This has been an amazing and awesome week. I recalled on Friday morning before we got on the bus to our work site, John asked how I felt so far. I told him honestly that I needed to return home first and have a couple of days to grapple with this experience. I really wasn’t sure whether I am prepared to work with teens.
But after the Saturday cabin time, I realized the Lord intended for me to embark on this journey. The journey has been one that led to obedience, servitude, humility and love.
There have been many memorable moments, both good and bad ones. But those that really struck me were the prayers for the girls on Saturday night, when I hugged Kirsten and Alexis as they watched their new beaus returned home, and at the airport in Romania when Nicole asked whether I would go back to Club as she thought I would make a good leader.
Since our return from Romania, I have decided to join Club and work with the teens and one of the best news is that Kirsten has decided to accept Christ!
The Lord is truly awesome. He has shown me that as long as I rely on His strength and not my own, He will lead and guide me to fulfill His purpose. Hallelujah!!
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Friday, May 04, 2007
Easter in Romania Part III
12 April 2007 – Thursday
I knew the pressure would eventually get to me and after a few calm days, my temper flared. Today my 4 teams spent all day inside plastering walls while at the same time trying to stay out of the way of other teams doing the channeling and wiring work. As I was busy trying to make sure all the work was done properly and the construction workers have their cement delivered on time, I didn’t really notice that some of my team was sitting around for a long period of time with not much to do. Naturally, I was called over by the Habitat Director to query why kids were sitting around. I just snapped and raised my voice and said that the kids are waiting for the cement to dry and trying to stay out of the way of the channeling and wiring teams. I felt really awful afterward. I also raised my voice at the construction workers when all they seemed to do was to “order” us around to get this and that for them. They took our tools and never bothered to return them or cleaned them afterward. I thought, how much easier it is if I was not a work site leader or a cabin leader for the kids. I got especially miffed when I learned later in the evening that one of the workers dismissed one of our kids from the work site. I told other leaders that tomorrow I will definitely give them a piece of my mind! I thank the Lord for letting the day end and I had time to collect my thoughts. I know the Lord is using this experience to teach me patience and humility.
Cabin time tonight was the most difficult. We had to talk about sin, about how sin separate us from God. We needed to examine our life to “pull the skeletons out of our closets”. I dreaded this evening and as I walked out of Club I prayed to the Lord. I asked that He gives me the wisdom to lead this cabin time and I surrendered myself completely to Him and asked for the Holy Spirit to use me as the vessel for Lord’s Words. By the time I walked into the room the girls were already talking excitedly. The only subject that could get the teenage girls this excited was boys. They asked whether they could do some boys talk first and somehow I believe the Lord has purposely used this opportunity to help me listen with my heart. Alexis and Kirsten were sharing about the excitement of “new” relationships on this trip and the two Nicole’s shared how they deal with their relationships with their boyfriends which were also on the trip. As the conversation continued, I could sense where the Lord is leading with this discussion. I asked them how they coop with difficulties in relationships. I was really thankful that the girls continued to share and I felt a really close bond with them.
13 April 2007 – Friday
Today was our last full day of work on the work site. With the experience from yesterday, I realized that the Lord is trying to teach me patience and humility. Instead of being rude and commending toward the construction workers, I was courteous and polite. Somehow, I saw a change in their responses as well. They were much more respectful and even gave praises to the kids. Praise the Lord! The work procedure was getting smoother and more things got visibly accomplished today. We concentrated our effort on two of the bigger apartments and we could see the result from the fruit of our labor.
Club time today was about the cross and resurrection. Before everyone returned to their cabin we had 20 minutes quiet time. During these 20 minutes I sat with the other Frankfurt leaders to pray for cabin time and for the kids. It occurred to me for the first time that the end result of this week was not about “leading” the non-believers to Christ. This was the major worry I had from the beginning. I thought if that didn’t happen then I have failed God. But during this week I have learned that we are not the one “leading” the kids to Christ, God is doing that. We are here to serve the kids and to reflect the Glory of Christ by being a good and obedient servant. As I returned back to the Cabin I asked the girls about their 20minutes quiet time and to share their experiences so far in the week. I was really relaxed and felt a burden has been lifted from my shoulders.
