I guess this will be the last blog for me, as we've been home over 24 hours now. I keep saying how different this trip was from my expectations of "doing missions," but I am learning that the real mission of believers is to support, encourage and love one another as we work together to bring others into relationship with Jesus Christ, through the work of the local church or through other outreach activities. Because this was our church's first full team going to Spain, we're still building relationships and discovering how we can partner with the church and their leaders to realize their visions. Our presence alone shows that we care about them; our testimonies and messages bring a different point of view or present old points from new preachers; our participation in their activities and with their families gives us, and hopefully them, a sense of a world-wide family of God.
Mark's presence was huge when he finally got to Spain. Like with Tony in Sibiu, we became roadies again, basking in the glow of Mark's talent which he used to return all glory to God. The Saturday concert was wonderful, with other worship teams singing, the pastor of the Nigerian church singing two songs, and Mark closing the time with sharing and several songs. On Sunday, I got to sing with Mark for the service - gee, we got a lot of mileage (literally) out of "How Great Is Our God" singing the chorus in Romanian.
Now, back in the hot-but-not-humid East Bay, we've gone to Costco to restock the kitchen, Naomi has an orthodontic appointment and Rich has several meetings tomorrow. Routine life returns to normal, but I'm looking expectantly to the Lord for what He wants to do with my life in light of this experience.
I'm not done with my Spainia experience yet, though. Teo will be e-mailing me Immanuel's mother's recipe for gogosi!
Thanks for reading. Think about going yourself!
Joanne
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Friday, July 10, 2009
Pics from Spain
Here are some pics of our recent activities in Spain:
Steve leading a Bible study discussion with one of our translators, Christina.
Our wonderful hosts, Priscila and Teo Taban.
Naomi and Christina in Castellon.
The medieval town and fortress at Peñíscola.
Joanne sharing her testimony with another of our translators, Christie.
Today we will baptize Steve in the Mediterranen and Mark will finally arrive in Spain. Keep checking to see more pics.
Steve leading a Bible study discussion with one of our translators, Christina.
Our wonderful hosts, Priscila and Teo Taban.
Naomi and Christina in Castellon.
The medieval town and fortress at Peñíscola.
Joanne sharing her testimony with another of our translators, Christie.
Today we will baptize Steve in the Mediterranen and Mark will finally arrive in Spain. Keep checking to see more pics.
Is it the end of the week already?
What’s the saying? “Time flies when you’re having fun!” How about this: “Time flies when you’re on a mission trip!” Allow me to recap the past couple days…
After posting my last entry from Teo’s house (Tuesday morning), we stayed at his house for a bit and shared some good fellowship time (or, as I call it sometimes, we were shooting the breeze). However, as lunch fast approached, we split up to go to 3 different homes. I can’t say enough just how welcoming, accepting and hospitable these people are. Of course, they’re Romanian, so that explains it! :D
Originally, I was going to be joining a family nearby for lunch. However, as the husband was still at work, this would have left me alone with the wife and little daughter…not a good thing. So, Christina came with me, and I’m glad she did. This not only gave accountability but also allowed her to translate to and for me. We shared a lot of stories and I was able to share some of the pics that I had taken. And, of course, the food was great. We had a meat and cheese plate to start, followed by home-made chicken, potatoes and mushrooms. But, the best part was the dessert…homemade crêpes! Apparently, it was her mother’s recipe, and a good one it was too.
However, the time came that we had to leave, as the Bible study was starting at 6 and I was leading. Again, this was for the youth of the church (teens to 20’s). So, after giving my warmest thanks, Christina and I left and walked back to the church. Thankfully, like in Romania, everything is just a short walk away. We managed to arrive “on time”, which means we were a little late by American time but on time by Romanian time. :)
We started off with worship and prayer. I still have a hard time of knowing when to sit and stand, as we stand during worship and sit during prayer but they do the opposite, for the most part. So, my reactions are still a little delayed, but oh well. Vergie gave her testimony about how God is able to do more than most people think possible. This was a powerful message indeed, as many were moved by it and Pastor Luca (the head pastor of the church here in Castellón) wants her to give it again on Sunday morning. Afterwards, thanks to Teo’s suggestion, we split everyone up into groups to answer the three main questions I wanted to cover for the night regarding what it means to be in the family of God. It was great to hear the answers that everyone had, as it gave me more insight into who they are and where they are in their walk with Christ. Needless to say, we had a very good discussion.
Originally, we had planned to go to the beach afterwards. However, due to the rain and the wind, Teo decided to order some pizzas and open up another part of the church for everyone. This gave us an opportunity to mingle with everyone throughout the night, which was great. However, we had some time to burn between my message and when the pizzas arrived, so Rich decided to talk with everyone about their church and encourage them to be active in the direction of the church.
Now on to the next day. As was mentioned before, Vergie was being encouraged to see a doctor, and praise God she did. So, while Helen, Vergie and Rich went to see what was going on, I went with Joanne, Naomi and Christina to explore the city (and the ladies decided to do some shopping as well). So, I managed to get a lot of great pictures of Castellón. I'll post them on Facebook for you all to see.
Afterwards, we went out to Peñiscola, a city north of Castellón. There, we had lunch just before visiting the castle there. This castle was used by Benedict XIII after his exile and was the site of the beginning of the Spanish inquisition. And, yes, I got pictures. I'll need to post the links to the albums in Facebook. Afterwards, Teo treated us to ice cream from one of the local stores. 4 words: melon and chocolate orange. YUM!! :D Apparently, I'm not the only one that likes those. Teo and Manuel had melon as well and Joanne tried the chocolate orange, which she seemed to like.
We came back to Teo's only to leave for dinner again. I can now say that I've had McDonald's in another country. Priscilia had come home the night before and was back at work...for McDonalds. So, we visited her and supported the McD's she works at. And all this before church last night.
This was our first service that we attended while we have been here in Spain. However, it was strangely familiar. This is because it is a Romanian church, so it was very similar to the services we attended in Sibiu. However, we were not the only guests, as another Pastor from one of the neighboring churches was there as well and did a couple of songs for the congregation. Afterwards, Rich delivered a great message (again :P ) on unity in the Body of Christ. This really struck a chord with the congregation, as this is something they are striving to work for with the other churches.
Afterwards, we came back to Teo and Priscilia's house to do some late-night posting and such (or, in my case, a very important phone call ;) ). Shortly after, we called it a night, said our goodnights to everyone and turned in for the evening.
This brings us to today. We are at Teo & Priscilia's right now posting and such before lunch. Tonight, I will be delivering a message on obedience before getting baptized in the Mediterranean. Needless to say this is a big day for us all. Have a wonderful day everyone and I'll post again soon.
After posting my last entry from Teo’s house (Tuesday morning), we stayed at his house for a bit and shared some good fellowship time (or, as I call it sometimes, we were shooting the breeze). However, as lunch fast approached, we split up to go to 3 different homes. I can’t say enough just how welcoming, accepting and hospitable these people are. Of course, they’re Romanian, so that explains it! :D
Originally, I was going to be joining a family nearby for lunch. However, as the husband was still at work, this would have left me alone with the wife and little daughter…not a good thing. So, Christina came with me, and I’m glad she did. This not only gave accountability but also allowed her to translate to and for me. We shared a lot of stories and I was able to share some of the pics that I had taken. And, of course, the food was great. We had a meat and cheese plate to start, followed by home-made chicken, potatoes and mushrooms. But, the best part was the dessert…homemade crêpes! Apparently, it was her mother’s recipe, and a good one it was too.
However, the time came that we had to leave, as the Bible study was starting at 6 and I was leading. Again, this was for the youth of the church (teens to 20’s). So, after giving my warmest thanks, Christina and I left and walked back to the church. Thankfully, like in Romania, everything is just a short walk away. We managed to arrive “on time”, which means we were a little late by American time but on time by Romanian time. :)
We started off with worship and prayer. I still have a hard time of knowing when to sit and stand, as we stand during worship and sit during prayer but they do the opposite, for the most part. So, my reactions are still a little delayed, but oh well. Vergie gave her testimony about how God is able to do more than most people think possible. This was a powerful message indeed, as many were moved by it and Pastor Luca (the head pastor of the church here in Castellón) wants her to give it again on Sunday morning. Afterwards, thanks to Teo’s suggestion, we split everyone up into groups to answer the three main questions I wanted to cover for the night regarding what it means to be in the family of God. It was great to hear the answers that everyone had, as it gave me more insight into who they are and where they are in their walk with Christ. Needless to say, we had a very good discussion.
Originally, we had planned to go to the beach afterwards. However, due to the rain and the wind, Teo decided to order some pizzas and open up another part of the church for everyone. This gave us an opportunity to mingle with everyone throughout the night, which was great. However, we had some time to burn between my message and when the pizzas arrived, so Rich decided to talk with everyone about their church and encourage them to be active in the direction of the church.
Now on to the next day. As was mentioned before, Vergie was being encouraged to see a doctor, and praise God she did. So, while Helen, Vergie and Rich went to see what was going on, I went with Joanne, Naomi and Christina to explore the city (and the ladies decided to do some shopping as well). So, I managed to get a lot of great pictures of Castellón. I'll post them on Facebook for you all to see.
Afterwards, we went out to Peñiscola, a city north of Castellón. There, we had lunch just before visiting the castle there. This castle was used by Benedict XIII after his exile and was the site of the beginning of the Spanish inquisition. And, yes, I got pictures. I'll need to post the links to the albums in Facebook. Afterwards, Teo treated us to ice cream from one of the local stores. 4 words: melon and chocolate orange. YUM!! :D Apparently, I'm not the only one that likes those. Teo and Manuel had melon as well and Joanne tried the chocolate orange, which she seemed to like.
We came back to Teo's only to leave for dinner again. I can now say that I've had McDonald's in another country. Priscilia had come home the night before and was back at work...for McDonalds. So, we visited her and supported the McD's she works at. And all this before church last night.
This was our first service that we attended while we have been here in Spain. However, it was strangely familiar. This is because it is a Romanian church, so it was very similar to the services we attended in Sibiu. However, we were not the only guests, as another Pastor from one of the neighboring churches was there as well and did a couple of songs for the congregation. Afterwards, Rich delivered a great message (again :P ) on unity in the Body of Christ. This really struck a chord with the congregation, as this is something they are striving to work for with the other churches.
