Here to Stay?

(Here's a photo from the post below--I'll put two more down there; take a look!)

Location: My apartment in Cluj-Napoca, just after 3am on the morning August 30--Happy Birthday, M.!

Yes, you read it correctly, I am in my apartment in Cluj. Since when do I have an apartment in Cluj? Since last evening. Let me tell you the story so God gets the glory.

Yesterday morning I did not get to go to gather with the church in worship, because I was helping my friends prepare to continue their travels to Brasov. Their bus came as scheduled, but it was full. I tried to thumb them a ride, but no one stopped, so we headed to the train station and managed to book them a ticket. At the same time, I bought a ticket to Cluj, where I plan to meet up briefly with a friend from the United States. My train was late and theirs was on time, so our trains pulled into the station at the same time, and we left in different directions.

As I am to meet J. at the train station at 4am, my plan was to arrive in Cluj and find some hotel rooms, as well as to research my return to Sighisoara. I also hoped to find a sandwich or some simple food somewhere, not always easy when many stores are closed on Sundays. I asked my seat-neighbor on the train for motel recommendations, and he gave me some ideas and then gave me his phone number in case I could not find anything, he had an extra room. Imagine inviting a stranger to stay in your house that night, knowing he had to go to the train station at 4am! Talk about a hospitable heart!

I arrived at 5pm, learned the returning train schedules, and headed toward the bus station to discover any possibilities there. As I walked, I passed two girls dressed the way many Protestant Christian women dress here, and at the last moment, I realized I might be able to go to church. I stopped the startled gals and found out that they were, indeed, Christians on the way to worship, and they told me of a nearby church--worship would begin at six. After pricing one hotel and visiting the bus station, I managed to find the church. That is when everything started happening; the Spirit of the Lord had definitely prepared my way; thanks be to God!

I walked up to three men in my shorts and tee shirt to ask if there was a restroom where I could change clothes. Immediately they began scrambling to accommodate me, offering me a classroom as a changing room. After I had changed, another man was waiting to usher me into service, and I had to interrupt him to ask if he could show me to the restroom before worship started. Then he led me to a seat and sat with me, asking me why I was in Cluj-Napoca. (He enjoyed filling me in on what was going on, and he demonstrated his knowledge of some English and Spanish, telling me about his relatives in Spain and collegues in the USA. He also is related to the folks I worked with at the wheelchair distribution the first month I was in Romania.) Worship was very truth-filled and exhorting, and I thanked the Lord for bringing me.

Following the service, my pew-neighbor led me outside, and then explained that he had an apartment I could use, even though it was across town. So I went with him to his home. Before I knew it, I had met two of his eight children, and his wife had prepared me one of my favorite Romanian dishes, sarmale, along with a wonderful soup and plums fresh from their own tree. So I dined like a king, and then learned that this brother owns a construction business and dozens (I think) of apartments. So he got out his keys and showed me mine, providing exactly what I needed, without the fees I was expecting to have to pay. So J. does not know it yet, but when I find her at the train station, she will have a place she can come to for a shower and nap after a long night train, a place where we can leave her baggage as we visit in town today.

Incredible? No. Sovereign!

As I toured my apartment last night after my host left, I was laughing out loud with joy. Look at how our good provides! Extra rooms and meals and apartments! I truly came to town not knowing where I would stay, and now I am holding the key to the apartment I am in for the night. He said I can stay as long as I like! It reminds me of the disciples being sent out, taking nothing with them. Over and over this has happened to me, where the Lord has provided me with a roof, a bed, a meal, money, or help, just as I needed it. This time is just a bit more dramatic! Each time, though, I want to give God the glory by thanking Him for the great things He has done, and by testifying to you.

May you be encouraged! Our Father is trustworthy and true. He cares for us, and we will not be disappointed if we surrender all of our needs and wants and lives to Him.

Let me know when you will be in Cluj-Napoca! My host told me that you could stay in one of his apartments!

