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Day 20: Susani, Romania.

She became my constantly smiling photography assistant for four days. We dodged soccer balls at sports camp and ate sarmali and mici (cabbage rolls and sausages made of lamb and pork) at a Sunday dinner that filled a 40-foot table in a village community center. She was staying the summer in Cliciova with her grandparents – the fall would find her in Lugoj, a much larger city hours away where most children in rural areas journey by themselves to attend school.

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I’ve been traveling now for years, and I wonder if there will be a day when my heart won’t ache at the thought of leaving the places that are added to the “feels like home” list in my soul. But with every trip, God shatters and mends my heart again to hold more beautiful and painful love. And so it was with Timea and the summer in Romania.

And so it is now, as I sit quietly and think about the past month. Kenya. Guatemala. Jamaica. I am aching. Aching. Aching.

And then, there hope is – popping up on Facebook Messenger like an epistle.

“Hello.” It’s my little assistant, sending a note for the very first time.

“Cum se numeste muzica ce am ascultato in microbuz cu fratele ovidiu?” (What is the name of the song we listened to in the van?)

“Am cântat “Spune Da.” Michelle Williams cântă.” (It is “Say Yes.” Michelle Williams sings it.) We must have sung it fifty times as we drove from village to village. Loudly. With the windows rolled down so all could hear.

Four days ago, I sang the same song in Jamaica. Miss Hyacinth joined us on stage to dance as the rest of the church joined in.

And now we both listen to the song – Timea in Lugoj and me in Austin. And all the places that feel like home feel a whole lot closer.

Join us in the singing today.

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About Ronne Rock

Helping you hold on to what is true and trustworthy.

We’re in this together, and I am for you. I secure road signs with a hammer of hope, and clear the debris so they can be seen.

Call me your spiritual aunty, the one who you can trust with the hard conversations. I am your encourager. I walk and keep walking. Cheer and keep cheering. I invest, dive deep, and cherish the stories being written in the lives of women like you who long to believe restoration is a reality on earth as it is in heaven. God holds the pen in those stories, and He delights in you. 

I SHARE TRUE AND TRUSTWORTHY WORDS TO HELP YOU HOLD ON TO HOPE.

You’ll love One Woman Can Change the World: Reclaiming Your God-Designed Influence and Impact Right Where You Are. It’s available wherever books are sold.

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