Sometimes change can be a reset of sorts. A time to regather and restart from scratch. You hear stories of people using change all the time in this way. People moving to new states to restart their lives in a place where nobody knows them. Girls cutting their hair just to have something new and move on into a new season of life.
For H squad, our reset was not only a country change, but also team changes. The last season we just came off of was definitely not an easy one. We dealt with a lot as a squad and walked through some hard things. I already wrote a blog about all the things I walked through myself that made this past season of my race difficult, but the rest of the people on my squad also had their own things they walked through.
As a squad, we had been split in 3 different places. Myself at home, one group in New Jersey and one group in Honduras. The group in Honduras had gotten stuck there because of positive covid tests and exposure. The group in New Jersey had their flight to South Africa cancelled at least twice for different reasons. After our season of quarantine was over and we finally started making moves to get back into ministry, several people decided that their season of being on the race was time to be over and went home. They all had their own reasons, and they all were following what was best for themselves.
Needless to say, a lot happened and our squad was kind of in chaos. The teams we had been on hadn’t really been together for a while. So, this past week in Romania we had a debrief and we changed teams. It served as a reset for us. A new season for the whole squad to kind of regather and move forward into whatever the Lord has for us in the last few months of the race. It’s likely that this will be our last team change, but then again plans change all the time.
My new team “The Strudels” is made up of all girls. Some of them I’ve been on a team with before, some of them I honestly hardly know at all. I’m excited for this new season. I’m thankful for the regrouping and I’m trusting that God has some really good things for us in the months ahead of us.
This month, our whole squad is staying in Craiova together to help Raul and his partners plant and expand the church he has here. That means ministry looks like a lot of evangelism. We hit up all the beautiful parks here in the city and invite people to church. We have goodie bags that we hand out for free that contain many different things, including some of the New Testament.
Please be praying for open hearts here in Craiova. Just yesterday, when I was handing out bags from the church a man asked me what my religion was. When I told him I was a Christian, he refused to take the gift and say “I’m sorry, your religion is bad for me.” He then walked away and really didn’t want to hear anymore about why we’re here and why we we the church is handing out these gifts. Many people here are not open to hearing the Gospel, but I trust that God is still working through us and will continue to work through Raul and Hope church long after we leave.
Blessings,
Kaci
Hi Kaci, so glad you are on your way again. Stay healthy! I was wondering if religion was frowned upon by Croatians because of Russian influence? Are there a lot of Muslims living there now? So many questions for you. Keep letting us know how this journey evolves. I am very curious as to what the backgrounds are of the people who live there. What history have they had when it comes to religion?
Always thinking of you BRAVE young lady, sending hugs!
Love, Kim
Grateful for your full recovery and knowing you are doing what you love. I know you are a blessing to your team! Love Aunt Leslie
These are great questions! The religious background here in Romania is orthodox. It’s more a cultural label than actual beliefs though. I think I’ll write a blog that goes more in depth of the religious atmosphere here
Thank you! Love you
Thanks Kati!
I love your perspective of a ‘reset’ and am praying for you & your new team! 🙂