A Love That Overflows

I apologize for not posting last weekend! Our internet was down.

I know that these posts don't give elaborate detail on what exactly is going on each week but again, I am limited in what I can share about the children because of privacy restrictions. 

One of the biggest highlights of the past week was that two interns from last summer were here! It was so great to see them again. One of them was able to help work with the babies each day- it was encouraging to have her there.

Each day I am with the babies I fall more and more in love with them (go figure!). I love their individual personalities, I love it when they laugh and coo, I love how much love they have to give. I am beginning to dread having to leave them at the end of the summer.

Here are some precious shots of a few of the kids and some fun pictures with the other interns

Only a small fraction of the baby toys we get to clean each week

The Lord has given me so much passion for these kids. This is a blessing, but sometimes it feels like a curse. There is overwhelming need and I am humbled to know that I simply cannot do it all. My passion for kids isn’t going to change their lives, but my passion for CHRIST just might. I remember a sermon that Todd Wagner gave at Watermark Community Church where he challenged the congregation to reevaluate what we are passionate about. My generation is always hearing “follow your passions” because that is where happiness and worth are found-in what we are passionate about, right? Wrong. Scripture doesn’t tell us to follow our passions; it tells us to search our hearts and follow CHRIST.

I know that my passions are going to run dry and leave me wondering what the purpose was if God is not the heart and soul of what I do. I continue to ask why, I continue to struggle with circumstances I see around me, and I will always wonder what more I could have done to help… and yet, I know that if God is my driving passion, he will move through my heart and actions in incredible ways.

I don’t just want to be passionate; I want to be passionate about God’s glory. He only asks for my obedience and that I trust him with the results. WHEW. That’s a relief.

Who Was, and Is, and Is To Come

Romania Week 3 

I’ve been trying to piece together all of my thoughts so forgive me if this post is a little bit scatter brained—I’ve had a lot on my mind.

I have been asking the question “WHY” so much lately..

Why have these kids been left by their families? Why are they subject to live a life that they never chose for themselves? If God is good, WHY does he allow these things to happen. The bible says that he is the defender of the weak..but it seems like they are not being defended right now.

Who am I to question the Lord? I know that in EVERYTHING he is Holy. He is holy when there is joy but he is equally holy when his children suffer and are in pain. He doesn’t “save his holiness” for certain situations and not others.

I have been reading through Daniel and it has opened my eyes to God’s power and authority. This is comforting because I know that although it looks like he has no control over what is happening to the orphans around the world, he is still sovereign.

When Nebuchadnezzar is ousted from his kingdom and driven to live with the wild beasts for 7 years he comes to recognize his humanity and God’s power. Daniel 5  says “..he was fed grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, until he knew that the most high God rules over the kingdom of mankind and sets over it whom he wills”. 

He is not absent! He commands the rise and fall of kingdoms and earthly powers. The bible is full of this truth. I found comfort in knowing that God is not ignorant to what is going on with his children who seem so abandoned. He commands the authorities who make the political decisions concerning these precious children. So much politics, so little progress.

We sang Revelation Song as a group the other night and my heart ached for Christ’s return. The darkness of a world without him is almost suffocating and seems to cloud over any glimpse of light…this place is not my home. But I know that he is coming soon! I am overjoyed that one day these kids will find a love with their heavenly father unlike any they have ever known.

“…For he is the living God, enduring forever; his kingdom shall never be destroyed, and his dominion shall be to the end. He delivers and rescues, he works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth…” Daniel 6:26-27

AMEN TO THAT

Here are some pics from the week! 

Going for a walk in the park! He didn't know what to think about the stroller

He is approximately 3 years old

Celebrating Mallory's birthday (another intern)

A night in town with a few of the interns

Sunset 

For more detailed information about the week I will be sending out an email! Comment with your email address if you are interested in receiving these updates. 

Great Expectations

This past week was my first full week at the baby hospital. My days are long but full of enjoyment because I LOVE getting to spend each day with the kids. Courtney (the other intern who is working at the baby hospital) and I take a taxi to the bus stop and then we take the public bus to the town where the baby hospital is. The entire process takes us about an hour and a half because we are commuting. Public transportation is not my favorite thing in the world but I will say that the scenery on the ride to the hospital more than makes up for it.

The Lord blessed us with cool weather, which is a welcome relief from the 90 degree temperatures of the week before-Most buildings don’t have air conditioning here!

The “Baby Team”, which we have come to call ourselves, has divided up the kids at the hospital who need the most developmental help. We will each have 3-4 children who we will work with on a daily basis on a rotation schedule. This is effective because the kids become familiar with us and we become familiar with their needs, and we are able to recognize improvements. Improvements for each child range from having enough strength to sit up on their own, to walking.  It’s different for each child. These are the kids who I get to spend each day with!

