Watching Night Fall

Location: In the Dining Room of the base in Sighisoara, Romania (Now it is 11:30pm on Sunday the 25th)

Wondering where those mountains are?

In our Dining Room! That is where I am sitting right now, and I wanted to attach a picture for those of you who prefer looking at pictures instead of reading epic blog posts!

In a little while, I will be leaving my spot to catch a train; I am looking forward to the week ahead. But I am also happy to have this time of waiting late at night. It gives me the opportunity to call some of you in the States, as well as to catch up on some computer work. For example, I updated my photos on the picasa site (see link to the right). Besides, my recent posts have not been very profound, and late night is a good incubator for profound thoughts!

Tonight, I got to watch night fall. It was beautiful!

I took a nap this afternoon, preparing for my sleepless night tonight. (This morning, worship-leading went fairly well--it was certainly lively!--but believe it or not, church was rather empty today, and there were no kids! So I stayed in worship rather than teaching during children's church!) When I woke up, the sun was dropping below the horizon, thanks to the hour time change that took place today. I decide to go fill up my water jug at the nearby spring. I like doing that for several reasons: 1.) it saves me buying water but is safer than tap-water, 2.) I get to walk through the village and say "hi" to all the neighbors, and 3.) it is a peaceful spot. When I arrived, I had to wait (like always) for someone else to fill up their jugs from the spring's trickle. They had 5 jugs, so it took some time!

While I waited, I watched night fall. I could feel the twilight wrap around me; I heard the sounds change into nocturnal melodies. The temperature cooled and the sky changed colors, making the trees transforming into mere shadows against the colorful curtain. And silently, behind me, the moon crept upward, wondering if I would notice it.

Do you ever feel like that? Maybe a little sorry that the beautiful day is coming to a close, wishing maybe you had more carefully enjoyed its daylight? Perhaps you have felt the same about a situation that is ending, sorry you had not engaged it more effectively. The moonrise was a comfort to me, reminding me that even as one season comes to a close, another is beginning. The opportunities of one day are replaced by those of another, not to be compared, but to be seized.

I sat on that grassy hillside, trying to guess how dark it would be when I returned with my water. I was enjoying the serenity of the evening after a simple day of worship and rest. My thoughts danced happily, reminding me how happy I am to be here. I love Romania! I love Sighisoara! The environs are beautiful, the people are priceless, and the history is fascinating. God is at work here, which means so am I! Sure, I face struggles, frustrations, tensions, and challenges, but life always includes those--with free refills! But I am so excited about all the Lord is doing here, the people He has sent here, the foundations He has laid, and the plans He has.

How true it is that the future is unknown by me. But it is also true that God has led me here, that He has provided for me, and that He has blessed me. Now, as I pray about today and tomorrow, about opportunities and challenges, I am filled with joy, and I boast in the Lord.

Look, if you are not a Christian, you may get tired of me mentioning Jesus. However, I cannot more tell about one day of my life without Jesus than bread can rise without yeast, or than a bird can fly without feathers. Let me tell you a little about where I am at from a Christian perspective--please bear with me.

I have prayed about why the Lord has brought me to Romania and France from the United States. Somehow, He has connected those three countries in my heart, though they make an unlikely trio. One night when I was praying, He helped me understand the relationship.

Romania is primarily Orthodox Christian, and its people are trying to cover up the scars of Communism as they seek a better life and economy for themselves. France is primarily Catholic Christian, and her people proudly search to preserve their identity and affluence while strategically positioning themselves in the international geopolitik. The United States is primarily Protestant Christian, and Americans are worrying about the sagging Dollar and terrorist threats. All three nations are in a sad state of affairs, not realizing that the paths they have chosen will only lead them to destruction. Sadly, though many citizens of each country attend a church service on a semi-regular basis, there are numerous church-goers who do not know the Jesus that they supposedly worship. They do not understand that thanks to His Spirit that was given to live in us, we can personally relate to the Son of the almighty, infinity God who revealed Himself to us in human form, in the person of Jesus Christ. They do not realize that Christianity is not about a religion with traditions and rules to follow, but that it is about relating to the heart of God, and letting Him do what is best for you, His beloved! They do not understand that the Church is not a building or denomination, but that it is the family of His beloved children, loving one another in practical ways!

God made me understand that if the Orthodox Church in Romania, the Catholic Church in France, and the Protestant Church in America would allow Him to revive and transform it into such a living organism with helping hands of love and feet willing to go the extra mile, these people would be able to have a tangible hope. In fact, He helped me to see that these nations will never be stable or successful until the Church with in them is transformed. Then we will see the nations changed, influencing other peoples and other countries, having a true value that is unrelated to global hierachies, to economies, or to military might.

Let me, a happy-to-be-single man, give you some marriage advice. If you are looking to find happiness in marriage, you will never find it, and you will make some man or woman miserable. You must first surrender yourself, realizing that the Lord can offer you more than any human being, understanding that He loves you more than any other person ever could! Let me remind you that He knows what is best for you and wants it, and He has the power to bring it about. So be satisfied to be "married" to the Lord--then, and only then, will you be able to enjoy marriage with a human being.

