Home Sweet Home

Where to begin? So much has happened in life and in my heart in the past 2 months.

In a nut shell: we moved, Kylie turned 1, I turned 31, Matt turned 27, I weaned Kylie, we were blessed with the opportunity to go to San Diego to be with our family for Thanksgiving, Kylie took her first steps, came back to Oradea, been enjoying time with my good friend Beth, we had a women's BBQ in Sabolciu, and today we are enjoying the first snow of the winter season!

It's been a very emotional and exciting time for the Loroña family to be sure!

My little baby girl is quickly becoming a toddler, which is crazy and exciting...next thing on the list is getting rid of the binkie and eventually potty training! Eeek! I just can't believe how quickly she is growing up. We were so blessed to be able to be home with our amazing family for Thanksgiving. It was a prayer of ours and Nana's that Kylie would take her first steps while we were there so Nana could see it. Not only did Nana see it, she got it on film!

We have so many things to be thankful for this holiday season...most of all I am truly thankful for the grace and love from my Father in heaven. It's no secret that it has been a very hard season for me, being in Romania. As someone who really enjoys structure and continuity moving 3 times (one being to the other side of the world) and living in 4 different places AND learning how to be a mom, I've had a hard time seeing God's goodness and blessings.

Ever since we moved into the house we are currently living in the Lord has been really opening my eyes to the reality of His goodness. He began showing me how Romania is my promised land, and how if I wasn't careful just as the Israelites didn't enter their promised land because of unbelief, neither would I enter into the promised land He had for me. He began to show me how like the waves are driven by the wind, I was also driven by the wind of my emotions (which has kept me from truly being firmly planted in my relationship with Him) and how I had allowed them to become giants in my promised land. Also I began to see how I have a hard time believing that He WILL do good things and that it's okay to expect Him to do good things. I'm not sure if you know this about me, but I'm sort of a negative nancy. I tend to be a glass half empty person. I'm good at hiding it most of the time, but it's there and it's been there for a very long time. Well I guess the Lord had had enough of my negative attitude, so He also began to show me how I do not trust Him...how I protect myself by not expecting good things to happen, that way I don't get my hopes up which keeps me from being dissapointed...

ugh

It was sort of alot all at once really...realizing I'm a debbie downer who is fickle and has a shallow relationship with the Lord. BUT these revelations opened my eyes to the reality of His goodness which I had been missing all along.

So right as I began to realize these things and I started to begin to expect good things, suddenly a surprise trip to San Diego pops up. It was a HUGE blessing and totally unexpected! But that my friends is how my God works :) Being able to rest and spend time with family really helped me to realize a few things:

1. San Diego isn't really that far away. I mean it is, but it isn't at the same time. Even though we are far away, friends and family are still their. It was hard initially because everyone felt so incredibly far away. Before we left my sister in law Ashley encouraged me more than words could ever express. She told me that just because we were gonna be far away didn't mean that we weren't still family or that they wouldn't still be there for us when we needed. Going back home just really helped me to see the reality of that truth. Our friends and family were in fact still there and they were still supporting us! Imagine that ha ha!
2. San Diego isn't home any more, Romania is. I was concerned that going back would make it harder to come back to Romania, but the fact is it just further confirmed in my heart that Romania is our home now. That doesn't mean that we will never go back to San Diego or that we will be in Romania for forever...but it does mean that we are right where we are supposed to be, and that is what makes Romania home.

It's been a long six months so far. I've already learned so much and am so thankful that the Lord loves me enough not to let me remain the same forever. I'm glad that He shows me where I need to grow and how I need to change. I'm learning so much more about how He created me and I know that I am becoming more and more the daughter, wife, mother, family member and friend that He has always intended me to be. I mean it's crazy but sometimes you have to move across the world, live with a little instability, and take a huge step of faith to realize that God is changing your heart so that home can really be where your heart is.

 

Thank you ALL SO MUCH for all your prayer support! We feel your prayers and need them so please keep them coming!!!!

 

Some things to keep on your prayer radar over the next few weeks are:

• We have 2 new men joing the team in January/Febuary so please be praying for them, for finances and provision and protection from discouragement!
• Christmas! It's hard to be away so my prayer is that our team would really come together as a family so that we would be lacking nothing this holiday season!
• Sabolciu! We are planning a Christmas eve dinner/service. We want to make it a big deal and are planning to invite some of the women who regularly come to church to help us decorate and invite everyone in the village to come celebrate the birth of Christ. This could get a little crazy so pray that there would unity in the village. They easily divide themselves and then feel like one side is getting more favor than the other. So please pray for peace!

