Today, we started out by going out and getting some teens and kids from a local orphanage to bring them over to the Bruskis’ house to play games and have a church service. I had the privilege if getting to preach. I introduced myself and our team and told them that the reason we were here is because we loved them. The response caught me off guard. We are so used to hearing the words “I/we love you”, that we are used to it; almost to the point of numbness. However, when I said this, there were smiles bursting onto peoples faces, a gleam in their eyes, and even the translator looked at me and said “aww”. I had not planned on this. I tell people I love them all the time. Yet these people hardly ever hear that. In fact, in this culture, to tell someone that you love them when they are not your spouse or child is unheard of. One girl even ask us, “How do you say you love each other so easily?”
Something that really strikes me as humorous about these people is that they LOVE our culture. They love our music, television, and dress styles. One guy came up to me, pointed at my “Romania” shirt, and said, “Do you like Romania?” I replied “Yea, it’s pretty cool.” To my surprise, he looked at me and said, “It sucks!” I looked at him with confusion and he said “America better. L.A., New York” We continued to dialogue about it for a minute and I, stupidly thinking about politics and not the heart, said “Don’t worry, it’ll get better, you guys just got out of communism, you have to give it time.” I really wish I had realized what that guy was really saying. I wish I had of realized that he was longing for the “American dream” just as many of us have been guilty of pursuing. I wish I had of told him that there is joy in Christ that goes past countries’ boarders, and that it doesn’t matter where he lives if he has Jesus…but I didn’t. Pray that that guy will become a Christian, and that maybe the next American he talks to will actually talk about Jesus, and not just say “It’ll get better.”
My favorite quote from today was, “Evan, you never cease to fail”, by Jordan from Lakeview.
They have some rockin candy here.
I am absolutely falling in love with these people already.
Thank you for this! God Bless you and lead you!