ROMANIA MISSION

We have just arrived back at our accomodations from a tremendous service in a little tiny village church in the area of Pietrosoni in the southeast of the country.  It never ceases to amaze me how God knows just what we need and when we need it.  This trip has been difficult for Lewis due to the Parkinson's meds and his stimulators not being in sync like they should.  He struggles to balance the meds and the long periods of inactivity as we travel many miles from one village to the next.

This morning as soon as we arrived we were asked if any of us would like to share something during the service.  I asked for some time to think about it - wanted to get the mind of Christ and his words - not mine.  We had traveled down to this village with some folks from Bucharest.  One of them spoke very good English and actually the family that was with us has family in the Reading, PA area.  As the service began the young woman who spoke such good English showed us a song book in English and asked if we knew the song she was going to play on her flute.  It was "Because He Lives."  I said yes we knew the song and she asked us to sing it while she played.  A few minutes later we were called to the front and began singing.  Lewis was giving it his all (as he always does).  When we got to the third verse which says, "And then one day I'll cross that river, I'll fight life's final war with pain.  And then as death gives way to victory, I'll see the lights of glory and I'll know he reigns."  I couldn't get past the second phrase as it is so hard to see Lew struggle so just to live and know that he is in constant pain.  I shared a bit about his struggle with Parkinson's at the end of the song.  Before we sat down we were asked to sing another song.  We did and Lew shared a bit.  Again we were asked to sing and of course we did.  The entire service turned into a testimony service of God's miraculous healing and grace.  At the end of the service they called Lew up front because they wanted to pray for him.  He then shared his entire testimony of what God has done for him through the deep brain surgery and he wanted to give God all the glory.  What a service!!

We were fed wonderful native dishes for lunch and spent some time just visiting.  We have been asked to return next year.

Just as we were finishing up eating a young woman approached and asked if she could share something with Lew.  She said God had given her a vision last night and she felt it the message of the vision was for Lew.  She saw an airplane flying high above when it encountered great turbulence.  In the midst of the turbulence a man fell from the plane and she saw a great white hand reach out of the sky and lift the man back into the plane and safety.  She felt that God wanted Lew to know that God had him in the palm of his hand and all would be well.  He has a work for us to do and He will lead all the way.  Needless to say, this day was designed by God to encourage Lewis and me.

One more day of grocery distribution and then we will head home very late on Tuesday, arriving back in the Myerstown area sometime around 3 AM.

See you soon.