Monday, March 20, 2017

Last Day in Bucharest and Back to AZ!

After a good nights rest we were ready to enjoy Bucharest! It was so nice to spend time in a city with such a rich history. And the food, oh the food! We dined at an authentic Romanian restaurant and ate until we could eat no more! Spending time with friends in a new city will no doubt create lasting memories and we were thankful to end our trip in this fashion. Our vans arrived at 4:50 a.m. the next morning to take us to the airport. Though tired, we were ready to embark on our journey home. Seamless travel between planes and airports gave us just one more reason to look back on such a successful trip to Romania!  Thanks to everyone who greeted us at Sky Harbor! And thanks to everyone who came to yesterday's chapel! We look forward to Romania 2018!!

                        
 
               

Thursday, March 16, 2017

Ministry Day Five!

Our final day of ministry was filled with loving on children, praying for missionaries, moving furniture, and seeing Jesus at work (literally)! 

Several of us participated in Hope Church's Eyeglasses Ministry. A generous donor from the States provided several dozen pairs of glasses for those in need. The team spent time going door to door inviting anyone with poor vision to arrive at the church at 3:00 p.m. to choose a pair of glasses.  The system Pastor Raul has created involves people signing in, sitting down for a few minutes of prayer and counsel, and then picking out glasses. So, not only did we provide a physical need, we also had the opportunity to share the Good News! 

Others got the opportunity to meet Samuel and Raluca, missionaries in Coteana. We helped move furniture, and afterwards made more house visits. Bonus - we had the opportunity to try Romanian food such as Duck eggs and Romanian sausage!! Goody goody!!  

Still others got to work with kids and the After School Program. Megan Timmer brought over school supplies for this program as a part of her Senior Project. She says, "I got to see where my supplies will be going to and who it will bless. My heart is filled with joy every time I get to work with these children! The most encouraging part of the day was seeing a girl from my trip here last year. I'm blessed!" The group also let the kids pick out their own Leigh's Blankies. 

A fourth group went to Corabia and ministered to a fellow missionary by the name of Cornella. She is the wife of the pastor in the city and leads the children's ministry there. We visited her at a local bakery and ate a lot of yummy Romanian cake and drank cups of coffee while discussing what God was doing for her family and the church. God is moving in miraculous ways in the city of Corabia, He is drawing people to Himself through Cornella and her family. Our hearts are full!!