God is the source of happiness, of value, of power, of love. People and even nations are seeking these things elsewhere, to the detriment of themselves and others. Even in the Church, "Christians" are seeking happiness, value, power, and love in programs, in traditions, in images, in other people, in money, and in knowledge. But when they are ready to let the Lord be Lord, to let Him be sovereign in their lives--WOW! You will be stunned. What if the Church was married to Jesus first, what if He were Her first love, before anything else in this world? It is hard to imagine the wonders the Lord will do with a Church who is surrendered and obedient to Him, with people who love Him and let Him love through them, who believe that He is faithful and just, and who let Him work freely in their lives!

People look at me, and they wonder at my faith. They wonder at my lifestyle, asking why a fairly successful, fairly intelligent fellow is living in Romania, doing ministry in a "Christian" nation. They wonder why I am not married, why I do not have a house or a nice job. They wonder at my choices, my words, and my actions. I look at them, and I wonder why they have so much trouble seeing God at work in and around them, why they cannot understand God's desire for His people, for His Church. Sure, night might be falling, but the moon is rising! And tomorrow, the sun will return anew, bringing with it a new day!

That is what I saw when I was watching night fall...

Sunday Morning

Location: Meeting Room in the base in Sighisoara, Romania, about 7:10am on the 25th of October.

Thank you for your prayers. God has done some awesome things lately, and October has really flown by. I am getting ready to head to Oradea soon, which I am looking forward to--many of the folks I met in May and June will be in town, and I hope to cross their paths!

Meanwhile, I hope to spend some extra time in prayer. Not only has the evil one been attacking our team viciously this past week, but I have several new ideas to pray about, concerning life in general. Thanks for standing with me! It has been very encouraging to hear from several of you lately, via email or phone. Next week, I may not be as easily reached since I will be traveling, but I will do my best.

Let me tell you about some of the blessings from the last couple of days...

Friday, like Wednesday and Thursday, found us fighting many behavior problems during Sunday school. But this was very much the result of a blessing--several of the older teenagers were present, and they do not usually come because we do not currently have a program geared toward them. So after the program, we used some tough love and had them help us clean. The cleaning was mediocre, but the relationship-building was super. This time also resulted in three of the boys coming back yesterday morning to have a percussion "jam session" with me. My team and the neighbors were surely not thrilled with the racket we made, but our time together was very positive!

Another blessing was Friday night, when we had an "Intern Appreciation Night." We had dinner out with some of our friends and some fun time, but most wonderful was a time of prayer that we spent, interceding for one another.

Yesterday afternoon was a blessing, too, as I got to listen to the heart of an American fellow my age who is volunteering here in the Church. I learned a lot about the history of what God is doing here, which just excites me further! I also had some phone conversations that allowed me to catch-up with some of you.

So, as I type, I cannot help but notice that my writing is choppy, the humorous anecdotes have not found there way in, and this post seems ill-equipped to really express what I want to say. I want to say that I am prayerfully peering into the next few months, and the sky is the limit! I want to say that I am happy to be rooted in the joy of the Lord, and that His many blessings send me sailing through life's challenges. I want to say "thank you" for your prayers, because together as the Church we are having the privilege to see God at work in mighty ways, all around the world!

In a few hours, I will help lead worship at church, and then I will teach the children's hour, very possibly without a translator. So the world turns, the time changes, and God is great, yesterday, today, and forever more!

Frequency

Location: The Program Office at the base in Sighisoara, Romania, the 23 of October, 2009.

Does it seem like I am posting with less frequency? It does to me. I apologize if that disappoints you, and I will try to continue to post regularly. In fact, I love writing, so I like to post as much as possible.

Yes, I am busy, and it seems harder to take pictures often, but the truth is that my priorities have shifted a little. The longer I have been away from Indiana, the more it seems that I have floated to the back of people's minds. I know you all love me and pray for me sometimes--some of you very regularly, and I thank you!--but for many of you I am often out of sight and out of mind. I get the impression that fewer folks are reading the blog. That is fine with me--to everything there is a season, right? However, I have been investing myself more in many of you via phone and email, making less time for blogging.

It is such a privilege to be a part of your life, and I love praying for you. Some of you regret when you tell me about struggles or bad news, but it blesses me because then I can stand with you in prayer, and sometimes encourage you through the Holy Spirit.

Right now, many of you have been facing challenges that seem to fall into two areas. First, babies! Children are such a gift from God, but I understand that they bring with them many challenges! Pregnancy, new family dynamics, health concerns, providing for and protecting them, and many other things threaten to drive away your last thread of sanity sometimes. I pray for you, and I bless you in the Name of Jesus!

Second, many of you are facing questions about jobs and careers and what you are doing in life... Is it meaningful? Am I happy? Which path should I choose? These are scary questions, especially when you have a family, or consider moving from what you have known as home, or you are trying to make ends meet. I am praying for you, too!

In fact, let the two situations answer one another. A baby has infinite value not because he is useful, but because God created him! In the same way, our worth comes not from what we do, but from who we are in Christ! Do not worry about fitting into a job description, let Christ give you your value! And as you allow Christ to work in you, receive every blessing He gives you, even with the responsibilities it brings. He will help you fulfill your duties! It is October, soon November, and December is just around the corner. Give thanks for the blessings in your life, and remember that God sent His Son as a baby, so that we might have true life in Him!