14 April 2007 – Saturday
Our last day of work, we spent most of the morning doing finishing touches and after lunch we started to clean up. We had group photos taken and everyone was happy and sad to leave the site. I made sure I had a photo taken with Christi our Construction Director. I told him I will see him again in June when I come back with another Habitat group. I also said goodbye to a few home owners that have been working with us in the past week. And I am looking forward to seeing them again in June. God is good!
We had our celebration dinner this evening where the families that we have been helping came to join us. Alex made a moving speech and I could see a few tearful faces in the room including mine! I knew once again that the Lord has introduced Habitat to me as one of His greatest gift, a gift that has opened my heart, my soul and my mind. Habitat is a gift that has taught me the concept of selfless living. Hallelujah!
This was our last Club talk and John wanted all of us to share our thoughts on Christ and to respond to Him in private during cabin time. I really didn’t know what to expect but somehow I felt the Holy Spirit stirred strongly in me. The Lord has been pressing me to pray for these girls and I have been doing so in private. However, I had a strong sense that the Lord wanted me to pray for these girls openly with them. This is something that I am extremely uncomfortable with. I can pray with my small group because they are brothers and sisters that I trust but I have problems praying openly with and for others. I worry about what others will think. I worry that my prayers are not powerful enough or moving enough. These are such ridiculous worries but I confess that I do have them. As I slowly walked back toward the room, I still had no idea what I should do. Once the girls all returned we started our last cabin time. This had been a long week and everyone was really tired. But praised the Lord, as I probed them about their best and worst experiences this week, everyone openly shared their thoughts. I also asked whether their views about God has changed. The two Nicole’s still feel the same about God and Alexis still does not believe. However, Kirsten said that now God is at the forefront of her mind and she can no longer push Him away. Hallelujah! As we sat their quietly for a few minutes, I felt the Holy Spirit stirring strongly in me and I asked the girls whether they mind if I pray for them. I knew the prayer was put into my heart by the Lord. I am notorious for not listening and remembering about what others tell me. But as I prayed for these girls, everything they said to me through out the week just came bubbling up. I knew that the Lord wanted the girls to know that He is watching over them whether they believe Him or not. As I prayed for these girls I didn’t care how I sound or whether I am making sense. I didn’t care whether my prayer was moving or powerful, I just knew that this is what the Lord wants me to say. As I finished my prayer, I could no longer hold back my tears but they were tears of joy! The girls hugged me and I knew the Lord is with them!
I knew the pressure would eventually get to me and after a few calm days, my temper flared. Today my 4 teams spent all day inside plastering walls while at the same time trying to stay out of the way of other teams doing the channeling and wiring work. As I was busy trying to make sure all the work was done properly and the construction workers have their cement delivered on time, I didn’t really notice that some of my team was sitting around for a long period of time with not much to do. Naturally, I was called over by the Habitat Director to query why kids were sitting around. I just snapped and raised my voice and said that the kids are waiting for the cement to dry and trying to stay out of the way of the channeling and wiring teams. I felt really awful afterward. I also raised my voice at the construction workers when all they seemed to do was to “order” us around to get this and that for them. They took our tools and never bothered to return them or cleaned them afterward. I thought, how much easier it is if I was not a work site leader or a cabin leader for the kids. I got especially miffed when I learned later in the evening that one of the workers dismissed one of our kids from the work site. I told other leaders that tomorrow I will definitely give them a piece of my mind! I thank the Lord for letting the day end and I had time to collect my thoughts. I know the Lord is using this experience to teach me patience and humility.
Cabin time tonight was the most difficult. We had to talk about sin, about how sin separate us from God. We needed to examine our life to “pull the skeletons out of our closets”. I dreaded this evening and as I walked out of Club I prayed to the Lord. I asked that He gives me the wisdom to lead this cabin time and I surrendered myself completely to Him and asked for the Holy Spirit to use me as the vessel for Lord’s Words. By the time I walked into the room the girls were already talking excitedly. The only subject that could get the teenage girls this excited was boys. They asked whether they could do some boys talk first and somehow I believe the Lord has purposely used this opportunity to help me listen with my heart. Alexis and Kirsten were sharing about the excitement of “new” relationships on this trip and the two Nicole’s shared how they deal with their relationships with their boyfriends which were also on the trip. As the conversation continued, I could sense where the Lord is leading with this discussion. I asked them how they coop with difficulties in relationships. I was really thankful that the girls continued to share and I felt a really close bond with them.