Luke 14:12-14 "Then He also said to him who invited Him, “When you give a dinner or a supper, do not ask your friends, your brothers, your relatives, nor rich neighbors, lest they also invite you back, and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just.” (We are sooo incredibly blessed to be able to live out the Word!)


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

We Moved!

The Lord is sooo incredibly faithful! We needed to move for a few reasons, one being we needed to have a lease agreement in order to get our visas. Also we lived a little outside the city and since most of our friends out here do not have cars, we wanted to be in a more central location so that it would be easier to have people come over to visit. We were so thankful for the house we got to stay in upon our initial arrival but it was never meant to be permanent so we knew at some point we would eventually have to find another place to live. Since winter is quickly approaching we thought it best to move before it gets too cold. We had been praying for a while and just asking The Lord to provide a house big enough for all of us that had furniture since we don't have any. We began looking around the last week of September or so and it seemed like slim pickings...then a friend of a friend saw this house in the paper. We all came to see it and we all knew pretty quickly that this was the house for us. We were a little concerned because there was no furniture but our landlord told us he had a little that we could look at. By little he meant A LOT! He had TONS of furniture...BEAUTIFUL antique furniture! Our house is fully furnished and then some!! He also had lots of very large rugs for us to use (most places out here are not carpeted, people use area rugs to cover the floor usually). Not to mention the fact that our landlord is absolutely AMAZING. He is incredibly generous, which apparently is a rarety. Our Romanian friends were concerned about us and told us to be very careful because most times landlords are shady and stingy and will often take your money. I can honestly say that I have never had such a generous landlord ever in my life...and I've had some pretty good ones. This guys takes the cake. He even told us that when we rent from him we are now his guests. He put grass in our back yard, bought us a refrigerator and a stove and a washing machine. He also brought over a lawnmower for us to take care of the grass with AND a wead eater. I could seriously go on and on and on about all this man's generosity but it would take all day. He is SUCH a gift from The Lord. It's sooo nice to have a comfortable home for all of us to live in. The house is very spacious and centrally located, it's an answer to every single one of our prayers!

As far as ministry goes, things are going good. The Wednesday night Bible study is still going strong and things in Sabolciu (the gypsie village) are also going well. Ami is still having a Bible study with the women every Thursday and Sierra is still meeting with the young ladies worship team. Steve is still building relationships with the men AND we have begun to meet in the village on Wednesday's just for prayer with anyone in the village who wants to come. It's important that they realize that they can come to church just as they are and that they don't have to get all dressed up and that it's not only a Sunday thing. They are still very stuck in religion and we hope that this will help them find freedom in Christ. We have decided to go with our without a translator (having one would be nice but we know that prayer unto the Lord transcends language and the important thing is that we are meeting and praying because GOD ANSWERS PRAYERS)! We have also begun doing evangelism on Wednesdays before Bible study to pray for people and to invite anyone who might be interested in coming. Please keep these new outreaches in prayer!

This Friday Matt and Steve will be hosting a men's bbq in the village so PLEASE keep that in prayer! They have no idea what will happen...it could be really good...or really bad. In the past when there has been free food things have gotten a little crazy. Not too mention the fact that the men don't really participate. The hope is that this bbq will draw the men out so they can begin to establish more solid relationships with them. A few men have been coming around...but it's really sort of come and go. They won't really committ. So please pray that the men's hearts would be softened and ultimately for salvations! We would LOVE to see the men really step up and take responsibilty and become the men that God created them to be! Also pray that Matt and Steve would have wisdom on how much food to buy, and that things wouldn't get too crazy :)

As always thank you sooo much for all your prayers and support! We love you guys!!!!

 

Posted with Blogsy

Team Retreat/Sabolciu

This past weekend we went on our first ever team retreat! It was at a little village out in the country that some friends of ours let us use for the weekend. It was so fun to just relax and hang out and spend time talking about all that God has done in the past 3 months and what we feel He is leading us to in the next 3 months. The place was so beautiful! It was an old farm and is was just so neat to see what it's like to live very simply...it was refreshing. Not a whole lot of technology out on an old farm, there isn't even a sink to wash dishes in inside the house. There's only a large trough like thing that is connected to a well. Here are some pictures:



And to finish off the weekend with a bang...Kylie and I went to Sabolciu for the first time!!! Since Sabolciu was on the way home from the village we had stayed at for the weekend we figured now was as good a time as any.

