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During Winter Camp, some Bible college students shared about their experiences and the impact it had on their lives.
Each and every day we make choices that either honor God and those around us or they don’t. I have been reflecting on this a lot lately. Doing the right thing in awkward or compromising situations is hard. I recently had a win and a fail in this department. When I had chosen to honor God, it honored someone else, and I believe even led to a situation where a complete stranger shared with me a really difficult reality that was taking place in her life. The latter left me feeling like a failure and disappointment. It was something very seemingly small, but what unseen consequence might it have? What opportunity did I miss to witness to people about doing the right thing even when it cost me? What loss of display of the character of Christ did it forfeit? Our choices all have ripple effects.
I think about Adam and Eve who first sinned in a seemingly small way: eating an apple. However, this seemingly small choice led to sin and death entering our world and a broken relationship with God. This is because it was not really about eating an apple; it was about disobeying the Lord, doing what He said not to do, questioning His Word, believing the lie that God is withholding good from us in some way.
Sin is serious because it is choosing to not obey the One who should be Lord over our lives and over our choices. What a gift it is to be led by the One who is all-knowing. As He leads us in our daily choices, He leads us into abundant LIFE, and what is good for His glory, for those around us, and for our very own souls. The Creator knows what is best for His creation. Sometimes to us it feels a bit like dying to our own desires, but His plan is always better; it always leads to life. As Deuteronomy says, today we have a choice and I pray that I would increasingly choose life. Praise the Lord for His grace and forgiveness as we stumble along in the journey. May we always be quick to repentance and to embrace the good news that if we are in Him, Jesus is our righteousness and that day by day He is at work in us.
Winter Camp was a blast. We had so much fun with the young adults, and we enjoyed seeing the ways that they engaged with the messages, with worship, and with one another. There were so many young local leaders who stepped up and got involved, as well as many new faces who served throughout the camp. It makes us excited for our potential leaders for this year’s summer programs.
Jason is continuing to make progress at the Mission House and has been meeting with and preparing for mission teams that will be coming this spring. He also began some Romanian classes to help him navigate the construction world here in Romania, as well as engage with our neighbours, the men from his soccer team, and opportunities to share the gospel.
We are dividing and conquering as I continue to take Hungarian courses. We are truly becoming Transylvanian, as we mix our Romanian and Hungarian languages. I am enjoying connecting regularly with some young ladies I developed relationships with from summer camp. It has been a privilege to be a part of their lives.
Our kids are enjoying some local activities during the week. Olin and Cristian will play in their first basketball tournament on February 11. Dani is loving playing volleyball on Tuesday nights, and Keli is doing so well in her swimming class, even with Romanian instruction. A young adult comes to our house once a week to teach them Romanian, which is really fun. We are continuing to homeschool for now and hope that come fall we will be able to be registered in a local school program.
Thank you so much for your continued support; we can’t even really express how thankful we are to know that we have so many of you supporting us, praying for us, and encouraging us.
Love you guys,