Adventures in Bulgaria

by Julie Peters///By Julie, Travel

Last week Sam and I took a trip to Bulgaria for our one-year anniversary!

June 3, 2018 was our anniversary and it is so hard to believe that we have already been married a year. It has been the craziest year of my life, but it has by far been the best. I have learned and grown so much through my experiences in the past year and I am so thankful for all that I’ve been through, including the difficult times. It has all been worth it to get to live, learn, and grow with my best friend! I look forward to many more wonderful years of living and growing together.

To celebrate Sam planned a three-day trip to Bulgaria, which is on the southern border of Romania. He booked us a place to stay through AirBnB and we set off on our adventure!

It was about a 5-hour drive to Aprilsti, the town in Bulgaria where we stayed, but we did not realize that we would have to take a ferry across the Danube river to cross the border! We went through border control on the Romania side, paying a tax for the ferry and getting our passports checked. Then we waited in line to drive onto the ferry, which was still on the other side of the river when we arrived.

Here we are on the ferry! This was definitely a neat experience. The little green car behind me in the second picture is our Tico. It has taken us so many places! Once we got across the river we drove off the ferry and went through the Bulgaria border control. Here we had to pay a Bulgarian tax for the ferry, a road tax, and we got our passports stamped.

When we finally arrived we were exhausted and hungry! We ate a traditional Bulgarian dinner at a nearby restaurant. We do not know any Bulgarian, and our waitress did not know any English, but thanks to Google Translate, hand gestures, and pointing to the menu, we were able to figure everything out and order some delicious food.

We really just relaxed for the three days we were there and it was wonderful! We both agreed that we would not do any school while we were away, so we worked hard on the days leading up to our trip. We sat together and read and drank coffee every morning, studied Romans and read Sacred Marriage together, and went on lots of walks.

This is the house we stayed in. It was recently redone and it was so nice. There was no air conditioning or wifi, but the weather was pretty cool and we had already decided not to do school work, so it worked out nicely.

I loved this kitchen! After the first night we cooked every day with the food that we had brought.

Our trip to Bulgaria was a wonderful experience and it was so much fun to reflect on our past year of marriage and dream about the years to come.

SaveSave

SaveSave

Evangelism in Romania

by Julie Peters///By Sam, Romanian Life

I write this for those who are curious about some of my evangelistic conversations. It is my goal to write as accurately as I can.

My Orthodox friend and I met through a mutual friend who evangelizes for a local non-denominational church. After getting some corndogs at cafeteria in grocery store under the mall, we took the elevator to the third floor and sat down in the food court. I pulled out my notepad and the conversation began.

What are icons? I asked, having seen many Orthodox Christians kiss them. Icons are everywhere in Romania. They are on the side of the road at times and many people hang them up at their jobs, whether they be an insurance agent, taxi, or elementary teacher.

He responded, how icons depict spiritual truths and some of them have inscriptions on them. They are perfect paintings, no mistakes. Orthodox Christians must respect them, they are necessary, but one does not always need to pray to them. They are useful. For many people in the villages who cannot read, icons can illustrate the text for the illiterate.

Okay, I responded, but why do people kiss them? Isn’t that a form of worship?

After thinking for a moment, he responded. Yes, it is a form of worship. But not everyone needs to kiss them. Actually, some Orthodox Christians who are very concerned with hygiene don’t.

But doesn’t the Old Testament clearly say we are not to make an image of God? I asked. And grasping for other reasons, I continued, Paul was bit by a snake once and when others wanted to worship him yet he said we all must only worship God. If you worship icons, is that not something else?

My mother does not believe in icons, he replied. And she doesn’t go to church either. It is just how you want to worship God, I think.
Yeah? But Paul said in Galatians 1:8-9, if you preach a different gospel, then you are to be cursed, rejected. Doesn’t that mean there is a right and a wrong way?

My friend responded, some traditions are okay like how we paint the eggs during easter. That isn’t wrong.

Not really sure what we were talking about anymore, I wrote a picture of a face on the back of a napkin. Then I asked, is this piece of paper, which has a sketch of you on it, you? If I started talking to this piece of napkin, would I be talking to you?

That is different, he responded. God is not like us. I can talk to you just like this but God is different. An image can help us think of God.

Okay, but do you at least agree that this piece of paper is not you? And also, we can actually talk to God just like we are. We don’t need an image. Just like this, we can talk to God.

