A Chance Encounter

If you’ve read my blog in the past or if you’ve gone back over some of my older posts you’ve probably heard me quote my wife more than once. I’m proud of my wife and I’m proud to have shared so many wonderful experiences with her the past nine years (as of Wednesday to be exact). We have a lot of similarities and many differences. She balances me out. At times she’s the roots and I’m the wings of our relationship. At times it is the other way around.

I’ll never forget one of the most profound things she ever said; “Sometimes God takes us one place just to get us to another.” This should be our mission statement. During the nine years of our marriage we have lived in Lubbock, Houston, and Romania. That may not seem like much to you but we have had three stints in Lubbock, one in Houston and one in Romania. This does not count several moves in Lubbock and several in Romania. This means a lot of moving and a lot of “homes” or houses rather. Home to most of us is where our family is, where we reside day-in and day-out. Some say, “Home is where the heart is.” The question is; can your heart be in two places at once? Romania has to be a place where I “left my heart.” In preparation for an upcoming trip to Romania in June I’ve reflected a lot about what has drawn me to this country for the past 10 years. During this self discovery I found my trip notes from the very first trip I took to Romania in March 1999. As a side note, I’m not sure I’ve ever thanked my dad for taking me to Romania with him. Knowing he is the only self proclaimed follower of my blog I can give a shout out to him and say thank you for exposing me to this wonderful country. Isn’t it amazing how one small experience in our life will shape our decisions from that point forward?

If my memory serves me right I don’t think I even knew where Romania was before this trip in 1999. I’m not even sure I knew Romania was a country (geography was not my strong suit). Now this country I’d never heard of before has become the place I think about daily. My thoughts, prayers, hopes and dreams may not revolve around Romania, but they definitely go there often. After reviewing my notes I’m reminded why. I spent the very first day in this country in a dilapidated orphanage with 100 plus kids that had absolutely no hope or promise. I spent the entire week with six of the most spiritual men I’ve ever known. Their wisdom and spiritual maturity still guide me today.

Many would argue my passion is less about Romania and more about Romania being the first country I ever took a mission trip. There may be a hint of truth to this statement but I still believe it is about the country. Honestly it probably isn’t the country itself, but rather the people from this country. Some of my best friends are Romanian. Others may not be Romanian but I met them in Romania. As I take the next few weeks to share with you my aspirations for Romania I hope you catch a glimpse of the oversized hearts my friends in Romania have. I love them as though they were family. To me they are! For those of you that are travelling with me to Romania in June I hope you will one day share my enthusiasm. For those that are not, I hope you will follow along and join us the next trip! Until then, aspire to new heights.