FEAR NOT!

Peyton Elkins

Hello Everyone! I am very excited to be joining this team for their next trip to Romania! I can hardly believe that I will have the chance to travel around the world to meet with believers and share the Gospel—it'll be a new experience for me! In my excitement, brand new luggage and a small stash of toiletries have already found their way into my house. my ticket is purchased, my passport has arrived, funds are being raised, and I am trying to get ahead on my schoolwork. however, as important as it is to have a passport and deodorant, nothing is more important than being spiritually prepared. You see, my excitement is definitely mixed with a lot of fear. I'll be sharing what God has done in my life with strangers who come from a different culture. My flesh keeps telling me that I simply cannot do it or that even if I do, nothing I say will really matter.

Combating this dangerous lie is perhaps the most important thing I can do before I leave. So, I have been looking through God's Word, searching for His commands to "fear not." Many of the verses I found go on to say why the person being addressed need not fear—because God is with them. Genesis 26:24, Joshua 1:9, Isaiah 41:10, Jeremiah 1:8, and many other verses call on specific people to take courage because God is with them and will not leave them. These words make me strong when I remember what Jesus said to his disciples, and to me, before He left the earth, "I am with you always, to the end of the age" (Matt 28:20). I know that the Lord will be with our team as we journey to Romania. I know that I need not be afraid because His Spirit will give me the words I need to say. I know that God does not want me to be afraid, "for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control" (2 Tim 1:7).

Please pray for our team as we ready ourselves, physically, mentally, and spiritually for our trip in the spring. Please pray that we will be fearless, not because of the strength and abilities we think we possess, but because God is with us. 

As the Time Draws Near

Mamie Edmonston

As the countdown until the trip to Romania gets shorter, I am asking the lord to prepare my heart for all that He has in store.

I've been on a mission trip once before, and out of the country many times, but I know this is going to be very different than those trips. Unknowns aren't my favorite, but this trip is not about me. 

I'm looking forward to meeting other believers who love the same Jesus but live thousands of miles away. Sometimes I wonder how on earth God can use me and my simple testimony to impact anyone, but He knows exactly which conversations I need to have  to share His light. Once again, it's NOT about me, it's only about Jesus and his unfailing love.

Please pray for us as the date to embark draws nearer. Pray for the words we will speak and the relationships that will be made and strengthened. To God be the glory forever and ever amen.

(You can learn more about Mamie by reading her Team bio.)

Waiting to Board!

We are excited to be on our way. We are missing one of our team members who had a medical issue that prohibited him from coming, however, we are all anticipating God to work in and through us as we connect with our friends in Romania!

Please keep us and the Romanian people in your prayers.

God Provides The Adventure!

Stephanie

I'm about to go on an adventure. It's not a spontaneous quest to satisfy the wanderlust of my curious and daring notions. 

In fact, it's not spontaneous at all. It's an adventure with a purpose. I began planning to go to Romania again long before typing out this blog post. God has been, and willing continue to, provide and to prepare my heart. rather than springing from the desire to travel, the motivation behind this new journey is to share the most beautiful news I have ever heard with those that I will meet. It is to encourage those who have already heard and believed in the only One able to take them from death to life. It is to dare them to live wide open in obedience to their Savior and King while rebelling against apathy and conformity. It's to embolden them to "throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles" and "run with perseverance the race marked out" for them (Hebrews 12:1). 

As someone who needs to preach the good news of the Gospel to myself on a regular basis, because I am so quick to forget what Christ has done on my behalf, and as someone who knows all too well the struggle of "throwing off everything that hinders," I am humbled that God has called me and all those who claim the name of Christ to share His message with those who will hear it. It is a message that applies regardless of age, nationality, or gender (Galatians 3:28). In Christ, there is hope that crosses borders, and I am willing to cross borders to share it (Mark 16:15).

Some might ask, "Can't you do that without leaving your own country?" The simple answer is, yes. Yes, we could stay in our hometowns and share the truth of Christ as we have opportunity. I'm burdened for my own country. I love Americans. I pray that each person I interact with in my "neck of the woods" would be drawn to Christ by my life. But I also know that God's plan and His Body is world-wide, and we currently have the freedom and opportunity to share the truth with people in Romania and encourage them by our presence. To those who ask, "Why are you going to Romania again?" I simply say in response, (and I believe my team would echo this), "Why not?"

