Just returned from a beautiful Romanian mountain retreat and thought to post for posterity 🙂 Our friends from the Methodist church in Romania, leaders from various non-profit ministries gathered for their annual retreat and for the second year in a row, Deb and I facilitated the sessions.
We used the framework, “Stages of Faith” to give a bird’s eye view through Saturday on the formation of a self over the years.. from the early awakenings to divinity, to the initial learning stages, into production, then the mid-life characteristics of unlearning-relearning. It’s always a fun, and often challenging process to consider our own unique personhood, made in the image of God… a time to get on the balcony and look upon the dancefloor.
In any case, we’re grateful for friends, and hope we can return Lord willing next fall and continue investing in deeper friendships and learning with these and other friends.
Now, our focus turns to the final stages of our own in Romania.. as we countdown the remaining 3 months until we pack up and return to Canada to come alongside my mom in her health battle, and explore God’s next chapter in this life’s journey.
This week we are, Lord willing, selling the Big House, the guest house we used for a many-a-retreats of our own in Ukraine. It’s bittersweet.. we’re selling it to our friends, missionaries from Australia the Paxa’s. They have been serving at-risk kids and youth with an after school program for several years, and during the war.. the’ve been praying for their own space for many years and we’re all anticipating this house will be a haven for their continued healing and emotional, and spiritual growth. Then, I need to somehow get to Ukraine myself in the next 2 months in order to sign important tax documents that are impossible to do remotely for Lighthouse.
Lighthouse here in Cluj had a neat week, hosting international college students in our free co-working zone. The word is slowly getting out, and we pray they find this space welcoming and part of their own relational and academic rhythms. Pray Elsa and her team that she is trying to assemble so that she’s not the only one managing the space during the week.
Lots of other things happening, from documents for Deb (Canada), to flights just purchased – Deb will fly out January 10th to Bronwyn for her baby arrival, then January 15th the rest of us fly to PA for Kristen’s. We’ll be arriving just as two new grandbabies arrive in the world!
Great news! Deb and I received 5 year Romanian visas! It’s really a last-minute miracle for us and keeps the door open for our family to legally return for short and long term if God doesn’t have any obvious next steps for us. We aren’t sure what is next, and holding all things before the Lord – praying that age-old prayer, the one that pulls all believing hearts back to the throne of mercy in times of uncertainty.. “Not my will, but Yours be done.”