13 April 2007 – Friday
Today was our last full day of work on the work site. With the experience from yesterday, I realized that the Lord is trying to teach me patience and humility. Instead of being rude and commending toward the construction workers, I was courteous and polite. Somehow, I saw a change in their responses as well. They were much more respectful and even gave praises to the kids. Praise the Lord! The work procedure was getting smoother and more things got visibly accomplished today. We concentrated our effort on two of the bigger apartments and we could see the result from the fruit of our labor.
Club time today was about the cross and resurrection. Before everyone returned to their cabin we had 20 minutes quiet time. During these 20 minutes I sat with the other Frankfurt leaders to pray for cabin time and for the kids. It occurred to me for the first time that the end result of this week was not about “leading” the non-believers to Christ. This was the major worry I had from the beginning. I thought if that didn’t happen then I have failed God. But during this week I have learned that we are not the one “leading” the kids to Christ, God is doing that. We are here to serve the kids and to reflect the Glory of Christ by being a good and obedient servant. As I returned back to the Cabin I asked the girls about their 20minutes quiet time and to share their experiences so far in the week. I was really relaxed and felt a burden has been lifted from my shoulders.
14 April 2007 – Saturday
Our last day of work, we spent most of the morning doing finishing touches and after lunch we started to clean up. We had group photos taken and everyone was happy and sad to leave the site. I made sure I had a photo taken with Christi our Construction Director. I told him I will see him again in June when I come back with another Habitat group. I also said goodbye to a few home owners that have been working with us in the past week. And I am looking forward to seeing them again in June. God is good!
We had our celebration dinner this evening where the families that we have been helping came to join us. Alex made a moving speech and I could see a few tearful faces in the room including mine! I knew once again that the Lord has introduced Habitat to me as one of His greatest gift, a gift that has opened my heart, my soul and my mind. Habitat is a gift that has taught me the concept of selfless living. Hallelujah!
This was our last Club talk and John wanted all of us to share our thoughts on Christ and to respond to Him in private during cabin time. I really didn’t know what to expect but somehow I felt the Holy Spirit stirred strongly in me. The Lord has been pressing me to pray for these girls and I have been doing so in private. However, I had a strong sense that the Lord wanted me to pray for these girls openly with them. This is something that I am extremely uncomfortable with. I can pray with my small group because they are brothers and sisters that I trust but I have problems praying openly with and for others. I worry about what others will think. I worry that my prayers are not powerful enough or moving enough. These are such ridiculous worries but I confess that I do have them. As I slowly walked back toward the room, I still had no idea what I should do. Once the girls all returned we started our last cabin time. This had been a long week and everyone was really tired. But praised the Lord, as I probed them about their best and worst experiences this week, everyone openly shared their thoughts. I also asked whether their views about God has changed. The two Nicole’s still feel the same about God and Alexis still does not believe. However, Kirsten said that now God is at the forefront of her mind and she can no longer push Him away. Hallelujah! As we sat their quietly for a few minutes, I felt the Holy Spirit stirring strongly in me and I asked the girls whether they mind if I pray for them. I knew the prayer was put into my heart by the Lord. I am notorious for not listening and remembering about what others tell me. But as I prayed for these girls, everything they said to me through out the week just came bubbling up. I knew that the Lord wanted the girls to know that He is watching over them whether they believe Him or not. As I prayed for these girls I didn’t care how I sound or whether I am making sense. I didn’t care whether my prayer was moving or powerful, I just knew that this is what the Lord wants me to say. As I finished my prayer, I could no longer hold back my tears but they were tears of joy! The girls hugged me and I knew the Lord is with them!