Afterwards, we came back to Teo and Priscilia's house to do some late-night posting and such (or, in my case, a very important phone call ;) ). Shortly after, we called it a night, said our goodnights to everyone and turned in for the evening.
This brings us to today. We are at Teo & Priscilia's right now posting and such before lunch. Tonight, I will be delivering a message on obedience before getting baptized in the Mediterranean. Needless to say this is a big day for us all. Have a wonderful day everyone and I'll post again soon.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Short Expectations
It´s 10:45pm and we just returned to Teo´s flat after the Thursday night service in order to use his Wi-fi connection for the blogging because our house doesn´t have an internet connection.
I gave a testimony tonight about expectations, because this missions trip has shattered all my expectations, both good and bad, about what I thought God might have in mind. What I said was that as long as I know that God loves me and that God is in control, I should only expect that God will do great things. It´s the ability to see God´s hand that needs more practice.
I think it´s the ability to see the inside of my eyelids that I need right now, so, more later.
Joanne
I gave a testimony tonight about expectations, because this missions trip has shattered all my expectations, both good and bad, about what I thought God might have in mind. What I said was that as long as I know that God loves me and that God is in control, I should only expect that God will do great things. It´s the ability to see God´s hand that needs more practice.
I think it´s the ability to see the inside of my eyelids that I need right now, so, more later.
Joanne
The Journey Continues
I love being able to do mission work in Spain. It’s so neat to be in a country where the principle language is Castilian Spanish yet each region has its own dialect, i.e. Valenciana or Catalan. Throw in the fact that we’re working with a Romanian community and that really confuses the languages we work with and with the kind of translations that will take place. And even the Romanians are caught speaking a mixture of Spanish and Romanian as they speak. They understand each other but then laugh when they realize that others might not.
The other thing that is so much fun is that Romanians come from all over Romania. We’ve met people from Timişoara, Arad, Moldova, Bucureşti, and yes, even from Sibiu. They are just as warm, friendly, and generous as their compatriots back in Romania.
The first few days here have been full of spiritual warfare yet we have seen God work in mighty ways. Steve’s Bible study for the youth last night went really well especially since we got a good discussion and interaction going. It began with a wonderful testimony from Virgie. Yet, Virgie has gotten ill and we are encouraging her to see a doctor here in Spain.
Today, we’ll get a chance to see a little bit more of the country. We got to go up north to see Peñíscola. After a marvelous lunch by the seashore, we had a wonderful time exploring the medival town and castle. We have now returned to Castellón for their weekly midweek church service tonight. Tomorrow evening we will baptize Steve when we go to the beach after the Bible study and even later, Mark Kenoly will arrive in Castellón.
Continue to pray for us as we continue to do ministry here in Spain.
The other thing that is so much fun is that Romanians come from all over Romania. We’ve met people from Timişoara, Arad, Moldova, Bucureşti, and yes, even from Sibiu. They are just as warm, friendly, and generous as their compatriots back in Romania.
The first few days here have been full of spiritual warfare yet we have seen God work in mighty ways. Steve’s Bible study for the youth last night went really well especially since we got a good discussion and interaction going. It began with a wonderful testimony from Virgie. Yet, Virgie has gotten ill and we are encouraging her to see a doctor here in Spain.
Today, we’ll get a chance to see a little bit more of the country. We got to go up north to see Peñíscola. After a marvelous lunch by the seashore, we had a wonderful time exploring the medival town and castle. We have now returned to Castellón for their weekly midweek church service tonight. Tomorrow evening we will baptize Steve when we go to the beach after the Bible study and even later, Mark Kenoly will arrive in Castellón.
Continue to pray for us as we continue to do ministry here in Spain.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
A Minute in the Mediterranean
Spain is quite different from Romania, or should I say, Castellon is very different from Sibiu. Castellon is a city filled with buildings that have businesses on the bottom and apartments on top. We're staying in the outskirts of Castellon in a separate house that one of the church members does not live in any more, so it's considered the "rich" area. Like I said before, not my expectation of the hard-life missionary! Not to mention that the weather is now what we thought we were going to have - hot (in the high 80s) and semi-humid.
It was wonderful to welcome the Spain team, but I didn't know I'd be nursing Naomi the first two days. It seems that the enemy is working hard against this team - Mark not getting his passport, the VBS being cancelled, Virgie trying to get over an allergy cold, Naomi getting sick on the plane - so as you continue to pray with us, I can only imagine what great work God has in mind by the end of our trip to give glory to His name!
Teo has a strong vision for the youth of this Romanian church in Spain. His passion for his calling is inspiring. At this moment, he is taking care of his two beautiful children, Lukas (2-yrs.) and Jonathan (4 yrs.), as his wife, Prisilia, was a finalist in the "Voice of McDonalds" competition, so she is in another city singing her last song. She is singing "Because He lives" to give God the glory. We found out already that she came is second. She'll be back tonight.
Last night, Tuesday, we went to the beach for the "youth" (teenage through early 20s) Bible study, followed by volleyball and soccer. Naomi felt good enough to play volleyball, maybe because she was invited to join one of the teams. Steve played on an opposing team, or is "play" the correct term? (JK, Steve!) Rich and I stuck our feet in the Mediterranean, the very warm waters of the Mediterranean - it seems like such a far-off concept to have become a reality.
I was preparing my mind to change to Spanish, and arriving in Valencia I learned that there's a dialect common to this area called Valenciana, so the signs have both Valenciana and Castilian Spanish. Then when Teo and another church member came to pick us up at the train station (which is how we got from Valencia to Castellon), they were speaking to each other in Romanian. So now I'm confusing everyone by speaking Spanish, English and a little Romanian. Of course, as I listen to them talk, I hear a combination of those languages also.
So to close this first blog from Castellon, adios, pacea, and later.
Joanne
It was wonderful to welcome the Spain team, but I didn't know I'd be nursing Naomi the first two days. It seems that the enemy is working hard against this team - Mark not getting his passport, the VBS being cancelled, Virgie trying to get over an allergy cold, Naomi getting sick on the plane - so as you continue to pray with us, I can only imagine what great work God has in mind by the end of our trip to give glory to His name!
Teo has a strong vision for the youth of this Romanian church in Spain. His passion for his calling is inspiring. At this moment, he is taking care of his two beautiful children, Lukas (2-yrs.) and Jonathan (4 yrs.), as his wife, Prisilia, was a finalist in the "Voice of McDonalds" competition, so she is in another city singing her last song. She is singing "Because He lives" to give God the glory. We found out already that she came is second. She'll be back tonight.
Last night, Tuesday, we went to the beach for the "youth" (teenage through early 20s) Bible study, followed by volleyball and soccer. Naomi felt good enough to play volleyball, maybe because she was invited to join one of the teams. Steve played on an opposing team, or is "play" the correct term? (JK, Steve!) Rich and I stuck our feet in the Mediterranean, the very warm waters of the Mediterranean - it seems like such a far-off concept to have become a reality.
I was preparing my mind to change to Spanish, and arriving in Valencia I learned that there's a dialect common to this area called Valenciana, so the signs have both Valenciana and Castilian Spanish. Then when Teo and another church member came to pick us up at the train station (which is how we got from Valencia to Castellon), they were speaking to each other in Romanian. So now I'm confusing everyone by speaking Spanish, English and a little Romanian. Of course, as I listen to them talk, I hear a combination of those languages also.
So to close this first blog from Castellon, adios, pacea, and later.
Joanne
Arrival in Spain
This is Naomi using my mom´s username to blog. We arrived safely in Spain. Kim Hensley took me to the Wells´ house where we piled our suitcases into their van. We drove to the airport, which didn´t take long thanks to the traffic.
Once we got there I leaded Helen and Virgie Wells to the Lufthansa check-in counter, since they weren´t quite sure where they were supposed to go, because this was their first time out of the country. Surprisingly, it didn´t take that long to check-in even though we were pretty early (about 3 or 4 hours ahead of time). Unfortunately, we didn´t get bulkhead seating because there was a lot of kids on our flight.
By the time we got through security, we had plenty of time to relax at the gate. I got a sandwhich and some fruit for my dinner before the plane. Because she had a wheelchair, we got to pre-board. The Wells sat next to each other, while I sat behind them. I sat next to an older man who also pre-boarded, because he had trouble walking. The man next to me was very nice, even though he didn´t speak English that well. He was from the Ukraine, and spoke Russian. He lived in the US for 22 years, but apparently lived in a community filled with Russians, so he
wasn´t able to speak fluent English.
The flight was about 10 or 11 hours. It was good for the first 5 hours or so for me, because I was able to watch a good movie. But after that, I started to feel really nautious. I ended up throwing up quite a bit twice after that. I´m not quite sure why I threw up, but I´m pretty sure it was because of some food poisoning. After our plane landed, we were able to get to our connecting flight easily because of the good wheelchair service. We even got to ride on one of those cool cart things for the disabled.
The second flight was a little bit hard for me, because I still felt bad. I only threw up once at the beginning, and after I felt a little bit better. I was so happy to finally see my parents when we landed in Valencia.
However, it took awhile to get to our hotel. We had to take the subway and wait 10 stops, then switch trains, and finally on the next stop we were able to walk about one block to our hotel. When we finally go to our room, I couldn´t wait to sleep.
Naomi
And Into Castellón We Go…
So, today we travelled into Castellón, where we will be doing our mission work. We started off with a quick breakfast then it was time to get packed and ready to go. Teo arrived a little bit afterwards with Manuel, a member from the church, and Christina, another member from the church and a translator for Teo.
We loaded up our stuff into Manuel’s car (who is also letting us stay at his amazing house while we are here) and went to the train station. Since Manuel’s car didn’t have enough room for both the luggage and us, he took the luggage to the house for us and we took the train into Castellón, This gave me a chance to not only get some great shots of Valencia, the trip to Castellón and Castellón itself, but also to get to know Christina a little bit more. The church we are working with is a Romanian church, so a lot of the members are Romanian. Its always great here the stories of the people here and how they came to live in Spain.