Accommodating

Location: Our illegal accommodations in Sighisoara, Romania, 10:20am on Sunday the 29th of August.

Our stay here in Sighisoara has worked out really nicely, though I did find out a bit too late that our accommodations here are probably illegal, because our host is probably not paying the government any taxes or fees to host guests, thereby under-cutting the hotels and hostels. We will chalk it up to a lesson learned, and a blessing in the meantime.

I was going to post a few photos of our tour of Sighisoara yesterday, but for some reason I cannot access the internet with my computer this morning, so I am using another computer. Thus, it is more complicated to upload photos. If you have not read the previous blog, there are some photos there.

Yesterday was casual and pleasant. The weather was nice, and we visited the citadel and its torture chamber before going on a hike up the hill behind the city. Then I took my friends into a poorer community where I have worked a lot, and we played with the kids. It has been a very good weekend.

Today we will head different directions, and I look forward to the blessings that will greet me in Cluj-Napoca; please pray for them as they travel the long way to the Moldova Republic.

I have to tell you two funny happenings. One happened yesterday, when I tried to help M. and E. make their travel arrangements. I called my former Romanian professor in the morning, because she is from Moldova, and I hoped she could pass along some tips. Someone else answered her phone and told me that if it was not urgent, she would call back later; she was busy. As we walked through the streets, I ran into a friend coming from a wedding--only to learn that the wedding was for my former professor! I had called her on her wedding day without realizing it; I did not know she was getting married! How glad I was that I had not said I had something urgent! Needless to say, when she called back later, I told her congratulations and did not ask her to help me with travel plans.

The other thing I forgot to tell you is that on Friday in Targu Mures, I was making some notes to myself while standing by a car. A man came up to me and tried to give me money! I was bewildered for a moment, and very tempted to take the money, but then we both laughed a lot when I explained to him that I was not the police. He thought he was getting a parking ticket! Did I really look like a policeman with my dirty backpack hanging on my shoulders?

Maybe today you will find that you accidently transgressed the law, or that you interrupted an important happening. How great it is that our Jesus offers us forgiveness and grace! Receive it today with joy, and patiently offer that same grace to those who wrong you.

Goldilocks Backstage

Location: A stranger's house near the train station in Sighisoara, about 9:15am on the 28th of August

Yes, my Finnish friends, M. and E., arrived last night in Sighisoara. They are already getting a taste of the real Romania, because we ended up accepting the offer of a guy we met at the train station. We are staying in a private house, clean and fully furnished, even to the half-drunk coffee cup in the sink and a ladies purse in the dining room. We can use the television, computer, laundry machine, kitchen, and house keys with liberty. I slept on a fold-out couch surrounded by Barbie dolls and stuffed animals, and I have a hamster or a gerbil for a neighbor. We basically have our own house. I have to admit, it is very nice, though I was wondering aloud with my friends if the people who actually own this house know we are here. It almost seems as though someone left for a weekend trip and an enterprising neighbor rented out their place unawares! I hope the Three Bears are not upset when they find Goldilocks in their beds!

Seriously, it is very nice, and it is fun to have my friends here. But now they are waking up, so I will just give you a few quick highlights from the past days.

Ukranian Gypsy Christian Hungarian-speaking band concert in Targu Mures

An adventure in Targu Mures with my friend I.

Hitchhiking with a deaf couple, with an egg-delivery man, in a large box truck, and others

A day wandering the streets of Medias with Jesus and meeting the woman at the well

Visa red-tape in several police offices

Teaching English and French every morning for a couple of hours

Prayer night with my hosts in C.

Playing with Gypsy children in the train station

And so much more!

Things are going well, but quickly. I am falling behind on emails again, so please forgive me. I am praying for you, and thanks for praying for me.

Oh, by the way, a highlight from yesterday was using Skype via wireless internet with webcam in the fourth-story food court of a mall in Targu Mures to talk face-to-face with my brother in a taxi in India! How is that for amazing!

Our Jesus is even more amazing! I hope you know Him!

