Romania journal excerpts - Days 21-24.
Day 21 (7/20/07): Psalm 8
vv. 3-4: "When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?"
Seriously, Lord! You have given us such a great honor -- and a great responsibility -- by putting lowly humans in charge of this earth, the animals, plants, everything. And how absolutely amazing is Your gift of nature -- the stars and moon, trees, flowers, mountains, animals...You didn't have to make so much beautiful stuff for us to enjoy but You did! I don't even want to look at one part of Your creation and not acknowledge You, thank You and praise You for such wonders and blessings! Help me to see Your beauty today and to be in awe and worship of You whether I am sitting, speaking, or just being -- You're the One who lets me be!
(later)
Books I've read so far on this trip:
Redeeming Love
The Five Love Languages
Searching for God Knows What
So now I'm going to start Mere Christianity. I dunno if I'll finish it by the time I get home...
Anyway, Curt called me this morning at 7:45ish to see if I had decided yet about coming home early. It was good to talk to him again and plan some stuff for when I get back home. He's going to Kentucky for a week :( so I'm gonna take him to and from the airport.
We just had lunch at Aunt Neluta's house and it was SO good. Now we're napping in her upstairs bedrooms; I'm gonna read slash write instead, though, cuz if I lay down I'll get so ill!
Earlier today we had 19 of the kids from the neighborhood over to do a mini-camp day. We played Red Light, Green Light, sang some praise songs in Romanian and English, and then Monica taught a Bible lesson on God as caregiver with the story of Moses as a baby floating down the river. After that the kids made the corresponding craft for the lesson (the same one we did at the camp in Cluj), then Monica took them all downstairs (inside the church) to cool down and have an English lesson. I stayed at the house with Andrea to fill up water balloons and get ready to do the mud & water demonstration for God as forgiver. When the kids came back, they gathered around me and I explained the activity and had them come and get muddy hands. I went through all the points about Jesus that we felt were important for them to understand -- especially about how the only thing that saves them is Jesus' blood and sacrifice. Then we cleaned our hands and I explained more about how Jesus saved us, taking our dirt and yucky actions upon himself, but that he rose from the dead and was perfect and clean again.
Anyway, then Chris talked with them to reinforce the importance of Jesus being in their hearts, etc., and we prayed with them again. I hope they understood it all like they seemed to...but I felt good about how it went. Then we had a water balloon toss/fight, and a couple boys attacked me! I got hit in the neck (with a water balloon) really hard.
Anyway, it's been a great day so far, and I think tonight we are going to a service at the church.
Day 22 (7/21/07)
I keep coming back to this passage these last few days:
Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the father through him.
-Colossians 3:12-17
There is SO much to learn from this passage. If I spent one week trying to do all that is mentioned here, I would probably be so exhausted, yet so fulfilled! What would it look like if I let the word of Christ dwell in me richly? And when I sing songs of worship and prayer, what if I did it with gratitude in my heart to God? Even the songs we sang in Romanian last night at the church service can be worshipful if I let God's word and my gratefulness to Him penetrate my heart! And whatever I do, whether in word or deed, what if I could do it ALL...every single moment of the day...in Jesus' name?
What a changed person I would become!
Father, help me to make this passage a daily goal -- to become more and more like the person who is clothed with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience and love, the person who has the peace of Christ, and the word of Christ in her heart to guide her every word and action, the person who does everything in the name of Your Son Jesus, thanking You every moment through her life!
