The Year Is Flying By!!!

My gosh - it is the 3rd week of September - already! Wasn't it just August first and I was writing about the camps and still had so much summer left. School didn't start here in Romania until Sept. 16. Sarah began 8th grade with gusto and Elizabeth entered high school with fear and trepidation. 

Sarah is taking voice and piano as extras this year.  I hope this is a really good school year for her. Scholastically it was  a little bumpy last year.  It appears Elizabeth will spend most of her time being tutored this first semester. Her language load as a freshman is Romanian, English, Latin and French.  Elizabeth has technically had French since 5th grade but they only copied things out of books and learned some recognition of the written word - but she spoke not a word. She gets in to her French class and what a shock - it is all in French and she doesn't understand a thing. Panic time. It was the end of the world for her!  Just a few days before I run in to a young woman that tutors in 5 languages. Elizabeth is now being privately tutored, plus there are a dozen other kids in her class that are in the same boat so they are offering an extra catch up class at the school. Elizabeth also needs some help in chemistry and physics. Elizabeth choose this school so she could be with a friend in high school - village kids in town high school are sort of looked down on. Elizabeth didn't make the grade average to stay with her friend so ended up as a language major. She regretted  choosing the high school altogether.

This evening we went to our first parent teacher meeting with her main teacher who also speaks English - a plus for me.  After the meeting I told Elizabeth that the Lord knew all of this and He would never set her up for failure. I said that if she hadn't tried to stick with her friend she wouldn't now be in the highest ranked high school - the Lord just used that and she is exactly where is is supposed to be. It also was no coincidence that I ran into the French tutor, this lady remembered me, I didn't remember her when we met again. God is in control.  After the school meeting we were making our way slowly out of the building ( many stairs) and Elizabeth said she could almost cry to realize God is taking care of her and has a plan for her. She didn't make a wrong choice.

Camp 2013

Well we are done with camp for this summer.  There were more than 60 kids sponsored this year. it is one of the two big one-time-a-year expenses that I have. The other is the winter wood for the Widow's Mite program.

Elizabeth and Sarah ended up with 3 weeks at camp. Elizabeth is in training to join The Grain Game (the Alabama based ministry that travels around the world to bring the gospel to children).  Sarah went along the 3rd. week and was also a help.  Both Elizabeth and Sarah bonded with the team from England and look forward to visiting them. Now they have two teams to visit!

We are looking to put together a Grain Game team together for the Balkan countries and Romania. This will be especially aimed at  Romii children. I agreed to form a team and the director of Grain Game will come back this winter for a training seminar.  My goodness, another leap of faith for me!  This year certainly has really been exciting so far.

Celebrate an Anniversary with me!

This month is the 20th anniversary of my first mission trip to Romania.  I had been on several other short term trips but July 1993 was Romania. I moved here in August 1997.

I spent some time last night reflecting and looking back.  Hindsight is so often  20-20. What an awesome 20 years this has been.  Oh my gosh - I have stood on spiritual mountain tops - feeling so close to God that I thought I could touch His face, certainly I could feel His heart beat.  I also have spent plenty of times in the valleys...feeling beaten down and despairing.  Some of the most rewarding times of my life have been here  - and certainly some of the saddest times in my life have also been spent here.

If I had to do it all over again...I would come again, even knowing the costs because I truly think I am in the Will of The Father...it doesn't get any better than this!

Ball Family Arrives April 24

Spencer, Lynsey, Jonathan and Trinity arrived back in Romania April 24.  Here they are pictured ready to go to Bogdan and Lili's wedding.

The family have served here before and made a mission trip back as well as a family trip back here to be sure this is where the family is called to be.  They are here for the long haul. So far they have been staying with us here in Sofronea but are soon to move in to their own place right next door to us!  The kids quickly settled in and have made numerous friends. Both Spencer and Lynsey have gotten the hang of village life.

The Ball's have pitched in in all areas of the ministries  I am involved with and feel called to serve the elderly and Romi in particular. Lynsey has long had a vision for working with babies here and the new Child Development Program is moving along.  It may happen soon!

Please keep this family in prayer as they are like additions to our family.

Bogdan & Lili's wedding

Bogdan and Lili were married April 27.  We first had the civil ceremony then went on to a lovely restaurant that provided a nice area for the religious portion of the service before starting the reception.

Clergy marriages are not legally binding here so you must have a State civil ceremony also. I have been waiting for the wedding pictures to be done to post but I have a few snapshots anyhow.

 Bodan and Lilli with his parents, Delia and Simon. It was lovely.

All smiles as they head to take more pictures before heading to the restaurant.  Pastor Rich Femia was here from my church in Ohio to help preside over the religious part of the service. I'll post those pictures when we have them.

Friends

This morning George and Anita, Priscilla and Barbara left Romania.  This was the first time I had met Priscilla but I hope she will be back some time - she is a lovely lady.

I had not seen Barb in almost 2 years - so it was a joy for me to have her visit Romania again. Hopefully it won't be another 2 years until I see her again. She has become a special friend over the years. Barb and Anita brought college students on missions trips to Eastern Europe for many years - that's how I met them!

George and Anita will be returning in June with their granddaughter Riley for another visit. Today would have been sadder for me except that I know they will be back again soon. Their tireless support of me, my family and the ministry here...well there aren't words to express how much they  mean to me.

Vinga Church - Seedtime and Harvest

Sunday April 14 was the big day for the church in Vinga. As usual many people took great pictures and as usual they weren't on my camera.  About two weeks ago, during a bible study group, a scripture in Genesis chapter 8 verse 22 really settled in my spirit. For all the years we have met in Vinga we never had a name for a church.  When I saw Seedtime and Harvest in that verse I knew that should be our name - it describes who we are what we should be about.

The church was filled.  Please note we have new benches, with upholstery and padding, and you do not fall off the end into an aisle any longer if someone in the middle stands up.  When George Ford came to our church several years ago his head scraped our light fixture on the ceiling - that didn't happen this time!

The beautiful cross on the table was a gift from First Presbyterian Church in Vincennes Indiana, who provided us with the funds for this renovation. George Ford made a lovely presentation of the cross to the leadership of the church. Daniel Negrea and I have worked together for 20 years now.  Daniel had the large wooden cross, mounted on our back wall, made for us and also gave us the bible for the table. A friend of his made the crown of thorns that we put on the cross,  Daniel did the praise and worship for the dedication service and we were all blessed.

The building has been extended and there is lovely tile on the floor. We were not able to complete everything before our dedication service due to the weather, but it looked pretty sharp I thought.

Yes! We have a balcony now too!  Many of our children were up there and had a small program of songs and scripture to present at the dedication. The children come on Saturdays at 10AM to our program. Vlad, Alina, Bogdan and Delia are our teachers and do an excellent job. We have two classrooms behind the sanctuary. Our teens meet on Friday evenings and we have begun a young men's group at a small weight room we put in at the local school in Sanicolaul Mic. Sanicolaul Mic is also where we have the music school and Kid's Club.

We were honored to have the mayor of Vinga join us and speak. I really felt this was an affirmation of our presence and work in Vinga.

Anita Ford and Barbara Rose each gave a brief word of encouragement. I also read a note from Irene, Peter and Christine from the UK who were unable to join us for the service.  My beautiful new robe was a present from Anita and George.

George Ford gave the main message and he spoke on seed time and harvest, sowing and reaping.  It meant so much for us to have George here to present the cross and dedicate the renovated building to the Glory of God. This truly is a work of the Lord, provided for by the Lord and blessed of the Lord.  I am honored and humbled that He choose me to participate.  To Him be the glory!