Please pray for me--I have a lot to pray about right now, in a good way. And a lot of that praying will take place on a weeklong trip; I will be leaving in a couple of days. Thank you for your faithfulness, dear Readers and Pray-ers. Thank you, God, for your faithfulness! It is great, and so are You, my Lord!

Rough Draft

Location: Same place, bedtime, 20 October 2009.

Hi Gang, I hope you had a good day today; I did. I really love the people of the village we were in today, and it was nice to have some special guests with us today. And again, God miraculously stopped rain...

I thought you might be interested in what we are teaching. So far, our lessons have been about the Ten Commandments, but we were each assigned to write a lesson. God taught me a lot, so I put it in a lesson; it is just the rough draft, but it will show you the format we use: Enjoy!

Lesson Title: Does God care?

Power Point: True life comes from Jesus!

Subpoints:
1. God waits patiently for us to come to Him. (1 Peter 3:18-22)
2. God knows how to rescue the godly from trials and judge the ungodly (2 Peter 2:4-10)
3. God does not want anyone to perish (2 Peter 3:8-9; John 6:35-40)

Memory Verse: John 6:40 (Spoken by Jesus...)
"For it is my Father’s will that all who see his Son and believe in him should have eternal life. I will raise them up at the last day.”

Pre-Opening

Rules

Prayer

Song: "Jesus Loves Me"

4 Most Important Things

Previous Lesson Review Questions

Games: "Musical Chairs"

Quiet Seat

Introduction: Mark 4:35-41 (Calming the Storm: Do You not care that we are perishing?)

(In a boat...)
Whoa, look at those waves! They will smash the boat! And that wind is sending the boat in the wrong direction! What are we going to do! I am scared! Jesus! Jesus! Wake up! Do you not care that we are perishing?!

Pause! (Freeze!)

Does it ever seem like nothing in life is going right? Maybe you do not have enough warm clothes, or enough food to eat. Maybe you are all alone and scared. Maybe you somebody is beating you up, and you are afraid you are going to be killed! You have heard that there is a wonderful God, but you sure are suffering a lot! Where is that God! Is He asleep somewhere? Is He really so wonderful? Does He even care that you are dying? Does God care?!

Yes! God cares! God cares so much that He wants to make everything better. He wants to give us a new life, a true life that only comes from Jesus, His Son! But God is patient, waiting for us to come to Him. He knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to judge the ungodly. He is waiting, because He does not want anyone to perish!

Bible Lesson: Genesis 6:5-9:17 (Noah and the Flood)

God was displeased because humans had turned away from the true life He offered, doing evil things instead. He was so sad that He had created humans that He decided to destroy the entire earth! But since He looks at our hearts, He saw one man with a good heart--Noah! He decided to save Noah and His family. He gave Noah a tough assignment, "Build a huge boat in the middle of the desert, and put two kinds of each animal on it!" It took Noah a lot of hard work for about 100 years to do this, but God waited patiently, knowing that Noah's suffering would be worth it. Finally, it was finished, and God told Noah and his family and the animals to get inside the boat. The whole earth was flooded because it rained for more than a month straight! Every living thing perished--except Noah's family and the animals on the boat. They were alive! God had waited patiently--He knew how to save Noah, and He did not want Noah to die!

Object Lesson 1: The Bench

(One grandmother and a little girl sitting on a cold bench in winter.)
It was freezing cold, and the bench was a cold place to sit. If you had seen that little girl sitting on the bench, shivering, you might have thought that her grandmother did not love her. Why would she make her sit in the cold for so long?! Why did her grandmother bring her on such a long walk through the forest to sit on that cold bench on that cold winter's day?! Did she not see her shivering? Did she not hear her teeth chattering? Did she not care?

But I am thankful that they sat on that bench in the cold. They were waiting patiently for me, my big sister and my Grandma. It was a long, cold, scary walk home through those woods, and they wanted to make sure I made it home safely. Sometimes waiting for someone you love means that someone else has to suffer a little bit. But God thinks it is worth it. True life comes from Jesus, God's Son! God is waiting patiently for us to come to Him, so that we can have that true life!

Object Lesson 2: The Mask

(One mask)
Yesterday, my big brother scared me! I was asleep and he woke me up--and he was wearing a mask! He was offering me candy, but I could not tell who it was! Only when he took off the mask did I recognize him!

God is never fooled by a mask! He looks at our hearts! He knows who is acting good, and who is acting bad, even when they are wearing a mask! God knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to judge the ungodly. He knows who needs help, and who needs to be punished, because He can see their hearts. He knows that true life only comes from Jesus, and so He looks for Jesus in each person's heart!

Object Lesson 3: The Lost Sheep (Luke 15:1-7)

(One little sheep)
This sheep got lost last week. There was a little boy watching 100 sheep, and one night he noticed one was missing. It was rainy and cold. A lot of people probably would have stayed warm with the rest of the sheep, thinking, "I have ninety-nine other sheep, I do not care if one little one is missing!" But this little boy did care! He left the other sheep and went out in the rain and cold, searching for hours in the dark until he found it!

