Today is Tuesday. It's pouring rain, with lots of thunder and lightning. God's sound and light effects in real time! ' Let it rain - Holy Spirit Rain Down - Love Rain Down on Me' I don't know what I expected, but I didn't expect this. I have a private room (thanks Steve) and we share a kitchen where lots of delicious food mysteriously arrives for us. This is not helping my training routine at all! Also the rain is hindering my running.
I got to play saxophone at a bible study last night for a struggling church that Betania is helping. The Romanian language is beautiful, and even though I couldn't understand what they were singing, I know the Spirit was there. We did Joyful, Joyful and How Great Thou Art. music truly is the universal language. Everything was fine until the questions started coming about church discipline. "What do you do when a church member marries an unbeliever?" Sheesh! How about love them both with the love of God? That's essentially what Pastor Rich said. It seems they kicked the poor women out of the church who couldn't find a good man her age in the church and married a man from the Romanian Orthodox Church. Then they got rid of the pastor. He didn't perform the ceremony but went to their house and prayed for them. Now they are without a pastor and without an opportunity to minister to the newly maried couple. Being objective has its advantages. Now I need to look at how I treat people who don't fit my preconceived notions of what christianity should look at.
Music Camp International was a blast! Connie Fortunato has a great team assembled. She has incredible energy, but what realy impresses me is her patience. Amazing how she juggles teaching this many kids (about 185), the staff, the symphony, and all the logistical demands. I got to help teach recorder to four different groups of kids. I worked with the alto recorders. With one group we breezed through the material and were bored, so I started playing two recorders at once in harmony. That was too much of a distraction to the other group, though, so I stopped. Near the end of the mass choir rehearsal Connie asked me if I wanted to play the flute while they sang "This Little Light of Mine". I couldn't run fast enough to get my flute! Then I remembered, 'no running in the hallway'. I loved playing with them and they all seemed to enjoy it.
Well, gotta run to rehearse for service tonight.
Peace and love from our Father above, Tony B.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Monday, June 29, 2009
Church, Church, Church, and ... Church and.... Church
Okay, so Steve told you about our tour of the old town yesterday. Let me elaborate on a few things.
Flavius is a wonderful young man. He is Ovie's cousin, if you remember one of the earlier blogs where Steve posted some pics. He was employed as a truck delivery driver but was laid off about seven to eight months ago. And he also pastors two small churches in the area of Avrig, a large village about 30 kilometers southeast of Sibiu. He is very proud of his hometown of Sibiu and was very happy to be able to show it to us.
The history of the Lutheran or Evangelical Church building is a major illustration of the history of Sibiu and of Transylvania in general. In an area where the Orthodox Church is so dominant it is the Hungarian and Germanic influence that is best seen in this church building. It took over 200 years to build this great cathedral and it is ironic that after a few decades after completion, the congregation and church building become Protestant because of the Reformation.
I really wanted Jerry and Steve to see the Orthodox Church because it is the dominant faiith expression in Romania. There is so much in that place that is so steeped in tradition. The lines of people that were waiting to kiss and pray before icons. And as we were leaving the huge line that waited patiently to worship before a chest full of the bones of a saint. This is the faith that dominates and oppresses the vast majority of Romanian people. It is easy to forget that the work of the Gospel here must be seen in the background of this.
When we walked into the Roman Catholic church, the irony of the Reformation became clear. This building is much more modest and scaled back from the Evangelical church that was originally built by Roman Catholics. The few people praying in there is again indicative of the stranglehold that the Orthodox church has on the people.
In the afternoon, I went to the ecumenical prayer gathering in a small Evangelical (Lutheran) church just outside the town center (a few blocks from the Orthodox church building). It is again easy to forget the influence of the modern world and Western Europe on this community. Yet here again, though most were evangelical Christian, there was an influence of secular, ecumencial thought that entered into the prayers for Sibiu, Romania, Europe, and the World.
Finally, after picking up Tony at the airport, we went to a men's bible study in a small, ultra-conservative evangelical church. Here the oppression is in narrow-minded, almost legalistic adherance to church rules and regulations and a warped perception of what holiness is all about. Our discussion was lively even though we, at the time, did not know or realize the background of the conversation. I thank God that we didn't. I believe in our many journeys of the day through so many different churches and expressions of what people think Christian faith is all about helped me to focus and teach what I thought biblical principles of churchmanship is. I'm so grateful that, on the surface, these men were open and willing to accept what I had to offer. And I pray that we, as Americans and Christians, helped to focus them in the right direction.
Today, we go to Slimnic and I hope to share more of what God wants us involved with in that ministry to seniors.
Flavius is a wonderful young man. He is Ovie's cousin, if you remember one of the earlier blogs where Steve posted some pics. He was employed as a truck delivery driver but was laid off about seven to eight months ago. And he also pastors two small churches in the area of Avrig, a large village about 30 kilometers southeast of Sibiu. He is very proud of his hometown of Sibiu and was very happy to be able to show it to us.
The history of the Lutheran or Evangelical Church building is a major illustration of the history of Sibiu and of Transylvania in general. In an area where the Orthodox Church is so dominant it is the Hungarian and Germanic influence that is best seen in this church building. It took over 200 years to build this great cathedral and it is ironic that after a few decades after completion, the congregation and church building become Protestant because of the Reformation.
I really wanted Jerry and Steve to see the Orthodox Church because it is the dominant faiith expression in Romania. There is so much in that place that is so steeped in tradition. The lines of people that were waiting to kiss and pray before icons. And as we were leaving the huge line that waited patiently to worship before a chest full of the bones of a saint. This is the faith that dominates and oppresses the vast majority of Romanian people. It is easy to forget that the work of the Gospel here must be seen in the background of this.
When we walked into the Roman Catholic church, the irony of the Reformation became clear. This building is much more modest and scaled back from the Evangelical church that was originally built by Roman Catholics. The few people praying in there is again indicative of the stranglehold that the Orthodox church has on the people.
In the afternoon, I went to the ecumenical prayer gathering in a small Evangelical (Lutheran) church just outside the town center (a few blocks from the Orthodox church building). It is again easy to forget the influence of the modern world and Western Europe on this community. Yet here again, though most were evangelical Christian, there was an influence of secular, ecumencial thought that entered into the prayers for Sibiu, Romania, Europe, and the World.
Finally, after picking up Tony at the airport, we went to a men's bible study in a small, ultra-conservative evangelical church. Here the oppression is in narrow-minded, almost legalistic adherance to church rules and regulations and a warped perception of what holiness is all about. Our discussion was lively even though we, at the time, did not know or realize the background of the conversation. I thank God that we didn't. I believe in our many journeys of the day through so many different churches and expressions of what people think Christian faith is all about helped me to focus and teach what I thought biblical principles of churchmanship is. I'm so grateful that, on the surface, these men were open and willing to accept what I had to offer. And I pray that we, as Americans and Christians, helped to focus them in the right direction.
Today, we go to Slimnic and I hope to share more of what God wants us involved with in that ministry to seniors.
International Music Camp and Stereotypes
Today, Karen and I started our first full day at the Music Camp. There are 200 kids, and the day is broken up into 4 classes: 2 sectional rehearsals and 2 elective classes (choosing from musical games, violin, guitar, and another that I don't know.) The class teachers teach 4 times. They end with a joint choir rehearsal. I'm helping with the Musical Games (rhythmic notation) class, and the teacher is using the rhythm syllable system that I'm familiar with, so she had me teach two of the classes. She said that the students pay more attention because I speak English, and they're concentrating on that as well as the music theory. I've still got the "teacher look" when trying to get the kids to be quiet in the big choir, and now I can say "listen" and "no talking" in Romanian. Kids are kids and teachers are teachers; I guess there's no stereotyping there - just the reality of human nature and professions. We're enjoying the 10-minute walk to/from the Music Camp, as it crosses the Piata Mare (Big Plaza) and we get a quick view of Romanian life as the people go through their daily routine.
The last member of our team, Tony Bolivar, arrived safely tonight and had enough energy to go to a men's bible study, saxophone in hand. I can't wait to see what Connie will have him do at the Music Camp.
