Romania in our Hearts
For several years, European Initiative has cared for the needs of the “least of these” in Europe, the Romanian Gypsies. Tucked away in the remote valleys of Transylvania, are endless stream of Gypsy villages. In these villages the mode of transportation is an ox-drawn cart. Plumbing and other 21rst century comforts are only a distant dream.
EI invited a team of Americans connected with Glory of Zion Ministries in Denton, Texas, for an outreach to Romania. Deborah Landwerlen, who had been to Romania on missions trips more than a dozen times previously, led the team. She was well suited to lead the American team comprised of young adults from Georgia and Texas.
EI’s Matt Lankenau and I brought the Americans to our Romanian partner ministry, City on a Hill Church and Pastor Gyuszi Simon. Our mission was twofold: urban missions in Cluj, the capital of Transylvania, and outreaches in small rural villages, primarily focusing on reaching Gypsy children and teens.
In bustling Cluj, Deborah’s team went into apartments, parks, and to the streets, meeting as many people as possible. They invited everyone they met to see a Christian drama to be performed later in the day at a local orphanage and in a city square.
More than one hundred people came to see the drama, and many of them were changed for eternity. Thirty-two responded to altar calls, and received Jesus as their Lord. The response was beyond our hopes and dreams. Our team made the long trek back into the mountains, on an incredible spiritual high. God had exceeding our expectations in Cluj. Could He do the same in the villages?
Upon driving up to the first village our hearts sank as we saw the devastating poverty. It was as if we had gone to third-world Africa, yet we were still in first-world Europe. The Gypsies are despised and forsaken by most Europeans, but not by God.
Herculean is an extremely remote Gyspy village built on a very steep hillside. It is aptly named, as it takes a momentous effort to climb the vertical sloped dirt paths, simply to get there. Upon our arrival a torrential downpour soaked us and within seconds the dirt streets became a mud bath.
We ventured into the village going house to house, sometimes walking in mud above our ankles. We prayed for the sick, shared the good news, and invited everyone to the drama. The rains finally subsided and a huge crowd of several hundred came to see the performance held in a village community building. More than 15 children, teens, and adults were saved that day.
The last outreach on our final day was equally incredible. We were astonished as we walked up another steep hillside outside the village of Apata. Several hundred Gypsies had gathered and had been waiting expectantly for our team in sweltering heat for more than 4 hours! They gave us a hero’s welcome. It was a very overwhelming, humbling experience.
The beautiful green meadow was a stark contrast to the how the Gypsies live. The serene setting seemed to diminish the poverty of the people.
The hillside was packed with families, eager to meet us and watch a drama about the life of Jesus Christ. After setting up the sound system and cranking up the generator, Deborah’s team entertained the children, talked to the teens, and finally performed the powerful drama. Once again lives were touched, with more than 20 making decisions for Christ.
Yes, God had exceeded our expectations, just as in Cluj. Whether in the city, villages, or even on a meadow, friendships were forged and lives were changed. A few days later as we flew from Bucharest to our homes in Germany and the USA, all of us looked back with a smile, knowing part of our hearts were still in Romania.
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