Exodus Led Mission to Romania 20^th – 31^st July

Apprehensive, uncertain, nervous, excited these are the words we would use to describe how we felt as we embarked on a 19 hour journey from Strabane to the city of Zalau in the Transylvanian region of Romania, but we felt God’s call and with the power of prayer we placed ourselves in His hands. Exodus had based us in the city with host families who opened their homes to us. After six months of preparation, prayer and training we had arrived in Romania to work with the children from the village of Lupoaia, do practical work and home visits. During our stay we had the privilege to attend and participate in an open air church service in Simpetru. The two and a half hour Sunday service just flu and boy did we feel the power of the Holy Spirit at work. The first day of the Kids Club put butterflies in our tummies as we set out to the village – would any children turn up, what about the language difference….so many questions in our minds. But we prayed together and God answered our prayers. The first morning we had ten children and with the universal language of a football and skipping rope kicked in. Each day more and more children came to our club and with the help of translators we were truly blessed.  The Kids Club programme included prayer, bible message with related crafts, games, face painting and balloon sculpting concluding on our final day with an Agape meal. The team had opportunity to visit poor and vulnerable families in their homes bringing much needed food parcels. During these visits we had opportunity to share a verse from the Bible and to pray with and for the family. Though challenging the Holy Spirit guided and protected us. Our journey ended as we ‘walked in their shoes’ in Bush Camp, we spent two days and nights sleeping under make shift tents and through simulations we got a glimpse of poverty and social injustice issues which exist in the world today.

Our journey in Romania has ended  or has it…….we had hoped to bless people’s lives but it has been our lives that have been truly blessed and we give thanks to God, our families and friends for all their love and support.

Emma, D’Arcy, Kelsey, Hannah, Heidi, Karen, Kaye, Laura.