tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68080468030684266032024-02-19T01:44:40.446-08:00Krista's Thoughts and RamblingsUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger139125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6808046803068426603.post-61607932950158490552022-04-16T12:38:00.002-07:002022-04-16T12:41:41.651-07:00Context for Trip #10!<div class="separator"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg0izV3cB7ZXAtTS-W3hMZMYZYU1kzMoiZ0D0_Bn-4GJpA21gguDh7XpgmItxJyoKsji6zid-EWBXOEem9zYIkUMWd9MZheB7v0qZiMT1aVRtaPGI-2WIZeZSlkCCSpksFep49DrS8zvU/s1600/worldmap4%255B1%255D.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg0izV3cB7ZXAtTS-W3hMZMYZYU1kzMoiZ0D0_Bn-4GJpA21gguDh7XpgmItxJyoKsji6zid-EWBXOEem9zYIkUMWd9MZheB7v0qZiMT1aVRtaPGI-2WIZeZSlkCCSpksFep49DrS8zvU/s320/worldmap4%255B1%255D.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div>Once someone gets me talking about Romania, it can be hard to stop me. Every question seems like it could be explained in a full-length book or feature film, not in one conversation. But in this entry, 3 days before I'm scheduled to embark on trip #10, I wanted to do 2 things, just in case anyone's following along: 1) to describe as briefly as possible my history with the country. 2) to explain my aims for this particular trip. The beauty of a blog entry is that once a reader gets tired of reading, he or she can simply stop, so kudos to you if you get through this whole entry, but no hurt feelings if you don't!<div><br /></div><div>In 2005, I took my first short trip to Romania. I'd been connected with an organization called International Children's Aid Foundation, through a woman from my church who'd recently traveled there with them. My first two trips were similar - traveling with ICAF for 2 weeks and participating in ministry in a government orphanage and in a Christian children's home, as well as doing things like English Club in a nearby town. In 2007, I returned to that same area to do similar work, though independently that time, with 2 friends and not in any official partnership with ICAF. I stayed a month. That was my last April-May trip, and my last time being there for Easter. I call these first 3 trips my "early trips."</div><div><br /></div><div>From 2007-2016, I desired to return to Romania and prayed often to that end. I pursued moving there as a long-term missionary in 2008, but didn't do so, and went 9 long years without setting foot on the soil of that country. </div><div><br /></div><div>In 2016, I had the great joy of being invited to go to Romania once more. My friend Derek was heading up a new mission program at a local Christian high school, and I got to join as a chaperone in their initial spring break trip to southern Romania. Southern Romania was very different than the region I'd been in in my prior years, and the need for gospel ministry there was more evident. I also found there some very like-minded friends and was immediately invited to move there long-term. I pursued this again in 2017, and again decided not to take that path, but I returned on those March trips with the high school students several times. I think of the 2016-2018 trips (trips 4,5, and 6) as the Derek trips - he led the team each year.</div><div><br /></div><div>2019-2020 held what I think of as my "trio" of trips. I returned with the students (under different leadership) in March of 2019, took a trip there with my good friend (and Derek's wife) Pam in October 2019, and traveled solo in March 2020 when the school team had to decide last minute to stay back due to COVID. I'm so thankful for those 3 trips in close succession, in which I got to build on the relationships that had started in 2016-2018 and in which it felt increasingly "normal" to be there, even as the world got crazier. I returned home from Romania on the last flight that British Airways was flying from London to Phoenix, as the world shut down.</div><div><br /></div><div>Plans to return to Romania in March 2021, May 2021, September 2021, and March 2022 were all thwarted by COVID and flight cancellations and limitations. Plans for April 2022 have the primary purpose of sustaining relationships with my friends there, with the church there, and with the country in general. The longer I am away, the harder it is to comfortably return. I bought tickets in January and have watched carefully as events on the world stage seem to threaten the stability of Europe. But as of the writing of this blog, I still intend to go from April 19th-May 4th, while holding all plans loosely. Specifically, I intend to:</div><div><br /></div><div> - enjoy Bucharest for a couple days when I arrive. I love this busy capital, and I left it when it was locking down and masking up 2 years ago. I'd love to see it vibrant again, and I hope to spend time also with some friends there, and perhaps find a way to volunteer with refugees.</div><div><br /></div><div> - Celebrate Easter (1 week later there than in the US) with Hope Church Romania in either Draganesti or Craiova (or both!)</div><div><br /></div><div>- participate in ministry alongside the missionaries and members of Hope Church. This may look like helping with refugees, or it may look like any other number of tasks.</div><div><br /></div><div> - spend some quality time with a new friend named Simona. Simona just graduated from an equipping ministry at Hope Church, and I served as her mentor, but have never met her in person! She just found work in a city called Drobeta, which I've visited once before, so I hope to spend a day or two in or near there.</div><div><br /></div><div> - visit my friend Dawn in the city of Timisoara. Dawn is an American missionary who founded the first day center for kids with disabilities in that city. We're hoping I can do music therapy while I'm there, but a national holiday may get in the way. Either way, I want to see the facility and learn more about it - this is the type of ministry I'd envisioned myself doing way back in 2008! </div><div><br /></div><div>- return to Bucharest for one more night before flying home</div><div><br /></div><div>Ok, I don't know if anyone read this far, but thank you for reading if so. Hopefully anyone following along as I post about this trip will have a better context for all of it. As always, I covet your prayers for a safe and fruitful journey! </div><div><br /></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6808046803068426603.post-2581977392175552722021-06-20T19:29:00.003-07:002021-06-20T19:29:36.597-07:00<p> March 6th-8th 2020 - found and published in June 2021 :)</p><p class="MsoNormal">It’s strange to be back in this place again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But mostly, it’s strange because it isn’t
strange, not anymore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Having only
returned from here less than 5 months ago, in some ways it feels I never
left.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The things I do notice are things
I’d notice in my hometown – a new construction project has begun, for example,
which may finally provide the train connecting the airport to the rest of the
city and country.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The city is Bucharest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The country is Romania.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
country has held a piece of my heart ever since a presentation in my church
while I was in college flashed pictures of babies with disabilities living in
cribs, of older kids with disabilities still living in cribs, and I wanted to
be there, to do something.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That
impulsive desire matured over several months and became a desire simply to
serve God with my last summer of college, and he chose to send me to Romania
for 2 weeks to do just that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Only 2
weeks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I felt guilty at the time: I
promised God my whole summer, and I’m giving him 2 weeks? But a wise friend
said to me, “Do you not think God can do something in 2 weeks?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Do something He did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I found those kids in cribs, and I loved them as I’d expected to, and I
brightened their days in ways that would probably soon be forgotten.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What would not be forgotten, though, was the
impact that the people of Romania had on me, and the impact that that trip had
on my belief in a God who was bigger than I’d previously known Him to be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I watched Christian women do every day what I
came to do for a few days – give true, nurturing, lasting care to kids that the
world had abandoned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I talked to young
men only slightly older than me (yes, I too was young at the time) who told me
of a childhood vastly different than mine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In the year I’d attended kindergarten, walking to my neighborhood school
in the suburbs of Phoenix and enjoying playdates with my friends, they’d
watched their country come to a bloody revolution that ended a brutal
dictatorship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While my family had skipped
church services altogether in favor of a favorite family tradition of Sunday
morning hikes, Christian families in Romania had met secretly, risking prison
terms or even death if they were found out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>These men told me stories that opened my eyes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh, and the singing!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I first heard people sing praise songs
in Romanian, something obvious finally sunk in with me: Jesus was not
American.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Worshiping him was not an
American tradition adopted by other countries. Of course I’d known these things
in my head all along, but knowing them in my heart, that was different.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God was…big! His church was so diverse, his
people so multi-faceted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I watched a man
sing Amazing Grace (Maretul Har) in his congregation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was an old man, and it struck me that this
was probably a man who’d worshipped in secret during the height of communist
oppression.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You could see in his eyes
that he would never again take for granted the privilege it was to worship
freely.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Oh, I could go on for page after page about that first
trip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the second and 3<sup>rd</sup>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh, and then the 4<sup>th</sup> and 5<sup>th</sup>
and 6<sup>th</sup>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The 7<sup>th</sup>
was important also, and the 8<sup>th</sup> was wonderful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And here I am on the 9<sup>th</sup>
visit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In so many ways, of course, I
have changed since that first trip 15 years ago, but in so many ways I am the
same.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the characters here, they have
been the same since trip 4.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, one
character from trip 1 made an appearance on my way to trip 9, and this was
impactful also.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But today, I sit in a
car next to a friend who came to pick me up at the airport.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He does this a lot – for me, for the teams
I’ve come with, for other visitors, for his local friends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’ve done this before – him driving capably
through traffic and windy roads, me making small talk, offering snacks, and
eventually just settling in for the long journey.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It is strange to have a second home here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>More than once, I’ve considered, and worked
toward, making it my HOME home – the place that I live.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And yet, so far, this hasn’t been my story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead my story has been these visits –
visits to a place I love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Visits in which
each year my language skills are a little better, but also each year I remember
the tower of Babel and the confusion it successfully accomplished. Visits in
which I spend time with faithful men and women who love Jesus and love their
countrymen, and who live this out in ways I haven’t quite found in the
States.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Visits in which I smile at the
little things I love – the unique haystacks, the old women sitting on benches
in front of their homes, the sheep that interrupt traffic in ways I find
quaint, the street signs that still warn, and rightfully so, of horse-drawn
carts entering the road.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I keep coming
back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This time feels different, and yet
the same.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And tonight, as I sit in the
home of these dear friends that make up such an important part of each of my
recent years, I have the rare opportunity to process, just a little, the
thoughts that swirl in my tired brain as I reacclimate to this place, to these
people, to that part of my heart that first came alive seeing those troubling
pictures so many years ago.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Some moments to reflect on today (March 8):<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I took a walk this morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Not just because I felt like walking, but because I’ve been carrying
only American money aside from some crumpled up lei, and it was high time I
exchanged some.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was the perfect plan:
Go straight to the money exchange, then grab a vending machine cappuccino from
the little store across the street from the church on the way back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And unlike most perfect plans, this one
actually worked out perfectly, with added bonuses: the quaintness of seeing a
horse “parked” in front of the local restaurant with his cart full of corn
stalks while his owner was presumably inside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Seeing boys from last night’s youth meeting (in their attention-drawing
“USA” sweatshirts) and reflecting once more on how sweet small towns are for
just running into known people on the road.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And as I was preparing to walk home, being offered a ride by a friend
who’d stopped at the church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Church this morning was in a storage container.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh, I love this place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During my first trip to southern Romania in
2016, I was introduced to the village of Maruntei and to my sweet friends Tavi
and Nicoleta, who were diligently ministering there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were no known believers in their town,
and the work was hard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We walked in
pouring rain and asked for neighbors to let us in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We talked about the Lord with these
neighbors, told testimonies, read scripture, and sang songs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was beautiful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They told me then how they were praying for a
building in which they could hold church meetings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And now…there’s a storage container!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another short-term missionary purchased it
for them, after the sudden passing of his wife.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Instead of flowers at her funeral, people contributed to the needs of a
far-away church in southern Romania, and so now there is a cozy, warm shipping
container in which the word of God is faithfully preached each week and people
gather for worship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To watch my friend
preach there, remembering his prayers from years before, was such an
encouragement to my soul.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">And then I met with Dorothy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Sweet Dorothy is such a special gift to the women in this area – both
believers and nonbelievers alike.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She
has a unique talent for encouraging people – for knowing who needs it and how
they best receive it, for bringing little tokens of her love to women who might
feel ignored or abandoned or who are hurting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And today, we met a woman whose pain was so keenly felt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She suffers from chronic and extreme pain,
and as we talked she shifted multiple times from gut-wrenching sobs to cheerful
laughter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was a dramatic story
teller, and her face held such a range of emotions and experiences.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I told her, in my limited Romanian, that I
could see the joy of the Lord on her face, and that it was evident that it was
God’s grace in her life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She wept
more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She showed me other encouraging
truths she’d been pondering and said that what I had said was a response to
those truths.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She hugged me hard and
well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We both cried.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She had me type it into her phone so she
could remember what I’d said.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before I
left, she showed me the dress she’d like to be buried in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She loves it so much that she wanted our
pictures to include it and had to be reminded that we also wanted to see her
face.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Worship tonight in Draganesti – hard to express how meaningful
this is every. Single. Year. God is faithful to these people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are faithful in their obedience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their worship fills the room. The truths on
the screen, in a language that both enamors and mystifies me, in these moments
lead me also to worship well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One song
sang a reprise of trusting that God is working even when we don’t feel his
nearness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I cried some more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I received so many hugs and kisses tonight
that the CDC and WHO would have screamed at the room to stop at once.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But they weren’t there, and I felt so
well-loved.<o:p></o:p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6808046803068426603.post-50429050873240747002018-03-26T08:09:00.000-07:002018-03-26T08:09:00.461-07:00Tales from Bucharest24 hours from now, Lord willing, I'll probably be somewhere over the ocean, heading westward. Right now, I'm resting at my Airbnb after a full and happy day. I'll head out again for dinner soon, but I figured blogging now might be a good plan since I won't want to do it late tonight, or tomorrow after a long day of traveling, or Wednesday when I go back to work.<br />
Yesterday started with a visit to the coffee shop in the building next to my Airbnb, which my host recommended, and which was fantastic. I then took my first Romanian Uber ride (which turned out to be the 1st of 4 in one day!) to meet my friend Adoriana and her husband Bogdan at their church. Last time I saw them, they were helping me into my 3am cab to the airport in 2016...it was so nice to see them again, in the light of day! Their church is small and meets in a medical clinic, and I enjoyed the service and the people there a lot.<br />
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<tr style="margin-bottom: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG7dTTnF74Z7_1CayQkiZfGi7Br_DPYFJ0rBCzmsWc4P6-JkdVcVc_DuyvAreEAsqpWUCVF1UXPtEwbxMlsZKjVu4Ts1sA-s_kwFkO30B_BSci-YRw1rS5-m79VrFipc7TNKDu53cBTt4/s1600/20180325_102118.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #0066cc; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG7dTTnF74Z7_1CayQkiZfGi7Br_DPYFJ0rBCzmsWc4P6-JkdVcVc_DuyvAreEAsqpWUCVF1UXPtEwbxMlsZKjVu4Ts1sA-s_kwFkO30B_BSci-YRw1rS5-m79VrFipc7TNKDu53cBTt4/s200/20180325_102118.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
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at Adoriana and Bogdan's church</div>
<div>
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<tr style="margin-bottom: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;">With Adoriana in the mall</td></tr>
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<br />
Afterwards, Adoriana and I took another Uber to a really nice mall. In the middle of the mall, there are waterfalls, a ropes course, a skating rink, and a rollercoaster! She treated me to lunch in the food court (my first mamaliga of the whole trip!), and then I bought some new socks (I've been going through multiple pairs a day) and went on my way. After coming "home" to change, I took the subway up to the biggest park in Bucharest, explored for quite awhile in the snowy beauty, then came back to the Old Town area and got dinner and a drink on the top floor of the amazing bookstore there.<u></u><br />
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<tr style="margin-bottom: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiftdO7_Vlp3bEt9wFJZqihHnYd2SchWHclKVUYHQlp4SE9txaw_AT5ylDHh_xRuQqnrwi95bjkurnr824bzSoTCipV2gaLhpB6SURTFOTxk52xC6wWEvid2_K_vvKTL2Mnqd7yIeTPQYI/s1600/20180325_163304.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #0066cc; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiftdO7_Vlp3bEt9wFJZqihHnYd2SchWHclKVUYHQlp4SE9txaw_AT5ylDHh_xRuQqnrwi95bjkurnr824bzSoTCipV2gaLhpB6SURTFOTxk52xC6wWEvid2_K_vvKTL2Mnqd7yIeTPQYI/s320/20180325_163304.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="margin-bottom: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;">a bench at Herastrau Park</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr style="margin-bottom: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2ofl6XUzULtQ2letUvsEoQPUAXVsywUkRYMB0E9QJCnTTyCWB9Sb885HGAG4kOhyphenhyphenAchJzdjhuSOhnA8a4mlesbX3hHtB-ziwMoHA7aIgwYIU1di3rWKOJs8-gifSfZwSFg930I-w65qg/s1600/20180325_164617.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #0066cc; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2ofl6XUzULtQ2letUvsEoQPUAXVsywUkRYMB0E9QJCnTTyCWB9Sb885HGAG4kOhyphenhyphenAchJzdjhuSOhnA8a4mlesbX3hHtB-ziwMoHA7aIgwYIU1di3rWKOJs8-gifSfZwSFg930I-w65qg/s320/20180325_164617.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="margin-bottom: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;"><div>
more Herastrau Park</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
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<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />
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<tr style="margin-bottom: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCbh0VcPKUz2hBOm_8FqOO1q4ilzA8e2I4vVbZUVVUw-tAvrsm_2DCMBRIsyrpmAOkyp7Z3nDquldXBb4d9J-osy1hlxcnbq7pYYyCy0CztVlHNJqvc-PECDt1LdMlaJgdcRrVOcIjoaM/s1600/20180325_181937.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #0066cc; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCbh0VcPKUz2hBOm_8FqOO1q4ilzA8e2I4vVbZUVVUw-tAvrsm_2DCMBRIsyrpmAOkyp7Z3nDquldXBb4d9J-osy1hlxcnbq7pYYyCy0CztVlHNJqvc-PECDt1LdMlaJgdcRrVOcIjoaM/s320/20180325_181937.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="margin-bottom: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;"><div style="font-size: 12.8px; padding-top: 0px;">
Some kind of chocolatey orange drink,</div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px; padding-top: 0px;">
called a Winter's Dream!</div>
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While I was eating dinner, I got a phone call from my friends in Draganesti. Turns out, an American visitor had arrived in Bucharest unannounced (or an email had been lost), to spend time with Hope Church, and was waiting at the airport for a ride to town. Since the church is about 3 hours from the airport and I was about 30 minutes from the airport, they asked if I could go to the airport and meet her and spend time with her until someone could get there to pick her up. So I quickly left the pedestrian part of town, got an Uber, and got to the airport as fast as I could. Problem was, nobody had a way to get ahold of this woman, and I didn't know what she looked like, only that she was an American in her 50s. So I wrote her name in large letters on a page of my journal and wandered all around the arrivals area holding it out and looking for any potential Juanitas...only to find out that she'd given up on us and had gotten a cab herself. So...I got Uber number FOUR, which was a bit trickier to figure out from the airport, and came back to my cozy apartment. It was such a strange night, but I'm thankful that I had the experience of Ubering to the airport so that I know what to expect early tomorrow morning!<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTGGZPaoHoNwuhULZsjKQ8g340fe_NJGem7jQYuJwKiPxBSpSRmQMmJb1cOMukVzvM7TAEDw0U6_VWvjwZNNZU1RBCg_HTHCBbu74wPuGDL4wOXlDrhs9z5Ir99PI4VOV8gpqzG1a59l8/s1600/20180326_095359.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #0066cc; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTGGZPaoHoNwuhULZsjKQ8g340fe_NJGem7jQYuJwKiPxBSpSRmQMmJb1cOMukVzvM7TAEDw0U6_VWvjwZNNZU1RBCg_HTHCBbu74wPuGDL4wOXlDrhs9z5Ir99PI4VOV8gpqzG1a59l8/s320/20180326_095359.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This morning's breakfast</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4zkj_Z8lhobyQFnUba08cqBZLQOM0s4GTxRCYpdvQpQpZhLZ9KJfQP4VoH15EZIqHh2bOJCkDVMHSB_JSyYKtbAqdgQi8LE_iPScoQLwZzAHYRSfnTVy36JuFSxbgxVnPQu0GI51hNK8/s1600/20180326_120644.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #0066cc; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4zkj_Z8lhobyQFnUba08cqBZLQOM0s4GTxRCYpdvQpQpZhLZ9KJfQP4VoH15EZIqHh2bOJCkDVMHSB_JSyYKtbAqdgQi8LE_iPScoQLwZzAHYRSfnTVy36JuFSxbgxVnPQu0GI51hNK8/s320/20180326_120644.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the National Theatre</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYRizE8t34uhZihpALGbemuuTHDk-zadKMm_H8CUD73z7YYt9aFndhIvaAT5jSTYpH386VM7PUgpvNoy9mgtxhJSMEKUUywEzMWv1ay6Oy3I4KGwpl6tkvsMI1ENvs_LW571hAji6OyRE/s1600/20180326_122905.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #0066cc; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="260" data-original-width="1600" height="52" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYRizE8t34uhZihpALGbemuuTHDk-zadKMm_H8CUD73z7YYt9aFndhIvaAT5jSTYpH386VM7PUgpvNoy9mgtxhJSMEKUUywEzMWv1ay6Oy3I4KGwpl6tkvsMI1ENvs_LW571hAji6OyRE/s320/20180326_122905.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div>
