On Wednesday night, we had the opportunity to visit the Palace of Parliament. This impressive building is the second-largest administrative building in the world, surpassed only by the Pentagon. It was created by former dictator Nicolae Ceauşescu and construction began in 1984. The building covers an area of 330,000 square meters and boasts over 1,100 rooms. We had a great time taking photos and enjoying the evening.
The following day, we had the chance to meet the Media team of the organization (GEM) we were serving with. It was inspiring to hear about the creative ministry tools and projects they were working on. One of their major projects is a movie. Some of their team members are former actors from the U.S. and they recently completed the script and will soon begin production. It was fascinating to learn about their backgrounds, roles, and how the Lord led them to work in Europe. They also shared with us that our gifts and talents could be used on the mission field if we decided to serve full-time.
In the afternoon, we had our first round of debriefing for this trip. We grabbed coffee at Starbucks and we were able discuss our time. It was a meaningful time where we discussed our fears and anxieties before the trip, how well our team worked together, and the impact of our work over the past 2 weeks. This trip stretched all of us. It was incredible to witness each of us using our gifts and talents and stepping out of our comfort zones.
Friday was our last day of work at the church. We prepared two meals for the Ukrainian Refugees. Esther made Chicken Fried Rice while the rest of the team prepped and made pizza for dinner. The day flew by quickly, and we had to say our final goodbyes to the volunteers and the people we served throughout the week. It was a bittersweet moment. These past two weeks went by in a flash, and we are incredibly grateful for the time we spent here. Our goal was to serve and encourage others, but in reality, they were the ones who encouraged us.
Friday evening our hosts Gene and Jason invited some of the church volunteers to dinner to celebrate our team. Gene and Jason both thanked our team for being here and for being willing to come to Eastern Europe and serve in that capacity. it was a special time. We ended the night with a gelato trip for one last time and headed back to the apartment for get ready for a 3am wake up call to head to the airport.
This was a life changing trip for us as a team in so many different ways. We witnessed firsthand the significant needs of the vulnerable and marginalized, which reinforced our mission to support those often overlooked by society. This experience demonstrated the value of taking a leap of faith, even when uncertain of what lies ahead. By obeying God’s call, we were able to demonstrate His love and grace in practical ways. We pray that our service left a lasting impact on the lives of those we assisted and our own spiritual journey. We are truly grateful for this experience and are prayerfully considering returning someday to continue working with this local ministry.
Thank you!