As I've said before, this is not exactly the camping-in-the-wilderness/hard-physical-labor/ sacrificial missions trip that many people associate with the word "mission." It's making me think what exactly a "mission" is supposed to be, or rather, how the expectation/stereotype of the word has kept me from recognizing that I am called to do a mission for God all the time, every day. What is that mission? It can be different things in different situations, but this mission is to come alongside and encourage/support/ admonish/care for/love the saints around the world. If our mere presence (or modest attempts at Romanian praise singing) can do that, then we are fulfilling our mission here, now. It's still a situation where we praise God for His almighty power, thank Jesus for His sacrifice to bring us into the Father's presence, and ask the Holy Spirit for wisdom and guidance to do the Father's work, wherever we are. And to be in a foreign country means that we're only expectant for His plans, not ours. That's an expectation I should live with.
Pace (pah-chay) [peace],
Joanne
The last member of our team, Tony Bolivar, arrived safely tonight and had enough energy to go to a men's bible study, saxophone in hand. I can't wait to see what Connie will have him do at the Music Camp.
As I've said before, this is not exactly the camping-in-the-wilderness/hard-physical-labor/ sacrificial missions trip that many people associate with the word "mission." It's making me think what exactly a "mission" is supposed to be, or rather, how the expectation/stereotype of the word has kept me from recognizing that I am called to do a mission for God all the time, every day. What is that mission? It can be different things in different situations, but this mission is to come alongside and encourage/support/ admonish/care for/love the saints around the world. If our mere presence (or modest attempts at Romanian praise singing) can do that, then we are fulfilling our mission here, now. It's still a situation where we praise God for His almighty power, thank Jesus for His sacrifice to bring us into the Father's presence, and ask the Holy Spirit for wisdom and guidance to do the Father's work, wherever we are. And to be in a foreign country means that we're only expectant for His plans, not ours. That's an expectation I should live with.
Pace (pah-chay) [peace],
Joanne
Our first official day as tourists
So, after getting back last night, I think its pretty safe to say the universal feeling was "tired". So, today was a light day, at least for the guys. Joanne and Karen went to help out today at the music camp, so that left Pastor Rich, Jerry and myself free. So, Radu had a friend of his, Flavius, take us around Sibiu and show us the city. I never realized just how much history is in this "little" city. I say little because, while it is physically small, it is also dense, equalling the population of Hayward in about 1/3 the size.
We started the tour with a stop by the Lutheran (Evangelical) church via the Lesser Plaza. Now, once again, I forgot to bring the camera with me, but Jerry was kind and let me borrow theirs. So, as soon as I can get a media card reader that works, I will post the pics from the walk today. Anyways, we took a tour of the church, which was huge inside. It was originally a Roman Catholic church, but was converted just after completion due to the Reformation. Both Jerry and I found it funny that the Lutherans converted some of the artistry to fit their beliefs, like covering up Mary Magdalene on one of the paintings. We got to see just about everything, including the gravestones for the "honored" dead, i.e. the privileged class who made large contributions to the church. We also got a little history while in the church, seeing how the town was intricately constructed to be a fortress with each set of buildings acting as a layer of defense against invaders.
Afterwards, we went over to the school that Flavius used to attend as a child. We got to see the projects on-display from the graduating class (8th grade). We also got to hear a little bit about his childhood as he attended the school.
Now, this next part gets me a little aggravated, so please excuse me if I seem to get a little belligerent. Next, we went to the Orthodox church. We actually went in while a service was starting. I couldn't believe the intricate architecture and artistry in this place. It was amazing to say the least, even if it was spiritually off-kilter. But, why does a church have something this elaborate and expensive when poverty runs rampant?!?! Why does a church, one of who's purposes is supposed to be help the sick and needy, have this much money wrapped up in one building?!?! What happened to being charged to help those in need?!?!
Anyways, coming back down off my soapbox, we moved on to a park up the street. This seemed to be right out of the movies. Congregated in a small area were dozens of people playing chess, bridge and backgammon with trees, statues and a fountain as the backdrop. So, as we continued to walk through the park, we ended up running into a familiar set of faces. As it turns out, Adi and Moni had taken their daughter to the children's hospital for a checkup. It was nice to run into them again after the camp.
Continuing on, we got to see one of the old city walls and a couple of the watchtowers. After so many centuries, these still stand tall as icons of Sibiu's withstanding of the siege from the Turks. Its amazing to see how well they are not only preserved but integrated into the ever-developing city.
We continued on into the Big Plaza. First, we got to see the Roman Catholic church. I had to chuckle a bit when I noticed that the Catholic church is smaller than the Lutheran church. :) It was fairly empty, with only a few people inside who were there to not be tourists, so I didn't feel bad for snapping a couple of pictures. Afterwards, we got see some of City Hall, albeit not a whole lot. However, as most of us were getting hungry, we decided to head back to our room at Betania.
We actually made it just in time, as lunch was just coming in for us as we walked in. They had prepared green bean soup and cabbage/pork rolls for us, which were, again, really good! The only problem is, now I was ready for a nap. And take one I did. I ended up missing the prayer group in the afternoon and woke up shortly before Tony arrived. But, I did need that nap, as I was very sleep-deprived from the past couple weeks.
So, Tony got a chance to settle in just before Radu returned to pick us up for a Bible study that was being held at another church in-town. It was a little interesting at first, as we walked in right in the middle of their worship session. But, once again, their hospitality surprised me and they welcomed us in. One of the gentlemen even gave me his song book so that I could join them as they sang along and flipped to each song as we started a new one. What was really amazing was seeing Tony grab his sax and join in. Afterwards, we spent the evening discussing some of the issues they were each facing within the church and sharing some of our own experiences with these same issues. What was really great, at least from my stomach's perspective, was that we got to end on a very sweet note...with gogosi!!!! :D
So, here I sit at the end of the night (almost midnight) and just about ready to go to bed. Have a great rest of the day everyone and I'll see you all soon.
We started the tour with a stop by the Lutheran (Evangelical) church via the Lesser Plaza. Now, once again, I forgot to bring the camera with me, but Jerry was kind and let me borrow theirs. So, as soon as I can get a media card reader that works, I will post the pics from the walk today. Anyways, we took a tour of the church, which was huge inside. It was originally a Roman Catholic church, but was converted just after completion due to the Reformation. Both Jerry and I found it funny that the Lutherans converted some of the artistry to fit their beliefs, like covering up Mary Magdalene on one of the paintings. We got to see just about everything, including the gravestones for the "honored" dead, i.e. the privileged class who made large contributions to the church. We also got a little history while in the church, seeing how the town was intricately constructed to be a fortress with each set of buildings acting as a layer of defense against invaders.
Afterwards, we went over to the school that Flavius used to attend as a child. We got to see the projects on-display from the graduating class (8th grade). We also got to hear a little bit about his childhood as he attended the school.
Now, this next part gets me a little aggravated, so please excuse me if I seem to get a little belligerent. Next, we went to the Orthodox church. We actually went in while a service was starting. I couldn't believe the intricate architecture and artistry in this place. It was amazing to say the least, even if it was spiritually off-kilter. But, why does a church have something this elaborate and expensive when poverty runs rampant?!?! Why does a church, one of who's purposes is supposed to be help the sick and needy, have this much money wrapped up in one building?!?! What happened to being charged to help those in need?!?!
Anyways, coming back down off my soapbox, we moved on to a park up the street. This seemed to be right out of the movies. Congregated in a small area were dozens of people playing chess, bridge and backgammon with trees, statues and a fountain as the backdrop. So, as we continued to walk through the park, we ended up running into a familiar set of faces. As it turns out, Adi and Moni had taken their daughter to the children's hospital for a checkup. It was nice to run into them again after the camp.
Continuing on, we got to see one of the old city walls and a couple of the watchtowers. After so many centuries, these still stand tall as icons of Sibiu's withstanding of the siege from the Turks. Its amazing to see how well they are not only preserved but integrated into the ever-developing city.
We continued on into the Big Plaza. First, we got to see the Roman Catholic church. I had to chuckle a bit when I noticed that the Catholic church is smaller than the Lutheran church. :) It was fairly empty, with only a few people inside who were there to not be tourists, so I didn't feel bad for snapping a couple of pictures. Afterwards, we got see some of City Hall, albeit not a whole lot. However, as most of us were getting hungry, we decided to head back to our room at Betania.
We actually made it just in time, as lunch was just coming in for us as we walked in. They had prepared green bean soup and cabbage/pork rolls for us, which were, again, really good! The only problem is, now I was ready for a nap. And take one I did. I ended up missing the prayer group in the afternoon and woke up shortly before Tony arrived. But, I did need that nap, as I was very sleep-deprived from the past couple weeks.
