My first trip to Romania was in June 2001. I went to work with kids giving massage in a state run institution. That led to a sequence of events in which my family moved to Romania as full time missionaries in June of 2003 serving as administrators for private run Christian family homes operated by Global Hope. We returned to the United States in 2005. In 2006 I made three different trips to Romania with the last being that summer.
Since that last trip to Romania in 2006 it has been challenging to say the least as I have transitioned back to life in the United States. At one point it became necessary to completely detach from the operations and children that we worked with on a daily basis so that we could collect ourselves and reflect on where we had been and what God had brought us through. As can happen frequently with any passion, my wife Pam and I had become burnt out and exhausted from the work.
However, after a time of healing it became increasingly clear that my heart was still with the children, friends and country of Romania. My one constant connection was through my dear friend and brother in Christ, Walter Williams, who was in Romania serving with Global Hope. Walter would return from Romania and often stop by our house within hours of setting foot in America. He and I would sit in my front room for hours catching up and I would go to bed unable to sleep, thoughts swirling through my head about the children, operations and the challenges that existed.
Finally, in November of 2008 when Walter had returned I declared to him that it was time for me to go back to Romania. I desired to lead a small team of people with one sole purpose; to connect with the Romanian people at their hearts and learn about what life is like for the children and adults alike in that country. I wasn't interested in a material project but wanted to build on relationships developed over time to share my passion with a small group of people.
A year later in November of 2009 I met formally for the first time with the group that would go with me. Walter and I had discussed previously that the best teams were ones that were well prepared spiritually. The spiritual preparation of this team would be imperative if it was to be successful. The model for this team would be entirely different from the teams I had led and hosted in the past. We met a number of times over the next ten months. We read Foreign to Familiar: A Guide to Understanding Hot and Cold Climate Cultures and Three Cups of Tea as a group to understand the differences that exist between our home culture and the culture of a foreign country. Romanian friends of ours that have immigrated to Denver met with the team and prepared a Romanian meal so that the team would get a better sense of the people and the cuisine. For ninety days leading up to the day of departure each team member read a daily devotional specifically written to prepare them for the project and children that they would be involved in.
The following posts detail the trip and also serve as a way for me to reflect on an amazing two weeks reconnecting with friends that are like family to me. Through this trip I realized that the children in Romania are remarkable and love unconditionally. They smile, laugh and enjoy life. They reminded me that God is good and full of love just like they are. It's clearly evident that knowing Jesus has made all the difference to each of them.
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