What I learned in Word Made Flesh Romania by Emily Ong
Last May, I had the privilege to visit the Word Made Flesh communities in Romania and Moldova on a Discovery Trip with my alma mater, George Fox University. During my time in Eastern Europe, I heard stories of the children and youth attending the centers. In Romania, we walked through the streets the children call home, learning more about each of their lives. While each story weighed heavily on my heart, one in particular stood out.
The story we heard about was about a kid that I had played catch with the day prior. At the time of hearing the story, this child was often unable to attend the center on a regular basis, as he was dealing with some medical conditions that needed attention. As someone who had extended absences in both middle and high school, spanning months, I felt a deep longing to be present for this child. We also learned more about his home and family life, discovering he has three siblings, including a baby sister they had recently welcomed in. Along with their mother, they were currently living at their grandmother’s house. Walking through the streets and hearing their stories was a lot to process. Putting names and faces to the experiences we heard evoked a lot of emotion within.
Just before that walk, we greeted some kids at the center, their smiling faces lighting up as they eagerly arrived to play with the other kids, as well as us and the center staff. Although the center is designed to be a safe haven – a place where children can be kids despite their home lives and backgrounds that haven’t allowed them that opportunity – their ability to show up at the center with some level of excitement and readiness to play amidst their experiences is truly a testament of strength and courage that I wish none of them would have to bear.
During our short time at the center, I knew that brokenness wasn’t something I’d be able to “fix” or “make whole” in a few days. That kind of healing and care comes with the wonderful staff and volunteers showing up each day to receive the children in their warm embrace. However, that didn’t stop my heart from wanting to embrace every child until all their cares and worries fell away.
As I’ve been able to contemplate the concept of brokenness post Discovery Trip, I’ve been met with more questions than answers, trying to understand what it is and how we are called to approach it as children of God. Coming home, I started to notice how quick I am to try and fix things with what I think is right. This led me to ask, what would happen if I took the time to slow down and consider the whole picture, both for myself and others? What if we approached what’s broken with listening to what they need versus our instinctual idea of what we think they need? Further, what if brokenness is less something to fix, and instead is something to make whole? This would remove the pressure of needing the result to fit exactly what culture or society expects and truly help a community or person meet their individual needs.
I think these questions point to the importance of first “living amongst” and “being with” in order to truly understand the experiences of brokenness of those facing it first hand (John 1:14). Not only do we need to take into account and consider the very personal nature of brokenness, remembering where one’s identity comes from as followers of Christ is also important.
While I would never want to deny the real and raw experiences of brokenness that the children have experienced, or continue to experience, that does not mean we cannot highlight the beautiful identity they hold in the eyes of God: an identity that is already whole and holy and can experience healing through His love for us. He created us in His image (Genesis 1:27) and we are His children (1 John 3:1-2). I cannot imagine a greater meaning to being made in His image and being His child than being one who is so deeply cherished and loved.
Being able to join in life alongside the Word Made Flesh communities in Romania and Moldova was an opportunity I will never take for granted. By living within their communities and sharing a few weeks of life together, I was able to gain a small glimpse into each community’s experiences and situations of brokenness—something that could only be fully understood by being with them. My experiences in Romania and Moldova still impact me to this day as I continue to question how we, as followers of Christ, approach brokenness. Until the eternal house of heaven, would you so graciously join me in going out into our communities, near and far, seeking to see each individual as the beloved they are, and taking the time to get to know them and their unique needs.
About the Author – Emily Ong, Romania and Moldova Discovery Team Participant
Emily Ong has a background in caring for individuals of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds. She currently serves as a pediatric long term care nurse, working with children with complex medical needs at Providence Center for Medically Fragile Children in Portland, Oregon. Her goal in everything she does is to meet each person where they are, and to o er loving, holistic care, reflecting back each individual’s beloved identity in Christ.