The end of my trip is approaching and I am sitting in a local coffee shop reminiscing on the days that I have spent in Romania. It was strange walking through the city center in Timisoara this morning. The city is normally vibrant when the sun is out, but the city has been unusually listless over the last several days. The entire world has pressed pause in response to the health crisis that has been rapidly spreading. As I look at the empty city streets, it seems appropriate to take this quiet moment to reflect on the goodness of God and the unexpected ways that he has blessed this trip.
Even before I made my first flight, I knew that this trip would be different from all the others I have taken because of the escalating situation with COVID-19. Sam called me three days before my departure and informed me that we would not be able to go into the prison while I was here because of new regulations being put in place. Naturally, this news was disheartening but the Lord resolved my heart to move forward with the trip and his faithfulness never disappoints.
Today I have been bouncing from one coffee shop to another. Businesses are limited in the number of people they are allowed to have inside because of health concerns. In a way, my morning has been a comparative representation of my time in Romania, navigating through unexpected situations while still being effective and fruitful in all the places we have been. In the coming days, I will be writing blog posts describing the different aspects of the Lord’s faithfulness that I have experienced on this trip and sharing the fruit that has come from the work that we have done.
