Brasov to (Bucharest to) Constanta

Currently, it's a bitterly cold night outside.  I'm enjoying a lollipop and watching The Incredibles on tv, in Romanian.  Pretty glamorous, right?

my cozy room in Brasov

It's been a surprisingly good day.  I was dreading it a bit - leaving Brasov when I love it so, and having to take 2 taxis and 2 trains all in one day.  But everything went so smoothly!  I stopped at a fun little streetside bakery that I'd gotten lunch from yesterday, and picked up breakfast before even catching my cab.  I knew not only where to catch the cab but how to check for a legitimate one this time, and by God's grace there was an honest cab driver waiting right where I wanted him to be.  I got to the station in plenty of time, and the first train ride (from Brasov to Bucharest) was completely beautiful.  I even had my little area to myself for awhile on the train, so I felt free to take pictures without being embarrassed.

through-the-train-window pics never quite
capture the beauty. 

no other passengers in my little pod yet :)

I was nervous about Bucharest - it's a really big city and less safe than other Romanian cities, and I wasn't super excited about spending 2 hours in the train station.  But this, too, went well.  A coffee shop greeted me immediately upon my arrival, and I was able to read there until it was time to catch the next train.  This also went well.  The train was more crowded, but the 3 other ladies in my area were sweet.  They spoke Romanian to each other, and I just smiled and listened, and it was fun to hear this sweet little old Romanian lady complaining about kids these days and their tablets that they play with all day long.  Not just a problem in the US, I suppose :-) We crossed what I thought was the Danube, and I took pictures, and then we crossed the actual Danube, and I took some more pictures.  Also, it snowed during both of my train rides!  I've never been in Romania while it's snowing, so that was another fun first.

what I thought was the Danube

the actual Danube

entering Constanta county

My arrival in Constanta was the first arrival in a new city in which I didn't have to stop and regroup before leaving the train/bus station.  I followed the crowds to the taxi stand, got another taxi, and my Airbnb host was waiting for me at the curb when I arrived!  I was inside the apartment less than 15 minutes after getting off the train!

spooky empty square

After my host left, I tried to go find dinner.  Let me tell you, this city had me a little spooked.  I walked toward what is supposed to be one of the main squares, and I'm telling you, it could have been a scene from some sort of apocalyptic movie.  There are these big, old buildings, that are mostly really grey, and the square was empty apart from maybe 5 other people, and it was snowing (which was probably part of why nobody was out and about).  I turned around, and on my way back to the apartment I found some live people and some cute restaurants, but by that time I decided I didn't have time for a sit-down dinner before dark, and I was a little nervous to be out after dark here, at least while everything seemed so empty.  So I stuck my tongue out, caught a couple snowflakes for good measure, and came back to the apartment.  Which leads us to where I am now.  I ate some crackers for dinner, and am having a lollipop for dessert (earned from yesterday's tour guide for answering some Romanian trivia questions), and now The Incredibles is ending so we'll see what else my evening holds :)

This apartment is amazing - every window faces the sea, and I have two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen, and a living room.  I'm here for 3 nights, which is the longest I've stayed anywhere since Draganesti at the beginning of my trip.  I have plenty of things I'd like to see, but I also may spend some time just sitting in a comfy arm chair and gazing at the Black Sea while I read a good book or something (especially if the weather stays this way!).  It will be good to rest before Bucharest!

the view from my living room window!

That's all for tonight!

Beautiful Brasov

Today was quite lovely.  I didn't have to ride a train or take a bus, the weather was just about perfect, and I had the whole day just to explore.  Turns out I took over 100 pictures, so I'll have to be quite selective in what I share here :)

I started my day in a coffee shop.  In reading reviews ahead of  time, one of the "minuses" listed for this shop was that you had to order at the bar.  But this was a plus for me as it felt so much more natural, and I had a sweet time praying and reading from Hebrews 13 and reflecting while I drank a delicious beverage. 

