My Friends Came to Visit: San Diego Takes on Bucharest!

February is the coldest and dreariest month of the year in Bucharest—days rarely climb above freezing, the skies are gray, the trees are bare, and the streets are filled with slushy snow. Even evangelism becomes more difficult during this season. University students are overwhelmed with finals, people hurry from place to place to escape the cold, and very few want to stop and have conversations about God outside.

Personally, the short days began to effect me and my morale was dipping. But at just the right time, six of my friends from San Diego – Tina, Derek, Edgar, Kaitlyn, Ashley, and Amber – come visit. Their trip was partially tourism and to see their friend, and part mission trip in partnership with the SD.Church and RevivEE.

And wow, what a week it was having them here!

They arrived on Valentine’s weekend, so we hosted a “Pal”entine’s celebration with the church. We danced bachata (taught by our very own Ashley and Edgar), enjoyed delicious Indian food, and enjoyed the fellowship. The following morning was honestly one of my favorite church services since arriving in Bucharest. My two worlds collided in the best possible way—my dear friends from San Diego worshiping alongside the church family I’ve grown to love here in Romania. Seeing everyone encourage one another, despite different cultures and languages, was powerful to see. The rest of the day was spent together doing what RevivEE does best – eating, chatting, and sharing of God’s faithfulness.

On Monday—RevivEE’s day off—we traveled north to explore some of Romania’s most beautiful sites. Before sunrise, we boarded a bus to Peleș Castle, the stunning Neo-Renaissance summer residence of King Carol I nestled in the Carpathian Mountains. Between the snow-covered peaks and elaborate architecture, it felt almost unreal. From there we headed to Brașov, a charming Transylvanian city filled with colorful buildings, cobblestone streets, and Gothic architecture. We tried traditional Romanian bean and smoked pork soup which, left some to be desired. Finally, we visited Bran Castle—better known as “Dracula’s Castle.” Despite the marketing, it has little actual connection to Dracula beyond fitting the spooky Transylvanian setting described in Bram Stoker’s novel.

The next several days we were in full “mission mode.” My friends joined us for RevivEE trainings, Bible studies, outreach, and meetings with the local church. One highlight was Tuesday’s training, where participants from all five RevivEE cities gathered together virtually to share God’s hand in the mission in each of our cities and to receive a powerful lesson from Shawn Wooten on perseverance and discipleship.

And of course, no mission trip is complete without evangelism.

Each day we spent hours talking with Romanians—hearing their stories, asking about their beliefs, and inviting them to study the Bible. Romania is fascinating spiritually. Around 85% of the country identifies as Romanian Orthodox culturally, yet very few people have personally engaged with Scripture. Many young adults see Christianity more as tradition or identity than personal conviction. Others are skeptical altogether, viewing faith as outdated or irrelevant. Still, we continue sharing because every person deserves the opportunity to seek and chose God for themselves. I was incredibly proud of my San Diego friends. They jumped into conversations courageously, persevered through awkward moments and language barriers, and participated boldly in Bible studies.

Halfway through the week, Eastern Europe experienced its largest snowstorm in over a decade—about 17 inches of snow according to local news. For a group from San Diego, it was magical! We built snowmen, took too many photos, and embraced the winter wonderland around us. One day we visited Therme București, Europe’s largest spa, where we sat in warm saunas looking out over untouched snow-covered scenary beyond. It was surreal.

The week ended with one of the sweetest moments of all: the women from San Diego cooked and hosted a dinner for the RevivEE team. We felt so loved and cared for by their generosity and thoughtfulness.

More than anything, this trip reminded me how supported I am back home. My friends and church family sacrificed significantly—financially, physically, and emotionally—to come all the way to Romania. I was refreshed by their visit and their feedback! What stood out was how inspired many of them were by the intentionality of RevivEE. The encouragement, daily discipleship, shared mission, and genuine love for one another felt different from normal life back home. And honestly, I think that’s because RevivEE intentionally models the kind of community we see in the early church.

Acts 2:42–47 says: “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer… All the believers were together and had everything in common… Every day they continued to meet together… They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts.”

That spirit is what makes RevivEE so special. Their insights reinforced what to be has become almost “normal” to me. Christianity was never meant to be lived casually or alone. We are called to a life centered on God and His Word, deeply connected to one another, and willing to live beyond ourselves for the sake of Christ and His Kingdom.

And for one snowy week in Romania, I was reminded of just how much God has transformed my life over these last six months. Having old friends step into my world and witness the intentionality, discipleship, and faith that have shaped this season was incredibly affirming and encouraging.

Even more beautiful has been seeing the impact the trip continued to have after everyone returned home. In the months since, I’ve watched friends apply what they experienced on RevivEE to their own ministries and relationships back in San Diego. One started a small group to help bridge the transition from college to the young professionals ministry, another became more serious and intentional in her faith, and another even applied to come on RevivEE this fall!

God truly used this trip—not only to encourage the church in Romania, but to inspire hearts back home as well. I’m so grateful for my friends’ willingness to endure the cold and jetlag, travel across the world, and serve for the sake of the Gospel. Through it all, God was glorified, His church was strengthened, and His Spirit was moving powerfully among us.