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
Easter in Romania - Part II
9 April 2007 – Monday
Since its still public holiday in Romania, we spent the day doing team building activities and meeting our Habitat Romania host. Everyone was split into teams and we have 14 in all. Each team was assigned two work team leaders. Being a work site leader, I didn’t get a team of my own but would end up working with every team that would come around and plaster the building!
In the afternoon we had the Pitesti Habitat team to give us an introduction. This was the first time we met the local Habitat coordinator Alex Zaharai. He is absolutely hilarious and has such a great way with kids. Everyone loves him!
Our cabin time topic tonight was “Is there a God”. We deliberately started the talks on the light side since we wanted to share their views freely. In my cabin we have one Catholic, one Christian, one explorer and one just doesn’t buy the idea. I shared with them why I believe in God and how I became a Christian. I learned early on this trip that God really wants me to listen and not make any judgment. I praise God for leading me through the discussion and to give me listening ears and hearts.
10 April 2007 – Tuesday
Our first day on the work site and everyone was really excited. We had a really good briefing from Cristi (our construction director) and Alex. Then we all went to work like busy bees. I was really impressed with how hard the kids worked. Sure there was a bit of horsing around but all in all the kids really did their parts in helping to bring decent housing to the families in Romania. I was the site leader and responsible for getting the my assigned teams to do plastering. The kids were quick learners and in no time they got the hang of throwing cement on the walls! The weather was perfect and everyone got a really nice tan!
The topic for cabin time was about how we see God personally. The girls were tired and the discussion was not as lively. However, they all still openly shared their views. I had to keep reminding myself that my role is to listen and understand. There is no right or wrong answer but just want to make sure the kids have a chance to digest and explore what John talked about during Club. Tonight was the 3rd night in a roll where I could not sleep at all. But I know the Lord is watching over me and keeping me safe on the work site. Praise God!
11 April 2007 – Wednesday
Yesterday gave me some good indication as how to organize the teams and distribute the work load. There were some major plastering that needed to be done outside and we got a few more construction supervisors from other Romania Habitat affiliates to come and help out. We had a complete team that ran the cement mixer and deliver the cement to everyone. Then we had one team to continue on the outside wall and another team to start working on the inside. I really wanted to do some plastering work myself but as a site leader, I had to run through the site to check on everyone’s progress and to deal with the other construction supervisors. It was not what I am used to on a Habitat project but realized that this is not a typical Habitat project. The Lord once again reminded me to have a servant’s heart. The main purpose on this trip is to share God with the kids and to help them see the joy of giving.
During club time, John showed us a great video from YouTube. It showed a chap in Australia offering “Free Hugs”. In the beginning, no one was willing to go near him. However, when the first person decided to walk over to get this “free hug”, the effect was contagious. Soon you see more and more people wanting the “free hug” and some even took up the sign to give “free hug”. After the video, John talked about the character of Christ, about His character of giving. Our cabin time discussion was about whether we believe all people have a desire to give and if we do then whether this comes from inside or outside. This was one of the most interesting cabin time. We started our discussion on the video and whether we would be willing to receive that “free hug”. Most of the girls were quite willing to accept the “free hug” but only after they have seen others tried it first. However, most of us would not be willing to carry a sign to give “free hug”. That struck me as how our society has conditioned our minds about giving and receiving and how perverted our society has become that deter us to have physical contact with people.
We then moved on to the topic of human desire to give. Alexis made a very interesting comment that people are all inherently selfish. And when we do give it’s only because we are expecting something in return whether tangible or intangible. However, Nicole believes that all people do possess the desire to give but just whether we are willing to embrace that desire. I was really touched by how open the girls are and how mature and intelligent they are.
Since its still public holiday in Romania, we spent the day doing team building activities and meeting our Habitat Romania host. Everyone was split into teams and we have 14 in all. Each team was assigned two work team leaders. Being a work site leader, I didn’t get a team of my own but would end up working with every team that would come around and plaster the building!
In the afternoon we had the Pitesti Habitat team to give us an introduction. This was the first time we met the local Habitat coordinator Alex Zaharai. He is absolutely hilarious and has such a great way with kids. Everyone loves him!