My first attempt at using the panoramic function on this phone. </div>
<div>
I kind of cut the theatre in half, but you get the idea.</div>
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Today, no Ubers so far. I walked back to the excellent little coffee shop nearby and spent a long time reading and journaling and praying and reflecting. It was nice to be so relaxed. Then I walked another block to the National Theatre, where I took a guided tour with a bunch of Romanian schoolchildren. The guide spoke very quickly, and my theatre vocab is apparently quite poor, so I understood very little, but it was still a beautiful place and it was fun to see and hear how excited the kids were. The rain had stopped by the time of the tour, so I got more adventurous than I'd planned for the day, and walked quite a long way. I took some touristy pictures of the giant "People's Palace," wandered through some more beautiful parks, and ended up eating a late lunch at a restaurant I'd enjoyed in 2016. Then back to my apartment, where I'm resting now. <br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuZ-YJ325QZZECM4J3_8kpmY0r7HDjyyn1rrfTtgRrTEDQ5h_XQ1q3onbWEm2xetjtXDAzcRtP9WuGo1bKmvso_d8JRPHrGRDE39EZO5kKuRMGeUCcpx0-7l63gvu7V6LOwjkZEnKnWg0/s1600/20180326_125255.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #0066cc; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuZ-YJ325QZZECM4J3_8kpmY0r7HDjyyn1rrfTtgRrTEDQ5h_XQ1q3onbWEm2xetjtXDAzcRtP9WuGo1bKmvso_d8JRPHrGRDE39EZO5kKuRMGeUCcpx0-7l63gvu7V6LOwjkZEnKnWg0/s320/20180326_125255.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div>
Palace of the Parliament. The heaviest building </div>
<div>
in the world, visible from the moon...but not</div>
<div>
entirely visible from down the street today</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8jDl_N69C0qtcARxkMWUhhIMF76v3BeKYl8eHvJrDjB2NYp9JXIoMgcE6MueFqCzdQqFIYfE_G-qgSmjoDSvfwZhQUev5UGrnDO_wLb3pqe5TG83kkcgXVbI5wkLTUQ6fYWe8cTBLKgU/s1600/20180326_133146.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #0066cc; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8jDl_N69C0qtcARxkMWUhhIMF76v3BeKYl8eHvJrDjB2NYp9JXIoMgcE6MueFqCzdQqFIYfE_G-qgSmjoDSvfwZhQUev5UGrnDO_wLb3pqe5TG83kkcgXVbI5wkLTUQ6fYWe8cTBLKgU/s320/20180326_133146.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div>
Despite the weather, I made it to my favorite park </div>
<div>
after all!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDDINWodUP1HpiEGMzGK1g_85urhB09YY9Kmew6dXGO8Hdq85Wp6LfB3nSfRn5SkjyRs-0e7Plv8TWIhF_cOZafL3NJrGO7hlz534TPaRqN4__7DJEQ0mjdi5BfYpS4eAvOIDjpMUvW7s/s1600/20180326_143513.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #0066cc; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDDINWodUP1HpiEGMzGK1g_85urhB09YY9Kmew6dXGO8Hdq85Wp6LfB3nSfRn5SkjyRs-0e7Plv8TWIhF_cOZafL3NJrGO7hlz534TPaRqN4__7DJEQ0mjdi5BfYpS4eAvOIDjpMUvW7s/s320/20180326_143513.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div>
One last bowl of my favorite soup, and my own</div>
<div>
little pitcher of mint lemonade. That's right,</div>
<div>
I'm allowed to drink lemonade from a pitcher</div>
<div>
with a straw.</div>
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<u></u><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />
The plan is for me to return to Romania next year, if not before. I'm so thankful for this plan, but I also know that it is MY plan and that God's plan has not been revealed. Every time I say goodbye to this place, I know that it could be the last, though I hope with my whole heart that it won't be. I'm eager for home, with my family and friends and my apartment and my church and my work and my flip-flops and my iced coffees and my ability to so easily navigate my world. But I'm already eager, also, to be back here again, beginning another adventure.<br />
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Thanks for reading!<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6808046803068426603.post-61998755443971039822018-03-24T12:18:00.000-07:002018-03-24T12:18:56.826-07:00Farewell Draganesti, Hello BucharestTonight, I am tired. My feet are tired from much walking and much freezing (next year, weather-proof boots!), my arms are tired from lugging a suitcase around this snow-packed city, my mind is tired from trying to function on my own after being cared for so well by others these past two weeks, and my heart is tired because leaving Draganesti is never easy and I miss my friends already. <br />
<br />
And yet, despite my tiredness, I am also happy. Hard goodbyes mean that sweet fellowship was shared, tired feet and arms mean I haven't stopped adventuring, and my tired mind gets to rest some tonight as there's nothing to navigate and nobody to awkwardly try to speak Romanian to. And while I'm still awake, I want to get some of these past 48 hours' memories on record.<br />
<br />
Yesterday morning, I took an early morning walk to the church through SO. MUCH. SNOW.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhacfwoyTolLYAjKV07mtyDV17B3BW5xm0infcUvDHp_inkD9FVikiAOJiBeQxFt2RTWw1AuaK3_unbJRA9iJPNAvgLwLEpNBaIJIZIUWfIcp1X1INrRVdwxCYo17cAxbkfLCK9jD-oW74/s1600/20180323_085428.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; clear: left; color: #0066cc; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhacfwoyTolLYAjKV07mtyDV17B3BW5xm0infcUvDHp_inkD9FVikiAOJiBeQxFt2RTWw1AuaK3_unbJRA9iJPNAvgLwLEpNBaIJIZIUWfIcp1X1INrRVdwxCYo17cAxbkfLCK9jD-oW74/s320/20180323_085428.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walked to the bank to exchange money...but where is the bank?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA8hLMHkpJdaTPH-9A6QYg9vn9OqKbGo6WJFLwFiO4pWFtmTGDQbRK2XKevrovMHSwLNCsC_nrBALf0uPL6J2Uz8OY5-Qhun-7f19YaTnPaQYC2d4NM9jZ6SWA508j_L25nLOi-9kZY8c/s1600/20180323_131759.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; clear: right; color: #0066cc; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA8hLMHkpJdaTPH-9A6QYg9vn9OqKbGo6WJFLwFiO4pWFtmTGDQbRK2XKevrovMHSwLNCsC_nrBALf0uPL6J2Uz8OY5-Qhun-7f19YaTnPaQYC2d4NM9jZ6SWA508j_L25nLOi-9kZY8c/s320/20180323_131759.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Delivering tracts</td></tr>
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The town was practically shut down, schools closed for the day, and neighbors one by one coming to dig themselves out. It was breathtakingly beautiful. And breathtakingly cold. I walked down with Alex, who goes to the church and lives in the house where I was staying, and he did not agree with me that it was beautiful...partly because it is his job to clear the church driveway and courtyard. We got cheap cappuccinos (have I mentioned how much I am going to miss cheap and readily available cappuccinos??) and pastries from the store across the street from the church while trying to figure out where the key to the church was...anyway, we eventually made it inside. The day was filled with random tasks to help with at the church, errands to run, and some more delivering of pamphlets around town. Then last night was small group night. I went to the same group I went to a year ago, but in a different house and with lots of different people. What a deep joy it was to sing songs and pray with this group, and a perfect way to close out my time in Draganesti.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-HJ_oh4I6iHAg9T7p8kqLoS99-3u0hnbKC1dAR7JugtdSkrDvzgtx0bmao6FFsrRL_8qMUBigC8_sVL5stw4Jr4JnijxeiTzX2iE5t_r-3MIzu0nDks9S3WV6uWi3q-ZSRP4QDyHaFG0/s1600/20180323_173110.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; clear: left; color: #0066cc; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-HJ_oh4I6iHAg9T7p8kqLoS99-3u0hnbKC1dAR7JugtdSkrDvzgtx0bmao6FFsrRL_8qMUBigC8_sVL5stw4Jr4JnijxeiTzX2iE5t_r-3MIzu0nDks9S3WV6uWi3q-ZSRP4QDyHaFG0/s320/20180323_173110.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Small group</td></tr>
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After a post-small group dinner and conversation back at the house with the Finns and Christy, we all went our separate ways.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgcYWZDMwdF2FLL9C9sKUkCfx-fmL2pjVqttL8tAbMK6E9C_mTr91cyyMbBvwO_vZRqEYwV6ZtRHUyiZcln9qcgvOSwBu6FgbTKwGOYfPDIEI3zyZotfOyYTYeyIYU2v3I675E5lR6LYg/s1600/20180324_081152.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; clear: right; color: #0066cc; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgcYWZDMwdF2FLL9C9sKUkCfx-fmL2pjVqttL8tAbMK6E9C_mTr91cyyMbBvwO_vZRqEYwV6ZtRHUyiZcln9qcgvOSwBu6FgbTKwGOYfPDIEI3zyZotfOyYTYeyIYU2v3I675E5lR6LYg/s320/20180324_081152.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">my traveling buddies at the train station</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd4efncSkw0-TIqU2dXbEx0jRGiWuBvgejQZnl5BWWB2E05k8sHMdOocVGCoUaYJz6V5kS4fGz6g05FXArGOBY5YAm6Vv6cWQ7iulgGE6fbLlAKzGNsykLjyuYaqVWkgipnj1NaS6M7Xk/s1600/20180324_110456.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #0066cc; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd4efncSkw0-TIqU2dXbEx0jRGiWuBvgejQZnl5BWWB2E05k8sHMdOocVGCoUaYJz6V5kS4fGz6g05FXArGOBY5YAm6Vv6cWQ7iulgGE6fbLlAKzGNsykLjyuYaqVWkgipnj1NaS6M7Xk/s320/20180324_110456.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div>
The first guy we met on the subway was also a believer. </div>
<div>
We gave him a tract, and he gave us new testaments! </div>
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Today, the 2 guys from Finland and I got an early morning ride to the train station. It was so nice to ride the train WITH people this time around, and the train was a nicer, newer one. We were on the 2nd floor, which was also a first for me, and the trip went really quickly. When we got to Bucharest, it was a little challenging. My original plan had been to take an afternoon train and go straight to the place where I'm staying, but riding in on the morning train with friends sounded like a better idea. What was not a good idea was lugging a giant suitcase all around the streets of the city, which were still packed with snow and ice, while trying to play tour guide to two fast-paced guys in a city I've only really explored 1 time, 2 years ago. We eventually needed to part ways because we had some different ideas of how we wanted to spend that time, and they had a train to catch soon anyway. I did some slower solo exploring after that but was cold and tired, and was SO happy to arrive at my Airbnb, meet my friendly host who quickly grabbed my suitcase for me, and take off my wet boots and socks. After settling in, I went walking again, with a much lighter load, took some fun pictures, visited my favorite bookstore, and went to a restaurant recommended by my host. Old town, which is super close to where I'm staying, is full of tourists and lots of English-speakers or other foreigners. This restaurant, though, was not in old town and was off the beaten path. I may have been the only non-Romanian in the building, and the food was authentic and delicious. I rushed through it though, because I'd taken a table reserved for later, and so I was able to make it "home" to my Airbnb before dark. It's lovely here, and cozy and warm, and I am eager to rest. Here's hoping I figure out Europe's spring time-change tomorrow...I have a friend calling me to confirm the time in the morning :-)<u><span style="color: #000120;"></span></u><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitQuOS91yE0WUhprIVPCvAuGwwxPMkfRpjV5gYWMAUGwd1TxDqzejdrPEFzJGmH53xt5cGKXklLjvcI3KYdlDxYyEqC1PSTAReTtnkuyjcAt60Dzfnyl50p8Ck7jRFbz_3jureJlKEpaA/s1600/20180324_113517.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitQuOS91yE0WUhprIVPCvAuGwwxPMkfRpjV5gYWMAUGwd1TxDqzejdrPEFzJGmH53xt5cGKXklLjvcI3KYdlDxYyEqC1PSTAReTtnkuyjcAt60Dzfnyl50p8Ck7jRFbz_3jureJlKEpaA/s200/20180324_113517.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nope, I don't think I'll sit there...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicJCHYg-s-oyA7UVl2MUETuxPADJGUdWXKjw405ffI-4yBa2b7LavYy2sJovYquMgSN8NMEnYVGlai0VEFk9nFuy3MVNYkRB32u9w0ZkzC3xg1dtC3UFzy7u20GSj5lf1O7kM75RsOdRY/s1600/20180324_150258.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #0066cc; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicJCHYg-s-oyA7UVl2MUETuxPADJGUdWXKjw405ffI-4yBa2b7LavYy2sJovYquMgSN8NMEnYVGlai0VEFk9nFuy3MVNYkRB32u9w0ZkzC3xg1dtC3UFzy7u20GSj5lf1O7kM75RsOdRY/s200/20180324_150258.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">statues by the university</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN5vr-kwsLBNFCvxrhoPMjOaGZkbt84VoUmFWy7EFZ-lWygFXVPh7LGHveoARR9LsQ-mVb4hbbtfFYgYGVrX9Jr8QdTkkBb4mccvDZP71bqUEGLvOsWlqX8wfwzzH1VcnTr8Rz8OFkb0c/s1600/20180324_152947.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #0066cc; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN5vr-kwsLBNFCvxrhoPMjOaGZkbt84VoUmFWy7EFZ-lWygFXVPh7LGHveoARR9LsQ-mVb4hbbtfFYgYGVrX9Jr8QdTkkBb4mccvDZP71bqUEGLvOsWlqX8wfwzzH1VcnTr8Rz8OFkb0c/s200/20180324_152947.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I made it to the beautiful bookstore</td></tr>
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Tonight's dinner: a Transylvanian </div>
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chicken dish and a mint lemonade</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3brCEwIaKKnCDpCR7kHSfIhSNebaBKVftGDHmN2f6gmobauddiJ51sZ_jcux90cvFFPYvwp_Y4UfeFSKeGjBNp0FJQ6ybHEdT1E_ooAYorC1diTb1PI-u8uor4oAq2aieRS-XzR1zfOQ/s1600/20180324_204252.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #0066cc; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3brCEwIaKKnCDpCR7kHSfIhSNebaBKVftGDHmN2f6gmobauddiJ51sZ_jcux90cvFFPYvwp_Y4UfeFSKeGjBNp0FJQ6ybHEdT1E_ooAYorC1diTb1PI-u8uor4oAq2aieRS-XzR1zfOQ/s200/20180324_204252.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Resting in my Airbnb</td></tr>
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<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6808046803068426603.post-86990905359256192772018-03-22T13:07:00.001-07:002018-03-22T13:07:29.622-07:00Adventures in the SnowI can't decide what I am more impressed with tonight - the beauty of the freshly fallen snow, or the fact that people have survived in this stuff for centuries :-) <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyYxGV6CtLXndDw1T5vxs29zX0an0Ihn84n67xrp9ZPHjSrdxEp_tkTf6MftOMFEhzLCRniWiVCBaNNmZczCQGEpwQVu4zX6p7vIWxWeyDoGE5giykm5M_9UlJXLVpInddzzIrjsOsPvg/s1600/20180322_160844.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; clear: left; color: #0066cc; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyYxGV6CtLXndDw1T5vxs29zX0an0Ihn84n67xrp9ZPHjSrdxEp_tkTf6MftOMFEhzLCRniWiVCBaNNmZczCQGEpwQVu4zX6p7vIWxWeyDoGE5giykm5M_9UlJXLVpInddzzIrjsOsPvg/s400/20180322_160844.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the snowy church courtyard this afternoon</td></tr>
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When I lived in New York, we had a couple of big snowstorms, but I was so spoiled, and drove my heated car from my heated house to my heated workplace down well-paved and well-cleared roads. This week, I feel like I have truly experienced winter for the first time...and I am STILL so spoiled! I still am staying in a heated room (though the heat in the rest of the house broke down yesterday), with hot water (in the building next door) and friends who can drive me from place to place. There are people all over this area who have to hope that they have enough money for firewood to heat their homes and their water, who can only get to the store by trudging through the snow, who depend on the land for their food and are worried that the plants that were ready for springtime have been frozen and crops might be affected. And there are my faithful friends here, doing ministry when it is cold and hard and uncomfortable, and showing the people around them the love of Christ. And life in Arizona, which often feels hard and discouraging and wearisome, looks, from here, like a very easy life.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcQjmeW23eaMzG-_zxVzDUOQK2tyEqugigexnnipbCUbdxgFGuIeKez9ACVS-AJDk_x0Rz7doprORNWv8hZ-pHlLqRxoZDQt0XvOYDmEiqC3-m3ZO40gQc8Zg1-I7qkgHwyTR3WEgIveE/s1600/20180321_093851.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; clear: left; color: #0066cc; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcQjmeW23eaMzG-_zxVzDUOQK2tyEqugigexnnipbCUbdxgFGuIeKez9ACVS-AJDk_x0Rz7doprORNWv8hZ-pHlLqRxoZDQt0XvOYDmEiqC3-m3ZO40gQc8Zg1-I7qkgHwyTR3WEgIveE/s320/20180321_093851.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alex B and Vera with gifts for the kids</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjezYvewk_jbPuWbKKfDlQdM09P95ecmx837yO4WMovpVWprXVKC52hHKOniEu_eBwvUTDtt4nIVhnuJXnUuy7nTz5MAa00gMy4DcbdUUJnaM5-O_w7EPeVfyJRQjN29EMVblWmwXDsTbU/s1600/received_10160229903765241.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; clear: right; color: #0066cc; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjezYvewk_jbPuWbKKfDlQdM09P95ecmx837yO4WMovpVWprXVKC52hHKOniEu_eBwvUTDtt4nIVhnuJXnUuy7nTz5MAa00gMy4DcbdUUJnaM5-O_w7EPeVfyJRQjN29EMVblWmwXDsTbU/s320/received_10160229903765241.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Delivering bags</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgwIgT9aR3NhQMLqPcgbXSlEDN7HukRI1G9wmoL0XrcYG6xVx_JxpySf312yXTPmRcPMnwOz75RQWFIwX3TvQoef9piMBbC2Kh80efXYds1K2pGPYopN5G2eu1KKKvfJwu4aXJ6K4YiCg/s1600/20180321_174258.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; clear: right; color: #0066cc; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgwIgT9aR3NhQMLqPcgbXSlEDN7HukRI1G9wmoL0XrcYG6xVx_JxpySf312yXTPmRcPMnwOz75RQWFIwX3TvQoef9piMBbC2Kh80efXYds1K2pGPYopN5G2eu1KKKvfJwu4aXJ6K4YiCg/s1600/20180321_174258.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; clear: right; color: #0066cc; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgwIgT9aR3NhQMLqPcgbXSlEDN7HukRI1G9wmoL0XrcYG6xVx_JxpySf312yXTPmRcPMnwOz75RQWFIwX3TvQoef9piMBbC2Kh80efXYds1K2pGPYopN5G2eu1KKKvfJwu4aXJ6K4YiCg/s320/20180321_174258.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With Ancuta and Ema</td></tr>
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But I digress. Here's a quick summary of the last couple days. Yesterday, I went with Vera and Alex B and Sorin, all part of the E2E program here, to deliver bags of toys and clothes and school supplies and treats to families in the area. Vera spent a few months in Canada for Bible school and only recently came back, so she is trying to reconnect with the families of the kids she ministers to here in town. We walked and walked and walked and walked and walked a little more, in snow and rain and cold, and had some short but sweet house visits with several different families. We enjoyed a cozy warm lunch in the church basement (have I ever been more thankful for heaters?) in between visits, and eventually stopped because it was just too cold. I walked back to the other part of town and visited with my friend Ancuta, whose husband has been driving me everywhere on this trip but who I hadn't been able to spend time with.<br />
We talked and prayed and enjoyed her little girl, then I met a group for dinner. There are two missionaries that just got to town from Finland, and this is their first trip to Romania. Alex and Vera and Christy and I had dinner with them (my 3rd shawarma dinner in a row!) and then we called it a night. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSCjCaM2Lw09710lhhlLBd5Ikj8t4ma5pxHu55STBIZmy0Z_FZODjSr01New1gImoeMx3j2gpG7b1dWQEY-tD7w5KIW08avLgXpK92tHD_fap5X8Tk0BIr6vq-8XF40uGTd19bFB3QXgc/s1600/20180322_103642.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; clear: left; color: #0066cc; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSCjCaM2Lw09710lhhlLBd5Ikj8t4ma5pxHu55STBIZmy0Z_FZODjSr01New1gImoeMx3j2gpG7b1dWQEY-tD7w5KIW08avLgXpK92tHD_fap5X8Tk0BIr6vq-8XF40uGTd19bFB3QXgc/s320/20180322_103642.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pamphlets for the people of Craiova</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Scv2idpZx-_qY8LqWl0DVkGfd5vdV_HbYZFB3NEZiUj-A3RPdjDh_A8EjUXDCPJJ8gf95RDLndb9TqRp0ZypDIULZ2Bd3oLNRMvQaSxKFg8NvP5eF6GJ7XNOOOXUsxSmd5eU-KjE6_Y/s1600/20180322_114004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; clear: right; color: #0066cc; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Scv2idpZx-_qY8LqWl0DVkGfd5vdV_HbYZFB3NEZiUj-A3RPdjDh_A8EjUXDCPJJ8gf95RDLndb9TqRp0ZypDIULZ2Bd3oLNRMvQaSxKFg8NvP5eF6GJ7XNOOOXUsxSmd5eU-KjE6_Y/s320/20180322_114004.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div>
with a real live snowy Christmas tree at</div>
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the end of March</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzSGJVxGjewg23UwcnCq1vdVGkm3XsDyx9lcc3cae7dWneEDvPsvJQvADj8OToEyrKB9wBo-wNIlBj0q-ioAFoIThyELrGxNKwpSUY2K7ntxZYF958CR5Z5DXTOMz5gQKtcMr2nQ-I40M/s1600/20180322_193450.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; clear: right; color: #0066cc; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzSGJVxGjewg23UwcnCq1vdVGkm3XsDyx9lcc3cae7dWneEDvPsvJQvADj8OToEyrKB9wBo-wNIlBj0q-ioAFoIThyELrGxNKwpSUY2K7ntxZYF958CR5Z5DXTOMz5gQKtcMr2nQ-I40M/s320/20180322_193450.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
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a slightly blurry picture of Dorothy </div>
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and her dogs</div>
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Today, I returned to Craiova (I think this was the 6th time?) with a group to do some street evangelism with the Finnish guys. We broke off into pairs - I went with one of the E2E guys, George - and took tracts to pass out and talk with people. The talking part was a bit hard - it was snowy and windy and nobody was in much of a mood for a leisurely chat. So George and I mostly put pamphlets in mailboxes and did quick hand-offs to people. The Finnish guys were not at all turned off by the weather, but the Romanians and this wimpy Arizonan were having a hard time. I joined the group that was headed back earlier - just myself and Vera and Alecs - and we made it back to Draganesti mid-afternoon. I hid out in the church for awhile, watching the snow as it piled up, reflecting on all sorts of things, playing the piano, helping Vera with some projects, and then met my friend Dorothy for dinner at her house. After a delicious meal, fabulous dessert, and an extremely cold but completely beautiful walk home, I am cozy in my heated room and ready for one last day in town tomorrow before heading to the big city Saturday morning.<b></b><br />
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Every trip to Romania is different, and my head is swimming, as usual, with so many thoughts about my time here. I'm thankful for the almost-daily chance to reflect here on the blog, and eager to process more with people in person when I'm home. I also have been giving some serious thought to how wonderful it will be to wear flip-flops on a warm sunny afternoon when I return :) But oh, how I will miss this place!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipedhthE7z5KRvMxtlBmjKm8h9eJfg5OT3gDAFjaBT_fb46fnvTgEdEFs33YPt4OyOkTbZ1DL9wmi5Lz8xP_MJMwIgPXn5YDgPS-VMgkFqjAzItHsavhuDNeJK6y0rv_ERYW32wl5SA6g/s1600/20180322_070143.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipedhthE7z5KRvMxtlBmjKm8h9eJfg5OT3gDAFjaBT_fb46fnvTgEdEFs33YPt4OyOkTbZ1DL9wmi5Lz8xP_MJMwIgPXn5YDgPS-VMgkFqjAzItHsavhuDNeJK6y0rv_ERYW32wl5SA6g/s320/20180322_070143.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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My Bible reading this morning just happened to include</div>
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Ecclesiastes 11:7 "Light is sweet, and it is pleasant for</div>
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the eyes to see the sun." Looking forward to some sunshine!</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6808046803068426603.post-53244488827903515652018-03-20T12:31:00.000-07:002018-03-20T12:31:21.639-07:00Craiova for the Day<div>
I've been sleeping every night in Draganesti since arriving on the 9th, and the original plan was that the rest of this week, starting tonight, I would stay in Craiova. Plans change pretty quickly around here, though, and it was decided yesterday that instead I would just spend a full day there today and come back to Draganesti in the evening. While I had been excited to get to know Craiova better, there are so many people and ministries that I love here in Draganesti also, and I'm glad I didn't have to say goodbye to this place just yet. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkLMZlY1pIhjMdGWS1kEHY7gBEFf_qKW4Xa0rQnlEX9p3aZurMDNdnqMAELrqh7RgPczBZvv42Q7MoSAtsnfF-ohac_3IjLmxVn6xZRBhXuy_rcCu7H8GgyI6igaY1gcCdWQOa5z1KCBs/s1600/20180320_080805.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; clear: left; color: #0066cc; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkLMZlY1pIhjMdGWS1kEHY7gBEFf_qKW4Xa0rQnlEX9p3aZurMDNdnqMAELrqh7RgPczBZvv42Q7MoSAtsnfF-ohac_3IjLmxVn6xZRBhXuy_rcCu7H8GgyI6igaY1gcCdWQOa5z1KCBs/s200/20180320_080805.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Draganesti looking prettier than usual</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVl-39Tg85aBkpVM-puk7quK-6T1zEAxk5AWUNxH_lkxs8RvC8scUv-w10H4seBqUCa07HUMzix-2YNUk0d3rUeyGSeCzBsUw9w9bkCyz_iugZcKEwuJf5cDE6E1F9CPe7nc0DfAzGUR4/s1600/20180320_081331.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; clear: left; color: #0066cc; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVl-39Tg85aBkpVM-puk7quK-6T1zEAxk5AWUNxH_lkxs8RvC8scUv-w10H4seBqUCa07HUMzix-2YNUk0d3rUeyGSeCzBsUw9w9bkCyz_iugZcKEwuJf5cDE6E1F9CPe7nc0DfAzGUR4/s200/20180320_081331.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
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Some roads were clear, others, not</div>
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so much</div>
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That being said, it was a full and encouraging day in Craiova! It snowed overnight again, a little deeper this time, and Draganesti was so beautiful in its white blanket. Alecs was my trusty driver yet again, and our Canadian friend Mike and his son Sam came along, as well as a guy Raul had hired to do some construction work at the Craiova church. Alecs and I made a Starbucks run when we got to Craiova (I'm quite familiar with the Craiova Starbucks at this point), then jumped right in to Raul's teaching. Every Tuesday the Equipping to Equip group meets. There are 8 students who have practical mission projects and receive Biblical training and support in what it means to be a missionary.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I loaned my Romanian Bible to a friend</td></tr>
