the in between

i realize it's been about... oh 3 weeks since i last posted and that post was from my first day out of ten that i spent in romania... so to say i'm behind would be an understatement. the fact that i didn't post anymore while i was in romania might give you a clue as to how busy we were and how little free time i had. there is more to be said about that trip and the experiences i had there and hopefully i'll be able to share some of them with you soon.

transitioning back into regular routine has proved difficult. i always find that "re-entry" after a missions trip, whether you were gone for 2 weeks or 3 months, is a tough process. transitioning between vastly different cultures can be tricky to navigate and it can really mess with your head and make you question everything, which is both a blessing and a curse.

so i did what any normal person would do. i hid. oh wait, that isn't normal? well sometimes it's normal to me. you know, what do you do when you don't want to deal with things like ummm your emotions? you avoid them. you watch endless hours of friday night lights. you sleep for 11 hours a night. or maybe that's just me. i guess we all have our methods of coping. don't judge.

couple all the emotions you've just experienced after sitting in a tiny 2-room home in romania that houses 10 kids under the age of 15 with all the emotions of jumping into this holiday season after getting engaged last christmas and then breaking up 2 1/2 months later and well... that's just a recipe for disaster folks. that's exactly what i've felt like. a disastrous mess of emotions including anger at anything that breathes and overwhelming sadness and hopelessness that i wish i still wasn't feeling. oh man, writing all of that out just makes me sound so crazy. but you all know i like to keep things real around here when i can.

despite the messiness i've still managed to maintain myself on weight watchers. i'm so close to my original goal of 70lbs... only about 12 away. just crazy. i ran another 5k only 2 days after getting home from romania. it was great because i got to run with my sister, who i adore obviously, and it was so special. we're running another one on saturday here in our city. the finish line is only a block from my house. fantastic! so i guess i'm a runner now? feels weird saying, but it has to be true. i've logged over 43 miles in the last 7 weeks. that must qualify me as something.  ;)

thanks for all the support and love during this season. special thanks to all my ladies on twitter for the encouragement lately. xoxo

grace and peace,

first day in romania

today was our first full day here in romania and honestly i feel like i've been here a week already. we had a jam-packed day and combined with the jet lag... well that's probably why i feel like that.

we had the opportunity to share at 3 different churches today with some friends of ours and it was amazing. i am once again humbled by the outpouring of love from the romanian people. they welcome us with open arms and are willing to wait sometimes hours for us to arrive to share with them. i count it a full privilege to be welcomed into their homes and churches so openly. we were able to pray for many people and lay hands on many who are sick... i am so excited to hear the reports from those who were healed because i KNOW God did so much today!

the 2nd church felt right at home to me as soon as i walked in because it was PACKED with children. it's no secret that i love kids and i especially love teaching children's messages. i knew once i stepped through that door that i would need to share with those precious kids. immediately i thought that i would share the story of david and goliath, so while someone else introduced us i quickly refreshed my memory on all the details of the story. i had a blast getting them all involved and doing my best to make it applicable to their lives today. i think it went really well. they seemed on the edge of their seats which is always a good sign. storytelling to children is so fun because you get to be silly and extra dramatic. haha. right up my alley!

overall it was a fabulous first day. please pray for God to continue to give us strength for the days ahead! tomorrow our day will start at 11am and they say we won't return to the hotel until midnight! oh my! this is not a trip for the faint of heart. it's tiring, but God's love must be spread. so thankful i get to be one of His tools to do it!

and thank you to all of you who are praying for us while we are here. your prayers are certainly felt. thank you thank you thank you!!!!

grace and peace,

it's travel time again

over the last 5 years i've gotten to travel to some incredible places around the world and develop relationships with some amazing people. i try not to take the opportunities i've had for granted and i feel so privileged to work alongside some of the most faithful servants i believe this world has to offer. this year was tough in so many ways, one of them being that it's the first year i haven't traveled to zambia after going for 4 years straight. while i have peace about that decision, it was still a hard one to make. traveling and sharing God's love with others has become a part of who i am... at least in this season of life.

in 2009 i had the opportunity to travel to romania with my parents and a few others. my parents have been going to romania for years. while there they spend a lot of time sharing at churches and encouraging the pastors and believers there. bibles are hard to come by for a lot of people so they've made it a personal mission to put a bible into as many hands as possible. i've witnessed firsthand the joy the people feel when they are given their very own bible- they way they hold it as their most precious treasure. it's humbling when i think about how much i take for granted- like the fact that i have access to my bible on my phone 24/7? yeah.

on monday night i'll be getting on a plane destined for eastern europe where i'll once again get to see and connect with some special people. i'll be in romania for 10 days traveling with my parents, my pastor and 2 dear friends of mine. i'm looking forward to getting out of my usual routine and being submersed in another culture for a while. i can't help it. i love these kinds of adventures. i do feel a bit under-prepared for this trip though. there has been so much going on the last few weeks that has taken my attention but i know God will move despite that. let's just hope i can get everything done before i leave monday. and if not? i suppose the world will still go on. just another lesson in relinquishing control i suppose.  :)

if you are able, please keep me and our team in prayer! pray for safety as we travel... pray that i am able to get some sleep on our overnight flight... i'm usually a terrible plane sleeper. pray that we would not only be prepared to give of ourselves, but that we would be open to receive what God has for us as well. i'm humbled that God can use me even in my broken, messed up state. i know it's when i'm the most weak that He is strong. that is certainly going to be my mantra for this trip. pray that when we have opportunities to speak that God would fill our mouth with His words that would encourage and bless the hearts of those listening.

i'll do my best to keep you updated along the way (thank God for international plans on the iphone). i have a favor to ask you? would you commit to pray for me while i'm away? i thought if i could get at least 10 people to choose one day to pray (or even fast if you feel so inclined), that would be amazing. what a way to stay connected together during this time! we leave this monday november 7th and return on wednesday november 16th. if you're able to would you just leave me a comment and tell me what day you'll commit to pray? if more than 10 people want to do this, then we can always have multiple people praying each day. you can't ever have enough prayer.  :)

thank you so much for your support in this. i'm so blessed by all of you!

in the meantime

today is a special day! i'm guest-posting over at my dear friend tatiana's blog today. she's doing a series called "her story" which features different women sharing parts of their life. i was so honored when she asked me to be a part of it. so click on over and check it out.

 

thanks again tatiana for letting me join in!

hope you all have a wonderful day!