So, Tony got a chance to settle in just before Radu returned to pick us up for a Bible study that was being held at another church in-town. It was a little interesting at first, as we walked in right in the middle of their worship session. But, once again, their hospitality surprised me and they welcomed us in. One of the gentlemen even gave me his song book so that I could join them as they sang along and flipped to each song as we started a new one. What was really amazing was seeing Tony grab his sax and join in. Afterwards, we spent the evening discussing some of the issues they were each facing within the church and sharing some of our own experiences with these same issues. What was really great, at least from my stomach's perspective, was that we got to end on a very sweet note...with gogosi!!!! :D
So, here I sit at the end of the night (almost midnight) and just about ready to go to bed. Have a great rest of the day everyone and I'll see you all soon.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
More Pics and a Video
We have a great team in Romania:
Steve giving his message at the family retreat
Jerry preaching at Roşia
Joanne, Karen, & Emma singing at Roşia
Steve giving his message at the family retreat
Jerry preaching at Roşia
Joanne, Karen, & Emma singing at Roşia
God is doing some amazing things through these individuals.
Pics from Family Camp
Ok, so I'll post a few now. Enjoy. :)
Entrance to the resort:
The main dining area (not where we ate and had the meetings):
Everyone playing soccer (before I joined in):
Just about everyone that came to the camp:
Ovi and his wife Debbie (I hoped I spelled their names right):
Adi, his wife Moni and their daughter Mina:
Radu and his wife Ema:
And some of the scenery:
Entrance to the resort:
The main dining area (not where we ate and had the meetings):
Everyone playing soccer (before I joined in):
Just about everyone that came to the camp:
Ovi and his wife Debbie (I hoped I spelled their names right):
Adi, his wife Moni and their daughter Mina:
Radu and his wife Ema:
And some of the scenery:
Day two of Family Camp
Good evening everyone. Time for another update from me...and I'll try not to fall asleep at the laptop as I type it. :)
So, I awoke this morning to some rather troublesome news. Apparently, Ari and his wife Moni had to take their little girl to the hospital while I was asleep at their house. Turns out she has a minor infection. She's doing better now, but I remember what those are like from my own childhood and still can't help but feel sympathy for her.
However, the camp must go on. So, after getting everyone ready, we all head out to go back to the resort for the second day. Which meant that I was going to up to speak on the topic of how to build a spiritual life as a couple. Needless to say, I was a bit nervous, as I always seem to be when I get ready to speak. Part of that I think is that I take too much ownership of the message, worrying that I won't be able to get across to them what God wants me to. I guess the big word that I need to remind myself of is "surrender"...surrender to the fact that I not up there to change lives, but to let God changes lives through me. I really hope that the couples that attended were listening to what God was saying to them and pulled something from it, but maybe that's just me still trying to take ownership of something that isn't mine to own, but rather to be a part of.
In any case, we packed up and got ready to head out. But, not without seeing some more of the resort we were staying at. One of the dads took us up the road a bit to the second lodge for a wonderful view of the foothills, the valley and the Carpathian mountains. And, of course, this was the one time I left the camera behind. GAH! Oh well, it turns out it was good I did, as some of the guys were there with a soccer ball. And who was I to turn down some ball-time with them again? :) But, after some brief warm-ups, we (the team) had to head back down for lunch, as we had to leave early to get back in time to drop off the ladies of our team for the music camp rehersals. So, after another round of great Romanian food, we went back to Sibiu and Betania. I'll admit, these past few days have been a blur, with the time difference, losing a day and being on the go with little sleep.
Anyways, we got back into Sibiu and dropped the ladies off. A few minutes later, the rest of us were back in our room in Sibiu. We had a little time on our hands to rest up and get ready to head to the small church in Roşia. This is the church that the teams before me helped to build, so it was very humbling to sit in the presence of the work that God has done through them. In any case, we joined them just as they had started worship. I was intrigued at how their service was held, having multiple times of worship followed by prayer. Afterwards, Pastor Rich and I introduced ourselves, since we were the only two not really participating in this service. Joanne and Karen followed us with a praise song done partly in English and partly in Romanian, accompanied by Emma (Radu's wife).
Now, it was Jerry's time to shine, so to speak. He got up and delivered a very powerful message that seemed to move a lot of the crowd. Radu followed him with yet another great message while Emma translated for us. After the service, we were shown around the new church, starting with the lower floor and new classroom and kitchen they are finishing up. Next, we were taken upstairs and shown the current classrooms they use, the room they are hoping to use to host guests as they come along and the room they are wanting to set up as a computer lab. And, of course, everyone starts looking at me once the word "computer" was mentioned. Go figure! :D
After taking in all that the church has and is offering to the village (and, of course, the awesome scenery around...and again, no camera lol), we came back into Sibiu for some downtime and dinner. I can't say enough just how hospitable the people here are. We walked into our room to find the table set and dinner waiting for us. And yes, it was very good indeed. :) So, after spending some time relaxing and finally getting in my first shower of the day (I know, pretty gnarly), I'm ready to hit the sack. So, have a great rest of the day (or night, wherever you may be) and I'll post again tomorrow.
Also, for those of you wondering and/or asking, I'm going to try and post some pics soon. But, as of right now, I've got 223 of them to go through. But, I will say, I'm really glad I got Jennifer this camera. Its been a big hit and very handy.
Goodnight everyone.
So, I awoke this morning to some rather troublesome news. Apparently, Ari and his wife Moni had to take their little girl to the hospital while I was asleep at their house. Turns out she has a minor infection. She's doing better now, but I remember what those are like from my own childhood and still can't help but feel sympathy for her.
However, the camp must go on. So, after getting everyone ready, we all head out to go back to the resort for the second day. Which meant that I was going to up to speak on the topic of how to build a spiritual life as a couple. Needless to say, I was a bit nervous, as I always seem to be when I get ready to speak. Part of that I think is that I take too much ownership of the message, worrying that I won't be able to get across to them what God wants me to. I guess the big word that I need to remind myself of is "surrender"...surrender to the fact that I not up there to change lives, but to let God changes lives through me. I really hope that the couples that attended were listening to what God was saying to them and pulled something from it, but maybe that's just me still trying to take ownership of something that isn't mine to own, but rather to be a part of.
In any case, we packed up and got ready to head out. But, not without seeing some more of the resort we were staying at. One of the dads took us up the road a bit to the second lodge for a wonderful view of the foothills, the valley and the Carpathian mountains. And, of course, this was the one time I left the camera behind. GAH! Oh well, it turns out it was good I did, as some of the guys were there with a soccer ball. And who was I to turn down some ball-time with them again? :) But, after some brief warm-ups, we (the team) had to head back down for lunch, as we had to leave early to get back in time to drop off the ladies of our team for the music camp rehersals. So, after another round of great Romanian food, we went back to Sibiu and Betania. I'll admit, these past few days have been a blur, with the time difference, losing a day and being on the go with little sleep.
Anyways, we got back into Sibiu and dropped the ladies off. A few minutes later, the rest of us were back in our room in Sibiu. We had a little time on our hands to rest up and get ready to head to the small church in Roşia. This is the church that the teams before me helped to build, so it was very humbling to sit in the presence of the work that God has done through them. In any case, we joined them just as they had started worship. I was intrigued at how their service was held, having multiple times of worship followed by prayer. Afterwards, Pastor Rich and I introduced ourselves, since we were the only two not really participating in this service. Joanne and Karen followed us with a praise song done partly in English and partly in Romanian, accompanied by Emma (Radu's wife).
Now, it was Jerry's time to shine, so to speak. He got up and delivered a very powerful message that seemed to move a lot of the crowd. Radu followed him with yet another great message while Emma translated for us. After the service, we were shown around the new church, starting with the lower floor and new classroom and kitchen they are finishing up. Next, we were taken upstairs and shown the current classrooms they use, the room they are hoping to use to host guests as they come along and the room they are wanting to set up as a computer lab. And, of course, everyone starts looking at me once the word "computer" was mentioned. Go figure! :D
After taking in all that the church has and is offering to the village (and, of course, the awesome scenery around...and again, no camera lol), we came back into Sibiu for some downtime and dinner. I can't say enough just how hospitable the people here are. We walked into our room to find the table set and dinner waiting for us. And yes, it was very good indeed. :) So, after spending some time relaxing and finally getting in my first shower of the day (I know, pretty gnarly), I'm ready to hit the sack. So, have a great rest of the day (or night, wherever you may be) and I'll post again tomorrow.