pretty little canal and old city wall

Next, I just went wandering to find interesting things.  Since I'd be going on a tour in the afternoon, I tried to find things that wouldn't be featured on the tour.  My apartment is so well-situated (and only up one flight of stairs instead of many!) that I could easily come and go from it throughout the day to use the restroom, grab a snack, etc.   I spent a long time exploring some of the old walls of the city, which were fascinating and bordered by beautiful landscapes, and I checked out some other sights too.  After lunch (which was a delicious meat-and-cheese-filled pretzel thing), I went to Biserica Neagra (Black Church).  I knew it would be featured in my afternoon tour but noticed that it would be closed to the public by that time, so I paid a few lei to go inside.  I am so glad I did!  It was gorgeous, and I learned so much.  It was originally a Catholic church but became a Lutheran church after the reformation.  A man named Johannes Honterus met Martin Luther, and came back and convinced the Brasov city council to adopt reformation theology.  He was also hugely influential in developing the city in other ways.  Anyway, I loved every second I spent in that beautiful space, and because pictures inside were forbidden, you should probably look it up online. :-)


old wall and tower in the foreground, Black
Church in the background



there was a very appealing staircase leading up
to this sign that said access is strictly forbidden...

...so I took a picture there and didn't go TOO much further.

the beautiful hillside outside the walls
 

This street led directly from all those amazing sights...
to the street where I'm staying!



a memorial to those gunned down in December '89,
with their gravestones behind

my ticket into the church, with one picture that gives you a glimpse
of it's beauty...and the website to see more :)

After Biserica Neagra, I tried out the local history museum.  This was...a bit odd.  I paid my fee and was taken back outside to a little door that led down to a basement where the archaeology exhibit was located.  The museum worker quietly waited while I, apparently the only guest at the moment, explored this exhibit.  There were tons of things to see, but some weren't labeled at all, others only in Romanian, and others in English.  Very sporadic.  When I was finished down there, the museum lady led me back to the main level, where I followed some little signs to navigate the rest of the museum, which apparently had several levels. There was  actually too much to take in, and the directional signs were a little confusing, and the labeling of the exhibits was still sporadic, and the museum kind of kept going and didn't make a lot of sense.  I started to wonder how I would ever get out, and suddenly the same lady from the beginning appeared out of nowhere and directed me to the exit.  I'm glad I went, but it was kind of a strange place.
 

I think my favorite part of the history museum was the view from
its surprise 2nd-floor exit

 Then, my guided tour!  This was so cool, through a company called Walkabout Tours.  The tours are free, tips and donations only, and led by locals.  Online we were told to look for the orange umbrella in the main square, and it was funny to watch as the orange umbrella appeared and all of us foreign tourists in the square suddenly gravitated to one spot.  Our guide was Simona, and there were about 10 of us on the tour.  There was one other American girl traveling alone (I'm not the only one!!), some guys from Chile, a man from Scotland, a couple from Ireland, and some others that I think were from the UK.  Simona was wonderful, and the tour was so much fun.  We ended at a great overview of the city, and it was such a satisfying end to a satisfying day.  I wandered over to a pizza place after that, ordered a pizza with chicken, French fries, and garlic on it (which I thought was appropriate because French fries are cooked into lots of things here and our tour guide had reminded us of the importance of garlic in Dracula's land :-)), and a cocktail with rose syrup in it, which also felt somewhat regional to me. 



our group gathering for the tour.  Simona is in the pink jacket.

Orthodox church in the old Romanian sector of the city
(much of the city was German-dominated for many years)

Tomorrow, I head to the sea! I will truly miss this beautiful city but am excited for the next chapter in my adventure!

view from the end of our tour

Cluj to Brasov

Tonight, I am in the heart of the old city of Brasov.  After a very filling dinner and a long day of travel, I am so ready to sleep!  But first, a quick blog...

with Iulia and Ana at Roata

Last night, I was able to go out to dinner with my Airbnb host, Ana, and her friend Iulia.  I had so much fun!  They took me to a traditional restaurant, Roata, where we ate traditional food, drank a traditional drink (and some wine), listened to traditional music, and appreciated traditional décor.  Ana has dreams of traveling the world one day, but for now she tries her best to engage her guests when they're in town.  She says it's the next best thing because she brings other cultures right to her door!  We had some great conversations, and they wouldn't even let me pay for my dinner!  I'm so glad that I love Romanian food now - this was not exactly the case during my earlier trips :) - and it was such a joy to spend the night out with people around my age.

