Casa Noastra

Casa Noastra (Our home) is located close to the riverwalk in Braila.  We are thankful that we have found a very spacious apartment close to many activities for the boys.  We missed our lakeview from home and now we are located along the Danube River.  We thank and praise God for His gracious goodness. We are located close to a large piata for buying fresh fruit and vegetables.  Public transportation, the city fountains, our teammates and many things are right around the corner.  We are adjusting well to bloc living.  The boys love taking the garbage to the "chute".  Coulter loves pushing the "lift" (elevator) button and opening the door to let us out.  Wesley likes shooting water from the balcon.  God continues to shower us with His goodness and provision here in Braila.  Please come see us or send us a card!

The Banks Family

Piata Independentei, Nr. 2

Bl. 2, Sc.6

Et.4, Ap. 87

Braila, Romania

Va asteptam!  (We wait!)

Brăila Hillbillies smooth move

          Farewell Bucuresti!  Watch out Brăila here come the Banks!  No, we did not load up a carutsa (horse-pulled wagon), but we did have the team van and our Galaxy loaded to the max.  As we drove away, we praised God for our time in Bucuresti and the opportunities to love and serve others.  The boys had little room to move and the cat slept the entire drive.  We ate our last McDonalds (for awhile) as we left Bucuresti. The ride to Brăila was amazingly beautiful as the fields of sunflowers beamed with vibrant yellow petals.  We are excited about moving to a new city and turning our mission points and focus on the Roma of Romania.  Come see us! 

traveling Banks

Traveling with the Banks band of Gypsies…

We are pleased and honored to share with you what God is doing in our midst.  We asked you over the last few months to pray for God’s widom and discernment for decisions about our service here in România.  We would like to extend our sincere gratitude for those prayers.  He has heard  our heart cries for the Roma people and has opened a door of opportunity to walk alongside other missionaries in the Romany community.  We are delighted to join God where He is already working in the lives of Gypsies.  Our transfer to Team Romany took place around the middle of June.  Many things will be changing for us and transitioning will be a little different than when we arrived in Bucuresti.  Again, we covet your prayers and praises to the Father.  We will need you to continue to lay our requests both personal and for the Roma people at the foot of the cross.  Clinging to Christ Jesus on this journey is what gives us joy, hope and tremendous peace as we follow Him. 

God began placing within us a desire to live amongst God’s beautiful people years ago when Wes first came to România.  As we look back over the past seven years and even as close as the last ten months, we see how God has been developing, equipping, strengthening, and calling us to the Roma people. However, when we first applied to the IMB, there were no postions open in România to work with the Romany people.  Even though, we knew that God was still asking us to go to România to work amongst the Romanians. In the last few months, God worked mightily in our lives and revealed a plan that we did not imagine could happen during our term of service.  He was opening a door for us to serve on Team Romany.  Our hearts were still being heavily drawn to this oppressed, outcast group of God’s people.  In July, we will begin a new chapter of our journey in România.  We will move from a city of 2.5+million to a city of about 220,000.  We will focus on the Roma people living outside of city limits and in surrounding villages.  God is drawing the hearts of the Roma to Himself.  Romany missionaries have been raised up and will be sent out this summer.  However, there is much work to be done and there are many who do not know the power of the Gospel.  Look for more updates on our new city, Gospel focus with the Roma and just normal life with the traveling Banks band of gypsies!

the team, partners and servants

barcă la Lacul Herăstrău

God knew before the foundation of the world that we would make a great team.  He knew Wes' strengths and my weaknesses.  He knew that we would compliment, balance and enhance each others lives.  God knew that our gifts, talents and abilities would take us to România to love and serve others.  Wes, we make a great team.  I am honored to be your partner, teammate and fellow servant.  May God bless our efforts to share His Truth of Love, Peace and Joy to the Romany of România.  Thank you for loving Jesus with all that you are.  Thank you for encouraging me to go to România on that first trip.  You knew that my heart would respond in obedience.  Thank you for being a great spiritual leader in our home.  Thank you for leading our boys by example.  You are a great father.  God knew that you would be a missionary with an amazing servant heart and humble spirit.  I appreciate your deep faith in prayer and consumed heart of praise.  Let's keep running after Jesus with all that we are!   I am certain that a caravan of Gypsies will follow... 