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I got to sit in on some dynamic teaching and discussions, was pleased to understand much of what was being said, and also had some specific roles Raul had assigned me ahead of time, like bringing back food for everyone for lunch, talking about different models of churches and giving examples from the US, and accompanying each of the students when we went out to do evangelism in the city. I also got a chance to interview each of the students about their mission project and prayer requests and needs, and it was such a joy to get to know this group. Most of us went out for dinner at the mall afterward, then made the now-familiar trek back to Draganesti. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjixoe_23C1Np3C3pFJSmMT8PDQ0wcSXdRx2YKyzEk11r33Bmi4MO-AZrw_wr4g_ZOR2BInvfaQPYRmGGbEE_zg4lYSn6jH_kCvd8qFzSf4T6AlvFxQ27vLGqyjKA9-JHsLEZQeo8rojiU/s1600/20180320_142812.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #0066cc; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjixoe_23C1Np3C3pFJSmMT8PDQ0wcSXdRx2YKyzEk11r33Bmi4MO-AZrw_wr4g_ZOR2BInvfaQPYRmGGbEE_zg4lYSn6jH_kCvd8qFzSf4T6AlvFxQ27vLGqyjKA9-JHsLEZQeo8rojiU/s200/20180320_142812.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div>
Canadian friends help Nicu take down a wall</div>
<div>
in the church building</div>
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I was reminded in Ecclesiastes yesterday that it is a grievous thing when God gives good things to a person but does not also give him the power to enjoy the good things. I'm thankful for the many good things I experienced today - the joy of fellowship, the beauty of freshly-fallen snow, a delicious warm coffee on an icy morning, laughter with friends from around the world, teaching from God's word, the sound of a beautiful language and the ability to sometimes speak and understand it, a cozy room to sleep in, cookies and conversation before bed, and so much more - and I'm reminded that some people might experience each of these things and yet not experience the deep enjoyment that they bring, and not know the Giver of the gifts. So tonight, I am thankful that I am thankful.<br />
<u><span style="color: #000120;"></span></u></div>
<div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggvrL0qUEZvX6XP4tlQ-fPvul63-aboeXgzziY4tcNdkrLxK6akqyY-sMAtJJEigLLK1MKYZ-7oTRk-e0RGmeFh_IFBVuolOdlkr33hcsjTWGcnV3yqnGjRGUWJ4yWxFk0u5R9aipvdvg/s1600/20180320_162850.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggvrL0qUEZvX6XP4tlQ-fPvul63-aboeXgzziY4tcNdkrLxK6akqyY-sMAtJJEigLLK1MKYZ-7oTRk-e0RGmeFh_IFBVuolOdlkr33hcsjTWGcnV3yqnGjRGUWJ4yWxFk0u5R9aipvdvg/s400/20180320_162850.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful Craiova</td></tr>
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</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6808046803068426603.post-20418843574155110842018-03-19T11:31:00.001-07:002018-03-19T11:31:38.506-07:00A Lovely Kind of MondayAs I write, it's evening here, but morning at home. On a normal Monday, I would be in my 3rd hour of a 10-hour workday, just getting started with the new week, probably getting through emails and planning out the week with my boss. But today...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3hyphenhyphenwmQx7i_jmhDBOu21C-vCCc7SS6dllnxIHrHRko-ZTsRMhH26_rGFLVuPaPHSCbB73eefnjINWFhAXi8R5QeW824FTOe2LySbJZ_o0GW5Ey5A_tizcvtzriBX12IInaUMRrfy4YWU8/s1600/20180319_081807.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; clear: left; color: #0066cc; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3hyphenhyphenwmQx7i_jmhDBOu21C-vCCc7SS6dllnxIHrHRko-ZTsRMhH26_rGFLVuPaPHSCbB73eefnjINWFhAXi8R5QeW824FTOe2LySbJZ_o0GW5Ey5A_tizcvtzriBX12IInaUMRrfy4YWU8/s320/20180319_081807.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div>
Fresh snow this morning. The footprints</div>
<div>
reflect my journey from bedroom to kitchen for</div>
<div>
breakfast</div>
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<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />
I woke up to snow! It had snowed a little overnight and snowed off and on for a couple hours in the morning. I was a classic Phoenician and took pictures and videos and couldn't stop staring out the window. This caused me to be a little bit behind in my morning routines, but I was ready just in time for Dorothy and Laura to pick me up for a mini road trip to the town of Corabia. Corabia is on the southern border of Romania (across the river is Bulgaria!) and on the southern edge of the ministry area of Hope Church. Cornelia and her husband Mircea have lived and ministered there for almost 6 years and are somewhat isolated, being about an hour away from most of the other members of the church. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeSq4xfaN92tpi-7NV3KbVJxgCkRsEJpBY_mcBHJnxFLfKcz3Xihxw38bksKxG6t2W9eBas-KoGZ305YTl1A5R8zsyB6-FAKg8mMPPgn3kmw9S3c9rlIU-UB2xPSZ65W5N9IqN937VxhQ/s1600/20180319_101843.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; clear: right; color: #0066cc; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeSq4xfaN92tpi-7NV3KbVJxgCkRsEJpBY_mcBHJnxFLfKcz3Xihxw38bksKxG6t2W9eBas-KoGZ305YTl1A5R8zsyB6-FAKg8mMPPgn3kmw9S3c9rlIU-UB2xPSZ65W5N9IqN937VxhQ/s320/20180319_101843.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cornelia, Laura, and Dorothy on the streets of Corabia</td></tr>
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I don't know Cornelia well, but I do know that two of her greatest loves are Jesus and coffee, so of course we hit it off. The 4 of us ladies took a bitterly cold but beautiful walk to a local café, where we had pizza and coffee and heard Cornelia's story and prayed with her.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifrWusfpZEPfHFctkisgk9JWUtu5JwRxsk7YxZWrHMBqed0GOqPXTlaN8zGD9o3P-Z9P8AKeazJGj82t3XjAMa2ziDpr6-NQgqvfCbngGcYs3IhrHoCIsXgaxraxcXYsJSb4st59GXsDk/s1600/20180319_104710.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; clear: left; color: #0066cc; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifrWusfpZEPfHFctkisgk9JWUtu5JwRxsk7YxZWrHMBqed0GOqPXTlaN8zGD9o3P-Z9P8AKeazJGj82t3XjAMa2ziDpr6-NQgqvfCbngGcYs3IhrHoCIsXgaxraxcXYsJSb4st59GXsDk/s320/20180319_104710.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tasty pizza, tasty latte, sweet fellowship</td></tr>
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When I got back to Draganesti, I walked back to the church and got to go along with a few people to check out an apartment to rent (no, not for me!). Christy, who is an American missionary preparing to be here long term, got an absolute steal - a large, furnished apartment super close to the church for less than 200 dollars a month. It was fun to see how relatively simple the process was here - she checked out the apartment today, they'll write up a contract tomorrow, and she will move in on Wednesday! I helped Raul with a couple quick tasks at the church, and got my homework assignment for my time in Craiova tomorrow, then got to spend the rest of the afternoon and evening here at the house. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNhgBPddZcEggh78u9ecp7WRu-3L0CPjSA-E3VM50kZkOraPardaJj6TyjbX0sMVyK_qaElUisouw4X3TUVyMS8wulz2Y2PlnsmN_3ov5L-nPPJDpOBwjCSRIhfZOED5mMLuRvo-VhCY4/s1600/20180319_130925%25280%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #0066cc; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNhgBPddZcEggh78u9ecp7WRu-3L0CPjSA-E3VM50kZkOraPardaJj6TyjbX0sMVyK_qaElUisouw4X3TUVyMS8wulz2Y2PlnsmN_3ov5L-nPPJDpOBwjCSRIhfZOED5mMLuRvo-VhCY4/s320/20180319_130925%25280%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">on the road back to Draganesti</td></tr>
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<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />
So my afternoon was actually a little bit normal. I talked with Christy (my roommate for two more days), played piano (there's a piano in my house!) and spent some time online looking at different models of the local church, for a lesson tomorrow in Craiova. Despite my insistence that I was capable of buying my own dinner down the street, I instead had it hand-delivered to my bedroom door by Raul's youngest son - Raul has been so careful to care for my needs while I'm here. This was definitely a blessing due to the sleet and crazy low temperatures outside. I am happy to be in my warm and cozy room, looking forward to tomorrow, and very glad that this was not a normal Monday.<u><span style="color: #000120;"></span></u><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just proving I can dress for winter when I need to</td></tr>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6808046803068426603.post-82021645221808155042018-03-17T13:01:00.001-07:002018-03-17T13:01:37.680-07:00Some People You Should Know<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG0XSm7uMKJ_TP962q0dbIZkmr3akvFON41qU1g7ez5W2C1mMhqciznk_2zlZK8wvCfoIJzKQjPnN3ugV2cSFxwhNbSzwUc0P5kz2o17h4JzJePET_qVoL4aEPT1O5mYBplapV_E1NDTI/s1600/20180317_111744.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; clear: right; color: #0066cc; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG0XSm7uMKJ_TP962q0dbIZkmr3akvFON41qU1g7ez5W2C1mMhqciznk_2zlZK8wvCfoIJzKQjPnN3ugV2cSFxwhNbSzwUc0P5kz2o17h4JzJePET_qVoL4aEPT1O5mYBplapV_E1NDTI/s200/20180317_111744.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div>
In one of the kids club neighborhoods, </div>
<div>
with a neighbor's horse</div>
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</tbody></table>
Today was another joy-filled, fellowship-filled day in Draganesti. I got a late start this morning, enjoyed a cereal breakfast and conversation with my temporary roommate Christy, and then hurried down to the church, not because I knew what the plan was for the day but because I knew it was certainly time to do something and that most plans start there. Sure enough, I quickly met up with my friend Vera, who oversees 5 kids clubs here in town. I got to go with her to 3 different neighborhoods, participate in 2 of the clubs with her, and enjoyed a lunch and great conversations with her at the church also. Our last club of the day was the same group I was with when I passed out last Saturday, and I feel like that group and the other we did today allowed me to replace those memories with happy new ones. Today I was filled with strength and joy and energy and able to jump right in - playing <br />
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<tr style="margin-bottom: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2uINDl9u30FB6t23Qqblt1DsTDeSx_FxHiJrzDy7whU-O_jM_4AkaorleMKzyuhxDVdMpYtxQVAtH4jhBIxh3RDpmGSjxkaxZI-RWm_XcCuEuRlkfq5ddvOCCDr7jFaS8IBhO-_6t6ko/s1600/20180317_145347.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; clear: right; color: #0066cc; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2uINDl9u30FB6t23Qqblt1DsTDeSx_FxHiJrzDy7whU-O_jM_4AkaorleMKzyuhxDVdMpYtxQVAtH4jhBIxh3RDpmGSjxkaxZI-RWm_XcCuEuRlkfq5ddvOCCDr7jFaS8IBhO-_6t6ko/s320/20180317_145347.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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Teaching some somewhat distracted but extremely </div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px; padding-top: 0px;">
well-behaved kids at club #1</div>
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Rata rata gusca (Duck duck goose), singing songs, and telling a Bible story. After the last group, our friend Dorothy took us and Laura (another American missionary) out for cappuccinos at the local café. We talked and prayed together, then all went our separate ways. <br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZvzBUBJHTR__O3x1x8bgzCZIiK843POxJ9RwkiID8PBahIts22ps9lf_nH9-ANv6lAYxqAZhyphenhyphenGwqo7YzG_7iZRBPS4zihMOQeEw1DCjQhFX3f0-scHyZmkxL9MYOx08wjVP9yWCvFbGM/s1600/20180317_171225.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; clear: left; color: #0066cc; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZvzBUBJHTR__O3x1x8bgzCZIiK843POxJ9RwkiID8PBahIts22ps9lf_nH9-ANv6lAYxqAZhyphenhyphenGwqo7YzG_7iZRBPS4zihMOQeEw1DCjQhFX3f0-scHyZmkxL9MYOx08wjVP9yWCvFbGM/s320/20180317_171225.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div>
At Nico and Tavi's house. Their daughters are on the far left</div>
<div>
and far right</div>
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<tr style="margin-bottom: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnNAyu6U90HboTI4LdktMAwWNN31NWyw8bJCfekOynGgBfty7ohP-i9N3IN6j1pO5Xsc2c1Nd71clqlatDO6KVbWBZxDVqkaZPZYRBB6ETDq5P0ff93fZ1mrHSvR0_RTn-xuHu8far_Gw/s1600/20180317_182120.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #0066cc; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnNAyu6U90HboTI4LdktMAwWNN31NWyw8bJCfekOynGgBfty7ohP-i9N3IN6j1pO5Xsc2c1Nd71clqlatDO6KVbWBZxDVqkaZPZYRBB6ETDq5P0ff93fZ1mrHSvR0_RTn-xuHu8far_Gw/s200/20180317_182120.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="margin-bottom: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;">tonight's delicious dessert</td></tr>
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I was invited to Nico and Tavi's house for dinner - these are dear friends that I connected with 2 years ago, and I am so glad that spending time together is an annual tradition. Their oldest daughter was in the hospital for the first part of our trip, and it was a joy to see her happy and healthy and to enjoy this sweet family for the evening.<br />
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZvzBUBJHTR__O3x1x8bgzCZIiK843POxJ9RwkiID8PBahIts22ps9lf_nH9-ANv6lAYxqAZhyphenhyphenGwqo7YzG_7iZRBPS4zihMOQeEw1DCjQhFX3f0-scHyZmkxL9MYOx08wjVP9yWCvFbGM/s1600/20180317_171225.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; clear: right; color: #0066cc; float: right; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG0XSm7uMKJ_TP962q0dbIZkmr3akvFON41qU1g7ez5W2C1mMhqciznk_2zlZK8wvCfoIJzKQjPnN3ugV2cSFxwhNbSzwUc0P5kz2o17h4JzJePET_qVoL4aEPT1O5mYBplapV_E1NDTI/s1600/20180317_111744.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; clear: right; color: #0066cc; float: right; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"></a>Instead of dwelling on the details of my amazing day, I want to give some d<br />
etails about my amazing friends here - really, just ordinary sinners saved by an amazing God and serving Him with a faithfulness that encourages my heart in ways I cannot explain.<br />
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Vera with the youngest</div>
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member of the kids club</div>
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Meet Vera. She is about my age and was adopted by Raul and Ana as a 12-year-old girl, and her heart is for the children of this town. When she finished school, she was offered a job in England...and she turned it down because she knew that the kids of this town would have nobody to take her place. She meets with 5 groups every week, and meets 1:1 with many of them as well. She brings them food and clothes and shoes when they need them, and brings them love and encouragement in the Lord when often their families don't offer any such thing.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4cvDbNA7nmxg1IFg2e3juFGoLqTdLHHCMqC7hct2hYHs2EI0eowLm8WqNGuhTS4iAAqjVqVx3NCp3b6_3HozZqeWqjNwF5UFgi4MvYCvwGx6jFqPyHZ9qTqrFMUjWsDewMcmLtQtT27E/s1600/20180317_160506.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; clear: left; color: #0066cc; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4cvDbNA7nmxg1IFg2e3juFGoLqTdLHHCMqC7hct2hYHs2EI0eowLm8WqNGuhTS4iAAqjVqVx3NCp3b6_3HozZqeWqjNwF5UFgi4MvYCvwGx6jFqPyHZ9qTqrFMUjWsDewMcmLtQtT27E/s320/20180317_160506.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">with Dorothy and Laura at the Art Cafe</td></tr>
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Meet Dorothy. Many of you have heard me talk about her because of her work with the widows here in town, her kindness to me during last year's trip, and her amazing bilingualism of which I am quite envious. But I am seeing more and more how crucial Dorothy's role is as an encourager. She does kids clubs and widow ministry and other practical tasks, but she also makes purposeful trips to see other missionaries and to bring them fellowship and encouragement when it may be lacking. She loves to bless other people, to hear people's hearts, and to pray with people. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG0XSm7uMKJ_TP962q0dbIZkmr3akvFON41qU1g7ez5W2C1mMhqciznk_2zlZK8wvCfoIJzKQjPnN3ugV2cSFxwhNbSzwUc0P5kz2o17h4JzJePET_qVoL4aEPT1O5mYBplapV_E1NDTI/s1600/20180317_111744.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>Meet Tavi. He has been ministering for several years in the village of Maruntei, where there are no believers and no church. While still laboring for this village, he was torn because he remembered how carefully he and his friends (including his now-wife, Nico) had been shepherded by older missionaries in the church when they were teenagers. He asked the leaders of the youth group now if he could join them in their ministry, because he doesn't want to miss an opportunity for this next generation to be raised up as future leaders. So he is now balancing ministry in Maruntei with ministry in the youth group, while also helping with the worship band and working as a leader of the church and as a coordinator of short-term mission teams. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtbqBR_KsjY1QDMJOZ2NAmURRM_3O9CXLHhsjdCOdS5hQ4UdInmBIwuTT1vQm_PhOzoSY-Z8HX7wBQv5SiX4ufAHuRS6SSl8xszipc_KdU5bpZDtn05Y5YkL4F9teHa5zb0QYF4ic8GLw/s1600/20180317_195415.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; clear: right; color: #0066cc; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtbqBR_KsjY1QDMJOZ2NAmURRM_3O9CXLHhsjdCOdS5hQ4UdInmBIwuTT1vQm_PhOzoSY-Z8HX7wBQv5SiX4ufAHuRS6SSl8xszipc_KdU5bpZDtn05Y5YkL4F9teHa5zb0QYF4ic8GLw/s320/20180317_195415.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Annual picture with Tavi and Nico</td></tr>
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Meet Nico. According to Tavi, there are 25 families in Maruntei with whom he and Nico have strong relationships, and he credits nearly all of those relationships to Nico. She does kids clubs and invests in the lives of both the kids and their parents, as well as doing other house visits with Tavi. She is also raising 2 beautiful girls, with a 3rd baby on the way, and spent much of last week in the hospital while her eldest had scarlet fever, and still she invited me into their home and refused to allow me to help with cooking or with dishes. Spending time with Nico never fails to be encouraging.<br />
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If you met these people, you would surely love them as I do, and perhaps you too would grow in love for the God who made them, and who made them who they are. I'm thankful tonight for the kindness of God in providing me with these friendships and with the opportunity to once again be with these friends face to face.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6808046803068426603.post-40405318875194777042018-03-16T13:38:00.000-07:002018-03-16T13:38:18.705-07:00Visit #6, Week #1I don't think it's even remotely possible that I will be able to sum this past week up concisely, so...if you're ready for a mini-essay, here goes.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXnZVKC3w4oRnTMAtUxWt4kKxE1VSNPgm4FhOVHwOF2idMdzNkd0QAB0_ZwFyHdi2IPw8BHkDH-WkATp6wEib3kHSeIWEKAiMEYRqW7qq0SUObllYHou-d0d6ER0EXhmGGPL4Ko2O8Mgo/s1600/20180308_205608.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; clear: left; color: #0066cc; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXnZVKC3w4oRnTMAtUxWt4kKxE1VSNPgm4FhOVHwOF2idMdzNkd0QAB0_ZwFyHdi2IPw8BHkDH-WkATp6wEib3kHSeIWEKAiMEYRqW7qq0SUObllYHou-d0d6ER0EXhmGGPL4Ko2O8Mgo/s320/20180308_205608.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chaperones at dinner in London</td></tr>
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Our trip this year started with a planned overnight in London. We checked into our hotel (my last unshared room for quite some time), then took a bus and a long train ride into central London. It was fun...but we'll probably never do it again. The commute to central London was much longer than we'd been led to expect, and corralling 26 students through the subway system is no joke. But we chaperones enjoyed a nice long relaxed dinner at an Italian restaurant. Everything was delicious and it was a lovely welcome to Europe. While the others made their way back to the hotel, I met a friend from the last two trips, Marcel. We walked a little bit, then he drove me back to the hotel. Riding as a passenger on the left side was so fun! I drank an 11pm cappuccino with him (oops, didn't actually sleep that night), then went to bed.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXnZVKC3w4oRnTMAtUxWt4kKxE1VSNPgm4FhOVHwOF2idMdzNkd0QAB0_ZwFyHdi2IPw8BHkDH-WkATp6wEib3kHSeIWEKAiMEYRqW7qq0SUObllYHou-d0d6ER0EXhmGGPL4Ko2O8Mgo/s1600/20180308_205608.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; clear: right; color: #0066cc; float: right; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-left: 16px; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXnZVKC3w4oRnTMAtUxWt4kKxE1VSNPgm4FhOVHwOF2idMdzNkd0QAB0_ZwFyHdi2IPw8BHkDH-WkATp6wEib3kHSeIWEKAiMEYRqW7qq0SUObllYHou-d0d6ER0EXhmGGPL4Ko2O8Mgo/s1600/20180308_205608.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-left: 16px;"></a><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4y6WTz3PeTvx4MlHFR4w8jnVIcx6-vfPWCn3fkVgEreXxKij4OtDTQBDc_QbaS9Be8B8Fq-nH4MAP7yQCFMrfLXKSvxd0KXR4ZRfmYXIYxaIOkDCwsviufen5ROuhZYZnwjk5ZHu78tk/s1600/20180309_182253.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; clear: left; color: #0066cc; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4y6WTz3PeTvx4MlHFR4w8jnVIcx6-vfPWCn3fkVgEreXxKij4OtDTQBDc_QbaS9Be8B8Fq-nH4MAP7yQCFMrfLXKSvxd0KXR4ZRfmYXIYxaIOkDCwsviufen5ROuhZYZnwjk5ZHu78tk/s200/20180309_182253.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
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Flooded streets on the</div>
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Flight to Romania on Friday was uneventful, and it was such a joy to see familiar faces picking us up at the airport. I rode with a group of students in a van with one of the Romanian missionaries, and the rest of the group rode a bus...which took the worst route through Bucharest rush hour and then got a flat tire. My van arrived far ahead of the bus, so my group got to greet our friends here, eat dinner, and help prepare the house for the later arrival of the others. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The last thing I remember before fainting...</td></tr>
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Saturday was probably the worst day I have ever had in Romania, in all 6 years. I did some ministry with the students, but while getting to know some neighborhood kids at the soccer field, I suddenly woke up on the ground, unsure where I was, to find that I had passed out and hit my head. I was disoriented and afraid, and scared about why it happened (my anxiety-prone self jumped to brain tumor!) and thought that I might not be able to do the rest of the trip as planned. I had a hard time thinking about anything else the rest of the day and was sad to not be able to wholeheartedly serve my team or the people of Romania. BUT, after some good conversation and prayer with my friend and group leader Derek and with my Romanian friend pastor Raul, and after I took a nap and drank some water, I felt much better. The rest of the trip has not really been affected! Praise God!<br />
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the sign in front of Hope </div>
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Church Craiova</div>
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I'll try to pick up the pace from here, especially since I've already posted some pics. Sunday I and a group of students went to the city of Craiova to participate in a church service at the new church plant, then enjoyed evening service back in Draganesti. On Monday, some students and I visited the missionary doctor here and her husband and kids, did some games and activities with the neighborhood kids there, and met their bees and ate some honeycomb! On Tuesday, the whole team did street evangelism and passed out Bibles back in Craiova. On Wednesday, my group went with a new missionary in the area, Tavi. We got to visit different people in his community and pray with him and his wife. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Red Light, Green Light" with kids in the village</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFRvdGGLvMau38uDQ11Q5CZ9_-bP17QmF0QtO1v0vsCp64EzHFxMxgYJY4wnX53-UrI3EuntiO-qmKqoFkxF50BDyr8iZySpZhZPXim79PusmItcZbFwCFkMgPAVh9M339XCx6PzS6vFc/s1600/20180314_142811.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; clear: right; color: #0066cc; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFRvdGGLvMau38uDQ11Q5CZ9_-bP17QmF0QtO1v0vsCp64EzHFxMxgYJY4wnX53-UrI3EuntiO-qmKqoFkxF50BDyr8iZySpZhZPXim79PusmItcZbFwCFkMgPAVh9M339XCx6PzS6vFc/s200/20180314_142811.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">our team with Tavi and his disciple, Sebi</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9cS5Zrgv9m6PHid7akWyIJzDUyB9LyfueRQ6bXClmR1lQYE7ngTxNYa2Ni9KKfDRP1L6sMwB-ZNgLqVAysKeEKLYGSRWWoKiCDmpvgEt4ECfWDybgoYqYCI5cTOiPtgWAtcS6YFk-nvA/s1600/20180313_113803.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; clear: right; color: #0066cc; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9cS5Zrgv9m6PHid7akWyIJzDUyB9LyfueRQ6bXClmR1lQYE7ngTxNYa2Ni9KKfDRP1L6sMwB-ZNgLqVAysKeEKLYGSRWWoKiCDmpvgEt4ECfWDybgoYqYCI5cTOiPtgWAtcS6YFk-nvA/s200/20180313_113803.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Passing out New Testaments in Craiova</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyP8I-PVamTuGd8Rm1sH6kXNnpv8ILDVv5dx60aMNzd3TUMQFpdy5ifyPvnST1KmqcLg2NZ0dUXT55k4PHl8BLtSMRJ1yYbPFjva8bU8Jz4aRes88gcmOftjQ695kRrlKceq7ynHMTUao/s1600/20180315_131640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; clear: right; color: #0066cc; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyP8I-PVamTuGd8Rm1sH6kXNnpv8ILDVv5dx60aMNzd3TUMQFpdy5ifyPvnST1KmqcLg2NZ0dUXT55k4PHl8BLtSMRJ1yYbPFjva8bU8Jz4aRes88gcmOftjQ695kRrlKceq7ynHMTUao/s320/20180315_131640.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">in front of Peles Castle</td></tr>