waiting for the train in Cluj

Today, there is not much to tell.  I walked to the train station (I'm kind of afraid of taxis, so I ignored Ana and Iulia's advice to take one), and was then on a train for the next 7 hours! It was different than the trains I've taken so far on this trip but was like one that I rode in 2007.  Instead of a central aisle with seats on either side, there were compartments containing several seats.  Really, it just reminded me of the Hogwart's express. :)  I felt pretty isolated on the ride - my little pod contained 4 other passengers, who all got along very well and were talking and laughing throughout the trip.  I wish I wasn't so shy - I could very easily have said, in Romanian, that I only speak a little bit of Romanian and could have at least engaged them a little bit.  Instead, I just sat silently for the ENTIRE TRIP, aside from a couple comments in English with one of them.  Ugh.  I was so glad to get off that train, and thankful that the older man from my compartment actually followed me to the train door to help me with my luggage - that was such a kind gesture!




the one picture I wasn't embarrassed to take from the train, while
 all the other passengers from my compartment were out walking around

Once I got to Brasov, I was fought over at the taxi stand, and a man was following me telling me that the driver who was loading my stuff into his taxi was crazy and was charging me too much.  In that moment though, I didn't know who was telling the truth, and I didn't really want to argue with the guy who had my things, so I just decided to pay the 5 dollars (which is a lot here but still so reasonable in the grand scheme of things) and pray that I would at least be safe.  I was glad that my Airbnb host's dad was waiting at the curb for me when I got here, so at least it looked like I knew someone.  I was so relieved to get inside!

Since breakfast and lunch had both been from a train station vending machine, I was eager to find a good dinner.  I ended up getting brave and going to a sit-down restaurant by myself (I don't even like to do that in the states!) and it was delicious.  My apartment here is right in the heart of the old city, with narrow cobblestone streets and beautiful old buildings...and coffee shops!  I already have one picked out for the morning and am excited to start my day that way tomorrow for the first time on the whole trip! I'm also excited because, if the internet tells the truth, I will be able to take a guided tour in the morning also, leaving from close to where I'm staying.  It feels good to have a plan!

I took so few pictures today, it's pathetic.  I wanted to take more in my train car but was already feeling like an obvious American and was too embarrassed.  So today's picture selection is a bit sparse!

Ok, it's about bedtime for me - looking forward to an early start tomorrow!

Timisoara to Criscior to Cluj-Napoca

Right now, I am sprawled out in a bed, in a loft, in an apartment overlooking the city of Cluj.

Today's view.  I love Airbnb!

But let's catch up on the last several days:

On Monday, I decided not to take any chances on city busses, and made the trek to the bus station on foot.  It was long but mostly pleasant, and allowed me to experience Timisoara just a little bit more before heading out of town.

Next on the journey was a trip to Casa Emanuel, the children's home where I visited in 2005, 2006, and 2007.  I was super excited on the bus ride there - I felt very comfortable on the bus, enjoyed just being a passenger and being able to see beautiful things while resting my feet, and loved listening to Romanian radio with occasional songs from home.  I was also glad that I would be able to recognize my stop because I've been there before, unlike any of the train stations where I'd had to get off before.  (Train and bus stops are not announced here, you just have to pay really close attention and hope you see a clear sign). 

Little did I know that I was the only passenger on my bus getting off in the village of Criscior, and that the driver was waiting for me to tell him where to stop.  I realized this too late,  and was 90% sure we'd passed where I wanted to be, so I awkwardly asked the driver to let me off.  So I got off the bus on the main road in a tiny town in the middle of Romania, with no wi-fi and no phone number of anyone in that town.  It was a little terrifying.  While I texted with a friend back home to try to help me, I started walking in what I hoped was the right direction, and then confirmed with some neighbors along the way.  I was quite a spectacle, rolling my suitcase past quiet little homes in this peaceful little town.  I was SO excited when I saw a tiny little museum that I recognized, and started walking a little more confidently.  What a relief when I saw the building and the giant tree in the courtyard of Casa Emanuel!  I was immediately welcomed, was fed a tremendous amount of delicious home-cooked food, and started playing Uno with the kids, who were surprised I knew my colors in Romanian!