Also, for those of you wondering and/or asking, I'm going to try and post some pics soon. But, as of right now, I've got 223 of them to go through. But, I will say, I'm really glad I got Jennifer this camera. Its been a big hit and very handy.
Goodnight everyone.
Jon & Kate + Super Nanny= Minstry
Luckily everyone else filled you in on the details of our last 2 days, because I had a pretty special experience I wanted to share. Sometimes God puts you in a place you need to be, even though you don't know it, and that is what happened to me.
The original plan for the trip was that Joanne and I would stay in Sibui while the guys went to family camp, but once we arrived in town we figured out that we could all go to Family Camp and Pastor's Wife, Joanne was given the task of running a women's break out group. While I prepared a couple of things to say during the break out I was very much in a "back seat" mode.
So we get to the resort and Pastor Rich uses a Jon and Kate plus Eight example to illustrate scriptural advise on marriage. I kept thinking it was too bad my daughter, Katelyn, wasn't there to hear a Jon and Kate sermon as it is one of her favorite shows.
That evening Joanne did a great job running our women's group, and channeling her "inner Jojo" when asked about disciplining children. Joanne asked if any of the women had questions and one woman asked a question related to something she was struggling with. I had been sitting there thankful that not much was required of me, but after Joanne answered her, I felt like I needed to let Laura know that her struggle was also a struggle for me. After talking briefly, I thought to myself, maybe I didn't really express what I wanted, but let it go.
The next day Laura sat across from me at breakfast and asked if we could talk privately. She said that she felt like I might be able to help her with a situation and we ended up going for a walk and talking at length. She lived in an orphanage for her whole life, and had an amazing story to tell about how it has impacted her life. She is now an engineer and married with 2 wonderful kids, and on the surface looked to me like she had an almost perfect life, but she carries many of the burdens of her childhood. Even though our lives are totally different I was able to talk with her and provide her with some thoughts that she seemed to value. I asked if I could pray for her and she cried and said no one had prayed for her 1:1 in a long time. It was an amazing experience to hear about her life and connect with her, and to learn from her experience, and I felt that I now knew at least one of the reasons that I came to Romania.
Laura happened to be the same person who had "How Great is our God" in Romanian in a song book that we used to get the Romanian words for our last minute musical performance in the village church this evening. That song coming together was a miracle in and of itself.
Some other time I'll have to tell you about horseback riding, amazing views, and the beautiful Romanian children at family camp. I was surprised the women asked about ideas about disciplining their children because to me they seemed very well behaved and loving children, and certainly not in need of a Super Nanny intervention. Their church family is literally a family to them. Karen
PS. Jerry did a great job with his first real preaching gig!
The original plan for the trip was that Joanne and I would stay in Sibui while the guys went to family camp, but once we arrived in town we figured out that we could all go to Family Camp and Pastor's Wife, Joanne was given the task of running a women's break out group. While I prepared a couple of things to say during the break out I was very much in a "back seat" mode.
So we get to the resort and Pastor Rich uses a Jon and Kate plus Eight example to illustrate scriptural advise on marriage. I kept thinking it was too bad my daughter, Katelyn, wasn't there to hear a Jon and Kate sermon as it is one of her favorite shows.
That evening Joanne did a great job running our women's group, and channeling her "inner Jojo" when asked about disciplining children. Joanne asked if any of the women had questions and one woman asked a question related to something she was struggling with. I had been sitting there thankful that not much was required of me, but after Joanne answered her, I felt like I needed to let Laura know that her struggle was also a struggle for me. After talking briefly, I thought to myself, maybe I didn't really express what I wanted, but let it go.
The next day Laura sat across from me at breakfast and asked if we could talk privately. She said that she felt like I might be able to help her with a situation and we ended up going for a walk and talking at length. She lived in an orphanage for her whole life, and had an amazing story to tell about how it has impacted her life. She is now an engineer and married with 2 wonderful kids, and on the surface looked to me like she had an almost perfect life, but she carries many of the burdens of her childhood. Even though our lives are totally different I was able to talk with her and provide her with some thoughts that she seemed to value. I asked if I could pray for her and she cried and said no one had prayed for her 1:1 in a long time. It was an amazing experience to hear about her life and connect with her, and to learn from her experience, and I felt that I now knew at least one of the reasons that I came to Romania.
Laura happened to be the same person who had "How Great is our God" in Romanian in a song book that we used to get the Romanian words for our last minute musical performance in the village church this evening. That song coming together was a miracle in and of itself.
Some other time I'll have to tell you about horseback riding, amazing views, and the beautiful Romanian children at family camp. I was surprised the women asked about ideas about disciplining their children because to me they seemed very well behaved and loving children, and certainly not in need of a Super Nanny intervention. Their church family is literally a family to them. Karen
PS. Jerry did a great job with his first real preaching gig!
Family Retreat
Our weekend at the resort for the family retreat was very nice, definitely not my idea of roughing it for a missions trip. The families were very welcoming and the kids were really cute. 5-year-old Iris sang "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" and "Are You Sleeping?" in English. After the message, Karen and I met with the women for questions about marriage and parenthood...which I was supposed to answer. With the Holy Spirit's wisdom (and a little channeling of Super Nanny), we got through it. I made a triangular origami box to illustrate how our 3-way relationship to God progressively gets us closer together. How's that for using one's little gifts!
Today (Sunday),we had breakfast, a morning session where Steve gave a very good message, and then lunch. We drove back to Sibiu in time for Karen and I to get to Connie Fortunato's International Music Camp introduction. That's where we'll be this whole week from 9am- 2:30pm. There are about 200 students from 10-14 years old. Connie started right in with learning music, so I had to dig into my memory for the Curwen hand signs for do-re-mi, for those of you who know what that is. Unfortunately, I also had to jump into the "spit out the gum" and "no talking" mode from junior high, too. We're going to have a concert on Friday afternoon with a full orchestra.
We had a 10-minute walk back to the church from the school where the Music Camp is so that we could leave for Roşia, a gypsy village about 30 minutes away by car. On Saturday night, Rich asked Karen and I to sing a song at the church, so we decided on "How Great Is Our God" because the chords are simple and the chorus was simple enough to sing in Romanian. Now, remember the marriage seminar, and the fact that Rich and I were married the longest of anyone there? Well, we're still working on our mind-reading because I thought I had asked Rich to write the words to the song because we didn't know both verses. So as we're in the car on the way to the church, I asked Rich for the words and he didn't have them. I pulled out the paper with the Romanian words and started writing the English words as Rich played the song on his iPhone. Fortunately, Emma agreed to sing with us to reinforce the Romanian chorus, but she also sang the English with us, even though I only wrote the beginning words of each phrase. God uses His servants when we totally give Him the outcome, as we did for our song. It was Jerry's turn to give the message, and he did a very good job as well.
Upon returning to the Betania Church, we found the table set with potatoes, cabbaage salad, chicken, bread, and dessert in the refrigerator, plus our coldcuts tray had been replenished and new loaves of bread were on the side table. They are very generous here!
I think it will be nice to have a regular schedule for the upcoming week, but Radu has plans for us to see Sibiu also, so I'll still be blogging about new and interesting things. Although I have every intention of keeping it short, the descriptions just take time. You'll just have to come to Romania one day to experience these things yourself.
Thanks for reading, and keep praying for God to use us in these everyday things that we're doing!
Joanne
Today (Sunday),we had breakfast, a morning session where Steve gave a very good message, and then lunch. We drove back to Sibiu in time for Karen and I to get to Connie Fortunato's International Music Camp introduction. That's where we'll be this whole week from 9am- 2:30pm. There are about 200 students from 10-14 years old. Connie started right in with learning music, so I had to dig into my memory for the Curwen hand signs for do-re-mi, for those of you who know what that is. Unfortunately, I also had to jump into the "spit out the gum" and "no talking" mode from junior high, too. We're going to have a concert on Friday afternoon with a full orchestra.
We had a 10-minute walk back to the church from the school where the Music Camp is so that we could leave for Roşia, a gypsy village about 30 minutes away by car. On Saturday night, Rich asked Karen and I to sing a song at the church, so we decided on "How Great Is Our God" because the chords are simple and the chorus was simple enough to sing in Romanian. Now, remember the marriage seminar, and the fact that Rich and I were married the longest of anyone there? Well, we're still working on our mind-reading because I thought I had asked Rich to write the words to the song because we didn't know both verses. So as we're in the car on the way to the church, I asked Rich for the words and he didn't have them. I pulled out the paper with the Romanian words and started writing the English words as Rich played the song on his iPhone. Fortunately, Emma agreed to sing with us to reinforce the Romanian chorus, but she also sang the English with us, even though I only wrote the beginning words of each phrase. God uses His servants when we totally give Him the outcome, as we did for our song. It was Jerry's turn to give the message, and he did a very good job as well.