We wanted to wait a while for the team and Matt to be a little more familiar with the people in Sabolciu before we brought Kylie in. I was a little hesitant at first, mainly because I've been sort of concerned about germs. There is no running water in the village, the livestock are really close to their houses (some of them have chickens and ducks that just sort of come and go inside their homes as they please) and the children pretty much run wild and I knew that they were going to want to play with and touch Kylie a lot...and they did. I definitely got a little nervous when I looked down at Kylie and the kids had taken her pacifier out of her mouth and were putting their fingers in her mouth instead ha ha! As funny as this sounds I suppose all those times I found Kylie with my shoe in her mouth it was just preparing her and me for Sabolciu fingers in her mouth ha ha. She hasn't gotten sick yet, praise the Lord!!!

All in all it was a great weekend and I was glad to make it into Sabolciu with the team. I was able to get a sense of where the people are at with the Lord and just see how they live. I know that I will be able to pray for them better now. I was most definitely moved with compassion for the women...they are all pretty young have at least 5 kids, and no husband around to help at all. I can't even imagine how difficult life is for these women, but it is just something they have become accustomed to. I know I have a lot to learn from them and look forward to doing so. Also I hope to be able to join Amy on Thursdays as she's been leading a women's Bible study with the women. It would be great to be able to connect with them and invest more in the miracles God is performing in their hearts! Here are some pictures:
  

The Lord Is At Work!

Sorry it's been awhile, but a lot has happened in the past 2 months! (We are going to get better about posting I promise!)

Let's see...where to begin...

We had our 3 year anniversary, Kylie stopped army crawling and started crawling ALL over the place AND has been pulling herself up on things AND has a new tooth as well as 2 more on the way. We started a Bible study in the city center on Wednesday nights and Matt is teaching through the book of Colossians. The Lord has shown us favor by allowing us to have a Bible study at a coffee shop which is quite rare out here. So far we have had a good turn out and people have been very receptive to receiving the truth. The Lord has been really revealing His heart for the Romanian people which has been helping me to adjust and adapt because I have been able to see how much He desires for His people to know Him. Also things in the gypsy village have been going really well! When we first started maybe like 8 people would show up for church on Sunday (including children) and last Sunday there were close to 50 people (there's about 144 people in the village total)! Not to mention the men have been showing more interest in coming to church and have been more willing to talk with Matt and Steve. Amy has started a women's Bible study in the village with some of the women and Sierra has started the first ever worship group with some of the young ladies in the village. Things are moving forward quickly! It's been very exciting!!!

It's been exciting to see change already happening in such a short amount of time. Several of our Romanian friends who go to the village with us to translate have mentioned how they have been going to the village for several years and have been seeing a real difference in people since we started going there. What a great encouragement! I don't think that there has ever been a team of people who have consistently gone into the village to serve and share the love of Christ. They are used to Americans coming and going...it's really neat to see how being consistent and purposeful in building relationships can make such a huge difference.

So please continue to pray because we are most definitely seeing LOTS of answers to prayers and are thankful to be walking into all the prayers that have been laid out before us!

If The Lord Is My Shepherd, I Shall Not Want

"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want"

-Psalm 23:1-

It all boils down to one simple question: Do I find contentment in the fact that I am in the will of the Father...or do I want more because that is that not enough for me?

As Matt and I were reading through Psalm 23 together the other day I was immediately convicted by all of the things that I want. I was convicted because I began to realize that Christ is not my shepherd. I realized that since we have moved here I've been finding myself wanting. A LOT. I want my hair to look a certain way. I want a rug for the the bedroom. I want more hand towels for the bathroom. I want a bread maker. I want an air conditioner. I want new summer clothes because it's so hot....sadly, I could keep going. I was convicted as I realized my lack of contentment. Why have I become so discontent? Because Christ is not my shepherd.

I keep thinking that if my hair would only be a little less curly, or if we had a rug in the bedroom or more hand towels...if I only had a new summer dress...then I might be happy.

It's almost embarrassing to admit it. To write it. To say it out loud, it seems so silly and so obviously "unchristian" of me. But there it is. I've been struggling to trust the Lord and the result is my being discontent. If Christ were my shepherd, I would not want. It's that simple.