So, after we got into Castellón, we were taken to the house we are staying at and shown around. Needless to say, I wouldn’t mind a place like this for myself. : ) The place it pretty nice, to say the least. 4 bedrooms, 1 pretty nice bathroom, spacious living room, downstairs area (converted from a garage), big kitchen, enclosed veranda and a view from the roof that is amazing, especially at night. And yes, I’ll be posting pics to my Facebook account soon.
After being shown around, we went back into town, where two families had prepared lunch for us. We split into two groups and each stayed with one of the families as they shared lunch with us. I think it is pretty safe to say that Spain hasn’t changed the quality or the quantity of the food they make. Vergie, Helen and myself stayed with one of the members, whose brother-in-law leads the church band. And did she every feed us! First, we started with a meat-and-cheese plate, then came the chorba (chowder), then came the white-wine chicken and potatoes made in olive oil, followed by some fruit and a nice nap! :) Between the food in Romania and here, I’m going to need to walk an awful lot just to keep the weight off. lol
So, after the wonderful lunch, we were picked up and went to the beach, where the youth ministry had already started. We joined them for a couple songs, then Pastor Rich gave a message on the armor of God and what it is for. Seeing the attentiveness and the interaction of everyone was a very welcome sight to see. But, of course, being on the beach, we had to have some fun. So, afterwards, we all went out to the beach for some volleyball. And, yes, I jumped in and tried not to make a fool of myself while playing (which was a task in-and-of-itself lol). But, most everyone there welcomed me into the games (inviting me even) and we all had a pretty good time.
Now, there is one other thing to note about the beach. This is where, after accepting Christ into my life over 10 years ago, I will be baptized. As such, I had to at least feel what the Mediterranean was like. The best way to describe it was that it felt like a warm bath. The water was nice and warm and, coupled with the cool breeze off the ocean, made for a very relaxing evening. As much as I miss Romania already, this is definitely nice.
With nightfall fast approaching, we caught a ride back to the house to settle in for the evening…and for a nice hot shower! As much as I loved the beach, sweat and sand are just not a good mixture. And, with already being hot from the day (about 86 deg. with very high humidity), I was ready for a nice shower to “re-humanize”. It was still pretty warm afterwards, but it was nice to feel “normal” again and not grimy.
Now, with the rooftop access, I just had to grab the camera and take some pics. I managed to get some great shots of the sky and of the city. I’ll be posting those soon. Since we don’t have internet access at the house we are staying at, we will be posting in spurts and I will be uploading pics to Facebook whenever I can.
After a good night’s sleep, Joanne made us bacon and eggs for breakfast (thanks again!!) and we all ate under the veranda. Apparently, it had rained last night so it is pretty nice this morning. So, that means it is time to get some pics to upload. Have a great day everyone and I’ll post again soon.
We loaded up our stuff into Manuel’s car (who is also letting us stay at his amazing house while we are here) and went to the train station. Since Manuel’s car didn’t have enough room for both the luggage and us, he took the luggage to the house for us and we took the train into Castellón, This gave me a chance to not only get some great shots of Valencia, the trip to Castellón and Castellón itself, but also to get to know Christina a little bit more. The church we are working with is a Romanian church, so a lot of the members are Romanian. Its always great here the stories of the people here and how they came to live in Spain.
So, after we got into Castellón, we were taken to the house we are staying at and shown around. Needless to say, I wouldn’t mind a place like this for myself. : ) The place it pretty nice, to say the least. 4 bedrooms, 1 pretty nice bathroom, spacious living room, downstairs area (converted from a garage), big kitchen, enclosed veranda and a view from the roof that is amazing, especially at night. And yes, I’ll be posting pics to my Facebook account soon.
After being shown around, we went back into town, where two families had prepared lunch for us. We split into two groups and each stayed with one of the families as they shared lunch with us. I think it is pretty safe to say that Spain hasn’t changed the quality or the quantity of the food they make. Vergie, Helen and myself stayed with one of the members, whose brother-in-law leads the church band. And did she every feed us! First, we started with a meat-and-cheese plate, then came the chorba (chowder), then came the white-wine chicken and potatoes made in olive oil, followed by some fruit and a nice nap! :) Between the food in Romania and here, I’m going to need to walk an awful lot just to keep the weight off. lol
So, after the wonderful lunch, we were picked up and went to the beach, where the youth ministry had already started. We joined them for a couple songs, then Pastor Rich gave a message on the armor of God and what it is for. Seeing the attentiveness and the interaction of everyone was a very welcome sight to see. But, of course, being on the beach, we had to have some fun. So, afterwards, we all went out to the beach for some volleyball. And, yes, I jumped in and tried not to make a fool of myself while playing (which was a task in-and-of-itself lol). But, most everyone there welcomed me into the games (inviting me even) and we all had a pretty good time.
Now, there is one other thing to note about the beach. This is where, after accepting Christ into my life over 10 years ago, I will be baptized. As such, I had to at least feel what the Mediterranean was like. The best way to describe it was that it felt like a warm bath. The water was nice and warm and, coupled with the cool breeze off the ocean, made for a very relaxing evening. As much as I miss Romania already, this is definitely nice.
With nightfall fast approaching, we caught a ride back to the house to settle in for the evening…and for a nice hot shower! As much as I loved the beach, sweat and sand are just not a good mixture. And, with already being hot from the day (about 86 deg. with very high humidity), I was ready for a nice shower to “re-humanize”. It was still pretty warm afterwards, but it was nice to feel “normal” again and not grimy.
Now, with the rooftop access, I just had to grab the camera and take some pics. I managed to get some great shots of the sky and of the city. I’ll be posting those soon. Since we don’t have internet access at the house we are staying at, we will be posting in spurts and I will be uploading pics to Facebook whenever I can.
After a good night’s sleep, Joanne made us bacon and eggs for breakfast (thanks again!!) and we all ate under the veranda. Apparently, it had rained last night so it is pretty nice this morning. So, that means it is time to get some pics to upload. Have a great day everyone and I’ll post again soon.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Missed Opportunity
Hello Spain Mission Team
I am looking for posts from Spain but haven't seen one yet... it is midnight here in Fremont on July 7th. That's why I am up at midnight... Im still on European time. Kim asked Karen, Tony, and I to do a brief report on our experience in Romania July 12th. A full report will be made when you return. Today was usher fellowship coffee at Panieras. I missed an opportunity in the parking lot this morning to minister to a person in need. As I was getting in my car, a woman called to me from 20 yards away asking for spare change. I had just given all my pocket money to a friend who is homeless who comes for coffee weekly, so I motioned back that I had no money. I should have gone over and offered to pray for her. She might have accepted. I thought of that as I arrived home, so I did pray for her then (and for me). I will look for her again on Thursday morning when the second group of ushers meets at Panieras. I can be pretty dense, it seems, in doing God's work. I am no longer amazed at how dense Jesus' disciples were at times. Rich, Joanne, Naomi, Steve, Virgie, Helen, and Mark... pray for me here at home, as I pray for you.
Jerry
I am looking for posts from Spain but haven't seen one yet... it is midnight here in Fremont on July 7th. That's why I am up at midnight... Im still on European time. Kim asked Karen, Tony, and I to do a brief report on our experience in Romania July 12th. A full report will be made when you return. Today was usher fellowship coffee at Panieras. I missed an opportunity in the parking lot this morning to minister to a person in need. As I was getting in my car, a woman called to me from 20 yards away asking for spare change. I had just given all my pocket money to a friend who is homeless who comes for coffee weekly, so I motioned back that I had no money. I should have gone over and offered to pray for her. She might have accepted. I thought of that as I arrived home, so I did pray for her then (and for me). I will look for her again on Thursday morning when the second group of ushers meets at Panieras. I can be pretty dense, it seems, in doing God's work. I am no longer amazed at how dense Jesus' disciples were at times. Rich, Joanne, Naomi, Steve, Virgie, Helen, and Mark... pray for me here at home, as I pray for you.
Jerry
There's no place like home...
After a final meal in Munich (Burger King!) Tony, Jerry and I headed off to the airport for our flight home. I was dreading the return flight after our experience on the way out, but it was much better in comparison. First off, fewer kids and much quieter. Secondly, it was a newer plane with more leg room and individual movie screens for each seat. The plane arrived on time and all went smoothly with customs and luggage. Lee Nichols was kind enough to pick us up and get us home. It was great to reconnect with Katelyn and our dog Maggie, not to mention sleep in my own bed again.
Coming back to work today was tough, as I try to catch up with almost 2 weeks of e-mails and debriefs and get back on track. I am hoping that one of my learnings from the trip will be to keep work more in perspective -- something they excel at in Romania.
Greetings to the Spain team. It seems odd not to be hanging out with the group after our Romanian experience. Hope that Spain is treating you well. Hasta la Vista! Karen
Coming back to work today was tough, as I try to catch up with almost 2 weeks of e-mails and debriefs and get back on track. I am hoping that one of my learnings from the trip will be to keep work more in perspective -- something they excel at in Romania.
Greetings to the Spain team. It seems odd not to be hanging out with the group after our Romanian experience. Hope that Spain is treating you well. Hasta la Vista! Karen
Monday, July 6, 2009
Pics of the Romanian Presidential Helicopter
The Presidential Entourage.
The Presidential Helicopter.It was neat to see it.
On the Way to USA
Here I am in the Munich Hotel-quite a change from our apartment in Romania -- doing my last blog from Europe. In a few hours Jerry, Tony and I will be leaving for SFO. We just said goodbye to Rich, Joanne and Steve, as they headed to the airport for their new adventure in Spain.
First off, my Dad is back home from the hospital and doing well, so thanks to all who prayed for his recovery.
Others have blogged on our sight seeing trip on the 4th. It was great to see more of Romania and the palace was amazing. It was just a great day with Connie and the team to just enjoy each others company as well.
It is impossible to write about all the little things that I have learned and experienced over the last week.
I have been challenged musically-- both with the guitar class in music camp and singing in front of 600 people Sunday morning. It was great to see people's faces as Joanne and I broke into Romanian for the chorus of "How Great is our God", and how can you beat having Tony backing you up on the sax?
