On August 31 I will begin my travel back to Texas. This realization is slowly sneaking up on me, especially as close friends have begun to already tell me they'll miss me. I think the hardest part about my job is that after eight months of making close relationships...you have to say goodbye. Then, I will spend four months in Texas and have to tell my family goodbye for another eight months. However, I will say living like this has it's benefits. Most people wait till they're on their deathbed to live like they don't have much time. I'm constantly aware that I don't have much time, especially as I get closer to the end. It's a great catalyst to desire to give more than I've ever given before. This past month was no exception.
Midway through the month of July, MCR hosted our youth camp, Credinta, Speranta, si Dragostea (Faith, Hope, and Love). Last year, we had very successful camp and around 50 students attended. This year, we aimed to make the camp bigger! MCR added an extra day and this time had over 60 students attend! Many of these were new faces! At the end of the camp we had everyone fill out surveys and not one person regretted their time there. Every single person bragged about how much fun they had, and how powerfully God moved in them there!
I have to say that one of my favorite moments was when a kid named Andrei approached me. I was all alone getting games ready for the next day when this kid came up and began talking with me. I'll be honest, I don't know much about Andrei, where he came from, or what had brought him to us. All I know is that one day he showed up to our church, with a deep desire for more of God, and quickly attached himself to us. This kid doesn't speak English, and I was ready to struggle through Romanian with him. However, what happened next surprised me.
All the words I had ever memorized began to come to the front of my mind...and I began to share with him, in Romanian, a bit of my testimony and what God wanted to do in his life. I could understand him, and the conversation lasted a few hours. I got to pray for him and God moved powerfully in that room. I really do believe that the whole purpose of the manifestation of the Holy Spirit is for the spreading of the Gospel...and in the moment when I need to speak Romanian the most, God became my strength in my weakness!
After Summer camp we began to get ready for our Albania Mission's Trip. This trip opens up the MCR students eyes to the possibility of being a missionary in a foreign field. Albania is a unique place to take a missions trip because of the two main religions: Atheism and Islam, causing many to have never heard about Christ. This year we ministered in a village that was predominately Muslim, evident by the mosque that sat in the village. They way we ministered to this village was by putting on children programs.
First two days were all fun and games. I'll never forget watching all of the kids playing games while I was talking to a guy from the village, Genti. He look at me and said, "You know, it's cool what you're doing. No one has ever done anything for these kids. They work all day, come home and do a little bit of school work, watch some TV, and then go to sleep." In this village, no one ever takes a day off or has one day of rest...so neither do these children. However, for the three days we worked in that village, the kids felt special. Last day that we were in the village we shared the gospel with the kids, their parents, and the youth. Many of them heard the gospel for the first time and gave their hearts to Christ! We did many more things while in Albania, but this event with the kids was the most special to me.
So now that we are back in Romania, home sweet home, we continue our ministry with our focus on the Exchange Youth Group Mission's Trip coming in a few days. Please keep them in your prayers as they come to partner in ministry with us. Thank you so much for all of your support! And as we get nearer to the end, I continually get excited to see all of you guys in America. I love ya'll, and God bless.
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