By Craig and Debbie T.

As parents of a young Con-solatio missionary, Debbie and I were overjoyed to be able to visit with Mollie in Deva, Romania. It wasn’t long into our visit that we both sensed that the magnitude of our visit was pointing to something much greater than the personal reunion that we had long anticipated.  As we had the opportunity to join Mollie and her fellow missionaries in their daily activities, the love, joy, and genuine connection that we witnessed was a beautiful expression of the presence of Jesus Christ in the world.

As so often happens, when people submit to offering themselves to others, the grace and gifts that are received in the exchange are more amazing than we could expect. Our hearts were filled from the smiles, tears, food, and fellowship that were freely given to us from the missionaries and the friends we met.  We were blessed by the friends in Deva who lovingly welcomed our presence, offering us a cup of water or a cracker or a lesson in making paper snowflakes or an introduction to generations of family in one home or hugs and giggles from the children covered in dirt.  We returned home with a renewed appreciation and admiration for the work that Mollie and her fellow missionaries are doing, grateful to have shared in it for even a few days. We pray daily for the missionaries and those we met in Deva, understanding a little better what loving and serving our neighbor means.