So again the question remains...regardless of situation or circumstances, regardless of what I think I "need"...Can I find contentment, or even joy, in the simple truth that I know I am in the will of the Father? I imagine as Paul sat in his jail cell, looking around a dimly lit dirty room...if He wasn't absolutely convinced He was in the will of the Father there's no way he could have found true contentment and peace. If His will truly is my motive for being here orfor doing anything for that matter, than the answer should be yes.

So then why isn't it?

Do I really believe that a new summer dress is going to make me happy? The reality is that since I am not trusting Christ to be the good Shepherd who leads me to green pastures and to still waters and who longs to restore my soul...I cannot be content with being in the will of the Father. Only when I trust His leading and actually let Him lead me, (without holding a grudge) only then will I find the contentment I so desire and desperately need. It's only found in Him.

So today I let go. I open my hands to all that I'm holding on to and trust my Shepherd to lead me and my family. Forgive me Lord for not trusting who I know you to be. For choosing to put my feelings and circumstances above You. For seeking contentment in anything other than your presence.

 

Posted with Blogsy

Sabolciu

We haven't really shared much about our time in the gypsy village Sabolciu so we just wanted to share a few photos and tell you a little bit about what it's like out there. Here are pictures of inside their church and a few of the kids...

The Lord has paved the way for us to share the loving gospel of Jesus Christ with a small gypsy village in the Romanian countryside separated from the rest of "civilized" society. We have been given the opportunity to completely facilitate their Sunday church service. When we arrived in Oradea, the two men that were pastoring the church had recently moved on to new ministry opportunities and there was a real lack of leadership in the church.

And that's where we came in...

As we began to go to the church we began to notice that the church was heavily based in Romanian church culture. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but it could easily be considered overly religious. Our heart for the people there is to break through the chains of religion and replace it with Biblical teaching, true fellowship, intimacy in prayer and worship.

There are 4 groups of people we desire to reach within the village:

The Children (babies to about 12 yrs old): The children make up the majority of the population of the village and the people who attend church. They are definitely the most interested and the most impressionable but are very wounded and bitter which causes them to be unruly and to have very short fuses which usually result in violence. We have started to teach them short Bible stories and are incorporating prayer into each lesson we teach. As we began to incorporate prayer we were excited to see how hungry they were to actually pray. Please pray that the Lord would restore the purity and youthfulness to the children as well as continuing to open their hearts to receiving Him. Also that they would break free from generational life style patterns and behaviours.

Teenage Boys and Girls: We know that they are in the village but it has been difficult to draw them out. Our hope is to be able to do weekday Bible studies with them separating them into girls groups and boy groups. Please pray that the Lord would draw them out and place a hunger in their hearts for Him.

The Women: They are and will be the backbone of the church and are crucial to the village accepting all that the Lord has for them. There are 7 faithful women who attend church each week and who are truly hungry for the Lord and what He has for them. They love to pray and worship and when they sing it sounds like a well-rehearsed choir. Please pray that the Lord would give them strength to be the light in such a dark place and to not lose heart at what the Lord is doing within the village.

The Men: They are the most influential people in the village and basically control all that happens there. Unfortunately they are the most against the Lord and what He stands for. There are only 1-2 men who will even come to church and the rest choose not to attend because they know the life they are living is against who God is. They are unwilling to forgo the lives they live. They live lives of alcoholism, theft, dishonesty, adultery, and abuse. Please pray that the Lord would break their hearts of stone and give them hearts of flesh because they are the ones who influence the village in the way that they live.

Matt has been given the opportunity to pastor the church by teaching the Bible at their Sunday church services and by praying with the women every week after church. Please pray that the Lord would give us great vision and fresh inspiration to do a new work within the village. We desire to do more outreach with them throughout the week as well as begin regular Bible studies coupled with prayer and worship meetings.

On a funny but sweet side note: the Jesus movement was started with people who came to church without shoes and shirts and who were considered dirty...we are hoping Jesus would move in Sabolciu with naked children and half clothed adults (since summer has officially started we always have a handful of completely naked children in church.)

They are truly coming to Christ just as they are.

