Missions in Craiova

We arrived in Romania after 33+ hour travel day. It included 1 bus, 4 flights, 2 trains, and 1 van.

Upon arrival in Craiova we got some orientation teachings from the church we would be ministering with. Raul, our host, explained that Hope Church Craiova was in the second stage of church planting which was growth and establishing elders. So we were commissioned to go out into the community and gain interest for the church and most importantly for Christ! He gave us some wisdom that truly helped me, he took the pressure off and let us know that it was not our job to win people to Christ, but to share Him with people. He also gave us a visual of placing a pebble in peoples shoes. Something that sticks with them and makes them think. They also loved that we could draw more attention with our American-ness, especially with the youth. 

In Craiova, with Hope Church, I was able to be a part of some cool ministry opportunities! With the Christmas holiday upon us we got to be a part of the shoebox distribution. In the United States I grew up packing shoeboxes during the Christmas season. It was really cool to get to see the other end of that here in Romania and get to hand out the shoeboxes to children. They were all excited to receive whatever was inside and we just prayed that its a small seed to grow into a thirst and dependent on the God who provides all our needs.

I got the honor every Saturday morning to help one of the leaders in the church, Vera, with her kids club. It was essentially a Saturday morning bible study for kids. We did bible stories accompanied by crafts and games. I learned from the people who helped me with kids club (shout out Morgan, Jordan D, and Liv) how to be relatable to the younger generation and they helped me find some fun dances and songs that weren’t super dated. Our first lesson we learned about Lazarus and then after that we spent the rest of our days learning about the birth story of Jesus. We made mummy spoons, maraca shakers, and manger scene cards. It was truly fun to be like a kid again and to help Vera with the lessons. 

The majority of our time was spent handing out packets and inviting people to church and youth events. The packets we gave out had excerpts from the Bible and information for the church. We used it is a tool to break the ice and get to talk to people and also as a way to plant seeds to hopefully grow the church. My favorite part was the behind the scenes with preparing the packets. Whether it was labeling the packets with the church info or stapling spices to them so people would be more willing to accept them. I like the tangible/behind the scenes work and am learning that is just as important as the conversations held while handing out the prepared packets.

The first day I was fully a part of ministry, we were handing out pamphlets to people we met on the street. I went out with 2 of my squadmates and we went down a street near the church and we smiled and said hello praying people we met spoke English. The first man did!

We had a conversation with this man and my heart immediately began pumping, something was not right. What clued me in was when he said that he was mad because of the overturn of the government in 1989 (Quick history lesson, that is when communism was overturned in Romania). So my red flags began to go up. But we are here, as Raul said, to put a pebble in peoples shoes, so we stood our ground for a bit longer.

I tried to exit the conversation—that was very confusing—by saying something for him to think about, so I said, “we could be wrong, I’ll admit. But what if you are wrong?”

This is a point someone made previously in my life. If we are wrong, then we spend our lives doing nice things for people and being generous and getting together and hanging out with friends and singing and being joyful. But what if you are wrong? And you pass away and there is a God and you meet Him face to face and have to answer for everything you have done and said and thought. What if there is a Heaven and a hell and you spend eternity in one? And what if the only way to Heaven is through Jesus Christ the Son of God who came and died for your sins on a cross so we can have a relationship on this side AND on the eternal side with our Creator and Father, God?

I don’t know what will become of this conversation or if it effected this man at all but it did teach me resilience. So I learned here in Romania what it looks like to keep going after rejection and scary encounters. I learned about redeeming experiences and reminding myself that “the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid (fearful), but gives us power, love and self-discipline.” 2 Timothy 1:7

I also saw a lesson I learned in Guatemala repeated here; people long for relationships and love. I was honored to be on a team with people who steward everyday relationships well. Whether it is intentional time above and beyond ministry with our hosts or if it’s saying hello to the men in the meat stand we pass everyday. I got to see the little seeds of love and support planted out of abundance that we receive from the Lord. A perfect picture of mission is life and life is mission.

Romania was a wildly different experience for me. We not only were in a city this time and in Europe, we also were living as a squad (29 people) under one roof with 2 bathrooms. So if I had to define my time in Craiova it would be summed up in “Charming Chaos.” Many lessons were learned, my tight fists of control were pried open a bit more. I learned the treasure of flexibility and staying available.