I have loved seeing the families, especially, the children in Romania. You see siblings taking care of each other, the church community involved with the children, and a slower, more family focused way of life in Romania. The town square was a neat place where you see people just hanging out together and enjoying the outdoors.
We have all commented how feverently people in Romania pray. Their church service on Sunday was 2 hours long and filled with a lot of praise music and prayer, but even though the service was in Romanian, it did not seem that long to me. Many people welcomed us in church, and there were even some people from the US who had lived in Romania doing mission work for 8 years,who said they enjoyed hearing some English during the church service.
The highlight of my trip is still my interaction with Laura that I blogged about earlier on the trip and how I was able to learn about her life in the orphanage and minister to her.
I am so not looking forward to the upcoming 12 hour plane flight, but also can't wait to be home again and to see our family.
Sherbert has also enjoyed her adventures in Romania, and thinks life might seem a bit boring after she returns. Karen
First off, my Dad is back home from the hospital and doing well, so thanks to all who prayed for his recovery.
Others have blogged on our sight seeing trip on the 4th. It was great to see more of Romania and the palace was amazing. It was just a great day with Connie and the team to just enjoy each others company as well.
It is impossible to write about all the little things that I have learned and experienced over the last week.
I have been challenged musically-- both with the guitar class in music camp and singing in front of 600 people Sunday morning. It was great to see people's faces as Joanne and I broke into Romanian for the chorus of "How Great is our God", and how can you beat having Tony backing you up on the sax?
I have loved seeing the families, especially, the children in Romania. You see siblings taking care of each other, the church community involved with the children, and a slower, more family focused way of life in Romania. The town square was a neat place where you see people just hanging out together and enjoying the outdoors.
We have all commented how feverently people in Romania pray. Their church service on Sunday was 2 hours long and filled with a lot of praise music and prayer, but even though the service was in Romanian, it did not seem that long to me. Many people welcomed us in church, and there were even some people from the US who had lived in Romania doing mission work for 8 years,who said they enjoyed hearing some English during the church service.
The highlight of my trip is still my interaction with Laura that I blogged about earlier on the trip and how I was able to learn about her life in the orphanage and minister to her.
I am so not looking forward to the upcoming 12 hour plane flight, but also can't wait to be home again and to see our family.
Sherbert has also enjoyed her adventures in Romania, and thinks life might seem a bit boring after she returns. Karen
Munich Musings
It's Monday morning in Munich, and in 25 minutes we'll leave our hotel to walk downstairs to the airport terminal and wait for the flight to Valencia, Spain, with Rich and Steve. We'll say goodbye to Jerry, Karen, and Tony as they stay an additional five hours before starting their journey home.
Last night, we had dinner downstairs in the area between the two airport terminals. It's hard to describe because it's directly connected to the airport terminal, so it's not exactly like a hotel restaurant. It's a great big open area with stores all around, including a Burger King (you have to pay extra for the ketchup), a sausage cart, and a huge supermarket with fresh produce and meats. At dinner, we debriefed and heard how God stirred the hearts of the team. I hope they'll post their thoughts on the blog after they got home.
For me, the world is big, but God is bigger. He works in all cultures, languages and circumstances. I'm still processing my reactions, but initially, I highly recommend missions trips because they make you pay attention to God more in all the differences that you experience. It jars you out of your complacency and, dare I use this word, apathy.
The dynamics of the team will change greatly as we welcome Helen and Virgie Wells, and our daughter Naomi, then later, Mark Kenoly. I am expectantly waiting to see God's workings unfold through this team.
Hopefully we'll have an internet connection in Valencia....
Last night, we had dinner downstairs in the area between the two airport terminals. It's hard to describe because it's directly connected to the airport terminal, so it's not exactly like a hotel restaurant. It's a great big open area with stores all around, including a Burger King (you have to pay extra for the ketchup), a sausage cart, and a huge supermarket with fresh produce and meats. At dinner, we debriefed and heard how God stirred the hearts of the team. I hope they'll post their thoughts on the blog after they got home.
For me, the world is big, but God is bigger. He works in all cultures, languages and circumstances. I'm still processing my reactions, but initially, I highly recommend missions trips because they make you pay attention to God more in all the differences that you experience. It jars you out of your complacency and, dare I use this word, apathy.
The dynamics of the team will change greatly as we welcome Helen and Virgie Wells, and our daughter Naomi, then later, Mark Kenoly. I am expectantly waiting to see God's workings unfold through this team.
Hopefully we'll have an internet connection in Valencia....
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Pacea Sibiu, Hola Castellon
Well, I'm in one of my homelands now, as I'm writing from my room at the hotel in the Munich airport. Having to say goodbye to Romania was bittersweet, and rather hard to do.
We started our last day by attending the morning service at Betania. Radu told us that the morning service was usually pretty packed, and he wasn't kidding either. I can honestly say I've never seen that many people at a church service before in person. Karen and Joanne did "How Great Is Our God" and Tony, well, was Tony. :) Pastor Rich re-delivered his message from Friday night, which seemed to have a big impact on the audience again. Also, we had the opportunity to take part in Communion with them, which was very neat. All-in-all, a great service indeed.
Afterwards, Radu joined us for our last lunch together in Romania, which, as usual, was pretty tasty. To burn off some of the calories, some of the team went back up into the Big Square one last time while I packed and got ready. I'm glad I was thought of though, as they brought me back one last gogosi (and the last apricot one the place had). :D
So, with all of us packed up and loaded into the Radu-mobile again (yes, I've got a pic of it that I'll post), we went off to the airport. What we didn't know was that the Romanian president was in-town, so police were all over the place. We actually passed right by his motorcade going the opposite direction. Plus, once we got through security at the airport (and had to say goodbye to Radu :( ), we got to not only see his personal helicopter but also see him and his entourage get in and leave the airport. Definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
We landed in Munich yesterday a little late, but safely nonetheless. We made our way to the hotel and got our rooms. Just seeing the room makes me feel waaaaaay too lower-class to be in it. But, who I am to say no? ;)
So, now I have to get ready to head off to Valencia. Pacea Sibiu, pacea Bordens & Tony, pacea gogosi. Auf wiedersehen München, land meiner Vorfahren. ¡Hola Castellón, la tierra de mis antepasados!
We started our last day by attending the morning service at Betania. Radu told us that the morning service was usually pretty packed, and he wasn't kidding either. I can honestly say I've never seen that many people at a church service before in person. Karen and Joanne did "How Great Is Our God" and Tony, well, was Tony. :) Pastor Rich re-delivered his message from Friday night, which seemed to have a big impact on the audience again. Also, we had the opportunity to take part in Communion with them, which was very neat. All-in-all, a great service indeed.
Afterwards, Radu joined us for our last lunch together in Romania, which, as usual, was pretty tasty. To burn off some of the calories, some of the team went back up into the Big Square one last time while I packed and got ready. I'm glad I was thought of though, as they brought me back one last gogosi (and the last apricot one the place had). :D
So, with all of us packed up and loaded into the Radu-mobile again (yes, I've got a pic of it that I'll post), we went off to the airport. What we didn't know was that the Romanian president was in-town, so police were all over the place. We actually passed right by his motorcade going the opposite direction. Plus, once we got through security at the airport (and had to say goodbye to Radu :( ), we got to not only see his personal helicopter but also see him and his entourage get in and leave the airport. Definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
We landed in Munich yesterday a little late, but safely nonetheless. We made our way to the hotel and got our rooms. Just seeing the room makes me feel waaaaaay too lower-class to be in it. But, who I am to say no? ;)
So, now I have to get ready to head off to Valencia. Pacea Sibiu, pacea Bordens & Tony, pacea gogosi. Auf wiedersehen München, land meiner Vorfahren. ¡Hola Castellón, la tierra de mis antepasados!
Wilkommen Munchen
Well, we made it to Munich. The team had a great time at dinner tonight debriefing a little bit about our time in Romania. We're all tired but welcome the time to spend some down time here in Germany before either heading home or going on to Spain.
Hopefully, we can tell you more about our journeys tomorrow.
Hopefully, we can tell you more about our journeys tomorrow.
Farewell Romania, Hello Spain
Did I comment on my team? They have been amazing this week. I have also seen their world view expand and they are beginning to see the world from God's view and gain His heart for it. It was fun to have off day here be the Fourth of July. We celebrated by seeing more of Romania and spending time with fellow American, Connie. It was a good time for the Music Camp members to debrief with her and for all of us to see more of Connie's heart for the children of Romania and Ukraine.
I'm gearing up for my message at Betania this morning. After that it will be hard to come back and pack and get ready to leave. We have continued to strenghten our relationships here and have started new ones. I look forward to returning next Spring with another team.
And I'm glad that we have one night in Munich to switch gears and prepare for Spain. Please continue to pray that Mark Kenoly will travel safely on his own later in the week. Pray for the team that is getting ready to leave and meet us in Valencia. Joanne and I are excited to see Naomi as part of that team. Pray for safety and rest for all of us.
I'm gearing up for my message at Betania this morning. After that it will be hard to come back and pack and get ready to leave. We have continued to strenghten our relationships here and have started new ones. I look forward to returning next Spring with another team.
And I'm glad that we have one night in Munich to switch gears and prepare for Spain. Please continue to pray that Mark Kenoly will travel safely on his own later in the week. Pray for the team that is getting ready to leave and meet us in Valencia. Joanne and I are excited to see Naomi as part of that team. Pray for safety and rest for all of us.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
The last two days of Sibiu
Well, here it is. The last night here in Sibiu. I'm a little sad about leaving, as I've grown attached to the area. Here's what has happened over the past couple days...
Rich, Jerry and I all went to the radio station for the interview. Turns out they wanted to interview Rich as well. They asked him about the topic of accountability, which seems to be a relatively new idea here. As for me, they asked me about my ministry back home, what my trip here has done and where everything is going. So, all my brothers and sisters in Alive!, you're now famous in Romania!! :) Now, what they do is they record the interview and then translate it before distributing and airing the interview. So, not only will this be aired in and around Sibiu, but also in other parts of the country as well.
