The purpose of our trip was to conduct two Children's Institutes in the country, and be involved with the Character First! Education program and other children's ministries. A group of students were already settled in Bucharest and Arad, but for this event, ATI selected a separate group.

There were fourteen of us...six guys and eight girls, counting Mike and Tara as leaders, and it was really something to see the different personality types God used for this ministry. What memories were made! We trod all over Bucharest, Arad, Timisoara in sightseeing and shopping; we visited authentic Romanian restaurants, McDonalds and street cafes. From snowball fights in the mountains, teaching orphans real football, water fights while boating, or being proposed to by a gypsy, we came together -- and by God's grace, reached out with His love. Besides, who wouldn't have fun cramming seventeen people in a six passenger train booth?

It was a month I'll never forget. Beyond the group memories, the children stole my heart with their dark complexion and eager eyes for the Truth. They were the essence of Romania, my reason for coming.

This is a small part of that story*...

*taken from letters and journal entries

 

Week One + Week Two + Week Three + Week Four

 

"I'm here. :-) It's been a pretty amazing past few days, full of everything imaginable! I'm REALLY tired (jet lag mostly); the plane rides were long, but went well. Our layover in Munich was 3 hours and we passed it by playing UNO, touring the shops and sleeping.For the first time in my life, I was in the minority in speaking English. We got into Bucharest around 2PM on Friday and went straight to our home -- a lovely little set of cabins right outside the city Bucharest and we're cramped, but enjoying it. We spent the evening in unpacking...and sleeping. Most of us slept through breakfast, but we were up by 9AM and ate breakfast, had a team meeting and then went touring around town. We saw SO MUCH that I can't even think where to begin!! Saw the palace of the communist leader guy that got executed, an Orthodox church (went inside too -- the service was going and rather interesting), a lovely park and all else. Oh, in front of the church, an old lady came up and wanted us to take a picture of her. So Jonathan (our unofficial photographer) prepared to do so and right before he snapped, she raised her hand in a salute! We all laughed and some one passed her a bit of money."

 

"Sunday was WONDERFUL!! We split up -- that is, our CI team -- with the students here for church. I went with David and Jeanene, and then Jarrod and Ryan from our team, to half way across Bucharest. So, of course, we took the bus for 30 minutes, then the metro for a good couple stops and then walked and walked and walked (and walked -- in the rain, no less) through a residential area to the church. We had to open this huge iron gate and step into a courtyard, then the building, was long, narrow and rectangular -- that's it. They had chairs for about 60 and it was packed! The entire 1 1/2 hour service was in Romanian, of course, but I really enjoyed it and was able to pick out words like "Jesus" and "God", etc. The people were EXTREMELY friendly!! They shook hands, smiled wide, and rattled off something in Romanian which David told us was a sincere greeting that we came to our church. The Spirit of God was really felt and it just amazed us.

"Afterwards (it was still raining, by the way) we went downtown for lunch. Ryan and Jarrod and I hadn't a chance to change our money yet, so David and Jeanene bought us lunch -- they are called kabobs and the closest I can come to is that they are burritos with lots of chicken, long onions, hot peppers and LOTS of french fries. Yes, right in the kabob....very interesting. :-) We visited a flower market too, David had to stop at the grocery store, and then we headed back home. We were SOAKED, however because the wind was so fierce we couldn't use our umbrellas. :-) I couldn't stop laughing....it was a REALLY fun afternoon. After drying off I drank about 2 cups of tea in the kitchen.

"I'm the leader of Team E, have Jonathan as an assistant -- he's 19, a nut really....Our translator is named Andrew and speaks EXCELLENT English so our communication isn't a problem. We have 9 kids on our team....all seven and under and they don't speak a word on English. That's another prayer request. :-) They were all really quiet (they go to kindergarten for ages 6-7) but we finally got to talking about ice cream and they were rattled in Romanian and Andrew was laughing along with them and I SO MUCH wanted to be able to talk with them!! It took me awhile to get use to breaking up sentences and not talking fast, to condense thoughts simply and change the curriculum since my kids are so young. Jonathan and I went insane the first hour...and by the end, we were getting the hang of it.

