As Time Flies...

Location: Bedroom, Sighisoara, Romania, about 11pm on the last day of November

Just a quick note to say that I am behind on emails and blog posting, and we leave Saturday for a week to do some programs in other areas of the country. I was a bit sick this past weekend, and now we are very busy. During a twelve-hour period today, I sorted hundreds of handmade stockings for probably 9 or 10 of those hours. We are jumping into a very busy December, and I am planning to make some more decisions this week concerning my future. Thank you for your prayers--I will do my best to stay in contact, but don't worry if there is a time lapse before you next hear from me!

Two Hungarians, A Saxon, and a bunch of Swiss Grannies

Location: Bedroom, Sighisoara, Romania, nearly 8am on Thanksgiving Day...

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, for many reasons. I am praying for you today, that you might have a Christ-centered day of thanking the Lord for your many blessings, no matter what your circumstances. I have been invited to share a meal with other Americans tomorrow night, and we are having a special Thanksgiving prayer service on Saturday evening. Though I will not be able to celebrate with you this year, let's all lift up our thanks to our great God, that He might get the glory!

As you can see, I have a lot for which to be thankful. You see my coworker, M., working among the hand-knitted socks donated by Swiss grannies. We have begun preparing over 5000 pairs of boots that will assist us in our Christmas "Warm Feet" project. Because of this, last week we finished up our weekly Sunday school programs for the year. Some of you will be scandalized to know that when I came out as Queen Jezebel with a skirt over my pants during the last program, I did not realize that my skirt had fallen to the floor, to the laughter of all present. Oh dear!

Yesterday was great! I had the privilege of joining my choir director in an old Saxon village where he spends a lot of time--it is a small village lost in the hills, with only about 30 families there. (Just an aside: remember when we had to convince the guard last week to let us in the hospital last week after visiting hours? I met the guard again, in this village of V.! My host said that it was "impossible" that I knew anyone there, but with God, all things are possible!) I had no idea what kind of work we would be doing, so I tried to prepare for everything. It turned out that we are trying to renovate the only church in town--which is several hundred years old! It was built before the Reformation! The house next door, where we ate lunch, is younger. It will not be 200 years old for another five years!
What a privilege it was, though, to work on building the church. After all, that is my calling, to build the Church. The Church is not a building, but a group of people filled by the Spirit of the Living God. While we worked, I got to talk to my new Hungarian friends about the Bible--it was all new to them. As I told them about Abraham, one of them asked me if he was still alive! I also got to explain that heaven is not some place "upstairs," but it is new life, true life, with God. They could not understand my lifestyle of faith, and the idea of living through prayer was so interesting that they wanted me to pray for them.
Then I was given almost 30 minutes' notice that they were going to invite the village to come hear me preach. I contacted some of my friends to pray for me, and we gathered on the church steps. The Lord moved powerfully, and though I was instructed (very emphatically) to speak not more than 15 minutes, one lady asked if I could keep going, please, for an hour! I could have!

They were so interested to hear that the church was not going to be Orthodox, or Lutheran, or Baptist, but that as the only church in town, all who wanted to know Jesus more would be welcome.

That is my prayer for you today; on this day of thanks, may you know Jesus more!

As foresight, I want to let you know that this weekend will begin a downhill race toward Christmas, so I might be in less contact. We will be traveling around the area, so not only will my time be limited, but my internet may be, too. I will pray for you no less, though! Thank you for your prayers for me. I plan to make some more decisions about my future this next week, and a lot of people who are dear to me are also in the process of making important decisions. I am so thankful for a God like ours, who leads us, loves us, and lets us know and serve Him!

One thing for you to keep in mind as you pray--something the Lord has been reminding me. I am not a missionary. Romania does not need missionaries--90-odd percent of Romanians consider themselves Christians. I am not a missionary, I am a Christian. What Romania needs, what America needs, what each part of the world needs, are true Christians in whom they can truly see Jesus. Not people preaching words, but men and women who are living the preaching. Not religious people, not head-hunting evangelists, but people who know Jesus personally and live like it, in every mundane detail of their lives. The Church would be much different if each person in the church let Jesus live in him or her, at home, far away, and in every good and bad circumstance of this life we live.

I bless you in the Name of our Jesus!

3,2,1, Action!

Location: Program office at the base in Sighisoara, Romania, a bit after 7pm on Sunday the 22nd

of November.

This has been a GREAT weekend! Personally, I spent a lot of great one-on-one time with the Lord. Yesterday we ran up to Targu Mures to work with our partner team there--above you can see some of our human pyramid photos, and there are more on Picasa (check out the link above on the right). The Lord also taught us a special lesson about Isaiah 62:1-5. Last night, the Lord brought us home safely through intense fog (also in photos on Picasa). Today, I. and I did some special music in church this morning, and I began preparing for our Thankgiving gathering that is planned for next weekend. It is election day here (thanks for your prayers!), and it was BEAUTIFUL weather! So I made the wise decision to take a hike up the hill behind our house, and I am glad I did! Check out the photos on Picasa (there are a couple above, too!)--it is GORGEOUS on the back side of our "mountain"! I returned just in time to have another percussion "jam session" with some of the neighborhood boys . . .

Now I'm catching up on some work and preparing for the coming week. Tomorrow will be another jaunt to Targu Mures to pick up my finished visa, and Wednesday I am planning a special visit to a gypsy village in which I have never set foot. We will also be visiting "our" villages, as well as doing plenty of other work this week to round out November.

