The Romanian mission team at Deborah House (a healing home for women who have been sexually and physically abused) continue to work as God continues His glorious work through them.  They were up early one morning to make a visit outside of Timisoara to the boy’s prison, Buzia.  They had approximately 50 boys in the auditorium reciting scripture and singing familiar hymns.  The pastor shared Isaiah 40.  In verse 29 – 31 Isaiah reminds us that God gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.  EVEN YOUTHS shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. 

They saw before their very eyes boys becoming new men, submitting to the authority of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior!!

Each day this team passes acres of sunflowers each day!  They learned the crops of sunflowers are primarily used for making oil.

As I read their update and saw the word SUNFLOWER, I received a huge hug from Jesus.  The ministry that I’ve been a part of for 14 years, Woman of Worth Mentoring Ministries, is a mentoring ministry for adolescent girls that teaches girls through Bible Study their worth is in Jesus, so that they will grow in this knowledge and not gain acceptance and worth through the things of this world.  Our ministry logo includes the beautiful sunflower.  

Yesterday to gain perspective and rejuvenation my girls and I headed to the sunflower fields on courthouse road, to take pictures, pick some flowers for home, and gaze upon God’s beauty. 

Later that night when I came home to read the update, how joyous to read that across the world in Timisoara the team has been greeted by the Glory of God and His beauty through sunflower fields.  God wants us to feel connected as if we are one huge body of Christ.  Think of those times you were absent from a loved one, or away on a mission trip, and God gave you that feeling or obvious tangible that you are not alone. 

A friend of mine Sarah shared her mission trip testimony to Panama.  She said that a calming moment was sitting on the beach and looking up and knowing that the same moon, stars, sun where the same moon, stars, and sun in Chester.  God is everywhere, working in us all, at the same time.  He is never-changing, always there.

So, as I’m writing this I feel drawn to pray for the  boys in prison.  On my sofa in Chester watching the sun come up, I pray for them to know the peace of God in a cell that confines them.  I think of the sins and struggles in my life that seem to confine me, and I feel as if I will never see the day of freedom from them.  Oh precious little boy/man do you feel totally set free from your sin because you have the tangible reminder of bars around you?  The love of Jesus is so poured forth in your life and soul that although bars are around you, you know that your sins have been forgiven, and the bars around your soul have been broken.

Lord, teach us more about your  love, the freedom we have in You alone, and give us the grace to face this day rejoicing when we feel unworthy.  You took care of it.  It is finished.  Remind us that we are no different from our brother in the prison of Buzia.  Like them, we all wake up each day with soul struggles, and each day you deliver mercy, grace, and love.  You don’t see the bars, you see us redeemed and restored, and you arrest us with your grace.  I love you so much Jesus…..

Romans 8:1  “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (claim it NOW!!)