Upon returning to the Betania Church, we found the table set with potatoes, cabbaage salad, chicken, bread, and dessert in the refrigerator, plus our coldcuts tray had been replenished and new loaves of bread were on the side table. They are very generous here!
I think it will be nice to have a regular schedule for the upcoming week, but Radu has plans for us to see Sibiu also, so I'll still be blogging about new and interesting things. Although I have every intention of keeping it short, the descriptions just take time. You'll just have to come to Romania one day to experience these things yourself.
Thanks for reading, and keep praying for God to use us in these everyday things that we're doing!
Joanne
Village Church
This afternoon we got back from the family retreat in the mountains and drove to a village church in the foothills. This is a church other FCC ministry teams helped build. The message I had prepared weeks before, fell into place exactly with the music and scripture prepared by their worship team.PRAISE GOD... and that was the message PRAISE GOD.
Jerry
Jerry
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Day one of Family Camp
Ahhhh, what a first day. So, lets start at the beginning...
I ended up going to sleep shortly after I made my last post to the blog. I was sitting in my room and felt like the room was moving all around me. Definitely not a good sign! So, after a couple phone calls, I called it a night. God was telling me my body and mind needed the rest more than the message needed preparing. And who was I to argue? :)
So, after a few hours of sleep, I woke up to a thunderstorm starting, albeit I thought it was just going to be rain. So, I closed the window as much as I could without closing it all the way. And, of course, I was now wide awake. So, I opened the laptop, fired up Word and away we went as God directed me in what to prepare in the message. So, as I typed away, I notice a flash...then, about 8 or so seconds later, followed by thunder. Oh boy, here's coming a thunderstorm! Now, here's where my geek-ness comes into play. Instead of thinking "oh man, that means I'm not going to sleep anytime soon I guess", I start thinking "I should probably unplug the laptop just in case". Eh, whatever, I'll keep working. So, again, away I typed. Then came one more lightning strike followed by thunder. This time, though, it was only a few seconds apart. Then came the third set. Only about a second apart (if that) and it shook the building. And then it was time to unplug the laptop! :D
Anyways, as the thunder rolled on through the night, I continued preparing until it was finished. So, at 6 am local time, I layed back down for a couple more hours rest, which was great. As the morning approached (I know, its already morning, but follow me here), I was awoken by a high-pitched scratching...by a pidgeon that decided to land on my window. And so starts the day!
Radu and Emma picked us up around 9:30 to take us up to the camp. And it was a perfect opportunity to play tourist. So, out came the camera and the memory card became a little more full. Then we arrived at the camp...which meant more pictures!! :) The camp was being held at a resort set back into the foothills of the Carpathian mountain range, so you can imagine what kind of pictures I took. After everyone arrived and we settled into our dining and discussion hall, we congregated to begin the camp. First, we had prayer and worship, which was great. It always fascinates me to hear the same songs I know in a language I don't. To see a different culture worshipping God in a different language but with the same songs is an amazing sight to me. So, next up was Pastor Rich with his message. He preached out of Ephesians 5 on the importance of submission, not only for wives to their husbands but for husbands to their wives along with both to God. A very good message indeed. Now, what was even more amazing about this messsage is that it set up a lot of what I will be covering tomorrow (as I was rescheduled between my last post and this morning). What makes it amazing is that I felt I needed to add more support for it, but God kept telling me "no". And now I know why. :)
Now it was time for everyone to move into the rooms we were staying at. We moved our stuff into the room on the third floor, which was amazing to say the least. However, it would only sleep four...and there are five of us right now. As it turns out, more couples ended up coming to the camp than anticipated and their were not enough rooms for everyone. What a problem to have, right? There's too many families wanting to strengthen their marriages and their relationships with God for me to stay there. :) So, I am now staying with another one of the ministers, Ari, and his family. I'll add more details about this in just a bit. So, after all the families and couples got settled in, we met back downstairs for lunch. This was my first real experience of Romanian food (besides the aformentioned gogosi, pronounced gogosh). The food was great, and included a vegetable soup to start with followed by chicken served over garlic mashed potatoes. Very good indeed!
Now we were faced with a small problem. After taking in all that great food, what do we do to work it off? Their answer...soccer! I haven't played in over ten years, and although I was tempted to play, I decided to take more pictures. After wandering around with the camera playing tourist, the Bordens showed me where everyone else went. So, I went down to the soccer field...and took more pictures of them playing and everything else around the field (the small ponds, the river, etc.). But, after turning down a couple of invitations to play, I finally decided to put the camera away and play. And boy was I out of practice...and out of shape! But, no matter. The object wasn't to win, but to have fun and, as one of the guys put it, survive to the end of the game. So, in I went and played I did. Somehow, I actually managed to score 2 goals. Go figure! :) Needless to say, this was a great bonding experience for me with some of the Romanians that came.
After a nice shower and a change of clothes, we moved on to the couples time. This is where the couples sit and discuss their marriage in an effort to strengthen not only their marriage but also their relationship with God, both individually and as a couple. Our team decided to spend the time bonding as a team, discussing past experiences along with our trip thus far. I was actually a little sad that it had to end as soon as it did, but who am I to argue with dinner. :) So, off to more great Romanian food we went.
And oh was it great! We had seasoned, grilled pork chops served with skinned, baked red (I think) potates and salad. Needless to say, I'm still a little full!
So, with a good dinner in the stomach, it was time to move on to the last part of the day. For this, we split off into 2 groups, one for the husbands and one for the wives. In this time, we discussed not only how the message from this morning impacted each of us but also how we are putting forth the effort to enrich our spiritual lives in regards to our relationships (well, their marriages and my relationship :) ). For me, I got to hear about ways to do this not only in a marriage but also with kids in the picture. So, after we heard from everyone, we paired off and prayed for each other. And, being that I came here to serve, I made myself available to anyone.
And, God being who He is, had a gentleman by the name of George sit with me and we began to share about our weak points and then prayed. What's truly amazing is that this man, some 6000+ miles away in a completely different culture, has a lot of the same struggles in his life as I do. Now, not wanting to turn down an opportunity, we prayed for each other and, afterwards, shared ways that we can continue to grow stronger in our walks with God and be more Godly men to the lady in our perspective lives (him to his wife, me to Jennifer). I came to serve, but ended up being served as well. God is good, yes?
So, with the evening over and everyone free to do as they wish (ping-pong and pool were the 2 games being played) Ari and I packed up along with his family and others to come back. Ari and his family have opened their home to me to stay for the night so that everyone else can stay on-site for the family camp. Truly, these are amazing people God has brought around me. So, after a great discussion in the van, we arrived at their home. And, after some Romanian ice cream (which, yes, is pretty great indeed :) ), I sit here now updating you all on the day that has just passed. Unfortunately, the family camp doesn't have an internet connection, so the rest of the team won't be posting until tomorrow. So, look forward to seeing what they experienced.
Until then, goodnight everyone and God bless. I'll post again soon, and please forgive any typos. It is 15 min. to 1am here and I'm running on maybe 7-8 hrs. total of sleep for the past 2 days. Time for some sleep.
I ended up going to sleep shortly after I made my last post to the blog. I was sitting in my room and felt like the room was moving all around me. Definitely not a good sign! So, after a couple phone calls, I called it a night. God was telling me my body and mind needed the rest more than the message needed preparing. And who was I to argue? :)
So, after a few hours of sleep, I woke up to a thunderstorm starting, albeit I thought it was just going to be rain. So, I closed the window as much as I could without closing it all the way. And, of course, I was now wide awake. So, I opened the laptop, fired up Word and away we went as God directed me in what to prepare in the message. So, as I typed away, I notice a flash...then, about 8 or so seconds later, followed by thunder. Oh boy, here's coming a thunderstorm! Now, here's where my geek-ness comes into play. Instead of thinking "oh man, that means I'm not going to sleep anytime soon I guess", I start thinking "I should probably unplug the laptop just in case". Eh, whatever, I'll keep working. So, again, away I typed. Then came one more lightning strike followed by thunder. This time, though, it was only a few seconds apart. Then came the third set. Only about a second apart (if that) and it shook the building. And then it was time to unplug the laptop! :D
Anyways, as the thunder rolled on through the night, I continued preparing until it was finished. So, at 6 am local time, I layed back down for a couple more hours rest, which was great. As the morning approached (I know, its already morning, but follow me here), I was awoken by a high-pitched scratching...by a pidgeon that decided to land on my window. And so starts the day!