This is a short post to balance out the MANY photos I posted on Picasa--enjoy! And if you missed my last post, do not forget to check out the photos V. sent me that really do a great job of showing our weekly "Sunday School" programs.

Photos from Sunday School!

I just received great photos from our so-called "Sunday School" programs in the four villages during the past couple of months. Now you can really see our beloved children and what happens nearly everyday in the life of J. (at least during this internship!); Our goal is to be more interesting than T.V.! Check out the slideshow above or the Picasa link to the right (you might have to scroll up just a little to find it). There are 80+ pictures courtesy of my co-worker V. Thanks, V.! Enjoy, Praying Readers!

Worth Celebrating!

Location: Program Office, Sighisoara, Romania (Nearly 5am on the 18th of November)

Yes, of course, at times I pay for these early morning moments of paradise in Sleeping Sighisoara. But they are so wonderful that they are worth it! I get to spend such good, uninterrupted time with our Lord in prayer and in reading His Word, and I get to invite you into a little bit of my life.

Before I forget, I have a prayer request. One of our team members was very uncomfortable the last several days, and she found out yesterday that she is having some heart problems. She is very scared, and they are doing some tests. Please join me in praying for T.M.

Thank you for praying for my church. The congregation had a significant and encouraging weekend as they pray about and act toward splitting with their current denominational affiliation. However, though standing for what is right is good and encouraging, it is sad that it has to happen at all. Please continue to pray for us, that we might be a godly church. Please pray for the Church as a whole, that it might not be a denomination or a set of traditions, but that it might truly be a group of people around the world who are in an intimate relationship of grace with our Lord, Jesus.

Yes, it is good to celebrate, and it is good count our blessings. You will remember that I attended a Romanian birthday party on Sunday night; now you can see that I attended another on Monday night! I am a bit puzzled, because it seems that Romanians have a very different and much mellower idea of "party" than other parts of the world, though I do not think I have ever seen anyone stand in an apartment with fireworks shooting out of their cake! That must be where they stuff all the excitement! Our fire marshals in the States would love that!

Are you wondering what the other pictures are? On Sunday night, I was wondering what I was hearing since there were only a couple of us in the house. I looked out the window to see two horses with a cart parked only a few feet below me, and some men were unloading firewood. If you use your imagination, you might be able to pick out the horses in the dark. It is probably not something you see everyday when you look out your window. I wanted to be like Zorro and drop out the window, free my steeds from their harnesses and ride off standing on their backs! Instead, I took a couple of pictures for you! How is that for exciting?

More profoundly, I wanted to tell you about the village of V. Monday we had a great visit there. One lady came out yelling at us in Romanian that I did not really understand; evidentally it was our fault that her kids were skipping school to come to our program each week! But we encouraged the kids to go to school, and ended up in her home, praying for her baby with a club foot. Then we proceeded to visit six or eight more homes, praying for a boy with problems in his genital-area, for a boy with feet turned in toward each other, for a child sick in the hospital, for other illnesses, and for the families in general. It was great experience, and the first time I really spent significant time in their tiny homes/shacks. It is such an honor for them, but even more of an honor for me!

During the visit, we were "skiing" through the mud, though I managed to stay upright. I cannot say the same for a boy that was with us--he fell flat on his back when some dogs scared him, completely disguising his backside with a mud bath. One the way out of the farm yard, a huge turkey was "chasing" him out--it was hilarious! Another little girl showed us her puppy, and after she told me its name, she told me that it actually had two names--mine was its second name!

Yesterday, we had a good program there, and the local pastor (whom we had met the day before) made an appearance. We were also surprised by a visit from my choir director, whom I had invited but was not expecting that same day! It was our goodbye day, our last official program for the fall and for many of us who will be moving on after this semester, and it was good. I have a special heart for the people of V., because that is where I have done the most visits, and God is truly at work among the people there. Please pray for them.

We had a little bit of a problem with an angry parent at the very end of our day yesterday, and our team handled it quite well. But God encouraged me through it. While the tirade was happening, one mother said my name. I had not heard what she said, and when I asked her, she said, "J. loves our kids!" She was acknowledging that even though someone was angry, she recognized our love for the people, especially their children. How rewarding that was for me, to learn that at least some of the people could see the love of Jesus through us!

I am an encourager, as you well know, but we all need encouragement. I want to thank you, because I have recently been encouraged very much by you. The most important thing you can give me is your prayers, and you have been doing so! One group of the Body of Christ set aside a special time of prayer for me on Monday night (back in Indiana)--another did the same a month or two ago. I have also been flooded with prayers and hellos from my home church, which I greatly appreciate! It is easy to feel forgotten sometimes--out of sight and out of mind. Who I am is only because of the Jesus who lives in me. What I do is only because of His strength in me, working through your prayers! It would probably be impossible for me to be here and to do what I do if I did not have the Church behind me and under me, supporting me and lifting me up in prayer! Thank you so very much! Multumesc foarte mult!

You know, I was told yesterday that some of thing transformations I long to see in the Church are impossible. And I agree--we cannot do it! But with a God who is able to do immeasurably more than anything we can ask or imagine, I can dream big! Maybe I am naive or idealistic, but if I see these prayers answered, I will be able to testify with all my heart that no man accomplished such change! Pray big--my life has shown me that our God is greater than the greatest prayers we can pray!