"Thanks for praying....I was studying my stuff last night before the seminar and just feeling really overwhelmed. Then I saw the picture I put in my book and almost cried. <sigh> I REALLY love it here, though!! It's just different...everything is different...even the showers are different, and there is NO humidity and you can't even have a basic conversation with people."

 

"Yesterday evening's session went so much better than Monday night! I got my brain together more, and Andrew is learning to anticipate what we're saying during the lesson, and also able to reword our sentences. Our kids are so totally adorable too! They warmed up so fast tonight, babbling on in Romanian and actually, when they use hand signals, I'm able to basically understand what they're saying. We played Hide 'n Seek, to everyone's enjoyment. Also, we were coloring a picture of a bear during small group and learning colors in Romanian and English. :-) One girl, Noomi (Naomi in English -- pronounced like it looks) is seven and is SO eager to learn anything in English. By the end of the night, they were all saying "Okay!" and giving hi-fives and repeating, "Good-bye! Good-bye!" I was rather nervous about last night, mostly because of how awkward Monday was. <sigh> But I read your e-mail, Mother, in the morning and your words of "hugs and smiles can go a long ways" really impressed me. So I just did that, and I think that's why they really responded well. I still wish they spoke English, though...

"The showers here are interesting! It's just this...handle with the water barely coming out! The water isn't always hot either....it can be downright cold too. :-) Mr. McCray announced last night that, since our team AND the CF! team has off, we'll be taking a trip to the mountains! I hope the weather is warm and sunny; it's mostly been overcast since arriving, if not raining every day. Continue to pray for our team and the kids; they seem to be grasping everything taught, but of course it doesn't mean a thing unless they apply it. Last night was awesome...we gathered after our kids left, waiting for Cool Down and started singing. We sang a few hymns and then launched into "Give Thanks." It was just really special because we knew that no matter how our evening had gone, God was with us.

 

"I think everyone was pretty tired last night -- I know I was. Jonathan was sick and almost didn't make it for the evening. So I had to prepare all the crafts alone and prepare to teach everything. He showed up at the last minute, still not feeling the best, but wanting to help, praise God. Then Andrew was late in arriving, so we had to grab another temporary translator. Tabitha (pronounced Ta-bee-ta) is my age, actually, and a preschool teacher so she was GREAT with the kids....but it just wasn't the same without Andrew. :-) We now have 14 kids!! I feel like I'm simply running a preschool. :-)

"Yesterday we went to an authentic Romanian restaurant! It was awesome -- sat on sheepskins for the chairs, there was pottery and handcrafted things on the walls, the waiters had these amazing embroidered vests and sashes, and the food.... Well, yes, they did have the sheep brains. Everyone basically tried something authentic but I didn't feel like making myself sick, so stuck to fried chicken.

"I can see why immersion into a foreign country (and speaking no English) can actually be the best. I'm beginning to understand alot of what Andrew tells the kids (can't speak Romanian for the life of me) and my dreams have been in Romanian too!! Now, THAT's weird...I love it here....but it's hard to see such need 24/7. We have to walk a good couple blocks each night to the bus station and see beggars and drunks and weird people and immorality all over. We stopped at a pastry shop on the way home last night at the metro station and this drunk walked in. It was kinda funny to see all the guys immediately get a bit closer to all us girls, but it was also scary. And during large group one of my girls, Anna, kept wandering around so I took her in my lap. She was actually kinda resistant for a bit, as if hugs were foreign to her. But I kept holding her hand and rocking her, praying for her too, and she just relaxed and wouldn't leave me for the rest of the evening. It's so rewarding yet draining to give of yourself in that way! Oh God, help us all... "

 

"We squeezed 23 people into our travel van last night. :-) It only seats about 10 comfortably so go figure. The guys had it the worse, with 10 of them crammed into the back "trunk" and most with long legs. I wish I couldn't have somehow gotten a picture but, like alot of moments here, I just have to write them down and let my memory be my picture. I've picked up on saying "yes" and "thank-you" in Romanian, and "so-so" (which sounds like "sha-sha"). I kinda flipped the other day when I saw AMERICAN money in someone's hand. You get so into a culture that anything from home really surprises you.

