(If you haven't already, go back and read part one of this entry. It's the only way to see both the good and the bad, and the lesson that God taught me through them.)
When God gives you an opportunity to go and serve, inevitably there will be criticism. God told Jonah right out of the blue to go on a journey to another land. He didn't give Jonah a ton of instructions, he only said "Go and do this." I'm sure Jonah (in addition to his own misgivings) would have had people say to him "Why would you just pack up and go? Shouldn't you pray about this first? Oh, you did pray about it? Well, obviously you didn't pray correctly, because I don't approve of this trip of yours."
Jonah did NOT do what God asked, and he ended up jumping overboard into the ocean and getting swallowed by a fish. Like Jonah, I had my marching orders. My family was aware of them, and so were the people on the other end. So there was only one thing to do.
Go.
Now, Romania is hardly Nineveh, and I am hardly Jonah, but if there is one person in the bible I can be compared to, it IS Jonah. Mainly, because I am all about doing God's will if others are supporting me 100 percent. If there are obstacles or criticism, either positive or negative, I tend to shy away from whatever it is He told me to do. That's a pretty dangerous way to live, and like a man at my church once told me "Daniel, if this is what God wants, don't be like Jonah."
No, I will not.
In the previous entry, you can read about the obstacles and lessons in reality God had for me along the way. This time I am going to focus on the reward.
In most mission reports, you never hear about the struggle. When you do, it is almost always a humble, heroic struggle: "We passed through miles of snake-infested swamps, eating nothing but rice cakes and bottled water, in order to reach the tiny village where God would use us for His glory!"
In my case, the struggle almost seemed to be God saying "So, you want this, do you? Well, how about a dose of reality before you decide for certain?" His lesson was thorough and complete, and it only took me 16 days to learn it. But, interspersed in those 16 days, God did give me opportunities for service. Not nearly as many as I would have had if I had gone with the team, but sometimes it isn't about quantity, it's about God putting you exactly where you needed to be, when you needed to be there.
I saw God speak to me through the back of a chair, assuring me that while I (and many others) had reservations about whether or not He was with me on my journey, that He was very much alive and watching.
I saw the hydrothermal heating coils being laid on the floor of the camp, ensuring that the floors would never be cold when hundreds of little bare feet walked on them.
I spoke with, and worked alongside camp workers, and saw what it is like day-to-day working on the camp, rather than a day where we have all our supplies laid out for us, including a picnic lunch. It's different, but God-focused still. I'll tell you more about that one day, if you ask.
I had the wonderful opportunity to have dinner with many of the church families, and not only have the joy of fellowship, but the privilege of speaking with them in THEIR language, and learning more about life in Romania than I would ever had if I had come as a tourist.
I cooked hamburgers for one of the families, and saw the thrill in the eyes of the children who had never experienced "real American food". By the way, the entire family devoured the hamburgers and fries like there was no tomorrow, and I was able to leave them with the recipe for Guthrie's sauce...which they are now addicted to!
I visited a Gypsy church, where I had the honor of delivering God's word. Even more exciting than that, was being able to get down on one knee and talk with these children. In the past year at home, the seemingly endless study of basic Romanian almost felt like a fruitless effort, but when I was able to carry on a light conversation with these children, it was worth it 1000 times over!
<3
And oh, the music! While I don't think anything can compare to the choir at Golgotha, the complete worship and passion in the eyes of the gypsy congregation, coupled with the booming voices and pumping accordions was so...so...
I have no words left. <><
In the tiny little town of Monariu, I was given the joy of teaching a small group of children. While their numbers were small, the light in their eyes and the love in their hearts had me almost in tears. I got to tell them about me eating rotten apples when I was a teenager, and how when we are at our lowest point, someone is waiting with a warm bed and delicious food to celebrate our coming home.
And from Bethany's girls scout troop here in the USA, I was able to share cookies with those same children, and see their smiles as they had their first taste of Thin Mints. :D
I was given the opportunity TWICE to teach the youth group at Golgotha. I prayed so hard over what I was going to teach each time, and when the lessons were finished, I wondered if I had even taught them one blessed thing. When I was having dinner with one of the youth's families, I told her that I didn't think I was teaching them anything, and she said "What are you talking about?! Of course you teach us!"