Relationships III, Getting Divorced (Part 3 of 3, see below)

(A couple of more photos from "hay week" last month. You may have seen these photos on my Picasa site, but you have not read these three new posts...Enjoy!)

Location: Back steps of my house, 1:15pm on Monday the 16th of August

You probably did not know that I almost got divorced. And when you hear that, most of you probably want to know when I got married!

The Church is the Bride of Christ, and She is holy. Like me, you have probably been hurt by the Church. You probably see its flaws and its failures. Maybe you have even divorced yourself from the Church. There was a time in my life when it would have been easy to turn my back on the Church, deciding that there was no hope, that I could be a Christian without the Church. I have met many such people, disillusioned with the Church, labeling her a hopeless case.

When you do that, you are essentially getting a divorce. You are saying that it is impossible that God could be working in that group of people, and since I want Him to work in me, I will have nothing to do with those folks! Just like in a divorce, when one or both spouses says, "I do not care about the covenant agreement I made at my wedding, there is no more hope for this marriage; it is impossible for God's love to ever be in this relationship!"

God works with what is impossible. Do you not remember that there is always a remnant? God completely destroyed mankind once, but he left Noah and his family, not to mentioned a couple of each animal. Israel was unfaithful to God and turned her back on Him, and He punished her, but he also forgave her and brought back a remnant of her people. In the book of Revelation we read about mass destruction, yet there will be remnant of the faithful who are saved.

It is the same with the Church. Maybe you see people stuck in meaningless religious traditions. Maybe you see Church leaders with hard hearts, warped by the power they feel. Maybe you see groups of people who cannot get along, who cannot agree on which Bible to read or how to sing in worship. Maybe it seems impossible that the Church could ever be beautiful.

Listen to me: THE CHURCH IS HOLY! Even flawed as it is, God created it holy, and He intends to redeem it. Like the story of Hosea and Gomer, God is pursuing His Bride.

Do not give up on the Church. There is no such thing as a hopeless case. That goes for the Church, and it is also true of individuals. With Jesus, there is always hope! He transforms, heals, redeems, saves!

Do you believe that all things are possible with God?

Do you really?

Then fight against what is called impossible and hopeless! God will not forsake His beloved, even when His beloved forsake Him!

Relationships, Continued (2 of 3)

(This photo is from "hay week" last month! Yes, I was as tired and hot and grimy as I looked, but I enjoyed that work!)

Location: On my bed in my house, still the 15th of August, now almost 10pm

Bine (Romanian for "good."), by now it is bedtime. The milk run took a bit longer than usual, and I had more I wanted to write about relationships, but the last post came to such a nice close that I decided to finish it there. So now I have washed my dishes, and I will share a bit more before I doze off.

Recently, the Lord taught me about wisdom. As you probably know, wisdom is knowledge plus experience. In other words, wisdom means knowing how best to use the knowledge you have. The Bible says (in James, Chapter 1) that if we lack wisdom, all we need to do is ask for it, and God will give it to us. I have heard many, many people pray for wisdom--so why are there so few wise people in this world? The Lord was teaching me recently that often when we pray for wisdom, as an answer He provides us with experiences to live through. These experiences then can be added to our knowledge, resulting in more wisdom. However, these experiences are not promised to be easy!

I have learned a lot in 28 years, and I still have a lot to learn. To learn quicker, I make it my goal to learn from my mistakes, only making each mistake once. I also try to learn from other people's mistakes; why should I make them, too?

As you can hopefully see in my previous post, I believe that relationships are holy. I also told you that our Lord has called me to turn myself inside-out before you, that you my learn from my private life how God wraps us in His grace. Finally, you will remember that cultural differences make each kind of communication more complicated.

