Romania - Project hope
Reflections on our 10th Anniversary Visit by Margaret Hammond
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Arriving in Romania marked ten years since we bought a derelict building on a piece of land on the edge of a village, just outside Craiova. Podari is a mere dot on a map of Romania; a village one could easily drive through without noticing, yet as we approached the village we were amazed to see Podari in lights emblazoned across the night sky. It appears that the Mayor had erected the village name for all to see just recently on the very hill we had many times prayed on in the early years and from which clean water now flows to the rest of the village including the Project Hope building. 
The Hollywood style sign brought to mind the scripture "a city on a hill cannot be hidden" Matthew 5 v.14. Praise the Lord that this may be a spiritual sign of what is to come "..when the reaper will be overtaken by the ploughman and the planter by the one treading grapes. New wine will drip from the mountains and flow from all the hills"Amos 9v13. My prayer before we went had been that we would be able to see with spiritual eyes what God was doing, and to see "Podari"in lights when we first arrived made me truly excited in anticipation of what the rest of the week would bring.
Among other things, this visit was about getting the local church groups together at Project Hope to worship and celebrate with us and to give a gift to Costica and Gabi in appreciation of their faithfulness over the past ten years. During the prayer time before the meeting there were two pictures given of angels. One of a very large angel with its wings wide open standing on top of the hill by the newly erected sign of Podari. The other of a ring of angels with their wings tilting forward encircling us, with a small gap to allow others in.
The angel on top of the hill spoke to us of the scripture "Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it. For the revelation awaits an appointed time.." Habakkuk 2v.2. We prophetically prayed that the large angel would be the "herald"to take the vision to bring reconciliation, encouragement and strength to our Romanian brothers and sisters, and the fire of revival to this area.
The evening meeting went well. Mario led worship. What joy to see him carrying on with the Lord and desiring to devote more of his life to whatever God determines. Andy spoke about the Hope we have in Jesus and how we need to bring this Hope to those around us. It really felt that the "herald"was running with our vision as we worshipped together. Marcel and Emilia expressed their thanks by inviting us to their church the next morning. Marcel spoke about how we, St Peter's had persevered through the years following God's calling to Romania and Andy brought a word about living in unity and working together.
Every day seemed to bring a fresh sense of what the Holy Spirit was showing us.
On the last day we decided to walk to the top of the hill which overlooks Podari and pray that the "herald", the very large angel Louise had pictured standing by the sign, would run with the vision through the valley. On route we stopped at the crossroads where Angela and others had first stopped and felt God telling them to plant a church. We journeyed on stopping at the gypsy camp where our neighbours Petre and Aurică's parents live and many of the extended family.
These gypsies had received aid from us in the early days and the two derelict buildings behind the camp had been thought to be the place we would develop, but there were so many difficulties in those days and in God's timing we eventually bought the building and land we call Project Hope today. We had an opportunity to pray for healing for Petre and Aurică's parents, who were sitting on an old mattress outside.
It was quite a walk in the heat of the midday and "pilgrimage" came to mind. Psalm 84 v.5-7.
At the top of the hill under the large newly erected sign of Podari we prayed that the physical water being piped down would be spiritual life giving water to the people, as we poured water on the ground symbolically.
Amelia was amazing and never moaned about the distance or heat, though she said she wasn't going to do that again!! Maybe when she is much older she will make that same pilgrimage for herself.
As you read our personal reflections, I hope you are excited by what is happening at Project Hope and will want to visit next year.
Margaret Hammond
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