'In Summary...' Part 1: My Trip to Romania & Back

Village children who were eagerly waiting for our arrival...

Amazed.
touched.
overwhelmed.
filled.
stretched.
confused.
enlightened.
challenged.
drained.
inspired.

During my time in that country (Romania) and through everything that we did over there I have experienced all of the above sensations at different times. It's really quite hard to explain exactly what happened 1) in me, while there and what happened 2) in Romania, while I was there. I honestly don't know where to start!

I do know I can say: I am so glad I went.
So very glad I was chosen to go, and quite honored really that anyone --especially God Himself--would think that a 20 year old girl would be any help! I know that if anyone of the precious people over there were blessed by our songs, testimonies (and dance, in my case) ...then we were blessed, ten times over.

Just to be in a different country, and in someone else shoes for a while not only shook me up (in a good way) but also caused to be stop and view my own 'shoes' in a different way. Compared to the multitudes of folks' everyday lives in Romania, we, you & I, live like nobles...like rich people! Physically, we have everything we need (and more) and we think nothing of it. Emotionally, (I know everyone's story is different but ) I at least have been given a very safe, loving and stable home life. So, so many of the Romanians kids, and young people we met & talked to ---like the under 18 yr olds in the juvenille prison--grew up basically on their own, left to their own devices, with little love, direction or guidance. No one lived out an example of Jesus' love for them! No one showed them that their was anything more to life than alcohol, sex, drugs, cutting, pornography, etc, etc... it was so sad to see their breaking hearts, trying to hide their pain from their faces.
My prayer after leaving many of those kinds of places (like prisons, kids homes, etc.) was,
"Lord, show them You, Jesus. Please wrap them in your love over & over, while You show them the truth of Who You are." 

And you know, the thing is... I need that prayer for myself too.  
Don't you? I think we all need more of Jesus, less of 'us'.


{More posts about Romania to come soon.}

What Love Really Means

by Christian artist JJ Heller, with her husband David.

This video and song moved me so much when I listened to it several times today. Is it not amazing that God does indeed love us? ...and not just that, He loves us for us, as we are! How can that be?
Yet, it is true.....and that's incredible.

On Trial {God's Refining Fire For Our Faith}

    I love the "Aha!" moments. Those times when something just clicks and things get 'brighter' inside. :-) That happened to me this morning, while talking with Mom, and I thought the subject was important enough to share.

Have you ever heard those verses from the Bible that talk about trials and temptations?
You know: the "hold fast to the faith", "stand strong", and "whenever you face trials" verses?
Well, James 1:2-18 contains a good many things to be said on the subject of trials and temptations.
And where they come from and how to handle them. (Mom was studying James in her personal time this morning, and then she read James 1 aloud to me.) Here are two special verses that caught my attention, but their very juxtaposition:

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. (vs. 2-3)


When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. (vs. 13&14)

 The first thing I noticed as Mom was reading through it aloud (sometimes hearing a passage brings it out to our ears more than reading silently would) was that trials and temptations are not the same. Not at all. I suppose I 'knew' this, but I did not realize it! But yes, it is true. Think of Job. God was not tempting him, He was trial-ing him, if you will. Job was on trial! Why? For his faith. It's like God was saying, Job, "How much faith do you have in Me? Through how much will you 'stick' to Me?"  Because,

"In this you [should] greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials,so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ..." (1 Peter 1:6&7)

This chapter in James talks about trials and how whenever I face them, I need to remember with joy that they will produce perseverance, because they are testing my faith! To my normal human thinking, this does hardly seem something to be happy or joyful about. :( Trials always puts me in mind of Tevye from Fiddler on the Roof. He has these bad things happen to him over and over again, often right at a time that would have been otherwise joyful! His act of looking to the heavens with a sort of, "Really, God? Was that necessary?" attitude is something we all feel like doing once in a while at least...
And yet. And yet, I am to welcome trials! Why? Why is that, and, how could I?
I can do just that, and rise above the temptations and make it through the trials because I know that:

• Trials from God are refining me & my faith in Him! He is making my faith stronger and stronger; He is refining my trust & hope in Him until it is a beautiful and true as gold!
• Temptations never come from God, always from the Devil and I am tempted only because my flesh wants to be. My spirit is God's and in communion with Him, so temptations can't touch that! But I must resist the temptings, and stay on the narrow path.
• The greatest (i.e. the most faithful) of Christians from history and time were able to be and do what they did because they knew that through the trials and even in the temptations, God was with them. He never ever left them, and  still promises this to us: 

"No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it." (1 Cor. 10:13)

So there you have it. I really learned something today. Something about God (He is so merciful, and thoughtful!) and something about myself (if I trust God, I can overcome!)  :-)

Happy St. Lucias Day, Everyone!
~Hannah

- - - - - - - - - - - - - * Merry Christmas! *