Happy Father's Day to the world's best husband!  I am proud to be your wife and the mother of your children.  Love ya too much.  Te Iubesc si te pup, Brownies.

hats off to Romany

I will just about buy anything from a Gypsy.  If making a small purchase will give me a chance to smile and speak a few words about Jesus, then my wallet is open.  I have bought fruit, vegetables, handmade brooms, baskets, spoons, honey, walnuts, blueberries, fresh cut flowers, car deodorizes, fresh herbs, an old coin, handmade copper earrings, floral tea leaves and two leather hats.  I will chase them down to see what they have for sell and make a bee-line for their booth in the piața.  Recently,  I met a Kalderash Gypsy on my way to Lipscan.  Before I knew it we were in the middle of a price squabble for a leather hat.  He and I we went back and forth trying to agree on a price that suited the both of us.  We finally agreed and I walked away with two new hats for the boys.  Was it a good deal?  Well, I was able to share a smile, a good laugh and tell him why I was in România --- to help lead others to follow Jesus Christ.  He kissed my hand and we parted ways.  It was a great deal to me!  Every chance I have to speak about Jesus is great to me.  As I thought about how I like to bargain for the lowest price, I was reminded that Christ did not bargain the price for my soul.  He knew that it would cost His life to pay my sin debt.  I was worth it to Him.  He paid that same sin debt for the Roma.  He loves the Gypsies even more than we do.  As our family seeks to share Jesus with the Gypsies, pray that we offer them the greatest deal -- to sell their soul to Jesus Christ.  The unlimited offer they receive is free love, forgiveness, and eternal life with no extra charges.    

De ce suntem în România?

Wes has a habit of jotting down scribbly notes on little pieces of paper...

from ten pound grapes:

Why did we come to Romania?

So that others may know the Joy of a life in Christ Jesus...

Living for Christ by wrapping our lives around the person of Jesus!

Living a lifestyle of worship.

Delighting in Him and nothing else.

Recognizing the beauty, value and pricelessness of Christ and applying that to everything in our lives.

Comparing the worth of Jesus to everything we "own" in this world and then letting go of all that competes with Christ in our lives.  

Allowing God to remove all that does not belong in us.

Turn your eyes upon Jesus - 

look full in His wonderful face and the things of earth will grow strangely dim -

In the light of His Glory and Grace.

Yes, God blesses us with many things in our lives.

Let's give it all back to Him, especially if it hinders our worship of Christ.

Let the Father take you to a place where he wants you.

Hold on to nothing, but Him.

Let Him be the object of your affection.

Let Him be the first thing you think of in the morning, the last thing you think of before you go to bed at night.

Let Him consume your every thought.

He is so precious.

He is worthy of all praise.

As we delight in the Lord, we see more clearly who He is.

Oh how His beauty,righteousness and holiness shine.

As we see Him in His radiance, the things of the world diminish.

Now, He has our attention!

He has cleaned out the ear wax of life so that we may hear Him...

GLORIOUS

You make everything glorious

And I am Yours

What does that make me? 

 -David Crowder Band

Glorious.  What a way to describe what He is making me...and you.  I don't know about you, but most of the time I do not think of myself as glorious.  As a matter of fact, it is usually quite the opposite.  Instead of seeing myself as HIS amazing creation in progress, I find myself wondering why He would even love someone like me. However, it is when I look to Him and search His Word that I am reminded that He sees me as glorious...  A quick look at a compilation of the definitions of glorious shows what value this word has.  Let us look together--delightful; wonderful; completely enjoyable: brilliantly beautiful or magnificent; splendid: illustrious, noted, celebrated, eminent and distinguished. Wow.  God really sees me as glorious?  His Word says that I am fearfully and wonderfully made, he delights in me, he rejoices over me, that I am beautiful and so on.  I praise the Almighty Savior King who makes all things glorious.  May we all focus on who the Savior is and what He says we are. As He transforms us into His likeness, may we begin to see ourselves as His glorious work...