Please let me know if you enjoyed reading this. Also, feel free to contribute to the conversation. How would you respond and what do you think about icons? In your commenting,  I ask you please comment with grace

Photo credits- everypixel.com

SaveSave

I’m Going to Miss This

by Julie Peters///By Julie, Reflection, Romanian Life

It is crazy to think that in four short weeks I will be boarding a plane to go back to the States after spending nearly a year in Romania.

Time has flown! If you had asked me a few months ago about going back, I would have told you that July 10 could not get here soon enough. Now, I am not ready for it to come and I am begging time to slow down.

It was definitely difficult at the beginning when I was newly married, very unexperienced, and I moved halfway across the world to a place with a totally different culture and language. Almost everything in my life changed at once and it took me a while to get used to everything and be able to breathe.

I remember crying almost every day because things were so hard and I did not know why. I just wanted to be able to figure everything out, but I felt paralyzed because I didn’t know what to do.

Now, nearly a year later so many things have changed. I walk to the store by myself. I am not terrified of someone talking to me and not knowing what they are saying or how to respond. I have made friends and no longer feel lonely. I have grown to love the culture and lifestyle here in Romania, and now I am sad to leave.

I’m going to miss being able to head out my door and walk into town or to the grocery store. I am going to miss shopping with Sam at the piata for the masses of fresh fruits and vegetables grown in Romania. I am going to miss the drive to Severin and seeing shepherds and their sheep on the grassy hillside. I am going to miss many things, but I am going to miss the people most of all.

When we move back to the States everything is going to change again. Maybe not as drastically as before, but many things will be different all over again.

Recently someone gave me advice about the changing seasons of life. Each time my life changes I resist, feeling like I haven’t had enough time in the previous season. I was not ready to go to college. I was not ready to come to Romania. I am not ready to become a mother. I am not ready to leave Romania.

But it’s all going to be okay.

I told Sam that sometimes I am terrified by change. He told me that things are going to change and be very different, but it will also be good. Soon I will be in a home in Mississippi taking care of my baby, and I will so glad for the change in my life. I won’t be thinking about the time of being newly married that is past, or the miles I could have run or things I could have accomplished.

It is comforting to know that God is always constant throughout the changing seasons of life, even when they seem to be changing at an alarming speed. It is comforting to know that He never changes, and I can always rely on that.

Change can be good and exciting, even when it seems to come just as I was getting used to the last change. So I’m going to embrace this change and this new season of life.

But for now, I’m still going to beg time to slow down for these last four weeks. Because I’m going to miss this.

What Do You Do All Day?

by Julie Peters///By Julie, Romanian Life

I get asked this question often. People from back home as me what I do every day as the wife of a missionary. People here in Romania ask what I do all day when I tell them I’m from America, or that I don’t have a job.

What I do in a day varies a lot from week to week and from day to day. Some weeks I feel like I am running around every day, with barely any time to take a break or breathe, but other weeks I have plenty of time to catch up on school, housework, and any other tasks I would like to get done. Some things change as my pregnancy progresses and as I am changing physically, but here are some typical things you may find me doing these days.

School

I am currently enrolled at Southern New Hampshire University in the online program. I earned my Associate’s degree at Florida College, and last summer I enrolled online so I could finish my degree while living overseas.

Every day I try to spend some time completing my assignments for the week, which typically consist of reading and a lot of writing. Some weeks have more assignments than others, and some weeks are busier than others, but I typically find the work load manageable, which is a blessing with everything else going on right now.

I am working towards getting my Bachelor’s degree in English Language and Literature. I will take off a couple of terms around our baby’s birth, and I hope to start back slowly about 2 months after she is born. Lord willing I will be finished at the beginning of June 2019!

Laundry

I do laundry in some capacity nearly every day. Our washer is pretty small, so we have enough dirty laundry (especially when we both run) for a load every other day consistently, and I will wash several days in a row when I do towels and bedclothes. Dryers are very rare in Romania, so we hang everything to dry on a drying rack. However, as I mentioned in a previous post, Daddy made me a clothes line on our balcony and the clothes try much more quickly, and I can wash bedclothes and a load of laundry in one day and both are able to dry.

Cleaning

I try to do some type of cleaning every day, but our apartment really isn’t that big and it doesn’t take very long to clean, so I usually end up doing all the cleaning in one day. It only takes up a morning or an afternoon, so it probably ends up being more productive this way. I spot clean all throughout the day and I sweep the kitchen several times a week.

