Mountain pictures

I told you about the mountains the other day, so now I will show you some pictures.
Today is my last day here. I went to the market and I will spend the rest of the day packing and relaxing around here. I will leave here tomorrow morning at 5 and my plane leaves Cluj at 9:25. I will get into Grand Rapids at 6:23 tomorrow night.


The cabana we stayed in











The view from almost the top of the mountain











These girls clung to me the whole week. They were so sweet... Melita (Romanian version of Melissa), Ioana, and Adelina.










This is the view of the mountains I went to on Saturday

A week in the mountains

Today I got home from a week in the mountains. We left church around 10:30 Monday morning and got to the camp around 1. We had a nice cabana. It had a kitchen and a larger room we used for storage, a cellar, and 1 bedroom downstairs. Then there were 2 bedrooms upstairs where the little kids slept. And then the adults slept in the attic. There were matresses for us and blankets and it was quite comfortable. We had no running water but we had a well. The water was safe to drink, I drank it all week with no sickness. For toilets we had an outhouse and for a shower we had the river. We had a generator so we had electicity to cook with and lights when it got dark but that's it.
We fell into a sort of routine. Breakfast and then the Bible story. Then we had activity sheets related to the story and then craft time. Each day we had a different craft. After that was free time until lunch which was around 2. Then the kids had a rest time for about an hour. Some days they rested more than others. Then we would go for a walk and usually to the river. I got thrown into the river two times!!! Neither time was I expecting it, and the first time I had my clothes on! The second time I had my swimsuit on under my clothes. The water was very cold but it was so hot, about 30 C each day, and sunny. Except for Friday morning when we had a storm with marble sized hail. But the afternoon was good again.
We went on walks and saw some beautiful things. It was relaxing but also a lot of work. We constantly had to watch the kids and pay attention to them. I had a great time with the children and I grew very attached to them. I learned a lot of Romanian and everyone is surprised when I say a sentence in Romanian or answer their question with out a translator. I guess that's what happens when that's all you hear for a week!
Today I went up into the moutains with Nelutu, Evi and their son Robert. We left camp around 10:30. We drove for about 45 more minutes to the base of the mountain and then up we went. We stopped quite a few times on the way up. It got colder the higher up we went. We stopped and played in some snow too. And we went through the longest tunnel in Romania and then to the very top of the mountain. There was a beautiful waterfall and snow on the moutains and the roads were so curvy! I took so many pictures! On the way down we stopped at a lake but it was so foggy we couldn't even see the lake! We did some climbing to get a better view, so we were very hungry for lunch. On the way home we stopped at a few stores so they could get groceries and then came home.
It has been a busy week and I have not had much rest. So now I am very tired. I have to get up early for church tomorrow morning so I will go to bed soon. Noapte buna :)

Romania

Today was a very busy day. I met the CERT team at 8:40 this morning and we went shopping and for a tour of Medias. Then we went and spent the rest of the day in Sighisoara. They are leaving tonight so after I said goodbye I came back to the apartment. Now it is 11:18 and I'm tired, but I will put up some pictures from the week. I'll add a short description to each. Monday we will leave for camp in the mountains. It is supposed to be hot, today it was 30C, and very sunny, so the weather will be perfect. We'll come home sometime on Saturday. And I will arrive back in A-town on Wednesday evening.


This girl, Ela, was in Axente Sever last year. She remembered me and gave me a big hug when she saw me on Monday!









This is the kids eating their snack in Tarnavioara. They had graham crackers and fruit snacks to represent Noah's ark.











The kids in Saes.











People waiting for the medical clinic in Saes.









Dinner on Thursday night. It was cucumber and tomato salad. Beef chunks in sauce, and mamaligita, like a corn meal hash that you mix with the beef. And also fresh apricots.











On Friday, the women in Saes baked bread just for us in their brick oven. It was the best bread I have ever had!









The pastor in Danes wanted his picture taken with me.









Playing games in Axente Sever










The bridge going out of Tarnavioara. Also a good picture of the scenery.









A cute little boy from Tarnavioara.