I have posted several things recently; please scroll down to at least glance at the invitation, the word picture, etc. I also plan to post a story soon, after I proofread it. It has a hard message in it, so take it with a grain of salt. It is not aimed at anyone in particular, or based on a specific circumstance, but it is a warning to the Church as a whole, one that greatly impacted me a few years ago when the Lord first warned me. Remember, nothing else matters--not even "good" things, "good" deeds", nor "good" people--if you do not know Jesus, if He does not know you!

I bless you on this Wednesday! I had a great conversation yesterday about what God is doing in this city. I encourage you today to look to see what He is doing in your city, thank Him for it, and join Him in it!

An Invitation for You

Location: Dining Room, Sighisoara, Romania (nearly 8pm on the 17th of November)

I hope to write more later tonight, and please see below for this morning's post. But before I forget, I want you to know that you are invited next week! To what?

You're Invited to a ...

Thanksgiving Pitch-In Non-Dinner!

In Sighisoara, Romania

On Saturday the 28th of November, 2009

From 6:00pm to 9:00pm

Intended to minister especially to Americans who will not be in the USA for this holiday of gratefulness to our Father, this special evening will be open to anyone who wants to join us (please note that non-translated American English will dominate the gathering). This celebration, unlike so many others, has managed to avoid too much commericalism, but so often our gaze is distracted from our gracious God by an enormous meal or a family gathering. This year, let's do something special--let's bring a non-perishable food item (oil, flour, or sugar, please) for those in need in Sighisoara (to be distributed by the VFC) while we ourselves fast for the evening. We will begin with a time of sharing among our expatriot "family" about why we are thankful here and now, and about what our Father is doing in our lives. Then we will have an extended time of worship in English, intensely and intimately focused on our Lord and Savior. Finally, we will pray for one another, for our families, for the Church, for Sighisoara, for Romania, etc., and we will have a specific time of prayer focused on prayer for the USA and the American Church. The point will be to give thanks to the God who brought us here, who is working in us and through us, and to spend time with Him and His Bride in prayer.

An RSVP would be helpful but is not required, and friends are welcome; contact theRabboni@gmail.com with questions. If you currently live in Sighisoara and would be willing to help lead worship or help in another way, please contact me. If you want to join us from out of town, I cannot promise to provide you a free place to sleep, but I will do my best to help you make arrangements, either in a home, a hostel, or a hotel; please let me know.

Even if you cannot come, please join us in prayer. I thank God for you!

Walking on Water

Location: Dining Room, Sighisoara, Romania (a little before 7am on the 17th of November)

I really do not have time to write you. The Lord is patiently waiting for me, and I am eager to spend our morning time together. Then I have a busy day coming, which will hopefully be as good as the last three. It has begun well, with beautiful fog outside, good news from friends in the States, and memories of yesterdays blessings...

So I want to paint you a picture:

Yesterday, two of us (non-native Romanian speakers) visited V., where I have grown to dearly love the people. We got to go in and pray for families in probably eight homes, which was a privilege. I hope to remember to write more about that later.

In V., when you follow the mud of the road back through the valley, it turns into a creek, with shacks on both sides. There are only a couple of places to cross. Yesterday, at one of these places where debris has been thrown into the water to step on, I smiled to see a stone cross--either from a tombstone or the top of a church. Picture this.

A cross broken off the monument on which it was originally standing. White, probably made out of cement. Laying flat in the dirty water among the other trash. Stepped on by muddy boot after muddy shoe after bare foot after muddy boot . . .

I really wanted to take a photograph but could not; instead, please imagine with me, remembering the significance.

There was once another cross that served as a bridge for us. The cross of Jesus. We despised and rejected Him, stepping on Him, leaving our dirt and grim on Him. His cross was placed in the middle of the "garbage" of this world, and it became our way to know God.

I love the song from the group Point of Grace that has lines about, "A bridge to cross the Great Divide" and "A cross to bridge the Great Divide"...

I hope you have thanked God today for sending His Son to die on a cross to bridge the chasm between the holy and the profane, between us and our Father. Thank Him for raising Jesus and us with Him, to a new life that is beyond anything this world can offer us! May God get the glory!

My Hot Date

Location: Meeting Room at the base in Sighisoara, Romania, a little after 9:30pm on Sunday, the 15th of November.

Who is Pace?

I told you in my last post that I had a hot date with Miss Pace. But before all you romantics get too excited, let me tell you that "pace" is the Romanian word for peace (pronounced "pah-chey"). You know very well that I do not have time for girls right now, so of course it is not that kind of date! Some of you have been trying to marry me off for quite some time now. I pray for the girl who will marry me someday, because I already know that it will be hard to be married to me! But I learned a long time ago that my job is to focus on my Lord and the work He gives me, not to be distracted by pretty girls. Every country has hundreds of pretty girls! I am not looking for a pretty girl to marry; I will only marry the girl that God has prepared to join me in everything to which He has called me. So I am not looking for a wife--I trust my Father in that department, and that is the least of my concerns right now. I trust the Lord with everything, with my health, my money, my life, my work, etc. He has blessed me with so many things in which I can invest myself--I can wait until He is ready for me to invest in a marriage!