Cooking

I also spend time in the kitchen every day. I absolutely love cooking and preparing food and I usually listen to podcasts or audio books while I prepare vegetables and cook our meals. We also have company over for dinner about once a week, so I usually spend a little extra time in the kitchen on those days to make a special meal and bake bread or a dessert.

Shopping

Going to the store takes up a nice amount of time, and I usually go to the store two to three times a week. This is partly because we do not have an abundance of space to store food, and partly because I have to carry everything and I cannot carry a week’s worth of groceries. I loved it when my family was here and I had lots of helpers with carrying the food.

It is about a 30-minute walk to the grocery store, but it is very enjoyable when the weather is nice. This is also a nice way for me to get a bit of exercise, as I am trying to stay active yet it is difficult for me to run as much as I used to. Now that Sam’s parents live in Craiova (only a ten minute walk from us!) Mom and I like to go to the store together. We talk and visit on the whole walk and the whole time we shop and we both enjoy it so much!

Study

Once a week Mom and I walk somewhere to study together. Since I have come to Romania we have gone through For Women’s Eyes Only by Shaunti Feldhan and part of Feeling Good by David Burns. Now we have recently begun Body Image Lies. I always enjoy discussing the topics from the chapters in the book, but perhaps even more I enjoy the time we get to just sit and talk about everything. We always tend to go off on tangents about any little thing, but it is always just whatever is on our mind and I am so glad we get the chance to talk about everything. I always come away from our studies so encouraged.

Volunteer

Once a week we volunteer at an after school center to teach English. Beforehand I will spend time preparing the lesson, and sometimes a slideshow with pictures, to teach the children. I also like to have a coloring sheet and a simple craft for them to do.

Every other week we have an English Book Reading Club at the library. So far I have chosen books that I have already read, so preparation usually consists of briefly rereading or skimming the books, writing a summary, and coming up with a few discussion questions. So far we have done Dracula, Pride and Prejudice, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, and A Wrinkle in Time, and for our last meeting we will discuss To Kill a Mockingbird.

Website Work

I like to say that I am Sam’s secretary. I designed the church website for our church here in Craiova and I try to keep it updated with resources and events. Each week I create posters or flyers for the week’s events and post them on our website, Facebook page, and meetup.com.

Bible Studies

We have worship services and Bible studies here in our apartment on Sunday and Tuesday afternoons. In addition to this Sam teaches a study on Evidences for God in a coffee shop downtown. He also studies with various other people throughout the week, but I typically do not join him for those. Sometimes I will go out with Sam while he passes out flyers or puts up posters, but other times I stay home to cook dinner or do school.

There are many other little things I do each day and each week, but these are the things that take up the most of my time.

It’s the Little Things

by Julie Peters///By Julie, Reflection, Romanian Life

Walking to the grocery store was so much more fun with everyone together!

We immensely enjoyed my family’s visit last week and we were sad to see them go. Please read Mama’s blog for a thorough, day-by-day report of all the adventures we had while they were here!

The last night before they left for the Bucharest airport, Sam asked everyone what their favorite part of the visit to Romania was. Some of them mentioned the trip to Brasov or the trail race there, but everyone mentioned something little they enjoyed as well. They all mentioned something normal, everyday, “not exciting.”

“Walking to the Center.”

“Doing laundry with the new clothes line.” (Daddy bought the supplies and put me up a clothes line! The clothes dry SO much faster than on my drying rack inside)

“Weighing vegetables at the grocery store.”

“Just being here together.”

That was my favorite too. Just being together. Whether we were walking around town, going to the grocery store, or cleaning the apartment, it was all better together.

Sisters and Starbucks 🙂

We don’t always have to do huge or exciting things with those that we love. Actually, sometimes the best thing we can do is just be together. Simply.

That is one of the things I love about being married. We don’t have to think up different ways to be together; we just get to live together every day. I love being able to cook for Sam and do his laundry, and I love sitting down every morning to eat breakfast together. I love walking to the store together or studying side by side. It’s the little things.

Crazy adventures are so much fun and can do a lot to build relationships, but I think it is even more important to focus on every day, little things. If you get excited about little things in life and relationships, life will be full of joy and excitement.

What are your favorite “little things”?

Our Latest Adventures

by Julie Peters///By Julie, Travel

“You know, we’ve been on a lot of adventures together so far,” I told Sam at some point in our recent travels. It is true, and we both feel incredibly blessed for all the wonderful adventures we have been able to experience together so far in our marriage.

