7 months in Moldova...and counting.

March 1st marked seven months in Moldova for me. I still have days where I cannot believe I am here(even though the signs are all around and obvious). There are still days where I miss the comforts of home. And everyday I am thankful for this once in a lifetime opportunity. Everyday I am aware that this time is part of God's plan for my life.

I wanted to jot down a list of things that I havent' experienced in 7 months. Some of these are obvious, but it's my list.

It's been seven months since I've:

sat foot on American soil

driven a car

held my neice

attended a church service where the entire service was in English

eaten any American fast food other than McDonalds

seen my Memphis/Millington/Missouri family and friends

picked up my cell phone to call my mom at anytime of the day

eaten my mom's cooking

been to Walmart

listened to K-love

used an American dollar to pay for anything

drank water out of the faucet

So, this is just a partial listing....I could go on, but I won't. This isn't supposed to be a sad, Shauna-is-homesick-today-kind-of-post, but I just wanted to share what I was thinking about. I think it's interesting to see the little things that we give up to experience something else. If I was still in Memphis, I wouldn't have experienced the richness of what God has wanted to show me and teach me in the last seven months...and counting.

In the last seven months I've:

flown overseas for the first time in my life

taken public transportation for the first time in my life

immersed myself in a culture and a language other than my own

used a foreign language in conversation outside of a class in school

made many new friends

lived in an apartment for the first time ever

learned to cook (something I didn't know I could do)

learned to appreciate all the comforts I've been afforded growing up in America

faced my fears on a daily basis

boiled water to drink for the first time ever

experienced God's faithfulness and mighty hand at work in my life and those around me

Thank you for reading and God bless!

Zooming Out

"Worship is zooming out and refocusing on the big picture. It's refocusing on the fact that two thousand years ago,Jesus died on the cross to pay for the penalty for my sin. It's refocusing on the fact that God unconditionally loves me when I least expect it and least deserve it. It's refocusing on the fact that I have eternity with God to look forward to in a place where there is no mourning or sorrow or pain. Worship is forgetting about what's wrong with you and remembering what's right with God. It is like hitting the refresh key on your computer. It restores the joy of your salvation. It recalibrates your spirit. It renews your mind. And it enables you to find something good to praise God about even when everything seems to be going wrong."-Mark Batterson, from the book: In a Pit With a Lion on a Snowy Day

Yesterday I zoomed out as I stood singing in church. I am really getting the hang of singing the songs in Romanian. I don't get it all right, but man I give myself an 'E' for effort. I was able to lay down all the events of my week and the world around me and just focus on who God is. It was wonderful. We must have sang songs for nearly an hour, but honestly I think I could have sang for another hour. I was most excited and surprised when we sang, "Shout to Lord." This is my favorite worship song of all time. The Romanian words of the song pierced my heart just like the words in English do. The part of the song that gets to me every time are these words:
Forever I'll love you, forever I'll stand
Nothing compares to the promise I have in
YOU!

Indeed, what a promise we have in Him. I am so thankful for this! I was really refreshed as I zoomed out and sang these words yesterday.
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A bonus at church: There was a Turkish Christian who shared his testimony about how he and his wife converted from Islam to Christianity. Powerful stuff. Besides his powerful story, I was surpised by his English. He shared his story in English and then the pastor translated in Romanian to the congregation. What a joy it is to hear English in church. I don't think I fully understood before I came here how much English really is the universal language. It is amazing how many people speak it and speak it well here. It never ceases to amaze me. It is times like these that I am so thankful I was born in America. :)

Speaking of Turkey...Did you know that I get to go to Turkey in June? Yep. I'm really exctied. I will be there for retreat.