Hanging out with some of the older "kids." 

My time at the orphanage was a basket full of emotions.  It was a thrill to be back there, but awkward to just sort of show up in the middle of their normal lives.  I was shocked when one of the kids, Delia, who'd been really little when I came before and is now a teenager, immediately pulled out a picture of me with the kids that she's had all these years, and started to sing a song I'd sung in front of their church in 2007 and asked me to sing it again because she remembered.  She remembered!  I couldn't believe it!

with Delia - all grown up!

This picture sort of captures a moment of my total exasperation
with rowdy boys and a bossy teenager :)

Yesterday was mostly just spent hanging out at the house.  The smaller kids, who were all "new" to me, were all home sick from school, but still eager to play and sing and spend time with me.  I spent hours with them, then actually played soccer (yes, me!) with one of the kids, then went for a walk in the late afternoon with Delia.  It's so interesting to know her as a teenager now - we had some definite power struggles even in the very short time I was there.  I'm glad to know how to pray for those kids, and it was so sweet to see so many on the staff there that were there in each of my visits before - what faithful service!  It was also both a blessing and a challenge that nobody there was fluent in English - with several of them, our knowledge of each other's languages was  about equal. I was able to really practice speaking Romanian, and was glad at what I was able to communicate, though there were  still plenty of times I  started blankly at people :-)

A panoramic view of Criscior, taken during my walk w/Delia

I think these boots were happy to walk on grassy
hills instead of hard city pavement for a change

This morning, I felt exceedingly well-cared for.  One of the workers and two of the kids met me downstairs at 6:30 and walked me to the bus stop, where they waited with me for the bus.  They packed me some sandwiches for the ride, too, which was such a blessing! The bus ride was amazingly beautiful, again, and my arrival in the city of Cluj was far more successful than my arrival in Criscior.  Cluj is a beautiful city, and super busy! There are so many people everywhere and so much going on.  I can't get over how many old, historic buildings are just part of the landscape in these cities. 

my early morning escorts to the bus stop

My biggest accomplishment today is that, unlike in Timisoara, I actually found the coffee shop I'd read about, and it was even better than I'd imagined.  I felt very much like Krista, reading a book while drinking an iced latte.  Then I wandered the city and took loads of pictures, then came back to my Airbnb, where I have a hammock and a loft and a spectacular view of the city. 

Tonight, I get to act like a true European and eat a late dinner out on the town.  My Airbnb host, Ana, asked if I'd like to do dinner/drinks, and I was happy to take her up on the offer!  It's nice to have a built-in friend in this city and to therefore be able to go out after dark and not be nervous!  I don't think I'll sleep very long tonight, since I have to catch a train in the morning, but at least I have a 7-hour train ride ahead of me tomorrow- I should be able to sleep then.

Ok, sorry so long, I tried to be as concise as I could be after two nights of not blogging!  Tomorrow, Brasov!

A Day of Much Walking!

The best way to sum up today is that I walked for a long time, went to church, walked for an even longer time, had lunch and coffee, kept walking, walked a little more, had some ice cream, then walked a little more.

But since that would be a pretty boring blog, here are a few details:

I went to Dawn's church this morning, and immediately met sweet people who spoke English with me.  I keep having to swallow my pride because I want so badly to speak Romanian with people, but their English is always better than my Romanian.  Anyway, an older woman named Cornelia (Neli) was sitting behind me and took me under her wing.  After the sermon, there was a breakout session to discuss what we'd heard, and she found me two English-speaking friends, which was also sweet of her.  The good news is, I mostly understood the sermon, and, as always, loved singing the songs.  Today we did In Christ Alone in Romanian, which was especially special because that song always reminds me of my home church, and I was feeling just a little homesick.  The truths in that song are so sweet, and I'd never gotten to sing them in Romanian, and it was wonderful.  The sermon was great, too, about the reliability and authenticity of God's word, which seems to fit the theme of these last few days.  I'm hoping to let my host know about the sermon series there and see if it's helpful for him.