Unlike most trips American take to other countries, my team and I will not be building houses, working in orphanages, or digging wells. Our "work" cannot be measured. We will be traveling throughout the country, sharing our testimonies, singing, and worshipping God with natives. We'll share the gospel in a high school and at a children's camp, get to know the young people there, and spend time encouraging those we've built relationships with in previous years. I pray God uses us, but I know He will use the Romanians to encourage and challenge us as well.

Three years ago as I traveled Romania, the stories I heard of persecution and God's goodness strengthened my faith. The older Christians there who had lived through communism did not have the dispositions of those who had been beaten down and discouraged. Granted, it had been quite a while since communism had been overthrown  in Romania (1989), but many of them had joy they couldn't contain. It was a deep joy that has known God's presence in desperate times. Being in another country also showed me in a greater way how HUGE God is.

You see, I'm not one to seek adventure. I have learned that as I seek God, He provides the adventure. His adventures are ones I certainly don't want to miss. Please pray for our team as we go and while we are there. We would greatly appreciate your prayers. Please don't spend this vapor-life (James 4:14) without knowing the One who created you and loves you enough to provide the Way of escape from sin and death (John 14:6). 

The Romanian Church Is Not Alone

Oliver Alexander

I am so glad to be going back to Romania this year.  I can’t wait to see how the Lord moves.  This is my second time as part of the Trinity Romania Mission Team and I am excited to see all the people again.  

I believe firmly that the Romanian church needs to know they are not alone, that they belong to a bigger body that cares for them and hasn’t forgotten them.  They’ll never know that if random churches visit them and never come back to build that relationship.  That is why I think it’s extremely important that we take these trips to visit and encourage our brothers and sister in Christ.

Please keep us in your prayers as we gather the team - we desire to be united and of one mind as we go to serve the people of Romania.  Especially pray that God will prepare our hearts and the hearts of the people we come in contact with.  We also would ask that you pray for patience with each other as we travel.  Long flights and sleep deprivation can test endurance.

I can’t wait to see what God will do both through and in our team.  Thank you for your prayers and support in this ministry.

2016 Trinity Romanian Missions Trip Is On The Calendar!

Believe it or not, it is time to begin praying for the 2016 Trinity Romanian Missions Trip!  We will be leaving May 16 and arriving back in the U.S. on May 30.  We are planning to purchase our plane tickets in January so our team is taking shape now.  We have several on the team already and several others praying.  Please be in prayer for our upcoming trip.

Our Christian brothers and sisters in Romania are already making plans for our arrival .  There will be much more information to share in the coming months.  However, we wanted to let everyone know that we are gearing up again!  

In November, or December, we are planning a fun night of information about our missions trip, music (local artists), coffee, munchies, and friends!  This would be a great time to come, learn about, and support the Romanian Missions Team.  Watch out for future posts with specific details!

Christ's Reassuring Love

Leah Heffington

Hello everyone!  I am the second youngest on the team and I am delighted to be part of this years Romanian missions trip!  I've been wanting to go for several years.  However, it wasn't until this past year that I really began praying about the possibility of traveling to Arad.   God answered these prayers and has been faithful to fulfill His promises of peace and clarity in regards to this decision.  

It's hard to believe that I will be sharing in the adventure of bringing Christ's reassuring love to His churches in Romania!  It will be my first time out of the United States, and the first time, since I was five, to be on an airplane!  I can't wait to witness Christ's body working together from two different sides of the world.  (as a side note: I am super excited to taste European gelato.)

Thank you for all your prayers and support as our team ventures out on this journey again.  It really means a lot to have people praying for us while we are absent from our own homes.  

Fully Funded!

God has blessed our team!  This year's Trinity Romanian Missions Trip is fully funded!  Our tickets are purchased and we are counting the days to departure: 27!

We also had a great team building time a few weeks ago.  We talked, sang, prayed, played, and of course, we ate.  This is a group that know how to be serious and knows how to laugh and have fun. 

We can't wait to see what God has planned for this 2015 trip.  Follow our blog or check back regularly as we will have video and pictures from Romania as we travel (as long as we have internet).