After the interview (and, of course, more good Romanian food), we went up to watch and support the Music Camp International concert. To sum it up in a few words, it was astounding! I cannot believe what Connie did with these kids in only 4 days. What was funny was that I left the camera back at the church, since I was going to be filming Tony for him during the concert. But, God had other plans. Connie comes over with her camera (another Canon DSLR) and asks me to take pictures of the concert. So, I was at it again. Only, this time, I had a lot of parents to deal with. But, I was able to get some good pics for her, which was good.
Afterwards, we had to head back home to get "holy" for another church service (i.e. get dressed up). But, not without picking up some gogosi! :D Rich gave a great sermon and seemed to touch a lot of people there that night. Everyone seems to be so thankful wherever we go of our service to them. But, to be honest, I feel like I'm the one that should be giving thanks, as they have ministered to me more than I feel I have to them.
Then came today. We all went out to Siniai (yes, even the ladies and Tony), which was about a 3 hr. drive. And, since she was on the way, we picked up Connie to join us. The trip was pretty neat, with a lot of scenic shots to take (and, believe me, I did). It started raining as we got close, which wasn't all that great, but oh well. It let up once we got close to the palace we were going to be going through. And, yes, I brought the camera. The palace was beautiful, as was the surrounding scenery. Look for pics soon on my Facebook (all 250+ of them).
Afterwards, Connie recommended we try papanasi (pronounced pa-pa-nash). Now, I love gogosi very much, but papanasi just might edge it out. If you don't know what it is, do a Google search for it. It was great! Plus, I was able to pick up some things for all the people that were able to send me here, as a token of my thanks.
So, once we finally made it back, we took Radu and Emma out for dinner as a show of our appreciation. It was great to be able to get to know them better and bond with them more. I'm sad I won't get to share in their humor for a while, but it definitely gives me something to look forward to.
Well everyone, that's just about it for now. I'm going to be getting some sleep so I can get ready for service in the morning then leaving for Munich in the afternoon. I'll try and post from Munich, but if I can't, I'll see you all in Spain. Goodnight everyone, and happy Fourth of July from Romania!! :D
Rich, Jerry and I all went to the radio station for the interview. Turns out they wanted to interview Rich as well. They asked him about the topic of accountability, which seems to be a relatively new idea here. As for me, they asked me about my ministry back home, what my trip here has done and where everything is going. So, all my brothers and sisters in Alive!, you're now famous in Romania!! :) Now, what they do is they record the interview and then translate it before distributing and airing the interview. So, not only will this be aired in and around Sibiu, but also in other parts of the country as well.
After the interview (and, of course, more good Romanian food), we went up to watch and support the Music Camp International concert. To sum it up in a few words, it was astounding! I cannot believe what Connie did with these kids in only 4 days. What was funny was that I left the camera back at the church, since I was going to be filming Tony for him during the concert. But, God had other plans. Connie comes over with her camera (another Canon DSLR) and asks me to take pictures of the concert. So, I was at it again. Only, this time, I had a lot of parents to deal with. But, I was able to get some good pics for her, which was good.
Afterwards, we had to head back home to get "holy" for another church service (i.e. get dressed up). But, not without picking up some gogosi! :D Rich gave a great sermon and seemed to touch a lot of people there that night. Everyone seems to be so thankful wherever we go of our service to them. But, to be honest, I feel like I'm the one that should be giving thanks, as they have ministered to me more than I feel I have to them.
Then came today. We all went out to Siniai (yes, even the ladies and Tony), which was about a 3 hr. drive. And, since she was on the way, we picked up Connie to join us. The trip was pretty neat, with a lot of scenic shots to take (and, believe me, I did). It started raining as we got close, which wasn't all that great, but oh well. It let up once we got close to the palace we were going to be going through. And, yes, I brought the camera. The palace was beautiful, as was the surrounding scenery. Look for pics soon on my Facebook (all 250+ of them).
Afterwards, Connie recommended we try papanasi (pronounced pa-pa-nash). Now, I love gogosi very much, but papanasi just might edge it out. If you don't know what it is, do a Google search for it. It was great! Plus, I was able to pick up some things for all the people that were able to send me here, as a token of my thanks.
So, once we finally made it back, we took Radu and Emma out for dinner as a show of our appreciation. It was great to be able to get to know them better and bond with them more. I'm sad I won't get to share in their humor for a while, but it definitely gives me something to look forward to.
Well everyone, that's just about it for now. I'm going to be getting some sleep so I can get ready for service in the morning then leaving for Munich in the afternoon. I'll try and post from Munich, but if I can't, I'll see you all in Spain. Goodnight everyone, and happy Fourth of July from Romania!! :D
Friday, July 3, 2009
News from Fremont and Romania
I got word from my Mom in Fremont yesterday that Dad collapsed and was taken to the hospital. He has been recovering from open heart surgery, and had been doing very well when we left. The good news is that they believe it was due to the doctors prescribing too much blood pressure medication, and we hope he will get to come back home today. It is hard to be so far away and getting this news, but you can pray just as well from Romania as from Fremont, so that is what I have been doing. I'd appreciate your prayers for Dad as well.
It is kind of strange to get up today and know we are not going to help at music camp and see the kids. As Joanne mentioned, the concert went really well and the kids were just amazing. One of my favorite things to watch was the parents, who were just packed into the church, gazing at their kids with wonder at what they had accomplished in just a few days. The cameras and videos almost made it look like a press conference for some major event. I feel very blessed to have been a small part of helping the kids at camp. Karen
It is kind of strange to get up today and know we are not going to help at music camp and see the kids. As Joanne mentioned, the concert went really well and the kids were just amazing. One of my favorite things to watch was the parents, who were just packed into the church, gazing at their kids with wonder at what they had accomplished in just a few days. The cameras and videos almost made it look like a press conference for some major event. I feel very blessed to have been a small part of helping the kids at camp. Karen
Overflowing
The Catholic church on the main plaza of Sibui was overflowing with people during the Music Camp concert. It is a beautiful church with murals, carvings, and sculptures, but one pastor commented afterward that the church had not been that full as long as he could remember. So, the Lord really blessed the Music Camp ministry in its first arrival to Sibui. The people were overflowing with joy as well, as they flowed out into the plaza.
Jerry
Jerry
Sherbert's Romanian Adventures
Each time Karen goes away on a trip, Katelyn sends her stuffed bear, Sherbert, along. Sherbert has been to a variety of Asian and European countries, along with several states, but this is her first visit to Romania. She wants Katelyn, and anyone else who is interested to know about her trip.
Here is Sherbert in the Frankfurt airport. She and her family got a little bit turned around getting to the right gate, but she still made it in plenty of time. She is happy to have her boarding pass ready to get on the plane. She is a bit tired from the long and noisy flight from SFO, but still looks good!
Sherbert sure was happy to get to her room at the church after we arrived in Sibiu, Romania. Here she is right after we arrived hanging out on her bed. It was so comfortable after being on 3 planes for so many hours getting here. Aaahhhhh....
Saturday Sherbert went off with us to Family Camp on the outskirts of Sibui -- at Porunbacu de Sus. The resort was up in the mountains in a very beautiful area. Sherbert saw gypsies and people on the road in horse drawn carts on the way there and was very excited about that. Here is Sherbert in our room at the camp, just hanging out before things got started.
Family Camp was lots of fun! Sherbert enjoyed "riding" on the donkey in the park area a lot. She also enjoyed watching all the small children who were hanging out on the playground.
Sherbert wanted to make sure that you saw her balancing on this bridge at the resort. It was too far for her to jump over the small stream, so she was happy they put the bridge in for her use.
Back in our room at the church after the retreat, Sherbert wanted to explore a bit. Here she is sitting in the tile heater. The tiles had different pictures that she enjoyed. It is pretty warm here in Sibui, so we haven't actually used the heater, although it looks like it would do a good job warming the place. Sherbert thought it was interesting that many of the old churches have heated kneeler for when it gets very cold in the winter.
Here is Sherbert reading our blogs on Steve's computer. (of course, Karen had to actually read them to her, but she liked the pictures the best.) Seeing the blog gave Sherbert the idea of doing her own blog so Katelyn and the world could hear about her Romanian Adventures.
Here is Sherbert and Radu, our host, sitting in the kitchen in our "apartment". She really likes Radu and was very happy that he agreed to take a picture with her. Tomorrow Radu will be hosting us on a siteseeing trip, and Sherbert is hoping to see Dracula's Castle. (Well, she is just a little scared about Dracula, but brought some garlic along, just in case.)
We went to the "Astra" museum of Traditional Folk Civilization, which had many buildings moved from different parts of Romania. It also had a gift store, where Sherbert helped pick out a couple of items to bring home. She likes shopping.
Today we heard from home that someone had used Karen's ATM card here in Romania and the bank thought it might have been stolen. We are not sure, but we think Sherbert might have snuck out to use it. She is quite a mischevious bear.
Well, it is now 10:00 pm and after Sherbert's bedtime. We hope you enjoyed hearing about her trip. Karen
Here is Sherbert in the Frankfurt airport. She and her family got a little bit turned around getting to the right gate, but she still made it in plenty of time. She is happy to have her boarding pass ready to get on the plane. She is a bit tired from the long and noisy flight from SFO, but still looks good!
Sherbert sure was happy to get to her room at the church after we arrived in Sibiu, Romania. Here she is right after we arrived hanging out on her bed. It was so comfortable after being on 3 planes for so many hours getting here. Aaahhhhh....
Saturday Sherbert went off with us to Family Camp on the outskirts of Sibui -- at Porunbacu de Sus. The resort was up in the mountains in a very beautiful area. Sherbert saw gypsies and people on the road in horse drawn carts on the way there and was very excited about that. Here is Sherbert in our room at the camp, just hanging out before things got started.
Family Camp was lots of fun! Sherbert enjoyed "riding" on the donkey in the park area a lot. She also enjoyed watching all the small children who were hanging out on the playground.
Sherbert wanted to make sure that you saw her balancing on this bridge at the resort. It was too far for her to jump over the small stream, so she was happy they put the bridge in for her use.
Back in our room at the church after the retreat, Sherbert wanted to explore a bit. Here she is sitting in the tile heater. The tiles had different pictures that she enjoyed. It is pretty warm here in Sibui, so we haven't actually used the heater, although it looks like it would do a good job warming the place. Sherbert thought it was interesting that many of the old churches have heated kneeler for when it gets very cold in the winter.