It's Not Always Easy

The past week has been a little rough for me honestly. I'm beginning to realize just how much I do not like change. I suppose this is a good thing to know especially since I had no idea prior to moving here. However, regardless of how I feel, the Lord is so faithful and that is a fact! Time and time again I see how He hears me and answers my prayers. I had been feeling overwhelmed with the move. It's hard when everything around you is completely unfamiliar. Even going on a date with my husband was a little stressful simply because I had no idea what to order on the menu at the restaurant we went to because it was all in Romanian. It ended up being great and thankfully our waiter spoke English. He recommended the "meat pancake" and it was delicious. It was kind of like a lasagna burrito with sour cream type stuff on top. My stomach didn't quite agree with my taste buds but I suppose adjusting to the food just comes with the territory.

I've found myself really trying not to be angry at the Lord. He continues to encourage me and remind me that He does actually know what's best for me. He has been reminding me of how initially, I didn't think that Matt was His best for me either. Initially when Matt and I became friends I had absolutely no romantic interest in him at all...and then one day I looked at Matt and he looked different. Not because He had changed at all, but because God had changed my heart. Now having been married for almost 3 years I know without a shadow of a doubt Matt IS God's absolute best for me. The Lord is showing me that Romania is sort of the same. Initially I may have no interest in being here but one day I will look around and suddenly it will all look different and not because anything around me has changed, but simply because my heart has been changed. Until that day He remains faithful to remind me constantly of His presence while assuring me that He is with me and my family and this team.

On Saturday, one of the people we met through Pathway to Joy and his wife, took us to their grandpa's farm out in a tiny village in the countryside of Romania. It was absolutely beautiful! The best part was it was something familiar, which I desperately needed. It reminded me of the summers I spent in Tennessee with my best friend's family who lived on a farm. The smell of the hay, mixed with fresh cut grass, the clean crisp air and just the simplicity of life on the farm. It was a breath of fresh air and a reminder that my Father in Heaven hears me and is ready to help me in any way I might need Him to.

Isaiah 41:10: "Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I WILL STRENGTHEN YOU. Yes I WILL HELP YOU, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

There is no feeling quite like the feeling you get from being strengthened by the Lord. It's almost indescribable. One minute you feel as though you can't go on any longer because it's just too hard...and the next minute you feel as though nothing could stop you. It's one of the many reasons that I know my God is real. That Jesus is real. That He is alive and active and that He cares about me and how I feel. It's what enables me to press on and press in...to do things I could never do on my own...(like move to Romania with my husband and a baby.) I truly can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me. So although it's hard and it's uncomfortable most of the time, He enables me to thrive. To not only move forward, but to run forward in the goodness that He has for me, my family and my team. He really only does good and wondrous things and even if it doesn't necessarily feel "good" at the time, I know that He is good and that's good enough for me!

(On a side note we start our language classes tonight. We will be meeting with our teacher for an hour Mon-Thurs. Please pray for supernatural understanding because this is pretty much what will allow us to build relationships with people. Communication is key!)

What a Week

Greetings from Romania!

The past week has been a bit of a whirlwind. The team went out to visit one of the gypsy villages, we went to a pentecostal church where Matt and Amy got to share, we bought a car and we have been exploring Oradea and figuring out where and how to buy groceries (it's hard to buy food in another language so most of the time we're just guessing and hoping for the best). We are hoping to start taking language lessons 4 times a week soon which will help A LOT. The team will be going out the gypsy village again tomorrow and we are planning several outreaches for the week so this week should be pretty exciting! (we still don't have internet. We have an internet stick that gets passed around between the 6 of us to use. Once we get it in the house it will be easier to post pictures & update more regularly. We are learning that everything is a lot slower than we are used too...well except for drivers on the road ha ha.)

Acclimating has been a pretty fun experience and fortunately Kylie has been handling it really well. It was a little rough the first couple of days when I was jet lagged and she wanted to play at 1 in the morning but we are starting to get back on a schedule which is nice for us and for her. Plus she's back to sleeping through the night (well as of last night at least.) But each night has been getting better and better. We've also starting feeding her oat cereals which she loves and I'm pretty sure she's going to start crawling soon.