Memorizing The Lord's Prayer in Romanian

Sarah Heffington

I am one of the team members who will be returning to Arad.  

This will be my third trip with the Trinity Romanian Missions Team.  Each trip has been such an amazing experience.  I have had opportunities to learn about a new culture, visit village churches (bisericas), and go road tripping across the Carpathian mountains.  The adventures have been many.  It is a huge blessing that the Lord is doing this in my life and I know He has me on this team for a reason.

I am especially excited about the prospect of connecting with the Romanian youth and sharing about how God is working in our lives.  Though we live in very different cultures and situations, we are each in the body of Christ and have that common ground on which our lives are based!  This is a great opportunity and I hope to grow a lot through it!

I am working on memorizing The Lord's Prayer in Romanian before we leave in May!  Please continue to pray for our preparations and our financial needs.  Thank you for your prayers, support, and love!

   

Back in the United States!

The Romanian Missions Team 2014 Made it home safe and sound.  Mission accomplished and God was very evident in our travels.

We want to thank all of you who have prayed for us and encouraged us for that last several months! We will post a few more video clips and some more photos before we wrap this blog up.  So, keep an eye out over the next few days!

Praise the Lord for His great work and His encouraging people all over the world!

Safe in Romania!

 Just a few traveling photos!  We have arrived safely in Romania.  We are recovering today and will begin speaking and singing in churches tomorrow. And that is what we will be doing for the next 13 days!  Please pray for the people God will bring us in contact with.  Pray that we will have wisdom, love, and compassion.

More photos and update to come!  Thanks for praying!

Embarking On This Journey With Us!

Stephanie Eubank

I can echo Sarah and say that I am so excited about our trip to Romania!  I have not been to Romania before, and I can't wait to begin the adventure!  God has already provided my needed funds for the trip, and I'm so thankful to "fellow workers of the truth" who have given so generously.  God is faithful to provide!  

I pray that God would prepare our team to encourage our brothers and sisters in Romania and that God would work in us as well as through us.

Thank you all for your prayers!  You are embarking on this journey with us through your prayers and support.

My Hope and Prayer

David Edmonston

I'm getting excited about this trip to Romania.  I haven't spent any significant time in another country since 1982, so this trip almost feels like a brand new experience for me!  I'm looking forward to seeing the sights and the countryside.  Also, everyone who goes on a missions trip comes back talking about how much they were blessed.  Of course, I hope that happens.  

But what I really am excited about is meeting and talking with the Romanian people.  My biggest hope and prayer is that by sharing God's word and how He has worked in our lives, the team will be an encouragement and blessing to the people of Romania.

Fully Funded!

Romanian Flag

Thanks to the generous gifts of many people and the great help we have received at various fundraisers the Romania Missions Trip 2014 is fully funded!  We are very excited to be able to focus completely on the mission itself.  Our team will depart from Washington Dulles International Airport in exactly four weeks!

We aren't sure what our exact itinerary is yet, but we do know we will be doing a lot of traveling.  In light of this, we would appreciate your prayers for safety in travel throughout our trip and that the vehicles will function properly.

Thanks again to all of you who have been praying and who have generously contributed to this trip!

Constantly Thinking of the Upcoming Trip to Romania

Oliver Alexander

Hello everyone!  

As the days are getting longer and the farm is getting busier I am constantly thinking of the upcoming trip to Romania.  I am really excited to see how Romania is different from our country.  I also think it will be interesting to see a country that is so much older than America.

I have been doing a lot of research on Romanian history and culture recently and it has been really interesting.  Hopefully I can study the language some before we leave so that I'll have a small vocabulary.

I can't wait to see what God will do in and through our team while we are in Romania.  Please keep all of us in your prayers as the time draws nearer.

Excited about our Romania trip in May!

Sarah Heffington

Hello everyone!

I'm beginning to be very excited about our trip in May!  

These past few weeks I have been working a lot on expanding my Romanian vocabulary, and trying to wrap my head around all the conjugations and things.  Our team is going to be learning Fii A Mea Lumina (Be Thou My Vision).  

Rachel and I have been remembering various delights from last year's trip.  I really look forward to revisiting these people and p;laces in May.  Thanks again for all the prayer support!