Radu and Emma picked us up around 9:30 to take us up to the camp. And it was a perfect opportunity to play tourist. So, out came the camera and the memory card became a little more full. Then we arrived at the camp...which meant more pictures!! :) The camp was being held at a resort set back into the foothills of the Carpathian mountain range, so you can imagine what kind of pictures I took. After everyone arrived and we settled into our dining and discussion hall, we congregated to begin the camp. First, we had prayer and worship, which was great. It always fascinates me to hear the same songs I know in a language I don't. To see a different culture worshipping God in a different language but with the same songs is an amazing sight to me. So, next up was Pastor Rich with his message. He preached out of Ephesians 5 on the importance of submission, not only for wives to their husbands but for husbands to their wives along with both to God. A very good message indeed. Now, what was even more amazing about this messsage is that it set up a lot of what I will be covering tomorrow (as I was rescheduled between my last post and this morning). What makes it amazing is that I felt I needed to add more support for it, but God kept telling me "no". And now I know why. :)
Now it was time for everyone to move into the rooms we were staying at. We moved our stuff into the room on the third floor, which was amazing to say the least. However, it would only sleep four...and there are five of us right now. As it turns out, more couples ended up coming to the camp than anticipated and their were not enough rooms for everyone. What a problem to have, right? There's too many families wanting to strengthen their marriages and their relationships with God for me to stay there. :) So, I am now staying with another one of the ministers, Ari, and his family. I'll add more details about this in just a bit. So, after all the families and couples got settled in, we met back downstairs for lunch. This was my first real experience of Romanian food (besides the aformentioned gogosi, pronounced gogosh). The food was great, and included a vegetable soup to start with followed by chicken served over garlic mashed potatoes. Very good indeed!
Now we were faced with a small problem. After taking in all that great food, what do we do to work it off? Their answer...soccer! I haven't played in over ten years, and although I was tempted to play, I decided to take more pictures. After wandering around with the camera playing tourist, the Bordens showed me where everyone else went. So, I went down to the soccer field...and took more pictures of them playing and everything else around the field (the small ponds, the river, etc.). But, after turning down a couple of invitations to play, I finally decided to put the camera away and play. And boy was I out of practice...and out of shape! But, no matter. The object wasn't to win, but to have fun and, as one of the guys put it, survive to the end of the game. So, in I went and played I did. Somehow, I actually managed to score 2 goals. Go figure! :) Needless to say, this was a great bonding experience for me with some of the Romanians that came.
After a nice shower and a change of clothes, we moved on to the couples time. This is where the couples sit and discuss their marriage in an effort to strengthen not only their marriage but also their relationship with God, both individually and as a couple. Our team decided to spend the time bonding as a team, discussing past experiences along with our trip thus far. I was actually a little sad that it had to end as soon as it did, but who am I to argue with dinner. :) So, off to more great Romanian food we went.
And oh was it great! We had seasoned, grilled pork chops served with skinned, baked red (I think) potates and salad. Needless to say, I'm still a little full!
So, with a good dinner in the stomach, it was time to move on to the last part of the day. For this, we split off into 2 groups, one for the husbands and one for the wives. In this time, we discussed not only how the message from this morning impacted each of us but also how we are putting forth the effort to enrich our spiritual lives in regards to our relationships (well, their marriages and my relationship :) ). For me, I got to hear about ways to do this not only in a marriage but also with kids in the picture. So, after we heard from everyone, we paired off and prayed for each other. And, being that I came here to serve, I made myself available to anyone.
And, God being who He is, had a gentleman by the name of George sit with me and we began to share about our weak points and then prayed. What's truly amazing is that this man, some 6000+ miles away in a completely different culture, has a lot of the same struggles in his life as I do. Now, not wanting to turn down an opportunity, we prayed for each other and, afterwards, shared ways that we can continue to grow stronger in our walks with God and be more Godly men to the lady in our perspective lives (him to his wife, me to Jennifer). I came to serve, but ended up being served as well. God is good, yes?
So, with the evening over and everyone free to do as they wish (ping-pong and pool were the 2 games being played) Ari and I packed up along with his family and others to come back. Ari and his family have opened their home to me to stay for the night so that everyone else can stay on-site for the family camp. Truly, these are amazing people God has brought around me. So, after a great discussion in the van, we arrived at their home. And, after some Romanian ice cream (which, yes, is pretty great indeed :) ), I sit here now updating you all on the day that has just passed. Unfortunately, the family camp doesn't have an internet connection, so the rest of the team won't be posting until tomorrow. So, look forward to seeing what they experienced.
Until then, goodnight everyone and God bless. I'll post again soon, and please forgive any typos. It is 15 min. to 1am here and I'm running on maybe 7-8 hrs. total of sleep for the past 2 days. Time for some sleep.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Comfort Zone
Family,
They told me one purpose of this mission trip was to remove us from our comfort zones and challenge ourselves to see things in a new God centered way.
I know many of you were worried if I would be able to make this trip as I am just recovering from an angioplasty surgery. It was a very tiring trip in which we stayed awake almost 24 hours on the trip to Romania, with a few hours of sleep stolen in very confining airplane seats.
Don't worry. I am fine. Pastor Rich was the head scout as we hit three airports and found our way to the right gates. He was great. Even though Steve was strapped down with carry on equipment (tech guy) he always strood to let me have a seat on the buses that take you to and from the planes, if it was crowded (and it was always crowded). It is great to have my best friend and wife Karen along to support me in every way.
I am definately out of my comfort zone, away from family and friends who are supportive and Christian. One infamous episode of the trip was that I had a man sitting behind me on the 10 hour flight to Frankfurt, who would not let me put my seat back. He cursed at me everytime I tried to lean back and he would hit the seat and jolt me to keep my seat upright, even when the plane was darkened and everyone was sleeping. I don't know if I should say he was French and rude, or just rude... but I could only do my best to not lose my temper. TALK ABOUT THE LORD testing you.
As we left Munich, I was dragging my carryon by the shoulder strap rather than carry it and I was very tired... everyone could see it and as we were descending six flights of stairs, I just prayed on every flight for God to give me a second wind and strength... AND HE DID. As I got on the plane for the last two hours to Romania, I felt it come over me. As most of the team slept, I was awake and reading Fresh Wind Fresh Fire. I told Pastor Rich I HAVE AM REFRESHED and how I had my prayer answered. When we got to Romania I took a 20 minute nap, but other than that I walked to the square, uphill, upstairs, and across two large plazas. I watched the activity of Sibui in the plaza... kid playing in the fountain, an old lady feeding circling flocks of pigeons, and families strolling. It is a beautiful, peaceful, friendly place that God delivered me to here in Sibui.
Today, I am going to a Christian, mountain retreat to minister to families struggling to be what God intends for all of us.... to be happy in life through being happy in the LORD.
Your Brother In Christ,
Jerry Borden
They told me one purpose of this mission trip was to remove us from our comfort zones and challenge ourselves to see things in a new God centered way.
I know many of you were worried if I would be able to make this trip as I am just recovering from an angioplasty surgery. It was a very tiring trip in which we stayed awake almost 24 hours on the trip to Romania, with a few hours of sleep stolen in very confining airplane seats.
Don't worry. I am fine. Pastor Rich was the head scout as we hit three airports and found our way to the right gates. He was great. Even though Steve was strapped down with carry on equipment (tech guy) he always strood to let me have a seat on the buses that take you to and from the planes, if it was crowded (and it was always crowded). It is great to have my best friend and wife Karen along to support me in every way.
I am definately out of my comfort zone, away from family and friends who are supportive and Christian. One infamous episode of the trip was that I had a man sitting behind me on the 10 hour flight to Frankfurt, who would not let me put my seat back. He cursed at me everytime I tried to lean back and he would hit the seat and jolt me to keep my seat upright, even when the plane was darkened and everyone was sleeping. I don't know if I should say he was French and rude, or just rude... but I could only do my best to not lose my temper. TALK ABOUT THE LORD testing you.