You know, I would just like to say that for all of you out there who read this and might think that you could never be a missionary or don't "feel" called...don't worry, I didn't either. I never saw myself living in Romania that's for sure. All I know is, the Lord invited me to join Him in His work and experience Him in a way I never had before. Because I love Him I couldn't say no. It certainly wasn't my first choice and honestly it's been hard. I've just gotten to a place of being willing to accept that things in life are hard and I'm willing to struggle through it. I have days when I wake up and really want to be back "home" in San Diego and it's hard not being there but we are each created to know and experience our creator...the lover of our souls. There is no life outside of Jesus Christ. Knowing Him IS life. So if that means I have to slap a label on my back says "missionary" then so be it. But I challenge you to really ask yourself, are you truly experiencing the fullness of Christ in your life? Are you willing for Him to take you to a foreign country even if you don't "feel called." Society says follow your heart...Christ says to lead your heart by following Him. It's not easy and sometimes you don't want to but I'm sure Christ didn't want to necessarily die on the cross...but He did, and that's what love does. It lays down its life for its friends...

So our Romanian adventure has begun...this should be interesting.

"For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."
Mark 10:45

We finally made it! Kylie and I made it safely to Romania. It was a very long journey (we missed our connecting flight and got to stay the night in a beautiful hotel in Istanbul) but Kylie did SO good. I still can't believe what an amazing baby she is. I have never encountered such an easy going baby. I mean of course I'm a little biased, but she didn't really even fuss or cry at all during the whole 2 day adventure.

The biggest challenge has been adjusting to the 10 hour time difference. We are all still tired and trying to catch up on our sleep. It's also a little different having the sun out till about 10:00 pm but we are adjusting.

We are still working on getting a better internet connection and when that happens I plan to update more and add some photos but I just wanted to let everyone know that we made it and are enjoying our new life in Romania!

Matt Made It!

I finally got to talk to Matt! He left on Tuesday and our conversations have been pretty limited with no phone and no internet access. It was great to hear his voice and hear all about the house. It sounds absolutely great! What a sweet gift from the Lord!

He says that it's huge, and fully furnished. We have a dishwasher and a washer and even 2 refrigerators! One is an American style fridge and the other is European! I can't believe it! I was concerned about how we were going to have enough room in a small refrigerator to feed 6 adults and 1 baby.

Thank you Lord. You told us to ask and you have given abundantly! You are such a loving and caring Father who loves His children with a CRAZY love that I can't even fathom! Such amazing gifts already and I know this is NOTHING compared to what you have in store for us.

Matthew 7:11: "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!" (I LOVE when the scriptures come to life and we are able to experience the truth of His word in our lives!)

The Lord ALWAYS provides!

Good news!

Long story short: we went from needing to fully furnish a house, to being provided a house that is actually closer to town and is mostly furnished. This is a HUGE blessing for us since the other house we were planning to move into was farther outside of town, needed a lot of work done (around $25,000) and had no furniture or appliances. It was basically a shell.

There is a man in Romania who has started a ministry called Pathway to Joy. His heart is to reach out to the large orphan population out there and we initially we are planning to come along side him and his team. He began to build a ministry house that would become a home to orphans but just hasn't quite gotten all the funding he needs to get it up an running. The house is brand new, it's 5 bedrooms and 2 baths and within walking distance from town. He has graciously offered this house to us rent free!

There is a garage that they have turned into an apartment and all he asks is that we finish up the work on the apartment. This is a great opportunity for us. He is blessing us and we in turn will be able to bless him and his ministry to the orphans! Not to mention it's much cheaper for us than finding a house to rent, which could be about $1,000 a month.

We are so thankful to the Lord for our answered prayers and provision! He always knows exactly what we need, all we have to do is trust that He will provide!

Psalm 46:1-3 "God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though its waters roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah"

No matter what our situation may be, there is NEVER any reason to be afraid because our Lord will ALWAYS come through for us! This is just yet another example of His passionate love that compells Him to help His children!

We are called according to His purpose

Recently it's been sort of hard/weird to consider myself a "missionary." I mean, who am I? When I think of a "missionary" the image I have in my head doesn't really look like me...I don't feel "ready" for this adventure and have been sort of perplexed by the fact that God has chosen me to be a representative of Christ in Romania. It's a pretty big responsibility that I take very seriously. Not just in Romania but wherever I happen to be. These thoughts are like an open door inviting fear, doubt and anxiety in to my head.

And then the Lord speaks...He reveals His heart and His ways through His word. And suddenly all my insecurities, fears and anxieties are vaporized by the power of His truth.

