Romania 9.12.23
Hello again! Super excited to share this newsletter with you! This week is talking about all things ministry. Since the last newsletter my schedule has started to get just a little more busy, but that will be changing this week. All right let me tell you about all the ways I get to serve here!
Praise!
I am finally over the jet lag! This is huge because I feel like I can function like a normal human again haha. Time change is no joke and although it took longer than I would have liked to get adjusted, we got there!
English Class: On Thursdays I will be facilitating two English classes for anyone in the church who wants to learn or improve with English. I will have a beginner lesson where we will start from scratch and work through the basics. Then I will have an intermediate class that will be more of a conversation circle for people to become more fluent!
Sunday School: I have had the opportunity to bring some fresh ideas to the Sunday School program here. Because of the language barrier I have been helping with games the last two weeks. Which has been wonderful! Thankfully with kids you don’t need to speak their language to connect with them! It’s a great way for me to get to know the kids in a very informal environment. Sometimes I think I have more fun than them hah!
Pre-teens: One of the first things Pastor Addy and I talked about was if I would step in to help create a foundation for their students that are between the ages of 9 and 14. I knew immediately that this was something I wanted to say yes to. This is pivotal age and the church wants to create a healthy community for them to be able to ask questions, discuss the Bible, talk with one another about life, and have fun.
Addy has given me permission to come up with the topics that I want to discuss with them. That in itself is a huge honor, that they would trust me with these students and the things I have to say.
After planning this week, here are a few things that we will be chatting about over the next 2.5 months:
- The Character of God, specifically looking at Jesus in the gospels. How he treated people, responded to situations, acted in everyday life, etc.
- Children of God, digging into our identity as a child of God
- Brothers and Sisters, how we can love and honor the people around us knowing that they are also God’s children
- Living on Mission, what it means to live on mission every day, in our homes and everywhere else
Why these topics? Well, with this program, Addy asked if I would lead these students on a mission trip. We will be taking a few days at the end of October/beginning of November to southern Romania. This will be the first time many of these students have experienced a mission trip and I have the honor to plan, lead, and walk alongside them as they put into practice what we talk about.
Youth: Last, but certainly not least, the youth program. I will be involved in helping with house groups, game nights, adventure activities, and more. They are very focused on not just getting youth to church, but discipling them in the process. I will have the opportunity to meet one-on-one with some of the students if they want to chat more. Just like I do in Greenville, walk alongside them as they navigate what it means to follow Jesus. I sure don’t have all the answers, but I find there is so much comfort in sitting over some coffee to talk about questions, doubts, truth, and life in general.
Prayer Requests
- Relationships. I want to be intentional with every person I meet and when there are so many new relationships being formed, that can be hard at times. I firmly believe that relationships between people are the biggest form of evangelism there is, character is the first thing people see and I pray that they would see intentionality and love from me.
- Schedule. My schedule is finally cranking up and I’m about to be booked almost every day of the week. Praying for peace during this season as I know for myself it’s easy to get caught up with all the things I can say yes to. Trying to take in this season even in the midst a full schedule.
Week three is done! Thanks for reading this update, I’m so glad you’re here!
Love ya, Sumer
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