So back to my hot date! I like pretty well most of the folks I work with, but it is no secret that I was happy to learn that everyone I live with was going to be out of town this weekend! So I had the house to myself! I did laundry without waiting in line, I ate meals when I wanted to, I did not have to be quiet when I woke up early in the morning... It has been a glorious two days! It was dreary yesterday and rainy today, which was perfect. I spent wonderful time with God in worship. I read; I wrote some songs and a story (watch for them to be posted soon). I cooked marmaliga (a traditional Romanian dish made out of cornmeal), cleaned the bathroom and took out the trash, and worked on next week's Sunday school lesson. I had some good phone calls with folks in the States and friends in Romania. I enjoyed a great sermon at church this morning and was invited to a birthday party tonight (the photo shows the birthday boy, R., who is not only our beloved neighbor and fix-it man, but also the preacher this morning!). It was a wonderful weekend!

I carefully enjoyed this weekend, knowing that soon will be beginning our race toward Christmas as we prepare for special outreach programs and distributions. I also needed some "pace" after last week. We had some good days and some bad days, some rainy days and some sunny days. We are still seeing spiritual attack, as well as spiritual victories. Friday, I spent the evening with a church with whom we will be collaborating during Christmas. So it was a busy week, and this relaxing weekend was a nice punctuation mark.

I am coughing a little cough now and then. In addition, my church in Indianapolis had a very important weekend this weekend. Some friends and family are fighting illnesses and cancers, and others are making big decisions, two families are involved in adoptions, for instance. Romania has elections coming up next weekend, after the government pretty much disolved a couple of months ago. And I am still seeking to be a man of God, more each day. Those are my prayer requests.

But I am happy, and that is what I want you to remember. Not only happy, but full of a deep joy that runs beneath the ups and downs of life. I am loved by a mighty God who sent His Son to make sure we understood Who He is, and He loves you, too! Less and less do I have a home. More and more I have friends in every part of the world I have visited; more and more I rejoice as I see God at work in His Church all over the world. I am in this world, but not of it, and I am so delighted to be a child of God, one for whom He cares and provides, one whom He leads and protects and encourages and blesses. And since today's theme is "pace," you should know that in the midst of my decision-making, in the midst of cultural confusion and language acquisition, in the midst of communal living and strict schedules, in the midst of overwhelming societal problems and a seemingly dormant Church, I am at peace. God is in control, and I have learned time and time again that He is faithful and trustworthy--I trust Him.

Are you waiting for a story? Many of you like my little anecdotes. I guess I could tell you about seeing a mouse scurry across the dining room yesterday while I chatted with my parents on Skype. Or I could tell you about the two grown men at church who both got brooms stuck in an apple tree when they were standing in the rain trying to knock down apples for the gypsy boys who came to church this morning. (I tried to take a photo but sadly did not realize that my camera was set to "video"--sorry!) Or I could tell you about the live goat my friend saw in Cairo, sandwiched between a man and a woman riding on a motorscooter! Or I could tell you about the girls who told me that I was not very good at being a girl, since I was leading the girls on Friday as we started our weekly program. Or I could tell you about how all the kids in every village know me not just by my name or by my hat, but also by my shoe-size: 49 in Romanian sizes!

But the real story that I want to tell you is that each of us, wherever we are with whatever we have, can choose to let God live out His story in us, in a way that reaches far beyond anything we could ask or imagine. The proof? There is a certain cityboy from Indianapolis that is currently a favorite guest among gypsy villages in the hills of Romania, where he can barely speak the language, where he cannot buy shoes his size, and where only God knows what the future holds. I never planned to even visit Romania, yet here I am, and God is using me here in spite of my lack of training or qualifications. And there you are, reading my story, living your own, and you are seeing that despite the differences in the two, they are both a part of God's perfect story, His perfect plan.

I bless you, Brother; I bless you, Sister--in the Name of Jesus the Christ! Pace!

Up and Coming...

Location: Dining Room, Sighisoara, Romania (about 7pm on the 14th of November)

I'll keep this brief, for I am in the middle of a hot date with Pace; I hope to tell you more about her tomorrow...

Pray-ers, please pray for my church in Indianapolis, SPC, as it has a very important decision to make. The voting will be today and tomorrow.

Many of you know I am a writer at heart, and when a song or a story or a sermon gets in me, I have to write it. So, inside of me there are a few things needing to explode out, so what for some short stories or songs to be posted soon (I hope!). I just wanted you to know what they were if I posted them without explanation.

Also, please watch for a Thanksgiving invitation that will soon be posted. If you are in the Sighisoara area or want to be, you would be welcome.

Finally, you may not know it, but George Muller is a man who has greatly influenced me. He lived two hundred years ago, but the little I knew about him greatly impacted me. Now I am reading one of his biographies, and I wanted to share his strategy on How to know God's will:


George Muller on knowing God's will...
pages 50-1 of George Muller: Man of Faith and Miracles (Basil Miller, 1941 Zondervan)

"1. I seek at the beginning to get my heart into such a state that it has no will of its own in regard to a given matter. Nine-tenths of the difficulties are overcome when our hearts are ready to do the Lord's will, whatever it may be. When one is trule in this state, it is unually but a little way to the knowledge of what His will is.

"2. Having done this, I do not leave the result to feeling or simple impressions. If so, I make myself liable to great delusions.

"3. I seek the will of the Spirit of God through or in connection with the Word of God. The Spirit and the Word must be combined. If I look to the Spirit alone without the Word, I lay myself open to great delusions also.

"4. Next I take into account providential circumstances. These plainly indicate God's will in connection with His Word and Spirit.

"5. I ask God in prayer to reveal His will to me aright.

"6. Thus through prayer to God, the study of the Word and reflection, I come to a deliberate judgment according to the best of my ability and knowledge, and if my mind is thus at peace, and continues so after two or three more petitions, I proceed accordingly. In trivial matters and in transactions involving most important issues, I have found this method always effective."