Thus, I have an important piece of wisdom to share with you, hard learned in my past and imperfectly practiced to this day. Man was not intended to be alone. That is why God created the Church; we need one another. But when you hear such a phrase, you probably think about marriage. (In fact, did I tell you we sang at a wedding last weekend? We were the choir positioned behind the bride and groom, an Orthodox Romanian bride and a Catholic American groom, married by a German Lutheran Saxon priest in, shall we say, less-than-perfect English. The wedding, set in the beautiful garden of a centuries-old fortified church with a town festival taking place on the other side of the stone wall, reminded me a cheesy movie. Nonetheless, in this wedding, the priest quoted Scripture, saying, "It is not good for man to be alone.") We need friends and family, and some people think they need a spouse.

I say this with the utmost respect for marriage, yet as an unmarried man. It is dangerous to be in a beautiful country with beautiful woman if you are an unmarried man. No matter that I am not particularly strong or handsome (Though, thanks to my life of labor I am hearing, "You are so tan!" for the first time in my life. They do not know it is merely a farmers' tan!), I easily make friends with girls. In fact, all of my life I have had more friends who are girls than boys. Believe it or not, a young gal in my choir looked at me the other day while we were waiting to sing at the wedding, and asked me quite seriously, in English, "Do you want to get married?" I knew what she meant, but I said, "Um...not right now, thank you." You see, thanks to experience and knowledge from the Lord, and wisdom from a mentor of mine, I have learned that in order to keep relationships holy, we need to be keenly aware of our cross-gender interactions.

It does not matter if you are married or not. Men and women were created to attract one another, yet God reserved the expression of that attraction for marriage alone. This goes beyond sex; I am referring to all sorts of intimate conversation, prayer, quality time, etc. Outside of marriage, it is unhealthy for men and women to be in close relationship with one another. This is why so many pastors have fallen to temptation and find themselves in adulterous relationships. This is why so many teenagers are having children. This is why Hollywood and tabloids have so much material for raunchy movies and publication.

I enjoy being a man; in fact, I love being Prince Charming. But it is far more important for me to be a man of God. That is why I am writing this. I endeavor to bring God glory in every relationship I have. If you are an unmarried girl, that means I will do my best to love and pray for you from a distance, but I will not become close friends with you through frequent or lengthy phone conversations or emails or flirtatious behavior. If you are a married woman, I will love you and pray for you through my relationship with your husband, with whom you are one flesh. If you are a man, I will exhort you to live as a godly example to other men of humble strength and loving authority, and as a model of what a woman should be able to expect from her man of God in marriage. If you are a reader, I will do my best to write even uncomfortable or unpopular truth so that together we can obey our Lord and bring Him glory.

Help me to do this. As the Church, we must be intentional about supporting and encouraging one another in healthy and edifying ways. Pray for me, please, as I seek men of God near me in Romania, with whom I can pray and laugh and serve and live for the glory of God. Pray for me, that I might let Christ live freely in me, so that men and women alike love Him instead of me.

Be holy, Friends. I bless you in the Name of our Jesus!

Giving So Much More

(This photo is where I am sitting now to use the internet, now my regular hideaway in town. The photo is from last month when my friend N. was visiting from Switzerland. Off to the left, you can see my corner of the veranda, where I usually sit, tucked in the shadow of the grapevines. Even now--August 21, there I am!)

Location: Dinner table in my house, Village of C., Romania (8pm on the 15th of August)

Here I sit again, wondering how I came to be so blessed, and how I came to live in Romania! Both are deep questions with intricate answers. But soon the cows will come home, and I will run off to the neighbors' for some fresh milk, so we will not delve into such profound philosophy now.

Since I write without internet access, I cannot say when this will get posted; nor can I review past posts to see what I have or have not already written. I know that I wrote a note this morning from P.'s house. It was an unhurried morning after that, until I. saw the bus coming that would take us to town, so we sprinted across the street with hardly a goodbye to my friends--Sorry, Gang! Our hurry did catch us that bus, but only so that we could arrive in Targu Mures and wait for an hour and a half for the next one! I fared better from Sighisoara, hitchhiking home and landing a ride easily and quickly for both legs of the trip.

