Romanian Summer Mission Report 6

Geoffrey's Report - It has been quite a summer. As I suspected would happen, the Lord has been active in our lives and our ministry. We see growth in our students, in our fellow teachers, and in ourselves. Some of the growth has been easy and fun and some of it has been painful and hard. We have laughed a lot and we have cried. We have found ourselves as comforter and comforted. We have seen parts of the human spirit that we can rejoice in and other parts that we would rather not even exist. We have seen people return to God and some who have yet to grasp his love. We have had students who have found the missing element of their lives with God and others who have been strengthened by talking about their faith. We rejoice in all of these situations because we know that they are causing the growth.

Earlier this week I had a student tell me that he has been encouraged to leave his apartment more. He sees that there is more hope in the world than he has seen in the city and in his work. Another student has picked up the Bible for the first time in his life and is excited to read what God has to say to him. Many of my students have decided to keep their faith at its current level but I am happy for them as they have allowed themselves to be exposed to the message God has to offer. I pray their faith will increase.

We have been greatly encouraged by the time we have been able to spend with the other teachers. We come from different parts of the states and we all have different experiences in life. From college students to church elder, secretary to professional teachers, the time we have spent together has been special. I have memories of late night talks and game playing. Also memories of exploring the city and stumbling into adventures in the areas outside the city. I now have many stories of laughter in the buses, trains, and metros. This is a reminder that Christians can laugh and in a good clean way.

Every morning before classes start, we have been able to sing, pray, and share scriptures with each other. On several occasions, we've had students join us for that time. Though they came early on "accident", they have all expressed how special it was to them. I think many of them have not seen worship done in this way. It is good they can see a group of people who care for each other as they share in the worship of God. I hope they will "know we are Christians by our love."

In all likelihood, this will be our last campaign report. With the World English Institutes' end on Friday and we are taking a week to do some traveling with another friend from Alaska who has come over for a few weeks. We will return to Bucharest on the 22nd to help with Albert and Lavinia's art exhibit that is being used to introduce the church to others. We will then return to Juneau the following week. We thank you for your emails and prayers. It has been encouraging to share in this ministry with you and hope God will bless our congregation with many more opportunities to spread the word.

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Dana's Report - This summer has been full of many trials, many blessings, and many surprises. As I somewhat blindly stepped into this journey, I took a huge leap of faith, trusting that God would provide me with the way and the means to serve Him in Romania. A missionary can take on many different forms. A missionary can be a child, a grandparent, a student, and, at times, an unsuspecting soul. There is no one special mold that can really define a missionary. The purpose, however, spreading the Word of God, is the over-arching goal that unites all who serve our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Several years ago, when I first started considering mission work, I did not believe I had the ability to step out into an unfamiliar place and share the Word of God with strangers. I had been comfortable talking about my faith with people I already had established relationships with, but it felt difficult to talk about God with people I didn't know. I resolved that my mission field would be in my personal friendships, in my work life, and in any other opportunities that God provided. During these years, I saw my Christian friends traveling to other countries, working on teams to repair churches and orphanages, or praying for those doing mission's work abroad. Again, I felt comfortable serving in the way I always had, helping others in the community, at work, or in my personal life. But God had another plan for me. Through God's intervention and without hesitation, I knew, accepted, and trusted that it was God's plan for me to serve Him in Bucharest. Five weeks later, by God's will, I've done just that.

This morning, my student told me that she can see God working in me to help her. She shared that in our conversations she could feel God's presence and His desire to have a deeper relationship with her. She said that through this course she's been able to see God's love and desire for her, something she has not seen in many years. When you step out of your comfort zone and allow God to work in your heart, you find that God can use you in ways you never imagined. This summer God gave me a spirit of confidence, of strength, and of love for the people I came in contact with. As a result and to His glory, He reached many who are seeking to understand or have a relationship with the Lord. This was one of the many ways I experienced God's work in Bucharest.

The Lord also worked in the lives of the teachers for the World English Institute. He put a desire in our hearts to be closer to Him, to read His Word more, to pray together, to worship together, and to love one other. More than ever, I have seen the power of the Bible and I am reminded that it is active and living, ready to be received.

At first it felt strange to participate in worship using another language or to hear people praying and to not be able to understand the words. But when I looked past my own feelings, I could experience the sincere desire to make a connection with Our Lord. The people I met in Romania are not afraid to ask the difficult questions, they are not afraid to know about the Lord or about His love, and they are not afraid to worship God with their entire heart. The Lord has blessed me with the opportunity to share in this experience and as a result I can feel the joy of knowing that God desires the hearts and souls of every human being.

As I prepare to leave Romania, my heart is open to what the Lord has planned for me in my next mission trip. I know that there are no boundaries when we serve the Lord with our entire hearts. It's only when we look past our perceived limitations and truly start trusting God, that we can actually do His will more completely. I thank you for your support, your prayers, your encouragement, and your love. I only pray that one day you will be willing to step out of your comfort zone to experience how God will use you.