Wednesday, January 17, 2007

Posting from Romania!

Hello from Romania!! We've been recovering from jetlag and spending the rest of the time visiting the different ministries we will have the opportunity to be involved with here in the coming years. We're on an 11 day survey trip spending most of our time in the city of Oradea and the surrounding villages. We're being hosted by one of our future Baptist Mid-Missions teammates, Kim Marks. She has a ministry almost exclusively to the Gypsy people of Romania and our other teammates, the Oanas (Romanian nationals) minister primarily to the Romanians in this area. We've been able to spend time with both Kim and the Oana family to see what's happening in both ethnic groups. We've visited both Gypsy and Romanian churches and been in several homes of both groups as well. Today was especially great as we spent a few hours with a Gypsy pastor and his wife and their 2 young children. They are so very poor and all 4 of them live in 1 room. Pastor Nastase and his wife Claudia have such a great love and gratefulness toward the Lord. Our missionary hostess, Kim, translated much of what they said, which was awesome for us since we were able to connect with them much better that way (a lot more personally). We were there for a Bible study with the women of the village church. Only 3 of them came, so Kim allowed us to give our testimonies rather than teaching what she had planned. This was also a special blessing for us to allow them to see that our sinful hearts are the same as theirs and that God has given us salvation. Just because we are Americans, we are no different than they are in the sinfulness and selfishness of our hearts. One last thing that happened today that impacted us so greatly was to hear the Gypsies pray. It was incredible to hear how much they love the Lord and how well they understand who God is. Though they are unable to read, the Holy Spirit has taken the preaching and teaching of His Word in their churches and grown them up in Christ. It was AWESOME!! Sorry this post is so long...so much to say. Please pray for the Lord's work in our hearts that we would seek His will and not our own in the coming months as we travel on deputation.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

I am trying to leave postings, but I don't know if it is working. That is so cool to read about your activities. I will sow Samuel in the morning so he can see Mommy and Daddy. We will continue to pray for God's direction in this trip and beyond. Love you both.
Mom and Dad G.

Anonymous said...

Yea--it worked. The pictures are great. I wil share this blog address with Pastor Crews tomorrow too. Goodnight--or good morning!!
Mom

Anonymous said...

Travis & Becky, Your blog site is cool! I hadn't had a chance to catch up on it since you left, but it is amazing to read and see what you are experiencing......we will continue to pray for God's will for you guys as you seek what He has for you.

God Bless! Looking forward to hearing your report on the webcast Sunday night!

We love you!

Todd (for Kelli, Madison & Ashley)

suzanne Heckathorne said...

Hey guys! We've been praying for you non-stop! Check out our blog, too, to see pics of the boys playing together! :) Sam's been great and having a wonderful time playing with William. We miss you and anxiously await your safe return, but in the meantime we pray for the Lord to use you greatly while you are there and that you will see His niche for you. Love you much!
http://web.mac.com/sheckathorne

Karis said...

We are thrilled to hear how God is working in your hearts. We can't wait to hear about the trip when you get home! Blogging is so neat because we get a little bit of a preview. The pictures are great. We love you guys!

Anonymous said...

TRAAAV & Becky, we are in prayer during this wonderful trip; we are sure that God has His hands on your lives and that others (around the world) will soon testify to His amazing grace because of you. We will also pray that God will increase your love specificly for these dear people. Keep up the good work!

Love, Brad, Jennifer, Kyle & Carter

Becky Gravley said...

All,
thanks so much for your encouraging words and your prayer for us. it is very important to hear that you are praying. we'll try to get at least one more post before we head home. love you!

Don & Katrina Hines said...

Hey Guys,

It is so great to hear how well your trip is going and to hear of the ministry that the Lord is already opening up to you. We are faithfully praying for you that the Lord would guide, direct and prepare you all along the way.

We Love Ya

Anonymous said...

Hey Trav and Becky!

It's thrilling to read your entries about the people you're meeting and your shared bond in Christ. Beyond explanation in this life, huh? Hope you continue to see opportunities for service. Look forward to hearing more upon your return. We're all well here, except for our new addition of a January baby cold. What fun!

Love to you!
Tam for the Joneses

Dave Kimmel said...

Hi Travis and Becky! What a wonderful treat to see some familiar faces from Romania. I know Kim is helping you see as much as possible during your short stay. Say hello for us. We are praying for you and a safe journey.
Dave and Ruth Kimmel

The Two of Us said...

Greetings from a former NBBC mailroom worker. Great to see you and your family!

Anonymous said...

We ran across your blog while visiting someone else's. We were thrilled to see what God is doing in your lives. Praying for you! Ben and Abby Hyink
bahyink@juno.com

Becky Gravley said...

Wow! It has been great to hear from so many of you! Some we weren't surprised to see posting, but others of you (Sandra and Ben and Abby) have been a pleasant surprise. Great to hear from you, Sandra. I was just talking about that great job in the mailroom the other day. Lord Bless!
Ben and Abby, so glad you stopped by. We will include your email on our prayer letter list.

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