As we left Munich, I was dragging my carryon by the shoulder strap rather than carry it and I was very tired... everyone could see it and as we were descending six flights of stairs, I just prayed on every flight for God to give me a second wind and strength... AND HE DID. As I got on the plane for the last two hours to Romania, I felt it come over me. As most of the team slept, I was awake and reading Fresh Wind Fresh Fire. I told Pastor Rich I HAVE AM REFRESHED and how I had my prayer answered. When we got to Romania I took a 20 minute nap, but other than that I walked to the square, uphill, upstairs, and across two large plazas. I watched the activity of Sibui in the plaza... kid playing in the fountain, an old lady feeding circling flocks of pigeons, and families strolling. It is a beautiful, peaceful, friendly place that God delivered me to here in Sibui.
Today, I am going to a Christian, mountain retreat to minister to families struggling to be what God intends for all of us.... to be happy in life through being happy in the LORD.
Your Brother In Christ,
Jerry Borden
Jerry and I are sharing his e-mail for blogging purposes-- isn't that what marriage is all about? A timely sharing since we will both be on panel discussions at Family Camp today.
The blogs so far were discriptive of the trip here. The flight took forever, and I finished a long novel in my nifty e-reader on the way. Jerry will have to share his experience, but I will just say the flight had the loudest ambience of any I have taken -- between a tour group constantly visting with each other and many babies and small children, sleep was not a real option, even for a skilled plane sleeper like me!
We are staying in housing at the church and it is like a giant apartment. The refrigerator was filled with goodies for us, and it is a great place to stay. I made up for the minimal sleep while traveling by sleeping great last night. (There was quite a thunder storm at 2:30 in the morning, but even that didn't keep me awake for long...) I think we have avoided the worst of jet lag on this trip.
We walked around the town square yesterday and I really like the architecture and ambiance of the area. Kim-- we are looking forward to getting that Sorbet.
Katelyn-- we miss you and hope you have a great time at Hume!
The blogs so far were discriptive of the trip here. The flight took forever, and I finished a long novel in my nifty e-reader on the way. Jerry will have to share his experience, but I will just say the flight had the loudest ambience of any I have taken -- between a tour group constantly visting with each other and many babies and small children, sleep was not a real option, even for a skilled plane sleeper like me!
We are staying in housing at the church and it is like a giant apartment. The refrigerator was filled with goodies for us, and it is a great place to stay. I made up for the minimal sleep while traveling by sleeping great last night. (There was quite a thunder storm at 2:30 in the morning, but even that didn't keep me awake for long...) I think we have avoided the worst of jet lag on this trip.
We walked around the town square yesterday and I really like the architecture and ambiance of the area. Kim-- we are looking forward to getting that Sorbet.
Katelyn-- we miss you and hope you have a great time at Hume!
My Version of the Plane Day
Isn't it interesting how God put us in different seats to have different experiences? On the first long flight, I sat next to a French woman who taught English to 11-14 year-olds, so we shared our teaching experiences (her 40 years vs. my 4 years), how classroom management has gotten more difficult as the family units break down, and how teachers don't get paid enough for the task of preparing the future leaders of our countries. I guess some things never change.
At any rate, 24+ hours after rising for our day of flying, we arrived safe and sound to the picturesque town of Sibiu. The old, old buildings belie the fact that it's a living, vibrant city. The church actually seems "modern" compared to the buildings across the street. We are staying in the apartment-like attachment to the church, on the second and third floors. The second floor has two bedrooms, two baths, and a kitchen and dining area. On the third floor, up a very steep set of stairs, there are three bedrooms and the computer room. We sent the young whipper-snapper Steve to the upstairs room.
It's now Saturday morning and we're preparing to go to a family retreat that runs today and tomorrow morning. Steve and Jerry will be giving messages, and Rich and I might be leading separate discussion groups for men and women regarding marriage, family, kids, etc. It's a good thing God uses people who aren't perfect in the areas He leads us to discuss!
Keep praying for God's mighty hand to pour blessings on these people through our best efforts, backed up by the Holy Spirit.
At any rate, 24+ hours after rising for our day of flying, we arrived safe and sound to the picturesque town of Sibiu. The old, old buildings belie the fact that it's a living, vibrant city. The church actually seems "modern" compared to the buildings across the street. We are staying in the apartment-like attachment to the church, on the second and third floors. The second floor has two bedrooms, two baths, and a kitchen and dining area. On the third floor, up a very steep set of stairs, there are three bedrooms and the computer room. We sent the young whipper-snapper Steve to the upstairs room.
It's now Saturday morning and we're preparing to go to a family retreat that runs today and tomorrow morning. Steve and Jerry will be giving messages, and Rich and I might be leading separate discussion groups for men and women regarding marriage, family, kids, etc. It's a good thing God uses people who aren't perfect in the areas He leads us to discuss!
Keep praying for God's mighty hand to pour blessings on these people through our best efforts, backed up by the Holy Spirit.
A First Good Night's Rest
Okay, everything that Steve and Kim went down pretty much the way they related it. I have to apologize for my short blogs on the way to SFO and on the plane. I was doing a quick email to the blog from my iPhone and my thumbs are not the greatest for inputing. (That's when you get short quick little email replys for those interested).
Steve didn't point out that we had a chance to walk up to the old town from Betania. Everyone, except for Jerry, got their taste of gogosi. It was our tribute to Glenn Rose as we walked around the town. After we got back to Betania, Radu and Emma Cimpean arrived to greet us. Radu, the associate pastor at Betania, had just driven in from Sinaia, a three hour drive from here. We went over the plans for the week and outlined some thoughts for the family retreat which begins today.
The primary word for Romanian ministry is "FLEXIBILITY". So we're working on what we have to do and maintaining an open mind to the fact that everything is subject to change at a moment's notice. I LOVE IT because that is pretty much what missions is all about.
Well, as Steve put it, we'll get back to you soon on what's happening.
Steve didn't point out that we had a chance to walk up to the old town from Betania. Everyone, except for Jerry, got their taste of gogosi. It was our tribute to Glenn Rose as we walked around the town. After we got back to Betania, Radu and Emma Cimpean arrived to greet us. Radu, the associate pastor at Betania, had just driven in from Sinaia, a three hour drive from here. We went over the plans for the week and outlined some thoughts for the family retreat which begins today.
The primary word for Romanian ministry is "FLEXIBILITY". So we're working on what we have to do and maintaining an open mind to the fact that everything is subject to change at a moment's notice. I LOVE IT because that is pretty much what missions is all about.
Well, as Steve put it, we'll get back to you soon on what's happening.
We made it!
Yup, we made it. And boy was it a loooooooong trip getting here. The 747 to Frankfurt wasn't the most comfortable in the world (as I was told to expect), but it did the job just fine. I was fairly tired from lack of sleep the past few nights, so I was hoping to get some sleep on the flight. Unfortunately, that only happened in spurts (partly due to me not being able to sleep on a plane and partly due to some rowdy passengers next to me). But, the food was pretty decent, at least as far as airplane food goes. And I'm glad I brought my iPod with me so I had something to listen to, as the movie selection really did nothing for me. Go figure. :)
As Kim pointed out, I packed the least of everyone. 1 carry-on and one small bag for the camera, that's it. And in that carry-on, I managed to fit a week's worth of clothes, my laptop, most of my materials to prep for the lesson I need to work on after this and my toiletries. Not too bad for the small bag I have.
So, the first stop was Frankfurt. This meant we were on the above-mentioned 747 for 10 hrs. roughly. Yeouch! So, we arrived in Frankfurt at 9:45-ish their time, 12:45-ish CA time. So, we get off, ride the airbus to the terminal, go through customs (the guy snickered at my brand-new passport :) ), go back through security and get on the second plane. This one takes us to Munich...a whopping 1 hr. flight, if that. I believe it was something like 186 miles away. Real short flight. Munich was a breeze and we get on our last plane, this time going to Sibiu, Romania. By far, this was the smallest plane I had ever been on. It wasn't a turbo-prop, but it wasn't much bigger. So, after a couple hrs. of being on the last plane, we made it in to Sibiu, our final destination.
First up was customs. My nice-and-shiny new passport didn't want to work with their machines, so that meant a slight delay. Oh well, it happens. Then was getting the rest of the luggage. Again, no real biggie for me. However, I'd like to note that Pastor Rich had to explain his bags to security...go figure. :P Anyways, we were greeted by some members of the Betania church, where we are currently staying right now. They took most of our luggage for us, loaded us up in 2 cars and took us here. And the driver was nice enough to slow down or stay stopped for a few seconds at times to let me get some (hopefully) good pictures in. :D
So, now I need to get my message together for tomorrow's family camp. Until tomorrow night everyone, take it easy and I'll talk to you soon. Much love for you all.