(later)
I totally sucked at having a good attitude today. It was really frustrating though, because all we did was go from one place to the next to eat and listen to Monica talk to people in Romanian about their own stuff. We had lunch down the street at this huge three-story mansion, and yeah it was nice and fun to tour the amazing house, but we didn't really have any reason to be there except to eat and admire their home. Then we went to the one-armed man's house a couple doors down, and his wife tried to sell us her blankets instead of listening to Chris's encouragement. But it was partly good because she was able to uplift the man and affirm his trust in Jesus. He has been through a lot of crap in his life. After that, we were all expecting to get a nap before dinner, but Monica said her uncle had arranged a drive up the mountain above this huge landslide to see the view of the town.... It was really beautiful, but I just felt like a big fat tourist hypocrite, eating and sight-seeing on someone else's dollar for a "mission trip." Ugh. Anyway, then we had dinner at Unchiu (Uncle) Ghita's, and his wife Ioana made stuffed peppers. We had the same thing at the big mansion for lunch, but it was still really good, and Ioana was so excited to show us hospitality again.
We finished the day with another movie at Ghita's (the other night it was Crocodile Dundee in LA), but Anghela (Ghita's daughter) wasn't even there with us most of the time, and it was supposed to be a time to hang out with her. So again I just felt lazy.
Tomorrow is our last day here, and it seems like we'll spend most of it at the church, which is really good, I think. I would like to try to remember Bicaz not as just a vacation after camp...maybe God will do something amazing tomorrow. Maybe I'll be less of a crappy excuse for a person. :-\
Day 23 (7/22/07): Colossians 3:12-14
Haha! Today's and tomorrow's verses are exactly the ones I've been reading already for the last several days. Awesome. I guess God really has something to tell me in them, huh? :-P
The other day when Shell first read this passage to me, I commented on the wording here: "clothe yourself with...put on..." I think it's interesting because it seems to say that you have to decide each day to wear these characteristics; sometimes you may not feel patient or gentle (ahem -- yesterday?), but you should still clothe yourself with patience and gentleness. Just do it. And it doesn't always come easily.
So. Today's goal: don't wear anger, impatience, frustration, rudeness or pride. Instead, put on
compassion
kindness
humility
gentleness
patience
K? Oh, and on top of all that, LOVE.
This is our last day in Bicaz. Make it a good one, and just focus on God in every moment! ... And Lord, help me to love! (1 Cor. 13)
(end of the day)
Praise the Lord -- today was, on the whole, really good. We went to church this morning and sang a few American worship songs, and three people shared stories in between. Chris is such a great speaker, and she sort of emceed the whole program. Then we sang Come, Now is the Time to Worship. Next Andrea shared, and then Dianne shared. Our last song was God of Wonders, and then Monica (who had been interpreting for everyone else) shared in Romanian and read Psalm 30. After church (which went from like 9:45 to 12:30), we had lunch at Unchiu Ghita's, and it was mici -- basically ground beef, pork and lamb sausages with TONS of flavor...pus the usual soup and bread, followed by amazing dessert made by Anghela (got the recipe!). Anyway, after lunch I was planning to take a nap, but I started packing and then I wasn't tired. By the time I finished, I had a little time for Sudoku and then we had to go back to church for the evening service at 6. There were a lot less people than were in the a.m. service, but it was still so Spirit-filled. We sang more songs, this time mostly in Romanian. We started with "Give Thanks" in Romanian, then I sang "In fata tronului de sus" as a solo! I wasn't really nervous, but my throat was all scratchy so I had trouble singing the low notes. After I finished, Monica said everyone was saying I had perfect pronunciation and sounded Romanian. :) Then Monica and I sang a duet - It Is Well in Romanian. And then Shell sang His Eye is on the Sparrow -- beautiful! And we all finished with an Alleluia song from the hymnal. After the service, we all said goodbye to Neluta, and she said all kinds of sweet things to us. She is amazing. Then we sat outside on the church steps and sang Disney songs at the top of our lungs -- lol. And then, we had dinner and dessert with Genu and his family, because today was his birthday. That was fun, and then we came back and finished packing and we're getting up at 6 a.m. to go to the bus back to Cluj.
Oh! Sad, sad news. I found out that Nicolae Moldoveanu (the Romanian hymn-writer I got to meet two years ago with choir) died last Sunday. :( What an amazing man he was...8,000 hymns!