Here is Sherbert reading our blogs on Steve's computer. (of course, Karen had to actually read them to her, but she liked the pictures the best.) Seeing the blog gave Sherbert the idea of doing her own blog so Katelyn and the world could hear about her Romanian Adventures.
Here is Sherbert and Radu, our host, sitting in the kitchen in our "apartment". She really likes Radu and was very happy that he agreed to take a picture with her. Tomorrow Radu will be hosting us on a siteseeing trip, and Sherbert is hoping to see Dracula's Castle. (Well, she is just a little scared about Dracula, but brought some garlic along, just in case.)
We went to the "Astra" museum of Traditional Folk Civilization, which had many buildings moved from different parts of Romania. It also had a gift store, where Sherbert helped pick out a couple of items to bring home. She likes shopping.
Today we heard from home that someone had used Karen's ATM card here in Romania and the bank thought it might have been stolen. We are not sure, but we think Sherbert might have snuck out to use it. She is quite a mischevious bear.
Well, it is now 10:00 pm and after Sherbert's bedtime. We hope you enjoyed hearing about her trip. Karen
Music Camp Concert
A picture is worth a thousand words...
Tony in the middle of the recorder class in which he "helped".
(Check Tony's blog to see what happened when he played two at once.)
Joanne and Iulia, the Musical Games teacher for whom Joanne was an aide on Monday and
Tuesday. She's a kindergarten teacher and I learned how to speak quietly to the students. (Yes, that's a picture of P Diddy behind us.) I helped with the Orff percussion instruments on Wednesday and Thursday.
Karen helping Ovi, the teacher of the guitar class.
A real long shot of the Catholic church with the students lined up just in front of the altar, and the orchestra set up in front of them.
Here's a short video of Tony in the concert, improvising in the song "This Little Light of Mine."
The MCI teachers and staff (and volunteer aides) at the restaurant.
R-L: Karen, Joanne, Tony and Connie Fortunato, the director of MCI.
R-L: Karen, Joanne, Tony and Connie Fortunato, the director of MCI.
Music Camp International (MCI) is now officially over and I can't believe I'm kind of sad. We were sitting in the staff room and they were speaking in Romanian but they were all laughing, and Karen and I commented that we just enjoyed being with such a fun-loving and loving group. Our dinner was really nice at the restaurant around the corner from Betania. Tony sat next to Floare and her husband (she's her "Sunshine" and he's "Tony Baloney"). Karen and I sat next to Connie, and it was wonderful to hear how God has worked in her life to develop MCI. Look up www.musiccampinternational.org for more information. I now know that God did indeed want Karen and I to be helping at MCI this week in this city: 1st) to help a ministry where Connie is letting God's light shine in very dark corners, and, 2) this year Connie didn't do teacher training, so she didn't have enough people to help. She usually has 20 people waiting in line to fill 10 spots. What an opportunity for us!
I'm posting some pictures taken by/for all three of us to show you a little of who we worked with and what we did. In truth, it's getting late and I can't figure out how to manipulate the pictures and why my pictures are so dark, so this is what you're gettin now.
I'm posting some pictures taken by/for all three of us to show you a little of who we worked with and what we did. In truth, it's getting late and I can't figure out how to manipulate the pictures and why my pictures are so dark, so this is what you're gettin now.
Here's a short video of Tony in the concert, improvising in the song "This Little Light of Mine."
A Church full of revolutionaries
I think it would be redundant to go over the last few days. Everyone has done a wonderful job with their entries. What I want to share is our experience today with the manager of the radio station here in Sibiu, Ilie Jinar.
After Steve and I each recorded interviews that will later be broadcast throughout Romania through this station (Radio Vocea Evangheliei) and its eight sister stations in the network, we left to go down the elevator (the station is located on the 9th floor). It's a very old elevator, about 35 years, and was built during the communist era. Ilie made the comment that it's amazing that on the roof of a building that was built by the Ceauşescu regime stands an antenna for gospel radio that is broadcast around a 50km radius of Sibiu.
This prompted a conversation, question-answer session, about the day of revolution. Ilie shared about where he was and what he was doing. He knew of a woman who was working in a bank on the great plaza who was killed by gunfire. He and many others from Betania were in the plaza that day to demonstrate against the Ceauşescu regime. He shared about his apartment being in a building caught between two opposing forces and how his kids implored him to get them to safety. And he related how he got his family out to safety. And the emotional moment when they heard on the radio that Ceauşescu was dead and for the first time hearing Christmas carols and hymns being broadcast (the revolution was in December, 1989).
Ilie's comment was that man tried to forge and form a history of Romania that would not include God, but God prevails and history will record His sovereignty over the nations. I think it's a lesson that is constant in the minds and hearts of many at Betania. Their leaders and pastors are among the many millions of Romanians who are revolutionaries that brought down the communist regime. Our God is sovereign over the nations and He will reign forever.
After Steve and I each recorded interviews that will later be broadcast throughout Romania through this station (Radio Vocea Evangheliei) and its eight sister stations in the network, we left to go down the elevator (the station is located on the 9th floor). It's a very old elevator, about 35 years, and was built during the communist era. Ilie made the comment that it's amazing that on the roof of a building that was built by the Ceauşescu regime stands an antenna for gospel radio that is broadcast around a 50km radius of Sibiu.
This prompted a conversation, question-answer session, about the day of revolution. Ilie shared about where he was and what he was doing. He knew of a woman who was working in a bank on the great plaza who was killed by gunfire. He and many others from Betania were in the plaza that day to demonstrate against the Ceauşescu regime. He shared about his apartment being in a building caught between two opposing forces and how his kids implored him to get them to safety. And he related how he got his family out to safety. And the emotional moment when they heard on the radio that Ceauşescu was dead and for the first time hearing Christmas carols and hymns being broadcast (the revolution was in December, 1989).
Ilie's comment was that man tried to forge and form a history of Romania that would not include God, but God prevails and history will record His sovereignty over the nations. I think it's a lesson that is constant in the minds and hearts of many at Betania. Their leaders and pastors are among the many millions of Romanians who are revolutionaries that brought down the communist regime. Our God is sovereign over the nations and He will reign forever.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Just in case you're missing my blog...
I'm doing a quick blog before Music Camp just to say that I'll be blogging later. The problem is that we have to read each other's blogs before writing so that we don't repeat ourselves, and there are some very good (and prolific) writers in this group.
Pray for us today for our crazy day of the final day of Music Camp and the performance with 200 children, a 27-piece orchestra, and various other instruments (hand chimes, hand bells, violins, recorders, and guitars), plus Tony's improvised solo on "This Little Light of Mine" (if the director gets permission to do "jazz" in church)!''
Later,
Joanne
Pray for us today for our crazy day of the final day of Music Camp and the performance with 200 children, a 27-piece orchestra, and various other instruments (hand chimes, hand bells, violins, recorders, and guitars), plus Tony's improvised solo on "This Little Light of Mine" (if the director gets permission to do "jazz" in church)!''
Later,
Joanne
Three for one deal...
Sorry everyone for not posting the other night. It seems I have a lot to catch up on.
So, Tuesday, we started with a trip to Slimnic. The ladies and Tony went to help out more with the music camp, so that left Pastor Rich, Jerry and myself. However, we ended up going into Slimnic with another team that was in from Huntington Beach. This was the first time that I had seen Radu's van fully packed (and then some).
I did manage to bring the camera with me this time (thanks to Pastor Rich's suggestion), so I got some great shots.
Suffice to say, the drive was quite scenic. Once we got into Slimnic, we dropped off the other team at a church to help run a VBS that was being hosted at the church. So, after a few minutes, we were off to the senior home we were going to be visiting. So, today, I hit a different end of the emotional spectrum (as compared to being angry at what I saw in the Orthodox church).
We managed to arrive well before the director did, so Radu took us around for a small tour. We got to see the two greenhouses they have where they grow their own vegetables,
the back area with the grape vines, raspberry bush and the side garden. After taking in the view for a minutes (and me cleaning off my boots for another 20!!), we went inside and visited with the people staying there. Listening to the stories broke my heart over and over again.
We visited with 4 of the ladies that were staying there. The first lady we visited, Ana, had been deported to Siberia just after WWII. Her dad was able to negotiate with the Russians to stay with some of the family, but she, along with 2 of her sisters and her brother, were taken to work. While her brother was separated from them, she did at least spend the time with her sisters, albeit I'm sure it was still a horrible time anyways. Praise God though that they did all make it back, reuniting with the rest of the family that did manage to be left at the home. She ended up marrying a man, a widower, with five children to help take care of them shortly after his wife died. Now, with her parents, husband and siblings all gone, none of these children keep in touch with her. Her only source of companionship is one of the other residents that has suffered a similar history.
To be honest, I'm not going to post the rest of the stories. Not because they aren't equally as important, but because I'm not sure I can handle recalling their stories or the hurt they must have suffered. But, here are the rest pics of the ladies we visited that I took while there.
Afterwards, we met with the director and had a small lunch. We talked of what a second upcoming team may be able to do for the home and what is needed to start the construction of a new home.
So, with what ended up being the first of two lunches in our stomachs, we headed back to pick up the VBS team and went back into Sibiu. And, you guessed it, lunch was waiting for us when we got back. And, yes, it was very good. And, yes, we were very full afterwards. Now it was time to unwind a bit and get my head straight before the service. Seeing and hearing what I did left me a bit shocked to say the least.
Soon, dinner time approached. However, I don't recall eating much. Maybe I was just full from the two lunches, maybe I was a little nervous getting ready for my message, maybe I was still affected by what I saw or maybe a little of each. In any case, we joined the evening service just as the band was warming up. This was a "youth" service, so the attendance was fairly low (30-50) and about the age range of Alive!, or maybe a little younger. I spent the time praying, asking God to speak to them as I was going to turn off for Him. After all, the last thing I want to be is a hinderance to His message. The topic for the night was accountability, something I'm very familiar with.