"We always have to travel with a guy in our group. When we'd head home from the seminar each night we'd have to walk a few blocks to the bus stop and Mike was ALWAYS in the front, another two guys in the middle, and then the rest in the back. Oh, I had my first apple strudel the other day!!! It was soooo yummy!! We stopped by that pasty shop by the metro on Saturday night and all piled in the little place to order. I'm going to miss that place. It was fun to wave to the owners each night....fun to cram onto the bus....fun to walk home in the dark, singing and laughing...fun to talk over the evening...

"Saturday, our last day, was crazy schedule wise, but great. Only 4 of our 14 kids showed up (!!), but then five more came after lunch. They were so sweet....I nearly cry when I look at my pictures because I know I'll probably never see them again. And it didn't help either that they were so affectionate that afternoon. <sigh> They kept cuddling up to me, wanting to sit in my lap during story time, or mimicking my English words in their cute accent. When we said good-byes at 5:00 I managed to hug each, say I loved them, and gave them a little bag of stuff I had picked up at the dollar store before leaving. Somehow, I think they understood all I said in English; I don't know why, but their eyes said volumes... We were all pretty quiet coming home, reflecting on the week. And then yesterday was Easter -- that is, back at home it was Easter so we celebrated here American style and will do it Romanian style next Sunday. The weather was beautiful so we ate outside and had SO MUCH FOOD!!! IT was a great time of fellowship, and later they put on the last part of JESUS OF NAZERETH.

" As for the "training center" here... There are three main buildings: lodging/kitchen, the dining hall, and the McCray's house/computer room for general use. The McCrays came here about 2 years ago, I think, and work with the Ouatos (Andrew's family). The dining hall is rectangular and we eat in there/have meetings/play table games. The kitchen is really small and right off of the "apartment". There are three levels to it: the bottom has four rooms and is where most of the girls sleep. The second level has three rooms and then the third level is kinda like a loft and is for guys (I think -- never been up there). The rooms really aren't that big. I'd say ours is about as big as my room at home, maybe a bit wider. With the CI people AND the CF people, it's squished!

 

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"I met a girl named Gabrielle yesterday. She was REALLY quiet and wouldn't join in any of the games. I wasn't feeling the best so settled to take pictures. Just like that, Gabielle scooted over to me, totally fascinated by my digital camera. :-) She laughed over the pictures I took, rattling off in Romanian, so I took a picture of us. Then she got out her two photo albums and between her limited English and my limited Romanian (plus writing words down) we had a great 1-2 hour conversation! It was so much fun. I showed her pictures of my family and she kept saying, "Ah, nice! Nice!" She was so utterly precious....talking to her made me want to come back all the more. Something in my heart longed to get to know these Romanian people more."

"Yesterday was REALLY awesome, in visiting the castle and mountains!! Well, let me back up here...Tuesday was pretty neat too. :-) We went into downtown Bucharest and did the open market shopping. It was rows and rows (and rows and rows!) of people selling all kinds of things imaginable. We split up into 5 teams, each with at least 2 guys and at least one person who spoke Romanian well. I got with David and Leah from our CI team, and then Rebecca and Valen (sister/brother). So we walked up and down and all around, soaking in the Romanian people, music, and food; we also visited an indoor "market", which was a bit more classy. There, David and I looked over the dishes/tea cups, he to buy some for his mom and sister and me for myself and gifts. We also visited a glass making place! It was fascinating. And I got tons of pictures!!! But really, all the things that happened can never really be captured on my camera....or in words for that matter. All the "in between things" like giving bread to the beggars alongside the street, the hassle of exchanging money, running to catch the bus, squishing in the Metro and singing CF songs while skipping back to the cabin were wonderful as well.