Our most recent adventure was a trip to Moldova to visit some friends. Moldova is a small country to the northwest of Romania, which was at one point a part of Romania. The official national language of Moldova is Romanian, which is nice for Sam and me, but previously the national language was Russian and many people still speak it, which neither of us understands. Thankfully our hosts spoke perfect English, which is always a blessing for us.

Our journey began Friday afternoon as we took a Blabla car to the Bucharest train station, which is about a three-hour trip from Craiova. Our driver dropped us off at the edge of town, so we walked to the nearby metro station and rode the Romanian subway to the train station. I had packed us a picnic supper and we ate at the train station while we waited for our train, and at 7:00 we boarded a sleeper train headed for Chisinau, Moldova.

My first time on a train of any sort was when I first moved to Romania, and this was my first experience on a sleeper train. Sam and I had our own little room with two benches and a small table. We opened the window and read and studied for a while, and before long we began to try to go to sleep. Neither of us slept much, but it was enough to feel rested, and much better than sitting upright all night. We crossed the Romanian/Moldovan border at 3:00 a.m. and we had to go through passport control and customs right there on the train. It was a good experience, but we were very thankful when we arrived in Chisinau.

We had a wonderful few days with our friends in Moldova. Actually, we had never met these friends in person before, but it is amazing how God’s perfect plan for His family brings so many people together and we are able to have common fellowship through Christ.

Monday afternoon we boarded the train again to return to Romania, and we arrived in Bucharest at 6:00 a.m. We got coffee at a McDonalds in the train station and read, studied, and began our morning at a table at McDonalds. We didn’t have any food left, so we walked to a grocery store to buy some fruit and bread for breakfast, then we walked to the Palace of Parliament.

The Palace of Parliament was begun by the Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceauşescu, but not completed before his assassination in 1989, and it is one of the largest buildings in the world. We took a tour of the palace and we were amazed at all the ornate details, marble, gold, and the massive size of everything. I was intrigued to learn that 99% (or more) of the materials for building were sourced from Romania.

After our tour we ate lunch at an Indian restaurant. Our first date was to an Indian restaurant in Tampa, FL, and we both love Indian food. We were quite pleased to find a place to get some in Bucharest!

We spent the rest of the afternoon and evening studying at a coffee shop and visiting a friend from Bucharest before heading to the airport!

Part of my family arrived last night for a two-week visit to Romania! Daddy will join us next week. We had night filled with more adventures in a taxi, on the train, and again on another taxi before we finally arrived home, thankful and exhausted.

Now we are ready for many more adventures in the next two weeks!

 

The Life of a Missionary: Discouragement

by Julie Peters///By Julie, Reflection, Romanian Life

“I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth.” I Corinthians 3:6

We know that God is the one who causes growth; He is the one who gives the increase, but it is sometimes easy to be discouraged when we do not see apparent growth or increase.

We have lived in Craiova for almost six months, and as of now the church has no new members and no regular visitors. We have events and studies, but often no one comes. Sam passes out hundreds and thousands of flyers, posts countless posters, and we advertise regularly online, but the results we have seen are few.

And it is easy to get discouraged.

It is hard for me to see Sam work so tirelessly every day, studying diligently, coming up with new ideas and methods for reaching people, and getting out of his comfort zone to get out and talk to strangers in a country where he is unfamiliar with the culture and unaccustomed to the language, and not be discouraged for his sake. Sometimes I think, “Don’t these people see how passionate he is and how hard he is working? Why won’t they respond?” But I know this is the wrong way to think. I am thinking too much in physical terms, expecting to see a tangible result of spiritual efforts. No amount of effort on our parts will force people to make the decision to turn their lives to Christ; that is up to them and God. All we can do is keep diligently sowing the seed and give the rest to God.

The gospel is still growing in Craiova, whether or not we see the results with our eyes. We have heard countless stories of conversions that resulted from a single small seed planted years ago. With so many seeds planted all over the city, from flyers to posters, to events and conversations, we pray that one day one of these seeds will grow in someone’s heart and prompt them to turn to God for help and salvation.

Yet even if one of these seeds does not take root, the gospel is still growing. Sam and I have both grown so much from this experience, and we continue to learn every day. We are learning to rely on God and His timing, not our own plans and ideas of success.

And He is causing the growth.

