For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.
-Colossians 1:9-14
Hello everyone!I hope you are all doing great.What a month October has been!
It all began with my good friend Susie arriving into Romania on September 30th.First we spent a few days together here in Brasov.Susie came to the hospital with me and visited my play room and kids.We made rice crispy treats for all the play therapists in the hospital.It was a nice treat for Susie to bring the supplies since we don’t have marshmallows here in Romania!They loved the treats!Susie received a “tour” of the hospital by Cami, and then we had a little bit of time having fun with one of my favorite children, Marius.
Susie and I visited Sinaia one afternoon, which was beautiful, and special to us, because the first time Susie came with me to Romania before I moved here, we had gone to Sinaia as well, so it was fun for us to go there again almost 3 years later.
Then on October 3rd, Susie, my missionary friends, Tim and Liz, and I all left for Italy!Susie totally blessed me with this trip and paid for almost everything.I would have never been able to go if it had not been for her.It was a great vacation and one that I very much needed and will never forget!We were very blessed to have warm weather and such a great time together.I had saved a few hundred dollars over 8 months for the trip, and was able to use that to pay for my transportation while in Italy and for most of my food, but Susie blessed me by paying for everything else.It was great!
We started our journey in Venice, then took the train to Florence, then to Rome, where we flew back to Bucharest. It was a whirl wind of a trip and I’m still processing all that we saw and ATE!Wow!Such amazing food!JI’m also still going through all 2000+ pics that I took and will have posted on my flickr site as soon as I go through them all!
Susie and I finished our time together with a rest for a couple of days in Bucharest, before she flew back home on the 15th.It was so wonderful having her out here.She blessed me in so many ways. By bringing me gifts from home, by taking me to Italy and just by being able to “hang out” with a good friend for 2 weeks!It was so needed!
I went back to the hospital on the 19th.Cami was so happy to have me back and I too was happy to be back with my kids and my friend Cami.My first week back we had mainly older kids which was fun, we worked on painting and art for the holidays.Then we had a huge group of kids of all ages.It was a lot of fun and a lot of craziness! But we all had a good time.I wish I would have gotten some pics.We had this one little boy, who was about 4, who goes by “Booboo”.He was so cute!He couldn’t speak really, but he was able to mimic sounds.He loved to get in everything, but he always had such a HUGE smile on his face, you could never get frustrated with him.We had an older girl too who was 13, I wrote about her on my blog earlier this month.(just an fyi, I do update my blog regularly).She was just one of those girls who tugged at my heartstrings.She had a rough life and lives in an institution.The ways she was acting out, totally made sense given her history. And it broke my heart for her.Sometimes there are those kids that just stay with you in your heart, and she is one of them.We had some drama too with a little boy today actually.I just ask that you pray for him if you think of it.He is only 6, and wow, how smart he is!But some of the stuff that happened today, just broke my heart for him.Unfortunately, I’m unable to write about it, but the Lord knows who he is.
I spent some time with my neighbor also this month.She had lots to say to me after not seeing me for a few weeks! It was so funny. I had bought her a tiny little calendar in Italy, which she was so happy to get from me!
Today I had Cami over for dinner.We had a great time together, with lots of laughing and talking.We daydreamed about opening a day center for Seniors here in Brasov.In a city as large as Brasov, with so many Senior Citizens, there is not 1 single Senior Center here.And there are SO many people who are lonely and have no one, like my neighbor, who are just home alone all day.Oh, to be able to open a place like this, where they can go and socialize, do crafts, listen to music, read, play games, have some tea and coffee, and to be able to share with them the hope of Christ!!!Wow, we had a good time talking about this…it is so needed here, maybe the Lord will open the door and provide the funds to be able to do this someday.Cami said, with the number of Seniors we have here, we could open 20 centers, and they would be packed everyday.