God does the same thing! Even if a lot of people are enjoying true life with Him, He does not want even one person to miss out on it! He is willing to let everyone else wait just so He can save one person that got lost! He does not anyone to be lost! He does not want anyone to perish! He wants everyone to have the true life that comes from Jesus!

Life Lesson: No Way, Jose!

1.) Jose was so excited! Today he was going to ride the train all by himself--for the first time! He was going to visit his grandma!

2.) His mother took him to the train station and helped him get on the right train. She gave him her cell phone, in case he needed anything. She also handed him his pillow for the long ride, a little pillow shaped like a sheep.

3.) Perfect--everything was perfect! Suddenly, Jose froze as three men with masks and big guns ran past him. He started crying as the train stopped, especially when he heard BANG! BANG! Soon he heard other passengers talking--they had been taken hostage!

4.) He was miserable! He was scared! Oh, why had he wanted to come so badly? Remembering his mom's cell phone, he quickly called his grandma. He tried to explain what was happening, and how scared he was, but he was crying too much. His grandmother promised to help, and she promised she would wait for him.

Preaching Point: Just like Jose's grandmother, God is waiting patiently for us to come to Him. Sometimes while He waits, bad things happen to us, or to the people around us. But even then, He will not give up. He will wait for us, because He loves us!

5.) Jose sunk lower in the seat, sobbing, as one of the men passed by him. Jose thought he was going to die! He squeezed his eyes shut and prayed, remembering something his grandmother had said to him on the phone, "True life comes from Jesus!"

6.) His eyes popped open as he heard noises outside his window--the police! His grandmother must have called them! He saw them aiming their guns at the train. Suddenly, he was afraid again! What if they accidentally shot him? What if the gunmen killed some hostages before the police were able to rescue them?

Preaching Point: We do not have to be scared like Jose! The Bible says that God knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to judge the ungodly. Sometimes it seems like good people are suffering while bad people have a perfect life, but do not worry! God has plans to rescue the godly people and to punish the ungodly. Remember, that is what He did when He saved Noah from the flood!

7.) Time must have stopped. At least, that is what Jose thought. It felt like he had been sitting there for a very long time! Outside, the police were standing still, their guns pointed toward the train. Inside the train, no one moved.

8.) Then, outside, he saw some people running from the train to the police! They had been released! Now he had a little bit of hope! Look! More people were free! Hurray, he would be saved!

9.) But suddenly, his hope shattered, becoming a nightmare again! The masked men came into his train car and told everyone they could leave--except him! They kept Jose on the train, even after they released everyone else! He hugged his sheep-pillow, praying and hoping they would not forget about him! Why were the police just standing there?! Why did the not do anything?!

Preaching Point: The police were waiting because they did not want Jose to get killed when they arrested the masked men. They did not want even one person to be killed! It is the same with God--He does not want anyone to perish! Not even one small child! He cares about each one of us! He loves each of his little sheep!

10.) Soon, it was all over! The train started rolling forward, and Jose was afraid he would never see his family again. But all of a sudden there were gunshots, and the police came onto the train and arrested the men. They stopped the train, and the passengers got back on. As the train began to move again, Jose started praying for the men who had been wearing masks. He was glad that the scary men had not been killed by the police, because he hoped that they would learn that true life comes from Jesus. And he thanked the Lord, because he knew that his grandma was waiting patiently for him on a bench at the train station!

Prayer: Father, sometimes I feel like you do not care. Sometimes I am scared, because life seems really bad. Sometimes I hurt. But I know that you love me, that you have offered me true life from your Son, Jesus. I know that you are waiting patiently for me to come to you. Thank you for your patience, and for your power to save. Thank you for your love; I know that you do not want any of your sheep to be lost. I love you, too. Amen.

Things I Love!

Location: My bedroom in the base in Sighisoara, Romania; the 19th of October, 2009, just before daybreak.

I love the sound of the rain hitting the skylight! I love eating homemade apple crisp for breakfast! I love basking in a warm sweatshirt while it is cold outside! And until the recent change in weather changed the air, I loved that Sighisoara always smelled like grapes because of everyone's grapevines climbing through their backyards!

When I thought I might have more time, I was hoping to tell you all about Saturday--it was my first experience gathering grapes and making homemade grape juice! Here are a few pictures; I hope to post more online soon. How fun it was to drink the juice straight from the winepress as it was squeezed out! And as I gathered grapes from the vine, I could not help but think about John 15, when Jesus was teaching his disciples about staying connected to the vine. He is the vine, and we are the branches; that is what He said.

But my excitement for Saturday was eclipsed yesterday when my worship preparation prayer time was interrupted by cries from excited little voices. Twenty children from the neighboring communities came to church yesterday! How exciting that was for me! They need to be encouraged by the Body of Christ, and they enjoyed the privilege of worshipping with more mature Christian role-models. Needless to say, the church seemed very empty when the children's hour pulled them out of service halfway through! And I was asked to lead that time for them next week--that should be interesting with my Romanian or lack thereof!

Thank you for your prayers--I continue to see prayers answered daily! Let me know if I can pray for you! Now I am off to get the final prayers for my visa. Please cover me in prayer as I may have to deal with some red tape! But all is worth it to have a life that proclaims I was bought by the red blood of Jesus, and adopted into the family of our Father, God! I hope you can say the same!