The walk to church was very long, but the walk back felt a bit shorter.  I was determined to find a coffee shop called Garage Café that Ioan had recommended to me, and was way sadder than I should have been when I couldn't find it.  Then I tried several other cafes that I walked past, but they were so packed with people that I literally couldn't find an open table at any of them.  I finally walked back to Piata Unirii, close to where I'm staying, and finally got my coffee and a late lunch.  The waitress there also spoke to me in English, after a failed attempt in Romanian.

Then what...just a lot more walking.  I wanted to visit the Museum of the Revolution, but it is closed on Sundays.  The cool part about that story though, is that the gates were open, so I walked in and tried to open the door, like I'm brave or something (when I'd been feeling pretty timid all day).  A confused man opened the door, and I asked if the museum was open, and he said it was closed because it's Sunday but to come back tomorrow.  We had this very normal conversation in Romanian without him once having to slow down or switch to English, and it may seem like a small thing but it was a huge blessing to my heart.  I was just a little less discouraged about my language ability, and was given renewed energy (ok, I'm sure the coffee helped) to find more cool things to look at.

Then some more walking, lots of really old buildings and historic sites and beautiful parks.  My favorite was the children's park, which was huge and amazing and I'd like to bring my nephews to it.  It had so many creative things for kids to play on and with, and my VERY favorite part was a collection of public hammocks, one of which I was happy to take advantage of after so much walking.  I also walked to the Reformed Church of Timisoara, which was  significant not only because of my doctrinal connections to it but because events concerning its pastor in 1989 are said to have sparked the rebellion that ended communism in Romania.

Last but not least, I stopped for ice cream at a cute little sit down place, where I also interacted with the waitress only in Romanian, and was also very satisfied.

A few random observations from today:

- I am glad that even when almost everything else seems so foreign, green still means go and red still means stop.  This little piece of consistency was tremendously helpful as I crossed probably at least 50 different intersections today.

- It's strange to be so surrounded by the Romanian language.  I keep expecting to hear a little bit of English as I pass crowds, or German or French or Hungarian... but  really I only hear Romanian!  I think I overheard 2 English sentences today, total.  So just about all of the English I heard was just in music that was playing in various places.

- My discouragement about language makes sense, because what happened at the tower of Babel was actually a curse.  I think languages are so beautiful that sometimes it's hard to think of them as a result of the pride of mankind, but all of those connections are very clear to me after just one week of experiencing language barriers firsthand.

- Today was actually pretty frustrating at times - my feet were tired and my brain was tired and I couldn't find several of the things I wanted to find when I wanted to find them.  But despite all that, I think Timisoara ranks among my favorite cities in the world.  It has such fascinating history, beautiful buildings, and so many wonderful parks.  Everywhere I went there were memorials, most of them in memory of the revolution here in 1989.  I could spend weeks here and not really wrap my mind around all that has happened in this special place.

Ok, so here are some of the pictures (I think I took 90 today, but I feel like I couldn't quite capture things.  4 pictures will have to do for now).  Tomorrow, I head to the village of Criscior - no idea if I'll have wifi or not, so I may not be in touch until Wednesday.  Thanks for reading!




Piata Victoriei - Victory Square.  On the left is the beautiful Orthodox Cathedral

Piata Unirii, a 3-minute walk from my building.  Breathtakingly beautiful and hard to capture in one shot.  I took several panoramics and videos too.  The building on the left contains the restaurant where I had coffee and lunch

Decebal Bridge over the Bega Canal.  This was a very innovative bridge for its time when it was built in 1909.  And of course I always loving seeing any body of water!

Seriously, why don't our parks have public hammocks?  This was definitely a highlight of my day!

