Debris that had been hiding in the corners of the mission house for weeks were swept into piles in the middle of the floor. Wrappers, empty water bottles, tangles of hair and scraps of paper sat impatiently waiting to be added to one of the trash bags by the door. They would have to wait a little longer. We had been cleaning and packing all day, but at some point Jack pulled out his guitar and Sarah began to sing, and now half the squad was crowded in one of the teams’ bedrooms as worship poured from our grateful lips. Tomorrow we would leave Craiova, our home for the past 2 months, and we didn’t want to forget everything that the Lord had done there. This remembrance manifested itself in praise.
If you’ve been keeping up with my blog, you know some of what I’ve learned over the past 2 months. But I am only a small part of the system that makes up my squad, and everything I could tell you from my experience would be insufficient to describe what the Lord has done in Craiova in and through Gap G. So I am pleased to show you the perspectives of 10 of my squadmates and what they’ve been taught these past 2 months.
Trin- “I learned how to not be a cactus.” She said. I scrunched my face to convey confusion. “Do you want to expand on that?” I asked. “Back home I have been seen as prickly and unapproachable, but evangelizing has made me…not prickly.” She said, grinning. Trin was a member of the evangelism team, where she had to go up to complete strangers and tell them about Jesus. That experience would pluck the prickles out of anyone.
Josiah- I myself was convicted when Josiah answered, “I learned where I have been putting my priorities. I have been prioritizing the people instead of my relationship with God. It was mentally challenging here to focus on what really matters.” During the World Race, one of the best parts is to spend months traveling with your closest friends. The community is a good thing, and I can testify to the difficulty of keeping it from being the ultimate thing. Many racers struggle with prioritizing time with Jesus above time with squadmates, but Josiah recognized this and used Romania as a time of communion with the Lord.
Belle- “I learned what it looks like to see the way that God shines brighter than any darkness and to trust Him in any challenge. It was pretty dark and heavy here, but to see the fruition of choosing into his joy has been beautiful.”
Sarah- “The Lord is my sole comforter. Also, don’t get your nose pierced by some random lady on Facebook.” Sarah laughs at the memory. “Seriously though, don’t do it.”
Kobe- He looks back to meditation on Romans 12:10, “I have seen what it means to practice my faith in an unfamiliar environment. I’ve also seen what it looks like to pursue my friends as long term relationships and brothers and sisters in Christ. I have learned what it means to surrender my expectations, and anxiety to God.”
EmmaLea- “What did you learn in Romania, EmmaLea?” I ask as I plop on her bed one night. She grins at me with her beautiful smile and says, “I have seen how much the Father loves every human being on this earth and how He desires everyone to follow his will and lay their lives down for Him. He is steadfast even towards those who don’t know Him and who reject Him. Also all of Revelation.”
Abbi- Abbi’s ministry has looked different from most of the squad. She has a gift for photography, and Hope Church utilized her talents to promote their media ministry. She was able to work closely with Raul and Anna, which taught her, “the importance of serving those who are in ministry leadership, how the father has a heart to pour out into others so that they can pour out.”
Landry- Landry also got to work closely with our hosts, the Costea Family, and had a similar takeaway as Abbi, “I learned that serving the people who serve you, is just as important as serving the unreached. Permanent missionaries are often overlooked when it comes to serving them. Something I have become really passionate about, is genuinely pouring into them and creating intimate and lasting relationships with them.”
Maddy- “I saw what it looks like to meet people where they’re at while in ministry. I learned that discipleship is not only telling them about Jesus but listening to them and hearing what their perspectives are. Lastly, Raul showed me what it looks like to be patient with others.”
Natalina- “The Lord has shown me what it means to stand in the gap and fight behind the scenes. The Lord has revealed to me the importance of fighting privately in prayer. My effectiveness in the kingdom is not based on my performance but my obedience. Many of us are willing to publicly fight for the kingdom but are not willing to bear the weight of responsibility behind closed doors. I have learned what it means to walk in the responsibilities he has given me in privacy and fight behind the scenes where I am unseen by the world but fully known by the father.”
Marissa- Lastly, I got a word from our Squad Leader, “God has continued to show me how people are uniquely and profoundly exemplifying who He is through their individuality. God, a creator, a redeemer, a restorer and a savior, has used each and every racer on this squad to show me more of Who He is. I can see snippets of His character of love, encouragement and holiness through Gap G. My mission is this squad and serving them, learning from them and walking shoulder to shoulder with them.”
