Check out our video about life in Romania!

A little gypsy village called Sabolciu

(My wonderful husband wrote this!)

We have had the sweet blessing of leading a church in a little gypsy village called Sabolciu. When we arrived in Romania the pastors that were shepherding the church had both left and moved on to other things. In other words, it was just about dead.  We were given an opportunity to take over and to continue the work in the village. We saw it as an opportunity to meet God and engage His beautiful Glory in a place where it didn't seem to be and for the past nine months that is what we have been doing. We have been laboring in God’s great mercy and grace in what we called an opportunity to serve. 

It has not been easy or even come with much encouragement that what we were doing really even mattered. But whenever we got discouraged, God in His goodness would give us a ray of hope that He was, is and will always be there at work.  I would be lying if I said that it hasn’t been stretching for us all because it was more than I think any of us would have ever guessed. Being in the village stretched our love, our patience, and our faith but most of all it opened up our spiritual eyes to see Jesus Christ move through each one of us.  It was humbling to truly see where I was and how much farther I needed to grow to be like Jesus. I can say I understand His love a little more but only a little more because I have not suffered and or sacrificed what He did to reveal His love for me.

               

So as I said we have been having church for the last nine months and we have had ups and downs. The biggest problem we have is that the village is split into two sides and neither side really likes the other. They tolerate each other but that’s about it. So getting them to come together to hear about Jesus and grow has been a struggle. We come throughout the week as well to spend more individual time with them through Bible study, joining them in their daily life and through prayer and worship. We have seen slow growth in them individually but not as a church. The team then had an idea (which I believe now was inspired by the Holy Spirit) to basically start over, which meant that we stopped meeting in the existing church in the village. We decided to ask two ladies if we could have church in their houses, one on either side of the village in a house that both sides would feel comfortable and willing to go to. The first two weeks went surprisingly well but the third Sunday, something different happened. First, a man in the village who has never been interested in anything we were doing asked us if we wanted to have one of the church services in his house. This came to us as a great surprise. Second, we had the most people come to church, more than we have had the entire time that we have been here! Not only that but they were more loving and inviting than they had ever been. The Lord has moved some huge mountains.  There are still many more to be moved but this was definitely a huge answered prayer and we know that He will continue to move even more mountains.