I’ve been here 6 months, struggle with culture shock, BUT…

I’m starting this blog off by stating I’m back in Draganesti after 2 great, but long weeks in Timisoara.    For those of you who didn’t know, I was in Timisoara (Northern Romania) for intensive language classes, meaning I met twice a day with a Romanian teacer for 2 hours to learn Romanian grammar. I learned a lot of Romanian during this time. What I also learned was…I’m more certain of the calling the Lord has on my life.

You see during my time in Timisoara, I couldn’t help but think of the girls and the children I was missing in Draganesti. I couldn’t help it, but I wanted to be able to speak more Romanian, so I could have real conversations with those I met here…in the church and on the streets, the children and pretty much anyone, to be honest.

I was gone 10 days.  In these past 6 months, I hadn’t been outside of Draganesti for more than 3-5 days. The time in Timisoara seemed to fly by so fast, however when I got back to Draganesti, I hit a new form of culture shock. You see, Timisoara is currently listed as the 2nd or 3rd largest city in Romania; many different cultures are present there. Draganesti…um, not so much. You have Romanians and Roma. So many things were different between the 2 places. I can’t explain exactly, but picture a farming community: Mount Horeb or Draganesti and then picture a big city, Milwaukee or Timisoara. This isn’t the best example, but at least it gives some idea.  

                  

This is just 1 of the city center’s in Timisoara.                                    …the whole town of Draganesti.

I stepped off the train Thursday afternoon to a quiet little train station in this little farming community to stares and weird looks. It completely caught me offguard that I was back in Draganesti. Even though I was still in the same country, so many things were sooo different. There were more things that day that were super challenging, but there were so many blessings that came out of the day, as well. 

After I had gone home to “breathe” and rest for a little while, I decided to go to the church to wish Raul a “Happy Birthday.”  As I was there, more passion rose up within me. I wanted to know the ins and outs of this ministry. I wanted to know each person’s story and how God changed their lives. Why were they here? This new passion was birthed out of seeing another location where ministry happens and knowing without a shadow of doubt, I’m where I’m supposed to be. The best thing that topped off this day was Georgiana.

I have been discipling and working with Georgiana’s older sisters for the last couple months and have been praying for more of an impact in the family’s life as a whole. I was in the middle of having a conversation with Raul when Georgiana runs up to me, holding out her arms and asks me to pick her up.  In that process, Georgiana who is 3, tells me that “she loves me and missed me.”  Let’s just say God really blessed me on Thursday. This passion has not changed. I want to serve God through this ministry in ways I never have thus far and I continue to pray that this is still the beginning!