Our cabin time topic tonight was “Is there a God”. We deliberately started the talks on the light side since we wanted to share their views freely. In my cabin we have one Catholic, one Christian, one explorer and one just doesn’t buy the idea. I shared with them why I believe in God and how I became a Christian. I learned early on this trip that God really wants me to listen and not make any judgment. I praise God for leading me through the discussion and to give me listening ears and hearts.
10 April 2007 – Tuesday
Our first day on the work site and everyone was really excited. We had a really good briefing from Cristi (our construction director) and Alex. Then we all went to work like busy bees. I was really impressed with how hard the kids worked. Sure there was a bit of horsing around but all in all the kids really did their parts in helping to bring decent housing to the families in Romania. I was the site leader and responsible for getting the my assigned teams to do plastering. The kids were quick learners and in no time they got the hang of throwing cement on the walls! The weather was perfect and everyone got a really nice tan!
The topic for cabin time was about how we see God personally. The girls were tired and the discussion was not as lively. However, they all still openly shared their views. I had to keep reminding myself that my role is to listen and understand. There is no right or wrong answer but just want to make sure the kids have a chance to digest and explore what John talked about during Club. Tonight was the 3rd night in a roll where I could not sleep at all. But I know the Lord is watching over me and keeping me safe on the work site. Praise God!
11 April 2007 – Wednesday
Yesterday gave me some good indication as how to organize the teams and distribute the work load. There were some major plastering that needed to be done outside and we got a few more construction supervisors from other Romania Habitat affiliates to come and help out. We had a complete team that ran the cement mixer and deliver the cement to everyone. Then we had one team to continue on the outside wall and another team to start working on the inside. I really wanted to do some plastering work myself but as a site leader, I had to run through the site to check on everyone’s progress and to deal with the other construction supervisors. It was not what I am used to on a Habitat project but realized that this is not a typical Habitat project. The Lord once again reminded me to have a servant’s heart. The main purpose on this trip is to share God with the kids and to help them see the joy of giving.
During club time, John showed us a great video from YouTube. It showed a chap in Australia offering “Free Hugs”. In the beginning, no one was willing to go near him. However, when the first person decided to walk over to get this “free hug”, the effect was contagious. Soon you see more and more people wanting the “free hug” and some even took up the sign to give “free hug”. After the video, John talked about the character of Christ, about His character of giving. Our cabin time discussion was about whether we believe all people have a desire to give and if we do then whether this comes from inside or outside. This was one of the most interesting cabin time. We started our discussion on the video and whether we would be willing to receive that “free hug”. Most of the girls were quite willing to accept the “free hug” but only after they have seen others tried it first. However, most of us would not be willing to carry a sign to give “free hug”. That struck me as how our society has conditioned our minds about giving and receiving and how perverted our society has become that deter us to have physical contact with people.
We then moved on to the topic of human desire to give. Alexis made a very interesting comment that people are all inherently selfish. And when we do give it’s only because we are expecting something in return whether tangible or intangible. However, Nicole believes that all people do possess the desire to give but just whether we are willing to embrace that desire. I was really touched by how open the girls are and how mature and intelligent they are.
Easter in Romania - Part I
It has been two and a half weeks since I returned from our Youth Compass/ Habitat for Humanity Project Compassion trip. The trip had a big impact on my life and I just want to take the time to share my experience. Since there are so many things I want to talk about so I decided that it's best to break them in managable, readable pieces. I hope you will enjoy reading my experience as much as I enjoy sharing it!
Youth Compass and Habitat for Humanity
Project Compassion 2007
Oarja, Romania 8-15April
GOD is good! I want to first praise the Lord for watching over everyone on this trip. There was no major accident and everyone returned home safe and sound. Our GOD is awesome!
Habitat is certainly no stranger to me. However, this is the first time I worked with teenagers. Before this trip, I confessed to everyone that I was terrified. God and everyone know that I have very little patience and I am a control freak. I also have absolutely no clue how to communicate with teenagers. The major issue is that I was worried about being “uncool” around the teens. When I was a teenager I wanted so desperately to be with the “in-crowd”, however, since I couldn’t quite master that I compensated by studying lots and taking many college-prep classes. More than once I thought of backing out as a cabin leader and just be one of the work-site leader. This way I only need to do what I am comfortable with but not what God wants me to do. But our Lord is full of Grace and much more resourceful than I can imagine, so I became a worksite leader and cabin leader.
