I know I have kept you all in the dark about what this house looks like.   Rachel, what's the vision in buying this house?  is a question I've been getting a lot.   Why on Earth would I buy a house in Romania? is another.  

The reason for it, is because I feel like:

a) The Lord has called me to remain here in Draganesti.  As cliche as this is, "Home is where the Heart is," is very true.    I miss this place when I'm gone.    I am going up to Timisoara these next couple weeks for language classes and yes!   I'm excited, but there's also a piece of me that will miss the girls I'm working with and the Bible Study I'm a part of.    I think God has broken my heart for these people in a way I can't begin to express.    To say my heart is here doesn't even begin to explain it.

b) Sooner or later, I'm going to buy a house here.   Living in an apartment is nice, but the walls here in Romania seem to be super thin.   I think it would be cool to have a place where I can be as loud as I want.   However, I also want my place to be a place where people can come and have a place away from all distraction or I should say "distraction."  What does distraction mean anyways? 

c) As you all know, I was a World Racer.  I was on the Race 2.5 years ago and the more and more I work with teams, the more I realize how my desire to encourage and speak life into those still on the field exists.   I desire my house to be a house where Racers can come and process what the Lord is doing in their lives.   As you may or may not be aware, there is a policy that no Racer can go anywhere by themselves.   This is for their security, but the thought "what if I lived close to the Racers" came into my mind.   When the Racers come to Draganesti, they live in something called the "mission house."  This is important for your knowledge.

d) Behind the mission house, there is something called the social house.  The social house is a home for orphans and struggling families.   You can ask anyone from Adventures who knows me well enough, I have a heart for orphans.   It's been my dream for years to be a mom to orphaned children, desiring for them to know God's Word and their identity in Christ.   What I didn't realize was how God would make it happen and in such a short amount of time.   This is a completely different story; maybe one that I will share in the coming blogs.  With this being said, take a look at the images below:

*The first image is the dream behind the property.   The dividing line would come down and eventually, there would be a community garden built for those of us living on the land.

*Front and back views of the property.   Where there are currently vines/brush, there will be the community garden.

Please join me in prayer for this building and this dream of mine!   Remember, God's at work in your lives, also, so let me know how I can be praying for you. :)   Thanks for praying and encouraging me everyone!