Update from Romania

Wow it has been a little while since I wrote one of these blogs haha. Part of my goal for writing these blogs is to expose you to some of what we are exposed to; to be a witness to what is happening. So please forgive me for not being very good at communicating what’s going on here but here’s my attempt at filling you in on the past two months (and to brag on our host). 

 

Our team got rerouted and for the past 2 months we have been in Romania. We partnered with Hope Church and have moved around to a few different places in Romania. Hope Church is relatively new and they planted the church in an area that is largely not christian (even if some of the people might claim they are… thats a whole different thing). We started our time here coming alongside the longterm missionaries here and assisting them with their daily things. That looked like anything from visiting homes to meet with families in the church, making videos for fundraising, bringing food to surrounding Roma / Gypsy communities,  hosting events at the church, helping with kids programs, lots of different things. 

 

On February 20th the war in Ukraine started. More than 4 million refugees have fled their home country since then and the number of people leaving, per day, is steadily on the rise. 

 

Raul, our host, recognized the need, found an effective way to get involved, then mobilized countless people to help in the form of drivers, logistics coordinators, intercessors, shoppers, donors, cleaning people, hotel and real estate owners, meal prep people, and people to just support the families emotionally and spiritually. So many people have sacrificed so much, going above and beyond to show these Ukrainians how loved they are, that they have worth and are of value, and that they are not forgotten by God.

 

Most of the refugees are Ukrainian women and children. Some have stories of hope, some have watched their house get blown up, some have children with them that are not their own, some have their husbands with them (many don’t), some of them were taken advantage of in their travels, some are battling health problems, some had no ability to bring money with them, some… There are two main groups of refugees Hope church is helping but the reach has extended to many others:

1. Those who are traveling through the country and trying to get to safe locations throughout Europe, whether it be friends / family in another country or a random host who is welcoming them. 
2. Those who are entering Romania with no where to go. They need long term housing (somewhere to live until the war ends) but have no resources to provide it on their own.

 

Hope church is providing all these people with food, short term housing, long term housing, clothing, help finding employment, help getting travel documents and making further plans, transportation, medicine, making doctors appointments, kids care, counseling, Friends and Community!!!, and anything else they could possibly need or think of. All because of the love of Jesus while they are sharing the Gospel of Jesus. 

 

Its hard seeing such a big need and not seeing everyone do what they can to help. Its hard seeing some pour all of their time and energy and personal money out and yet see some give like its just another offertory in their church. Many who are helping in Romaina need more volunteers (especially manual transmission drivers if you have a few free days;). They need more funds to be able to sustain this help as the need increases. But most of all they need prayer. We have gotten to see how powerful intercession is and its a great way to help if you cant offer time or money. Here is the link to donate (sometimes the credit card thing wont work, just try again later and it will): https://togetherformission.com/donate-for-ukraine

 

I want to leave you with two quotes that have helped me put things into words: the first is kinda like a testimony, and the second is kinda like a call for help. 

 

Tyler Staton, puts into words well what it looks like when the kingdom of God invades earth and thats exactly what we have experienced here in Romania: the love of Jesus ruling in our relationships with one another, the power of the spirit alive among us, the warmth of community, the humility of reconciliation, prayer that comforts your soul in the deepest way, holiness invading places of deepest need, violence, and heartbreak, reconciliation along lines where power abuse has divided, crazy stories of salvation when the least likely person comes into the family, a miraculous healing that makes us dance together and love through suffering that bears with the one who is still waiting on healing, its stories of powerful breakthrough and of humble love, the power of the spirit alive among us and the love of Jesus expressed between us.

 

David Platt trying to awaken the sleeping American church in times of need. I look at myself and how I lived my life before coming on the mission field and think he must have been speaking directly to me. I look at my life now and still see lots that needs to change but im just thankful im finally letting myself hear this message: How will I spend my life? Will I settle for a casual comfortable cultural christianity that totally ignores everyone suffering in the world? Will I turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to billions of people? I pray God will awaken our emotions to se just a tiny glimpse of what He sees every single day, what He is seeing happen right now around the world to so many people. I pray that we might feel just a tiny bit of the love our God has for individual people who are hurting in this broken world and that we might refuse to stick our heads in the sand and move on like they don’t exist. Love God, Love Others, Spread the Good News, Make Disciples – this is what it means to follow Jesus, its about a deep relationship with your savior that changes everything. Its not pray a prayer, go to church for an hour a week, live it up in this American dream world and coast your way to heaven – thats not christianity because thats not following Christ. To follow Jesus is to let His worldwide plan of ransom and rescue dictate everything you think, desire, do, plan, dream, how you make money, how you spend money, how you live, and how you are going to live – all for the spread of God’s great love among the nations because we love Him. 

 

Sending love back, you guys are in my prayers,

 

Jackson