Day 24 (7/23/07): Colossians 3:15-17
I think I might try to memorize this passage (3:12-17) while we're on the bus to Cluj today. It'll be a LONG ride. We leave around 8 a.m. and won't arrive in Cluj until at least 5:30. God's really showing me a lot through these verses, and I don't want to forget them so easily.
Lord, be with us as we leave Bicaz-Chei and approach the home stretch. Give us peace -- especially Shell and me, as we are going to try to get on the same flight with our teammates. Be with Monica for the next two weeks as she adjusts to being without us and gets to spend time with family and friends. Help her not to feel lonely or abandoned. And be with my family at home, and Curt, Erin, Ashton, and everyone else.
(later)
We're back in Cluj! :) I have never been so happy to check into a smoky hotel -- it feels like home (only not quite). Emese was so great; she called the bus stop in Cluj all day to see when we arrived, which was awesome because we got here almost TWO hours earlier than we had been told we would. So she was there within a few minutes of our arrival with a sweet van that is seriously the nicest one we've been in yet, and it'll be the same one that takes us to the airport.
Oh, speaking of...I called the Tarom airport about half an hour ago and got the runaround again, and this guy gave me the same number to call that I've been trying the last four days and NO ONE answers! So tonight Emese said we will just go to the travel agency and see if we can get things figured out there. Then there's still the whole issue of British Airways for our other two flights!
Anyway...I just want to get this all straightened out so I can call home and let them know for sure when I'm coming. I feel so much at peace just being in Cluj that I really don't care when Raeshell and I end up getting our flights -- although I would love to be home before Friday so I can spend time with Curt before he goes to Kentucky.
I just realized that I have now officially been out of the country (U.S.) for longer than ever before. Today is the beginning of a fourth week! I think my last trip to Romania was the longest before now, and it was two weeks. Wow. As much as I am excited to get home to see everyone, I think I really could handle another week here. (Not in Bicaz...but in Cluj.) :-\ But now I am just trusting in God to orchestrate our plans however He wishes -- whether it means going home Wednesday, or NEXT Wednesday.
Peace of Christ! :)
vv. 3-4: "When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?"
Seriously, Lord! You have given us such a great honor -- and a great responsibility -- by putting lowly humans in charge of this earth, the animals, plants, everything. And how absolutely amazing is Your gift of nature -- the stars and moon, trees, flowers, mountains, animals...You didn't have to make so much beautiful stuff for us to enjoy but You did! I don't even want to look at one part of Your creation and not acknowledge You, thank You and praise You for such wonders and blessings! Help me to see Your beauty today and to be in awe and worship of You whether I am sitting, speaking, or just being -- You're the One who lets me be!
(later)
Books I've read so far on this trip:
Redeeming Love
The Five Love Languages
Searching for God Knows What
So now I'm going to start Mere Christianity. I dunno if I'll finish it by the time I get home...
Anyway, Curt called me this morning at 7:45ish to see if I had decided yet about coming home early. It was good to talk to him again and plan some stuff for when I get back home. He's going to Kentucky for a week :( so I'm gonna take him to and from the airport.
We just had lunch at Aunt Neluta's house and it was SO good. Now we're napping in her upstairs bedrooms; I'm gonna read slash write instead, though, cuz if I lay down I'll get so ill!
Earlier today we had 19 of the kids from the neighborhood over to do a mini-camp day. We played Red Light, Green Light, sang some praise songs in Romanian and English, and then Monica taught a Bible lesson on God as caregiver with the story of Moses as a baby floating down the river. After that the kids made the corresponding craft for the lesson (the same one we did at the camp in Cluj), then Monica took them all downstairs (inside the church) to cool down and have an English lesson. I stayed at the house with Andrea to fill up water balloons and get ready to do the mud & water demonstration for God as forgiver. When the kids came back, they gathered around me and I explained the activity and had them come and get muddy hands. I went through all the points about Jesus that we felt were important for them to understand -- especially about how the only thing that saves them is Jesus' blood and sacrifice. Then we cleaned our hands and I explained more about how Jesus saved us, taking our dirt and yucky actions upon himself, but that he rose from the dead and was perfect and clean again.