Ruth

Location: Bedroom, Sighisoara, Romania at 7:45am on the 12th of November.

The Lord healed my throat. Thank you for praying!

God, not your prayers, healed my throat. However, He gave you the privilege of participating in His supernatural work. Thank you for your faithfulness. I was able to go about my day as normal yesterday; to help present a program in a gypsy village; and even to sing in Gospel choir last night. It is still good this morning. May God get the glory!

So thanks for praying for me and with me. As you continue to do so, please pray through the Book of Ruth in the Old Testament of the Bible. It is very short, and you can read it in ten or twenty minutes. Have a wonderful day!

Pancaking and Decision-Making!

Location: Kitchen, Sighisoara, Romania, the 11th of September, almost 3am.

Drat.

I think I have a sore throat after being healthy for so long. That is why I am up so early, nursing it with a cup of tea and honey. But it seemed like a good time to finally give you an update, before I go back to bed. Please pray for my healing--prayer is much more effective than tea! (James 5)

Sunday night, I was in this same room, making American-style pancakes for our team. True, I do not use a recipe, so they were not perfect, but we liked them! And we could not obtain syrup, so I made a creamy peach sauce out of peach jam and something like sour cream.

Earlier that evening, I had gone to church in a gypsy community a half-hour away, with the express purpose of speaking with the pastor in the car on the way. The last couple weeks have been filled with a lot of specific prayer time and wrangling over pending decisions, and Sunday night proved to me a fine time of information-gathering and brainstorming. Monday night I put all the pieces together, and by Tuesday morning I had peace about a couple of decisions. There are more to make, but I will tackle them one-by-one.

I think many people dislike making such life-determining choices. Nonetheless, because I often have been in this situation, I am used to it. Thus, it has been a real blessing. My prayer time with the Lord has been even more fervant, more intimate, more constant, and it has been a privilege to speak intentionally with several of my trusted mentors and friends via skype or email, to get advice and feedback. I also asked many of you to join me in prayer, and it is a powerful feeling to know that people who love you are praying for you! Thanks for your prayers!

How do I go about making prayerful decisions that will change the course of my life? First, I try to be in a regular prayer-relationship with Jesus via the Holy Spirit--daily, decisions or no. Then, when decisions come, I try to carefully identify all the options I know, and each facet of that choice. Then I ask trusted persons to pray specifically about such details. Next, I spend extra time reading God's Word, and praying. I find that sometimes it helps to write out my prayers; I also force myself to spend extra time "listening" rather than talking all the time. Our Father's will is clearly explained in the Bible, especially in 1 Thessalonians 5. His will is less geared toward a specific circumstance, but more toward a heart position or lifestyle. Thus, I ask myself which choices would be in keeping with that will. I also ask the Spirit to give me God-centered prayers, so that I can try to pray from His perspective, rather from my limited view. I remind myself of what I already know to be true, of my gifts, and of God's faithfulness in the past. Finally, I try to be open to anything the Lord shows me, whether it was one of the original options or something new.

In large part, I believe that God calls us who to be rather than where to be or what to be. And that man or woman that He created us to be is a more constant definition than how we currently occupy our time or where we call home. Nonetheless, at certain times, I believe God brings us to specific places to fulfill specific plans, if we are willing. He can and will use us anywhere, but He always asks full obedience.

Anyway, you probably prefer interesting stories rather than my philosophy . . . so let us return to Sighisoara. Just know that I have been certain that this is where I was called to for this season, and that I do not at all regret coming here. There have been many challenges, but also many blessings, and I dearly love Sighisoara. It is beautiful country, and the people are wonderful. I told some of you incorrectly, but the town is less than 30,000 people, which is a nice size.

And I love the rain.

The rain? Yes, I really love it here. It is raining now, I think. Here, the rain sounds so nice as it hits the building. It mingles with the woodsmoke to make a mist that blankets the valley with fog, pierced time and again by meteor-like raindrops. God has orchestrated the weather so carefully here that I thank Him each time it rains, because it reminds me He is in control. It also reminds me that He is pouring out His Spirit, His love, His mercy, and His grace, in the Church all over the world, but also in a special way in Sighisoara.

God held back the rain again yesterday. We had a fairly tough time in the village of V., which was especially hard since we had such a good visit there on Monday. My fellow intern is out of town on special assignment (like I was a couple of weeks ago), and so another team member (the French gal) joined me for the visit. Neither of us speak more than broken Romanian, so I was unsure about the wisdom of such an endeavor, but God made it possible. We got to visit and play a little with at least thirty kids, remind their parents about the next day's program, and even share with them a little bit of God's Word. We also spent time walking in a parade-like gathering while the kids chanted my name. Oddly, that is the second time it happened--the same thing happened in our neighborhood on Friday. This is a new phenomenon that I hope was just a phase. I want them to see less of me and more of Jesus!

For those of you familiar with it, we have seen much spiritual attack lately. I hope this means that we are on the right track and making a difference, to the devil's dismay. It has certainly been a good reminder to intensify our prayer in everything, and I love coming before the Lord in prayer! One neat thing about spiritual attack is watching our Father's supernatural protection and provision, a truly awesome encouragement--may He get the glory!