Tony got to play with the band that night, which was pretty amazing to say the least. He was, hands down, the main attraction of the night, if that can actually be said. He brought a lot of feeling and soul to the worship that night, both with the band and during his solo. Praise God for such a talented man indeed! :)
The message seemed to go pretty good, albeit a little short from what I'm told. Then again, sometimes the most powerful and memorable messages have been shorter than expected. We all spent some time afterwards talking with the congregation (ok, maybe it was just Tony and we were his fan club lol) and then retired for the evening. However, I found myself starting to think about what can be done with Alive!: what can be changed, what can we start with, how to help those who are struggling, etc. Needless to say, my mind has really stopped since.
Ok, now on to Wednesday (yesterday). It was fairly relaxing in the morning for me, which was good. I needed some down-time to recover and re-align. Joanne, Karen and Tony managed to get back early so we could go see the outdoor museum. This is a museum of all the different houses of Romania, and it was amazing to see. I posted the pics on my Facebook, so feel free to check them out there. It was neat to see the way they designed their homes, including the colors they picked (apparently, the lavender houses repelled some bugs better than the rest due to the color). Unfortunately, it was raining the whole time, so we definitely got wet. Well, all of us except for Tony, who was catching up on some much-needed sleep. :P Thankfully, the camera is water-resistant, so I was able to get lots of pictures without worrying about it. I took over 90 pics, so I'd say I got my 5 lei's worth. :D
Radu dropped us off close to 5 to give us time to get dinner and get ready for our events for the night. Joanne and Karen were going out to meet Connie (she's in charge of the music camp and is also here from the Bay Area) and rest of us were going to another Bible study...or so we thought. Something that was lost in the translation was that a Bible can also mean what we think of as a worship service. So, needless to say, we weren't "holy" that night (meaning, we were dressed casual instead of dressed up) and, apparently, it started an hour before we got there. Whoops!! :) Oh well, it happens.
What amazed me at this service was what God did through Tony and Pastor Rich. Pastor Rich spoke to the congregation about unity in the Body of Christ, namely overlooking petty differences and focusing on what is important. In a congregation that is heavily conservative, I was almost wincing, waiting for the outcry of disapproval due to our appearance and what-not. But, not only was the message accepted, it was welcomed with open arms. Praise God!! Then came the star again. :D Tony played some hymns on his flute and sax for everyone, and the congregation not only loved it but stuck around afterwards to hear more. I'm beginning to feel like a roadie almost. lol :)
Now, one thing to note, is that once we got back, we had lost our internet connection. I was intending for this to be made yesterday, but that didn't quite happen. Oh well, right? :)
Once again, I found myself that night pondering about Alive!. This time, I found myself asking what I can do specifically to better reach those that are attending on an individual level. The answers varied, from "nothing yet" to "be supportive and understanding" to "invest time in Alive! and they will want more". Then I found myself going back to something I've found so encouraging. Through this whole trip, I've been seeing how on-fire these people are for God and how what Christ means to them. It never ceases to amaze and inspire me. To be honest, there were many times I was on the verge of throwing in the towel, but God kept telling me to wait for this trip. I'm very glad I did too, because I would have had a lot more regret otherwise.
So, now on to today. We were going to go back to the museum to see the zoo (I was told there were Romanian dogs and cats to see lol), but instead asked to see some of the other ministries of Betania. First, we went to a home out in Şelimbăr for female orphans over 18. Now, there are some things to understand that make this home such an amazing place. First, orphans are regarded as being very low socially here. Second, as such, orphanages are really not nice places to be at all. Third, after 18, orphans are kicked out of the orphanages and forced to fend for themselves. So, the fact that a place like this exists is awesome in-and-of-itself. This house was built with the money of the one of the members of Betania to give these girls a place to live and a helping hand on their lives. The home collects any and all money and saves it. During this, they are actively helping the girls find jobs that they can do. Once they are established, then can move out with the help of a portion of the money that the home has been saving this whole time. Seeing this realy warms my heart, esp. seeing how much it has helped the girls staying there. Again, I have posted pics on my Facebook for all to see.
Next, we got to see the Christian radio station that Betania supports. This station not only broadcasts God's message to all of Sibiu, but also to many of the neighboring villages as well, such as Slimnic. We got a tour of the small station and got to chat with the director of the station himself. Seeing what they are doing with what little equipment they have has moved me to pursue ways of supplying them with whatever computer equipment I can get my hands on (Ron, guess what I want to talk to you about when I get back ;) ). To me, I'm just glad I can help out. I'm always glad to fill a need. But, this apparently had more of an impact that I thought. More on this later.
Lastly, we stopped by the high school that Betania runs, and apparently that Radu teaches at. Only 2 of the ladies that work in the school were there, as school is out for summer right now. But, we did get to see some of the classrooms and such along with meet the two ladies. Again, I have pics posted on my Facebook.
Now it was time to head back home for some more of that good Romanian food. Only, this time, this was something all-too-familiar to me. We had chicken soup, fried fish, steamed vegetables and herb and butter rice. None of us left that table without being full. :D We had the afternoon to rest, and rest we did. The ladies were off having dinner while Tony finished preparing for the concert tomorrow. Yes, once again, a star. (nothing but love for you Tony! :D ) So, once everyone managed to get back, we got ready and went down for the evening service here at Betania. Rich asked me to get some pics of the congregation, so I brought the camera with me. I guess I'm the designated P.R. person for the trip. I think its because of the camera. (thanks again for letting me borrow it Jen ;) )
So, after getting ready, I grabbed the camera and we went down into the sanctuary. It was definitely a larger congregation that Tues. night. But, after hearing Tony's message, I'm convinced it wasn't large enough. Not only was he playing flute and sax during the service, he also delivered an amazing message about the necessity for unity and support within the Body of Christ. Once again, the star, if it can be said so. However, I had one unexpected event happen to me tonight. I was approached by the director of the radio station tonight. Apparently, he was so moved by my willingness to help them at the drop of a hat that he wants to do an interview with me tomorrow at the radio station!! He was saying that his computer guy was advising him just this morning to get new monitors, and here I come offering to help get new LCDs for him. I'd call that providence, wouldn't you? Needless to say, I'm still in shock that I'm going to be on the radio. I'll post tomorrow what happened.
So, it is now just past 1 in the morning and I am quite sleepy indeed. I'm going to make one quick call on Skype and then go check my eyelids for holes. Goodnight everyone, and sorry for any typos.
So, Tuesday, we started with a trip to Slimnic. The ladies and Tony went to help out more with the music camp, so that left Pastor Rich, Jerry and myself. However, we ended up going into Slimnic with another team that was in from Huntington Beach. This was the first time that I had seen Radu's van fully packed (and then some).
I did manage to bring the camera with me this time (thanks to Pastor Rich's suggestion), so I got some great shots.
Suffice to say, the drive was quite scenic. Once we got into Slimnic, we dropped off the other team at a church to help run a VBS that was being hosted at the church. So, after a few minutes, we were off to the senior home we were going to be visiting. So, today, I hit a different end of the emotional spectrum (as compared to being angry at what I saw in the Orthodox church).
We managed to arrive well before the director did, so Radu took us around for a small tour. We got to see the two greenhouses they have where they grow their own vegetables,
the back area with the grape vines, raspberry bush and the side garden. After taking in the view for a minutes (and me cleaning off my boots for another 20!!), we went inside and visited with the people staying there. Listening to the stories broke my heart over and over again.
We visited with 4 of the ladies that were staying there. The first lady we visited, Ana, had been deported to Siberia just after WWII. Her dad was able to negotiate with the Russians to stay with some of the family, but she, along with 2 of her sisters and her brother, were taken to work. While her brother was separated from them, she did at least spend the time with her sisters, albeit I'm sure it was still a horrible time anyways. Praise God though that they did all make it back, reuniting with the rest of the family that did manage to be left at the home. She ended up marrying a man, a widower, with five children to help take care of them shortly after his wife died. Now, with her parents, husband and siblings all gone, none of these children keep in touch with her. Her only source of companionship is one of the other residents that has suffered a similar history.
To be honest, I'm not going to post the rest of the stories. Not because they aren't equally as important, but because I'm not sure I can handle recalling their stories or the hurt they must have suffered. But, here are the rest pics of the ladies we visited that I took while there.
Afterwards, we met with the director and had a small lunch. We talked of what a second upcoming team may be able to do for the home and what is needed to start the construction of a new home.
So, with what ended up being the first of two lunches in our stomachs, we headed back to pick up the VBS team and went back into Sibiu. And, you guessed it, lunch was waiting for us when we got back. And, yes, it was very good. And, yes, we were very full afterwards. Now it was time to unwind a bit and get my head straight before the service. Seeing and hearing what I did left me a bit shocked to say the least.
Soon, dinner time approached. However, I don't recall eating much. Maybe I was just full from the two lunches, maybe I was a little nervous getting ready for my message, maybe I was still affected by what I saw or maybe a little of each. In any case, we joined the evening service just as the band was warming up. This was a "youth" service, so the attendance was fairly low (30-50) and about the age range of Alive!, or maybe a little younger. I spent the time praying, asking God to speak to them as I was going to turn off for Him. After all, the last thing I want to be is a hinderance to His message. The topic for the night was accountability, something I'm very familiar with.
Tony got to play with the band that night, which was pretty amazing to say the least. He was, hands down, the main attraction of the night, if that can actually be said. He brought a lot of feeling and soul to the worship that night, both with the band and during his solo. Praise God for such a talented man indeed! :)
The message seemed to go pretty good, albeit a little short from what I'm told. Then again, sometimes the most powerful and memorable messages have been shorter than expected. We all spent some time afterwards talking with the congregation (ok, maybe it was just Tony and we were his fan club lol) and then retired for the evening. However, I found myself starting to think about what can be done with Alive!: what can be changed, what can we start with, how to help those who are struggling, etc. Needless to say, my mind has really stopped since.
