cans of beans each. They were totally blessed by that.
Then it was off to Traian's for a late unplanned dinner. The cool thing was because it was unplanned, I had to have a traditional Romanian meal. Which was excellent!
Tasty homemade chicken noodle soup followed by the Romanian version of Pork & Beans (which I have to admit is much better then the Canadian kids staple meal).So after dinner it was off to the missions school where I am staying and the training is taking place on Friday & Saturday. Got to talk to my family on Skype, send a few emails and off to bed. Made it through the travel day that started at 4:40 in the morning and was looking forward to meeting with a number of church planters tomorrow.
My attitude had already began to change and I was feeling blessed to be in Romania.
Day 2 was going to be a long day, I knew that. But what was going to happen in the meetings was nothing you can ever really prepare for. You see meeting with these amazing people and seeing what they are sacrificing, asking, believing and needing Jesus to do is truly humbling. Seriously.
You see we spent 12 hours today visiting 5 church planters and having one meeting with a mother church leader of a church plant that is unfortunately not able to be part of the project anymore. But it was so encouraging that I am sitting in my room here in Romania at 1am writing this article to tell you all about it.
Matthew from the old city was the first church planter we met with. We joined him in the Old City to have breakfast and talk about what is happening in this poor, spiritually deprived, moffia driven area of Constanta. You know, God is working in the lives of these Turkish/Gypsy people. Kids are committed to the club they run and use to teach them about Jesus and help them make better choices, stay in school, get better grades and realize there is someone who loves them more then they could understand. But because they have recently lost the use of the building they were meeting in and the prices of rentals in this area are so high and moffia owned they are at a place where they are desperately needing Jesus to find them a place where they can continue meeting. They have started an alpha coarse in a house owned by family who has been saved this past year and Matthew has invested so much time into. However just recently the son has left his wife and kids and moved to Germany with another lady; devastating this family and attacking their faith.
We also met with the two Gabi's. These young men have been trying to plant a church in Eforie Sud, but it has not been easy. You see there is a small group of older believers in this place and when they began last year they wanted to work with them and were invited by one of them to use their house to begin meeting. However this lady was not very open to new people coming and the group was only committed to prayer. As valuable as that is, it was not going into Eforie and sharing the love and truth of Jesus with the people there. So they
knew they needed a new place to meet. Praise Jesus, at the beginning of this year they were finally able to find an old, run down pub to rent and renovate. This is the start they have been needing and are very excited about all the ways that God is going to be able to use this building to create community and allow them an opportunity to share the truth and love of Jesus. However the renovations have been even more than they had anticipated with a large section of the ceiling being damaged by rain and all the electricity in the place needing to be redone. They are ready to clean things up and begin the work again with the building they have finished, but this is just a shame as they do not have the £1000/$2000 needed to complete the renovations. However they press on and continue to believe Jesus and are committed to remaining faithful to the work he is calling them to do in Eforie Sud, to make disciples and watch Him build his church in this city.
The last couple I want to share with you is one that has gripped and touched my heart in a really powerful way. You see in many ways the season of life they are in is just like mine. Irenel & Christina are a younger couple (late 20s, early 30) and they have a 2 year old son, Sammy. This couple has planted a church in Lumina of about 20 adults, 10 kids and 10 youth. They are faithful, growing and have faith that really challenges mine. You see they are not really getting by, they live in a home with his mother & step-father and have just enough money to pay their utility bills. Irenel is unable to work as he has only the use of one of his arms and it very much limits the things he can do. Christina works part time, but is only able to do that so that Irenel has some time to invest in the church, while they share the duties of watching Sammy. You see their living situation is not as good as it may sound. Irenel's step-dad is an alcoholic and the environment that is created when he is there is not good for any of them. They are unable to have guests and notice a real difference in themselves and especially Sammy when he is around. I say when he is around as both Irenel's mom and step-dad go away to (Germany & Italy) work from time to time. During this time their family thrives, they are able to enjoy the house, each other and open their home to others as they so desperately desire to do. But the problem is the parents are on their last trip as they are getting to old to go work abroad and will be coming back to Lumina for good. Irenel, Christina and Sammy just don't have the money to rent their own place and that is a real shame and detriment to the work they are trying to do with Jesus in Lumina.
So you see I come back to my room tonight, not thinking the same way I did before I left. Not looking at life the same, not wishing I wasn't here. But feeling humbled to be a part of these peoples live, being able to encourage them in the work they are doing, pray with them and believing with them for God to show up and work things out.
I consider it an honor and a privilege to come alongside these courageous men and women who are living sold out lives for Jesus, trusting Him to meet their needs when it doesn't even seem possible. All just to see other come to an understand of how much Jesus loves them and wants to change their lives with His amazing love. How great is that!!! How great is my life!!! How blessed am I to be here!!!
It doesn't mean I am not missing my family loads, cause I am. But really it does make the sacrifices we each have to make as a family worth it. That is why we do what we do, that is why we are willing to make those sacrifices. Because people just like Matthew, Gabi, Gabi, Irenel & Christina. Thank you for them Jesus, they are heroes of our faith and examples to us all!!!