I bless you in the Name of Jesus!

Make Like the Leaves...?

Location: Dining Room, Sighisoara, Romania, about 9:15pm on the 16th of October, 2009

Look at the three photos above, all taken of the same trees. Do you remember me predicting that the leaves would change soon? Well, they did, but not like I expected! I was watching for a colorful autumn display when instead they changed to snow-covered white!

Experience tells me that life with God is like that! Sometimes we pray, expecting answered prayers to look a certain way, when in fact the answer comes more powerfully in a completely different way! Let me boast in God and His answered prayers!

Remember me asking for prayers for seemingly silly things, like heat and laundry? Well, our heating system now works, and I did a load of laundry today after our machine came back repaired! Sure, these are small things, but I cannot tell you how much I rejoice! For example, I was ecstatic to find three more pairs of clean socks hidden in a corner of my wardrobe earlier this week while I was rationing clean clothes!

I tell you this for three reasons.

1. That God might get the glory!

2. That you might get a smile!

3. That you never stop praying!

Thank you for your prayers for me, for the people with whom I work, and for one another! This week, may God work in you like He changed the leaves, according to how He wants, rather than what you expect! I bless you in the Name of our great God!

Battling the Elements!

Location: Dining Room, Sighisoara, nearly 6:30pm on October the 14th.

I must run off in a few moments to make it to Gospel choir rehearsal on time. But I first must tell you of this afternoon... You can see in the picture one of our fearless (French) leaders recovering with an American snack of peanut butter after a hard day of ministry!

So yes, it snowed this morning, and it was quite cold. The dusting melted, but our bodies took longer to warm up. By the time we were ready to head to the gypsy village, we had abrieviated our program quite a bit to offset the chilly temperatures. God brought the sun out during our program, but some of the littlest ones were still really shivering. Some were half-naked as usual.

I saw a little boy shivering uncontrolably and picked him up to hold him in a warm hug. It is amazing how they melt with loving touch--another one standing by me put his hands under my armpit to warm them, leaning his head on my shoulder! But I found that the boy I was holding was actually a girl, with a hunger-swollen belly! I gave her to C., one of our college-teammates, who wrapped her body around her best she could. Finally, I. and I gave her and another child our sweatshirts, trying to warm them. I also got to hold hands with the little boy with lice (from last week). He was so happy to stand with me!

After the program, I got to enter a house for a visit for the first time. I could not take pictures, but let me describe it. This was an upper-end house in the village, yet it was half the size of my studio apartment. It had two beds with a two-foot-wide aisle in between, and a tiny table at one end. At the foot of one bed was a wood stove; at the foot of the other was a television. That is all. They had electricity, but no running water and only a dirt floor. The lady who endures regular beatings from her alcoholic husband to keep her family together is 37 and a grandmother of three--only ten years older than me!

I am sorry this is choppy, but I need you to groan with me in the Spirit! God is not finished with us, and we have many people to love. These living situations are not unique to Romania, they are in many other parts of the world, including the USA! Thank you for your prayers, your sacrifice, and your compassion! Jesus loves you! Jesus loves the people of the village of A! And of V. and of S. and of G. and the rest of Sighisoara, and Romania, and the world! May you and I love them, too!

How to Remove Cow Manure from Your Shoes...

Location: My becoming-colder bedroom at our base in Sighisoara, Romania, about 9:30pm on the 13th of October, 2009

This morning, I woke to a beautiful rain shower. The brisk autumn air was not enough to keep me from praying outside on our terrace. There I was in a fleece sweatshirt, under cover from the rain but could watch the town wake up. Now, however, it is winter! The pouring rain is being driven by frigid winds that are quick to remind us that our heating system is not yet up and running. But first, yesterday...

Yesterday was wonderful!

Many of you, including my former boss, know that I love to clean garages. (I think I inherited that from my father!) Yesterday morning, my first task was to clean our garage--it looks great now! In fact, I made sure we showed the leaders of our team because I was afraid they would think we had been robbed! So the morning was off to a great start by the time we grabbed a quick lunch, and then it was off to one of the villages for our weekly visitation time (relationship-building time that prepares the community for our program the following day).

This time, however, I was a little uncertain because we (two) interns were visiting alone for the first time. Our leader was unable to come with us. Nevertheless, my fears were unfounded--we had a super visit! Upon arrival, we split up, my Romanian counterpart going straight to the football field while I went to visit houses and invite kids to play. I went almost to the very end of the village, the furthest we had ever gone. In fact, back there the road turns into a creekbed with water in it. Two boys went with me, and we had fun laughing and singing while I tried my best to communicate with my broken Romanian.

One of the highlights was on the way back to find I. and the soccer game. We passed a fence in which was gathered a large family of adults, nearly a dozen. They invited me in to help them (I think they were impressed by my hat!). I could not tell what they were doing, and I was uncomfortable about entering and being fenced in as a foreign minority. However, I asked the boys with me and they promised to accompany me, so in we went!