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Thursday was the day the rest of my team had to say goodbye to Draganesti...but I didn't! I went with them for their day of tourism - to "Dracula's" castle in the town of Bran and to another castle in the town of Peles. The scenery was stunning<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXnZVKC3w4oRnTMAtUxWt4kKxE1VSNPgm4FhOVHwOF2idMdzNkd0QAB0_ZwFyHdi2IPw8BHkDH-WkATp6wEib3kHSeIWEKAiMEYRqW7qq0SUObllYHou-d0d6ER0EXhmGGPL4Ko2O8Mgo/s1600/20180308_205608.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; clear: right; color: #0066cc; float: right; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-left: 16px; margin-right: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXnZVKC3w4oRnTMAtUxWt4kKxE1VSNPgm4FhOVHwOF2idMdzNkd0QAB0_ZwFyHdi2IPw8BHkDH-WkATp6wEib3kHSeIWEKAiMEYRqW7qq0SUObllYHou-d0d6ER0EXhmGGPL4Ko2O8Mgo/s1600/20180308_205608.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; clear: right; color: #0066cc; float: right; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-left: 16px; margin-right: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"></a> and it was such a fun day. I rode with them all the way to their hotel in Bucharest, then rode back to Draganesti with two guys from the church. The transition from being a part of the team to being the remaining American with my Romanian friends is always such an interesting thing - and I love it! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPXZkFoTsX6aORt_TXuYeYOn-kY2WAI7mshT0-bHfix1RAkLm3byHe404sFIgxgq6fwF94c1aRoc_lopqG2S8upb0qIC-s6JHHq8pT0-LkQF3raDMwEqtMxLgpoE-A2tJl5I0wnHuPv1k/s1600/20180316_122731.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; clear: right; color: #0066cc; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPXZkFoTsX6aORt_TXuYeYOn-kY2WAI7mshT0-bHfix1RAkLm3byHe404sFIgxgq6fwF94c1aRoc_lopqG2S8upb0qIC-s6JHHq8pT0-LkQF3raDMwEqtMxLgpoE-A2tJl5I0wnHuPv1k/s320/20180316_122731.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In the Craiova church with the Equipped to Equip group</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPXZkFoTsX6aORt_TXuYeYOn-kY2WAI7mshT0-bHfix1RAkLm3byHe404sFIgxgq6fwF94c1aRoc_lopqG2S8upb0qIC-s6JHHq8pT0-LkQF3raDMwEqtMxLgpoE-A2tJl5I0wnHuPv1k/s1600/20180316_122731.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>Today was just plain wonderful. I had no idea what the day would hold but the introvert in me was coming alive after so long with such a big group (Don't get me wrong; I love the students, but...). I slept in til almost 7, walked to the church and around town a little bit, then went to Craiova with Raul and his wife Ana and their son Samy, and another American missionary named Laura. We met at the Craiova church with 3 of the students in their "Equipped to Equip" program, which trains up men to potentially be full-time missionaries. So encouraging! Laura's Romanian skills are better than mine (she's lived in-country for 6 years) so most of the conversations all morning were in Romanian, which was a fun challenge for me. We stopped for lunch on the way back to town, and then I got to spend the rest of the afternoon and evening just talking with Ana and with Raul. What a gift to be able to spend undivided time with them. I walked home from the church this evening feeling completely comfortable and at-home here. This place and these people are just so precious to me. <br />
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Ok, this blog entry feels more like a list of events than anything else, but it at least gives me something to look back on as a summary of the week. Perhaps I'll blog more often now that the team is gone...but no promises. Thanks for reading!<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6808046803068426603.post-35315436156382360632018-02-17T19:27:00.001-08:002018-02-17T19:36:43.478-08:00Romania 2018: Looking Back, Looking Ahead<span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">One of those strange things about Facebook and other social media is that some of the people who read posts are part of your daily life, your everyday interactions and conversations. And others are not - you haven't seen them in a few weeks, or months, or years, or maybe a decade, and you value keeping up on their lives, and vice versa, but many of the details are lost. </span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And I say all of this because I realize that some of the people reading my posts know my whole Romania story - my long-term history, the decisions I've wrestled with in the past year, and my plans for this leg of my journey. But some of you only know one part of that, or last got an update a month ago or 6 months ago, or really don't know what my fascination is with Romania but just know that I talk about it an awful lot. And so, before I head across the ocean and hopefully pick up more frequent blogging, here's a little story.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWcHBmzpotpvdc52mQQfECpZv_AnA0-K6ajczU14HVmrGFG786cPdXsyVcarfbokM3ft9ngKmu5PcbQK4ZF3Zf8SPXCJLVn4DBV93Xt4SfBKt6831D4fivYmqqFYNMw3xQiEFlh3ajsYs/s1600/196916_522437743511_921_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: transparent; clear: left; float: left; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="453" data-original-width="604" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWcHBmzpotpvdc52mQQfECpZv_AnA0-K6ajczU14HVmrGFG786cPdXsyVcarfbokM3ft9ngKmu5PcbQK4ZF3Zf8SPXCJLVn4DBV93Xt4SfBKt6831D4fivYmqqFYNMw3xQiEFlh3ajsYs/s200/196916_522437743511_921_n.jpg" width="200" /></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaNNIiNGHXIM_-YiEUFKMvc13RifCU5iVlRMo20jxpaMQpvS6CCfMQjizdMD2nHAEwRe_PCWUnwRFvxrc0-fz4BU52XTQmwndX2lqJHAMbdMu6LCw4dKGDw8ndpP9uL_mNLPOXJ1vnqRk/s1600/1910306_522438372251_6535_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: transparent; clear: right; float: right; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></a><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">In 2005, I first went to Romania with a group called International Child</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaNNIiNGHXIM_-YiEUFKMvc13RifCU5iVlRMo20jxpaMQpvS6CCfMQjizdMD2nHAEwRe_PCWUnwRFvxrc0-fz4BU52XTQmwndX2lqJHAMbdMu6LCw4dKGDw8ndpP9uL_mNLPOXJ1vnqRk/s1600/1910306_522438372251_6535_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: transparent; clear: right; float: right; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-left: 16px; margin-right: 0px; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaNNIiNGHXIM_-YiEUFKMvc13RifCU5iVlRMo20jxpaMQpvS6CCfMQjizdMD2nHAEwRe_PCWUnwRFvxrc0-fz4BU52XTQmwndX2lqJHAMbdMu6LCw4dKGDw8ndpP9uL_mNLPOXJ1vnqRk/s1600/1910306_522438372251_6535_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: transparent; clear: left; float: left; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"></a><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">ren's Aid Foundation. I'd heard about it from a girl from my church, went with a group from New Jersey, stayed 2 weeks, and fell in love with the people and the culture and the language and what God has done and was doing there. I went back in 2006 for 2 weeks again, doing similar work with a similar team. I worked with orphans in a private orphanage and in a public one, used some of my emerging music therapy skills (hadn't finished my degree yet) and helped with English clubs and health clinics.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: black;"></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span><br />
<a ajaxify="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=522437808381&set=a.513954848301.1075900.10010604&type=3&size=604%2C398" href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=522437808381&set=a.513954848301.1075900.10010604&type=3&size=604%2C398" id="u_jsonp_6_2w" rel="theater"><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="Image may contain: one or more people and child" class="_pq3 img" src="https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/rsrc.php/v3/y4/r/-PAXP-deijE.gif" style="background-image: url('https\3a //scontent.fphx1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/199216_522437808381_3153_n.jpg?oh\3d 384586580d6e2b2d3b4b1221436cb4a8\26 oe\3d 5B07375F');" /></span></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5gUrlnLSkzXx8-pG-Wgj2NV2wglcDvbkfS9ENn8gyxuiu2GG3ylf-ufSvVthQj4beSQJOe-oo-nqAgr9Dtv5pkBLlLwXbHssF_Pn9RgcmzAnZeBxkn8FCBu2Kx6NpRx6LgGwLOqULIWQ/s1600/17545321_10107757354481331_1978264698849028307_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpP1c87n8Ywsvh9dMMsNQxSGO703YwIXdv3iiCahG8BPVTXw3-7gyDvkt30plbjQdPaXoSYojz3Zmbvoc6LWdJf7EyeMR58X0ffVjSc2oYvG3njs5k9Csau-_MSEx3APCqN1Z1coyAo54/s1600/1927840_522438726541_312_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: transparent; clear: right; float: right; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="604" height="151" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpP1c87n8Ywsvh9dMMsNQxSGO703YwIXdv3iiCahG8BPVTXw3-7gyDvkt30plbjQdPaXoSYojz3Zmbvoc6LWdJf7EyeMR58X0ffVjSc2oYvG3njs5k9Csau-_MSEx3APCqN1Z1coyAo54/s200/1927840_522438726541_312_n.jpg" width="200" /></span></a><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">In 2007, I went again, for a month, with 2 friends I'd met through ICAF. We spent time with the people we'd met on earlier trips and then joined up with an Alege Viata team (the Romanian branch of Campus Crusade for Christ). I was only falling more in love with all things Romania, and when I came home I began to work toward moving to Romania as a long-term missionary in 08. For a variety of reasons, this didn't happen, and between 2007 and 2016, my only interactions with Romania were in my prayers, and in my long-distance interactions with friends there, and in my new friendships with Romanians here in Arizona.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv9F2do3ZGreF5Cdg3UcRnWSJD_yQb6OfyZzAoynac4xuw8HO1X8VIgMBlUYPUspkX_WXt-QBRZoGOXvh1JfD6gTFyj1Ex-5W1R1QJmP92EsRh7eT-wXXM5s3kJGqRNSPvBnEfuSB_K14/s1600/13072848_10106183385228331_2150703217185305980_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="864" data-original-width="1152" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv9F2do3ZGreF5Cdg3UcRnWSJD_yQb6OfyZzAoynac4xuw8HO1X8VIgMBlUYPUspkX_WXt-QBRZoGOXvh1JfD6gTFyj1Ex-5W1R1QJmP92EsRh7eT-wXXM5s3kJGqRNSPvBnEfuSB_K14/s200/13072848_10106183385228331_2150703217185305980_o.jpg" width="200" /></span></a><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">In 2016, I was asked to help chaperone a group of students that my friend Derek was taking to Romania on a 1-week mission trip. The students stayed for 1 week, I stayed for 3, I toured 8 different Romanian cities, and fulfilled the 9-year-old dream of getting back to the country I so deeply loved. I connected with a different region in Romania than I'd been in previously, and was drawn in by a dear body of local believers working in hard circumstances in a region permeated by a strange combination of witchcraft and orthodoxy. I was blown away by God's kindness in bringing me there and in causing my life to intersect with the life of Biserica Speranta (Hope Church). But when questions were asked about me moving there, I froze up. For some reason, that wasn't what I wanted in 2016.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5gUrlnLSkzXx8-pG-Wgj2NV2wglcDvbkfS9ENn8gyxuiu2GG3ylf-ufSvVthQj4beSQJOe-oo-nqAgr9Dtv5pkBLlLwXbHssF_Pn9RgcmzAnZeBxkn8FCBu2Kx6NpRx6LgGwLOqULIWQ/s1600/17545321_10107757354481331_1978264698849028307_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: transparent; clear: right; float: right; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="864" data-original-width="1152" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5gUrlnLSkzXx8-pG-Wgj2NV2wglcDvbkfS9ENn8gyxuiu2GG3ylf-ufSvVthQj4beSQJOe-oo-nqAgr9Dtv5pkBLlLwXbHssF_Pn9RgcmzAnZeBxkn8FCBu2Kx6NpRx6LgGwLOqULIWQ/s200/17545321_10107757354481331_1978264698849028307_o.jpg" width="200" /></span></a><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">2017 was the same in many ways and different in others. I went with the same friend and some of the same students for about the same amount of time to the same church to do some of the same work. But this time instead of being a tourist, I used my extra couple weeks to build on friendships that had been established in 2016 and to help with ministry. And when I left, I was pretty sure I wanted to move there again after all. That is the very simplified version of what was going on in my head and heart.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">From March to November, I prepared for a possible long-term move to Romania. And it got really serious this time around - the pastor from Hope Church came and met my pastors and parents, and I told my plans to my employer and got special permission to take a 6-week trip in 2018 and still come back to a job while I raised support to move there more permanently. But, for reasons WAY too complex for a blog post, I decided at the end of November to step off that path. </span><br />
<span style="color: black;"></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">So 2018 has arrived, and I am super excited to go back to Romania, for 3 weeks...and to come home again for probably 49 weeks after that. I have no idea what the long-term future holds, but I am thankful that God continues to provide the means for me to take now-annual trips to this country so deeply ingrained in my heart...and that the life and relationships and roles and ministries I have here in Arizona are also so precious and worth coming home to. </span><br />
<span style="color: black;"></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">If you read this far, bravo. Now perhaps you know more than you did. And if nobody read this far, at least I cleared my head a little. Perhaps my next post will be from across the ocean!</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6808046803068426603.post-36531622694476936182017-03-26T15:53:00.003-07:002017-03-26T15:53:37.435-07:00Before I Forget...I'm home! I'm currently in my apartment, laying on my bed, with my laundry going, after a church service at my own church and lunch with an old friend at a favorite local restaurant. Strange to suddenly be right back in "normal" life...but I want to blog about the last 2 days of my trip while it's all still fresh!<br />
<br />
On Friday, I tried to take in as much of Budapest as I could. I'd bought 48-hour tickets the day before that covered bus and boat tours and advertised free walking tours as well...so I took advantage of all 3!<br />
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But first...coffee. There were coffee shops EVERYWHERE in this city, so it was hard to choose, but I choose one that was just a couple short blocks from my apartment. I'd gotten used to the Romanian style of sitting down and being waited at in coffee shops...but sheepishly approached the counter after realizing this was not that kind of coffee shop :-) Anyway, I enjoyed coffee and breakfast there, then started my exploring. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip4JlGeBvMbDMVZEEUpmQwsulstD7DEgwYCUGrRuRl4F5TaSD2JEljB4C7Yk6UMrEHva_ANGyQYDGUf7BW6yuUvheviQlVTQQM24M-NxgBDgVc87cjvgXUcUZ9CGsJe6xwDJ0_NSjsFtE/s1600/WP_20170324_09_06_02_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip4JlGeBvMbDMVZEEUpmQwsulstD7DEgwYCUGrRuRl4F5TaSD2JEljB4C7Yk6UMrEHva_ANGyQYDGUf7BW6yuUvheviQlVTQQM24M-NxgBDgVc87cjvgXUcUZ9CGsJe6xwDJ0_NSjsFtE/s320/WP_20170324_09_06_02_Pro.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walking across the Chain Bridge</td></tr>
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I walked across the Danube on a beautiful bridge called the Chain Bridge, and once I got over to the "Buda" portion of Budapest (there are two halves of the city, divided by the Danube, which used to be separate cities), I took the funicular (little cable car) up Castle Hill. I explored up there for awhile, then walked back down the hill, and caught my tour bus, which took me back to Pest. Yesterday's bus was a closed one, but this was a lovely open-air one, so I retook some of yesterday's pictures with a much better view and enjoyed the perfect weather as I retoured the city.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipgeCAJuPaZ8sk8mcE9wubs6A0oktHKNhBXdOwxkhhVsMoGR2agn9nHjIvbv1MDmliao3sgVGr_VXFXBqWfx8NEUpsa3pdj901EevIr5IqjnVdbUhEZvTeieAHc4BAAMVl9Cnn_oCCv4g/s1600/WP_20170324_09_50_56_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipgeCAJuPaZ8sk8mcE9wubs6A0oktHKNhBXdOwxkhhVsMoGR2agn9nHjIvbv1MDmliao3sgVGr_VXFXBqWfx8NEUpsa3pdj901EevIr5IqjnVdbUhEZvTeieAHc4BAAMVl9Cnn_oCCv4g/s320/WP_20170324_09_50_56_Pro.jpg" width="179" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the funicular I rode up the hill</td></tr>
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I got off the bus in time to grab some lunch before heading to the boat tour. I was one of the earliest to board, and was listening to the other groups of people on board (some loud drunk guys speaking one language and some sweet ladies speaking another) and wishing I had someone to talk to (I'm actually kind of an introvert and don't always wish for this). Moments later, a guy with a European accent asked in English if the seats were free next to me. When I said they were, he called his wife who was at the back, saying "Hai!" which is Romanian for "Come." He then answered a phone call and confirmed my hopes that he was Romanian as I eavesdropped on his conversation. :) It was fun to talk with him afterward and feel at least a little bit connected to these strangers.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQjpR-vifRJ2RvvqTfMFnEcLjCEXKCU9sgsoEb5JUh7wAxT-u-3QAQQdQp1NHEvo9-Bsp8ArXa-Cu8qYjUUsn4iWupKaByLzbsFcQ4LJzWJBBFBNkncBvZwNQeVTGZPSK46uaB2nb8Tgk/s1600/WP_20170324_13_18_56_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQjpR-vifRJ2RvvqTfMFnEcLjCEXKCU9sgsoEb5JUh7wAxT-u-3QAQQdQp1NHEvo9-Bsp8ArXa-Cu8qYjUUsn4iWupKaByLzbsFcQ4LJzWJBBFBNkncBvZwNQeVTGZPSK46uaB2nb8Tgk/s320/WP_20170324_13_18_56_Pro.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">view of Parliament from the boat</td></tr>
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The boat tour was beautiful, and afterwards I walked over to a different neighborhood for a scheduled walking tour covering Jewish history in Budapest. It was fascinating, and of course sad also. I wish I could remember all the stats, but I think the guide said that 10% of the Jewish victims of the Holocaust were Hungarian, which is especially striking because they were relatively safe in Hungary until the war was almost over. We stood at the gate of their largest synagogue (the 2nd largest in the world!) and saw pictures of people standing in this same spot over piles of dead bodies in what was then a Nazi-built ghetto. Such a sobering experience.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF0A2KEBORHUKxdQtmJVNKITVyz-xVn-Xyu8kWClhIxQ0CBfH8WV4eyDu0lBiHj-K6gCPXlaBg9sm8ocQWSufd6Lh_Ixjv7BAFaDB_8OmgHWsVL51U3ky2uVX9eN6NEsszC6lfVrs2nDc/s1600/WP_20170324_16_23_36_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF0A2KEBORHUKxdQtmJVNKITVyz-xVn-Xyu8kWClhIxQ0CBfH8WV4eyDu0lBiHj-K6gCPXlaBg9sm8ocQWSufd6Lh_Ixjv7BAFaDB_8OmgHWsVL51U3ky2uVX9eN6NEsszC6lfVrs2nDc/s320/WP_20170324_16_23_36_Pro.jpg" width="179" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Great Synagogue</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYO_8R-ln_WlgOO4KHJul5rhbhGuLd9upADkKkN_zb4hFfxlmuX3rMKAWYXZaOHSX9aAcXLzuOSgYEJu73vhhK_YbMEey33JQMNBhpQpBvW6b_mYB1ShIVo_tTjhdA8YbAXWUXm5YnMoI/s1600/WP_20170324_16_35_11_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYO_8R-ln_WlgOO4KHJul5rhbhGuLd9upADkKkN_zb4hFfxlmuX3rMKAWYXZaOHSX9aAcXLzuOSgYEJu73vhhK_YbMEey33JQMNBhpQpBvW6b_mYB1ShIVo_tTjhdA8YbAXWUXm5YnMoI/s320/WP_20170324_16_35_11_Pro.jpg" width="179" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gravestones from the ghetto, in the<br />
synagogue courtyard</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVmBa0adbh7yRCcN0bCTR7bl-rU9utlcygexFGfsF6Skyh42bBRe33bHgi3vW35AojtJ8FIwdKJ9gDt0DqIAmvc5tA-ZNxaiK8P9QG_Xr1S9FLydyBIbeXM1b8Qs-7hm7Zr2NAnro0BMA/s1600/WP_20170324_17_25_13_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVmBa0adbh7yRCcN0bCTR7bl-rU9utlcygexFGfsF6Skyh42bBRe33bHgi3vW35AojtJ8FIwdKJ9gDt0DqIAmvc5tA-ZNxaiK8P9QG_Xr1S9FLydyBIbeXM1b8Qs-7hm7Zr2NAnro0BMA/s320/WP_20170324_17_25_13_Pro.jpg" width="179" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">in the foreground, my tour guide. <br />
Behind him, if you look closely,<br />
an orthodox Jewish man.<br />
And behind them both, an orthodox<br />
synagogue</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiypnZFIUu5-r4hgTIiZ0lqjgB38NLatEJLnRNopjks2ht9Qqn_UEtHdd4bb3L3YJ7k-fji9FP16Cc1TvJZzSwDovmiVAi-Ep3lHfGl2nkCoYAnOFLo3hQJmphn5fuMHxuj_myYA4dj1pw/s1600/WP_20170324_19_18_28_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiypnZFIUu5-r4hgTIiZ0lqjgB38NLatEJLnRNopjks2ht9Qqn_UEtHdd4bb3L3YJ7k-fji9FP16Cc1TvJZzSwDovmiVAi-Ep3lHfGl2nkCoYAnOFLo3hQJmphn5fuMHxuj_myYA4dj1pw/s320/WP_20170324_19_18_28_Pro.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zsolt and Emese</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSWNl4zQ7ktx21t7LohlVKdl8_vE5tQtA1oQmB__FsaYHG9beiOW5p7V28dIPgmp17Ocbxn4tXn1KInmj-xeO7BiAXn-UWNOwIERwK945h-TOmyJPA1l4dakIUXHGOqdm2EkNlLvX0HDk/s1600/WP_20170324_19_18_20_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSWNl4zQ7ktx21t7LohlVKdl8_vE5tQtA1oQmB__FsaYHG9beiOW5p7V28dIPgmp17Ocbxn4tXn1KInmj-xeO7BiAXn-UWNOwIERwK945h-TOmyJPA1l4dakIUXHGOqdm2EkNlLvX0HDk/s320/WP_20170324_19_18_20_Pro.jpg" width="320" /></a>After this tour, I got to have real friends again :-) One of my music therapy clients is Hungarian, and his dad lives in Budapest. I've seen him about once a year these past 8ish years when he comes to Tempe to visit his son, and we'd arranged for me to meet him and his girlfriend for dinner. They were such fun! They took me out of the tourist neighborhood to a fun restaurant near a university. I ordered a Transylvanian cheese platter, pumpkin soup, and an apple ginger lemonade, all of which were delicious, and it was so fun to have these bilingual friends help me feel less out of place. They graciously paid for my dinner, then took me walking around town before escorting me back to my apartment. What a perfect way to end my time in Europe!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcSEz4kvjTh6m5JQoUcbRhi199tf_bYYZP_frwL9DPxZ5Pg0aJSBO0dUUxTU-cao7Vfb9O3UmwH3Jh1N38CoSqvMDGAsEtUNRP4AU28JdQVYX7ztlpPPKG3p4A2UDZ6dO857qD5moTs5A/s1600/WP_20170324_20_49_50_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcSEz4kvjTh6m5JQoUcbRhi199tf_bYYZP_frwL9DPxZ5Pg0aJSBO0dUUxTU-cao7Vfb9O3UmwH3Jh1N38CoSqvMDGAsEtUNRP4AU28JdQVYX7ztlpPPKG3p4A2UDZ6dO857qD5moTs5A/s320/WP_20170324_20_49_50_Pro.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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I got to the airport bright and early the next morning (via my host's friend, whose driving might have been the scariest part of my entire trip) and began my long journey home: 3 hour flight to London, 5 hour layover, 11 hour flight to Phoenix, customs process. Everything went really smoothly, except when just after going through security in Budapest, I realized I forgot to leave my key to my host's apartment! I tried to figure out how to get it to him, but eventually heard back from him that it wasn't urgent, so just added that errand to my schedule tomorrow: mail keys to Hungary :-)<br />
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This trip was truly amazing. Thanks for "joining" me as I've rambled about it. I don't expect to blog again anytime soon, but I'm excited to get my pictures (and my thoughts!) organized, so if anyone wants to hear more details or see more pictures, do let me know :-) I know that I will not likely get tired of reflecting on it all! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXCxY8CmMsfsI22NoyUw6MTe_wK9Lh1RbYKLzjrovDKpvsAiyf3MXUJ8YGoOhYHnEpkGAZvrkyHbW3gxYu3ICpTkgwkn4DJNpqBIVtlnWkfyXnMH0FSg0FPCIowDajPcEM7iSf8uayMZk/s1600/WP_20170324_11_29_21_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXCxY8CmMsfsI22NoyUw6MTe_wK9Lh1RbYKLzjrovDKpvsAiyf3MXUJ8YGoOhYHnEpkGAZvrkyHbW3gxYu3ICpTkgwkn4DJNpqBIVtlnWkfyXnMH0FSg0FPCIowDajPcEM7iSf8uayMZk/s320/WP_20170324_11_29_21_Pro.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How can you not love a city that has a flowerbed in a piano?</td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6808046803068426603.post-20750026148061947612017-03-23T12:53:00.000-07:002017-03-23T12:53:12.469-07:00Beautiful BudapestToday, I was purely a tourist, and on my own. Strange to think that this was what so much of my trip was like last year, but this year I've been surrounded by friends and by purpose throughout my trip. It was an adjustment today to go to pure tourist mode, but I had a good time.<br />
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Dawn arranged for my van this morning, which picked me up directly from her house. It was just me and one other passenger for awhile, but we picked up a bunch of people in the city of Arad. I got lazy about trying to speak Romanian, so I was just the silent American in the back of the van. I tried to stay awake til the border...but did not succeed. The others in the van woke me up to ask for my passport. I was amazed that I just had to pass my passport up, the driver handed it to the agent, and nobody ever looked at my face to see if it matched! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiluAvCEqeqYbrva3gGW3Pq3iC-ZShJVVJDRyA8RX4ZDufOJ-qcD_J7cuGmeI0Q-xIw_EV7_uR0b0iJAXL1FVrs3TcRwPXw7aUGpacJA_A-KsYL8QR_dxPla1rHa9GBEpk-wOtZsbRQ9gc/s1600/WP_20170323_002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiluAvCEqeqYbrva3gGW3Pq3iC-ZShJVVJDRyA8RX4ZDufOJ-qcD_J7cuGmeI0Q-xIw_EV7_uR0b0iJAXL1FVrs3TcRwPXw7aUGpacJA_A-KsYL8QR_dxPla1rHa9GBEpk-wOtZsbRQ9gc/s320/WP_20170323_002.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How can a new city be intimidating when some of the first<br />
words you see are "coffee to go" and some of the first people <br />
you see are cute little kids holding hands?</td></tr>
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I got to Budapest 3 hours before I was due to meet my host, but I made the most of it. I'm in a super touristy part of town, so I didn't feel out of place with my touristy ways. I sat on a lovely patio for lunch and enjoyed conversation with the host working there. He is fluent in 5 languages and has learned some restaurant language in many others, so he plays this game where he tries to guess someone's language as they walk by and calls out to them in their language - "great food, excellent coffee, free internet..." etc. He was so good at this! And it turned out he was born in Romania, so I felt like he was meant to be my friend. :)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmjQAb_k9G4he-VVOEW3mIpKAWtYf559y1JfQ0zy6czonIpMxqdHOEIpNuNOuLJlmuRtLzWFJzjgdQ43bcY6a5sTYNxO-jrnPTJLJppSdwvSslrg3hZdR39WM5mQW5VDkPwYpFB-rNsPc/s1600/WP_20170323_12_41_55_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmjQAb_k9G4he-VVOEW3mIpKAWtYf559y1JfQ0zy6czonIpMxqdHOEIpNuNOuLJlmuRtLzWFJzjgdQ43bcY6a5sTYNxO-jrnPTJLJppSdwvSslrg3hZdR39WM5mQW5VDkPwYpFB-rNsPc/s320/WP_20170323_12_41_55_Pro.jpg" width="179" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">my building</td></tr>
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After lunch I wandered a bit, then met my host's brother, who let me in to this amazing apartment I get to stay in. I'll have to get some good pictures of it later. I got settled in, then went exploring. I got a pass for the "hop on hop off" tour, which includes bus routes and a boat tour, so I did the whole bus route this afternoon to get a feel for it. This really is an amazing city. The weather's gorgeous, so I was disappointed that I didn't get an open-air bus...but maybe tomorrow. The pass is good til Saturday.<br />
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I'm staying right on the main pedestrian street here, Vaci Utca. So I got off the bus a few blocks down and walked back through there. I ate at a delicious Italian place for dinner, and treated myself to gelato afterward - I don't think I've bought any ice cream this whole trip! It was less than a dollar for this little cup, and it was well worth it.<br />
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Tomorrow, I have huge plans for seeing as much of the city as I can...and I'm also preparing myself that those plans might be a little over-ambitious. Really, I'll be satisfied with whatever I can see, and am thankful for God's provision in things big and small to allow me to be here. Tonight is my first night alone this whole trip...and I still feel far from alone. I've been so well cared for these last couple weeks, it truly blows me away.<br />
