A Lasting Impact

Hey! Quick update, my squad and I have been in Romania for almost 2 months & we leave next week! Crazy!!! 3 weeks ago my team and I moved north to a small city, Alba Iulia. It’s a beautiful place where Romania was brought together to form the country you now see on the map. It’s surrounded by grassy hills and snow capped mountains with steeples that make up the skyline every direction you look. The people are friendly and receptive and it’s genuinely so peaceful. It’s become a refuge for my team, a place of rest and recharge. In the midst of all of this we’ve met the sweetest family from Ukraine, they’ve welcomed us into their homes, fed us, and we’ve gotten the opportunity to get to know them and their stories. Yesterday was one year of the logistical war in Ukraine, our team joined Ukrainians here in Alba to remember all their country has been through, the strength that it has to prevail on, and the way the Lord is using it. Romania has been one of the toughest seasons of the Race for me but yesterday the Lord reminded me of just how blessed I am. How even when I’m sick and not getting enough sleep, I’m still in a warm bed, safe. Even when I’m homesick, I know there’s a home to return to, in the safety and freedom of the States. I’ve found that people who’ve experienced the most pain and hardship are usually the ones with the kindest hearts, the most welcoming and inviting spirits, the ones that recognize what they have and walk in such gratitude for it. Looking around yesterday I saw fighters, I saw people who had to leave everything they had known for their safety, who had stepped out in so much faith that I can’t even comprehend it and just trust that it would all be okay. Those are faces I’ll never forget. The last 3 weeks have completely changed my heart towards Romania and it’ll be forever marked on my heart as a place full of people who have fought and who will continue to fight to make this world a better place. Eastern Europeans don’t give up and they don’t forget where they’ve come from. Gratefulness is a lot easier to remember when things are easy but what does it look like to be grateful for every moment? For every breathe that we breath? To continue to find the good even when everything around you seems like evil. Stepping into our last week here in Europe looking at the good that surrounds me rather than being focused on the bad. & continuing to pray for the situations here that are hard and that the devil is trying to use for evil, trusting that the Lord will take them and use them for good. Please continue to pray for the war in Ukraine, it’s easy to forget about it when it doesn’t affect us but it’s still very really & important to millions of people. And please continue to pray for my squad! That we don’t get comfortable and lazy in our last 3 months on the Race, that we continue to seek the Lord daily & spread the good news to everyone we meet!

All my love & gratitude,

Grace