Pray that he gains the strength to hold himself up and develops motor control

Pray that she develops social skills and connects with a caregiver

Pray that he will make eye contact and “socialize” with those around him

When a child is developing, it is important that they develop attachment to the people who care for them. This reduces the likelihood of an “attachment disorder” later in life. Some of the children have great social/emotional development but are struggling with physical development while others have developed physically but not socially/emotionally.

When I spend time with these children I can’t help but pray for a miracle. I want them to grow up and have sharp minds that can comprehend how good God is. I have great expectations for what the Lord is going to do with their lives. They have many hurdles to overcome but I know that with God as their ally and biggest advocate, anything is possible. This is something I have to remind myself of on a daily basis.

Isaiah 61:1

"The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
    because the Lord has anointed me
    to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
    to proclaim freedom for the captives
    and release from darkness for the prisoners..."

Cow Brains & Good Company

 One week down! This past week the interns were busy preparing for the many different ministries we will be involved in over the summer. It has been a blast since my days have been full of productivity and fellowship. I get to work with such an amazing group! On one of our first nights here we took a walk up to the top of a hill near our house and took this picture-It is a pretty accurate portrayal of all the different personalities.

It is incredible to see how God brought each one of us to Romania and how he is already using our individual talents to make his name known.

Being here reminds me of so many lessons that I learned last summer-How easily we forget what the Lord teaches! It is humbling to see what HE has done over the past year and even more humbling to recognize that he doesn’t NEED me to accomplish his work. Yet, he has allowed me to be here and it is my desire to be clay in his hands, fashioned as a tool that he can use for his own glory. 

I was able to spend three days at the baby hospital last week. It was so good to be back! I can’t believe how some of the kids have grown since last time I saw them. Right now there are 16 infants/toddlers (this includes a few 3 and 4 year olds) in the care of the hospital-this is a very high number. One big change that has happened since last summer is that the hospital has given Livada a room in the hospital, which is now a play room! This is a HUGE praise because the babies and toddlers had no space to play and develop before this. We are so grateful for the hospitals generosity.

Here are some pictures of one little girl. The first picture is from last summer, and the second picture is from this summer. Look how she has grown! She is now walking and is right on target developmentally which is also a praise. 

In my blog, and any form of social media, I am limited in how much information I can relay because of privacy restrictions. I cannot refer to the babies by name but I will be sending email updates with more details.

Right now I can say that one of the biggest prayer needs is that God continues to bless the relationship between the hospital staff and Livada because without a good relationship, nothing we do there would be possible.

Oh, you’re probably wondering about the cow brains…well, I can officially say that I’ve eaten cow brain-ah! Another intern was adventurous enough to order it at a restaurant and I had to have a bite (with some encouragement of course). A bite was enough. It is safe to say that my team encourages me in more ways than being adventurous with food. The community we have found with one another is truly an answered prayer and makes a big difference in our daily activities.  

Please pray this verse for us as a group:

"May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Jesus Christ. So that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ" [Romans 15:5-6] 

And So It Begins-Summer 2013

ROMANIA-SUMMER 2013

This is the view from my window 

This summer I will spend two months in the Transylvania region of Romania where I will be interning for Livada Orphan Care for a second time (www.livada.org). There are 11 other interns from all over the United States who will be with me.

Livada has several ministries that we will be part of. They have a VBS styled day camp for state orphans, a literacy program in the Ogra gypsy village, and a partnership with a local hospital where babies, who are too young to be in a state orphanage/group home, live. 

8 Interns will be working at camp, 2 will be in Ogra, and myself and another returning intern will be at the baby hospital.

Last year my role as an intern was to help facilitate and lead the day camp but this summer I will be working with the infants and toddlers! Many of them have delayed physical and cognitive development because they have not been nurtured and cared for in the way they need. I will be assisting with daily therapies and exercises that will help these children to develop into healthy adults. It is very eye opening to see what a lack of face-to-face interaction and affection can do to a child—God designed us to love and be loved! Since I am a Child Development major, this is incredible experience. I’m grateful that I get to surrender my passion for kids to the Lord and that he has chosen to use me in this way!

THANK YOU for all of the prayer. The group of 12 interns, myself included, arrived this morning after 4 days of Orientation in Dallas and 24 hours of travel. I’m happy to report that this year we didn’t lose any bags! We flew from Dallas to London, and from London to Bucharest, Romania. After a 6 hour bus ride through the night we made it to Casa Rene (the name of Livada’s guest house). 

Everyone is in good health and is taking the day to fight off jet lag--jet lag is so real--I had pizza for lunch but my body was saying, "why are you eating pizza at 5 am". Romania is 8 hours ahead of Dallas time

This week we will prep for camp, Ogra literacy ministry, and the baby hospital. There is so much to be done! I will be updating my blog each weekend with news from the week and current prayer requests

PRAYER IS CRUCIAL to everything that we do and I would be so thankful for as much prayer as possible

[Don't let those old posts confuse you! They are from last summer but feel free to browse through them]

As of Late

Last week I had an incredible time at the baby hospital. It was encouraging to see the babies and toddlers make improvements in such a short period of time! Stefan, who is 4, is now standing on two feet without throwing a huge fit. He can't walk and is not used to having his feet on the ground so this is a big deal. Georgiana, who I believe is 3, is walking with little to no help from us! She has even tried to jump and run a few times. A month a go she couldn't do any of this. Adina, who is 11 months old, is crawling now! She couldn't crawl a few weeks ago because her hip muscles were under developed but now she can crawl. Walking is the next big step (literally) for her. Several of the babies and toddlers are making "baby talk" now because they have had so much face to face interaction with us. These are only a few of the encouraging things that happened. In other words, it was a great week. 

