M SQUAD: 1 Church Body // 34 Unique Members

Hey everyone! I’m writing to you from Craiova, Romania! Check out my vlog above for a peek at Launch and our first travel day! Our Romanian host, Raul (pronounced: Raw-ool) was so overjoyed when he greeted us at the airport! He oversees Hope Church which does a variety of ministries in Craiova.

Ministry

AS A REMINDER! I am reaching out to my ministry partners/churches to become fully funded! I am $1,975 and 11 days away from my deadline! If you feel led to support our mission financially, you can donate online through my blog OR send a check to my parent’s address. Direct fund questions to: [email protected].

The next day we began orientation, but unfortunately 3 of our squadmates immediately came down with symptoms and tested positive for ‘rona. In order to proceed, Raul organized a system for each team to rotate meeting with him outside (appropriately distanced). I was really impressed how he wanted to ask each of us questions. Normally the host will just meet with the leaders, but he showed he genuinely wanted to know each of us and plug us into the various ministries he oversees in Craiova to the Lord’s best advantage!

At the end of my vlog my voice cracked, and I said I had a cold. Well, foreshadowing! I too tested positive for ‘rona last Sunday and joined the Quaranteam. But don’t be alarmed even for a moment! Our Quaranteam now includes 10 of us (all with mild symptoms)—everyone else is being monitored for symptoms. We are following procedure, and have daily schedules for when each team can enter the kitchen, three outdoor spaces, and shower—cleaning the space after use.

Thankfully Raul didn’t miss a beat in detailing a list of ways we can serve whilst in quarantine: 1 hour of corporate intercession, 1 hour of corporate worship, 1 hour of team time, 1 hour working on role responsibilities, 1 hour fundraising, 1 hour studying God’s Word, 30 minutes of exercise, and one Zoom meeting with Raul. He sent us a list of ways to intercede for his ministry (which I’ll include below). After our conversation, he asked me to spend 5 minutes a day asking the Lord if He wants me to stay and teach English at the local university in Craiova and help start a English club to minister to people locally. I’m considering it and seeking the Lord’s will about it.

Uniqueness of the Church Body

The most significant aspect of my experience so far on Quaranteam has been how graciously, quick, and loving the rest of our squad has been to serve us. Whenever we have outside time, the other rooms will open their windows to see us, joke with us, and express encouragement! When we run out of water and request more in our group chat—not a minute later—someone will reply they’re on it, and soon our door will be opened and a tank of water slid in. Haha XD.

There was a particular day that was smotheringly hot, 100+ degrees with no AC, just a plug in fan. During the evening, us in the room were debriefing each other’s days when we started dreaming out loud about eating something cold. Minutes later we heard a knock on our door. A hand held out a bowl of Oreo ice cream and spoons to us. WHAT!?

Another favorite memory of mine, is when one of the teams upstairs was worshipping. Suddenly Sav felt led to write encouragement to each of us directly in the group chat. Suddenly, everyone on the squad was asking the Lord for words for each other, and encouragement was updating every couple of seconds on the group chat for an hour. It was probably the most beautiful thing I’ve witnessed this year. Besides my friend, Krista’s, baby

Through the experience of being served by our squad leaders, squadmates, and witnessing to each other on the Quaranteam, I am reminded of the value and beauty that grows forth from the different roles each person contributes to the Church:

^“15 Suppose the foot says, “I am not a hand. So I don’t belong to the body.” By saying this, it cannot stop being part of the body. ¹⁶ And suppose the ear says, “I am not an eye. So I don’t belong to the body.” By saying this, it cannot stop being part of the body. ¹⁷ If the whole body were an eye, how could it hear? If the whole body were an ear, how could it smell? ¹⁸ God has placed each part in the body just as he wanted it to be. ¹⁹ If all the parts were the same, how could there be a body? ²⁰ As it is, there are many parts. But there is only one body…²⁵ In that way, the parts of the body will not take sides. All of them will take care of one another. ²⁶ If one part suffers, every part suffers with it. If one part is honored, every part shares in its joy. ²⁷ You are the body of Christ. Each one of you is a part of it” (1 Corinthians 12:15-20,25-27; NIV).

Each person on our squad is unapologetically themselves and seeks to use their overflow of gladness and confidence from the Lord to build up one another. Each person has their own unique style of leadership, personality, and skills, yet love and humbleness enable us to come under one vision—that God’s Kingdom be lifted higher. It’s really beautiful to see, and be a part of.

Today is my 6^th day on the Quaranteam—4 more days till I can test again, and possibly join ministry! While I am relieved I’m not in the hospital and the “extended Sabbath” has been valuable, I subtly feel torn about being here and physically feeling fine—but not being able to serve our host more and explore all the aspects of the culture. I remind myself that “there is time” for how God desires for us to serve here. The trust and love our squad has built through simple acts of service to each other, as well as our intercession for Raul’s ministry, and the various projects Raul has had us planning and working on from our rooms does have me so excited for our last two weeks here when we are out and about!

Comment below to let me know I can count on you for prayer! Thank you! Your prayers make a difference! : )

Prayer requests:

+Heal our squad from ‘rona!!!!

+That I would meet my fundraising deadline –> $13,000 by end of August!

+For the CHILDREN of Romania. Our God delights in the children he has made 🙂 Hope church is believing for at least 20 children to regularly be attending their discipleship program.

+For the YOUTH of Romania (middle school/ high school students). Hope Church is believing for a group of at least 20 youth in their discipleship programs.

+For 3-5 community churches in a few different districts in Craiova. There are 17 different districts (neighborhoods) in Craiova. At the moment, Hope church is a hub for all of these districts, but in the future, they want to see a community church in each district.

+With everything happening in Afghanistan, there are a ton of refugees coming to the states and Europe and places all around us. GUYS. There are people from one of the most unreached countries in the world FLOODING TO US. WHAT AN OPPORTUNITY! We may not be able to go to Afghanistan but guys, Afghanistan is literally coming to us! And we have the hope of Christ!!

+Hope churches’ language clubs. They would like to have 6 language clubs by the end of the year. At the moment, they have 3 English clubs (one for children, one for youth, and one for adults). They want to multiply these and start a Spanish club.