Mission News: Our Amazing God

By Rebekah Davis

Romania was an amazing experience and a great time to grow and bond with some incredible people. We left thinking we would be working primarily in orphanages. When we got there Iosef, the man who hosted us and helped us while we were in Romania, told us that we would be doing a VBS during the second week. The first week we prepared by planning and practicing skits, and making salvation bracelets. We also had time to relax and grow closer as a team.

Midweek we drove 7 hours to Tirgu Mures for an overnight stay. While there, we visited Opportunity International, which is an organization that loans money to help people get a small business started in order to support their families. We also visited an orphanage and a youth group there. It was fun to talk with the youth group and see how their interests were so similar to ours.

The second week we held the VBS at Iosef's church, inviting children in the surrounding area. VBS consisted of a Bible lesson, a snack, games and learning a new song everyday, which was taught by the Romanians. We helped out where we could, which mainly involved being with the children. We also did a night program, which was mostly lead by us. Each evening we had singing, a skit, and two of our students gave their testimony or taught a lesson.

We went to three churches during the week where we were able to assist in leading the service. At one church, in a poor village about an hour drive away, a family invited our whole team of 22 to their house for dinner. It was amazing because everything was homegrown (fruits and vegetables) or home-raised (chickens). This abundant dinner was the family's tithe to the church. All of us were completely touched by this generosity and didn't want to leave anything on our plates even when we couldn't eat anymore.

The other thing that touched us was the kids. The kids in VBS were so loving. All they wanted was to be near you, play with you, hug you or have piggyback rides. These kids taught us while we were teaching them.

I learned a lot on this trip through the kids, the quiet times I had with God, and through sharing my testimony. My testimony includes my relationship with a teacher with whom I was very close. He had cancer and died last summer. As far as I know, he was not a Christian. Telling this story is emotionally hard for me to share, but God gave me peace through my talk and through the entire trip.

Before returning home, we got to visit Vienna. One night while there, the euro cup soccer game was on. Many members of our team went out to watch it and others stayed at the youth hostel. At first, my friend and I were skiing down the hallway while one of the guys was playing his guitar. After a while he came out and played while we all sang praises to God. It is awesome that we can praise God anywhere, and at anytime.

God also taught me many other little things on this trip, especially about His love and devotion to us. He promises never to leave or forsake us. I'm going to be a senior in high school this year and have started to look and think about going away to college. That can be exciting but it also means I will be away from my family and friends. But I also know that even though my family and friends can't go with me to college, God will go with me. My best friend who is my heavenly Father has promised He will always be with me. That is so comforting.