Multicultural worship, an awesome experience!

What a day! We started our day at Rachel's church, Salem, which is a Christian Church. It was awesome! The worship is upbeat and there's a lot of it! Of course, the worship and sermon were in Romanian, but between Rachel and a few other interpreters, we could keep up with the message. It was about how God gifts each one of us and how most people only use 10% or less of the gifts that He gives us. The message was to be open to God, step out of our comfort zones, and we have this week, and allow Him to use all of our gifts to further His kingdom. The message was powerful!

We had lunch at Caminul Felix at Mircea and Lidia Toca's house. It was like being at home! They are a great family!

This afternoon, we went back to the gypsy village, and went to church. It was a small room filled with Christian gypsies! The worship was awesome as they all sang, and had a band that consisted of an accordian, a violin and the pastor on the keyboard. It was an experience that we will ever forget! We saw many of the kids and families that we delivered food to the day before. There was a pastor from Ohio who has been connected with this church. The gypsy pastor preached and then the American pastor preached, and was intrepreted in Romanian. It was a convicting message on the Great Commission.

Our team was welcomed. Rachel told us that we were the first team that has ever come to worship with them. We were asked if we would like to share a worship song. We sang Amazing Grace, and it was awesome as the accordian player jumped in and started playing along with us. Brett said that it must have been a bunch of angels that came down and sang, because he thought we sounded pretty darn good.

It was an amazing day as we worshipped with the Romanian culture, and then worshipped with the gypsy culture. The worship style was so totally different, but one thing is evident, and that is we all worship and serve one God.

We are so thankful for Rachel and her heart, and for her willingness to sacrifice everything to make a difference in the lives of others. She is a role model for for the young and old, as she has stepped out in faith to work in the gypsy community. We are thankful for Erin who is here from Canada to assist Rachel in her ministry. The children's center is something that is definitely needed in this village. There are many families who do love and at least try to take care of their families, but need assistance. There are other children who are abandoned, neglected and/or at risk who have no hope for the future without the help of Forget Me Not and the children's center. We met Abell, who is a four year old little boy, who has a brother who is two. It is incomprehensible, but the grandparents and mother think that the boys are cursed and they don't allow them in the house. The two boys are left alone in a mud floor hut that until recently, didn't even have a roof. The mother abandoned them and these two boys will be one of the first to be at the children's center as the grandparents can't, or don't choose, to take care of them. Our heart just ached as we looked at that sweet, innocent face, of a child with no hope. He would smile for the camera, but for the most part, he is empty and in need of the love and nurture that every child deserves. We ask that you pray for Rachel, for FMN, for the opening of the children's center, and for Abell and the many children in the same situation. Pray about how God can use YOU to be part of this ministry.