Severin to Timisoara

Tonight, instead of looking at Serbia, I'm looking at the city of Timisoara. I have a very nice view of it, because I have a balcony, and the weather is warm enough (not warm, but warm enough) for me to sit on it, and the flat that I rented is pretty much right in the heart of the city. That's where I am now, here's what the day looked like:

I had the best of intentions of being out to see the sights of Severin by 7am. But having a warm, comfortable hotel room all to myself proved hard to resist. I got rolling a little more slowly, and finally got down to eat breakfast at about 7:30. My breakfast was included in the cost of my room, but I had no idea what to do. The American in me was half-expecting a serve-yourself breakfast like I'm used to, but I opened some giant metal serving trays in the breakfast area and found nothing. Embarrassing. I then took my seat and waited for a waitress, which was apparently what I was supposed to do.



a very safe place to take a selfie, because there was nobody around

After breakfast, I tried to be a tourist. I think I was the only tourist in the entire town, actually. I went to a tourist spot and found literally nobody, and I went to where a museum was supposed to be and found nobody there either (and no museum entrance, either, for that matter). I took loads of pictures at the one spot (the walls and tower of a medieval citadel) and otherwise mostly settled for just walking around. This was still fun except I wore shoes I shouldn't have worn and got a blister that has made walking a bit less appealing overall...

 medieval citadel

small memorial in the park, to victims of Romanian communism

 After packing up and leaving my perfect room, I managed to catch the right train to take me to Timisoara. No friendly young companion this time, but an older man did help me with my suitcase. I didn't get a window seat this time, which was hard for me, but I still had a decent view of some gorgeous scenery. Yesterday's train ride was nowhere near as scenic as today's! The sun came out during the journey, which was the first I'd seen of it, and I took a picture of that too.



Sunshine!  And sheep!
 

foggy and beautiful

I was embarrassed to take pictures,
until I saw that the Romanian girl
across from me was taking more

I've decided that the scariest parts of my trip are when I arrive in a new city and have to get my bearings. My airbnb host, Ioan, had told me to take a cab from the train station. I've only taken a cab a handful of times in my life, and never in Romania, and have been warned about taxi scams here, so I was crazy nervous. But God provided an honest driver, who only charged 9 lei (just over 2 dollars) and he got me here safe and sound. Ioan met me at the door of the building, and I was thrilled to learn that the building has an elevator (I was preparing myself to carry my suitcase up 6 flights of stairs).

Ioan was another blessing. His flat is beautiful, and he was excited to tell me about all the places to see here (I'm already wishing I had more than 2 days!) We also talked about the history of this area a little (this part of Romania has only been part of Romania since WWI), and about the current immigration crisis in Europe and how it's perceived in the states, and we even got to talk about the Bible. He's not a Christian, and said he has concerns that there are so many different translations of the Bible, but that he wants to do more research because it seems crazy to live life without a purpose, just to work to make money to buy things. I've been so encouraged this whole trip about how the message of God's word is consistent, even across languages and translations, so it was perfect timing for that convo. I had lots to say and he was super engaged, and I'm hoping to get to follow up more with him later.

one of many gorgeous parts of Piata Unirii

I explored the city very briefly this evening, before meeting a woman named Dawn for dinner. Dawn works for Greater Europe Mission, the organization I had hoped to partner with 7-8 years ago, and I'd emailed her weeks ago in the hopes of connecting while I'm here. She works with children with disabilities here in the city, which was so cool to hear about. We ate delicious pizza, and she put me to shame with how well she speaks Romanian. It is so sweet how easy it is to connect with other believers I've never met. We talked for awhile, and when I got back to my place, she called me to make sure I was doing okay and to make sure I have connections in other cities since she knows people elsewhere as well. I feel so very cared for!

Dawn and I after a satisfying dinner of pizza and lemonade

I walked back after dark, barely missing the before-sunset curfew that I've set for myself during this travel-alone portion of my trip, but I felt very safe. Not naively safe, but cautiously safe. :-) Tomorrow, I will try to go to Dawn's church or another, and I have about half a million other must-see spots that I need to narrow down. There are so many beautiful buildings here, and so much history – I know I won't be able to cover even a fraction of it! And since I haven't sat in a coffee shop since March 4^th, that definitely needs to happen soon as well!