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First on tomorrow's agenda - starting the morning at a coffee shop! I learned today that Hungarians are known for their love of coffee and bookshops... I think we will get along quite nicely. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7b6iUE-bqkoYoha1rbJYDVet4vpeFWjBRE9XsVJUhzv9xbQvznwbFZYw28RrDfeCUlP_hUDaIzHOn7tqZsQ_lNW-Yuho5uuvCegV74bdhCoHgk1XpGqVZ5qgb0r6lFXEE_w8fEthAmx4/s1600/WP_20170323_14_53_32_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7b6iUE-bqkoYoha1rbJYDVet4vpeFWjBRE9XsVJUhzv9xbQvznwbFZYw28RrDfeCUlP_hUDaIzHOn7tqZsQ_lNW-Yuho5uuvCegV74bdhCoHgk1XpGqVZ5qgb0r6lFXEE_w8fEthAmx4/s320/WP_20170323_14_53_32_Pro.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I mix all the bridges up, so I can't remember which one this is. <br />
But they're all pretty amazing.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vaci Utca bustling with evening crowds.<br />
I get to live here for 2 days!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtUeRMrFxcE08lwh-JtJBqQVU_p0tJNVGbylORrjGVg6YP6efhxE3kgPFZEv4ySAgKLspB-LsLdEPt1eW1UIk5hCmR_pcpotYwuW_SrKaEd5YKZFLTWouNCShA7ggU5lumqv46U4M2VKM/s1600/WP_20170323_18_01_33_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtUeRMrFxcE08lwh-JtJBqQVU_p0tJNVGbylORrjGVg6YP6efhxE3kgPFZEv4ySAgKLspB-LsLdEPt1eW1UIk5hCmR_pcpotYwuW_SrKaEd5YKZFLTWouNCShA7ggU5lumqv46U4M2VKM/s320/WP_20170323_18_01_33_Pro.jpg" width="179" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not sure if this statue has any significance,<br />
but I liked having him in the foreground <br />
for a sunset-over-Buda picture :-)</td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6808046803068426603.post-37832620488411920812017-03-22T13:03:00.002-07:002017-03-22T13:03:12.707-07:00One Last DayMy last full day in Romania has been a resounding success. What a great day! <br />
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This morning, Dawn and I went back to the children's center. While she took some of the kids outside, I got to bring one kid at a time into one of the rooms and do little mini music therapy sessions with them. It was so much fun! I haven't taken a new music therapy client in a long time, and I haven't improvised Romanian songs...maybe ever :-) I'd only known these kids for at most 24 hours...but there were some really meaningful moments and at least one important insight that I was able to pass along. Then it was lunchtime, and I helped some of the kids eat lunch, and then we headed out. <br />
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On the way back to Dawn's place, we stopped for my train ticket for tomorrow's trip to Budapest...only to find out that the trains are on strike! I had this sort of exhilarating moment when I thought I might be stuck here...but Dawn is a tremendous resource and knows about a van that can take you directly from point A in Timisoara to point B in Budapest. It's pricier than the train but won't go on strike (hopefully!) and will get me straight to where I need to be so I won't have to walk from the train station or figure out the subway right off the bat.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCYNaJB2GvdJPRMNQg6p9yKD6XPbaSR-ZrUkg5uz9aB4J7D72nozeFo_9TXiZUBQU3Mwo6A3wcorobmUuvkmPRBJnQ4DKpAnUtMFUNwffO_YJP6oN8mD71SR40tcAPmtl1oCFc5Xb1NPc/s1600/WP_20170322_16_31_00_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCYNaJB2GvdJPRMNQg6p9yKD6XPbaSR-ZrUkg5uz9aB4J7D72nozeFo_9TXiZUBQU3Mwo6A3wcorobmUuvkmPRBJnQ4DKpAnUtMFUNwffO_YJP6oN8mD71SR40tcAPmtl1oCFc5Xb1NPc/s320/WP_20170322_16_31_00_Pro.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">sign for the revolution museum. Let's just say it wasn't fancy.</td></tr>
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Dawn's friend Pam fixed another tasty lunch, and then while Dawn got some work done, Pam and I got to do some exploring. We went to the museum of the Revolution, which was closed when I tried to go last year, and then back to the Garage coffee shop that we'd been to yesterday.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">an exhibit in the museum, with a picture of a big<br />
demonstration in Opera Square. This is where we<br />
hung out with the kids yesterday and ate dinner tonight. Crazy<br />
to think of all that happened here not even 30 years ago.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP6-drxT-PnCSTPhiamzxsgEHlUgsrJ0GqlbhnK2_8-UBbFWeKvC6cmrzEkkqqqS39cV76rXucAqfwAtOc5ZD0gghwwLlU3p-RI4YGQcyk7Go6M5JIyvUCCbci7kNvV92eJQY0CgjpzUs/s1600/WP_20170322_16_11_59_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP6-drxT-PnCSTPhiamzxsgEHlUgsrJ0GqlbhnK2_8-UBbFWeKvC6cmrzEkkqqqS39cV76rXucAqfwAtOc5ZD0gghwwLlU3p-RI4YGQcyk7Go6M5JIyvUCCbci7kNvV92eJQY0CgjpzUs/s320/WP_20170322_16_11_59_Pro.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">a dramatic room in the museum filled with old Romanian flags with <br />
their communist emblem ripped out of them</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stunning Piata Unirii. I have so many pictures of this place from<br />
last year but still felt the need to take more.</td></tr>
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Between the two, we took some shameless tourist pictures of the storefronts and beautiful old buildings. It was a lot of fun. Then we wandered back to one of the main squares and met Dawn for an insanely delicious dinner. It was a beautiful restaurant right on the square, with linen tablecloths and fancy waiters, and I had dinner and wine and dessert...and paid about 10 dollars, including tip. I love it here.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4EMDuOuhyphenhyphenwKW7OwEb6xJltpaLGmlwaR63D8HS8SijqrDxA_lyCeBlUlCsQPfFZjvVaXUkq5PrNvP8pd098Jjdu8qZv3tyXmaYs-392Ss1QVg6niMTKxEwTSGAMkKe0jfFB6v3aYiQhlM/s1600/WP_20170322_18_08_05_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4EMDuOuhyphenhyphenwKW7OwEb6xJltpaLGmlwaR63D8HS8SijqrDxA_lyCeBlUlCsQPfFZjvVaXUkq5PrNvP8pd098Jjdu8qZv3tyXmaYs-392Ss1QVg6niMTKxEwTSGAMkKe0jfFB6v3aYiQhlM/s320/WP_20170322_18_08_05_Pro.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our restaurant this evening. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKvykMhiQpQBq4TWZxuN775FREilgEq0D1e3RQFCNmRQ8HoDZly1l19kPb-8bFEwKyClGpTB3S_XjFKiw_21eCWdvpI5Lac2p7DvPgI5PosAGecv9HPATzNbrfgXd8w2LKvwEt6XsjKZI/s1600/WP_20170322_18_37_48_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKvykMhiQpQBq4TWZxuN775FREilgEq0D1e3RQFCNmRQ8HoDZly1l19kPb-8bFEwKyClGpTB3S_XjFKiw_21eCWdvpI5Lac2p7DvPgI5PosAGecv9HPATzNbrfgXd8w2LKvwEt6XsjKZI/s320/WP_20170322_18_37_48_Pro.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pam and Dawn</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Here's where I start to get all reflective and emotional. I seriously love this city, and this country, and this language, and these people. Where last year was an exciting but occasionally lonely journey all around the country, this year has been even more exhilarating, but in such a more wonderful way. I've really connected with people - lots of people - in meaningful ways. And I've spent time with sweet Romanian families, and with sweet Americans used to living in Romania, and I've gotten a better sense, I think, of what life is really like for both of these groups of people. <br />
<br />
Tonight, walking home from the restaurant to Dawn's place, I tried to take in every sight and sound. I'm not sure how to explain how much I love simple things, like the Romanian words for "thank you" and "you're welcome" and "goodbye" that I think are so beautiful. It will be hard to not hear them anymore, hard to once again be the only one who says "Noapte buna" (my sweet roommate probably grows weary of me saying goodnight this way, but she doesn't complain). It seems highly likely that I will return again soon, but every departure from Romania always includes a certain sense of finality, in case it is my last, even if I hope it won't be.<br />
<br />
Ok, enough of my rambling. My van will come early in the morning, and I need to be ready! Tomorrow...Budapest!<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiid4e5fuT4P4Mg2TZ3HqoZ0raAl2GPCM0899dk-Xj8TBxQgpOrjSERFmjA5-62gsaOctw1iqZrFqOnh_4RAzWOYHViyGVxNrmifB-FiIcq5Ejthpboss2umXckURqJ8oiF8TXJlLOWxqo/s1600/WP_20170322_16_30_23_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiid4e5fuT4P4Mg2TZ3HqoZ0raAl2GPCM0899dk-Xj8TBxQgpOrjSERFmjA5-62gsaOctw1iqZrFqOnh_4RAzWOYHViyGVxNrmifB-FiIcq5Ejthpboss2umXckURqJ8oiF8TXJlLOWxqo/s320/WP_20170322_16_30_23_Pro.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This dog chained up near the museum startled me so badly <br />
today, but then turned out to be a total sweetheart. I know you're not<br />
supposed to touch the dogs...but we had an instant bond. :-) <br />
Also, I promise he isn't dead. He just looks a little strange.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6808046803068426603.post-77974780535849080572017-03-21T12:48:00.004-07:002017-03-21T12:48:49.277-07:00Timisoara Day 1Ah, another satisfying day! Timisoara is pretty much a whole different world compared to Draganesti, so much so that during parts of today I had to remind myself that I am still in Romania! But I love both areas so much, for different reasons.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFkKvpAbdn2iE2iJMBu0M3zWcek9OjDqUdrw5N-6aUdT8fTqSnLdb5HNRq6CTDMaHN56ieJRnxcO_ytZDKuR20l6VDrGpzUdqLOXdXdlJiEM7VSr7BdcNm5wgyl5507rFI3fqzd9c8uQA/s1600/WP_20170321_12_50_36_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFkKvpAbdn2iE2iJMBu0M3zWcek9OjDqUdrw5N-6aUdT8fTqSnLdb5HNRq6CTDMaHN56ieJRnxcO_ytZDKuR20l6VDrGpzUdqLOXdXdlJiEM7VSr7BdcNm5wgyl5507rFI3fqzd9c8uQA/s320/WP_20170321_12_50_36_Pro.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dawn lives on Bach Street! And today is Bach's birthday!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
As I mentioned in the last post, I'm staying with Dawn and her friend Pam. Both of these women are internationally-minded women deeply committed to improving the lives of children. Pam has worked on child welfare issues around the world, and is meeting with some sort of important official this coming Monday here in Timisoara to discuss foster care and adoption. Dawn has been faithfully serving the kids of Romania with the love of Christ for 20 years. Needless to say, we had much to talk about!<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoeb3TaucSevtXzkYlrJorqhCF79tBQnNf7nGnPUQ-UcKQulhGoc7IWi8H9K5xGXdgqUjQLEMxDnPFdxKb9i6CyWnBNfWuLXJbQPnyoAJ7ZoGBtiYRjJrSzWIBJY5kAO1EgkTO4vQvpf0/s1600/WP_20170321_09_39_01_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoeb3TaucSevtXzkYlrJorqhCF79tBQnNf7nGnPUQ-UcKQulhGoc7IWi8H9K5xGXdgqUjQLEMxDnPFdxKb9i6CyWnBNfWuLXJbQPnyoAJ7ZoGBtiYRjJrSzWIBJY5kAO1EgkTO4vQvpf0/s320/WP_20170321_09_39_01_Pro.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the children's center</td></tr>
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Dawn and I walked down to the children's center where she works this morning. It's actually a pretty cool complex, but is essentially an orphanage that's part of the child welfare system here and in an area with several different hospitals serving this county. But compared to the state-run orphanage that I visited in Hunedoara in 05 and 06, this place is beautiful. The kids there all have disabilities of some sort, and many live in cribs and don't get the education that they should, but the place is clean and well-lit and smells fresh and has lots of supplies and bright colors. I tried to do music therapy there...but it was a little chaotic. I didn't have a guitar or keyboard, and there were lots of kids in the room with lots of different abilities, and there was the language barrier, and I'd never met any of them before. There were still some meaningful musical interactions, but I think tomorrow I'm going to try to work with one or two kids at a time with fewer distractions. Not allowed to take or post pictures of these kids, which is a bummer, but you will have to take my word for it they are beautiful and special. We also got to enjoy their outdoor courtyard for a while, and meet with a therapy dog!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_bduitT1W9hlNLzGGqDmGovU1apKyHT6avV6LGOpfu9y9obIvppOVUdSGQ8TAc0jqmJ8xcghrexhsWVld_OVkuXIc1zPGzdiXolYYkUWLIlIOjMTdw2uNkKCk3yFtamOh0qpw9frfXJ4/s1600/WP_20170321_09_42_23_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_bduitT1W9hlNLzGGqDmGovU1apKyHT6avV6LGOpfu9y9obIvppOVUdSGQ8TAc0jqmJ8xcghrexhsWVld_OVkuXIc1zPGzdiXolYYkUWLIlIOjMTdw2uNkKCk3yFtamOh0qpw9frfXJ4/s320/WP_20170321_09_42_23_Pro.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the courtyard at the children's center</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYuedrd3yi5N4wj_OJeFTfBfjpB8SEYvv9Mzlus2rbQjX0lnv144sUoFBMh-9LiJhcIWvYTZmTRaxrwXnEnnHpwpIQ5YcKlFTsJPlr3yus6128wKrVbrQ_KBb1QA_9oGg0wOfHX5hQW9o/s1600/WP_20170321_17_08_44_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYuedrd3yi5N4wj_OJeFTfBfjpB8SEYvv9Mzlus2rbQjX0lnv144sUoFBMh-9LiJhcIWvYTZmTRaxrwXnEnnHpwpIQ5YcKlFTsJPlr3yus6128wKrVbrQ_KBb1QA_9oGg0wOfHX5hQW9o/s320/WP_20170321_17_08_44_Pro.jpg" width="179" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">happily drinking an iced latte at <br />
Garage Café!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We came home for lunch, which Pam cooked for us, and then after an afternoon nap went back to the center. Pam came too, and the 3 of us took 3 kids with us and went for "o plimbare" or a walk, through the town. I was determined to visit this coffee shop I'd wanted to go to last year, and so Dawn built that into the plan. These sweet kids walked with us (well one of them was in a stroller), all the way through the 3 most famous, beautiful squares here in Timisoara, and with Dawn's help found my coffee shop. The kids drank orange juice but wanted my coffee because it was so pretty. I loved the place, and the waiter was handsome with good English, and kindly escorted me to the door to help me bring the 17-year-old in a stroller down the stairs. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2hRGLpQ-zoI-0zkc5KONWnWlDhGeod6mc2AWt1Z2742bu19LVvAYTqIPUcvW3LG7i3Q3h7WWSu0Cul461Q6STNuUVo1-MQcMkH_pPaznIGD8sg_deniKchJpbPAs1lSF9Di6u-WcYSeI/s1600/WP_20170321_19_04_27_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2hRGLpQ-zoI-0zkc5KONWnWlDhGeod6mc2AWt1Z2742bu19LVvAYTqIPUcvW3LG7i3Q3h7WWSu0Cul461Q6STNuUVo1-MQcMkH_pPaznIGD8sg_deniKchJpbPAs1lSF9Di6u-WcYSeI/s320/WP_20170321_19_04_27_Pro.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
We went to McDonalds from there, so the kids could have some ice cream, then we took them back to the center and went out for a nicer dinner ourselves, at a place called Casa Iosefin. I ordered a delicious chicken dish with mamaliga, which is a Romanian staple. A glass of wine rounded out the meal nicely, and I am satisfied in body and spirit tonight after such a lovely day.<br />
<br />
I love this city and feel so comfortable here. If only I had time to do all I want to do in all the places I want to be! I feel like this trip has been so chock full of amazing experiences, and I can hardly believe there are only a few days left. Thankful for the perfect provision of the Lord - in friendships, in health, in fantastic weather, to name a few things. Just a few days left, and I'm determined to make the most of them! <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi-_P_2DUU0f7QUdn-Fk_Y6-bljuA7rJlj0avZ8RbhvFFxugJnFUNdbsHliYmoepU_E-74VvMWmGXn5kpPJp6YIaZSHOV8nC7mYMbYAjPZjv4xr9OdF5LXHtROtDHqG7PMqVs-ioTqJHw/s1600/WP_20170321_16_28_03_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi-_P_2DUU0f7QUdn-Fk_Y6-bljuA7rJlj0avZ8RbhvFFxugJnFUNdbsHliYmoepU_E-74VvMWmGXn5kpPJp6YIaZSHOV8nC7mYMbYAjPZjv4xr9OdF5LXHtROtDHqG7PMqVs-ioTqJHw/s320/WP_20170321_16_28_03_Pro.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I seriously love this city</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjx1bix5FqoH-pP_JjJMMnaJ00GHxHG6gdOKU0k3v0SVJK45X1eSmmB0jFVIQGuDu5rtZiYRw7FvZmXMIyKlEhU3YD8kdRRdoPGnZi2HEn9q1aVDUZFAVxTDz2icLd-dqjQqdUNtIiUlk/s1600/WP_20170321_17_30_23_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjx1bix5FqoH-pP_JjJMMnaJ00GHxHG6gdOKU0k3v0SVJK45X1eSmmB0jFVIQGuDu5rtZiYRw7FvZmXMIyKlEhU3YD8kdRRdoPGnZi2HEn9q1aVDUZFAVxTDz2icLd-dqjQqdUNtIiUlk/s320/WP_20170321_17_30_23_Pro.jpg" width="179" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the closest I can come to posting <br />
a picture of one of the kids. Here is<br />
part of the back of his head, while he <br />
sat in his stroller and we enjoyed Piata<br />
Unirii together. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1ukMtXNccPdqCh2Gah187Qg9ZNRwdubMZwqUhq07Be3y0rINSq1lpJQ_hEd3GPkcbFJqOfpJbtasr8UJsCBww60z4_RjsOdCTvntsw6_6a_opPsogLFUzwymAeN6eCnnouJvCOjaAgdY/s1600/WP_20170321_17_35_42_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1ukMtXNccPdqCh2Gah187Qg9ZNRwdubMZwqUhq07Be3y0rINSq1lpJQ_hEd3GPkcbFJqOfpJbtasr8UJsCBww60z4_RjsOdCTvntsw6_6a_opPsogLFUzwymAeN6eCnnouJvCOjaAgdY/s320/WP_20170321_17_35_42_Pro.jpg" width="179" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">graffiti, but true graffiti</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaVCz-Uxcy5jx_mmgmxFEcxQnoSeB_CtCL8z7FCWh4Xmyjv0jHNuY_eQye2Rb4VR-fJmdH_gSOFY0QHFsUms2TUyIMTvz7_DSREEifmwYXTUXC7dkgSwpi9ll6QmuvQfEybs0JW8bL_78/s1600/WP_20170321_17_36_32_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaVCz-Uxcy5jx_mmgmxFEcxQnoSeB_CtCL8z7FCWh4Xmyjv0jHNuY_eQye2Rb4VR-fJmdH_gSOFY0QHFsUms2TUyIMTvz7_DSREEifmwYXTUXC7dkgSwpi9ll6QmuvQfEybs0JW8bL_78/s320/WP_20170321_17_36_32_Pro.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spring has sprung!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs41DIrzsWceemb-o2tCtKkBanj-VX1VfEPGC3-qO02FvIUh7ImwaIGNvZnQCz6Yf6jnNAtg0JDZJUHDLLFk4VV2UUM8a6zwXW1xf4o7mp6hdjWfNmQBffOWf2eG6ksL4ifcieMxIPNZ4/s1600/WP_20170321_18_40_08_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs41DIrzsWceemb-o2tCtKkBanj-VX1VfEPGC3-qO02FvIUh7ImwaIGNvZnQCz6Yf6jnNAtg0JDZJUHDLLFk4VV2UUM8a6zwXW1xf4o7mp6hdjWfNmQBffOWf2eG6ksL4ifcieMxIPNZ4/s320/WP_20170321_18_40_08_Pro.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On a car: "Jesus loves you! But I am the favorite." Strange sentiment.</td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6808046803068426603.post-76011941755203017282017-03-20T14:03:00.001-07:002017-03-20T14:03:25.733-07:00The Journey Continues!Ok, tonight's entry really should be short and sweet. I slept beautifully at Raul and Ana's last night, and because Monday is everyone's day off, it was a bit of a relaxed morning. Raul asked me to help him with some projects in the morning, but we did that from the comfort of the living room and were able to talk and pray together before I had to leave. I also enjoyed sweet conversation with Ana and felt like I had to tear myself away from this dear family when it was time to go.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZcB3VLxgwPtRwKRn3yNIBIbZSYJgGmmKW8Snq-agEvUjx0pKeJ4fCBml3X9LRSeP-vMrhfFf-C8bCMGQ_UiJbyVwRlMxXbkzwBlyuGEqCE0pl2dAz_bJkK5aYMxNNUnN1UYU2FKNL2wQ/s1600/WP_20170320_12_12_12_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZcB3VLxgwPtRwKRn3yNIBIbZSYJgGmmKW8Snq-agEvUjx0pKeJ4fCBml3X9LRSeP-vMrhfFf-C8bCMGQ_UiJbyVwRlMxXbkzwBlyuGEqCE0pl2dAz_bJkK5aYMxNNUnN1UYU2FKNL2wQ/s320/WP_20170320_12_12_12_Pro.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Costea family, minus their oldest son who was at school</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Marcel, a friend from the church, picked me up and took me to the train station. He's the same one who brought me to the train station last year, and that was such a blessing because he was able to make me laugh when I was pretty much terrified about beginning my solo journey. This year, I was still a little anxious, but way less scared, and it was nice to chat with him while we waited for the train, which ended up being pretty late. <br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz3KTw1g3tI8IGEGeC7u7oOKi1-Bg-C6eBsS7E-xUWxNlia60HCq4lF5x1SBnufnRao9bAVURYZ7eGjd_QXhaoyxrYzSfqZL1IL6n4gHa7qtniPmPdjFmhOC0DqBIafi1wkwyhbWhs7Ws/s1600/WP_20170320_16_09_24_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="110" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz3KTw1g3tI8IGEGeC7u7oOKi1-Bg-C6eBsS7E-xUWxNlia60HCq4lF5x1SBnufnRao9bAVURYZ7eGjd_QXhaoyxrYzSfqZL1IL6n4gHa7qtniPmPdjFmhOC0DqBIafi1wkwyhbWhs7Ws/s200/WP_20170320_16_09_24_Pro.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">one of many beautiful views from the train</td></tr>
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The train ride was long but quite lovely. I chatted with a Romanian girl (in English, I'm so lame) for the first portion of the trip, then kept to myself the rest of the ride, reading, texting, praying, and eating a sandwich and apple that Ana had sent with me, along with some delicious Romanian chocolate. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvRJcOBV5AyLzx3ND3Rx9DbwOxHzD0S7y6vERfqEdaCJVLuZuJu9b6a0GhbaS7RAjLxz4BHjfYwEv9v7gvkhOYZjLCopjHLnMr2iRAPCYifof2ammv2jmEWS1Y-KVCg0XGJ9jPED9xzik/s1600/WP_20170320_17_06_24_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="110" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvRJcOBV5AyLzx3ND3Rx9DbwOxHzD0S7y6vERfqEdaCJVLuZuJu9b6a0GhbaS7RAjLxz4BHjfYwEv9v7gvkhOYZjLCopjHLnMr2iRAPCYifof2ammv2jmEWS1Y-KVCg0XGJ9jPED9xzik/s200/WP_20170320_17_06_24_Pro.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I kept trying to avoid getting this man in my pictures,<br />
and then I decided just to go for it, dapper cap and all!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZPQT8OYn_J6sGojU7AFj2BCC7FRxATJLwWSspiGdfogGW9qWFGZ957eALQvxEVfbC2mYyZbwrFHX5Q967WtNIeTX4bNE1z2MskolwgbTzBFQlI042RxXAyP_w1ARBgiUZbL4pqjy5jkc/s1600/WP_20170320_17_08_56_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZPQT8OYn_J6sGojU7AFj2BCC7FRxATJLwWSspiGdfogGW9qWFGZ957eALQvxEVfbC2mYyZbwrFHX5Q967WtNIeTX4bNE1z2MskolwgbTzBFQlI042RxXAyP_w1ARBgiUZbL4pqjy5jkc/s200/WP_20170320_17_08_56_Pro.jpg" width="111" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the beginnings of sunset, over the <br />
Danube River</td></tr>
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My friend Dawn was waiting for me at the station when I arrived, and took me back to her place. She has a friend staying on the floor above her right now, and the 3 of us ate and chatted together. This friend was actually part of training Romanian leaders about the process of deinstitutionalization of kids here in Romania, 15 years ago! We all had much to talk about.<br />
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Tomorrow, I'll get to meet the kids that Dawn works with and maybe do some music therapy with them, although I won't have many instruments to work with. I'm also hoping to squeeze in the coffee shop that I tried so hard to find last year and which eluded me :-) <br />
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Despite a full night's sleep last night and some lovely naps on the train, I am so ready for bed! Good night! <br />
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<img height="96" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZPQT8OYn_J6sGojU7AFj2BCC7FRxATJLwWSspiGdfogGW9qWFGZ957eALQvxEVfbC2mYyZbwrFHX5Q967WtNIeTX4bNE1z2MskolwgbTzBFQlI042RxXAyP_w1ARBgiUZbL4pqjy5jkc/s320/WP_20170320_17_08_56_Pro.jpg" style="left: 988px; opacity: 0.3; position: absolute; top: 1108px;" width="54" />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6808046803068426603.post-60427446015772793612017-03-19T14:35:00.001-07:002017-03-19T14:35:47.310-07:00Weekend OverviewMy heart overflows with encouragement and love from the kind people here whom I'm thankful to call friends. I should probably be organizing my suitcase and prepping for tomorrow's journey to Timisoara, but there's so much to say. I'll try to be brief, but brevity has never been my strong point!<br />
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Yesterday I spent time with Ana, the pastor's wife, for much of the morning. We worked on some projects at the church, and also went to the market that happens on Saturdays. It's sweet to see how easily Ana makes and maintains relationships with the people in her town, and we were able to pray with a woman named Mari, who is hoping she sells a lot of her eggs and produce to help pay for her daughter's upcoming wedding.<br />
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Tavi and Dave picked me up from the church around noon to head to Tavi and Nico's house. I'd connected with Tavi and his wife Nicoleta last year, and they'd invited me for lunch this year, and they are also hosting Dave, a visiting missionary from Canada. We all ate lunch together at their house, then headed to Maruntei to do a kids club. I was able to use a lesson we used in our small group at church to teach the kids about things that only Jesus can do.<br />
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The next part of the plan for me (it's been kind of fun that everyone is mostly making plans on my behalf!) was for me to head to another village, Stoenesti, to see the ministry that pastor George and his wife Dana have there and to spend the night in the missions house above the church there, connected to their home. There was some confusion about how I would get to Stoenesti, and eventually they sent a man named Ilie to come pick me up. Ilie is an older Romanian evangelist who comes for one week each month from the wealthier north of Romania. He told me that he tried to escape Romania in the 80s, just before communism fell, but that he couldn't get out, and he knows this was God's will because he was meant to serve southern Romania. Turns out he plays the accordion quite well, but I didn't learn that until this morning!<br />
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I arrived in Stoenesti and got to spend the evening with George, Dana, their two kids, and a few of the teens from the town. Every Saturday night, they host these teens for dinner and a sort of "slumber party" in the missions house. The dinner table was filled with delicious food, lots of laughter, and stories of God's faithfulness that a few of us shared. I slept in a cozy room upstairs, and it was such fun to just have to walk downstairs to breakfast...and to church! I shared my testimony in the church, and was able to understand most of the service, and was so encouraged by this family's involvement in their community.<br />
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After a lovely afternoon nap, we all piled in the van, picked up some others from the village, and headed back to Draganesti for evening church. It's kind of surreal how many relationships I already have there - it almost felt like showing up to my church at home! George preached on the humility of Christ and how we ought to live in light of it (I turned down several offers for translation and really feel like I understood most of it!), and the whole church prayed for me after I got up and said a few words. I said many goodbyes and took some pictures with these sweet friends (on my camera though, not my phone, so can't share here), and then headed out to dinner with Dorothy. I was able to spend time doing ministry with Dorothy earlier this week, but when she found out I was staying longer, she went out of her way to find a time to take me out for a meal. What a joy! We went to a nice restaurant in a nearby town and enjoyed pizza and great conversation. Then she brought me "home" back to Raul and Ana's house in Draganesti. <br />