"Back to yesterday. We left frightfully early to catch the 6:20 train to the mountains and the trip was about 2 hours. We had 6 booths for the 37 people that came but most squished into one to play Concentration. The town was called Sinaia, totally one of those old European places I've read about. We again split into groups to save confusion, and then headed off with plans to meet around 2:30 in the mountains for a huge snowball fight. At one shop, This old lady was selling hand made table runners, napkins, etc and I fell in love with a set. Donald (one of the CF people) helped me barter.

"The castle was amazing, but we weren't able to take pictures inside. It was recently made, actually (end of the 1800's -- compared to the city which, from what I gathered from various signs here and there, was built in the 1600's) and housed the king of Romania during the summer. Got a few pictures outside....we ate lunch as we walked to the tram...and then headed up and up and up to the mountains!!! They were breathtaking! I can only imagine how the Alps would look. I couldn't do much for awhile but just walk around and admire the view....but then I joined in the snowball fight. :-) It was everyone against whomever they wanted :-), so I got snow down David's back a few times....and Mike's....and Donald's....and Jonathan's.....and Christina's....and you get the idea. :-D So much fun!!! We left around 3:30 and then split into groups again to find something to eat for supper. We ended up at a small restaraunt and had pizza! The train back to Bucharest left at 6:30; we were all pretty tired -- and red faced from being wind burnt."

 

"I saw Gabrielle again today. Our group toured Bucharest again and invited some of the interpreters. You should've seen her face light up when she saw me...how she raced up and grabbed my hands....rambled something in Romanian (I picked out "Good afternoon", "I like you")...and gave me the typical European kiss on either cheek. Gabrielle kept her arm in mine while we toured the museum, explaining things in her limited English. She's so eager to please, so eager to LEARN!! I found out a bit more about her family, etc. as we walked in the park while eating ice cream, but there's something in her eyes I haven't quite figured out. They are so filled with pain that it overwhelms me. I can't explain it, really, except that they are begging for Truth.

"The essence of Romania? Lost. A passion for the world that it's shocking at times. Yet equally so, the essence of Romania is hope. A passion for truth.

"Two events this week really illustrate this. The first was on Tuesday, when we were coming out of the Metro and this girl just walks up to me and says, "Can I ask you a question?" It shocked me, she took my hesitation as "no" and began to back off, but I called her back. Then right off she asked, "Are you a Christian?" THAT shocked me even more :-), but I answered yes, and come to find out, she was too. (You could tell too for her eyes were bright, very much unlike the typical Romanian.) Jessica and I got to chat with her a bit (we were in a hurry to catch the bus, otherwise wouldn't stayed longer) and she kept saying over and over how glad she was that the Bible was being preached in Romania, how she loved Americans for their godliness, and how she wanted us to keep coming and telling people about Jesus. It made me feel like I was in another world!! What is this place that Christianity is so welcome, so loved, so sought after?

"And the the other example happened in the museum this afternoon. Gabby was explaining some of plaques to us as we toured, and Mike asked what the basic attitude of Romanians are towards the government. She got very quiet and basically said that they were a free country, but really struggled. They want their own traditions to be alive, to not have to bend so much to work, to be recognized not for glory's sake, but simply because they are people too. Yes, communism is gone, but so many other things exist. The good thing in all this? Once you get a Romanian saved, their passion for liberty transfers right into the passion for God and it's breathtaking. They have experienced so much over the hundreds of years and because of that, struggle to accept anything. But when the Truth comes and is accepted, they realize the value and fight for that Truth. I wish you could meet Gabby, and Gabrielle and then here at the cabin, meet Rebecca and Ci-Ci. <sigh> These friends, and the children from our team, are Romania...THEY are why I want to come back."

"I thought I'd type one last note before we headed off to Arad tomorrow. We're suppose to have our suitcases packed and outside by 7AM. We DID find another van to use, but it may not hold all, so some may take the train. Needless to say, we're all vying for the train seats. :-D It'll be interesting to see how it all works out! Oh, I got to talking to Jason McCray this morning and he and his family went to Scotland/Great Britian -- drove, actually, all the way from Romania! -- and the pictures were fascinating. It's funny, because us girls found out that Greece is only 4 hours away and we're trying to "figure out" how to make it over there before we leave. :-D Pray for us as we travel tomorrow! And, of course, over the course of next week as we settle into a new city, new living quarters, new children, a new translator, and all else.