Ok, that's all for now! Until next time...

An Excellent Day

Tonight, I am looking at Serbia. Kind of a fun thing to say. My hotel room here in Drobeta Turnu-Severin has an amazing view complete with red-roofed buildings, the Danube river, the shores of Serbia in the background, and beautiful flowering trees in the foreground. Apparently this town is known for its gorgeous parks, and I can see why...but I get ahead of myself.

the view from my hotel room window

I don't think today could have gone any more perfectly.  To begin with, I met at the church in Draganesti at 8 am for prayer with some of the women, and it was such a sweet time. There were some ladies I've already met – the pastor's wife and daughter, and a Canadian-Romanian woman named Dorothy, but there were also some older ladies from the church. They meet every weekday from 8-9 to pray, but Fridays are specifically devoted to giving thanks. We each thanked God for His work this past week, then took turns reading from the Psalms. Then we sang some songs, and they invited me to share a testimony of God's faithfulness. It was so sweet to see ladies who were strangers at 8am be no-longer-strangers by 8:45. The pastor's daughter, Veronica, who is about my age, invited me to join her in some house visits with 2 other American missionaries who had just gotten to town. Before I could do that, though, the pastor came down and invited me to their weekly staff meeting upstairs. I got to introduce myself to everyone, tell about my history (and possible future!) with ministry in Romania, and they prayed for me. Then I hurried back to the missions house to clean up and pack before meeting Veronica (Vera) and one of the American missionaries, Bob (Can you think of any name more American than Bob?).

Bob, Vera, and I went to the house of a man named Vasile. He lives with 8 other members of his family in 2 very small rooms composing a tiny house. He has learned a lot about Christ and Christianity and has had many conversations with local believers, but had not yet turned to Him in faith. While I mostly prayed and tried to keep his very friendly and inquisitive granddaughter quiet using my limited Romanian vocabulary, Bob and Vera walked Vasile through several passages. By the end of the conversation, Vasile had a new understanding about new birth in Christ, and his prayer at the end of the convo seemed to indicate that a new birth took place! Time will tell if his belief is genuine, but it was an extremely encouraging morning!



Marcel waiting with me at the train station

Ah, so much to say about today! After all of that, we rushed back to the church so I could eat a quick lunch of salmale (a Romanian specialty!) before catching my train. I was nervous about this but so thankful that one of the men from the ministry, Marcel, took me to the train station. He was cheerful and friendly, carried my suitcase, and waited with me in the rain for the train to come while making jokes about the stray dogs having a very important meeting across the tracks. Once I got on the train, I tried speaking Romanian but apparently it was obvious that it wasn't my native language. Sigh. :) A friendly passenger nearby asked if I spoke English or German (Ugh, I WISH I could speak 3 languages like he can!) and was my helper for the rest of the trip. He was so kind and made the trip a lot of fun, and I was especially thankful for a strapping young man to hoist my heavy suitcase up onto the luggage rack. :) I wish I took his picture, he was such a blessing.



View from the train - that's the front of my train on the right

The journey was beautiful – I wasn't bored once – and my arrival here was pretty seamless. I had to catch my breath at the train station when I realized that the 9 minute walk to my hotel through a park, which seemed so pleasant when I'd read about it, was actually 9 minutes through a park...and up a hill. I was exhausted when I got to my hotel, after lugging all my things up steps and slopes, but it was worth it. I love this hotel, and this city so far. My evening journey on foot to find dinner ended with just a lot of touristy pictures, and no dinner at all, but I found a peach nectar drink in the mini-fridge and ate some crackers and peanut butter from home. I'm glad they made me eat a lot of salmale at lunchtime!

just a tiny taste of the beautiful flowers all over this town

a memorial of some kind.  I don't really understand what it says, but it is right next to my hotel

That's all for tonight, I'm going to gaze out the window at the river and at Serbia a little bit more, and then it's early to bed for me!

making a strange face because the lion is making a strange face