Long Distance Relationships

by Julie Peters///By Julie, Reflection

“Distance makes the heart grow fonder.” Over the past couple of years I have discovered just how true this quote is. Growing up I didn’t have much experience with long distance relationships; my family was always right next to me and my closest friends all lived in the same state, if not in the same city. Going to college twelve hours away from home gave me my first taste of long-distance relationships as I tried to keep in touch with my family and friends back in Mississippi, but the summer after my freshman year of college I began to discover what a long distance relationship really meant.

Sam and I started dating at the beginning of the spring semester during my freshman year and his senior year at Florida College. That summer I went home to Mississippi and he went to complete a preaching internship at a congregation in Ohio, which put us twelve hours apart. It was difficult at first, but we began talking on the phone every night, sending letters weekly, emailing periodically, and texting daily. The few times we got to see each other that summer were so special and we really tried to take full advantage of the time we had together.

Nine days after we were engaged Sam got on a plane and flew across and ocean, over five thousand miles away to Romania. We did not think we would see each other again for nine months, until right before our wedding. It made it a little easier to know that we would not have to be apart again once we saw each other again, but such a lengthy long distance relationship was still extremely hard.

I think the most important aspect of a long distance relationship is intentional communication. During our nine-month separation (minus two weeks we surprisingly got to spend together over my winter break) we created schedules for talking and studying various subjects together. We sent long emails each week and texts throughout the day. Some days we didn’t really want to talk to each other (rarely!), but we never regretted it when we did. I think it was thanks to the volume and variety of our communication throughout our engagement that made it so easy to see each other for the first time, and then get married four days later.

Reunited four days before our wedding!

Now some mornings I’ll wake up and tell Sam I’m so glad I can just roll over and tell him “good morning” instead of texting him. I’m so glad we don’t have to schedule our conversations over a seven-hour time difference, and now we can pretty much talk any time we want to.

When my long distance relationship with Sam finally ended, many more began. I moved across the ocean and over five thousand miles away with him to Romania, which now separates me from my family and many dear friends. I have relearned that intentional communication is again what makes the difference in these relationships. I have schedules to talk to different family members and friends throughout the week, as well as emails, texts, and letters.

Long distance relationships are hard. Sometimes they can get easier if you put forth the effort, but they are never easy. However, I think they can be very beneficial. Constant and intentional communication eases the hardship, and when you are finally reunited it is so worth it. I read a quote somewhere that spoke of the benefits of a long distance relationship, that being long distance makes you love a person even more. When you don’t get to be together you come to love their voice, the meaning behind their texts, or pictures of them doing every day life.

We are still so happy!

Whether or not you are in a physical long distance relationship, I think we are all in a long distance relationship our whole lives with God. Constant and intentional communication will help us get closer to Him, and when we are reunited it will be so joyful and so worth it!

Are you in a long distance relationship? What makes it easier?

Our Trip to Israel

by Julie Peters///By Julie, Travel

Shalom!

Last week Sam and I took a four day trip to Israel with his parents and it was an amazing experience! The days were packed and we slept very well every night because we were worn out, but it was all wonderful and worth it.

We set our alarms for 3:00 am Monday morning so we could get to the airport for our early flight. Our plan was for Sam to drive our car to pick up his parents at their apartment, then head to the airport together. We flew out of the Craiova airport, which is about 12 minutes away from our apartment and it was such a luxury!

Right from the beginning this trip was an adventure. One of the back tires of the Tico locked up and Sam ended up having to remove the tire and do something to fix it. I know absolutely nothing about cars, so I am very thankful for a car-expert husband! Sam put the tire back on the car and we still made it to the airport in time. We were just in time to learn that our flight had a four hour delay. Thankfully, since we live so close to the airport we were able to go back and get a little more sleep before trying again. The second time we were successful and we landed in Tel Aviv at 12:30 pm.

Mom planned a lot (at least a lot more than Sam and I did) for this trip beforehand and we were so thankful for all her ideas and insight! She signed us up for a fascinating tour of the Western Wall for our first night. We got to see layers of history walking under the wall, including a massive stone from Herod’s Temple! Our tour guide was exceptional and I think we all learned a lot and really enjoyed this tour.

Day Two

We went to the Temple Mount first thing Tuesday morning so we could walk around before it closed. When we first walked in a man gave me and Mom skirts and shirts to put over our clothes so our arms, ankles, and heads would be completely covered and we would not offend the Muslims on their site. The men were okay, but we did see a few men around us wearing skirts because they were wearing shorts.