Much prayer is still needed for these little ones. After the summer is over they don't receive the level of attention or help that they need. Gabi and Mira, the two Livada staff who work with these babies, are spread thin and have things that they need to be doing. The are not employed to help the babies, they help because they have a passion to see that these kids have futures. Working at the hospital with the babies is a volunteer action on their part, so during the year they can only come 1-2 times per week. 

Specific prayer needs include:

*Encouragement for Gabi and Mira-They pour out so much of themselves into something that is very emotionally draining

*Open doors and opportunities for these babies to have futures

*Volunteers who would be willing to help Gabi and Mira on a weekly basis, even during the school year. It's too much for them to do alone.

*Favor/good relationship with CPS

I'm starting to wrap my mind around the fact that this is my last week of camp and that a week from Wednesday, I'll be home. I keep trying to process everything that I have seen and experienced this summer but unfortunately I've given up on attempting to articulate my feelings. So I decided to make a slide show! What better way to explain my summer than to show you. 

Click on the link below, or copy and paste it, to view it on Youtube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Uiet4xpMdY

I will probably make one last post either next Monday or next Tuesday to fill you in on my last week here! I can't wait to see what the Lord has in store for this last chapter.

Week 5

This picture is a good summary of the past week..Don't I look cute?

Week 5 was different than every other week. The kids who were at camp were older and there were fewer of them. It was very laid back! One of the activities we did was have a competition between teams to see who could dress their intern up the funniest. I'm still trying to figure out if I looked funny or scary..or maybe a little bit of both?

The kids loved dressing us up! They especially loved it when I tried to wash my face and realized the marker wasn't washable...such is life! I had a bluish/red face for the rest of the day. 

As the summer starts to wind down I'm beginning to process everything that I've learned over the past several weeks. I would be lying if I said that this learning process has been enjoyable. Examining unrefined areas of my life is no easy task, but it is a rewarding one. 

I may have mentioned this before but one of the biggest things I have realized is that there is joy to be found in doing what I was created to do. Why do I have a hard time finding this fulfillment at home? Because my time is seldom spent doing what I was created to do. I serve myself and submit to my own desires far too often. I think that being comfortable might be one of the biggest deterrents to the fire of my faith. Yes, the Lord has blessed me with financial stability, opportunities, family, and comfort. These blessings are not bad, but it’s the place of residence I give them in my heart that poisons my passion for the gospel. These blessings become my stumbling block. I use them to justify complacency. The minute I become comfortable is the minute I lose sight of what is eternally significant. I don’t want to go home and be comfortable.

Another thing that I have learned, which hopefully I can find the words to communicate, is how having too many “options” can make a simple, and clear, decision very cloudy. How many times in my life have I asked God this question, “Father, what is your will for my life? I sit in angst over which decisions will be best and most pleasing to God. What direction should I go academically, which ministries should I be involved in, which church should I go to, which relationships should I pursue, which job should I have…etc.. I’m sure that everyone reading this can relate to the feeling of uncertainty that comes with having “options”. I’ve made the mistake of over thinking truth rather than walking IN truth. The answer to all of these questions is so simple. It’s clearly laid out in the bible. Here are just a few of those truths:

*Remain rooted in Christ, strengthened in faith.

Colossians 2:6-7 “So then just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.”

*Love the Lord above everything else

Luke 10:27 “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and, love your neighbor as yourself.”

*Actively practice the word of God

Matthew 7:24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock”

*Love others (even when it’s hard and costs us something)

1 John 3:18 “Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but in actions and in truth”

*Keep in step with the Spirit,

Galatians 5:24-25 “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature along with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit”

*Devote yourselves to prayer

         Colossians 4:2 “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful”

*If you don’t know what pleases the Lord, then find out.         

         Ephesians 5:8-11 “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live     as children of light (for the fruitof the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them”.

We usually know what God’s will is, we just don’t do it and we think that some options are better than others. The truth is that it doesn’t matter where you are in life, or what job you have, or what social circle you run in. What matters is this, are you walking in truth? I know that I have a hard time dying to myself even when I know what is right and what is wrong. Knowledge is knowing the right thing to do, and Wisdom is doing it. 

This upcoming week I have been given ANOTHER opportunity to spend time with the babies! There will be a team going every morning who I will be able to join and assist. I love those babies and I'm thankful for another chance to spend time with them.