Sometimes things keep me up at night. I'm one of those people that can't really turn off the brain when head meets pillow. I've never minded this much. More often than not it has been a sign that I need some one-on-one time with God. I don't make time for meditation and prayer as I should...sometimes it takes my spirit stirring at 2 in the morning to get me back on track. God meets me right where I am, and I'd wager the same is true for you whether you know it or not. Currently you'll find me sitting on my bedroom floor, reading Romans, swatting mosquitos, and listening to Romanian dance music from the bloc next to mine.
On this balmy, August night while reading through Romans, I got the wake-up call my soul has needed. The challenges for my 2nd year of Peace Corps have quickly been presenting themselves. I wasn't prepared for them; or rather I had prepared myself on my own accord rather than on God's. I guess I'm telling you all this because I need some accountability. I know the next 11 months are going to go fast. In some ways I welcome this because it brings me back home all that much sooner; however it also means I only have a short time in which to help my community. It'll all be okay. I know that...it always is. I just need to "lean not on my own understanding"...you know what I mean.
Romans 8:28 & Romans 12:1-2
Friday, August 28, 2009
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Summer is almost over
I heard this the other day, and I wanted to share it with you to give you a tiny idea of the size of Transylvania. Transylvania is a geographic region of Romania, east of Hungary, approximately the size of the state of Indiana. That's right! Go Hoosiers!
It's been a great summer for me here in Romania. I've lived the village life, hiked in the untouched landscape of Transylvania, working a summer camp, learned a bit of Hungarian, spent time with my fellow volunteers, learned a few things about myself, and much more.
One of my favorite parts of the summer was visiting another volunteer who works a farm in the center region of the country. Even though it is the heart of Romania, 90%+ of the population speaks Hungarian. I went out to get to know some of the volunteers from Group 24 I hadn't met yet. It was a blast! We worked alongside some British conservation volunteers on a work holiday, and we went out to the Vârghis Gorge to camp with them for a few days. I helped mark some trails, built an outhouse door, saw a newborn baby foal, swam in what I think was the Mures River, and generally enjoyed communing with nature. It was nice to experience the food, culture, and surroundings with people that haven't been here in Romania for an extended period of time. Sometimes I forget just how spectacular it is! A highlight would have to be the first night we were camping out in the gorge, A few of us volunteers, the British volunteers, Hungarians, Romanians, and Rroma (gypsy) all gathered around a campfire during a beautiful meteor shower. We sang along with people playing the guitar and banjo. We drank some palinka. It was amazing!
School doesn't officially start here until the middle of September. I'm not sure if you all remember that from last year or not. I'm a little nervous about it because I know once school starts my Peace Corps service will quickly, maybe even frantically, come to an end. However, I am ready for year 2 and for the challenges, failures, and successes!
It's been a great summer for me here in Romania. I've lived the village life, hiked in the untouched landscape of Transylvania, working a summer camp, learned a bit of Hungarian, spent time with my fellow volunteers, learned a few things about myself, and much more.
One of my favorite parts of the summer was visiting another volunteer who works a farm in the center region of the country. Even though it is the heart of Romania, 90%+ of the population speaks Hungarian. I went out to get to know some of the volunteers from Group 24 I hadn't met yet. It was a blast! We worked alongside some British conservation volunteers on a work holiday, and we went out to the Vârghis Gorge to camp with them for a few days. I helped mark some trails, built an outhouse door, saw a newborn baby foal, swam in what I think was the Mures River, and generally enjoyed communing with nature. It was nice to experience the food, culture, and surroundings with people that haven't been here in Romania for an extended period of time. Sometimes I forget just how spectacular it is! A highlight would have to be the first night we were camping out in the gorge, A few of us volunteers, the British volunteers, Hungarians, Romanians, and Rroma (gypsy) all gathered around a campfire during a beautiful meteor shower. We sang along with people playing the guitar and banjo. We drank some palinka. It was amazing!
School doesn't officially start here until the middle of September. I'm not sure if you all remember that from last year or not. I'm a little nervous about it because I know once school starts my Peace Corps service will quickly, maybe even frantically, come to an end. However, I am ready for year 2 and for the challenges, failures, and successes!
Friday, July 31, 2009
A great reminder of what it means to have a "servant's heart"
As the last day of July is quietly put to bed I figured I better write about the past month. It began with relaxation after a fantastic vacation in Greece with my family and ended with more relaxing, but in between was craziness! I spent a week working at a camp up in the northern portion of Romania, near a city called Satu Mare. (Google it if you are curious) At the camp were 90+ kids, many of which only spoke Hungarian a language I speak next to nothing of, that I and 4 other PCV's were responsible for entertaining and teaching English. Exhausting! Sleeping in the same room as ten 11-12 year old girls is not conducive to the amount of sleep I need to function. Needless to say, all of us volunteers survived.