Anyway, then Chris talked with them to reinforce the importance of Jesus being in their hearts, etc., and we prayed with them again. I hope they understood it all like they seemed to...but I felt good about how it went. Then we had a water balloon toss/fight, and a couple boys attacked me! I got hit in the neck (with a water balloon) really hard.
Anyway, it's been a great day so far, and I think tonight we are going to a service at the church.
Day 22 (7/21/07)
I keep coming back to this passage these last few days:
Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the father through him.
-Colossians 3:12-17
There is SO much to learn from this passage. If I spent one week trying to do all that is mentioned here, I would probably be so exhausted, yet so fulfilled! What would it look like if I let the word of Christ dwell in me richly? And when I sing songs of worship and prayer, what if I did it with gratitude in my heart to God? Even the songs we sang in Romanian last night at the church service can be worshipful if I let God's word and my gratefulness to Him penetrate my heart! And whatever I do, whether in word or deed, what if I could do it ALL...every single moment of the day...in Jesus' name?
What a changed person I would become!
Father, help me to make this passage a daily goal -- to become more and more like the person who is clothed with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience and love, the person who has the peace of Christ, and the word of Christ in her heart to guide her every word and action, the person who does everything in the name of Your Son Jesus, thanking You every moment through her life!
(later)
I totally sucked at having a good attitude today. It was really frustrating though, because all we did was go from one place to the next to eat and listen to Monica talk to people in Romanian about their own stuff. We had lunch down the street at this huge three-story mansion, and yeah it was nice and fun to tour the amazing house, but we didn't really have any reason to be there except to eat and admire their home. Then we went to the one-armed man's house a couple doors down, and his wife tried to sell us her blankets instead of listening to Chris's encouragement. But it was partly good because she was able to uplift the man and affirm his trust in Jesus. He has been through a lot of crap in his life. After that, we were all expecting to get a nap before dinner, but Monica said her uncle had arranged a drive up the mountain above this huge landslide to see the view of the town.... It was really beautiful, but I just felt like a big fat tourist hypocrite, eating and sight-seeing on someone else's dollar for a "mission trip." Ugh. Anyway, then we had dinner at Unchiu (Uncle) Ghita's, and his wife Ioana made stuffed peppers. We had the same thing at the big mansion for lunch, but it was still really good, and Ioana was so excited to show us hospitality again.
We finished the day with another movie at Ghita's (the other night it was Crocodile Dundee in LA), but Anghela (Ghita's daughter) wasn't even there with us most of the time, and it was supposed to be a time to hang out with her. So again I just felt lazy.
Tomorrow is our last day here, and it seems like we'll spend most of it at the church, which is really good, I think. I would like to try to remember Bicaz not as just a vacation after camp...maybe God will do something amazing tomorrow. Maybe I'll be less of a crappy excuse for a person. :-\
Day 23 (7/22/07): Colossians 3:12-14
Haha! Today's and tomorrow's verses are exactly the ones I've been reading already for the last several days. Awesome. I guess God really has something to tell me in them, huh? :-P
The other day when Shell first read this passage to me, I commented on the wording here: "clothe yourself with...put on..." I think it's interesting because it seems to say that you have to decide each day to wear these characteristics; sometimes you may not feel patient or gentle (ahem -- yesterday?), but you should still clothe yourself with patience and gentleness. Just do it. And it doesn't always come easily.
So. Today's goal: don't wear anger, impatience, frustration, rudeness or pride. Instead, put on
compassion
kindness
humility
gentleness
patience
K? Oh, and on top of all that, LOVE.
