Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread

As part of my Apprenticeship with Serge at some point during the 2 years I get to go on a mission trip to visit another Serge team in a  different ministry context. To see their world and meet their people. Be able to pray and encourage them. 

Cluj-Napoca Romania

This past April saw me going to Cluj Romania with my team leaders to meet the Cluj team and see their world in Romania. It as fascinating  learning about a post communistic culture. Just last year, I read about Brother Andrew smuggling Bibles into Romania and this year I actually got to go to Romania and meet church leaders that were imprisoned for their faith. As inspiring and convicting as it was to hear stories from such recent history, it was heartbreaking looking around today Cluj and to see the apathy toward Christianity in my generation. Never would you pray for persecution, but it does make you realize what's important in life. Even just to be told you can't believe in Jesus makes you want to believe in Jesus. 

Our first night there we were given a book entitled "Not By Bread Alone". It was a little devotion book made up of Bible verses mostly about food, or lack of food (as the title suggests) and quotes from famous theologians. It was written by a pastor who was actually imprisoned during the communist regime. (His son was actually the pastor at the church the Serge team is part of!) During the week, as a team of 3, we started a little tradition of reading this book with breakfast. Either with food, or instead of food. So literally starting our day with "not by bread alone"! 

For some reason food was not a high priority on this trip. Somewhere during the day we would for sure get a meal, but it was never for sure when. There was a little pastry cafe around the corner from where we were staying, where we would often get something to eat. But we discovered the hard way that everything's closed on Sunday's. But God, miraculously quieted our hunger pangs. I never really got hungry that day, (that never happens to me!). But what was also really crazy was that Vicki, one of my team leaders, has a gluten intolerance. Guess what we ate all week, oh yeah, gluten! God just protected her so she could be present and not get sick. 

So, even though I'll never understand what it was like living in Romania during the communist regime, I feel like God gave us a little example of what it means to trust Him with something as simple as your daily bread. 

Or even what it means to pray expectantly. Even for small things. I feel like I have so many stories from just one week of God showing up! So... stay tuned for more stories (and pictures!)