I found them drawing water from a well by a bucket and rope, but despite their original invitation, they would not let me help. Instead they posed questions to me, but my Romanian was not very successful under fire. We had a pleasant exchange of not understanding each other, but we did agree at one point that I was a Christian, and that we would be having a program for children the next day. As I shook hands upon departure from the yard, the almost-elderly lady took my hand and set it on her head. Puzzled by this bizarre custom, I have nonetheless trained myself to (almost) never react to shock, and I calmly waited until I understood that she had a headache and was asking me to pray. Without a moment's hesitation (I learned long ago that too much happens when you hesitate!), I removed my hat and prayed for that woman and her headache. All fell silent around me, as if they could understand my English prayer. As I walked out moments later, we now shared a relationship that is difficult to discribe.

God is doing mighty work among these villages, and often in conjunction with prayer. But let me not stray.

I returned, and we played some intense football. Both I. and I managed to keep our balance when we accidentally slid through the tell-tale pile of cow manure smack-dab in the center of the football field, but my shoe was boasting the green goo for a whole day! But what a great day that was! Once again, I was thankful to my King for leading me to Sighisoara.

Which brings us today. I may have told you about the many answered prayers I have been thanking the LORD for; another thing has been rain-related miracles. Several times the weather has been supernaturally timed to rain around our work. Though I certainly thank God for that, I am leary of praying about the weather except in very extreme circumstances, for I heartily believe in God's power and the power He gives us in prayer. Thus, I am concerned that I do not understand the repercussions when I pray for whether based on my plans, not considering how other lives might be affected. Nonetheless, others on my team do not have that reticence and even today was a good example of the rain continuing all day except for the time that our feet were on the ground in the village.

Today's visit seemed less remarkable--we did an abreviated visit because the roads were too muddy for the truck, but I did see and talk with the man from inside the fence yesterday. I also saw several of the kids, including the one on whose bike I hitchhiked last week (I may have forgotten to tell that story--ask me about it!). But one of the attractions was the fact that I was wearing shorts and shoes without socks in the see-your-breath-cool weather. Why? Because I was planning to get wet and was unwilling to get my remaining pair of pants and my last pair of socks wet.

Besides, I was already wet. A forgotten-cake emergency had forced me to run through near flash-floods in the streets to town, drenching my shoes and socks, and the part of my shorts that were not protected by my poncho. Most folks (including us!) do not have clothes' dryers in Romania, so I was not going to get a second pair of clothes wet. But the good news is that running through raging currents in the dirt roads cleans cow manure off your shoes, replacing it with mud!

So as winter advances and I curl up under my covers tonight, you do not have to pray for the weather. In fact, I like all kinds of weather, even when it is blustery! I had time to take a hot shower after our return and before I taught my English class. But please do pray for our heating and laundry situation. We have been having trouble getting the heating system fixed, and soon we will really need it. In addition, the washing machine has been broken for a week, and the five of us who live here are running out of clean clothes. Maybe these seem like tiny problems to you who are in cultures where it is easy to remedy such challenges, and in the grand scheme of eternity with God, you are right. However, in the daily grind, added to a leak in the ceiling and a door handle that keeps falling off and bathrooms that only have exterior access, these things add up and can become frustrating.

Fortunately, I am a patient man loved by an amazing God. I am happy to be here, even without certain amenities. I am excited about the work He is doing in this area, and in me. For example, some of our team was involved in a very large, city-wide meeting today to assess the needs of the children in the area. Or, this morning, I heard from my friend in another part of Romania, and I smiled to learn more of God's work among persons with disabilities and among persons called to full-time missions work.

I do not want you to leave this blog remembering my shivers or my soaked shoes. I do not want you to be worrying about my laundry. Nor even do I hope that you keep smiling about my cow-manure acrobatics.

Instead, I want you to remember that God hears our prayers and is answering them. I want you to note that He is working mightily among the downtrodden and outcasts in Romania. I want you to realize that He is providing for my every need, and protecting me from every danger. And I want you to know that the same God Who is Almighty here is also Almighty wherever you are right now. He is hearing your prayers, He is working in your community, and He is providing and protecting. Let us not look toward winter's onslaught or the challenges that threaten to frustrate us. Instead, let us set our minds on things above and praise the One to Whom praise is due!

I Chose the Lice

Location: Meeting Room of our base in Sighisoara, Romania, about 10:30am on Saturday, the 10th of October, 2009

Okay, so maybe it was fleas, not lice. I like the way lice attracts your attention, though. And when I admit that I do not even know for sure what lice look like, maybe it makes even more dramatic the contrast between my comfortable upbringing compared to the harsh conditions of those to whom we minister.