"P.S. Yes, I DO miss Culvers. :-) They have McDonalds and Pizza Hut and Kentucky Fried Chicken...oh, and Ruby Tuesday. It'll be nice to get home and have some ice cream. Really, the food has been pretty American. The only thing I miss is Mexican food -- very foreign here. And the three native Mexicans miss it even more; they miss the heat too!!"

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"We're en route to Arad...about 8 hours gone of our 10 hour train ride. Jessica, Ryan, Leah and I are having a journal writing party in a cabin. Before that, we were talking about if/why guys keep journals. :-) This train ride is awesome! It's long, yeah, but the conductors are nice and there's something soothing about the steady rocking of the train. The scenery is slowly changing; much more green, the houses more German style, the people darker. Saw a little, tiny cottage out in the middle of nowhere, with a sheep pen and a shepherd guiding his flock. A new girl, Alexandra (19) has joined our group of translators and is the sweetest thing this side of heaven. I can't get over how her eyes just shine for Jesus! It's been fun to talk to her."

"We're here at the church in Arad, making an unforgettable grand entrance. Took forever to gather our stuff and get it off the train...took off later in the tram and nearly squished the Romanians at the starting lurch...love the Jordan family (they are from New Zealand!)...and settled nicely into our rooms. The back of the church has two floors, with five classrooms converted into bedrooms. I have Georgiana and Susie for room mates. I'm kinda dazed. I am very happy the Oauto family is here! Somehow, the simplicity, the humility, the fun, and the sweetness of Andrew, Jonny, Joshy and Christine have gotten into my heart."

“Our room has such an incredible view of the city! I think I’ll love to come on this balcony often to write… Church tonight was incredible. The choir sang the Hallelujah chorus in closing and it was just awesome to hear it in Romanian, then have our group join in English! Once again I was impressed with how there is no language barrier with God. The people here are so different than in Bucharest; more European looking, and the accent is different, though I can’t place why. It’s charming, though. Oh, I gotta tell the choir director story. He stopped us going out of church and began talking about something to the effect of Romanian women wanting to marry American men. “They are better, more beautiful!” He motioned around. “Open your eyes!” Later at supper, Mike was giving out instructions about where to go tomorrow for ministry projects. (I’m going to an orphanage!) Jonathan asked who the guys would go with at 12:45; Mike wasn’t sure, Mr. & Mrs. Jordan weren't’t sure either, so Mike just said to go with whoever looked nice. David laughed and motioned like the choir direction. “Open your eyes!” he exclaimed. We all but died laughing…”

“A new day! A new seminar starts. And it finally hit me last night: our week is finally counting down. Only 9 days left, yet so much remains to be done! David and I are working together this time, which should be fun. I wonder how many kids we’ll have? Oh, yesterday at the orphanage was incredible. Susie and I went in the morning, but I had so much fun that I went with the afternoon group as well! The kids clung to me, devoured hugs, loved the park, and had those dark, dark eyes so wide and begging for love. I was a bit shook up afterwards…. I think the guys were impacted too, from their work at the street café. Ryan and I shared stories before supper, both not quite sure how to handle the emotional needs, even after the week’s work in Bucharest.”

“What an awesome, awesome, AWESOME night!!! Wow. It’s funny because the lesson wasn’t perfect, David wasn’t perfect, the kids weren't’t perfect and I definitely wasn’t perfect..and yet God used everything. Everything came together, all because of prayer. I was really battling confidence and, well, fear of man, and David and Adi (our translator) expressed the same thoughts as well. So we sat down before the kids came and really prayed for everything we could possibly imagine. In our simple or profound ways, we asked God to bring a little heaven here on earth. And He did! We have such neat kids: six boys and two girls. All are warming up, the way they say my name is so charming, and Joshua and Alex really pitched in to help with clean-up and the little ones after Mike gathered the 11-12 year olds for the student meeting. They are such a different bunch from Bucharest. How? Well…Bucharest kids just needed love and hugs, the basic truths. Arad kids are older, have issues to work out – sometimes, way beyond their years. Jesus, how do you want me to reach them??”