2 Timothy 1:8-9 God..."has saved us and call us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began."

He has saved me and He has called my family to Romania...and it has nothing to do with me and EVERYTHING to do with Him. (whew, what a relief) It's not about anything I've done or could ever do. It's not about me doing things, or my failed attempts at perfection, how many scriptures I've memorized or how many good things I've done...it's all about Him and His own purposes. It's ALL about Him. What a good reminder in a world so focused on self.

Be encouraged because God has called you. Not according to anything you've done, but because He created you with purpose for a purpose according to His own purposes and His grace. So relax and take a deep breath...it's not about you. It's not about me. It's about the Power of God and His heart as a loving Father to be in a relationship with His children. If all we ever do in this life is spend time engaging God and getting to know Him, that's more than enough.

We Bought Our Tickets!

So we (except for Matt and Steve who will be leaving the 22nd) will officially be leaving for Romania on May 30th out of LA at 6pm and will be arriving in Turkey the next day at 7pm. Thankfully we got great a great deal price wise, it's like God was holding tickets for us (because let's face it, He was) and the despite the fact that the prices have been increasing, for some reason when we checked the prices today, they were exactly the same as they were 2 weeks ago. Not to mention the flight is only 15 hours I think which is way better than I expected. I think that it should go pretty smoothly because I'll have the girls to help me out with Kylie which will be nice. And as we found out on our trip to Louisiana to visit my family, Kylie loves to fly. She's super social and loved seeing all the people. Plus she is like the only baby I know who get's all goofy when she's tired and missed her nap, instead of cranky or fussy. God totally created her to travel which I'm very thankful for!

I can't believe we actually bought our tickets!

Matt was sharing this morning from Joshua 3 about how the Israelites had to take that step of faith to dip their toes in the Jordan before God would miraculously part the waters. I find it very interesting that God parted the waters when the water was at it's fullest. The text says the water was overflowing onto the banks basically. What a perfect time for a miracle. It's so important for us (me in particular) to remember that God will part the waters, even when they are at their fullest, even when it seems like there is too much going on and life feels crazy as you watch the waters rush by. Funny how when He parted the waters He didn't just part them a little so that the Israelites could just barely get by...not my God...no He made PLENTY of room for the people to cross. He went above and beyond so that they could literally walk on dry land. That's my Dad. He loves to encourage us as we begin to dip our toes in the water...if we just take that step of faith He will meet us in ways that FAR exceed our expectations...and buying the tickets...well...it's just the beginning...

 

The Big Move

We have some big news!!!

We will be moving to Oradea Romania in the end of May (don't have a specific date yet). It is something the Lord put on both of hearts to do probably around 8 months ago or so. We have just been pretty much praying and waiting and then we were presented with an amazing opportunity. We were invited to lead a small team (there are 7 of us all together including me, Matt and Kylie) that will be going to Romania.

Initially we will be partnering up with a ministry over there called Pathway to Joy. We will be coming along side of them as we acclamate to the culture and basically we will be lending a helping hand. There is a great need there but not enough workers.

"Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest." (Matthew 9:35-38)

Our goal is to eventually start a church out there. Our heart is to reach out to the gypsie communities and the large orphan population and meet practical needs as well as provide a sense of hope and belonging. My personal desire is to extend the same love of Christ to them that healed my heart when I lost my parents. I understand what if feels like to have no sense of belonging and to feel abandoned. One of my biggest fears when I lost my parents was that I would never again experience the intimate love that only a mother and father can give. When I married Matt, his family opened their hearts to me and allowed the love of Christ to flow freely from them and it healed my little broken heart. I long to do the same thing for others. To give the same love that was given to me. The love that enabled me to open my heart up again and to love people. I know we call it "church" but in reality it is a hospital. A place for people to come, rest and be healed. I just so desperately desire to be used in any way I can be to help people experience the healing power of the love of Jesus.

If any of you feel led to invest in us or in what God is doing in Romania that would be awesome! We will need monthly support but would also appreciate a one time donation as well. You would not only be investing in us, but you would also be sharing in the fruit of God's work, laying up treasures in heaven :p (Also it would be a tax write off.) But really, any words of encouragement or prayers are most certainly welcome and appreciated!! We are embarking on a huge adventure but are excited to see all that the Lord will do!!!

Here is the link if anyone feels led to invest: www.mogiv.com/rockmissions/loronafamily

"Pure, spiritual, intellectual love shot form their faces like barbed lightning. It was so unlike the love we experience that its expression could easily be mistaken for ferocity."

~C.S. Lewis

Love you guys!

Matt and Sarena