We concentrate our evangilism ministry in four areas. I learned this week that these are the roughest communities in Sighisoara and its environs. Two are communities that are part of the town of Sighisoara; two are neighboring villages. It was in one of these neighboring villages that we were working on Wednesday. I had stopped football (soccer) soon after we begun because the boys were hurting one another; in particular, one was visciously beating another with kicks. Having tried to talk about being respectful, we still struggled to hold their attention during the program. Soon I was sitting on the tarp with the boys, having disciplined some of them best I could. It was not long before a couple were sitting leaning against me. Even the boys up until their early teens are so hungry for love that they will crawl onto my lap and sit there. This day, however, it was a tiny boy naked from the waist down who crawled onto my lap. Finally, as the peace of Christ in me bled into the boys around me, they began calming down. I made signal to some of my coworkers and we skipped my part in the program, knowing that it was more important for me to stay with the boys. Suddenly, one of the older boys leaning against me snickered and pointed at a bug crawling on the young boy on my lap. I told him to be quiet, not thinking much about it, when I suddenly remembered a similar situation only a few days before when I had learned the word for "lice" from some of my small friends. I realized that I could easily become the next prime real estate property for the population of lice or fleas if I remained there, but then I thought about all I had seen there that day, and their hunger for touch and love.

I chose the lice. Or the fleas. Whatever.

More and more I understand Jesus saying, "Let the little children come to me." More and more I understand why the disciples tried to prevent them. But as we more or less successfully (depending on the day and the moment) present a teaching program to these kids, I constantly am asking myself the profound question that became too cliche several years ago: "What would Jesus do?" In other words, "In what way will the love of Jesus be most clear in me in this situation?"

In that moment, fleas or not, the most effective communication of the love of Jesus was by holding those boys--in particular, the one with the bug who all too often was pushed away by someone bigger or by someone afraid of dirt and stench and lice. Were I him, that is what I would have wanted. To him, I was a strong man with an authority of peace and protection. Interestingly, that is who Jesus so often is to me! How humbling it is to realize that for those few instants, I was Jesus to him...

That is what it means to be the Church, the Body of Christ. That means that the Spirit of God is working in us so powerfully that we are the body, the vehicle, for the work of God on this earth. What a privilege. What a responsibility!

I have more to tell you, but it seems less important. Several of our days of ministry this week were very meaningful in ways similar to the story above. We had special circus theme, so we dressed up like clowns as we drove through the city and walked into the villages--as if I did not already stand out enough! We practiced juggling acts one night (for the future), and this week we used marionettes and a "Stomp" style percussion sword fight in our program. However, most of our team was sick this week, though thankfully I was one of the exceptions. Having had some sort of food poisoning one night early in the week, I felt pretty well after that. I thank the Lord for His care for me (and you for your prayers). The slight tickle of a sore throat that I had never developed into the lost voice, fever, or cough contracted by many of my teammates. I was able to sing at choir rehearsal and teach in the program as usual. Oh, and I should note that as far as I know, I do not have lice or fleas! May God get the glory!

Other highlights of my week include phone and email conversations with many of you, as well as some wonderful prayer time with my Lord. You will notice that I am not writing as often, because of the busy schedule here, but I feel rather well-adjusted to the routine now, and I am happy. Oh, and I received visa authorization to stay in Romania for a year, which is answered prayer! I do not intend to stay that long, unless God leads me to do so, but it saves me a lot of red-tape; as I had hoped, I may now remain here legally throughout the internship.

Finally, I want to share some photos with you. You know that my camera is broken so that I cannot see if the pictures turned out until I load them onto my computer--that is why all the people are so small in the photos (as one coworker pointed out)! I have also mentioned that I have to be extremely careful taking photos where we work because of the aggression of the local people. I hope to get some photos soon from one of our leaders, but for now, I was able to take a few on the sly. Here are ore or two from the program we did (out of a van, not our truck-with-stage) in Targu Mures last weekend, as well as one of me and a coworker with our yellow truck (that turns into a stage). There are also two or three from the worst village we work in, the one where the story above took place. They are from the truck window and barely captured anything. Someday hopefully I can show you more of the village and its people, but perhaps these will prepare you to see worse later. I may through in a photo of my French-Romanian "nephew" that lives with us, and maybe one of my fellow intern with one of the college students. Oh, I almost forgot--I will include one of our team (taken yesterday, and missing only me and my fellow intern and the American college students that often join us.) Enjoy!

Hopefully these photos will help you to pray. Thank you for your prayers. As I was praying early this morning, I was noting how many answered prayers I recognized. I believe God always answers prayers, and not always according to our will, so it is often hard to recognize His response. But when I see drastic change in the life of someone I am praying for, I know God is at work, even if I cannot immediately identify how.

May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face to shine upon you. May the Lord lift His countenance upon you, and give you peace. Amen.

Pushing Bikes

Location: The meeting room of our base in Sighisoara, trying not to disturb anyone sleeping since it is almost 4:30am on October 5.

Why am I up so early, apart from the fact that I love this time of day? I spent the last hour getting sick and recovering from it. I will spare you the details, but you can imagine what fun it is to have to go from the fourth floor to the bottom level via an outdoor stairway in brisk October weather to get sick in a restroom whose pipes cannot handle toilet paper, much less anything I want to put in them... Do not worry, Mom, it is probably a little food poisoning. I am humbled, but happy. So now I want to enjoy the remain part of these holy hours by spending time with the LORD, with you, and writing--three of my favorites!

A week ago, I was speaking to my friend, T., as he walked beside me pushing his bicycle. I have noticed a lot of people pushing bikes here, sometimes because the hills are too steep, sometimes because there is no safe place to ride, sometimes because their load is too cumbersome to balance while pedaling. I have given it a lot of thought, thinking about why people would go to the trouble of pushing a bike everywhere. It is no simple task, especially under certain circumstances, and in addition these proud bike owners have to make sure they store their bikes in a safe place so they will not get stolen or ruined by inclement weather. I wonder why they do not just get ride of the bike and walk--it seems like it would be so much easier!