Romania update

Today was day 3 of VBS. We have been in the same 2 villages since Monday and today was our last day in those 2. In the morning we are in Axente Sever and in the afternoon, Tarnavioara. Today we had games, Bible lesson, crafts, and snack. The children love it so much. Some of the kids I remember from last year and they remember me too. It was hard to say goodbye to them today because they hugged me so tight and asked when I would come back.

Tomorrow we will go to 2 different villages. I don't know the names but somewhere near Sighisoara. It will be good.

On Saturday, I will spend some time downtown with the CERT team in the morning and in the afternoon, we will go to Sighisoara (birthplace of Dracula).

Monday, I will leave for camp in the mountains until Saturday afternoon. Then I will have only 3 more days and I will come home on Wednesday.

I will burn pictures onto a CD for the CERT team probably on Friday, so I will try to post some pictures then.

It is late now, 11:05 and I still have things to do, so this is all for now. :)

I made it!!!

I made it to Romania yesterday afternoon, around 2:30 I arrived in Medias. All my travel was very smooth and all of my luggage made it! (That's a big deal as I have had trouble the last 2 trips) I rested yesterday afternoon and then I slept good at night too. I only got maybe 30 minutes of sleep on the plane! Today, I went to church in the morning, and in the afternoon, I went to meet the group from CERT. We unpacked their boxes and organized all the snacks, games, crafts and medicine items. I helped make some of the supplies for the craft. When that was done, I helped sort the medicine and put it into packages for in the villages tomorrow. Then we took a taxi to church. Tonight, the choir from Sibiu was here and it was wonderful! After church I talked with many many of my friends. It was good to see them all again. There was a reception in the downstairs of the church so we went down there for a while. Then I took the bus home and had dinner.
Tomorrow will be the first day in the villages. We will go to two villages I have been to before, Axente Sever, and Tarniaviora. I am excited to see the kids again. I am not sure what I am doing, but I will find out tomorrow.
I found out some things about the camp also. We will leave next Monday and return Saturday. 20 children are going, plus 9 adults, I think. We will have a generator so we can plug a fridge in. Also, the river is not used as a toilet, there is an outhouse....so I will not have to go a week with out bathing! *huge sigh of relief*!!! Nothing like miscommunication! There is an outhouse behind the cabin we will stay in. Other than that, I do not know much more.

Prayer Requests

***QUICK UPDATE 4:37 PM***
I went on to check the status of my flight earlier today and found out that I am on a different flight, I am now on flight 7115 and I leave GRR at 11:39. I changed this on the itinerary below also.


As I mentioned in my last post, I am leaving for Romania on Friday (tomorrow!!!!). One of the most important things people can do is to pray for me while I am there. I would like to ask for your prayers, here are some things that you can pray for....
...safe travel
...that I make all my connections and flights on time
...that God keeps me healthy
...safety as we go to the villages and mountains
...that God touches and opens the hearts of the children and others who we'll come into contact with
Thank you!!!

Romania Update

Well, I leave for Romania in 2 days. I'll be jetting away Friday morning.
Some things have changed since I last wrote about my trip so I thought I would update you.
I am leaving on Friday morning and I will arrive on Saturday around noon. From there it is a 2 hour drive to Medias, the town where I live. I will be staying with my friend Magda, at her house. Sunday I will go to church and meet the team that I will be working with for the next week.
From June 16-20, I will be working with a group from CERT. We will be doing Vacation Bible Schools and Medical Clinics in 4 different villages. We will be in one in the morning and a different one in the afternoon Monday-Wednesday and the same in 2 different villages Thursday and Friday. I'm not sure what aspect of this mission I will be helping with yet, but I am looking forward to working with CERT.
I will have the weekend to visit or travel or hang out with friends or shop or whatever I choose to do. Of course on Sunday I will go to church and spend time with friends.
Monday morning, we will leave for camp. We are going to a camp in the mountains about 1.5 hours away from Medias. I don't know much about the camp, but I do know this: there is no electricity, no toilets, and no showers. I was told that we will use the river for a toilet and if it is warm enough we will also bathe in the river. I stocked up on baby wipes because let me tell you...I am not going to bathe in the same water used as a toilet. I'm sorry but that's pushing it. My idea of roughing it at least includes a porta-potty! :) We will be doing VBS type things up in the camp. I am in charge of games and crafts. While I have a feeling it will be pushing my comfort level, I am very excited. There are about 30 kids from ages 8-14 who will be at camp and I think 4 or 5 adults.
We will return on Saturday. I will have the next few days to do whatever comes up to do. I leave again on Wednesday July 2.
I am not sure what type of access I will have to computers but if I get the chance I will be updating my blog.
If you're interested, here is my flight schedule:

