Jesusluvsall's Blog

In 1990 I read a book written by Rev. Wurmbrand, Tortured For Christ. In the book he shares his imprisonment and torture at the hands of the communist regime led by the dictator Nicolae Ceausescu. When I read the book, there was something I just knew between me and God. I thought, “I must go to Romania.” I knew there was something for me to discover in Romania and also I greatly desired to show Christ’s love to the people there.

After that I went to Bible College, became sick, returned to Lincoln to die, I didn’t die, I got better, all in the span of six years. In April 1996 the doctor told me, “Matt, you are now a healthy man. It is a miracle you didn’t die.”

In December 1996, it was announced at my home church that they wanted people to go to Romania again. There had been four previous trips. When I heard that, it was jolt of lightning in my spirit time, I knew I needed to go. I signed up to go and was accepted.

I ended up having 7 trips to Romania. My first one was in June 1997. I took to it like a fish takes to water. It felt so natural for me to be in another country and experience another culture. I knew during that first trip that God was calling me to work with another culture but nothing had come into focus yet.

What struck me the most was the people I met there. They had lived under the oppression of communism for almost 50 years. The country was so far behind the western world. Running water would be shut off with no warning. I saw horse drawn carts that used car tires. They still had so little, but the people I met in the classes and at the church had such big hearts.

That first trip I experienced something I will never forget. One Sunday afternoon we walked to the boardwalk area above the beach and at a corner there was a large group of people singing while a few people played guitar. The group was an informal gathering of young people who were Baptists, Catholics, Evangelicals, Nazarenes, and Orthodox Christians. They were singing worship songs in Romanian together enjoying their new freedom to be able to worship God out in the open. I prayed with some of them, but I was the one who walked away the most blessed. It struck me that they could not have done that a few shorts years before. I wish those of us who follow Christ in America could have the same spirit those young people had there that day and lay down our differences to do a few things together. I realize there are differences that would prevent us from having church together, but to have some activities together like those young people could be so meaningful.

It was through my trips to Romania that God called me to the work I do now. I taught English for the first time during those trips. When I was there, I spent more time with my Romanian friends than I did with the Americans on the team. Simply put, I loved my Romanian friends.

Romania will always have a special place in my heart. I hope to return there someday just to visit and see some people. Of course I would like to walk the beach again, eat some sarmale again, but most of all just to see some people. I haven’t been there since 2005 due to God leading me in other directions, but I will never forget Romania and my friends there.

June truly is a month that God has led me to some adventures. It all started with Romania. I love Romania and my Romanian friend so much. If you are one of my friends from there and reading this, please know that I miss you.