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Tomorrow I catch the train, and I'm not ready. These people here are now so dear to me, and it will be hard to leave. I hope that I can somehow express, when I'm back at home, just how sweet the ministries here are, just how encouraging the friendships are, just how hospitable the people are. But what I can't express is known by the Lord, and I know that if I find joy in these things, He finds infinitely more joy. These things please me...but I'm not the one they are aiming to please! Truly this is a special place.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6808046803068426603.post-25917417930595921522017-03-17T14:13:00.001-07:002017-03-17T14:13:18.348-07:00Much to LearnThe students left this morning! Last year when the team left, I ate dinner alone and slept alone in a big empty house. I was getting to know the people here, but didn't know them well, and felt shy about spending time with them. This year is so different! I'm currently relaxing in bed in an apartment filled with people I know and love after an evening filled with delicious homemade food and sweet fellowship. But I get ahead of myself. First...yesterday.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiblHgAhHAnjBLAIjhmSmt7P-SM5b4ua7iKeiPBShZr2altdEFgRk4HPfYjkG_UyRf0AlnuC15qVgPqE-W1KSLxsEeZ_XhSqmBLraNZKdcgxOs7VNTiJLTiCx7sKH1x4OgldhcyoUgP8f8/s320/WP_20170316_13_01_57_Pro.jpg" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">my ministry group on Thursday </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMsNZODdDtHw1G1d9yMVB9mUPeqYGbvtN8_LrzqltTHoSaR587z64cp5uA5CmxaqLG5u8JqJYIvyDUnyXoMj3xZJgYkvPQ0SJE2e31ydCZ0g2KQQzVGrHJw273ZpwVLNfDr5wlEgw5e_o/s1600/WP_20170316_13_07_14_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMsNZODdDtHw1G1d9yMVB9mUPeqYGbvtN8_LrzqltTHoSaR587z64cp5uA5CmxaqLG5u8JqJYIvyDUnyXoMj3xZJgYkvPQ0SJE2e31ydCZ0g2KQQzVGrHJw273ZpwVLNfDr5wlEgw5e_o/s320/WP_20170316_13_07_14_Pro.jpg" width="179" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Even though we missed Women's Day this<br />
year, we still managed to receive flowers from a stranger!<br />
I love Romania!</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPprGSSdVneP4oRh3S4RD6FEVZVlpHH2Xy0ZX5JOzqcMHIHNxx_sfsCDoskWLJaTyUXFMzP5adRGZhPehle1l-nlGb9TCLi5KvZPP_5iiBwcLkZHaBjkzC9VOtzi0_8Uwp6bsLoz7Pn_A/s1600/WP_20170316_13_56_38_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPprGSSdVneP4oRh3S4RD6FEVZVlpHH2Xy0ZX5JOzqcMHIHNxx_sfsCDoskWLJaTyUXFMzP5adRGZhPehle1l-nlGb9TCLi5KvZPP_5iiBwcLkZHaBjkzC9VOtzi0_8Uwp6bsLoz7Pn_A/s320/WP_20170316_13_56_38_Pro.jpg" width="179" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Raluca with the friendliest cat <br />
in the world</td></tr>
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Yesterday was the last day of ministry with the students, and it was lovely. I went with 3 of the students to a nearby town called Coteana, with two of the missionaries working in the area, Danut and Mark. Mark is British, and his two boys David and Ruben were with us also, and I was instantly jealous of their bilingualism. When we arrived in Coteana, the men went with one of the students into a nearby town to buy a stove, while we girls stayed back with Raluca, a missionary living in Coteana with her husband Beni. We got to see their house, which was a pretty amazing place. They moved there in November but it isn't yet renovated, so they have no running water, no bathroom, and only a very limited kitchen. The church also meets in the same building, in the room next to their bedroom. So the reason that I say it's amazing is because of how hospitable they are able to be with so few resources, and the big hopes they have for this property. This weekend another team of missionaries is coming, and 11 people will sleep there! This is why they need a stove...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW3wGHHpZo_fnLXs1AjkwbSzTsbQ4AyM97xqfSw0-pQEaafO8xIgZufwbmXpWvuaMOGE32MxJjo2dytsDQKOQo8Ql9oUfMNU9YddAJI5EhtaNMoMtTpC-N1e7FW2vRn3Wo_9mS6HVZq-Q/s1600/WP_20170316_14_22_36_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW3wGHHpZo_fnLXs1AjkwbSzTsbQ4AyM97xqfSw0-pQEaafO8xIgZufwbmXpWvuaMOGE32MxJjo2dytsDQKOQo8Ql9oUfMNU9YddAJI5EhtaNMoMtTpC-N1e7FW2vRn3Wo_9mS6HVZq-Q/s200/WP_20170316_14_22_36_Pro.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaOH-RvIJQHcVsOq60TPG3GsxZiFTYnAebx0VrZDPwt5h9p56uvag8YFFmJ_Uw-6bKlWE_o4wEDet-x35O_u2aErhUdpe7tIyrZoWxteMZC_KfkbLYcqCD6kMtTn877z_1hzECcXQSuFo/s1600/WP_20170316_14_54_55_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaOH-RvIJQHcVsOq60TPG3GsxZiFTYnAebx0VrZDPwt5h9p56uvag8YFFmJ_Uw-6bKlWE_o4wEDet-x35O_u2aErhUdpe7tIyrZoWxteMZC_KfkbLYcqCD6kMtTn877z_1hzECcXQSuFo/s200/WP_20170316_14_54_55_Pro.jpg" width="111" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7jJipDwE8cwFV7FyvBqMbzopOhNTTngiFsr4vlamkrTbdhY2sJCfJ6omBQyVikKD4IJLkWYRmEozl85Rqbrqx-RUbWVj4fQoCZS9yzQ5FMTub3l9TbYnuOEjzqXP3PhrSSo9dOOEOmhU/s1600/WP_20170316_14_23_25_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7jJipDwE8cwFV7FyvBqMbzopOhNTTngiFsr4vlamkrTbdhY2sJCfJ6omBQyVikKD4IJLkWYRmEozl85Rqbrqx-RUbWVj4fQoCZS9yzQ5FMTub3l9TbYnuOEjzqXP3PhrSSo9dOOEOmhU/s200/WP_20170316_14_23_25_Pro.jpg" width="200" /></a>Anyway, after a quick tour, Raluca, the students, and I went to do house visits. We brought along David and Ruben, and we walked through the village to visit women who have attended the church. The first was a woman filled with sorrow because her children never come to visit and left one of their grandchildren with her 11 years ago and never came back. The girls and I each shared our testimonies about God's work in our lives, and we prayed with her. At the next house, we spoke with a woman and her adult daughter. These women were tremendously hospitable and so generous with their limited means - they gave us duck eggs and sausages and coffee and candy. We talked with them for a long time before heading back to the house to meet the men. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbcAmD0RNTgEV51KC_eK455Gn4lb6gzRDzxZiBmJTAVcjfM7ff-IA0-MuSWWxzs26RW0tS2d0QEDVMLQLimZC5cvnqOcTQgPQ-qGgGRC9qqRltCao2aj50osXWaIz5p8dJPHre0-9ZU6U/s1600/WP_20170316_17_11_01_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbcAmD0RNTgEV51KC_eK455Gn4lb6gzRDzxZiBmJTAVcjfM7ff-IA0-MuSWWxzs26RW0tS2d0QEDVMLQLimZC5cvnqOcTQgPQ-qGgGRC9qqRltCao2aj50osXWaIz5p8dJPHre0-9ZU6U/s320/WP_20170316_17_11_01_Pro.jpg" width="179" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jared and the much-too-big cupboard</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Back at the house, they weren't able to get a cupboard out of the kitchen - this project took a long time until they finally chopped it into pieces. While we waited, Raluca cooked up the eggs and sausage and we had a mini feast in their bedroom before heading back to the church to eat a second dinner with the team. I was blown away once again by the sweet hospitality that seems to be so central to the Romanian culture - I have much to learn from them in this regard!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB1TnKYImpM_E-fKjhLadcNX5V7dffpUZ5da0F_SvqPEMAmOHICw0x_7p25GI37qBQjByzGKpBGgNBVzL_vuGH09aQLjqdpBvXSQzn_fbbMqCSZCqE3hbkMLldZQFwqd1bplxCLjBNRFc/s1600/WP_20170316_17_22_13_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB1TnKYImpM_E-fKjhLadcNX5V7dffpUZ5da0F_SvqPEMAmOHICw0x_7p25GI37qBQjByzGKpBGgNBVzL_vuGH09aQLjqdpBvXSQzn_fbbMqCSZCqE3hbkMLldZQFwqd1bplxCLjBNRFc/s320/WP_20170316_17_22_13_Pro.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">enjoying our feast in Raluca's bedroom</td></tr>
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This morning, the students on our team surprised us chaperones by informing us that they'd divided into teams to get the cleaning done at the missions house while we went out for coffee. They'd even collected money so we wouldn't have to pay! Instead of the typical vending machine coffee we often get here, we splurged and went to the "Art Café," where we sat and enjoyed coffee and conversation, then grabbed some treats from the bakery next door before heading to our final debrief with the students and Pastor Raul.<br />
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Sorry, this entry is so long! When the students left this morning for Bucharest, <br />
the men from the church helped me to bring my suitcase to the pastor's apartment, where I am staying now with he and his wife and 3 kids. I spent much of the afternoon at the church, doing some administrative work for Raul and talking with people passing through. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiudBX7BiVP7SD_OAs3lyc2RNpzPDK7sNklALgsD3ND_yShagLGfPdj15Y5wXtZUx0fwfOLanOhFoFsDED_sF03kWEU_mxYiGSBoZWJUB5KGxEm6iJgvCRVIu7b6UQlo7-V5S-SDgvyGeM/s1600/WP_20170317_11_22_00_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiudBX7BiVP7SD_OAs3lyc2RNpzPDK7sNklALgsD3ND_yShagLGfPdj15Y5wXtZUx0fwfOLanOhFoFsDED_sF03kWEU_mxYiGSBoZWJUB5KGxEm6iJgvCRVIu7b6UQlo7-V5S-SDgvyGeM/s320/WP_20170317_11_22_00_Pro.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the view from my room at the Costea apartment</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Friday nights are small group nights at Hope Church. There are 4 small groups in this town, and Raul arranged for me to go to 2 of them! At the first, one part of the group worked on an assignment, while the leader, George, worked through a lesson with the rest of us. I was encouraged that I understood what he was saying and could follow along and take notes, and even more encouraged by the fervor and passion that he has for the gospel.<br />
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When this group was over, I walked down the street to the next group, which had just started. It was in a building I'd never been to, and I was nervous to enter, but it was a very special moment when they opened the door for me. There were many familiar faces, many excited exclamations that I'd arrived, and a sweet little girl I'd spent time with on Sunday, who ran up and immediately gave me a hug. They offered homemade donuts (gogosi) and soda, and then we worked on a test for discerning your spiritual gifts. There were 105 questions, and I was able to answer most of them without translation! It was such fun to spend the evening with this group. Another of the men from the church, Marcel, came to pick me up afterwards, and he drove me back to Raul and Ana's house, where I ate dinner with him and Raul and Ana's kids and a couple of other guys from the church.<br />
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Sometimes I just pause and remember the 9 years between trips to Romania, and how much I longed to come back, and how excited I would get at any reference to the country or its people or its language. And tonight I got to sit at a dinner table, immersed in the language and the food and enjoying the people and the culture and the community here so much. And I remember also how I asked for prayers that relationships would be central to this trip to Romania, and they certainly are. Thank you for praying. I'm thankful to be here.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6808046803068426603.post-18147195788005867402017-03-15T14:30:00.000-07:002017-03-15T14:36:31.632-07:00Zile FrumoaseThese last two days have been beautiful, in more ways than one. Today, the sun finally came out! It was the first we'd seen of it since before we arrived on Friday. It peeked out on a foggy morning as we walked to the church to start our day, and during our drive to the nearby city of Craiova, blue skies took over the grey, jackets came off, and it was such a joy to enjoy beautiful sunshine and see the colors in the area come alive.<br />
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While today was beautiful in terms of weather, both days have been beautiful in terms of ministry. I wish I'd had a chance to blog last night, because I feel like already I'm forgetting details, but here is a quick summary:<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-eHNo-OZaIts/WMhZ8xwjMII/AAAAAAAAIcg/RKnioY5WfEc/%25255BUNSET%25255D.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" id="id_8bae_2e6e_ebc9_ecdb" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-eHNo-OZaIts/WMhZ8xwjMII/AAAAAAAAIcg/RKnioY5WfEc/%25255BUNSET%25255D.png" style="height: auto; width: 189px;" title="" tooltip="" unselectable="on" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With one of the widows</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Yesterday, I was able to go out with Dorothy again to see the widows. Well, that was our plan A...and eventually we got to it. But first we took some extra time at the grocery store, and then just before we were ready to head out I got a text from Derek saying that one of the students needed to go to the doctor. He's had a sore throat since Sunday and it was only getting worse. So...I got to have a new experience in Romania - taking someone to the doctor!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJt2d4KGtr1QJFE5pGyvjGxJU6yBJRWbaqgklxL-om2BVNxWa_rIlBMc5slY53l50885OwH45PHzECzd7gArIi6kY_YDpq13wwvFFpaTwf3Y_Ov9hSAB7rtm5t0hSuFZeb5UxZaUrimHY/s1600/WP_20170314_16_01_56_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJt2d4KGtr1QJFE5pGyvjGxJU6yBJRWbaqgklxL-om2BVNxWa_rIlBMc5slY53l50885OwH45PHzECzd7gArIi6kY_YDpq13wwvFFpaTwf3Y_Ov9hSAB7rtm5t0hSuFZeb5UxZaUrimHY/s200/WP_20170314_16_01_56_Pro.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Romanian meds</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Thankfully Dorothy, who is fluent in both English and Romanian, was our driver and such a sweet support to the student. The rest of us (myself and 2 other students) just tagged along. We visited a missionary doctor in a nearby village, got a script for some antibiotics, went to the pharmacy...and then we continued on our original plan.<br />
We visited two widows, and then we went to the home of the woman who cares for her 3 siblings who have disabilities - Flori, Marian, and Lili. This visit was so sweet: not only was it fun to interact with that fun combination of two populations I love - Romanians and persons with disabilities - but I really felt like I was able to connect with the woman and her husband. I spoke directly to them more often than I used a translator, I read Scripture to them in Romanian, and they served us coffee and hosted us in their cozy front room. We got so caught up in this visit that we realized we were very late for dinner back at the church...but thankfully, there was plenty of supa de fasole (bean soup) left. This is my favorite Romanian dish, which I discovered last year, and I ended up skipping the main dish altogether and having two bowls of soup and then dessert- both so good!<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7AykYikq5VFLajHpkJjK1o563q6xwDks6gcvuo3lVXmUrTJBFq8yKFMZPTUtjPTylmC_Gxbx9SmwV2Yys7mOsYHHjuT0tCP1KHnNIZFD_c8F1dRhooJlHo_3wbQfhA3dOzHLT5C30QAA/s1600/WP_20170314_18_12_06_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7AykYikq5VFLajHpkJjK1o563q6xwDks6gcvuo3lVXmUrTJBFq8yKFMZPTUtjPTylmC_Gxbx9SmwV2Yys7mOsYHHjuT0tCP1KHnNIZFD_c8F1dRhooJlHo_3wbQfhA3dOzHLT5C30QAA/s320/WP_20170314_18_12_06_Pro.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flori and Marian</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Today we traveled to Craiova. We took several vans, and my van was extremely quiet early on - there were two students, myself, and 4 Romanians, and none of us were entirely comfortable with each other's languages, so we just had occasional conversations. It was a nice drive, though, and fun to watch one of the students' reaction as she got to see this Romanian city for the first time.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Hm8kfuBWgIQ/WMmqL3JJiGI/AAAAAAAAIio/Oip2q-y-j1w/%25255BUNSET%25255D.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" id="id_c2cf_1859_422c_7348" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Hm8kfuBWgIQ/WMmqL3JJiGI/AAAAAAAAIio/Oip2q-y-j1w/%25255BUNSET%25255D.png" style="height: auto; width: 145px;" title="" tooltip="" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the 2 students on my<br />
New Testament team</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8AzEGyqM4nd-vcHx8hFwglVycbULQYdvgwu9VV3Hu6zi_ZUOwPAyfuz1zAqt9l9uAkzWhYQzn5GLDaKOzxG4TWXv3ihbe5LmJ9OccyQCEieFvFm7d1HvPrxhFQXHatH86wvagrPZe0ZE/s1600/WP_20170315_15_02_42_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8AzEGyqM4nd-vcHx8hFwglVycbULQYdvgwu9VV3Hu6zi_ZUOwPAyfuz1zAqt9l9uAkzWhYQzn5GLDaKOzxG4TWXv3ihbe5LmJ9OccyQCEieFvFm7d1HvPrxhFQXHatH86wvagrPZe0ZE/s320/WP_20170315_15_02_42_Pro.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunny arrival in the gypsy neighborhood</td></tr>
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Once in Craiova, we split into teams. We passed out New Testaments in a relatively affluent neighborhood there, then most of us traveled to a gypsy neighborhood. Some of the group put on a kids' program there, while 6 of us - 2 Romanian missionaries, 3 students, and myself - went on a home visit. We visited the home of a man who has diabetes and a heart condition, and a terrible sore on the bottom of his foot. It was probably about the diameter of a baseball and extremely deep, and because of his diabetes it won't heal. It has been this way for 4 years, and the medicine he needs for it is too expensive, so one of the missionaries is looking at how to get some cheaper medicine from abroad. I talked about how we have to battle similar sores where I work, and then the students and I and the Romanians alternately prayed for and encouraged them. It was a hard situation to see, but sweet to be able to speak truths from my own life about situations that are hard and that seem like they will never change...but then they do! And to remind them that God has power to heal, and knows pain Himself as He sent His Son. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6hPEYPHZl-g7WtCIpuE_gWZPK2ASY8QynAfsvUgitAcjE-MIEh2PU4w4DOzZkyrJxXwHBpDSP1_I7sfrB1EASmONHI8agBlKeGx1HWfC-PihZwiccXaDst4b5E_Ojp7Iso08dalFfBbs/s1600/WP_20170315_15_47_57_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6hPEYPHZl-g7WtCIpuE_gWZPK2ASY8QynAfsvUgitAcjE-MIEh2PU4w4DOzZkyrJxXwHBpDSP1_I7sfrB1EASmONHI8agBlKeGx1HWfC-PihZwiccXaDst4b5E_Ojp7Iso08dalFfBbs/s320/WP_20170315_15_47_57_Pro.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I didn't take any pictures inside our home visit...but this was their home</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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After ministry we went to the mall, where I enjoyed a Tiramisu latte and conversation with the other chaperones, and then dinner in the food court. The ride home was filled with much conversation - very different from earlier in the day - and I enjoyed getting to know some of the Romanians in the van better. Truly, a lovely day! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW4qWlez0vj1Q2-ESpXYxcwN6hyskoMp1EUc_UIF_JbXziWv7dNGpAHQbBbkAcbPTLJ2xv5mA7Mfl9IfjCaVYAEdWaaid7hw4jGtx4N6b4PdsjsXzmPRsB1_wDu_rxBuFkxYDyIzYn8cI/s1600/WP_20170315_16_32_04_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW4qWlez0vj1Q2-ESpXYxcwN6hyskoMp1EUc_UIF_JbXziWv7dNGpAHQbBbkAcbPTLJ2xv5mA7Mfl9IfjCaVYAEdWaaid7hw4jGtx4N6b4PdsjsXzmPRsB1_wDu_rxBuFkxYDyIzYn8cI/s320/WP_20170315_16_32_04_Pro.jpg" width="179" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arriving at the mall with the 2 students <br />
and our driver and translator, Marcel</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgajZlGDSzkavaHAV_xzcZ0bQ1k1ScT5BeirhH3xiCTGR1_L6q5GeDfrdMayeOQAt9AT1r2quE7Vbd_H4yao_avUGq9Zgt3w2j3SNMv0L5ajMc5uEXehKRVAhXO9cESsSWrtzv46JGm1W0/s1600/WP_20170315_16_59_24_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgajZlGDSzkavaHAV_xzcZ0bQ1k1ScT5BeirhH3xiCTGR1_L6q5GeDfrdMayeOQAt9AT1r2quE7Vbd_H4yao_avUGq9Zgt3w2j3SNMv0L5ajMc5uEXehKRVAhXO9cESsSWrtzv46JGm1W0/s320/WP_20170315_16_59_24_Pro.jpg" width="179" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tiramisu lattes with co-chaperone Lauren</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<img height="53" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJt2d4KGtr1QJFE5pGyvjGxJU6yBJRWbaqgklxL-om2BVNxWa_rIlBMc5slY53l50885OwH45PHzECzd7gArIi6kY_YDpq13wwvFFpaTwf3Y_Ov9hSAB7rtm5t0hSuFZeb5UxZaUrimHY/s200/WP_20170314_16_01_56_Pro.jpg" style="left: 194px; opacity: 0.3; position: absolute; top: 520px;" width="96" /><img height="72" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-eHNo-OZaIts/WMhZ8xwjMII/AAAAAAAAIcg/RKnioY5WfEc/%25255BUNSET%25255D.png" style="left: 496px; opacity: 0.3; position: absolute; top: 808px;" width="96" />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6808046803068426603.post-81309637146487173842017-03-13T13:47:00.001-07:002017-03-13T13:47:26.256-07:00Homes Away from HomeI'm trying to think of a clever way to start this blog entry, but the cheerful conversations of the teens in my room are a bit distracting. Thankful, though, for sweet teens and cheerful conversations...but not feeling like the best of writers at the moment.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZRhYwpWjaXWOBX3f5JEh3naNvvI22Bw0nxjtK303bEgU28c8xKL2yf8Is6kceMf7pdM3xZB1xZ8VWvMN-PCaU_955bLMA6tX6US2d5f0WEqnNdROuW98h4jphp19iSxFyHBWj0VnVcxM/s1600/WP_20170313_14_13_16_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZRhYwpWjaXWOBX3f5JEh3naNvvI22Bw0nxjtK303bEgU28c8xKL2yf8Is6kceMf7pdM3xZB1xZ8VWvMN-PCaU_955bLMA6tX6US2d5f0WEqnNdROuW98h4jphp19iSxFyHBWj0VnVcxM/s320/WP_20170313_14_13_16_Pro.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Students on my team today</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I loved today. The morning was very laidback - breakfast and devotions with the team, a time of prayer for the ministries here, and then most of the group headed to the city of Craiova while 3 of the students stayed behind with me. We got to eat a relaxed lunch, talk with some of the people from the church, and then meet with one of the missionaries, Dorothy. Dorothy works primarily in children's ministry here, but has also taken on a second area of ministry, with the neediest of people in the nearby communities. Once a month, she brings groceries to them, and we got to be a part of that today. We helped Dorothy pick up food at the market, then we drove from village to village and saw 4 different women.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_ZwmWB7RyZnjgwqujWOmmS_GMwdNs8a4L4sJrftXbBNGHktO32M5bCXHe-p0MCCX8G0mN5zqIxfa8v5aEqpBOiUdOTEUI0yHvXL7vJ1ijRduACk0jGipes6gaY_ICs8wpfe504ZJCh44/s1600/wp_ss_20170313_0002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_ZwmWB7RyZnjgwqujWOmmS_GMwdNs8a4L4sJrftXbBNGHktO32M5bCXHe-p0MCCX8G0mN5zqIxfa8v5aEqpBOiUdOTEUI0yHvXL7vJ1ijRduACk0jGipes6gaY_ICs8wpfe504ZJCh44/s320/wp_ss_20170313_0002.jpg" width="192" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the first woman we visited</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The first was mostly blind and mostly deaf, and living alone. It was cold and wet outside, but warm and cozy in her tiny home. She talked to us, and we tried to talk to her, and we prayed for her, and it was sweet.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZuG4Ek8wwLNSWT4wPIwMKltFR6MLWN_X9fd43MiWHiTzCz60q_5EYMkL3eFHMjVAkN5OwYiFx40ESOva88cemM-uljksN5OC_x4FwHoOupuNjDwhWsQf0OS4dOTAT0OVrsTIQVzKDbXE/s1600/WP_20170313_15_04_17_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZuG4Ek8wwLNSWT4wPIwMKltFR6MLWN_X9fd43MiWHiTzCz60q_5EYMkL3eFHMjVAkN5OwYiFx40ESOva88cemM-uljksN5OC_x4FwHoOupuNjDwhWsQf0OS4dOTAT0OVrsTIQVzKDbXE/s320/WP_20170313_15_04_17_Pro.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The home of the second woman</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
The second woman was very eager for conversation. She also lives alone, though her youngest son was home briefly from working in Spain. They had no electricity until recently, and now they have a single lightbulb, which works only at night. I served as translator for the students as best I could, so that Dorothy (who is pretty perfectly bilingual) could focus more on the conversations themselves. Her son spoke too fast for me, but I could understand her and Dorothy, and it was fun. It was also so encouraging to see the sweet relationships Dorothy has built with so many in these towns, and how easily she speaks with them about their lives, their families, their neighbors, and the gospel that she faithfully brings to them. And once she got to the gospel part of the conversation, my work as translator got so much easier - these are the Romanian words that I've most rehearsed! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilXSK8uLubc6Cl5kuN_YmFqpL8DTaehziFEYAPaAu4-L8BWqNC4TOstKdCYEc-ygiD2Dqn_gMuTUc7n0kgnw1hAl8a-JakPtvJBgwiQfxPI2ts9p1km2aU7O1UQnMXBxol0p7qj_0LZpE/s1600/%255BUNSET%255D.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilXSK8uLubc6Cl5kuN_YmFqpL8DTaehziFEYAPaAu4-L8BWqNC4TOstKdCYEc-ygiD2Dqn_gMuTUc7n0kgnw1hAl8a-JakPtvJBgwiQfxPI2ts9p1km2aU7O1UQnMXBxol0p7qj_0LZpE/s320/%255BUNSET%255D.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">our team with the 3rd woman</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The third house was the most emotionally charged of all. This dear woman lives alone. Cancer has affected her lips and nose, which have been replaced with skin grafted from her arms and legs, and this affects her voice and makes her sound almost like a toy. Cancer also recently took two of her adult children, and we arrived on one of their birthdays. She cried as she told us that our being there was a reminder of her girls and that she was glad to have us there. We all cried together, and when I hugged her I didn't want to let go!<br />
<br />
I was especially looking forward to the last house - where an elderly woman lives with her son, who has a developmental disability. I love when all my passions land in one place - praying, in Romania, with a person with a disability. If we'd started making music my life would have been complete :-) Her son reminded me so much of one of our clients at TCH (JN, for any TCH people reading), and it was such a cool collision of my worlds. <br /><br />We all kept reflecting today on the passage in James that says that pure religion includes visiting widows in their affliction. Dorothy's sweet service and cheerful friendship with these women, and the way that she seeks to meet both their physical and spiritual needs as best she can, were so refreshing to witness and to be a small part of. And to top it all off, she took us out for snacks and coffee afterward. I almost managed to not spend any Romanian money (I haven't spent a single leu yet!)...but then I saw in the shop the car air fresheners that are Romanian flags...and that streak was quickly broken :)<br />
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We got back and joined our team at the church in the evening. Dinner, as usual, was delicious, and it was fun to speak with my team, and to speak with Romanian friends who are helping me with some nuances of language. I'm glad we moved from them only complimenting what I do know, to helping me learn what I don't. So thankful for these friendships.<br />
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I'm sure I have much more to say, but bed is calling once again! We are hoping for less rain tomorrow so that we can see widows whose homes are too small to invite us in. Another of these widows has 3 siblings with developmental disabilities, whom she cares for alone, so I am already looking forward to loving this sweet family...and to whatever else tomorrow holds!<br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6808046803068426603.post-18470080876095928812017-03-12T13:46:00.000-07:002017-03-12T13:46:34.128-07:00BeginningsIt's day 4 of this trip, and I just
made an important and disappointing discovery: I forgot to bring the
cord that lets me upload pictures from my camera. So the pictures in
this first entry will be mostly from my phone, or other people's photos...and I'll have to do
better at using my phone to take pictures from here on out.