So in the midst of the ordinary--working in the kindergarten, presenting Sunday school lessons in the villages, teaching English, studying Romanian, cleaning the bathroom, washing dishes, translating, singing in the Gospel choir, etc.--we get to see the Lord's extraordinary power at work. I was especially moved this week by persons very near my age. In one of the villages, their is a twenty-nine-year-old mother of 10, she had her first child when she was 13. The girls, especially, are often married or mothers at that age in the villages. There is a boy about 25 or 26 years old who, for whatever reason, looks and walks like an old man--yesterday he had to ask to lean on his grandmother to walk a few meters; his cane was not enough. And I may have told you about the begging mother, again probably in her mid-twenties, who must go to another city every week to give her infant a blood transfusion from her own veins, to treat whatever illness he is suffering from. I often pray with her on my way to class, and I was delighted this week when she showed me she had obtained some clothes for the baby!

The weather has been fairly warm after that initial cold shock, and Sunday was delightfully sunny. I pray that you will be encouraged today, whether it is by beautiful weather or during a time of intimate prayer with our Father, or maybe by the people around you. Maybe you will get frustrated by the overwhelming societal problems that haunt us, and you will wonder what we can possibly do . . .

But then maybe you will be encouraged to see a church standing up against society for what is right, even if it means leaving familiar denomination of which it has been a part for decades. Or maybe you will be encouraged by a young family trying to adopt a bi-racial "crackbaby" that might have been otherwise aborted except for God's special intervention. Maybe you will be encouraged to hear about others persevering in a struggle that you have been a part of, and of God's provision in that struggle. Maybe you will be encouraged to hear that a young lady who was in the grip of a heroine addiction on top of her chronic illness has decided to get the help she needs and has been clean for three weeks! Maybe you will be encouraged by a young man on a "fool's errand" in Europe, who believes that the Bible is true and that God answers prayer, and who tries to live his life accordingly, wherever that takes him. Maybe you will be encouraged to remember that the one God, the Creator of the universe and all that is in it, was so interested in showing His love to the people He made that He sent His own Son to make a way for them to be in relationship with Him, even though that Way meant torture and death before the miracle of a new life of hope.

Be encouraged--all these are true stories! Add your own story to the list, and be a blessing today. Let me know how I can pray for you, and join me in the serene throne-room of our God and King. Prayer with Him is such a splendid time of peace and power that I think life without it is impossible. I know my life is.

If I keep writing, this fifth cup of tea will have to lead to a sixth; or, if I keep drinking tea, you will be reading an unending post all day instead of living and working. As the Romanians say, "La revedere". I bless you in the Name of our magnificent Jesus!

Praying about Stealing Trash Bags

Location: Bedroom, Sighisoara, Romania (about 5:30am on the 6th of November.

^19-21I'll never forget the trouble, the utter lostness,
the taste of ashes, the poison I've swallowed.
I remember it all—oh, how well I remember—
the feeling of hitting the bottom.
But there's one other thing I remember,
and remembering, I keep a grip on hope:

^22-24God's loyal love couldn't have run out,
his merciful love couldn't have dried up.
They're created new every morning.
How great your faithfulness!
I'm sticking with God (I say it over and over).
He's all I've got left.

^25-27God proves to be good to the man who passionately waits,
to the woman who diligently seeks.
It's a good thing to quietly hope,
quietly hope for help from God.
It's a good thing when you're young
to stick it out through the hard times.

^28-30When life is heavy and hard to take,
go off by yourself. Enter the silence.
Bow in prayer. Don't ask questions:
Wait for hope to appear.
Don't run from trouble. Take it full-face.
The "worst" is never the worst. (Lamentations 3:19-29, The Message)


Abba, Father,

I praise you with all that I am! You are holy, righteous, and just. You are full of loving-kindness, you are slow-to-anger, and merciful!

Your mercies are new every day, and as this day begins, I look forward to living it with You! God, what a week this has been! May Your Spirit give me the words to express my heart; search my heart, O God, and purify me.

When I last left my readers, I was sitting in what proved to be the wrong train station in Tirgu Mures. But I enjoyed the cold walk with You, and sitting with You by the heater in the Orthodox church until my team picked me up there.

Thank You for such a wonderful weekend in Tirgu Mures!

Thank You, Holy Spirit, for uniting us in such beautiful worship on Saturday night!

Thank You for preaching Your Living Word through me in the Hungarian-language Church on Sunday morning!

Thank You for going before us into the villages for three days of great programs so far this week!

Thank You for the communication I have had with mentors and friends around the world as I pray about Your plans for me.

I trust You, Father. If You have plans for me to stay longer-term in Sighisoara or Oradea, I will do so with joy. If You call me back to France, I will go as a living testimony to Your grace and goodness. If You intend for me to return to the USA in March, I will go back singing Your praises. If You have other plans for me, I ask You to fulfill them in the way that will bring You the most glory!

Abba, my heart is wrenched as I watch Your people struggle through this life corrupted by sin. It tore me up to watch the gypsy kids trying to fight over and steal trash bags, realizing that they are a precious commodity to someone who has nothing! I wanted to cry with R. as she begged for money, explaining to me that she has to go to another city to the hospital every Monday morning to give a blood transfusion to her sick baby! And the men who are begging instead of working, do they know You? Lord, I feel so small sometimes! I feel so inadequate! I feel so naive and ill-equipped!

I have given You all I have! All I am! I have nothing else--please, move in power! You are mighty to save! You do not willingly bring affliction! There is no God beside You, and You are the Lord of Heaven and Earth! You love Your people so much that You sent Your own Son to die for them--for us! And You offer us new life in Him! Rescue us, Abba, from the pit into which we have fallen! You want none to perish! You intend for us to live, to flourish with You!