Tonight for dinner I was able to use some of the food Susie had brought me from the States that my mom had bought me.So I made Cami and I a “Mexican Fiesta”!We had homemade refried beans, tacos, nachos, chile rellanos and taco sauce from home! It was so good, and a special treat for both Cami and I, as they don’t really have Mexican food at all in Romania.Then for dessert, I opened one of the bags of marshmallows Susie had left me, and we roasted marshmallows on my stove! Haha…Cami had never had this before ever in her life!It was so fun! So I sent her home with a little bag of marshmallows, so she could share the experience with her husband and daughter.
I want to also include a couple pics of my lunch at Cami’s house from last month.Because I had written my letter early last month, I didn’t get to post any pics, and we had the best day together at Cami’s house out in the village where she lives!We had a barbecue, and I went on a bike ride with her husband and daughter out to a lake for a bit, and we sat and talked for hours!It was a perfect Sunday afternoon.
OH! I need to give you an important update!You know, there have been so many times over these past 2 years, where I have found myself in situations where I just did not have a clue how things were going to work out, and the only option I had was to pray.Well this month was the same.I had decided before I left for Italy, that when I returned I was going to have to move to another apartment.While my rent had not actually increased, because I pay in Euro, and the value of the Euro is increasing and the value of the dollar is decreasing, my rent has actually gone up over $50 since I moved in, and with winter coming and the cost of heating, I would not be able to afford to stay in my place.So I prayed and prayed about finding a new place that I could afford.I had Cami call my landlady for me to explain clearly to her in Romanian that I was going to have to move, and that I was very sorry for this.I really love my apartment and didn’t want to move, but I had to.My landlady offered instead for me to pay only 200 euro for rent instead of 270!That is a huge difference! Over $100 less!Wow!That is such a miracle for how big my apartment is and how wonderful it is.I am so blessed that the Lord provided me with an option I didn’t think was even possible, so I didn’t even bother bringing it up.I just assumed God was going to have to find me a new place to live, I didn’t think at all that my landlady would lower my rent that much!In the area I live, it is hard to find studio apartments that are that cheap!So, again, I am blessed and thankful for how the Lord answers prayers and how He has taken care of me.
Weather wise, things are beautiful.The leaves are changing and we have already had our first (and second!) snow of the season… Looks like things are going to start to be really cold from now until March!Yikes! That is a long winter for a Southern California girl!But I look forward to experiencing a true, Romanian/Transylvanian Mountain Winter!Cami tells me it is so beautiful, and from what I have seen from last year and over the past couple of weeks, it should be great!
Be blessed my friends this November, I know I have so much to be thankful for!I am doing a little project called “30 Days of Thanks”.It’s something small using my pictures, verses and quotes.One for each day, if you would like to be a part and don’t have access to my facebook or blog, I can put you on my e-mail list for this, just let me know.Talk to you all soon! Hope you all have a wonderful holiday season together, I will miss being home for Thanksgiving this year, but I pray that you all have a great time with your family and friends.
Spent the evening listening to classical music and creating fun things for November.... oh and of course...making a mess in my living room, right after I got done cleaning it all up. hehe
Such a great evening!
Now off to do my devotional time...then...off to bed....early again.....
So today was interesting. Every once in a while I get a child that just becomes really attached to my heart. Usually it is some really cute little one, or a disabled child with a beautiful smile and bright eyes...but today...actually since Friday there has been this one girl who just doesn't fit the usual mold. She is 13, and honestly I need to find out why she was with us to begin with, as I didn't see anything visibly that would suggest why she was on my floor as long as she was. But anyway, she is a typical teen 13 year old girl. Pretty, cute, awkward in that "i'm 13" kinda way. But she was not really nice to the other kids, always making fun of the kids with disabilities, mocking the way they tried to speak, yelling at the little ones who bothered her. I was constantly getting on her to be more nice to the other kids and she would just laugh and shrug it off. (aww....13 year olds...)
Well, I did find out that she lives in an institution, an orphanage basically. I was surprised cause normally kids from institutions are not as clean or as put together as she was. But I learned she hasn't been there too long, but was placed there because of family problems. Some pretty sad stuff has happened to her...which of course shed some light on some of her behaviors.