Friday June 13th
Flight 7115 (United Express/Canadair) from GRR to ORD leaves at 11:29A arrives at 11:25A
Flight 435 (Lufthansa) from ORD to Munich leaves at 2:10P arrives at 5:55A (Saturday)
Flight 3496 (Lufthansa) from Munich to CLJ leaves at 9:10A arrives at 11:55A

Wednesday July 2nd
Flight 7016 (Austrian Air) from CLJ to Vienna leaves at 9:25A arrives at 10:15A
Flight 65 (Austrian Air) from Vienna to ORD leaves at 11:05A arrives at 2:20P
Flight 106 (United) from ORD to GRR leaves at 4:00P arrives at 5:52P (this plane might arrive earlier, it is a scheduled 52 minute flight but has a tendency to only take 25 minutes!)

Romania

As I mentioned yesterday, I'm leaving for Romania in less than 2 months...1 month, 29 days, and approximately 2 hours. (June 13) Wow. In a way, it almost doesn't seem real.
This will be my fourth mission trip to Romania. I went on my first trip in 2004. I went with a group of 8 people from my church. We did children's ministries in villages around Romania. I absolutely fell in love with Romania and the people. The next year, I desperately wanted to go back. I ended up going back, this time with just one lady from our church, Gerri, who has gone there nearly 30 times in the past 15 years. Again, I focused on children's ministries. I taught Bible stories and played games with the children. I worked with a woman, Maria, whose job was to go to this villages each week. The following year, it did not work out for me to return. However last summer, I was able to go back. This time, two of my friends from school, and my mom, and Gerri went with me. We did children's ministries again in the villages, but for a longer time each day.
This year's trip is going to be a completely different experience for me. I am going completely on my own. This is a huge step, but I have made the trip 3 times and I'm completely comfortable with the route and everything. Plus, I've experienced just about everything that could go wrong with air travelling, so I can deal with those issues.
My focus this year is going to be...children's ministries! Big surprise huh? :) The first week that I am there, I will be working with another group, CERT. We will be doing VBS, and a small medical and dental clinic, in 4 villages over the course of the week. The following week, I will be working with my good friend, Magda, and we will be doing VBS for the church in Medias. Those two activities consume 2 weeks, and then I will have the Monday of the next week to do whatever I choose, and I leave again on July 2.
I am super excited to see what is going to happen on this trip...and you can be assured that you will hear about it!

Ain't GOD cool?

So, as many of you know, I've been praying about returning to Romania this year. I know that God is calling me to keep doing mission work in Romania, but I don't yet know to what extent. Anyway, ever since I returned from my trip last summer, I've felt that God wants me to go back.

At first, I planned on going back, just by myself. I had my own intentions of staying for longer than 2 or 3 weeks...like the whole summer. Well, apparently God had different plans. One day at church, Nate, asked me if I would consider leading a group on a mission trip to Romania. Of course I said yes, and I'd pray about it. I knew that I wouldn't be able to stand it if a group went and I didn't go, so I knew that I would be going with them. Well, I prayed about it. And prayed. And prayed. And I finally felt that God was telling me to go ahead and lead a trip. Well, then I realized that I couldn't lead a trip and then send them all home and me just stay an extra few weeks, so I knew I would only be going for a couple weeks.

So, I put an "ad" in our church bulletin. Nothing. Prayed some more. Still nothing. After about 6 weeks of the info being published, it disappeared (hmmmmm....). I also had our pastor announce openings for the trip at both services. And we announced it at authentic. Still nothing.

Ok God. What are you trying to tell me?

By now it's the third week of February. Usually, we order our tickets by the end of January to get the best price. I'm at work listening to the radio. And a song comes on that really makes me think... Am I so concerned about going that I'm not really listening to what GOD wants me to do? So I'm at work praying. And like a human, I test God. Okay God, if you want me to go, send me a sign. Let one of the songs that comes on before I leave the room be one that I also know in Romanian. Nothing. Now I'm thinking that maybe it is just my plan, and maybe God is telling me to wait a year. Then I hear the words (in my head) wait for me. Okay, that's what I've been doing, but alright, I'll wait.

