It’s a song that’s been sung for ages, but Jennifer Rothschild sings the version I like best. You can listen to it at https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/walking-by-faith-music-captured/id284354320. I like Jennifer’s version for two reasons: One, she’s adapted the lyrics and I think they are beautiful. Two, she’s completely blind, so she knows and lives daily what it means to walk by faith. The chorus on her version goes like this:
I’ll keep walking by faith, faith in His faithfulness,
Faith in His mercy that’s making a way.
I’m trusting His grace, grace that is holding me,
Grace that keeps showing me each step to take,
As I’m walking, I’m walking by faith.
Today throughout our work, we had the opportunity to see so many who do just that. They walk by faith. Faith in His faithfulness and mercy and grace. Faith that God will show them each step to take, even when the path seems impossible.
Laura and I literally witnessed walking by faith as we saw the women of Stupini walking to church in the rain. Most of them walk at least a mile. And did I mention the youngest one in the group is 61, and three walk with a cane. Walking by faith. And God just blew us away by sending us Nina, a non-Christian, who braved the weather and the walk to see what faith was all about, and God gave her a glorious glimpse of it through the worship of the other 8 women. Please be in prayer for Nina to know Jesus Christ and have salvation. Also please pray for Sabina,Paulina, Floare, Maria #1, Maria #2, Maria #3, and Maria #4, and for precious Paulina, the oldest in the group at 80 years old. Pray that God would continue to give these women great strength and courage to let their lights shine for Him.
Stupini women walking by faith
Laura and I looking really young with the group from Stupini. We were so inspired by their faith!
Marvin, Katie, Kelly, and KeLe walked by faith up a very steep hill to visit four families in Simleu we had visited in 2012:
- Agneta, a precious widow. Kelly hand-pumped three bottles of water for Agneta, and the team delivered it to her because the climb is too steep for her to make on her own and no running water is available in her one room home.
- Maria, a women with three children and an alcoholic husband who is near death;
- Lilliana, a woman who had liver surgery when we were here before and is continuing to do well. Petra McNamara, Lilliana received your scarf in 2012.
- Stephen, Maria, and the 31 year old son, Marios, with Down Syndrome. Rochelle Brunson sent a scarf to Maria in 2012.
All of these families continue to experience great need, and your prayers for them matter.
The team also visited Florica, a woman who struggles greatly with depression. God gave Katie Gravens a divine appointment with Florica, and Katie was able to minister to Florica because of Katie’s own walk of faith with depression. Despite Florica’s great need for food, she would not allow the team to leave empty handed. She gave each of them an apple. They also visited a second woman named Florica who is both deaf and mute.
After the food distribution, the team went on to the large gypsy village of Saldabagui where they served 47 children. Praise be to God for an amazing pastor and his wife who serve this community. With their help, the team was able to share the story of the healing power and hope of Jesus Christ in our lives. The children loved the story of Jesus healing Bartimaeus and even participated in acting the story out. We would ask that you pray for everyone of these children, and also for the pastor and his wife. They are paid a shockingly low amount of money each month to serve this very challenging community, and yet they walk by faith.
The team split even further to minister in three separate churches tonight. Katie, Kelly, and KeLe were with the women at Bethany Baptist in Simleu again tonight, and they had five new women join them. Katie taught on Joshua 1, and Kelly shared her testimony. Joshua 1:9 reminds us that we can walk by faith. We can be strong and courageous. We should not be discouraged or afraid. Our God goes with us wherever we go!!
Marvin and Jeff led a revival at First Baptist Zalau with 53 people present. Through the power of Marvin’s testimony and Jeff’s teaching of the prodical son, all were reminded that God is holding His arms out to us as we take each step towards Him.
Laura and I went to Simpetru tonight, and it was the sweetest reunion ever! We had an absolute blast. FBC Crawford, remember the picture I showed you in church on Sunday. This is that group of ladies: Aurica, Florica, Paulina, Rodica, Cornelia, Carolina, Aurelia, Hortensia, Veronica, Mara, Marinella, Eleanor, and Delia. I was able to greet each one of these women by name, and you should have seen their faces light up. Absolutely priceless. Laura and I received more pace-kiss-kiss, as I call the Romanian practice of saying “Pace” (pronouced pa-chay) which means peace, while receiving a kiss on both cheeks. We felt so loved and were so incredibly blessed by these precious women and TEN more. Praise God! We had an absolutely full church, and our worship and time in God’s Word was such a testament to these women’s faith. They, too, had walked in the dreary cold, and they would walk back home at 9pm. We played games, which they absolutely loved, and we studied Galatians 5. Laura and I were overwhelmed by these women’s faith and trust in God despite hardship. When we asked them to share what gifts God had given them, the most common answer was helping one another and praying for each other. Walking by faith together! I love that.
Worshipping God in song
A full house in Simpetru
We ask that you, too, would join us in walking by faith in your prayers. Your prayers to God are evidence of footsteps of faith. You pray when you believe God hears. You pray when you have faith in His power to answer your prayers. You pray when you believe God loves you and will give you the desires of your heart.
Walk by faith with us today!
Special note: I only have pictures of Stupini and Simpetru mission work today, as Laura and I were separated from the remainder of the group. Katie, Kelly, and KeLe all have pics on their cameras, so more pics to come later.
