My feet are on Romanian soilAfter one week in Romania I am finally getting around to writing an update. It has been an awesome first week. If you don’t have time to read the whole thing, rest assured that God is overwhelming me with His provision and goodness.
I landed in Romania late Thursday night. Bucharest was quiet and the drive in was pretty smooth. After 12 hrs of sleep I began my adventure in Romania. The first couple of days felt weird. I felt out of place. My sister, brother-in-law and myself went out on Friday night to a pizza place (it’s called Pizza Hut, you might have heard of it) right downtown Bucharest. At some point some people sat at the table next to us and started talking. My knee-jerk reaction was to turn to my sister and point to the fact that the people to our left were speaking Romanian. Yes, people speak Romanian in Romania.
The city is still busy, but not as busy as it was two years ago on my last visit. There is less construction and less cars. I’m told the number of cars has decreased due to the economic crisis.
BlessingsI have only been here for a week but it has been a full week. It feels longer than just 9 days. It has been a packed period with lots of good conversations, reconnecting with old friends, and also making new ones.
The first weekend found me at the wedding of two good friends. The ceremony was simple but very personal. Both fathers preached messages that were intertwined with childhood stories from the two. It was a blessing for me to witness the special moment for my friends. If you were sitting by me let me assure you that I wasn’t not crying. I had something in my eye...
Another highlight of the week was a trip to Alexandria (Romania) to visit my grandparents. It was a true blessing to once again sit at the table in my grandmother’s kitchen. We ate, talked, laughed, and remembered all the good stuff of the past.
A visit to the grandparents (on my mother’s side) must include:
a tour of the greenhouse. On your way there you must pass by the shed where the hens and rooster dwell as well as the place where the next generation of chicken are being raised. You see, my grandfather is always thinking ahead. The outside of the greenhouse is not impressive, but the inside reveals order, warmth and growth. Everything is in its place and no vegetable dares step out of place. The tomatoes plants are in their place, carefully nurturing the not-yet ripe tomatoes. The cucumbers are also carefully lined up. All in all it reveals the hard and passionate labor that my grandfather puts in his greenhouse.
Eat something that my grandmother prepared. This was not just a delicious warm meal. It was a trip down memory lane. As I sat at the table, it was the same table I had sat on the numerous trips there. I could see my sisters, my mother, uncles, aunts and cousins all sitting at the table with me. I could hear the stories and people laughing. The room is filled with memories.
I also had the opportunity to visit uncles and aunts I had not seen in a long time and spend some time with them. I even got to visit my maternal grandmother’s native village. It was fun to take pictures and hear the stories from her childhood.
My father also came to Alexandria since it is a half way point between Bucharest and Craiova (my home town). We talked for a little bit and went to my mother’s grave together.
The week ended with two gatherings with Missio Dei. They gathered as a church last night for worship, the Word, and welloship (sic)(eng. Fellowship, but I wanted to keep the alliteration). It was an edifying experience to worship with the church and listen to a powerful message about being an attractional Christian. On Sunday afternoon we gathered with a Missional Community (a larger version of a small group). It was a great opportunity to experience the family image of the church. We, the redeemed are part of God’s household. Sometimes, like this afternoon, we learn that a member of the family is not doing well. I saw vulnerability, acceptance, and an earnest desire from the group to bring it all to God. The church is messy, our lives are messy. But in all that we don’t walk away, just like you can’t (shouldn’t) walk away from the mess of the family. Instead, you turn to God for direction and solution. Jesus Christ lived a perfect life. I cannot! But He wants to live through me. He wants to do it through the church, through our lives. Sometimes it takes time, it takes prayer, it takes wrestling with yourself.
Coming up this week…The first week was more an adjustment. This coming week I will have to jump into action. There are more people to meet and reconnect with and also I have to start the preparation for upcoming speaking engagements. I will be at a young men’s Bible study next Tuesday and next Sunday I will be in Craiova for a baptism service.
If you want to see some pictures from my visit to my grandparents, you can go
here.
Post a Comment