The Youth Compass Director (Julia) and Community Director (Jami) are great! They know how uncomfortable I am about dealing with teenagers so they assigned me to a cabin of 4 absolutely amazing young ladies. And now I just want to share these amazing experiences the Lord has bestowed on me during the week of Project Compassion.
8 April 2007 - Sunday
I was assigned the role of “Transport Captain”. What an impressive title! The main responsibility was to make sure everyone gets on the plane, gets off the plane and collects the bags! And of course to make sure they are safely delivered to their parents on our return. This was the start to my week long “surround-sound” experience.
We all landed in Pitesti safely and crammed onto a bus that is way older than all the teens and probably most of the leaders. The drive was uneventful and it took us just 1.5hours to get to our destination.
For the next 7days our home was a technical school. The girls including the leaders total 120+ and we were spread out in the dormitories. The rooms were dusty and the 120+ of us shared 3 squat toilets, 6 wash-basins and 7 showers. There were only 5 of us in our room so we have comparatively much more “living” space than most other groups with 6-8 people! The 75+ boys and their leaders slept on the floor in the gymnasium. It was not a pretty sight.
After all the unpacking, everyone gathered in the cafeteria to join Club. Every evening after dinner and a short break we would gather for Club time. This included some music, great comedy by Issac Improv (Christian comedy duo, completely hilarious) and talks by John. The first night of cabin time was simply to get to know each other and to share a bit about what we expect on this trip. An easy task for a novice like me and I thought, maybe I will survive after all!
Project Compassion 2007
Oarja, Romania 8-15April
GOD is good! I want to first praise the Lord for watching over everyone on this trip. There was no major accident and everyone returned home safe and sound. Our GOD is awesome!
Habitat is certainly no stranger to me. However, this is the first time I worked with teenagers. Before this trip, I confessed to everyone that I was terrified. God and everyone know that I have very little patience and I am a control freak. I also have absolutely no clue how to communicate with teenagers. The major issue is that I was worried about being “uncool” around the teens. When I was a teenager I wanted so desperately to be with the “in-crowd”, however, since I couldn’t quite master that I compensated by studying lots and taking many college-prep classes. More than once I thought of backing out as a cabin leader and just be one of the work-site leader. This way I only need to do what I am comfortable with but not what God wants me to do. But our Lord is full of Grace and much more resourceful than I can imagine, so I became a worksite leader and cabin leader.
The Youth Compass Director (Julia) and Community Director (Jami) are great! They know how uncomfortable I am about dealing with teenagers so they assigned me to a cabin of 4 absolutely amazing young ladies. And now I just want to share these amazing experiences the Lord has bestowed on me during the week of Project Compassion.
8 April 2007 - Sunday
I was assigned the role of “Transport Captain”. What an impressive title! The main responsibility was to make sure everyone gets on the plane, gets off the plane and collects the bags! And of course to make sure they are safely delivered to their parents on our return. This was the start to my week long “surround-sound” experience.
We all landed in Pitesti safely and crammed onto a bus that is way older than all the teens and probably most of the leaders. The drive was uneventful and it took us just 1.5hours to get to our destination.
For the next 7days our home was a technical school. The girls including the leaders total 120+ and we were spread out in the dormitories. The rooms were dusty and the 120+ of us shared 3 squat toilets, 6 wash-basins and 7 showers. There were only 5 of us in our room so we have comparatively much more “living” space than most other groups with 6-8 people! The 75+ boys and their leaders slept on the floor in the gymnasium. It was not a pretty sight.
After all the unpacking, everyone gathered in the cafeteria to join Club. Every evening after dinner and a short break we would gather for Club time. This included some music, great comedy by Issac Improv (Christian comedy duo, completely hilarious) and talks by John. The first night of cabin time was simply to get to know each other and to share a bit about what we expect on this trip. An easy task for a novice like me and I thought, maybe I will survive after all!
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