<br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Anyway, enough about that. The trip
has been great so far. If you were watching on facebook, you surely
saw that our flight situation got a little bit crazy. The flight
that took us to London was 4 hours late, so we had to move our flight
FROM London to the next day. This resulted in a surprise stay at a
London hotel Thursday night, which ended up being a lot of fun and a
great place to get adjusted to the bulk of our jet lag. Students and
chaperones alike were in good spirits, and we chaperones wrapped up
that evening at a fun little London pub that made me feel like I got
a small taste – literally – of the UK, before heading back to the
airport early the next morning to fly to Bucharest. </div>
<br />
It was wonderful to arrive in Romania
to familiar faces – the pastor here and others from the church –
and to arrive in the daylight! We split up into a few vehicles and
took a long and traffic-filled drive from Bucharest to Draganesti.
Everyone in my van besides the driver and myself slept for almost the
whole way. The highlight of the drive was when we stopped at a
roadside bakery for some delicious bread.<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicLhzxQzFW6pgIrF3hs-I21PLk9P-TJcZG62ZU5KwYw3yhIg4PqkeAnLVMdYbKOH0SZ8QhITvxjsBFpzGaN-OllDQ-MWn-i-jymWiE8a7L-fN-jHYsw8qcuvkJDOtoShpBeyVlBYHTLRU/s1600/wp_ss_20170311_0001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicLhzxQzFW6pgIrF3hs-I21PLk9P-TJcZG62ZU5KwYw3yhIg4PqkeAnLVMdYbKOH0SZ8QhITvxjsBFpzGaN-OllDQ-MWn-i-jymWiE8a7L-fN-jHYsw8qcuvkJDOtoShpBeyVlBYHTLRU/s200/wp_ss_20170311_0001.jpg" width="120" /></a>We ate a delicious
meal prepared by the ladies of the church when we arrived, then
settled in at the missions house. Everything here feels so familiar,
and I'm not the only one feeling like there's no way it's already
been a year since we were last here.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Yesterday was orientation at the
church, then we split up into smaller groups for different ministry
activities. I got to return to the town of Maruntei, where I'd so
enjoyed ministry last year, with one of the students. Nicoleta, a
missionary there, picked us up, and we joined her while she did a
kids' program in the village. 14 kids from the town showed up, and
all 17 of us crowded into a small, cozy room to learn about the
wisdom that only comes from God and to work on memorizing James 1:5a.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzkhYveRUS3UEpv-9PYbe4Cm_TW0ezpVeNTsPVj2ZILhkZlCY81pCltg-EBj8yDWsqeNF9XEvizEdAnJfzzP6vtSrFK-aMeUsMWMaRhRKL476MXizuCxpginnKWe9SDr7vR-L2yv1mqjs/s1600/%255BUNSET%255D%255B5%255D.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzkhYveRUS3UEpv-9PYbe4Cm_TW0ezpVeNTsPVj2ZILhkZlCY81pCltg-EBj8yDWsqeNF9XEvizEdAnJfzzP6vtSrFK-aMeUsMWMaRhRKL476MXizuCxpginnKWe9SDr7vR-L2yv1mqjs/s320/%255BUNSET%255D%255B5%255D.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
The student with me, who speaks no Romanian, easily caught on the
end of the reference, since all the kids shouted it: “Cinci, AH!!”
It was sweet to see how Nico and her husband Tavi's persistence in
this town has paid off, and the sweet relationships that exist with
the kids there. After the lesson, the kids enjoyed some snacks of
oranges and cookies and we went to the park with them to play Rata
Rata Gasca (Duck duck goose), and enjoy the almost-pleasant weather.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
We got back to the church earlier than
we'd expected, and were asked to help in the kitchen while the women
prepared dinner for our group and for a group of pastors who were in
a meeting at the church. I am not exactly at ease in the kitchen,
especially not in someone else's, but it was a lot of fun to be a
part of what the ladies were doing and to remember all the
behind-the-scenes tasks that are tirelessly done day in and day out
to make a ministry run. Our first full day was, I think, a great
success.</div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDGaYWmB5c4i10rbI6gf9znAoKNc9sMWAWNuWaeEIHvLCwoyhXpAq3n7XbxlkGAY_AzEdlvHMN0yul7AF_HKAiZd20axE4_pBTbujXbXwbZSpHnnqlyw2S0G5KtBLuxaz3DZOXkjqfKbI/s1600/%255BUNSET%255D%255B2%255D.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDGaYWmB5c4i10rbI6gf9znAoKNc9sMWAWNuWaeEIHvLCwoyhXpAq3n7XbxlkGAY_AzEdlvHMN0yul7AF_HKAiZd20axE4_pBTbujXbXwbZSpHnnqlyw2S0G5KtBLuxaz3DZOXkjqfKbI/s320/%255BUNSET%255D%255B2%255D.png" width="320" /></a></div>
Today, we split up into several groups
again and visited 3 churches in the area. I went with Derek (our
fearless leader) and 6 of the students, to the town of Comani. A
very small congregation meets here, and we did a portion of the
service ourselves – 3 students shared testimonies, Derek preached,
and 3 of us sang songs. Tonight we joined the larger church here in Draganesti for their evening service, and it was so sweet. <br />
<br />
<img alt="" id="id_c029_4b54_4668_7581" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-R6L6yZnnSzc/WMWQ4VgD6uI/AAAAAAAAIUg/uFNDvsUe_F4/%25255BUNSET%25255D.png" style="height: auto; width: 873px;" title="" tooltip="" /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Truly, I can't believe it's only been a
year. It seems like just yesterday we were walking these streets,
eating these foods, and interacting with these people. There is much
to be thankful for! I still don't know whether long-term ministry
here is in my future, but there are answered prayers already as I get
to spend time with the people here and build relationships. <br />
<br />
Currently, we're at that time of the night where teenage girls get this strange burst of energy while their sleepy chaperone gets really excited for bedtime. :-) Off to bed with me! Thanks for reading :-)</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6808046803068426603.post-18237693954514187832017-03-04T15:15:00.000-08:002017-03-04T15:26:28.729-08:00Returning to Romania...again!On March 25th, 2016, I sat in a Starbucks in Bucharest and wrote in my journal. Among other things, I wrote:<br />
<br />
<em>I sure will miss this place. I thought about adjusting to life at home once I get back, but I didn't give much thought to the actual leaving, the pain of it....And I love this place, not in the naïve way that I think I loved it before, but in the way you love someone you've actually gotten to know...And I will go home, and will love the people and the place God has given me there, and maybe I will come back again. </em><br />
<em></em><br />
And today, after a year of loving the people and place God has given me here in Arizona, I am getting ready to go back again indeed. Last year, I was able to blog quite a bit on my trip, and had such fun doing it. This year's trip will be a bit different, and I'm not sure yet if daily blogging will be a part of it, but I figured that at least I could use this blog today to fill people in on what my plans are. I know there are many who just see little facebook snippets and realize I'm going back but know little more. So here's the plan:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg0izV3cB7ZXAtTS-W3hMZMYZYU1kzMoiZ0D0_Bn-4GJpA21gguDh7XpgmItxJyoKsji6zid-EWBXOEem9zYIkUMWd9MZheB7v0qZiMT1aVRtaPGI-2WIZeZSlkCCSpksFep49DrS8zvU/s1600/worldmap4%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg0izV3cB7ZXAtTS-W3hMZMYZYU1kzMoiZ0D0_Bn-4GJpA21gguDh7XpgmItxJyoKsji6zid-EWBXOEem9zYIkUMWd9MZheB7v0qZiMT1aVRtaPGI-2WIZeZSlkCCSpksFep49DrS8zvU/s320/worldmap4%255B1%255D.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Just like last year, I'm starting my trip) (this Wednesday) by chaperoning a group of high school students on a mission trip for a week. Their teacher, Derek, is a friend of mine from church, and I'm still blown away by the kindness of God in providing this very easy and natural way to return (again!) to the country that I love. We'll be partnering with the same local church that we partnered with last year, Biserica Speranta (Hope Church) in Draganesti-Olt. We'll do whatever they're doing, which I think will include things like ministry to the Roma (gypsy) population there, home visits in the community, and passing out New Testaments in different neighborhoods. <br />
<br />
This year, when the students leave, I'm planning to stay on with the church for an extra weekend. This will allow me a little more time to connect with the missionaries there and to partner with what they are doing in a different context than I'm able to do with the students.<br />
<br />
After the weekend, I'll travel to Timisoara. I visited (and adored) this city last year, and was able to meet up with an American missionary who has lived there for many years and works with children with disabilities. What was a quick dinner out last year will, this year, be a chance to stay with this sweet woman for a few days and work alongside her in her ministry. I may even buy a guitar when I get there and do some music therapy with the kids! <br />
<br />
The simple (and more expensive) plan after that would be to fly directly out of Timisoara to get home, but I decided to add a little extra adventure to the end of my trip. So I will hop onto a northwest-bound train that will cross into Hungary, and will stay in an Airbnb in Budapest for my last 2 nights before flying to London and onward toward home on the 25th. I've been to Budapest en route to and from Romania before, but this will be my first time spending more than 1 night there and my first time exploring on my own. Today, I met my goal of learning 10 Hungarian words...and firmly established that it is not an easy language to learn. In Romania, I can read pretty fluently, speak enough to make basic requests and polite (if brief) conversation, and understand people decently if they speak slowly. In Hungary, I haven't even learned their alphabet...so will have to rely more on the kindness and multilingualism of others in order to get around. This will be humbling!<br />
<br />
I would appreciate prayers during my trip for safety (my own and for the team), for a calm heart, and for the building of sweet relationships while I'm away. Last year became sort of a whirlwind tour of Romania. I loved it, but was a little lonely and a little exhausted by the end of it. I'm hoping this year will be a little less of a whirlwind and a little more of being a part of people's lives during my brief visit. <br />
<br />
Thanks for reading this far and for caring about my adventures! My next post will probably be written from across the Atlantic! <br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6808046803068426603.post-52084869797851794922016-04-03T17:43:00.000-07:002016-04-03T17:43:30.037-07:00One last day...one week later
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Today, I am sitting in a coffee
shop...in Tempe, Arizona. I've been home for a week now, but I hate
the idea of not documenting in the blog world my last amazing day in
Romania. So even though this is one week removed, I'm going to do my
best. :)
</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I got up early that Friday morning and
cleaned and packed, then headed downtown one last time. My plan was
to go read at my favorite Bucharest coffee shop (ok, the only one I
tried). It was still cold and a little bit rainy, but I loved how
confident I felt about getting downtown, and I was getting pretty
used to the weather. I stopped at a little pretzel stand I'd been to
once before, and got my favorite apple-filled pretzel for 1 leu
(about 25 cents, a totally cheap and delicious breakfast). Then I
walked to Origo...only to find no empty tables. So sad. So I went
for a walk around the block, hoping a table would open up by the time
I got back...but no such luck. I got my latte to-go (they still did
beautiful latte art that I hated to cover up with a lid), and made my
way back to the subway, only to realize I'd lost my subway pass and
had to buy a new one to get back to the apartment. All in all, not
the most successful morning, but I was still pretty cheerful.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I had prayed that the rain would let up
by noonish. I had to check out of my apartment by noon, and was
going to go from there to my friend Adoriana's apartment, which was a
30-minute walk or 10-minute drive away. Taxi drivers really don't
like short drives, so I was going to probably have to pay someone
extra to do it (plus taxi drivers are notoriously dishonest in this
city) so I'd prayed the rain would stop...and it did! I had a
mostly-pleasant walk (after being yelled at by a shop owner for
throwing my trash in their trash bin), and arrived safely at
Adoriana's flat. I got to meet her husband Bogdan and their son Paul,
and she fed me a delicious lunch (complete with Romanian soup! I
miss it so much!). While her husband worked (he owns a photography
business) and her son napped, I walked down the street to the mall.
I'd avoided American chains the entire trip, but I was actually
pretty happy to sit in their really nice Starbucks in their really
nice mall on a still-chilly day and read to my heart's content.
Adoriana met me a couple hours later with Paul, and we walked back
together after watching Paul explore a fun little play area for
awhile.
</div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih_KacVDslkkP-iZ-w-_TXOL1Um8dDOJ1WdGnjI6at10PJobbwZB9kVfH7Gm751vLhS2Y1u9T5i0A0CBShd1O45jv5NbM9eT2unRKPGD0_RLm9Si5TLutiBpVN9hc5z2Hb4QsG-HUML3U/s1600/DSC04783.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih_KacVDslkkP-iZ-w-_TXOL1Um8dDOJ1WdGnjI6at10PJobbwZB9kVfH7Gm751vLhS2Y1u9T5i0A0CBShd1O45jv5NbM9eT2unRKPGD0_RLm9Si5TLutiBpVN9hc5z2Hb4QsG-HUML3U/s320/DSC04783.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">with Paul and Adoriana</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
My evening in their home was truly one of the highlights of my trip. After two weeks of traveling alone, I was in
a home again, with sweet believers, enjoying fellowship and a
home-cooked meal. Belonging to the body of Christ is truly amazing –
how sweet and easy it was to have conversations with these friends,
and what a joy to see God's kindness toward me in their hospitality
and friendship. I was filled with so many emotions – it is hard to
love people and know that in just a few hours you'll be separated by
thousands of miles – and so thankful that my original plan of
hanging out at the airport for the evening was not God's plan for my
night. I felt safe and loved and overwhelmingly grateful.
</div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_2EFg4Q2Zbq5JJakzqZaL-oSMsxHEc8E9Z-imBh4892PalefBcN0q6rUSgbAsIcr53yvXpjo7YzLHqxhPOpozOt1ay99DB-Acxj1SJensAU6gxHP_PNECVOAeiIY5KwyFpM2ODkfr0v4/s1600/WP_20160325_20_37_56_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_2EFg4Q2Zbq5JJakzqZaL-oSMsxHEc8E9Z-imBh4892PalefBcN0q6rUSgbAsIcr53yvXpjo7YzLHqxhPOpozOt1ay99DB-Acxj1SJensAU6gxHP_PNECVOAeiIY5KwyFpM2ODkfr0v4/s320/WP_20160325_20_37_56_Pro.jpg" width="179" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After purposely dumping a bowl<br />
of popcorn on the carpet, Paul got <br />
to help Bogdan vacuum :)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Bogdan helped call me a cab in advance,
to come pick me up at 2:45 Saturday morning. He and Ado both got up
with me at 2:30 to say goodbye, and Bogdan walked me out to the curb
and made sure the cab driver was doing what he was supposed to do :)
I cried a bit on that cab ride – not the first or last time I've
cried about leaving Romania behind.
</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The rest is pretty much history – a
flight to Amsterdam, then to Seattle, then to Phoenix. I'm horrible
at sleeping on planes, so I think maybe I got about 2 hours of sleep
in 24 hours of traveling, but everything went smoothly and for that I
am thankful. My sweet parents met me at the airport, and since then
my full-time job has been adjusting to “normal” life back home
(oh yeah, and working at my full-time job, and my part-time job :) )
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdzF1NnW5Vuf9IP3DTwNR1L78hWoM6jKChI2-IJzlcIOnIxMREWMLMjz0kR3VEy0TV3tRVm7pKB0ASSRRIPJHHg5zA5m-T4w9GvUY7PxnbQVO5e1U05zgrz_-Qli3TeaYzUqXZ_8umMNU/s1600/WP_20160326_05_14_01_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdzF1NnW5Vuf9IP3DTwNR1L78hWoM6jKChI2-IJzlcIOnIxMREWMLMjz0kR3VEy0TV3tRVm7pKB0ASSRRIPJHHg5zA5m-T4w9GvUY7PxnbQVO5e1U05zgrz_-Qli3TeaYzUqXZ_8umMNU/s320/WP_20160326_05_14_01_Pro.jpg" width="179" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My heart wasn't happy at the<br />
airport, but my finally-free<br />
feet sure were! Flip-flops!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I have so much more to say. I feel
like much of this blog has just been a chronological outline of my trip's events and not much about the many things going on in my heart. Here
is one thing I wrote – wasn't sure if I'd publish it here but looks like I will. I wrote this while sitting in the Starbucks that final
afternoon. I'd prayed earlier that week that I would see blue sky
before leaving Bucharest. It felt like a silly thing to pray, but I
just wanted to see with my own eyes that the city wasn't always
gloomy, and I had seen God answer prayer after prayer all month and
felt confident that He would do so again, just because He is kind.
