Malta

Malta! Hands down the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen. For history lovers like Cameron, Malta is engrossed in it. During World War II, Malta was the most bombed place in the war. At a church called Mosta a group of people had gathered inside to find shelter from the bombing. While seeking shelter and praying a bomb fell through the roof of the church and did not explode. A replica of this bomb sits in the church today as a reminder of divine protection that is unfortunately not attributed to the true Savior’s hand. Malta is also found in the New Testament. In Acts 27 and 28 Paul is sailing as a Roman prisoner headed to Rome. While sailing, a storm arises and the ship is destroyed leaving Paul, the other prisoners and the Roman guards stranded on a foreign beach they come to know as Malta! We actually stayed at a hotel on St. Paul’s Bay where it is believed their ship crashed. We went and visited the old cave area Roman guards used as their prison and where they believe Paul was held. We went to Mdina and saw the city that was very likely the same place Paul would have come to heal Publius’s ill Father. There was so much history and so much of it coming to life before your eyes as you walked, saw and relived what once was. It was by far the best trip we’ve ever taken and the most beautiful place we’ve ever seen. Oh and just to prove scripture’s truth once more: Taken from Acts 28:2 describing the people of Malta, “The local people showed us extraordinary kindness…” They still do! (Picture of cave above)
Malta provided a wonderful time of refreshment and allowed us to meet Roma team members from all over Europe. I cannot fully explain how wonderful it is to be at the beginning of this journey and hear stories from the people who have been running this race much longer. To hear of Roma who not only are transformed by the Word of God but who then comprehend what Christ commands and they in turn “GO” and become a city on a hill for those around them is so cool! To hear light jokes of those who have had a dollar stolen but not their smile or their call, gave me little boosts of encouragement. All in all I looked around the room, I listened to testimonies and I sat honored to be in the presence of those I look up to and hope to learn from. A group from New Orleans came to provide a vacation Bible school for the kids and Micah and Ben had an awesome time!! Some from the group brought a couple of treasures for our family from friends back in New Orleans and this gave us the opportunity to give Micah the perfect birthday present: Blueberry Pop tarts!! In addition they brought a chocolate cake mix and chocolate icing so that I didn’t have to make his cake from scratch on Monday. These were beautiful treasures to our family and Micah’s birthday was wonderful! We just want to make sure they all know how lucky we felt to get those things and how sweet those gifts were. (Picture and evidence of the excited boys with a pack of gushers above)
Another beauty about Malta is that almost everyone speaks English. It was spoiling to just speak! To say things in the moment, to tell jokes and laugh, to share my heart without searching for words and most of all to share Christ with others again! If you asked me what the hardest thing is about living in Bulgaria, I would say hands down it is the inability to tell people about what Christ has done in my life. To feed a Roma man today and not be able to sit and talk with him about bread that feeds the soul rather than his stomach kills me! To hand a tissue to an old lady who then wants to have a full blown conversation with me hurts my heart to only reply “I don’t understand” and all of this to walk away from these people who possibly think I am a nice person rather than it being known that it is Christ who is compelling me to love them devastates me! Don’t take this treasure for granted if you live in a place that you can speak fluently in! When your tongue disappears all you will desire to do is tell people about Him! To see people daily in captivity and walk by knowing you have the key to set them free should make you never Shut Up!! Speak, Tell, and Love through Him and don’t sit silently. When your tongue disappears, your heart will explode within you begging to speak words of life to others! Please don’t take it for granted.
Please take a moment to pray for the salvation of Mike and Jacob. We were able to share Christ with them during our stay in Malta. Other members from the Roma team were able to share Christ with Maltese and if you’ll pray for their decisions I would appreciate it.