You will recall that a few weeks ago I had some exciting weekend adventures traveling and meeting up with friends. The following weekend my mother laughing told me she wondered what adventures would await me. That is when I ended up shopping in the Romanian market and praying in one church and preaching in another. As Monday morning now prepares to dawn, I can report that evidently weekends are exciting around here! Let me tell you about this one...

Saturday we headed to Targu Mures to meet up with another team doing work similar to ours. Our mission? To encourage and sharpen the team, and to join them in presenting a Sunday School program. I was not very eager to go, having been told to expect a day that would begin at 9am and last until 10pm, after an already busy week in Sighisoara. To my delight, it turned out to be wonderful.

True, had you been in Targu Mures in the morning, you might have seen us pushing the minivan in the middle of a busy thoroughfare, but that happens sometimes! Sometimes I enjoy working with J. and E., because believe it or not, sometimes they "stick out" even more than me (they are French and Romanian). That in no way suggests that as the American I blend in at all, but it is still nice, since we Americans get such a bad rap for being loud. In fact, we often joke about why they waited so long to have a "pet American" around when I am so much fun!

So yes, we "popped" the clutch and the van started, and we arrived at our destination without incident. We began our day with a little fun to unite our teams, and then we split up and headed into the neighborhoods to invite the children for that evening's program. We ate lunch together and spent the afternoon coaching and preparing, and then we did the program (in Hungarian). A drunk fellow tried to run us off when we first began to set up, but by now that is not something too unusual, so we prayed about it and the situation was resolved. We had a wonderful time with the children and their families, then we packed up, debriefed, and went home with a quick stop at a local superstore. A couple of highlights were a visit with a lady in the morning, a rhythmic "Stomp" showdown we performed, and watching God work through the team in Targu Mures.
I am not sure who the woman was, but we were invited to sit down in her living room for refreshments. While our "local area connection" (the girl from the Targu Mures team who knew the community) ran an errand, J. asked the lady one simple question: "When did you become a Christian?" The following monologue in Romanian was difficult for me to follow, lasting probably at least an half-hour before we had to politely excuse ourselves to rendez-vous with the rest of our team. But even if I understood few words, it was terrific to watch this woman's face as she told about what Jesus has done in her life! The little I did comprehend told of her becoming a Christian 13 years ago, of some of the trials, and of the many blessings. But her face danced as she retraced the memories! How I wish that more people were so thankful, so grateful, so happy to talk about the Lord's work in their life. So many people, even so many Christians, have lost the joy they once knew when the Lord reached into their hearts to forever change them! Not this woman! She gentle spoke with dreamy eyes, but with a conviction that was riveting!

Thus passed Saturday, and I was ready for a day of rest on Sunday (this Sabbath idea will actually be our lesson topic this week, the fourth of the Ten Commandments). I went to church a little early so I could prepare myself for worship and fellowship with the people. Then I ended up staying for a special lunch they shared (I ate the American-style meatloaf and mashed potatoes for you, Dad!). I also ended up staying for their congregational meeting and elections because I wanted to learn about their church leadership. Sunday was also J.'s birthday, so we did a little simple celebrating, too, planning to have a bigger party later.

So that was my weekend. Thursday had been great, too, because one of my Cluj friends dropped in an helped out with our program that day--and survived! Friday was fairly routine with an extra attack on the remodeling project, trying to get that done so J. and E. can move into their home! Yes, I accidentally made two kids cry during Friday's program, but I think they forgave me. These last several days included some very positive time with the children and their families. I have seen much answered prayer, lately, and a lot of that is in your lives as I hear from you! There have been some good discussions here among us as team members, and some excellent times of worship and prayer. We have been privileged to watch God making a difference in many lives, and in our own!

No, I did not forget about the bikes--did you? Pushing bikes is obviously worth it to many people. Why? Because for all the trouble going uphill or carrying a load or keeping it secure, they are valuable for traveling in the long run! They help to cover great distances; they are quicker than walking, especially going downhill! Sometimes they can be used to help transport larger loads that would be hard or heavy to carry. Pushing bikes a little is rewarded by riding bikes a lot.

It is the same with life with Christ Jesus, or living life as a missionary. Why endure all the uphill battles and inconveniences? Why deal with uncomfortable situations, unfamiliar places, foreign persons? Why surrender everything to Jesus when we could have so many luxuries?

Because the rewards are worth it. In fact, with God, I would say they are phenomenal!

For me here, it is worth living frugally, trying to learn a foreign language, eating food that may have made me sick, pushing a dead minivan, missing friends and family and Thanksgiving and Christmas, washing my hand-me-down clothes knowing that I will have to hope they dry on the clothesline, etc., because of the blessing of watching my Father God at work in and through me. Not only am I learning and being ever transformed, but I have had the privilege of teaching and encouraging and serving and loving those around me. Even only one person came to know Jesus because of His strength in my weakness, it would be worth pushing the bike!