And answer it he did! When I saw blue sky out of the Starbucks
window, I wrote this:
</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
(side note, I use the word “pocaitii”
toward the end. This is the Romanian word for “repenters” and
is a label for evangelical believers there that is meant to be derogatory but that they've adopted as their own. I could write an entire additional
entry about this word alone...maybe another day)
</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<em>“Keep tearing up a bit, I sure will
miss this place. I thought about adjusting to life at home once I
get back, but I didn't give much thought to the actual leaving, the
pain of it. And there's a beautiful patch of blue sky out this
Starbucks window that reminds me of a God who answers prayers, even
seemingly silly ones, and the really big ones, and who plants hopes
and dreams in our hearts and has us wait and then sometimes fulfills
them. And sweet Ado and Bogdan are at home in their humble flat and
hardly know me but are welcoming me so very kindly, and this too is
evidence of a kind God who dwells within them. It is strange to feel
simultaneously sad and weary and peaceful and joyful and excited and
nervous. And I love this place, not in the naïve way that I think I
loved it before, but in the way you love someone you've actually
gotten to know. This is not an easy place, and I don't understand it
still, not completely. But there are so many dear ones here, and
they are dearer to my Lord than they are to me, and He has watched
this country suffer and fight and lose and win and grown and change,
and I only see in snapshots, both literally and figuratively. And I
will go home, and will love the people and the place God has given me
there, and maybe I will come back again. And there will be a day
when God brings all His ransomed ones, pocaitii all of us, home for
good. And there will be none of the strangeness left, and all of the
joys.”</em></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6808046803068426603.post-13878119936717537722016-03-24T10:47:00.001-07:002016-03-24T10:47:49.441-07:00Palaces, Parks, and Puddles This is probably my last blog of the trip! So crazy! Tonight is my last night in my Bucharest apartment, and tomorrow night I will crash for a few hours at my friend Adoriana's apartment before heading to the airport really early (like 3am or so) to catch my first of 3 flights. Pressure's on to sleep well tonight :)<br />
<br />
Today was another fun day of exploring this city. And now of course I want to come back in nicer weather and explore it properly! But I feel like I did a great job, all things considered.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZqk7iw2lyTfiFHJKSu524z0dyP-npY0vkwbxkPfCiQDw9H9h3m-II2jvp95q3AnpIhFXpMb4h_gZZirO5iHQ5noKs6O4yS2LYYgh2xG4Uk5DwzcyA82KpIR6MfC1OOyF4qEfvpAA0cRg/s1600/DSC04771.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZqk7iw2lyTfiFHJKSu524z0dyP-npY0vkwbxkPfCiQDw9H9h3m-II2jvp95q3AnpIhFXpMb4h_gZZirO5iHQ5noKs6O4yS2LYYgh2xG4Uk5DwzcyA82KpIR6MfC1OOyF4qEfvpAA0cRg/s320/DSC04771.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">one of the streets in old town. I'd have taken<br />
better and more pictures if it wasn't raining!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I started my day at Origo again, and the same baristas were there and were just as friendly and the coffee was just as fantastic. I had set a different exploration route today, and my first priority was to explore Old Town just a little more. By the end of the day, I actually explored it several different times! Old Town is a relatively small area of town that was not demolished to make way for Communist projects, so it retained some of it's quaint old European character. I like it a lot.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdIF7Y_sEAy8TqUFLgFNdySYpZmF6sEQSd5a54uRcRC4dH-hNfJz30CD_YuBLqlCupJLEL_jqjkDKWpeXY9HoOodw66yOsvcw7UvCWI8odGnBKHDOLroy4q5VL7PMNR-ZU1kDxYO6pJEU/s1600/DSC04774.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdIF7Y_sEAy8TqUFLgFNdySYpZmF6sEQSd5a54uRcRC4dH-hNfJz30CD_YuBLqlCupJLEL_jqjkDKWpeXY9HoOodw66yOsvcw7UvCWI8odGnBKHDOLroy4q5VL7PMNR-ZU1kDxYO6pJEU/s320/DSC04774.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I think our guide said yesterday that this is the oldest church <br />
in Bucharest</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
From there, I tried to find the Jewish history museum. Tried, with no success. I found the synagogue that at one time hosted the museum, and found a sign in Romanian that seems to talk about that, but the museum itself was not to be found. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizJ_RohPOGlPRsMUEn_aOHvtKCtRGZrW3jVziDOfnyQ1fJlN7A6G7zTeaVSNEp4RhBPrzdZRyAIz4WyQ4FiZ35JmGzDQNMR_EH4chVvrkqtB6SdfVOpJxMIrnff02ng51OYZWiWjcLpgI/s1600/WP_20160324_10_45_56_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizJ_RohPOGlPRsMUEn_aOHvtKCtRGZrW3jVziDOfnyQ1fJlN7A6G7zTeaVSNEp4RhBPrzdZRyAIz4WyQ4FiZ35JmGzDQNMR_EH4chVvrkqtB6SdfVOpJxMIrnff02ng51OYZWiWjcLpgI/s320/WP_20160324_10_45_56_Pro.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">window of the synagogue</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I was satisfied with my effort, though, and headed toward my next stop: the "House of the People" or "Palace of the Parliament." This monstrous building (2nd largest administrative building in the world, heaviest building in the world, all sorts of other superlatives...) was masterminded by communist dictator Ceausescu, and cost insane amounts of money and resources and people to build, while the people of Romania themselves had not enough food, heat, or electricity. I could tell you much more but you should come and tour it yourselves (or listen to me blab on about it in person sometime :) ) I was happy to catch a paid tour, but decided not to pay to take pictures. This was actually kind of a relief - no pressure to take pictures so I just got to take it all in. It really is a breathtaking place on the inside (but I guess you have to take my word for it) , and one of the reasons it is called the People's House is that everything inside was Romanian-made (except for some mahogany panels in one room that were a gift to Ceausescu from a foreign leader). Pretty impressive.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKSG9yfH6wliZ8GANSbMXjcBc46mXAeI-kFNJ7X2a46vcyH-bwkU9NS2xcwsiCN_qtMDpxjOb966-5hWC3ck-3-OdWz934DuQVq97nDbxyyK8qADeEbmc8HoTIMrr2vr71lhnd8XbPRJQ/s1600/WP_20160324_11_12_04_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKSG9yfH6wliZ8GANSbMXjcBc46mXAeI-kFNJ7X2a46vcyH-bwkU9NS2xcwsiCN_qtMDpxjOb966-5hWC3ck-3-OdWz934DuQVq97nDbxyyK8qADeEbmc8HoTIMrr2vr71lhnd8XbPRJQ/s320/WP_20160324_11_12_04_Pro.jpg" width="179" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">beautiful mosaic along Bulevardul<br />
Unirii, on the way to the Palace</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBnBF92vmK6RT9NW6ymLh8bGl5h_MX0-GRvg5Qp6aObGOYcSlzNICDuIJAliZ74iQlGM6DtWOmLUpdJCyl9LQX1P5lmymdWiJrMl1YAtNtr91yA50F1tNHawwA2yb_IcsPdAiVe2f3DiU/s1600/WP_20160324_11_25_01_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBnBF92vmK6RT9NW6ymLh8bGl5h_MX0-GRvg5Qp6aObGOYcSlzNICDuIJAliZ74iQlGM6DtWOmLUpdJCyl9LQX1P5lmymdWiJrMl1YAtNtr91yA50F1tNHawwA2yb_IcsPdAiVe2f3DiU/s320/WP_20160324_11_25_01_Pro.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">view from the front</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivqusRa04cpZRlt8gVQM9Dg9SzHyUDAbRtiq7wmpgkMSIyu2hc2N7GeQrhbQizIQrBJeMJt368LL0iNSuh_FUaIcNcWPOvVYvALFIqwIQLF42R8V8WJG51Hfva5iVYwwYFGygkJ7whKsk/s1600/WP_20160324_11_34_29_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivqusRa04cpZRlt8gVQM9Dg9SzHyUDAbRtiq7wmpgkMSIyu2hc2N7GeQrhbQizIQrBJeMJt368LL0iNSuh_FUaIcNcWPOvVYvALFIqwIQLF42R8V8WJG51Hfva5iVYwwYFGygkJ7whKsk/s320/WP_20160324_11_34_29_Pro.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">view from the east side, taken from nearby Izvor Park</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEillt0hw9Ih5Lq1cR-7Oz150lLyDGP0Ew4TU4qfPrvlBbQtsCAWxtPCUY0txl3hTwK2TpLb67RdCXe7Sb6ghVH_DLEEn-fz_SZlraBr-1OD12UH8RqSz5_olxafn0iVouFyzI6dhwxJx0g/s1600/WP_20160324_11_31_53_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEillt0hw9Ih5Lq1cR-7Oz150lLyDGP0Ew4TU4qfPrvlBbQtsCAWxtPCUY0txl3hTwK2TpLb67RdCXe7Sb6ghVH_DLEEn-fz_SZlraBr-1OD12UH8RqSz5_olxafn0iVouFyzI6dhwxJx0g/s320/WP_20160324_11_31_53_Pro.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ok, so this isn't the Palace. This is just a super cool playground,<br />
also at Izvor Park.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlP1gGh6wwBl2B0R6yUoTACjspCh47157mTXJgFya-Fs_2vHKzl2HC6UYQl8DK7QGqojFDMGBDYtfZ3YMqCe1brjYus1wN25DDQm4G0R51F0wWicdlXlotjiL1GEQVI7x3yIi5ib5FhHI/s1600/WP_20160324_13_19_29_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlP1gGh6wwBl2B0R6yUoTACjspCh47157mTXJgFya-Fs_2vHKzl2HC6UYQl8DK7QGqojFDMGBDYtfZ3YMqCe1brjYus1wN25DDQm4G0R51F0wWicdlXlotjiL1GEQVI7x3yIi5ib5FhHI/s320/WP_20160324_13_19_29_Pro.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the only picture I took in the palace. I had to exchange my passport <br />
for this badge, so it was pretty important (Don't worry, we traded<br />
back at the end :) )</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhS9o5sMrHZBKjecbGbMuTKO89DGWu6c7D_E4AgiDQ6O5U0GAyRYQlTJj-DNY7eg9fuPY1TkCw9MzPzFfmCK0qRygHoqXPrUREqP32b3wSnfhx5Fw1Mhd95vMXM4OAlO_ny73Thc2kUFI/s1600/WP_20160324_14_05_38_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhS9o5sMrHZBKjecbGbMuTKO89DGWu6c7D_E4AgiDQ6O5U0GAyRYQlTJj-DNY7eg9fuPY1TkCw9MzPzFfmCK0qRygHoqXPrUREqP32b3wSnfhx5Fw1Mhd95vMXM4OAlO_ny73Thc2kUFI/s320/WP_20160324_14_05_38_Pro.jpg" width="179" /></a>After that I headed north a bit to catch part of Parcul Herastrau and Romania's own Arc de Triumf - smaller than the one in Paris, but still impressive (Sorry, Vasi, I didn't make it to Parcul Carol, I decided I wanted to see the Arc more than the mausoleum :) ). Being that it was still cold and rainy, I was one of the only people in this park too, but I do remember being in this park in early May in 2007 and it being quite lovely. Today it was a bit dreary but still pretty.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvztkNs9GIvB23h2oSOWkF-4Ids94O3jmbJTeJ9dFSFf9ddXW_MC81lbwa0XSIQxT_p1MRq9IFQ537GWxthdC0QNIMROlGFj1T3H0Z_lyEJCDtU3c4NtfG6ZQj5pi3Zy7kTTeVD6clpHk/s1600/WP_20160324_14_07_02_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvztkNs9GIvB23h2oSOWkF-4Ids94O3jmbJTeJ9dFSFf9ddXW_MC81lbwa0XSIQxT_p1MRq9IFQ537GWxthdC0QNIMROlGFj1T3H0Z_lyEJCDtU3c4NtfG6ZQj5pi3Zy7kTTeVD6clpHk/s320/WP_20160324_14_07_02_Pro.jpg" width="179" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdq_o1xVsauMSEUaOGgQSLQ9mYCyHKpunLroPycwXH6PBHzj9fKV21as7wiX8BD2qLiRiJN4PlL0yhsq39zZAteovVd1_TgjZFcFkoqgdcof8Bj5edbsjgzvEulVC8GE9dk23ZON2T8Uo/s1600/WP_20160324_14_15_41_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdq_o1xVsauMSEUaOGgQSLQ9mYCyHKpunLroPycwXH6PBHzj9fKV21as7wiX8BD2qLiRiJN4PlL0yhsq39zZAteovVd1_TgjZFcFkoqgdcof8Bj5edbsjgzvEulVC8GE9dk23ZON2T8Uo/s320/WP_20160324_14_15_41_Pro.jpg" width="179" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib85KnE2UPySaN2iNLw3W2ede2SoUMcFtsS5q2mvMKa956yB8I5aOfdU6rEHFk1uFT_rFbccOTVKHd5it9rH7YKH5vilDcYeCvCER7Q3jqokbcWtuA22ncMd0gYg5MLl5RnZC5vL-JmV4/s1600/WP_20160324_15_16_24_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib85KnE2UPySaN2iNLw3W2ede2SoUMcFtsS5q2mvMKa956yB8I5aOfdU6rEHFk1uFT_rFbccOTVKHd5it9rH7YKH5vilDcYeCvCER7Q3jqokbcWtuA22ncMd0gYg5MLl5RnZC5vL-JmV4/s320/WP_20160324_15_16_24_Pro.jpg" width="179" /></a>I found a fun place to eat a late lunch/early dinner, back in old town at a place called "La Mama." I chose it because of the soup menu - I seriously love Romanian soup! This time I had a sour soup with chicken and garlic - so good! It came with bread (oh yeah, I love Romanian bread too!) and I ordered fries to go with it and a mint lemonade that was amazing and served in a fancy mini-pitcher with a straw. I will also miss Romanian lemonade :) I wandered around a bit after eating, but puddle-jumping was getting a little old and my feet were getting a little tired, and it was going to be dark soon anyway. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKkn7fRhpjJg82oYnIHiG7RUirTGfT5nxQiC4i8fd1Ta1fqARpToQpq1MnQ55hESJgTqq0CjnYX14h6p1gdxqu_8g9-stnhC2qyKGYSnQfKyCozniEPstL4Q5Y86Bfxk8Jk-mdtzdaDE0/s1600/WP_20160324_16_32_33_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKkn7fRhpjJg82oYnIHiG7RUirTGfT5nxQiC4i8fd1Ta1fqARpToQpq1MnQ55hESJgTqq0CjnYX14h6p1gdxqu_8g9-stnhC2qyKGYSnQfKyCozniEPstL4Q5Y86Bfxk8Jk-mdtzdaDE0/s320/WP_20160324_16_32_33_Pro.jpg" width="179" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I actually went out of my way today, <br />
in the rain, to take a picture of this<br />
sign I saw yesterday. Instead of a<br />
sign saying to keep off the grass,<br />
this happy sign says being <br />
on the grass is allowed!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Another successful subway ride back, and here I am. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKkn7fRhpjJg82oYnIHiG7RUirTGfT5nxQiC4i8fd1Ta1fqARpToQpq1MnQ55hESJgTqq0CjnYX14h6p1gdxqu_8g9-stnhC2qyKGYSnQfKyCozniEPstL4Q5Y86Bfxk8Jk-mdtzdaDE0/s1600/WP_20160324_16_32_33_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"></a>I'm in a funky mood right now - excited to be home and to see family and friends and clients and live in a world where I'm not a cultural outsider, nervous about all the travel that needs to happen between now and then, and sad to leave this amazing place. Every time I leave Romania, I am so aware that there is a chance I won't return, and it breaks my heart each time. This time is no exception. But my faithful God is in control, and He is as good in Tempe as He is here, and He is faithful to His people here at the exact same time He is faithful to His people in Arizona. He's pretty amazing. This trip has been amazing. Thanks for reading!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6808046803068426603.post-65117009970513166992016-03-23T11:35:00.000-07:002016-03-23T11:35:27.405-07:00Bucharest, rain or shine<div style="text-align: center;">
I'm currently cuddled up in a blanket in my cozy apartment, thawing out from a cold but wonderful day.</div>
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I rode the subway into central Bucharest with my friend Adoriana this morning. As soon as we were underground, I got excited. I remembered that I really enjoy subways, was glad to have her with me to navigate the first ride, and everything was clean and easy to understand. We got into town, she headed to an appointment, and I headed to Origo coffee shop, which I'd discovered online months ago and was so excited to try.</div>
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Origo was everything I hoped for and more. The baristas were really friendly, seemed to really know their coffee, and I had a hot latte that was fantastic. As I got out my Bible and journal, I couldn't help but think about how not so long ago, reading a Bible in public in this city could have been grounds for imprisonment or worse. A sobering thought that made me extra thankful as I read God's word!</div>
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From Origo, I wandered toward a nearby park. On the way, I stopped at a bookstore (I've finished most of the books I brought on this trip), and bought 4 new books! Then I had to get out before I picked out any more - books are, after all, a bit of a heavy item to add to my already heavy belongings for the long trip home. But a coffee shop and a cozy bookstore in one morning made for a really happy Krista!</div>
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I made it to the park - Parcul Cismigiu - and it was lovely, kind of like a mini Central park with ponds and hills and cool trees and pretty flowers. It had stopped raining for a little bit, and even though it was still cold and wet, I had so much fun exploring and taking way too many pictures. I wandered around the park for a long time. (I think I gave the security guards something to do, since the park was otherwise mostly empty. They kept watching me, probably because I made a ridiculously good target - a single American girl with her camera in a mostly-empty city park). </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCEVy-ar_P1hgmevWld76DAdpWMlO36kipLqjxcK_wLDjPDll-c_3Laa_ob0PyMo8dmA5kBDlrfwq5j02Myqh4foq445sJWom8zfHkfeVRjuhuPgspbe77fTtU1qnD9N5Nvue-MP0xgy4/s1600/WP_20160323_13_20_23_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCEVy-ar_P1hgmevWld76DAdpWMlO36kipLqjxcK_wLDjPDll-c_3Laa_ob0PyMo8dmA5kBDlrfwq5j02Myqh4foq445sJWom8zfHkfeVRjuhuPgspbe77fTtU1qnD9N5Nvue-MP0xgy4/s320/WP_20160323_13_20_23_Pro.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">my fancy lunch</td></tr>
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From there, I literally just wandered. I walked in directions I thought would be interesting, casually watched for somewhere to eat, and ended up just getting colder and colder as it started to rain again. I found a little restaurant, and ordered a chef's special - chicken rolls with prosciutto and asparagus and gorgonzola and sour cream. I was proud of myself for eating something interesting :-) Then I followed Adoriana's tip to another bookstore. This one was 5 stories tall, right in the heart of old town Bucharest, and so fantastic. I might go back tomorrow.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRdegMu519cjHDZrw6iSbveVk6tntHZOYWG6VT_IxH6PCkPWQ4XUjJpdTXXWnCmaD28wMRrX721-nNx69W6OP4vPreLbChYkAfkbpIRudJ-hNfFNCBSnvTY_cO7eVfqMxGccp2hsCPInQ/s1600/WP_20160323_14_06_11_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRdegMu519cjHDZrw6iSbveVk6tntHZOYWG6VT_IxH6PCkPWQ4XUjJpdTXXWnCmaD28wMRrX721-nNx69W6OP4vPreLbChYkAfkbpIRudJ-hNfFNCBSnvTY_cO7eVfqMxGccp2hsCPInQ/s320/WP_20160323_14_06_11_Pro.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the beautiful bookstore</td></tr>
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From there, I headed to Piata Unirii for another free guided walking tour like I did in Brasov. I wasn't sure anyone else would show - the weather was only getting worse, it was probably about 45 degrees and raining pretty steadily. But there were like 40 of us! Our guide, Stefan, was great, and tried to find us sheltered spaces to explain things: "See that church on the right? Great, we are going to talk about it when we get out of the rain." It really is a fascinating city - I'm falling in love with it! It's not my first time exploring it, but I am way less overwhelmed by it than I was in 2007 (even though I had friends showing me around in 2007!) And although the effects of communism on the city are horribly sad, it does make for some interesting contrasts: wide boulevards surrounded by plain white buildings, then just a block away old cobblestone streets full of character and history. Stefan did a good job of making the tour mostly chronological, starting with the old city and ending with some of the communist landmarks and post-communist developments. The rain did not let up (there was water flowing down many of the streets by the end of our tour), and I was super excited to get warm and dry again, but I'm still so glad I did the tour. And now I know what I want to see more of tomorrow if I can. And to round out this pretty-much-perfect day, I took the subway home, easily navigating a couple different lines and figuring out my way back to the apartment without once doing the obvious-tourist-looking-at-a-map routine. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgreM5MAn1MNspl62zV-OFC9e13-XUxfI5VTpj0D0D7DO4EM6f0YiBzlWHjYrio-7FWg2HrgoAbS-HkitmtRPpGKQ5pSck7mH-AvEpqBOTJF_7ixVED1b3TOhunCJcWBqPcMCnl_t3V1dY/s1600/DSC04721.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgreM5MAn1MNspl62zV-OFC9e13-XUxfI5VTpj0D0D7DO4EM6f0YiBzlWHjYrio-7FWg2HrgoAbS-HkitmtRPpGKQ5pSck7mH-AvEpqBOTJF_7ixVED1b3TOhunCJcWBqPcMCnl_t3V1dY/s320/DSC04721.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I took lots of random building pics, I'll spare you<br />
from most of them</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj59Y640KcW1Uq7N55CxJWRDE_fTEoKdPBQ06TmnqVX0zgpieKLFTkWEEdhN_3suTH4GuofBFeFGPzTH3NOW2MFEp-8o3SbFjhSL3KG9VaH3thC0h0hF_iD88vCV8zldGmMSNoyUYGkMBc/s1600/DSC04755.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj59Y640KcW1Uq7N55CxJWRDE_fTEoKdPBQ06TmnqVX0zgpieKLFTkWEEdhN_3suTH4GuofBFeFGPzTH3NOW2MFEp-8o3SbFjhSL3KG9VaH3thC0h0hF_iD88vCV8zldGmMSNoyUYGkMBc/s320/DSC04755.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">part of our tour group. Stefan has the red umbrella</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwBKkIl1McECJu8WHA9Y4PRDJjIBzx2zhyphenhyphenFMA8UT2GyUbZbsYrqqy0OxUZ06ed3CfAjKDqQxrTAnQPHNvVa4tcmtrotXPl6aM9YvZeNnXRoiFOY2cxwUp4JgDnbJ-9x_kRRqPx-VDo9IA/s1600/DSC04753.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="70" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwBKkIl1McECJu8WHA9Y4PRDJjIBzx2zhyphenhyphenFMA8UT2GyUbZbsYrqqy0OxUZ06ed3CfAjKDqQxrTAnQPHNvVa4tcmtrotXPl6aM9YvZeNnXRoiFOY2cxwUp4JgDnbJ-9x_kRRqPx-VDo9IA/s320/DSC04753.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">a rainy-day view of part of Piata Unirii, and the boulevard that<br />
communist dictator Ceaucescu had built so that it would be one meter <br />
wider than the previous widest street in Europe</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRNDP0w1v87TFXxciB2W9SzSZcmWeqP57fid4PdHjmbcqWEn7savXcZo8OdBdaARF6J2G50-g_0vsJItKZyVK3kjAK4bnwEbntwdnN3hzBMLZbOvRjd9jQBur0bdeGSW8iRWftwBYuIBg/s1600/DSC04756.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRNDP0w1v87TFXxciB2W9SzSZcmWeqP57fid4PdHjmbcqWEn7savXcZo8OdBdaARF6J2G50-g_0vsJItKZyVK3kjAK4bnwEbntwdnN3hzBMLZbOvRjd9jQBur0bdeGSW8iRWftwBYuIBg/s320/DSC04756.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A fascinating little monastery that also houses artifacts<br />
from local churches destroyed during communism</td></tr>
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Tomorrow I am going easy on myself - I will do whatever the weather permits :) I definitely want to explore some more, but also love the idea of staying warm. And now I have some wonderful books to read, so staying cozy sounds even more appealing!</div>
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Thanks for reading!</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6808046803068426603.post-29153977809681046882016-03-22T12:15:00.000-07:002016-03-22T12:15:18.533-07:00Constanta to BucharestYes, second blog in one day, technically. But I'll try to keep it relatively brief :)<br />
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Today turned out quite nicely. My host's niece came to pick up the keys from me, and she called a cab, so I didn't have to track one down. He got me safely to the station, and it was my most stress-free train ride yet! The set up inside of this train was perfect, and I could actually keep my suitcase next to me instead of hoisting it up somewhere. I shared my little area with two girls who were giggling about things on their phones most of the way there, but there were also three extra seats, and we could all spread out a bit. I had my feet up part of the way, took a nap, read about Bucharest...it was really relaxing! There was also a really nice window you could stand at, and I woke from my nap just in time to snap a couple more shots of the Danube as we crossed back over it.<br />
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Arriving in Bucharest wasn't as nice. It was cold and rainy, and I had to wait in the train station a bit since there wouldn't be anyone at the apartment until 4. I finally went to catch a cab, but the driver said the address wasn't coming up as valid in his GPS. We headed to something close to the address while I contacted my host. My host ended up calling the driver himself to give him directions. When we got here, I was so excited to have found the right building (M22 instead of M20) that I didn't realize I'd walked into the wrong address number (5 instead of 3). It took a bit to get things sorted (at one point I was on the 2nd floor of the building next door while the host's friend was waiting outside the other building) but I finally arrived and got settled in.<br />
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The biggest blessing in this city is that I have a friend here! I met Adoriana in 2007, when my friends and I joined up with her team from Alege Viata (a Romanian chapter of Campus Crusade/Cru). As soon as I got here, she got in touch with me, and we met up. She even brought me beautiful flowers for my home-away-from-home. We walked to a nearby mall, ate dinner and caught up. She is taking very good care of me here, and it makes the city much less scary! It was so sweet to see her again after 9 years. It was also a sweet blessing to not eat alone for once :) I will plan to ride the subway with her into central Bucharest tomorrow morning, so that she can go to an appointment and I can go to a coffee shop, then we may tour the People's Palace tomorrow afternoon. <br />
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Not many pictures at all today - I didn't even take one of Adoriana! - but here are a few :) Goodnight!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKkrlXFdapkCwDpZh72quCcSRngudFDwZgDch34DUdQiPpkqavkP9QPO2QMmYx-JlvzqiOXI-WqYooE1ISG9OyipCa0cyiLVVwtPNCb_jgQ-RdhqoQKUDVbvmMkZTkWjWirFGTRQVYiXw/s1600/DSC04714.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKkrlXFdapkCwDpZh72quCcSRngudFDwZgDch34DUdQiPpkqavkP9QPO2QMmYx-JlvzqiOXI-WqYooE1ISG9OyipCa0cyiLVVwtPNCb_jgQ-RdhqoQKUDVbvmMkZTkWjWirFGTRQVYiXw/s320/DSC04714.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">my beautiful living room in Constanta</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixCQNq3kma0Nvoo_3v1-UAKNXvLZbImf0NRbrKymmKYiiUgB4iwzN7CAQFZ8xDPQH2xCNV2_HVZjFG8Dl30kzlfI_uy-Ad40FutrABjMDaAZ-KwUgnsevSKSYHvDVn65x7iexbXJhh_QY/s1600/WP_20160322_13_35_33_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixCQNq3kma0Nvoo_3v1-UAKNXvLZbImf0NRbrKymmKYiiUgB4iwzN7CAQFZ8xDPQH2xCNV2_HVZjFG8Dl30kzlfI_uy-Ad40FutrABjMDaAZ-KwUgnsevSKSYHvDVn65x7iexbXJhh_QY/s320/WP_20160322_13_35_33_Pro.jpg" width="179" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">busy day for boats on the Danube</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4oq02N0054X8aiJEucauFyzXjPjx-anfdnkDDB_joIAa4tUjKjjO6UY1RavhmQrdzOGWal2OmigzlRhp5SVLrqP0DWQSDoXdZ3bAf14A8gFPFsNk5oo4DofzHe3BSpf_Scs8v7T2c-oo/s1600/WP_20160322_16_10_29_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4oq02N0054X8aiJEucauFyzXjPjx-anfdnkDDB_joIAa4tUjKjjO6UY1RavhmQrdzOGWal2OmigzlRhp5SVLrqP0DWQSDoXdZ3bAf14A8gFPFsNk5oo4DofzHe3BSpf_Scs8v7T2c-oo/s320/WP_20160322_16_10_29_Pro.jpg" width="179" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">glad to finally make it to my apartment<br />
in Bucharest!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHkKtSf8oniwej3J1HHCiwBvNAnGxkUD20Ua_wjEmqg5BfF5e8NDQ_ckyOn723JxX5gIqj1aSlH5utJf642d3S-hgBZVGYpEPm27IcSQX1BFu6sinUYFD1_lTfI5KB-0LyjlZd3v_zjVk/s1600/WP_20160322_16_23_19_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHkKtSf8oniwej3J1HHCiwBvNAnGxkUD20Ua_wjEmqg5BfF5e8NDQ_ckyOn723JxX5gIqj1aSlH5utJf642d3S-hgBZVGYpEPm27IcSQX1BFu6sinUYFD1_lTfI5KB-0LyjlZd3v_zjVk/s320/WP_20160322_16_23_19_Pro.jpg" width="179" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In the listing for this apartment, there was beautiful green <br />
foliage outside the window. I was preparing myself for that <br />
not to be the case, since it's still early spring, but look - green!</td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0