 

“We had a fun morning/lunch in Arad and are now spread out around the church, per Mike’s mandatory quiet time. It was Jarrod, Nik, Leah, Laura (a translator) and I in a group and we explored nearly every single market. I bought four beautiful doilies at one place. Oh, and it was fun to see two of my kids on the tram...I’ve got Adrienna on my mind right now…she’s about 14 or so and came to our group from an orphanage. Her eyes have such depths! And I’m still trying to figure out what they hold. It’s the typical Romanian look of pain and sadness, but something more. Like every other kid, she was glued to Mike’s story about the clay pot during one of the large groups. I want to discover what’s in their hearts…but afraid I can’t handle what I find. Something for David and Adi and I pray over tonight, I guess.”

 

“I came out to the living room couch to do devotions this morning, but my mind isn’t fixed. It isn’t fixed much on anything, I’m so tired. Giving of yourself in hugs/smiles to the kids, giving all you have in the lesson, helping with dishes and clean-up at meals – it’s enough to take a person’s breath away. But I love it. Oh God, there are so, many needs…so, so many…my mind and heart can’t contain them all! Saturday, our last day of the seminar, is here already. I’m so going to miss our group of boys! They are so wild, but so precious. I’ll miss Adrienna and Lydianna, the two older girls. It frustrates me that conversations are so short, but eyes always say volumes. I’m glad I bought that Cassie Bernall book for Adrienna at that bookstore in town. I’ll miss working with David and Adi (I think we’re all servers, so nothing is ever left undone); most all, I’ll miss praying with them, bringing requests before God, then seeing Him answer. This was, by far, the best week. Not sure why…”my kids” were definitely in Bucharest but “my lessons” here in Arad. And God, don’t stop now!! Take us beyond ourselves, beyond what we think we can handle so as to rely on You. My greatest hindrances is fear – of what David’ll think, the kids not understanding, Adi thinking I’m nuts, and the fear of just failing. “

“I’m finally packed up and ready to go – yes, at 12:30AM. Played “Pass the Cups” with the gang, laughing ‘till we cried, did a small birthday party for Mrs. Oautu, and trooped out to a local store/gas station for the necessities of a late night: that is, pop. Pepsi isn’t my favorite, but it’s all they have around here. I’m so tired, I’ve ceased to be tired. Sleep sounds so inviting, but so does fellowship. At least we’re all finally settling down for the night. The Timisoara adventure today was beyond words. I love that city! The sights, the sounds, the people, the shops, the café’…everything.”

 

“Well, on the train again, about three hours from Bucharest. Everyone is spread out amid our four booths, eating or sleeping or talking, or just silently staring out the window. That’s what I’ve been doing the past 30 minutes – reliving all the memories of the week, realizing there’s only four days left and torn between home sickness and love for this country. The mountains are approaching…there are people in the fields, planting and watering by hand, young and old…quaint old villages line the train stations, so Europeans, with the REAL Romania buried deep into centuries…the sheep, goats, horses, shepherds…the mockingbirds…the gypsies…the steady “clack, clack, clack” of the rails…yelling “Ciao!” [pronounced “Chow” – Italian for a casual “hi”; the kids said it all the time in Arad] out the window to people…the wind whistling by…the blast of the horn as the train passes another train, a station, a town…the fresh, clean, country air…the pipe smoke from other cars…And let’s not forget the little boy Georgiana befriended, Alexandar, and his plight of no money, shoes, food, and just love. He broke my heart.”

 

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"We're all back in Bucharest! Got in about 10:00PM and it was 12:30 when I finally fell asleep on my bed, clothes and all! The train ride was great, but long and we were already pretty tired from the seminar. I don't have alot of time this morning to type; I could've gotten up earlier than 10:15, but sleeping sounded better than e-mailing. :-) We're about to eat breakfast (yes at noon!) outside, it's so beautiful, and then head into the city. Only 2 more days here and then I'll be home! It doesn't seem possible and in all honesty, I'm so eager to see you all again, yet don't want to leave."

