What will you be doing in Romania?
Ah yes...my favourite question!! The best answer to this question is "I'll tell you when I get home" but I realize that it's not the most helpful. My three previous trips to Romania have taught me that what I think I might be doing when I get there is not necessarily in any way related to what I will be doing once I arrive! Romania just works that way.
One of my main interests in Romania is village ministry. There are thousands of small villages in Romania that have little or no access to the gospel. Many are isolated and difficult to reach. Pastors that serve in these areas often have to spread themselves among 4-7 tiny house churches in 4-7 villages. Transportation is a huge issue. Resources are minimal and outreach is difficult.
My friend, Liviu, and his wife, Ana, live in the small village of Buturugeni, 27 km from Bucharest. I will stay with them in their village home, participate in village life, and work with the village church to reach out to the local children and youth. Currently my schedule looks like this:
Sept 11 - Arrive in Bucharest at 11:00 pm or so.
Sept 12 & 13 - Recover from the journey and prepare for a week of children's ministry.
Sept 14 - Go to church, then have a party in Buturugeni for my 43rd birthday! I think that this would be a great way to kick things off.
Sept 15-20 - Children's Ministry in Buturugeni. Yep. That's all I know! My plan is to arrive with lots of ideas and lots of stuff and to be as prepared as I can be for whatever happens! Hopefully I will have youth volunteers who speak English.
Sept 21 - Go to church. Do whatever Liviu and Ana do on Sundays.
Sept 22-24 - Take Liviu and Ana on vacation. This is my wedding gift to them and a chance for me to spend some "quality time" with them. Life in Romania can be incredibly hectic (unless you're living in a seniors' home where no one speaks English - like I did on my last trip!) and time away is essential for a couple in ministry.
Sept 24-26 - Ladies Ministry in Buturugeni. Yep. Liviu wrote: "The ladies have difficulties in communicating with the kids, problems in communicating with husbands, etc. Your job is to talk to them and try to encourage them." This should be fun...seeing as I have no husband, no children and I speak Romanian like a three-year-old! That said, I am really looking forward to hanging out with the village women. I am bringing craft supplies and my life experience and an avid curiousity about their lives and we'll just see what happens!
Sept 27 - Last day in Romania
Sept 28 - Go to airport really early in the morning to catch my flight home.
I'm flying to Bucharest on a missionary fare, which means that I get to take three suitcases of 70 pounds each. Two of those suitcases will be stuffed with ministry supplies that will be used both while I am there and in subsequent outreaches after I leave. I really hope that my time in Romania will be an encouragement to everyone I work with and meet and that they will then take what they have experienced and the stuff that I have brought to reach out to children and youth in other nearby villages.
"'You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a [lantern] and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.'"
Matthew 5:14-16
Light and dark are two of the most powerful metaphors in our world. Light represents the known, the safe, the comforting. Light allows us to see the world around us, it reveals the truth, and it brings hope. Darkness, on the other hand, represents the unknown, potential dangers that we cannot see. It obscures our choices, makes us fearful of moving forward, and brings despair.
For me there is a big difference between a walk in the dark in unfamiliar territory...and a walk in the dark in unfamiliar territory with a lantern. Even though the circle of light might be limited, it is still a circle of light. I can see the path in front of me, I can see what's right beside me. I have hope that I will reach my destination unharmed.
That is what I want my ministry to be. I want to give a "lantern of hope" to each person that I serve. I want to enable them to see their own path and to move forward without fear. I want them to know the truth of God's love and feel hope.
"Jesus bids us shine with a clear, pure light,
Like a little [lantern] burning in the night.
In this world of darkness, Jesus bids us shine;
You in your small corner and I in mine."
Matthew 5:14-16
Light and dark are two of the most powerful metaphors in our world. Light represents the known, the safe, the comforting. Light allows us to see the world around us, it reveals the truth, and it brings hope. Darkness, on the other hand, represents the unknown, potential dangers that we cannot see. It obscures our choices, makes us fearful of moving forward, and brings despair.
For me there is a big difference between a walk in the dark in unfamiliar territory...and a walk in the dark in unfamiliar territory with a lantern. Even though the circle of light might be limited, it is still a circle of light. I can see the path in front of me, I can see what's right beside me. I have hope that I will reach my destination unharmed.
That is what I want my ministry to be. I want to give a "lantern of hope" to each person that I serve. I want to enable them to see their own path and to move forward without fear. I want them to know the truth of God's love and feel hope.
"Jesus bids us shine with a clear, pure light,
Like a little [lantern] burning in the night.
In this world of darkness, Jesus bids us shine;
You in your small corner and I in mine."
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1 comment:
I didn't realize that there were 'missionary fares' that one could fly on. What a great way to get supplies to where they're needed, especially in these days of flight-baggage restrictions and extra fees.
(It's robyn, by the way. Now you know my super-hero name)
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