A $1.20 Cap brings about salvation Pt. 1

Rummaging through the pile of previously owned hats, I grumble to myself about the tedious task ahead. Both my roommates had bought some ridiculous caps to wear for the kids at the youth camp- one had two bills on opposite sides and the other, neon yellow with a blond ponytail attached to the back. "I won't be surprised if I don't find one," I think to myself. But it's as if, against my own will, a sense of obligation leads me to analyze every cap I come across.

Finally, hundreds of caps and a headache later, a lady comes up behind me waving a seemingly boring hat in my face. She speaks Russian or Romanian, I can't seem to tell the difference at this point. I’m restless but am still prodded towards finding a hat. I quickly look behind me at this black, red and yellow cap. ”Exciting," I think with an underlining sarcastic tone. "Not really." But the lady is adamant about this hat. I take another valuable second to waste on this hat. Wait... what's this snap button on the front of the hat? What's the thick strip down the center of it? There's no way... Does it??

Next thing I know, the thick strap turns into a huge mohawk feathering out from the end of the bill and falling down well past the neck. There are no words to describe the awesomeness that is this hat. No words. Only dropped jaws and satisfaction. I pay $1.20.

And a week later, camp begins...

"And in that day, declares the LORD, you will call me 'My Husband'...and I will make you lie down in safety. And I will betroth you to me forever. I will betroth you to me in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love and in mercy. I will betroth you to me in faithfulness. And you shall know the LORD." - Hosea 2:16-20

This is a favorite Bible verse of mine. It's near and dear to the heart for me and I pray it grants you comfort.

If you haven't read the book of Hosea, I highly suggest you submerge yourself in it. Know God's justice, embrace His mercy, understand His grace and abhor the sin that separates. For our God deserves nothing less than all that you are.

from Moldova,

"И будет в тот день, говорит Господь, ты будешь звать Меня: 'муж мой'...и дам им жить в безопасности.И обручу тебя Мне навек, и обручу тебя Мне в правде и суде, в благости и милосердии.И обручу тебя Мне в верности, и ты познаешь Господа."

In the comforts of the seminary, i find myself sinking into a chair in the corner of Serghei's office. my ears are listening to a brief grammatical lesson about the nomative case in the russian language. i'm already confused, but it doesn't change my relaxed demeanor. i'm safe amongst friends.

My attention is directed towards the abrupt noise coming from the entrance of the office. It's Tolik, a good friend that Claudette, Alina and I work with for the food ministry. "Hey Tolik!" i say with a relatively upbeat tone. Little do I know that the second he steps into the office, my life will be changed forever.

From out of a plastic bag, Tolik pulls out a gigantic black monstrosity. Light from the ceiling bulb cannot be seen as the monstrosity overwhelms the room. My eyes adjust and I'm able to see this thing, this whiskered demon eel lashing it's tail, creating a gust of wind that blows papers off the desk and sends Serghei flying out the window. As Serghei freefalls 11 stories down, I remain calm on the outside as my insides melt in disgust.

Then, just as we think the brunt of the attack is over, the eel straightens its body like a sharp sword and hurdles over the others in the room towards me. He's found his prey.

Next thing i know it's a battle royale, as I give the eel a swift kick in the face. He's able to wiggle out of my strong grip, but I quickly take control as I grab him by the mouth. Not to boast, but the day was saved by the most humble me.

It's 1:01 am in Moldova. here are some silly rambles:

I finally can say I'm a missionary, carrying the word of God halfway across the world from home. It's a beautiful thing. Beauty, though, is more complicated than anticipated. What God's enabling me to do here isn't surface deep. In fact, He's doing more in me than I could ever do for the people here. Honoring God by professing your faith paints a picture of beauty with humility. I did not get myself here. I did not grant myself provision, I did not answer my own prayers, and I did not decide to love God without God allowing it first.

That being said, I am honored that He has entrusted me with a testimony to Him. There are days I think my testimony will not affect a single soul. Then there are the waves of truth that crash into me showing me how even my story is not my own, and His will for me is for the greater good of His people. He chooses who I will encounter and how our time will honor Him.

The Lord is at work. According to the Scriptures, "[..] we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose" Romans 8:28. In this time of rest in Moldova [major camp projects have not begun], I begin to wonder why God put me here. In all honesty, before the Lord opened my eyes to what He intends, I began to think I landed here on accident, by luck or mistake. Funny thing is that with God, there are no accidents, there is no luck, and no mistakes. There is only favor and grace. That is what the Lord continues to bless each day with, favor and grace.

In the time I spent worrying about wasting time, The Lord was using to develop relationships with teammates, counselors, and friends. He was using the decisions me and my roommates were making to minister without words, and grant Him honor in that way. The people I'm surrounded by at this time know that I love the Lord. There has been no need to verbalize that. It has been through action that our ministry has begun. I can note several times we've visited the elderly to distribute food. The people we visit know that we're Christians. They don't want to know that. What they need is to feel that, whether that be through a hug, a smile, even letting them kiss you on the cheek (yes, babushka's really do kiss you on the cheek!). We don't even need to speak the same language. As long as we're there and we're honest and have Christ at the forefront of our minds, the Lord has been quick to show His love through us.

I've been blessed to be able to connect with some of the children that are apart of the church. There's one girl in particular. She teaches me Russian,as we talk about animal cookies and I butcher the names of the funny shaped owls and turtles. I get to amuse her with silly faces and hugs. The other day, she brought us to see her sister on another part of he district in Moldova. We walked a ways away from the church (I was able to see how eager this ten year old girl was to go to church on her own). Then we hopped on a bus. And then we walked a little more. We didn't understand each other the entire way there. It was such a wonderful experience. And once we saw her sister, who I had met but did not speak much with the last time I was in Moldova, she ran up to me and spun me around (being little has its benefits). She knew less English than her little sister, but she loved just as much. It was a time I never want to forget. It's just another way God showed me how he uses his children in unexpected ways.

thank you for reading. maybe deeper insight next time. til then, paka (goodbye in Russian).