Ok, now on to Wednesday (yesterday). It was fairly relaxing in the morning for me, which was good. I needed some down-time to recover and re-align. Joanne, Karen and Tony managed to get back early so we could go see the outdoor museum. This is a museum of all the different houses of Romania, and it was amazing to see. I posted the pics on my Facebook, so feel free to check them out there. It was neat to see the way they designed their homes, including the colors they picked (apparently, the lavender houses repelled some bugs better than the rest due to the color). Unfortunately, it was raining the whole time, so we definitely got wet. Well, all of us except for Tony, who was catching up on some much-needed sleep. :P Thankfully, the camera is water-resistant, so I was able to get lots of pictures without worrying about it. I took over 90 pics, so I'd say I got my 5 lei's worth. :D
Radu dropped us off close to 5 to give us time to get dinner and get ready for our events for the night. Joanne and Karen were going out to meet Connie (she's in charge of the music camp and is also here from the Bay Area) and rest of us were going to another Bible study...or so we thought. Something that was lost in the translation was that a Bible can also mean what we think of as a worship service. So, needless to say, we weren't "holy" that night (meaning, we were dressed casual instead of dressed up) and, apparently, it started an hour before we got there. Whoops!! :) Oh well, it happens.
What amazed me at this service was what God did through Tony and Pastor Rich. Pastor Rich spoke to the congregation about unity in the Body of Christ, namely overlooking petty differences and focusing on what is important. In a congregation that is heavily conservative, I was almost wincing, waiting for the outcry of disapproval due to our appearance and what-not. But, not only was the message accepted, it was welcomed with open arms. Praise God!! Then came the star again. :D Tony played some hymns on his flute and sax for everyone, and the congregation not only loved it but stuck around afterwards to hear more. I'm beginning to feel like a roadie almost. lol :)
Now, one thing to note, is that once we got back, we had lost our internet connection. I was intending for this to be made yesterday, but that didn't quite happen. Oh well, right? :)
Once again, I found myself that night pondering about Alive!. This time, I found myself asking what I can do specifically to better reach those that are attending on an individual level. The answers varied, from "nothing yet" to "be supportive and understanding" to "invest time in Alive! and they will want more". Then I found myself going back to something I've found so encouraging. Through this whole trip, I've been seeing how on-fire these people are for God and how what Christ means to them. It never ceases to amaze and inspire me. To be honest, there were many times I was on the verge of throwing in the towel, but God kept telling me to wait for this trip. I'm very glad I did too, because I would have had a lot more regret otherwise.
So, now on to today. We were going to go back to the museum to see the zoo (I was told there were Romanian dogs and cats to see lol), but instead asked to see some of the other ministries of Betania. First, we went to a home out in Şelimbăr for female orphans over 18. Now, there are some things to understand that make this home such an amazing place. First, orphans are regarded as being very low socially here. Second, as such, orphanages are really not nice places to be at all. Third, after 18, orphans are kicked out of the orphanages and forced to fend for themselves. So, the fact that a place like this exists is awesome in-and-of-itself. This house was built with the money of the one of the members of Betania to give these girls a place to live and a helping hand on their lives. The home collects any and all money and saves it. During this, they are actively helping the girls find jobs that they can do. Once they are established, then can move out with the help of a portion of the money that the home has been saving this whole time. Seeing this realy warms my heart, esp. seeing how much it has helped the girls staying there. Again, I have posted pics on my Facebook for all to see.
Next, we got to see the Christian radio station that Betania supports. This station not only broadcasts God's message to all of Sibiu, but also to many of the neighboring villages as well, such as Slimnic. We got a tour of the small station and got to chat with the director of the station himself. Seeing what they are doing with what little equipment they have has moved me to pursue ways of supplying them with whatever computer equipment I can get my hands on (Ron, guess what I want to talk to you about when I get back ;) ). To me, I'm just glad I can help out. I'm always glad to fill a need. But, this apparently had more of an impact that I thought. More on this later.
Lastly, we stopped by the high school that Betania runs, and apparently that Radu teaches at. Only 2 of the ladies that work in the school were there, as school is out for summer right now. But, we did get to see some of the classrooms and such along with meet the two ladies. Again, I have pics posted on my Facebook.
Now it was time to head back home for some more of that good Romanian food. Only, this time, this was something all-too-familiar to me. We had chicken soup, fried fish, steamed vegetables and herb and butter rice. None of us left that table without being full. :D We had the afternoon to rest, and rest we did. The ladies were off having dinner while Tony finished preparing for the concert tomorrow. Yes, once again, a star. (nothing but love for you Tony! :D ) So, once everyone managed to get back, we got ready and went down for the evening service here at Betania. Rich asked me to get some pics of the congregation, so I brought the camera with me. I guess I'm the designated P.R. person for the trip. I think its because of the camera. (thanks again for letting me borrow it Jen ;) )
So, after getting ready, I grabbed the camera and we went down into the sanctuary. It was definitely a larger congregation that Tues. night. But, after hearing Tony's message, I'm convinced it wasn't large enough. Not only was he playing flute and sax during the service, he also delivered an amazing message about the necessity for unity and support within the Body of Christ. Once again, the star, if it can be said so. However, I had one unexpected event happen to me tonight. I was approached by the director of the radio station tonight. Apparently, he was so moved by my willingness to help them at the drop of a hat that he wants to do an interview with me tomorrow at the radio station!! He was saying that his computer guy was advising him just this morning to get new monitors, and here I come offering to help get new LCDs for him. I'd call that providence, wouldn't you? Needless to say, I'm still in shock that I'm going to be on the radio. I'll post tomorrow what happened.
So, it is now just past 1 in the morning and I am quite sleepy indeed. I'm going to make one quick call on Skype and then go check my eyelids for holes. Goodnight everyone, and sorry for any typos.
Sister Church
It is a joy to attend our sister church here in Sibui and visit their ministries in the community. We are definiately one in spirit and one in the body of Christ.
Jerry
Jerry
Music Camp, Dessert, and Church
Well, it has been a while since I posted due to our schedule and our day of no internet. Joanne, Tony and I have been working at music camp all week and tomorrow is the concert. It is amazing what Connie Fortunato and her team have been able to accomplish in just a few days.
I have been working in the guitar class because I mentioned to Connie that I could chord on the guitar. Well this class has taught the group how to play Bach Minuet in G on the guitar. My job was to help the kids figure out which string to pluck and where to put their fingers for each note. Just one problem-- I didn't know how to play any of these notes on the guitar prior to coming. I found that I could keep one step ahead of the class (barely) and was actually able to help the kids. Long story short-- I learned how to play Minuet in G this week as well!
Tony has made a lot of fans at music camp this week. He played his flute and sax along to "This Little Light of Mine" in the combined choir rehearsals. We hear the kids calling out "Hi Tony!"
He will be playing along with the philharmonic tomorrow during the concert, and is excited about that.
In addition to walking around Sibui and just enjoying the town, we also went to an outdoor museum yesterday where they moved replicas of different buildings from different parts of Romania. It was very cool, and we stayed there for a couple of hours in the rain and still only saw about half of the sights. We also checked out the gift shop on the way out.
Joanne and I met with the team from Music Camp last night and listened to an organ concert at the Lutheran Church and it was very good. The pews were very uncomfortable, so I had to stand up in the back of the church about half way through to save my back, but my ears worked just as well there.
We walked (and walked) with Connie's team to the university dining room for lunch today after the session and tried yet another Romanian dessert (they have all been good so far). Though directionally challenged, we were able to easily find our way back "home" pretty easily.
Tonight was a service here at the church. Tony played flute and sax at the service and preached quite a sermon. I enjoyed continued practice in singing praise songs in Romanian.
Tomorrow will be a big day as the kids will perform for each other at the school in the morning and then we need to move all the instruments to the Catholic church where the performance will be. The kids will then rehearse with the full orchestra before the concert starts at 3:00 pm. We will also be going out to a celebratory dinner at a nearby restaraunt tomorrow evening and that will mark the end of music camp.
I have really enjoyed spending time with the kids and singing along to the same music that Katelyn learned when she was in Schola Cantorum with Connie.
I am enjoying the experience of Romania and Music Camp. Karen
I have been working in the guitar class because I mentioned to Connie that I could chord on the guitar. Well this class has taught the group how to play Bach Minuet in G on the guitar. My job was to help the kids figure out which string to pluck and where to put their fingers for each note. Just one problem-- I didn't know how to play any of these notes on the guitar prior to coming. I found that I could keep one step ahead of the class (barely) and was actually able to help the kids. Long story short-- I learned how to play Minuet in G this week as well!
Tony has made a lot of fans at music camp this week. He played his flute and sax along to "This Little Light of Mine" in the combined choir rehearsals. We hear the kids calling out "Hi Tony!"
He will be playing along with the philharmonic tomorrow during the concert, and is excited about that.
In addition to walking around Sibui and just enjoying the town, we also went to an outdoor museum yesterday where they moved replicas of different buildings from different parts of Romania. It was very cool, and we stayed there for a couple of hours in the rain and still only saw about half of the sights. We also checked out the gift shop on the way out.
Joanne and I met with the team from Music Camp last night and listened to an organ concert at the Lutheran Church and it was very good. The pews were very uncomfortable, so I had to stand up in the back of the church about half way through to save my back, but my ears worked just as well there.
We walked (and walked) with Connie's team to the university dining room for lunch today after the session and tried yet another Romanian dessert (they have all been good so far). Though directionally challenged, we were able to easily find our way back "home" pretty easily.
Tonight was a service here at the church. Tony played flute and sax at the service and preached quite a sermon. I enjoyed continued practice in singing praise songs in Romanian.
Tomorrow will be a big day as the kids will perform for each other at the school in the morning and then we need to move all the instruments to the Catholic church where the performance will be. The kids will then rehearse with the full orchestra before the concert starts at 3:00 pm. We will also be going out to a celebratory dinner at a nearby restaraunt tomorrow evening and that will mark the end of music camp.
I have really enjoyed spending time with the kids and singing along to the same music that Katelyn learned when she was in Schola Cantorum with Connie.
I am enjoying the experience of Romania and Music Camp. Karen
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Bible Study and Prayer Meetings
I am attending Bible Study and Prayer Groups in Romania... and although half of what is said is in Romanian, I am getting a lot out of it, because we go so often. The main thing God is teaching me in Romania is to be prayer based and to not only study the Bible, but demonstrate to others the spirit of the scriptures. Of course, I already knew these things are necessary, but seeing things in a different setting seems to bring it to light all the more.
Jerry
Jerry
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