Success and More Success

Success and more success! This phrase sums up the last two weeks. You know that you have God's favor when the good just keeps getting better. Now, I would be lying if I told you that these past weeks have been easy. In fact, for me it has been just the opposite. These past two weeks have been very busy and stressful...but hey, tilling up ground is always the hardest part of growing the garden.

First of all, the girls have been tearing up the outreach that MCR does in the women's home. Right now MCR is the only outside ministry involved with the house. Ever other week our girls make the hour trip to the women's home and actively take part in the transformation process of these girls who have been rescued from sex trafficking.

Due to this being the hardest winter Romania has seen in six years, we haven't been able to really pursue Micro Kids. However, the weather is starting to mellow out and we resumed Micro Kids at our most frequently visited sight, Ludesti. We had over 115 Kids and adults present!

The MCR students also just got finished with their outreaches at the hospitals, which they planed and put together! The students are split up into two groups called "force teams". Half of them are team "Passion" and the other half are team "Justice". Throughout the year these students will have the opportunity to create ministries which they will lead and plan. Last year was the first time a force team did a Hospital ministry, and now many, including a small group lead by MCR alumni Carmen Marin, are involved in ministering to the terminally ill!

However, when I say, "Success and more success" I think of an event that we did for Valentines Day. It really took place on the 11th and not the 14th, but for arguments sake, let's just say that it took place on Valentines Day. Our theme of the night was "Crazy Love." This was an evangelical event with the soul purpose of getting people connected to MCR's home church, Speranta Vietii.

We had rented out a restaurant, asked a good friend of ours, Oana Petre, to decorate, and spent the last three days handing out fliers for the event. Then, during the night of the event, a snow storm blew in. It was so cold, and there was so much snow, we weren't sure if anyone would show up. However, 50 people braved the frigid downpour and attended the event!

We had games, food, a dance, and then we did a Drama I had written and directed. The Drama was called, "Crazy Love Boat." In this drama, Cupid had invited three timeless couples to the Crazy Love Boat, to make them fall in love with each other. The couples were Jack and Rose from Titanic, Romeo and Juliet, and Edward Cullen and Bella Swan from Twilight. Due to Cupid's Assistance's blunder, the wrong love potions were given to the wrong people, and everyone fell in love with the wrong person. Hilarious chaos ensued, and even Cupid in the end couldn't get everybody to return to their first love. All of this was a allegory to support what Pastor Florin would say that night.


Pastor Florin talked about how sometimes we love the wrong thing, and then ultimate about the love of God. God touched many hearts that night and many from that even attended our church the following Sunday. Many from that group have continued to attend Speranta Vietii! This week, on a Wednesday night, six youths from the Crazy Love event attended a small group lead by one of MCR's second years, Oana Neacsu, and were lead to Christ! Oana says that when everyone bowed there head and was asked if they wanted to receive Christ as their savior, they didn't even hesitate. All six hands shot up in the air...Creative Ministry! I love it!

To me it is so cool how God will take all sorts of people with gifts, talents, and abilities, and bring them into one place, all for six young men and women. God is moving so powerfully in MCR and these things are evidence of his power. Mother nature and all her furry couldn't stop what God wanted to do. From fifty came six...that's more than 10%.

This is what I call Success and more Success!

Adventure

Adventure. This is the only fitting way to start this blog off. Just one word describes this week and a half. I haven't been here for that long, and already I'm looking at how much has happened with one question on my mind, "How do I share all of this without turning this blog into a novel?"

Well, you gotta start somewhere. So let's start with a little bit of danger. I made mention on my last blog about there being certain alleyways I needed to avoid because of territorial wild dogs. Well, I'm not the only one who needs to be avoiding that alleyway. One day as I was heading home, I hear a blood curdling scream and then a desperate cry for help. So I begin to run directly at the screaming!

At that moment I wasn't sure where the sound was coming from, but I could tell I was getting closer. Eventually I pull around a corner and find a woman surrounded by a pack of dogs. Now these dogs weren't just barking at her, they were lunging and biting at her. Each time one snapped she barely made it out of the way. Her hands were full of groceries and she was swing them with all of her might.

As I began to run to her side I could see that just a street over, many people were walking by and could hear her...but all of them turned their heads and walked away.  I was much farther away when I had heard her scream and cry for help, but I was the only one that day who was compelled to come!

So I ran up to her side, tense and ready to do what I needed to. Upon seeing me at this woman's side, the dogs backed off and left her alone. As she picked up her groceries she kept saying, "Thank you" like a skipping record. I stopped her and replied, "Cu Plecere. (With Pleasure)". I have no doubt in my mind that if God hadn't put me there at that time she would have been attacked...the funny thing was, just ten minuets ago I didn't want to head to my apartment, but I felt God's Spirit inside of me, compel me...so I listened...and obeyed.

I have also compiled my MCR drama writing team. Right now it is me, a MCR second year, David Petre, and a MCR first year, Naomi Nicolae. It has been such a blessing to have these guys helping me. I come up with an idea and then they help me expand it! So far our MCR drama team has preformed one drama and is currently working on another.

Now, I want to take a pause here and share a little bit of something God has been speaking to me. I know that sometimes back in The States we think of dramas as something cute that youth perform on a stage. Now, I'm not accusing anybody of this; however, I understand that sometimes we take some things for granted. In a lot of churches here, excluding our home church, Speranta Vietii, who has been so promotional of the arts, most arts are not excepted.

I can't express how many Romanians I've heard say, "I saw a dance, drama, etc. at Speranta Vietii and it touched me so deeply I decided to become a Christian." I also can't express how many people I've heard say, "Because I like drama, dancing, etc. I won't become a Christian.  Whenever I get married and I can't do this anymore, I'll go to church." Here recently, God has been challenging me not to think of my work as drama or writing or productions, but instead as 'Creative Ministry'.

The drama that we just preformed was about multiplying what God gives you; to go out and change the world. It supported everything Pastor Florin had to say. The altar call was full of people wanting to be changed, and to change.

We also had our first Micro Kids of the year in Ludest! I love that place. It was almost as if MCR had never taken a break. MCR currently has plans to open one more sight at Doicesti. That means that we will have three Micro Kids sights! Of course, first we have to wait till the weather lightens up.  It has been so cold.

One day I was carrying some tea in a one litter bottle from the MCR Building to my apartment. On that ten minuet walk the tea froze. The news had also reported that fifteen people have died from the cold in Romania so far. Most of these are the elderly and homeless. So our director took the guy MCR students, and went to find those who weren't prepared for this cold winter and give them the necessary clothing to survive.

I was told of one story of a woman who said, "I know Jesus sent you. I have kids and they didn't have clothes for the winter." Every time I think of my frozen tea, I become aware of the need for the winter. Somewhere out there are more men, women, and children who are trying to stay warm, as the cold bites at them.

Often times we don't think of the person who feeds the homeless as a hero. Sometimes we only think of the guy who fights monsters in an alleyway as a hero. However, aren't both of them saving a life? Also, a monster can be scared off, however, death, hunger, and cold are always there and relentless.  So we, as world changers, need to go out and be that relentless hero, meeting people, where they need help the most.

Adventure.