Oh Lord, all this and Heaven too?
Octavian. Beautiful, wonderful, awesome, smart, energetic, amazing little Octavian. He shared his Oreos with me. He talked to me endlessly in Romanian, and God gave me the unexplainable gift of being to understand almost half of what he was saying to me. I helped him practice his English, and he sang the Romanian National Anthem to me. Every night, he would kiss me on the cheek and ask me "How many more days will you be here?" He smiled until the answer was "Zero." I will never, ever forget him. Oh, my heart.
Titi and Ofelia. When I was sick, they made me eat. When I didn't want to drink that nasty tea they were giving me "For my stomach." they encouraged me to please, drink. They welcomed me into their home and into their family...and all it's insanity included. I could share endless stories about my time with them, but some things are better kept locked away in our hearts. All I can say is that I have never met a kinder, more wonderful family. God blessed me with their love.
On one of the last days of my trip, I was able to meet up with the family of the little girl who first won my heart for Romania. I chased them around the park with my camera, capturing one smile and one giggle after another. If I never am able to set foot in Romania again, the joy and blessing of knowing this family (Victor, Daniela, Bella, Beta and Vero) is worth all the joy and sadness I have ever experienced. I would do all of it over in a heartbeat, if only to be able to share in their lives one more time.
Not only is this one of the greatest young men you will ever meet on this planet (Adi was my voice for a great deal of this trip.) but he is also a man of multiple talents. Yes, I finally got to do something I have wanted to do since I visited Romania for the first time.
I got to sing in the choir.
Yes, it was only choir PRACTICE, but being able to join voices with these beautiful people in THEIR LANGUAGE was a gift without measure. I had to keep forcing back the tears, and Vasile Gherman (another man who housed me so graciously while I was there) had to tell me "quit taking pictures of the choir or I will take your phone away!" :D
This little girl shared her "Zippy" with me when I was at the park. I had never met her before, and I still don't know her name. What was so odd, was a little child came up to me, a complete stranger, and offered me some of her snack. She did it with a bright smile on her face, and her father (about ten feet away) saw me look over to him with a "Is it ok?" look on my face. He smiled and nodded. This would never happen in America.
At church on the last Sunday I was there, I was able to teach the middle grade children's Sunday School class. I had planned in my head exactly what I was going to teach about, but somewhere along the journey up the 1200 flights of stairs it took to get to the classroom, God changed the plan on me. I could almost feel the voice of God saying "Scrap your idea. Here's mine. Do it. I love you."
For the next 30 minutes, I told the children how important first impressions are. The image you give someone of who you are in the first moments you have with them will ultimately be the pattern they remember about you forever. This includes your witness for God. We talked about Stephen's sacrifice in the book of Acts, and while Stephen never saw Paul standing in the crowd of people, holding the coats of the men who would deliver Stephen's death sentence, Paul would remember Stephen forever. Even as he walked toward his own death for the cause of Christ.
To be honest, I wasn't sure if the lesson had an effect on any of the kids. These are children who have been raised in church. They have heard it all. Why should this lesson be anything new? I saw more than one child looking at the ceiling, playing with their pencils, and spacing out.
What I didn't notice was how the eyes of one child were locked onto the lesson. If I had paid better attention, maybe I would have seen that they were not looking away, and feeling the same emotions that I'd had when I first hear about Stephen's sacrifice.
When I did finally see their reaction, I may have misjudged what I thought had been their eyes misting up. Maybe not, but one thing was certain. The smile and shy little "wave" I got from them during the church service afterward was more than enough to let me know that in spite of anything I had experienced to the contrary, this trip had found it's mark.
Sometimes, God changes our plans. Sometimes, he sends us on a journey that makes no sense to us. We may be tempted to balk, or fall victim to others saying "Are you sure you know what you are doing?" While YOU may not know what you are doing, God does.
And in my life, as He knows will always be more precious to me than any other gift he may give, He often reveals it in the eyes of a child.
Thank you, God.
For your love.
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