Special Romania Trip

When we left our home in Romania last fall we told our kids: We will be back to visit.  It wasn't a question of if, it was a question of when.  It was important for them to hear that so that they knew that our leaving wasn't final, they would see us again.  It was also important for us because they had been our kids for the last five years of our lives and it was very hard to leave them.  Having the hope of staying connected and seeing them again lessened the sting of leaving them and starting over again.

Marius, on the left, is one of our closest "kids" (really a young adult) in Romania.  We have known him for years and did a lot together while we were there.  Like most of the kids we worked with in Romania, Marius went through a lot as a kid and ended up at the orphanage.  Things have been hard and he has gone through a lot of pain and hurts.  As our relationship grew so did his desire to learn about God, so our last year there we studied the book of John and we saw changes taking place in his life.

After we left we continued talking with Marius and continued to pray for him.  Others who were still there continued to work with him and mentor him, and even though there were and still are many ups and downs, he decided to follow Jesus Christ and to be baptized!  This was something we couldn't miss so we bought some airline tickets (about three weeks before hand!) and headed over.

We were able to spend much of our week in Romania with Marius.  We spent a lot of time hanging out, doing devotions, talking about questions he had, and ministering to him when he struggled.  

We are so thankful for how God works in people's lives and that he gave Marius the gift of saving faith.  How joyous it was to watch Marius profess his faith in Jesus in front of the whole church and be baptized.  Would you please join us in praying for Marius and all of the others we worked with who have taken this step of faith?  Pray that they will be able to overcome their past and live into their identity as children of God who are loved by him no matter what.  Pray against the attacks of the enemy as he tries to drag them down however he can.  Pray that they will minister to others and that God will be glorified through their lives.

We spent the rest of our time visiting kids that we know at various orphanages.  It was so good to see our kids again, they occupy such a large spot in our heart and we missed them so much.

We led our youth group again by sharing the story of how God has led us since we have been back in America.  We also talked about hearing God and knowing his will for our lives.

We surprised many of the kids who didn't know we were coming for our visit.  It was great to see their faces and hear the squeals of joy, but best of all to enjoy the big hugs they gave us!

We praise and thank God for giving us the opportunity to see our kids again!  Please continue to pray for them, that they will be well taken care of and that they will come to know God!