- Steve
Eccl. 4: 9 - 12
As Kim pointed out, I packed the least of everyone. 1 carry-on and one small bag for the camera, that's it. And in that carry-on, I managed to fit a week's worth of clothes, my laptop, most of my materials to prep for the lesson I need to work on after this and my toiletries. Not too bad for the small bag I have.
So, the first stop was Frankfurt. This meant we were on the above-mentioned 747 for 10 hrs. roughly. Yeouch! So, we arrived in Frankfurt at 9:45-ish their time, 12:45-ish CA time. So, we get off, ride the airbus to the terminal, go through customs (the guy snickered at my brand-new passport :) ), go back through security and get on the second plane. This one takes us to Munich...a whopping 1 hr. flight, if that. I believe it was something like 186 miles away. Real short flight. Munich was a breeze and we get on our last plane, this time going to Sibiu, Romania. By far, this was the smallest plane I had ever been on. It wasn't a turbo-prop, but it wasn't much bigger. So, after a couple hrs. of being on the last plane, we made it in to Sibiu, our final destination.
First up was customs. My nice-and-shiny new passport didn't want to work with their machines, so that meant a slight delay. Oh well, it happens. Then was getting the rest of the luggage. Again, no real biggie for me. However, I'd like to note that Pastor Rich had to explain his bags to security...go figure. :P Anyways, we were greeted by some members of the Betania church, where we are currently staying right now. They took most of our luggage for us, loaded us up in 2 cars and took us here. And the driver was nice enough to slow down or stay stopped for a few seconds at times to let me get some (hopefully) good pictures in. :D
So, now I need to get my message together for tomorrow's family camp. Until tomorrow night everyone, take it easy and I'll talk to you soon. Much love for you all.
- Steve
Eccl. 4: 9 - 12
Thursday, June 25, 2009
How they REALLY got to the airport
Okay, so Pastor Rich posted simply that the team is on their way to SFO. Here is how it really went....
Tony lent his van to Kim...it seats 7 without much room for luggage. So, Kim picks up the Bordens first. Waving goodbye to their daughter and puppy, we all head over to pick up the Hongs. Hmmmm, luggage space is getting scarce and Naomi, Rich and Joanne's daughter, notes that the van is getting lower to the ground. Oh, don't forget that Naomi needs to bring her Hume Lake AND Spain luggage with her....
With 6 of us in the van, our luggage and an enormous but delicious smelling cantaloupe in the van, we waddle over to pick up Steve.
Now if you know Steve, he is a big guy. Could probably lift all our luggage by himself if he had enough fingers. Of all our team members, he packs the lightest. Looks like he plans on being gone 2 or 3 days. That's a relief since we can just squeeze him in with all the luggage we already have. And thank goodness Naomi is tiny enough to sandwich in the way back with her parents.
Fully loaded, the van drives kind of like a boat, squishy and sloggy. Sorry about all the technical terms...look them up on dictionary.com or something. Everyone confirms that they indeed have their passports and tickets. Whew.
Everyone piles out at SFO and we give quick hugs/waves goodbye. It feels weird to just flop them out on the sidewalk and drive off. I am usually the one leaving on a plane! The van feels all young and spry again as Naomi and I head home...with a stop for lunch on the way. I wonder if the team got their bulkhead seats or not. I wonder if they have seen the menu for the meals they'll get onboard. I wonder if Steve will be able to catch some z's on the ride over. Really, I just wonder a lot. Can't wait to read how things are going!
Tony lent his van to Kim...it seats 7 without much room for luggage. So, Kim picks up the Bordens first. Waving goodbye to their daughter and puppy, we all head over to pick up the Hongs. Hmmmm, luggage space is getting scarce and Naomi, Rich and Joanne's daughter, notes that the van is getting lower to the ground. Oh, don't forget that Naomi needs to bring her Hume Lake AND Spain luggage with her....
With 6 of us in the van, our luggage and an enormous but delicious smelling cantaloupe in the van, we waddle over to pick up Steve.
Now if you know Steve, he is a big guy. Could probably lift all our luggage by himself if he had enough fingers. Of all our team members, he packs the lightest. Looks like he plans on being gone 2 or 3 days. That's a relief since we can just squeeze him in with all the luggage we already have. And thank goodness Naomi is tiny enough to sandwich in the way back with her parents.
Fully loaded, the van drives kind of like a boat, squishy and sloggy. Sorry about all the technical terms...look them up on dictionary.com or something. Everyone confirms that they indeed have their passports and tickets. Whew.
Everyone piles out at SFO and we give quick hugs/waves goodbye. It feels weird to just flop them out on the sidewalk and drive off. I am usually the one leaving on a plane! The van feels all young and spry again as Naomi and I head home...with a stop for lunch on the way. I wonder if the team got their bulkhead seats or not. I wonder if they have seen the menu for the meals they'll get onboard. I wonder if Steve will be able to catch some z's on the ride over. Really, I just wonder a lot. Can't wait to read how things are going!
Almost on our way
We've checked in, had lunch, made it through security, and are now at
the gate waiting to board.
the gate waiting to board.
Rich
On the way to SFO
We're on our way to SFO. The whole team is here except for Tony
Bolivar, who will leave on Sunday.
Bolivar, who will leave on Sunday.
Rich
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
I'm almost ready, I swear
Well, I just finished up my last meeting with Alive! for the summer. It was good to kick back, chit-chat and have some pizza with everyone. And now, to finish getting ready.
Jennifer, my lovely girlfriend, is letting me borrow her DSLR camera for the trip, so after that, I just need to make a quick run to the bank, do some laundry and pack. I'm still a bit nervous, as this is not only my first mission trip but also my first time out of the country. I'm excited in that I'll get to see my homelands on this trip (both Spain and Germany), but also anxious to see what God is going to be doing, both in me and through me. Part of me really wants to take this all in and make it about me, but I know and believe this is a real growing opportunity for me to leave myself behind and operate at God's discretion. However, this is definitely not easy to do, as this is waaaaay out of my comfort zone (considering my comfort zone will soon be some 6000+ miles away).
So, with all that said, its time I finish getting ready to go and get some sleep. Tomorrow is going to be a long day.
As I always say to those near me as I try and get a laugh out of them, love, peace and chicken grease. :)
Final Countdown
24 hours to go! Team Romania is almost ready to launch. Looking forward to all that we will be doing there in Sibiu. It was great connecting with Teo on Skype this morning about Team Spain. Pray for Mark Kenoly's passport to be renewed in time for Team Spain's departure on July 5.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Countdown Continues
It's now 7 days before we leave for Romania. The Spain Team will leave on July 5. There is still much to do in preparation to go. Our schedules are pretty set and now it's basically getting stuff and packing. Pray for Steve and Jerry as they prepare messages for Romania. Pray for Mark as he deals with family tragedy. Helen is in the midst of getting things together for the children's outreach in Spain. Virgie is visiting family in Pennsylvania and Oklahoma before heading to Spain. Tony has a busy week of rehearsals and two performances before joining us in Romania. Naomi will have Junior High camp at Hume Lake before heading to Spain. Boy, we are busy, busy, busy. Praying that we will be productive as well.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Gearing Up for Romania
It was great to talk with Radu on the phone (through Skype). I'm feeling really good about our planning for the family retreat. Pray for us as we prepare. Some of us are running around trying to get last minute things to pack for our trip. Praise God that my Fremont Bank cash card finally came in the mail. Now I know that we will have access to our funds for the mission while we're in Europe. That's a big load off my mind. We had a wonderful meeting with Connie and I feel more confident than ever that we're going to be used significantly in Romania.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Monday, June 8, 2009
Team Meetings
Pray for our teams as they get ready to leave. We'll be having a Spain Team meeting on Saturday, June 13. And on the next day, Sunday, June 14, the Romania Team will meet. At both meetings we'll be finalizing plans and preparing how we will minister in both countries.
Pure Passion
Thank you to everyone who came out and supported our teams by attending the Pure Passion Concert on June 5. We had an outstanding time of worship and celebration as we watched Ralph Anderson in a mime; listened to Tony Bolivar on his saxes accompanied by Victoria Theodore (Stevie Wonder's keyboard player; and grooved to the music of Mark Kenoly and Kingdom Voice. Ron Kenoly closed the concert by leading us in a very special worship song. We also were able to help the Kenya Team raise money at their silent auction.
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