Thus, this afternoon offered me time to visit a church in the village that was having an afternoon service, and to rest after our sleep-deprived weekend. I also did laundry and cleaned up my house, for Friday was chaotic with my time in town in the morning, and then unexpectedly returning to town that night. Now my underwear and socks are hanging out to dry.

Hmm... That last statement was maybe a little more than you needed to know? Well, some of you know that in the same way, God has called me to live my life inside-out. That means that though often I would prefer to keep to myself and quietly enjoy my Savior's presence, He asks me to live in such a way so that you see my failures and victories, my struggles and blessings, my stumbling and stardom. Why? Because though my relationship with Him is far from perfect, it is intimate, and He wants the same kind of relationship with you. So He uses my life to show you that it is possible, that in this day and age, in the twenty-first century, we can still live a life that boasts the living power and grace of Jesus Christ as recorded in the Bible.

Therefore, let me tell you two anecdotes that I would prefer not to mention, and may my Father be glorified.

Last week, a neighbor died. I never knew her, for she was elderly and bedridden, but I had greeted her family members in the street occasionally. Not overly familiar with Romanian customs around death, I nonetheless wanted to seize the opportunity to shine the light of my Jesus into a family that I was told was full of bitterness and sorrow. My family taught me that when something significant happens in life, it is good to take a meal to that family, for they will be busy with guests and details that do not allow them time to think about cooking. Here, I was in a unique situation, because not only did I not know the family, but I am a foreigner, and my house is not yet set up for cooking (I have been living as a bachelor, eating one hot meal a day at my boss' house). Yet I was one of the first people to know about the family's sorrow. Thus, as my work day approached, I ran off to the store and picked up sandwich supplies--bread, lunch meat, cheese, tomatoes, and apples...nothing special. I wrote a note in broken Romanian, though I know the family's first language is German, and I left all of it inside their gate on my way to work.

The reason I tell you this is not to show you how generous I am. In fact, the Lord has been teaching me to be generous over the last several years, giving me outstanding models of great generosity like my brother and my Uncle B. I tell you about this because it all came back. At lunch, I found out that the family said "thanks" but they did not need the food, so they sent it back.

How would you feel? Embarrassed? Hurt? Angry?

I felt sorry, understanding that I probably did not communicate successfully across cultural barriers. But thanks to having made numerous cultural faux-pas in my life, and thanks to the grace that Jesus shows me daily, I was able to respond with grace.

That was Tuesday or Wednesday; now let us jump ahead to Friday. In town, I saw some of the beggar children I know. If you are like me, beggars present you with a dilemma: to give or not to give? The question is even more complicated by the fact that I know many of the beggars in Sighisoara, and that I have worked with many of them as a representative of a ministry, and of Jesus Christ. So how should I respond? If I do give money, I normally give 1 Leu, which is equivalent to about $0.33 or 25 Euro cents. I know that giving money does not really address the larger problem of hunger and unemployment and lack of education and laziness and every other factor wrapped into this social embarrassment. But neither does ignoring the person or the problem, turning a blind eye and hardening your heart. Giving food is one option that I often turn to, but that is only a bandage for one day, and the hunger returns quickly. The Bible says to give to all who ask of you; the Bible also suggests that praying for someone in need without offering material assistance is virtually futile. Especially as a Christian, I believe we must face this challenge.

What do you do?

I was on my bike when I spoke with these children, and as I rode off, the lady working the newsstand called out, telling me that giving money does not help. I politely put my bike in reverse and engaged her in conversation, listening as she gave me an earfull about the mistake I was making with my money, giving it to lazy Gypsy thieves. I pointed out that she interrupted our conversation to sell lottery tickets to another poor soul who would not win the jackpot, and I explained to her that I do not give money all of the time, but that my goal is to build relationships with these people, that eventually we can address the root issues. She had not seen me pray with the sister of the girl to whom I gave 1 Leu, when the young woman was standing in the rain or snow with her sickly infant. (I have learned that even if I do not agree with the method, someone who is braving all sorts of weather to travel to the city to beg every single day is at least half-working; she could be sitting at home whining about the government not offering welfare programs for people without food!) Nor had she seen me up to my ankles in mud in the village these beggars come from, going door to door to talk with the families and being invited in to sit down in the only chair in the house. Nor had she seen me give a sack of food to a grieving Saxon family.