This is Tuesday night. Wednesday, I get an email from Gerri, the lady I usually go with. She forwarded me an email she had received from Lavi, the pastor's wife in Romania. In this letter, Lavi said that they have a team from CERT coming in June, and maybe it would be a good idea for me to come at the same time so I could hook up with them. So I emailed the man from CERT, telling him that I'm a friend of Gerri's, and have been to Romania 3 times and am very familiar with the area that they will be working in.

I got a reply from him on Thursday. After reading it, I was so elated that I felt like I could run around the world and not be tired! :) The dates that they are going to be there are the exact same dates that I had planned on going. (I plan on staying a little over 2 weeks, they'll be there for 1). They are going to Medias, which is my "home". They will be doing VBS, which is what I always do and what I had planned on doing. They will also be running a medical clinic. He said that they would love it if I joined up with them for the week that they will be in Medias.

Now, if you ask me, isn't it pretty clear that I should be there??? It's so hard to wait for God's timing. Patience is not one of my strengths, but obviously God is trying to teach me that. So I plan to order my ticket in the next few weeks (I'm now waiting on a friend who is praying about whether or not God wants her to come with me.) Even though I strongly dislike waiting, I know that God has plans above and beyond anything I could ever plan out...I just have to wait for him!

Romania...

As many of you know, my friend and fellow missionary to Romania, Gerri, has been in Romania for the past 23 days. She returned late this past Friday. Thankfully she was healthy through-out the entire trip and had an amazing time. Our friend, Claudia, had twin boys right before we went this June. They are now about 4 months old and doing great! They are not identical twins though,when they were born, they both had dark hair, but now Titus has dark hair and eyes, while Joel has blonde hair and blue eyes, they're opposites, like their parents. The pastor and his family are doing very well. Miriam, the pastor's youngest daughter, got married on September 29, so Gerri was able to attend her wedding. Her and her new husband Daniel, are doing well. Gerri talked with Peter, the man who runs Father's House, a children's orphanage/foster home organization there. Last June, I felt a strong call to get involved with this ministry. He said that there are many job openings in Medias, so there will be something for me to do, should I go there after I graduate college. My thoughts now are to hopefully take a team to Medias (Romania) for two weeks next July, and then I will probably stay there for another 3 weeks or so, to look into full time mission work there. Then I will return to Michigan where I will complete my associate's degree and graduate in the spring of 2009. That summer or fall, I will be moving to Romania as a full time missionary. In the meantime, I ask for your continued prayer as I seek where God wants me to go at this point in my life. Please join me in being a missionary right where you are...you can serve God in your home town, you don't have to travel overseas. If you feel God's call to go somewhere, that's awesome! follow Him, but we can all be missionaries right where we are today!!!

Good memories....

Well, everyone else is posting pictures and such from their summer, so I think I will join the crowd and post some of my favorite pictures from Romania...





We played a game with the kids in Medias













At the mission house, playing spoons












Doing a craft in Bazna












Some of our friends...at the mission house














This baby was so cute!!!!!!!!!!









Gloria....this was at her 3rd birthday party, and I asked her if I could take her picture. This was her (adorable) pose


















In Lodroman, with my new friend















Playing Simon Spune (Simon Says) in Alma Vii












In Sighisoara (birthplace of "Dracula")

super psyched!!!

I'm so excited, I can hardly sit still. Ok, that's a bit of an exaggeration, but you get the idea. So, over the past few weeks I've been searching online and stuff for a Romanian tutor or a place that I can take lessons somewhere around Grand Rapids area. Then this morning, when I picked Alecia up, she told me she had something really cool to tell me... She's going to ESL at another church, and last night there was a new lady there. She said she really wanted to help, but she didn't speak much spanish. Then she said that she speaks Romanian and her and her husband lived in Moldova for 3 years!! Alecia told her about me, and she's willing to teach me some Romanian!!! It's amazing how things can come together, and it made me realize that no matter how hard I searched, God will provide what I need, when I need it, according to HIS will.