This morning had an early start. Courtaney and I woke up around seven for breakfast. Immediately after, I left to go to the schools once again. Today, we visited three different classes: two of the third grade and one fifth grade. At each one, we did a skit, based on Matthew 13: 3-8. We got the kids to act out different parts and they really enjoyed it. Then, we handed out pots, seeds, and soil for them to plant their own flowers. After we visited the classrooms, we met with the director of the school. Unlike the United States, the Romanian school systems cannot sponsor or in any way acknowledge a PTA or other parent volunteer organization-they must only rely on the classrooms. The director explained the stress this put on her, especially since funding for her school is extremely limited. One of the larger challenges she faces is overcrowding. Next year, two new grades (kindergarten and ninth grade) will be added to the school. Some years ago, in an attempt to prepare for this change, the government wiped out the sports center on campus to prepare to build new classrooms. Midway through the project, they quit because of funding issues. Now, there is an open construction site and, according to the director, there have been numerous injuries.
We left the school to return to the clinic for a delicious lunch. Ana made us bean soup and gogosi. You may be thinking, "Hey! No bread!" However, gogosi is indeed bread (and certainly the best bread I have ever tried). It is the Romanian version of a donut. A soft dough ball sprinkled (coated) with powdered sugar served with tart cherry jelly or honey. While this was nothing short of a foodie's dream come true, the highlight of this afternoon was getting to listen to Feri. He grew up in Romania as an orphan and shared his life story with us this during our post-meal devotion. It was incredible. As a ward of the state, he faced many challenges. Until eighteen years of age, he lived in the public orphanage-home to 900 other youth. On his eighteenth birthday, he was driven to Oradea, told that he would have an apartment and employment opportunities awaiting him. Instead, all he got was a street corner. After 6 months of living on the street, he returned to Beius. One day, he attended a church that some missionaries had built through the REMM ministry. It was there that he came to know Christ and was connected with the Lucacius. He has worked for the ministry ever since. Though he has been through a lot, he continues to shine the light of Christ every day. He said his beliefs are often challenged, but he has learned to use the Bible to explain what he believes to others.
That is one of the more incredible things about being here-this trip for me has not so much become the mission work that I do but building relationships with the people I meet-hearing their stories and sharing my own. It's much more relational than I would have ever anticipated.
This evening, I had the opportunity to once again voyage to Oradea, this time to share my testimony at a youth service. While I was very nervous, there was something that happened that eased all my nerves. While Courtaney, Bradley, and I were all mentally preparing, the youth-led worship band began to play "Blessed Be Your Name." While the entire congregation sang in Romanian, the three of us joined them in English. That was one of the most powerful moments I have ever experienced. It was, in a nutshell, the global church coming together-though we could not understand a word the other was saying, we had a unified purpose, praising our mutual Lord. After that song, I was energized and so prepared to share my story. I talked about the struggles I had faced over the past year, in the end relating it back to Colossians 3:15 (And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.) I admitted to the audience that a peaceful heart is something I struggle with-I'm a worrier. I have always wanted to control the circumstances within my life instead of surrendering them to God. This past year, with the help of the college application process, I realized that was next to impossible let alone extremely difficult. I encouraged the students that if they were in a similar situation to pray that God would open their hearts to Him and release their burdens. Courtaney spoke on the stigma of being the "pastor's kid" and her struggle at SMU to prove that her faith was genuine. Bradley talked about being the eldest brother of his family and his desire to be a positive example for his younger brothers as well as his entire fraternity. After we finished, many students came up to us to ask us more about our lives in America and our stories of faith. While we were all very nervous at first, I think we could all agree it was certainly one of the most rewarding occurrences of our trip thus far.
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