I was extremely blessed to have been sent to Romania as my first month here on the World Race. It is such a diverse country. It has such beauty and potential, and yet there is so much darkness. There is a spiritual battle waging so heavily that it is seeping in big ways into the physical world, which is something that the typical American, such as myself, would find hard to understand or comprehend. There is a dim light waning behind each person’s sad eyes. All they seem to know is oppression. That same darkness has threatened my teammates and I as well. However, because I and some others on my squad have mentioned our struggles and the hopelessness, I have decided to do something different for this blog. I, in particular, seem to write mostly about the more negative things about myself. I find myself speaking about “The Bad, The Worse, and The Ugly”. But where God is, Light is. Where He acts, Hope moves. When He Speaks, Salvation soars. And let me tell you, The Spirit has been moving, in big ways! I want to start focusing on that or, in other words, “The Good, The Great, and The God”. That is why, for this blog, I am going to be briefly mentioning the ways I have seen God work this month: in and through Hope Church, my teammates, and myself.
Hope Church is an amazing body of believers who have been working in Romania, especially in Craiova and the surrounding villages for many years. They share the gospel on the streets and at events, practice holistic ministry by giving food and necessities while also giving the Word, and go deeper with converts to create disciples that disciple. On top of all of that, they also are global-minded. They achieve this vision, in part, by bringing in missionaries, both long- and short-term, from other countries. They also yearn to expand their reach with a new base in a different country and work to send out their local believers out. They are listening to God and following the Great Commandment! For these reasons and many more, I have been happy to work with and learn from them.
Highlights from Hope Church:
Youth Outreach- They focused a lot on the youth of the city. They constantly sent us out with flyers for different events aimed at the high-schoolers and college-aged kids. We were able to invite them to daily worship nights, which was an awesome experience, because they got to see believers unashamedly worshipping a God that they may never have heard of. The Spirit moved powerfully during those nights. We also hosted game nights and youth nights where we hung out with them and just got to know them on a more personal level.
Roma programs- One outreach program that Hope Church focuses on is the Roma, or “Gypsy”, communities. Gypsy is something of a derogative term. These people had communities built on the outskirts of Craiova and there were five in total. Hope Church would bring them food and clothes and would have ministry moments for the children, which consisted of songs and a Bible Story. I was a part of one where we just sang the words “Isus te iubeste” (Jesus Loves You) over and again in a simplistic melody. To see their faces light up and beam with giant smiles simultaneously broke and lifted your heart. They so desperately needed the love of Christ.
Eyeglass ministry- This was one of the last things we were able to partake in. We went to one of the nearby villages and set up several tables at the church. Some of us took blood pressure and sugar, some prayed, some handed out gifts, and some handed out eyeglasses. I did that final one. We had buckets of eyeglasses with varying levels of power. In order to determine which ones they needed, we had Bibles open and had them read the verses out loud. I thought that was a really awesome way to immerse them in the Word of God, while also addressing their physical need. I made sure that each Bible was open to 1 Peter 2:24-25, which is basically the Gospel in two verses. We saw some amazing things take place here.
My squad is such a crazy mix of amazing people. They are so full of love for God and led by the Spirit, truly listening for His beautiful voice. We have born evangelists, preachers, prayers, servers, and so many more. This is the Body of Christ as He intended! So many members with so many functions, and yet He makes it work with unity and cohesion. They have each others backs and show love so well, both in the team and to the community at large. I have been blessed with the ability to watch them at work and witness God using them! Its only been one month and already they have done insane things for people and for the Kingdom!
Highlights from My Squad:
Relationships- This squad has a heart for developing relationships. They never viewed the people they were evangelizing to as projects. They saw them as friends and potentially deep relationships. That is such an important distinction to make and can lead to the love of God actually being shown. I saw this in many ways, and I encourage you to read their blogs to see some of those stories! God was shown as a personal Being who actually wanted a relationship, not just meaningless religion.
Good Works- Good works and service are not the main goal of Christianity. However, they are still very important and can be used by God for some awesome things. Over and over again I saw my squad-mates give generously and lovingly to people on the streets. I was walking with one on the way to grab some breakfast. We passed a homeless person. After he ordered, we walked back towards the homeless person and he gave them one of the food items he had picked up. Simple as that, he gave from what God had first given him. I was blown away by this beautiful surrender.
Discipleship- Evangelism is crucial! We must plant the seeds. However, it is just as important that we make sure to follow up and go deeper. If they believe in God, we cannot just abandon them at a surface level. We have to be an example of Christ and teach them what the Bible actually says. One of my teammates started a discipleship program for some of the friends she made. She is trying to make sure it is self-sufficient and can continue long after we leave.
I struggled this month, but God has worked powerfully inside of me. I do not find it easy talking about what I did well, but I will attempt it.
Highlights From Me:
Freedom- God gave me much needed freedom from the oppression of demons I had been suffering with for 15 years or so after my team leader laid hands on me and prayed over this. I am worthy. I am redeemed. I am saved. I have something to offer. I am loved.
Skills, Likes, Gifts- I was able to serve with some of my gifts and passions this month. I made a Profile and contact sheet for World Race and the church. I did some service acts from different people, like walking trash and plastic recycling to bins, picking up water, and other things. It is simple, sure, but I finally felt like I was serving God and being used by Him. Hope Church also gave me the opportunity to film the poems that I had written about them and my experiences in Romania.
Prayer- I never thought I was good at praying. In fact, I always felt bad at it. But recently, people have told me I am a powerful prayer and intercessor. I have been stepping into that every chance I got. While my squad went out to practice street-evangelism, I would either walk the streets or find a quiet place, and I would just pray for them and for the hearts of all those they encountered. Even when walking with them, I would just be fervently praying. Turns out, I really enjoy talking to God.
Speaking out- “Don’t you ever think before you talk? If you did, you wouldn’t be so stupid-sounding.” That question was given to me in my past by a person who I thought was my friend in high-school. I never forgot it, and it definitely helped shape who I am. I realized that people don’t want to hear me or know the real Malachi. I became a lot quieter after that and kept most of my thoughts and ideas inside. While there is some wisdom in knowing when to speak and what to keep inside, this sentence was used to wound me in a very real way. I cannot evangelize, make friends, spread the gospel, or even be friendly. But this month, I have been stepping out from the shadow of the lie that no-one wants to hear my voice or get to know me. Even as I write this, I am struggling. God is so Good and has redeemed my mouth and mind. I will courageously share my stories, my knowledge, my poems, and the Good News!
Thank you for taking the time for reading this blog! I hope it shows that through the darkness, God’s light truly shone in Romania! He brought people to Him, provided for spiritual and physical needs, and grew us closer to Him. Praise God for this month in Craiova!
As always thank you for your support and love!
I invite you to visit the Hope Church website and social media pages to find out more about them: Our Missions – HOPE CHURCH (hoperomania.org).
Also, you should read the blogs of my squad-mates if you have the time! Please support them with love and prayer.
