Buckle your seatbelts! I have returned to Romania for the long haul after three weeks in America. This included a week in Pennsylvania for Allison Moore’s wedding, a week at La Vida Basecamp; bookended by time at home with my crazy family. Time in Pennsylvania was wonderfully relaxing. Allie and I spent half the week preparing and trying to stay cool, and then once the wedding festivities began, I was able to spend good time with other wonderful friends as well. It was good to take some time off and to really renew my love for my friends. The wedding was absolutely beautiful. So simple and perfect. I cried a lot, thinking about changes and being so far away from them and other friends for the next nine months.

Base Camp was also a blessed week. I worked hard- facilitating the ropes course, belaying rock climbs, small construction jobs, and even scaring away bears. I was able to steal away some precious hours to really talk with many of my friends there. I really love all that La Vida is and it was so hard to drive away from that place.

Home was hectic but fun and comfortable. We forged many new memories and reminisced on old ones. The great part was that almost all of my family was home while I was there, a phenomenon that has not happened since I was in high school!
I learned a lot in reflecting on my time in America the last few days I was there. I was having a very hard time accepting the idea of coming back here. Romania is a place of much beauty and much hurt. Its gleam is covered by a thick layer of grime. How can I leave such a beautiful and deep life for this gloomy life where even ordering a loaf of read can involve flipping through a dictionary? However, through prayer and the graciousness of the Holy Spirit, I began to understand that my life has not always been beautiful. Even the things that shine like silver have had to be polished with hard work and God’s grace. If God can make such a beautiful, glory-filled life out of the ashes which I brought to him, how can I not believe that He can bring beauty to my heart in Romania as well?

So I return, looking at gloom and grime, but looking further for the bits of light to hold onto and cultivate. I turned to the Psalms last night and read David’s wrestlings- much lke my own. One second he could be praising God and the next, despairing. This is much how I feel in Romania and I will give that to God, in hopes that H3e may turn that into faithfulness. It is true; the next nine months loom before me, daunting and challenging. I already miss the people I love so much. I’m already mourning the times I will miss out on- thanksgiving, beautiful fall hiking days, Christmas, sledding, holding my cousin’s newborn baby, and more. But as I learned when I ran my half marathon, every hard thing must be done one step at a time. If I focus on all the strides that are to come, I will be overwhelmed and not enjoy the strength and beauty of the one I am taking now. So here’s to today.