Almost done

I can't believe that today is my last night in Romania, where has the time gone?! Looking back, it is amazing to see how God has been working in the lives of the orphans as well as in my life! Leaving the girls is so incrediably hard, even harder than last summer, thankfully the story doesn't end here. Yesterday during debriefing, we were asked to think of three words to describe our summer. Now it is impossible to describe everything that happened in three words but it sure sums it up pretty well. My words were; RELATIONSHIPS, PRAYER, and HOPE. I chose relationships because returning a second time, it was spent continuing the relationships that were already started. I thought that it would be easier returning since we had already been through the superficial stage of getting to know each other, however easy wouldn't be the way I would describe it. Although I was able to pick up a little bit more Romanian, the language barrier seemed to be a bigger hurdle this summer. I wanted to go deeper, wanted to intiate discussion about their lives and the goodness of God!! There wasn't always a translator around when needed and the few words I know seemed to be too simple for what I wanted to convey. Yet that doesn't stop God from working, and there were exciting discussion moments and even just returning was a huge deal to them. God also taught me a lot about the power of prayer; it was so amazing to see the prayers from last summer that were answered!! There were changes in the girls, small steps maybe, but definatly able only through the work of God!! He reminded me that I can't take the burdens of these kids onto my own shoulders but to bring it all to him, to lay it at His feet because He is the only one who has the power to heal!! And hope. A week and a half ago I recieved the devastating news that my cousin Rosanna's husband was killed in a car accident. My heart was weeping for the pain that Rosanna is going through, I was constantly praying that she would find comfort in His arms. That mixed with saying goodbye to the kids made for quite the emotional week. However throughout this month he had been showing me glimpses of hope. Hope in the promises, that He will remain faithful to his childern. That he will comfort the brokenhearted. I saw a lot of pain. Stories that I never wanted to hear. Sometimes I felt as though we should give up because we weren't making a difference, felt that progress could not be seen. Yet it was in those moments that he brought a glimpse of hope, a child's word of thanks, little things to show me that He is indeed working. PRAISE GOD!! There is so much more I could write about and maybe I will yet, if you want to know more or have any questions I would love to hear from you. Hopefully I can post some pictures when I get home in the next couple of days. Thank you so much for all who were praying, if you could continue to pray for the girls at the orphanage that would be awsome. Also my cousin will continue to need an abundance of prayer at this incrediably difficult time.

We stand and lift up our hands,
for the joy of the Lord is my strength,
we bow down, we worship you now,
how great, how awsome is He