I thought she was leaving us on Friday to go back to the institution. So this whole weekend I've been thinking about her and praying for her....just thinking it was strange how much my heart had changed from really not feeling anything super special towards her to really just having a heart for her....then this morning I was very happy to see her again. She only speaks Romanian, and my Romanian is still pretty limited but we talked a little today. More than just superficial stuff. I saw her give Cami a really long hug...like she just needed it...then later that morning I got a long one too! I was surprised. But it was obvious she was just craving love...
I gave her a small gift this afternoon when she left. She asked, "for me?" when she saw it, and I said yes, she got all emotional about it like she could cry if I didn't change the subject quick....I gave her the standard double kiss on the cheeks, another hug and thanked her for all the help she was with painting decorations last week. I told her to 'be good', (ugh i wish I knew how to speak more romanian!) and she thanked me too a bunch of times. It was a nice moment.
I'm not saying any of this for any reason really. Especially not to give any props to myself. Perhaps this is just my way of processing right now. I guess a good lesson I learned from it is if one of the kids is acting out...maybe I should know more before I get so frustrated. But I guess I also learned how the Lord can so easily change our hearts. I actually miss my little friend, knowing she won't be there tomorrow morning. And I feel sad that she had to return to an institution, even though I hear it is a good one.
It's interesting how, at times like this, we want to give gifts...I gave her a little gift to remember me...and in my mind I wonder if I could see her again what I would want to "give" her. Then tonight I realized, that all the gift giving in the world, would only be "things"...it would not fill the hole in her heart right now, or heal the hurt she has experienced...she needs Jesus. Like each of these kids do...she doesn't need jewelry or clothes or a program or whatever...she needs Jesus. So I guess for now, even with not seeing her, I can still pray for her...and give her that...she may never know that I'm praying for her, but I will. And I pray that the Lord will meet her where she is, that He will heal her broken heart and become Savior of her life...
I think this one will be in my heart for a while...
I do so hope that I will get organized soon and be able to do a quick little post on my wonderful blessing of a vacation to Italy! I am working on pics right now, but hope to get something posted on here soon....I have so many projects going through my head right now to work on...it's tough staying focused on just one!
but...pics...posts and good things to come.
xo
As a side note, the weather here has been interesting to say the least. On the 16th it snowed! My first official snow day of the season, and way too early as far as I am concerned. Then the snow melted and it rained...and was cold, very cold. Then today, it decided to get warm! Like jeans and a t-shirt warm. Crazy weather...all over the world from what I hear. Well, I do love the Fall time and really don't want it to be winter just yet...but I do live in the mountains, so we will see what happens.
Can I just say that I live in a beautiful country. This was the view out my window the other day as I was taking the train back to Brasov from Bucuresti. I was surprised to see snow! After spending a couple weeks in Italy with really warm weather I was not expecting to see that! But the contrast of the fall trees and snowy mountain (note the cross on top) was totally beautiful. I'm happy I could snap a pic from the train to remember it.
While on the train, I was listening to Chris Tomlin and just looking out the window. My 'theme song' for the year came on...Glorious. The lyrics along with the view really humbled me.
"Glorious, over us...You shall reign...Glorious"
At that moment the view out my window was of the fall sun rising over the now golden fields of the Romanian countryside. I could hardly keep from crying at how wonderful, amazing, loving and gracious our God is. He is truly Glorious. I'm blessed to be approaching my 2 year mark here in Romania. I don't know what the future will hold, as 2 years was my original commitment. I am spending the weekend praying about all this. I love it here. I love the work, I love the people and the kids and babies. I love the language. But above all of this, I can truly say I simply love being in the center of the Lord's will.
And if His will is going to keep me here or move me on somewhere else, I am totally at peace with that. I want to be obedient. I'm looking forward to seeing what He has in store for me as He reveals His plan.