That afternoon we went to the Israel Museum where we did an audio tour. We got to see various interesting artifacts and learn fascinating facts about different subjects, from the Qumran community to the Dead Sea Scrolls to the Isaiah A scroll, and much more.

We were also able to explore the 1/50 model of first-century Jerusalem, which was also a neat learning experience.

Day Three

Thanks to having a rental car, we were able to spend our third day in Galilee. When we arrived in the morning we visited the Church of the Annunciation, which is where it is believed that Gabriel came to Mary, telling her of the birth of Jesus. Whether or not that is true, it was a neat experience to visit the church and see the historical site.

This is another historical site we were able to visit in Capernaum. The church behind us is built over a first-century house that is thought to have belonged to Peter the apostle. Surrounding the church were the ruins of a village that we got to walk around and explore.

We also got to see the Sea of Galilee! It was beautiful.

We had to try some authentic Israeli falafel one day and it was amazing.

Behind us is an olive press that we saw on a tour of a Nazareth village. We did not really plan on seeing the village or taking the tour, but it just all worked out and we were so thankful. We loved learning about first century life and seeing so many relics and replicas that help make Bible stories come more to life.

On our way back we stopped at the Jordan River. This was an especially wide and clear spot, and we just parked the car nearby and walked down.

On the drive back we saw people giving camel rides in a parking lot. I don’t remember why, but recently I was telling Sam the things that are on my bucket list and one of them was to ride a camel! When we saw them he asked me if I wanted a ride. I did if he would with me! The camel was named Pistachio and she was so huge and gentle! It was a lot of fun.

When we got back to Jerusalem we went up to the Mount of Olives to try to get some pictures and see the view before the sun set.

Day Four

On our last day we drove south to Masada. Somehow I don’t have any pictures, but we hiked all the way up to the top and walked around all the ruins. I did not know much about Masada at all before this trip, so I enjoyed learning as we went through, and as Dad explained a lot of it.

We also got to float in the Dead Sea! I had no idea what it would be like, and it was the strangest sensation. After we dried off we were all crusted with salt. After hiking up the dusty mountain and being covered in salt it felt so good to get a shower that night!

It was a short trip, but it was packed to the brim and I know I learned a lot. We are so thankful for all the experiences and memories we have from this trip!

 

 

“You are Amazing!”

by Julie Peters///By Julie, Reflection

“You are amazing!”

I always cringe a little when people tell me this. My impulse is just to deny it or laugh it off, because I don’t think I am exceptional, and I don’t want it to feed my pride.

Yet C.S. Lewis aptly defines humility as “not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less.” Instead of brushing off compliments whenever I get the chance, thinking less of myself, I need to think of myself less and give all the compliments to God.

I am not the perfect person to be a missionary in Romania. I do not feel like I am a special person who has been called and is cut out to be a preacher’s wife or a missionary in a foreign country.

Growing up I was very much a homebody. I was the girl who left camp early, or at least cried because I wanted to be home with my family. I said I was never going to college. I said I was never getting married. I planned to live right at home in Mississippi forever.

During the first month of college at Florida College, twelve hours away from my home and family, I called Mama, sobbing and begging her to let me come home.

“You can do anything for one semester,” she told me, “just keep trying, and if you still want to come home you don’t have to go back next semester.”

If someone had told me then that in a year I would be engaged, and a year after that I would be living in Romania, I would have thought they were crazy. Getting married and moving to another country was not in my life plans.

But God’s plans are so much better.

I left home at age 18, got married at age 19, and a few days after turning 20 I moved across the world with my new husband to a drastically different life from what I had ever known. I had no idea what I was doing. I felt like I was still a child, trying to navigate my new life as a competent adult. I cried nearly every day and profusely apologized to Sam for not being a perfect missionary’s wife who had her life together.

But it was okay. Nobody is perfect, and I will never be perfect. I am learning more and more every day, and it is getting a lot easier, but I hope I never reach a point where I think I have it all figured out. These past eight months in Romania have taught me so much about fully relying on God and not putting any trust in my own accomplishments or abilities. Only He is perfect, and only He can help me navigate this life.

I do not think I am cut out for this life, but I do think I have been incredibly blessed with the opportunities God has placed in my life and the countless lessons He is constantly teaching me.

I am not amazing. God is amazing.

C.S. Lewis