Father, I remember Jesus healing with fire in His eyes, angry at the destruction of disease and sin. I recall Jesus stepping in to dramatically rescue a "nobody" woman from being stoned to death. I see Him stooping to scoop up filthy children in His arms and bless them! I hear Him urging the Church to be beautiful, to live holy lives, to love the hurting world! I hear Him ordering demons to flee! I hear His heart beating as He stood in silent authority before Pilate, who would give the order to crucify Him on the torturous cross...

God, heal!

God, deliver!

God, save!

All I have to do is look around to be in awe of Your majesty. All I have to do is call upon Your Name to know You are near. All I have to do is let a photograph send me into nostalgic thanks for Your graciousness, Your protection, Your teaching, Your leading.

Father, provide!

Father, prepare!

Father, instruct!

Father, bring justice!

Father, empower with Your love!

Please, Abba, unveil their eyes and their hearts! Draw them to You! Let them see you in Your splendor! Bless them, that they may let You love them freely and deeply! Do the same for me! Start with me! I want all of You! Do not let me harden my heart to You! Do not let me think I can do it on my own! Do not let me wander in any of the ways of the world! Do not let me chase after the wind, or after the desires of my human flesh! Do not let me harden my heart to the people around me, the people that need You, the people that long for a life they cannot even imagine!

Abba, I know that to many, my life looks foolish. I know they do not understand, and I realize that my explanations are far too inadequate. Father, they see a bright young man throwing away his youth, his education, his money, his potential. What they do not see is everything that I get to see! They do not see the prayers You are answering, the people You are loving, the mountains You are moving, the earth You are shaking! They do not see the multitudes waiting for a glimpse of You, a glimpse that has too long been shrouded by a hypocritical, fearful Church, "professional" ministers and missionaries who are more concerned about reputations and glory than they are about compassion, and confusing doctrines and half-truths that swirl and billow like ocean waves in a storm needing to be calmed by the Jesus who walks on water!

Let them see Him in me! I do not care if they recognize me or remember my name. I do not care if I look like a fool or end up someday in an unmarked grave with no personal legacy to etch into a tombstone--let them see You in me! Reveal Yourself for the sake of Your glory! Have mercy on those who have turned their back on You, who have dismissed You, who have doubted You! Have mercy on those who are chained by religious traditions and false teachers, who do not know that the God of the Universe does not want us to kiss icons, celebrate dead saints, or have the best Vacation Bible School in town, but that He wants us to let Him love us! To be in relationship with us! To be our Father!

God, I love You! Everyone thinks I am seeking something! I am seeking first Your Kingdom and Your Righteousness! Nothing else matters! You are the secret to the joy that pulses through me, even in hard times. You are the reason I cannot stop singing! You are the reason I am always ready to preach! You are my incentive for maintaining friendships all over the world, for using words to turn my life inside-out, hoping that at least one other person will lose himself in Your overwhelming love.

Thank you for that love, God. I bless Your Name. And, recognizing the holiness and power of Your Name, I bless the readers of this blog and the readers of my life, in the Name of Jesus. I bless them with soft hearts and open eyes, with ears ready to recognize Your truth and a mind ready to understand it. I pray that they feel loved by me, and that they recognize that that love comes not from my weak self, but from You who put strength in me.

Father, thank you for encouraging me this week through my friend, T., who reminded me of this passage:

^1-2 So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.

³I'm speaking to you out of deep gratitude for all that God has given me, and especially as I have responsibilities in relation to you. Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace, it's important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God. No, God brings it all to you. The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him.

^4-6In this way we are like the various parts of a human body. Each part gets its meaning from the body as a whole, not the other way around. The body we're talking about is Christ's body of chosen people. Each of us finds our meaning and function as a part of his body. But as a chopped-off finger or cut-off toe we wouldn't amount to much, would we? So since we find ourselves fashioned into all these excellently formed and marvelously functioning parts in Christ's body, let's just go ahead and be what we were made to be, without enviously or pridefully comparing ourselves with each other, or trying to be something we aren't.

^6-8If you preach, just preach God's Message, nothing else; if you help, just help, don't take over; if you teach, stick to your teaching; if you give encouraging guidance, be careful that you don't get bossy; if you're put in charge, don't manipulate; if you're called to give aid to people in distress, keep your eyes open and be quick to respond; if you work with the disadvantaged, don't let yourself get irritated with them or depressed by them. Keep a smile on your face.

^9-10Love from the center of who you are; don't fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle.

^11-13Don't burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don't quit in hard times; pray all the harder. Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality.

^14-16Bless your enemies; no cursing under your breath. Laugh with your happy friends when they're happy; share tears when they're down. Get along with each other; don't be stuck-up. Make friends with nobodies; don't be the great somebody.

^17-19Don't hit back; discover beauty in everyone. If you've got it in you, get along with everybody. Don't insist on getting even; that's not for you to do. "I'll do the judging," says God. "I'll take care of it."

^20-21Our Scriptures tell us that if you see your enemy hungry, go buy that person lunch, or if he's thirsty, get him a drink. Your generosity will surprise him with goodness. Don't let evil get the best of you; get the best of evil by doing good. (Romans 12, The Message)

Lord, I am not a great somebody, but You Are! Thank you for overcoming evil with good at the cross. Thank you for declaring it with an empty tomb! I confess that I do not proclaim it often enough, nor boldly enough! Thank you for Your grace, Your mercy, and Your forgiveness. I will continue to let Your light shine before all people!