You see, it is not about the money, or the food, or even the giving. It is about the relationship. That is why I backed up to talk to the lady at the newsstand; do you think I wanted to be berated? That is why I offering a bag of groceries to neighbors I hardly know. That is why I stopped to talk with Gypsy children who are treated like scum by other passers-by. That is why Jesus left His place in heaven to be born in an animal feedbox and to die pinned to a gruesome cross--each of these are steps toward relationship. If we cannot be in relationship with other humans, how can we ever be in relationship with God? And as Christians, if we are not in relationship with our neighbors, why would they want to know our God, who is probably just as cold and unfriendly as we are.

I do not like to fail. I do not like have a gift returned with a "No thanks." I do not like to be chided for trying to help. But every morning I give my day to my Lord. I give Him my words, thoughts, and actions, and I give Him my reputation. I tell Him that whatever happens to me does not matter, as long as He gets the glory.

And that is what is happening.

Sometimes I fail. Sometimes I feel like I cannot do anything right. Sometimes I want to give up and run away. Every single word I say or action I do is potentially heard or seen by someone that will one day know the love of my Jesus because His grace was shown through a culturally clumsy man like me.

Without exception, relationship is the most important thing in life. And the God of the universe is the most important person with whom to be in relationship. You can know Him personally, thanks to the efforts of a rejected and spat-upon man named Jesus, a man for whom the glory of God was more important than His own desires or reputation.

Are your relationships worth building eternal life upon?

If not, why not? Every relationship you have, even the slightest brush of shoulders on the crowded sidewalk, either draws Jesus closer or pushes further away. In other words, every relationship we have has eternal significance.

Think about that next time you say, "I love you," or next time you see a weary hand begging in your direction.

And thank you for being in relationship with me. You are important to me, and God blesses me through you.

A Habit?

Location: P.'s house, outside of Targu Mures, Romania, just after 8am on Sunday, the 15th of August.

I do not want to form a habit of just writing you quick notes--though some of you might be relieved to find shorter posts! I will try to write more this week, but while I have a moment of internet access, let me assure you that I am alive and well.

Even more importantly, Jesus is alive and well!

As you may have heard, the past month or so has been challenging for me in different ways each week. But the Lord is using your prayers and His grace to sustain me, and many of you have greatly encouraged me. This weekend also has spurred me on, as God moved mightily here in the community of G. this weekend and children made decisions to invite Christ into their lives. We heard passionate preaching on Luke 16:19-31 about the rich man and Lazarus, and it is always good to worship with friends in the presence of our living God!

To go backwards a little bit, my coworker I. came with me to G., and on the way we stopped in Sighisoara to meet my friend J. as he arrived at the train station at 1:15am with several pieces of luggage. In fact, I had already been in Sighisoara once that day by bike, trying to prepare everything to renew my residence permit. God gave me favor with the doctor and the internet, and I was able to get a lot accomplished. One piece of advice: do not get identity photos taken after riding a bike for 20km in summer heat, especially if you do not think to look in the mirror first!

Yes, my bike did get repaired, if I forgot to mention that, and so far it seems to be working. Hmm... other highlights? Did I tell you that I learned to drive a horse and cart, driving it through the middle of our village one night? Or that I milked a cow? I love being a Romanian villager!

We also finished the portion of the roof we were building in a neighboring village, God blessing us with clouds and a breeze to protect us from the sweltering heat we have been having. Then I spent a couple days in the garden, clearing out the jungle caused by our August monsoons.

Now we are preparing for a carpentry course this week for some of the neighborhood boys, and after that my hosts are preparing an English camp (though I will not be too involved in that), followed by an evangelistic concert by a visiting Swiss man playing a long, curved horn (like in the pictures--I do not know what it is called).