  

Bran Castle

Fervent Love

Do you remember when you first fell in love? 

how your love consumed you.

all you could talk about.

all you could think about.

all you wanted to do was be with your love.

you could smell, taste and touch the sweetness of love.

you recognized the voice of love from afar.

you could see love in a crowd.

you did everything to please.

you did not want to disappoint.

you arranged your schedule to do whatever/whenever.

Does the engulfing flame of love still exist or are the small embers trying to spark anew?  Remember the precious breath of life that still remains in you and fan the flame of consuming love once again.

Recently our team enjoyed a spiritual retreat in Bran, România.  We used this time to reflect, recharge and review the Word of God.  We reviewed the churches of Revelation and I saw my relationship to Christ in all churches.  Our desire is to always be captivated by the first love we had in Jesus Christ.  Many things can pull us away from our first love - May we always be wooed back to the most amazing love relationship we could ever know...

As we gleaned insights from Revelation, these were the words that rang true in my spirit.  May these words be your heart cry as well.

FERVENT LOVE

Fervent Love

Passionate Desire

Lord Jesus in me

Light my fire.

Take my heart

To you I give

All of me

For You, I live.

Take me back

to the place

When I first

saw Your face.

Remind me of 

the Love You gave

on that day

when I was saved.

Fix my eyes

on Your face

As I am consumed 

by Your grace.

When my heart 

leans toward fear

A still, small voice

scream "I am near!"

Fervent Love

My desire for thee

A crown of life

You will place on me.

When you place a stone

in my hand,

with a new name

I will stand.

I hold fast 

to Your name

when others see my life

may they  hear "JESUS" proclaimed!

Your manna I crave

Your water I need

You are my everything

My life, My creed.

Fervent Love

Passionate Desire

You, O Lord

Are my consuming fire.

All alone in secret places

You see the masks and many faces

Show me who I really am

Crippled and broken, Your precious lamb.

Search deep within

my heart and mind

Reveal my sin

That would keep me blind.

You know my love

and steadfast faith

Judge my works

both small and great.

Fervent Love 

Passionate Desire

All for You 

Lift me higher

Awake my soul

I want to live

I love Your grace

You freely give.

I'm clothed in Jesus

My garment is praise

My hands, my life

to You I raise.

Strengthen me

 with Your power

As I break through the ground

Your most beautiful flower.

I remember Your words

I heard You speak

My comittment to You

I promise to keep.

In Your book

You have written my name

I stand before You

without any shame.

Fervent Love

Give me more

You alone

I adore.

Anoint my eyes

with healing balm

bind my wounds

and I am calm.

With white hot love

You refine me with fire

As I melt

You take me higher.

I desire to sit

at Your banquet table

make me strong, willing and able.

Your voice I hear

at the door

walk right in 

I want You more.

Fervent Love

Passionate Desire

Your flame in me

rises higher.

With Holy discipline

I am corrected

with Your Vine

I long to be connected.

Lead me to repentance

fill me with Your zeal

I follow Your steps

up this Holy hill.

I long to sit near You 

on Your glorious throne

You live in me

- Christ alone.

When I am refined

with Your white hot flame

may I daily 

praise Your name.

Gentle counsel

is what You speak

with Your peace

I become meek.

Fervent Love

Consuming Fire

light in me

Passionate Desire.

Your door is wide open

I want to dance within

sin has no grip

You have cleansed me again.

A pillar in Your temple

I will always stand

As You hold firm 

with a Righteous right hand.

I hold fast

clinging to my crown

All for Your Kingdom,

Glory and Renown.

Keep me patient,

 enduring Your will

Your spirit in me

is calm and still.

Enemies fall down

before my feet

Your power is so great

You allow no defeat.

Your name is engraved

deep within my soul

Only with Your love

I am made whole.

As I repent 

to my King

His Fervent Love

washes me clean.

Face to face

one day we shall meet

" a basket of souls"

May I lay at Your feet.

Fervent Love

Passionate Desire

Burn in me

Your unquenchable fire.

You're the Lord of my dance

overwhelm me once more

You are my pleasure

Forever More.

Fervent Love

I give to thee

May I love 

As You love me...

--- To my Savior King

Your daughter, muddy hands a.k.a. tamara

OBSESSION