I pray in the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Making Tracks

Location: A cold train station in Tirgu Mures, just after 7am on Saturday, the 31 of October.

Most train stations in Europe, for those of you not familiar with them, are purposely uncomfortable so that vagabonds like me do not stay in them too long. This small one is no exception. The waiting room is not closed-off to the tomorrow-is-November chilly air that attacks me through 5 layers of clothes to make me shiver. So I will exercise my fingers quickly to tell you about my week in Oradea before I go off to find a warmer environment.

Yes, the Lord woke me up just as we were pulling into this station; so you see that I caught some winks on the ride. I was encouraged by my Oradean host to try to get a place in the sleeper car, but when I tried, the men were looking for a bribe that would have nearly doubled my ticket price. So I was happy to tell them "nevermind" as I turned my back, but when I found my seat in the middle of a compartment with four other men, at least three of them drunk, I was questioning my decision. Nonetheless, I reminded myself and my God that I trusted Him to meet my needs and to care for me, and as always, He proved Himself faithful. At the first tiny stop, not far from Oradea, the three drunk men departed, and after a pleasant conversation in Romanian and a few short naps, my final neighbor also left. Thus, I had an entire compartment to myself--my own bedroom!--and I slept quite well, all things considered.

But I know, you are wondering about my week. It started with a night train ride, too, another one that was uneventful, but also not very restful. Nonetheless, I found Oradea ready for me, and my host, S., found me. He was the friend of a friend, a Christian entreprenuer, and I immediately liked him. His family was likewise wonderful!

That very first morning, I found myself running around town with my new brother, and before long I joined him in a meeting with the executive director of the local office of one of the international mission agencies. After that, he dropped me off at a meeting with the administration of the organization for youth with disabilities, with whom I had volunteered this past summer. Already, I could see doors opening up for me in Oradea, as they have been in Sighisoara, and for that matter, most everywhere I have gone. Then I visited a little boy I knew who was in the hospital. That night I had dinner with friends, and wrapped up a day that had been so good that I almost wished the rest of the week would not happen, unsure that it could measure up.

To my delight, the entire week was super. Because her boy was in the hospital, I substituted for his mother at the disabilities center on Tuesday, and Thursday found me there again--a fun reunion with my friends from the summer. During the week I had several reunions with young people I had met a few months ago, only failing to meet up with a couple of them. I also had a few other nice dinners with friends and attended some prayer meetings. I met one young man who is involved in a prayer house not far from Sighisoara, and it is patterned after the 24/7 International House of Prayer in Kansas City (which I visited just before I left the States). On Friday, I attended the first part of a three-day, nationwide prayer conference--all in Romanian, of course. In fact, I spent most of the week communicating primarily in Romanian, which was maybe difficult for some of those trying to understand me, but which was excellent for my language acquisition!

Wednesday morning was another highlight, as I was invited to join three Romanian ministry-men on an off-roading trip to a mountain village. Without a 4x4 vehicle, it would have been impossible, for our tires were remembering roads that used to be, or creating their own tracks for the next person to follow. A wild day that resulted in the purchase of six enormous sacks of homegrown potatoes, it was a lot of fun!

Another adventure was one that I have come to expect. Literally as we walked (a little late) into an upper-room prayer meeting, my host turned to me and said, "It would be great if you would share a little something!" Ignoring my questions, he led the way in, leaving me to wonder how I would share from the Romanian Bible I had with me, the one I could hardly understand. So far, that night takes the cake for the least amount of warning, but the Lord is always faithful, and the Spirit spoke again that night. Nevertheless, what a good reminder to always be ready to give the reason for the hope that we have in Jesus!

One last highlight was a second visit to the children's hospital, with a Romanian high-schooler and friend. As we headed over, he reminded me that the guard would want a bribe since it was not visiting hours, and I recalled that another friend of mine had found herself in a similar situation once. I had not had trouble the previous day because I entered with a medical student! So I told him to keep quiet if we got in trouble; I would do the talking--I did not want them to know he was Romanian. Sure enough, as I tried to march through the gate in my Romanian hat, we were stopped and questioned as to where we were going. My friend, enjoying the task of trying to be American, showed-off his English with a "Can't you just let us in, man?" I shot him a dirty look and used my best broken Romanian to answer that (obviously!) we were going to the children's hospital. He looked at me and asked if I was part of the Foundation, and I said yes, not knowing what he was talking about. That was the secret password, evidentally, because to my friend's amazement, he waved us through the gate. I am part of a foundation in Sighisoara, but I have no idea what foundation I was with that night!

So I had a great week, but my fingers are hardening with their frozen blood vessels, keeping me from sharing any more details. When I am able to post this on the internet, I will try to include a few photos, though I did not take many. Instead I savored every moment, enjoying fellowship and praying about the big picture. Now, in a few hours, my team from the foundation (*wink!*) in Sighisoara will pick me up here, and we will make tracks to where we will do a workshop and Sunday school program today. My faithful God will be my strength until and even after I catch up on my sleep. What a privilege it is to travel with Him and watch while He works wonders!

My week of prayer, of relationship-building, and of adventuring with God has deposited me at the threshold of Tirgu Mures. I wonder what today might bring?

Whatever it brings me, I pray that it brings you a fresh glimpse of our faithful Father's work in your life. May you be blessed, and my His Name be praised!