Thank you to many of you who have encouraged me, prayed for me, given me wise counsel, emailed me information I needed, and helped in a variety of other ways. As a friend of mine said, God is really teaching me a lot right now, even if the process is pretty uncomfortable at times!

There is more to tell, but you will have to wait for it...

May the God of all glory fill our hearts with His joy!

Short Version

Location: Sighisoara, Romania, now about 20 till 9AM on the 8th of August.

Ok, so like I guessed, I do not really have time to write, but I want to fill you in while I have internet access. Besides, I am in a lot better spirits than when I wrote the post below (there are actually two new ones below...), so I want to leave you with a positive image of J.'s life in Romania.

Here are the highlights. We put a roof on a house last week in a neighboring village, and we have to finish it Monday. It was fun, but hot, and I was thankful when the Lord gave us two days of complete cloud cover with no rain, making our job a lot cooler! However, Friday rolled around and found us under the hot afternoon sun in the garden. I was a bit envious of the kids swimming in the pool, and so suddenly I decided to take of my shoes, empty my pockets, and jump in--fully clothed! Then I went back to the garden, sopping wet. It was great! I did not regret it at all!

The first big blessing that day had been that I got my bike repaired! I had been told to take it to a bike shop, but I do not know of one in the area. Then a visiting young man from Switzerland came by, and I found out that he was a bike repairman. Working through a 10-year-old translator, I asked him about my bike, and he repaired it for me! The bike shop came to me! Things got even better later that night, after I had been musing about my tough week and trying to rest at home. When I went to the neighbor's place to buy some fresh milk, they told me that it would be a good evening for my horse-and-cart driving lesson! I had been wanting to learn for some time, so it was with great glee that I drove the cart through the village that night!

Yesterday, I finally got my Sabbath, and hitchhiked into town after relaxing in the morning. How refreshing it was after four weeks without a break! One of the hardest days was last Monday, when we cleaned up after the camp immediately following a hectic Sunday that included travel to and from a choir concert. I worked all day without a break, and it was very hot and nasty work. At the end of the day, I was thinking, "Lord, how did this day bring you glory? I tore apart toilets and loaded trailers with tables and took down tents; I was hungry, a little grumpy, and a lot tired." The Lord then reminded me how thankful my boss was for the help, and I realized that I had increased the respect he has for me, something that hopefully encouraged him this week, and may play a role in the future as we work together and God gives me wisdom or insights.

Do you ever feel like what you are doing could in no way further the Kingdom of God? Blink once or twice, and try to look at it from our Father's perspective. If you are the Lord's prized son or daughter, and if everything you do you do for the Lord, then it will further His Kingdom, and He will be glorified--I promise!

Sorry, I have to run! I am going to try to make it to church before we meet for today's choir concert--we will be singing at someone's wedding. Thanks for listening and bearing with this quick post. Even more, thanks for your prayers. Remember that everything is spiritual. I am praying for you, too, and I bless you in the Name of Christ Jesus the Lord!

The Sabbath

Location: The Base where I worked last year in Sighisoara, Romania, about 7:20am on Sunday the 8th of August.

I had a WONDERFUL Sabbath yesterday--I rested, got things done, and visited with friends. I want to write about it if I have time, but it was so good that I had to sacrifice some of my internet time. I posted a long blog post yesterday (below), and some of you just received email responses from a week or two ago; others of you might have to wait again for a bit--sorry! But to help you wait, I just posted dozens of pictures from the last couple of months: http://picasaweb.google.com/home. They are not edited like I normally like to do, but I do not know when I will have time. You will see that I am a sucker for sunrises! Enjoy!

Please pray for my extended family, for there are health and aging challenges, as well as a lot of stress for some of my family members. Also, please pray for my church in the USA, which is facing many challenges as well. Thanks for your prayers!

Sabbathless

Location: My house in C., Romania, about 8:30pm on the 4th of August.