This is our last day in Bicaz. Make it a good one, and just focus on God in every moment! ... And Lord, help me to love! (1 Cor. 13)
(end of the day)
Praise the Lord -- today was, on the whole, really good. We went to church this morning and sang a few American worship songs, and three people shared stories in between. Chris is such a great speaker, and she sort of emceed the whole program. Then we sang Come, Now is the Time to Worship. Next Andrea shared, and then Dianne shared. Our last song was God of Wonders, and then Monica (who had been interpreting for everyone else) shared in Romanian and read Psalm 30. After church (which went from like 9:45 to 12:30), we had lunch at Unchiu Ghita's, and it was mici -- basically ground beef, pork and lamb sausages with TONS of flavor...pus the usual soup and bread, followed by amazing dessert made by Anghela (got the recipe!). Anyway, after lunch I was planning to take a nap, but I started packing and then I wasn't tired. By the time I finished, I had a little time for Sudoku and then we had to go back to church for the evening service at 6. There were a lot less people than were in the a.m. service, but it was still so Spirit-filled. We sang more songs, this time mostly in Romanian. We started with "Give Thanks" in Romanian, then I sang "In fata tronului de sus" as a solo! I wasn't really nervous, but my throat was all scratchy so I had trouble singing the low notes. After I finished, Monica said everyone was saying I had perfect pronunciation and sounded Romanian. :) Then Monica and I sang a duet - It Is Well in Romanian. And then Shell sang His Eye is on the Sparrow -- beautiful! And we all finished with an Alleluia song from the hymnal. After the service, we all said goodbye to Neluta, and she said all kinds of sweet things to us. She is amazing. Then we sat outside on the church steps and sang Disney songs at the top of our lungs -- lol. And then, we had dinner and dessert with Genu and his family, because today was his birthday. That was fun, and then we came back and finished packing and we're getting up at 6 a.m. to go to the bus back to Cluj.
Oh! Sad, sad news. I found out that Nicolae Moldoveanu (the Romanian hymn-writer I got to meet two years ago with choir) died last Sunday. :( What an amazing man he was...8,000 hymns!
Day 24 (7/23/07): Colossians 3:15-17
I think I might try to memorize this passage (3:12-17) while we're on the bus to Cluj today. It'll be a LONG ride. We leave around 8 a.m. and won't arrive in Cluj until at least 5:30. God's really showing me a lot through these verses, and I don't want to forget them so easily.
Lord, be with us as we leave Bicaz-Chei and approach the home stretch. Give us peace -- especially Shell and me, as we are going to try to get on the same flight with our teammates. Be with Monica for the next two weeks as she adjusts to being without us and gets to spend time with family and friends. Help her not to feel lonely or abandoned. And be with my family at home, and Curt, Erin, Ashton, and everyone else.
(later)
We're back in Cluj! :) I have never been so happy to check into a smoky hotel -- it feels like home (only not quite). Emese was so great; she called the bus stop in Cluj all day to see when we arrived, which was awesome because we got here almost TWO hours earlier than we had been told we would. So she was there within a few minutes of our arrival with a sweet van that is seriously the nicest one we've been in yet, and it'll be the same one that takes us to the airport.
Oh, speaking of...I called the Tarom airport about half an hour ago and got the runaround again, and this guy gave me the same number to call that I've been trying the last four days and NO ONE answers! So tonight Emese said we will just go to the travel agency and see if we can get things figured out there. Then there's still the whole issue of British Airways for our other two flights!
Anyway...I just want to get this all straightened out so I can call home and let them know for sure when I'm coming. I feel so much at peace just being in Cluj that I really don't care when Raeshell and I end up getting our flights -- although I would love to be home before Friday so I can spend time with Curt before he goes to Kentucky.
I just realized that I have now officially been out of the country (U.S.) for longer than ever before. Today is the beginning of a fourth week! I think my last trip to Romania was the longest before now, and it was two weeks. Wow. As much as I am excited to get home to see everyone, I think I really could handle another week here. (Not in Bicaz...but in Cluj.) :-\ But now I am just trusting in God to orchestrate our plans however He wishes -- whether it means going home Wednesday, or NEXT Wednesday.
Peace of Christ! :)