Context for Trip #10!

Once someone gets me talking about Romania, it can be hard to stop me.  Every question seems like it could be explained in a full-length book or feature film, not in one conversation.  But in this entry, 3 days before I'm scheduled to embark on trip #10, I wanted to do 2 things, just in case anyone's following along: 1) to describe as briefly as possible my history with the country.  2) to explain my aims for this particular trip.  The beauty of a blog entry is that once a reader gets tired of reading, he or she can simply stop, so kudos to you if you get through this whole entry, but no hurt feelings if you don't!

In 2005, I took my first short trip to Romania.  I'd been connected with an organization called International Children's Aid Foundation, through a woman from my church who'd recently traveled there with them.  My first two trips were similar - traveling with ICAF for 2 weeks and participating in ministry in a government orphanage and in a Christian children's home, as well as doing things like English Club in a nearby town.  In 2007, I returned to that same area to do similar work, though independently that time, with 2 friends and not in any official partnership with ICAF.  I stayed a month.  That was my last April-May trip, and my last time being there for Easter.  I call these first 3 trips my "early trips."

From 2007-2016, I desired to return to Romania and prayed often to that end.  I pursued moving there as a long-term missionary in 2008, but didn't do so, and went 9 long years without setting foot on the soil of that country.  

In 2016, I had the great joy of being invited to go to Romania once more.  My friend Derek was heading up a new mission program at a local Christian high school, and I got to join as a chaperone in their initial spring break trip to southern Romania.  Southern Romania was very different than the region I'd been in in my prior years, and the need for gospel ministry there was more evident.  I also found there some very like-minded friends and was immediately invited to move there long-term.  I pursued this again in 2017, and again decided not to take that path, but I returned on those March trips with the high school students several times.  I think of the 2016-2018 trips (trips 4,5, and 6) as the Derek trips - he led the team each year.

2019-2020 held what I think of as my "trio" of trips.  I returned with the students (under different leadership) in March of 2019, took a trip there with my good friend (and Derek's wife) Pam in October 2019, and traveled solo in March 2020 when the school team had to decide last minute to stay back due to COVID.  I'm so thankful for those 3 trips in close succession, in which I got to build on the relationships that had started in 2016-2018 and in which it felt increasingly "normal" to be there, even as the world got crazier. I returned home from Romania on the last flight that British Airways was flying from London to Phoenix, as the world shut down.

Plans to return to Romania in March 2021, May 2021, September 2021, and March 2022 were all thwarted by COVID and flight cancellations and limitations.  Plans for April 2022 have the primary purpose of sustaining relationships with my friends there, with the church there, and with the country in general.  The longer I am away, the harder it is to comfortably return.  I bought tickets in January and have watched carefully as events on the world stage seem to threaten the stability of Europe.  But as of the writing of this blog, I still intend to go from April 19th-May 4th, while holding all plans loosely.  Specifically, I intend to:

 - enjoy Bucharest for a couple days when I arrive.  I love this busy capital, and I left it when it was locking down and masking up 2 years ago.  I'd love to see it vibrant again, and I hope to spend time also with some friends there, and perhaps find a way to volunteer with refugees.

 - Celebrate Easter (1 week later there than in the US) with Hope Church Romania in either Draganesti or Craiova (or both!)

- participate in ministry alongside the missionaries and members of Hope Church.  This may look like helping with refugees, or it may look like any other number of tasks.

 - spend some quality time with a new friend named Simona.  Simona just graduated from an equipping ministry at Hope Church, and I served as her mentor, but have never met her in person! She just found work in a city called Drobeta, which I've visited once before, so I hope to spend a day or two in or near there.

 - visit my friend Dawn in the city of Timisoara.  Dawn is an American missionary who founded the first day center for kids with disabilities in that city.  We're hoping I can do music therapy while I'm there, but a national holiday may get in the way.  Either way, I want to see the facility and learn more about it - this is the type of ministry I'd envisioned myself doing way back in 2008! 

- return to Bucharest for one more night before flying home

Ok, I don't know if anyone read this far, but thank you for reading if so.  Hopefully anyone following along as I post about this trip will have a better context for all of it.  As always, I covet your prayers for a safe and fruitful journey!