Do you ever feel like you have been through the "ringer"? If you have been following me in prayer during the last few weeks, you probably have!

I told you about hay week, and I wrote about my week at the camp for people with disabilities. Yet another hard week ensued without a break as I entered into a camp with more than ninety children, though I hesitate to write much more because I do not want you to believe I am gloomy. It was hard enough, though, that it certainly made the previous week seem easier!

The truth is, as hard as it was, our good Lord continued to bless me during camp. I co-led a group with an awesome gal and her family, and I enjoyed three amazing nights sleeping alone in the middle of a meadow beneath a cascade of stars that covered me until the gorgeous sunrise began drying me out. I had fun jesting with the cooks, and we worked with neat kids. The Lord also used several of my co-leaders to bless me, and I hope to cross paths with them in the future.

One of the greatest challenges has been lack of rest. I was exhausted after the camp in Hunedoara, and I was pleased to have a little nap time the next day, even though the next camp was starting. Yet there was too much preparation necessary for me to rest much at all, and soon we were racing rain clouds and waiting for a late bus of sixty kids as we attempted to get all of the supplies and persons up the hill to where the tents were waiting in army formation. "Struggle" does not quite capture my difficulty to find my place that first day--everything was unclear. To make matters worse, everyone seemed to forget about me, and I ended up having to sleep in the directors' trailer. That was a blessing in that I stayed very dry while everyone else got very wet that night. However, I had to share a bed with a director I hardly knew, and I was between him and the wall. In addition, the bed was too short with a wall at the head and feet, so I felt like I was in a box. Unfortunately, the rain that came stayed all the next day, and camp suffered as we tried to change plans from a program that was hardly established in the first place.

Yet I asked some friends to pray for me, because I was grumpy and my heart was not right, and things got better. The next two nights I trekked through the woods for a half-hour and sleep in my house; the hike was not easy, but the sleep was worth it. Then, when the weather cleared up, I slept outside under the magnificent display of stars, which again was worth it. As I reoriented and rested myself, remembering that so much of what we face is spiritual rather than what we see with our eyes, I was able to enjoy the week.

That week did not end; instead, it collided with this week. We left camp a bit early to make it to our choir concert on Sunday, and we did not get home till midnight. (I ended up driving the last leg because both other drivers were falling asleep.) The following day we tore down camp, and I worked twelve hours without a lunch or dinner break, only snacking on a bit of bread with Nutella until I ate supper at nearly 9pm. Yesterday we started building a roof on a house in another village, and we will be there at least through tomorrow, maybe longer. And Sunday our choir will be singing in a wedding.

So you see, I am looking forward to some Sabbath rest.

Do you ever not want to go to work? Do you ever just want to sit with the Lord in prayer, or stay in bed longer, or linger at the table? Prayer has been key as I have faced these difficult weeks, knowing that I have a busy August still ahead of me. (August is due to include a course for local boys to learn some basic carpentry skills, an English camp, and a training course in Brasov , though I still do not know which things will include me. I also have to renew my residency card this month.) And today, the Lord gave me a special verse that addressed all that I was talking to Him about: Look at Acts 2, verse 26. I am going to quote it in the King James Version for once:

"Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope."

I had asked the Lord to cleanse my heart, and here my heart was reminded to rejoice! I had been trying to tame my tongue, to keep from grumbling or whining, and here songs of joy were given to my tongue! Finally, in the midst of my fatigue, my body was given rest, in hope! My hope is found in Jesus Christ! If that is not a reason to rejoice and be glad, then nothing is!

Thanks for your prayers; I am praying for you, too. Finally this evening, I am beginning to get back on track. And remember, if one day you wake up and did not want to, pray this verse above. Fight the spiritual battle and enjoy the day, rather than fighting the day and weighing down your spirit. Even in the most challenging, wearisome weeks, there are many blessings, because our good God never slumbers or sleeps! I bless you in the Name of His Son, Jesus!