I read a quote by Oswald Chambers recently that said, "If what we call love doesn't take us beyond ourselves, it is not really love." When I think about love taking us farther than we could go on our own, I immediately think of my dear friend, Claudia. She and her husband Leandru lead Vesti Bune, The Good News, in Targu Mures, Romania. Claudia allows love to drive everything she does--everything. And her love for Jesus draws others in to see for themselves how grace driven He really is. She pours buckets full of love in every crack and crevice of our hearts and we are immediately inspired to HOPE for a future that is promised. Claudia shared this recent love-drenched experience at one of the neighboring schools and it reminds me that love pays attention.
Spring is starting to peek out from the long winter sleep. The sound of the school bells is probably what woke her up. After four mounts of online schooling the children returned to class at the beginning of February. Shy and well hidden behind colorful masks, but happy to be reunited with friends and teachers.
This year was a hard one for so many of the kids and their families but as I looked at them this past week, as they were happily working on their Valentine hearts, I saw them deeply rooted in a LOVE that goes beyond what they can understand. They, just like spring, are ready to bloom and grow despite the circumstances around them. The God of 2019 was the God of 2020 and is the God of 2021 and the kids, without fully understanding this, believe it and are ready for this new season.
Thank you for the support we received to be able to continue to minister to the children and their families during this long winter. We are all ready for spring and the new HOPE it brings with it.
Claudia Dascal