Satu Mare and camp pictures
Now what I really want to talk about...while at camp and in Satu Mare, I met what could possibly be the nicest couple I've ever met in my 25 years on this earth. Loren and Ottilia and their children Mate and Dora are an adorable and extremely generous family. They stayed up late to wait on Kaitlin and I to arrive at the train station and to stay a night in their apartment. They prepared a wonderful spread for dinner and breakfast for us. Ottilia went out of her way to care for all of us volunteers during camp. The children are precious and constantly greeted me with hugs and high-fives! Then after camp they invited us to stay another night...we went out for a fantastic meal (the best I've had here in Romania) and then we toured Satu Mare before stumbling into and out of a Timisoreana Beer Festival in town. I was just blown away by their graciousness and the fact that they did it just because that's who they are. What a great example of what it means to serve your fellow man and expect nothing in return.
I really hope to keep in touch with them and maybe even stop in for a visit if I'm up north again.
Satu Mare and camp pictures
Now what I really want to talk about...while at camp and in Satu Mare, I met what could possibly be the nicest couple I've ever met in my 25 years on this earth. Loren and Ottilia and their children Mate and Dora are an adorable and extremely generous family. They stayed up late to wait on Kaitlin and I to arrive at the train station and to stay a night in their apartment. They prepared a wonderful spread for dinner and breakfast for us. Ottilia went out of her way to care for all of us volunteers during camp. The children are precious and constantly greeted me with hugs and high-fives! Then after camp they invited us to stay another night...we went out for a fantastic meal (the best I've had here in Romania) and then we toured Satu Mare before stumbling into and out of a Timisoreana Beer Festival in town. I was just blown away by their graciousness and the fact that they did it just because that's who they are. What a great example of what it means to serve your fellow man and expect nothing in return.
I really hope to keep in touch with them and maybe even stop in for a visit if I'm up north again.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Just across the hall...
I've been living in my humble, little bloc apartment for nearly 12 months...and yesterday was the first time I'd seen the lady that lives across the hall from me. We passed in the hall, and the sweet woman told me she is my next door neighbor! I'VE LIVED HERE FOR 12 MONTHS!! How did I not know the person that lives just across the hall from me?! Crazy. I immediately felt bad...I'm naturally a little reserved so it's not the easiest task for me to get to know my neighbors, but I'm over that because I still have another 11 months to get to know this new neighbor better!
Anyway. My toasted, red, splotchy self was walking home from the pool today and my new acquaintance was sitting on the steps in front of the building. I apologize...I have yet to learn her name, but I promise that will be the next question I ask her. She politely asked me to sit down next to her for a chat in the shade (she warned me it was just too hot in the building to go up quite yet). I've learned that Romanians don't hold back too many personal details in conversations, and this was another instance to prove that point. I asked her how she was...she said she has diabetes so things are hard for her. She has 4 children...3 are married and her youngest daughter (25) still lives with her and her husband! Rock on! I don't feel bad at all for living with my parents when I get home! We had a nice little chat, and I told her that today was my parents' 26th wedding anniversary. Mom and Dad--she sends you sănătate (health) and o casă de piatra (a house of rock).
How did I not know this lovely woman during my past 12 months living here? She seems delightful. Pardon me...I'm going to make some sugar free muffins to show my affection for my neighbor just across the hall!
Anyway. My toasted, red, splotchy self was walking home from the pool today and my new acquaintance was sitting on the steps in front of the building. I apologize...I have yet to learn her name, but I promise that will be the next question I ask her. She politely asked me to sit down next to her for a chat in the shade (she warned me it was just too hot in the building to go up quite yet). I've learned that Romanians don't hold back too many personal details in conversations, and this was another instance to prove that point. I asked her how she was...she said she has diabetes so things are hard for her. She has 4 children...3 are married and her youngest daughter (25) still lives with her and her husband! Rock on! I don't feel bad at all for living with my parents when I get home! We had a nice little chat, and I told her that today was my parents' 26th wedding anniversary. Mom and Dad--she sends you sănătate (health) and o casă de piatra (a house of rock).
How did I not know this lovely woman during my past 12 months living here? She seems delightful. Pardon me...I'm going to make some sugar free muffins to show my affection for my neighbor just across the hall!
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