 

" Yesterday was so much fun! We went out on the lake in 4 boats, and Christina and I were with David. We had the most fun because we had a major water fight just about every 5 minutes. :-D And David got the worst of it all because he was in the middle rowing!! We almost tipped a few times, got tons of water in the boat (we DID clean it up) and it was funny to see people stare at us as we went around shopping afterwards. And then for dinner, the staff here arranged a sweet farewell dinner. Then they sang a song about us, to the tune of "You are Sixteen Going on Seventeen" which was hysterical.

"As for last week....wow, I'm not sure where to start!! We did alot more ministry things in the mornings, seeing how we stayed right at the church and didn't have teacher training in the afternoon. I went many times -- in between a few shopping trips -- with this group of 5 orphans to the park to play. (Oh, we DID get to go to an orphanage!!! It wasn't a huge one like I imagined, but still....) It was so sweet the way they latch onto you and ramble on in Romanian, not even requiring an answer at times. And actually, for the seminar itself, we had some older orphans on our team; one girl, Adrienna was 14 and it's so hard to explain, but from the first time I saw her, something in her eyes just drew me in. She's friendly and so sweet, but her eyes were so full of pain. On Saturday, she didn't want to leave and all but cried for me to stay. <sigh> We had alot of older children on our team this time around -- and mostly boys. :P :-) So our lessons were much more indepth than in Bucharest. We had 14 kids registered, but only 12 showed up at the most. David was my leader, and great with the kids -- very genuine."

 

"Well...this is it! My last note from Romania. It's nearly midnight and I haven't even begun to pack. But seeing that we have to have suitcases out at 4:30AM, I have plenty of time...and having waaay too much fun to even think about getting sleep. I've had people sign my autograph book, and just hang around chatting. There was talk about playing games -- we even tried to get Mike to extend the curfew to 1AM; *I* even tried, saying I hadn't asked any favors the entire month, much to everyone's amusement :-D -- but it probably won't happen. Going to the school today was awesome. It gave me a taste of what the main work is here in Bucharest....I can so see myself doing it, and everything else around here. We had fun talking and looking at pictures at Oana's house in the afternoon, and went to a lovely, classy Italian restaurant for dinner with the team. Oh, and remind me to tell you all about the wild taxi story en route home....13 of us, in 4 taxi's, the drivers trying to cheat us "dumb" Americans....:-) Oh, yipee!!! Mike just extended curfew to 1AM! So I'm off, going to see if Ryan still wants to play the crazy "Pass the Cups" game..."

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September, 2005 – In a recent spur to (again) de-junk my closet, I came across my collection of Romania memorabilia. Was it really over two years ago? Seemed like just yesterday we were all saying good-byes at O’Hare, tears brimming among even the bravest. The memories flooded back as I sorted the assortment…cards/letters, all the prayers and support before and during the trip…Mike’s Bible study outline, the first couple days bringing segregated seating and silent observing of fellow team mates…four copies of our Bucharest address, the reminder always being “If you get lost, show this to a taxi driver!”…meto tickets, where we’d squish during rush hours, girls in the middle, guys on the outside for cautionary measures…1 lei coin, a collectors items from a sweet couple in an antique shop…receipt from the Timisoara street café, one of my favorite memories as we struggled to order in Romanian and treasured one of our last outings… As I stuffed the pile back into the folder, the Lord’s goodness overflowed my heart. Somehow, I had in mind to change the country of Romania with the power of God; but God used His supremacy in Romania to change me. Plans to return in August ’03 never did completely materialize – and His leading to the ALERT campus is entirely separate story! – but I will never forget that one month adventure. For it was so much more than an adventure; it was God revealing His heart of compassion for the lost. And that can be followed in any place… “Este un singur trup un singur Duh, dupa cum si vo ati fost chemati la o singura nadejde a chemarii voastre.” (Efeseni 3:4)