Wrapping It Up

Why.....
I have been reading a book on "re-entry" after being a missionary. One major focus is to put closure on your time on the mission field. For me, I think it is important to get our blog current with what has been happening for the last month or so- not just so that others can read about it- but so that we have it for ourselves to read.

The Youth Retreat in Prod

We have been working with the youth here in Sighisoara since September. The first half of that time was spent reaching out to teens in the Baragan area. Although that was rewarding and challenging God seemed to be telling us to change our focus to work with the teens in our church. We have about 5 in our church. Most of these were not coming to the larger Baragan group but we thought that our time here would be much better spent helping them grow in their faith and allowing them to reach out to their friends. It has also allowed us to have more in depth conversations about God that we weren't able to have with Baragan outreach. We average about 7 teens in this group- some of which don't go to our church.

A week and a half ago we were able to take these teens away on a weekend youth retreat. Wow- what a lot of work but also a great time. ( A big thanks to Pastor Greg, Mike, Lynn,TC, Big Dan & Mary, and Doug for how much work you put in to making youth retreats happen at Pearce). All total 22 of us went- 9 teens from the group as well as leaders, Mrs Fleshar and Timmea to help cook, and Andrea Kazmierski, Kristen Spaulding, Aaron Roorda, and Kyle Eich who were here visiting Mel. There were two main objectives to the weekend- to have a chance to talk more about God but also to let the teens just relax and have fun away from the some difficult home and school situations. It turned out better than I hoped. We played a lot of crazy outdoor games, walked in the forest, played fotbal (soccer), and played a whole lot of Rapid Uno.



We also had some great discussion times. The first night Aaron gave his testimony. The second night Andrea and Kristen talked about the road to Christ (using versed in Romans) and what seperates us from Him. They really did a fantastic job. On Sunday morning we were able to have our own church service in the German church that is part of the retreat center. It was absolutely beautiful in there especially hearing the teens singing and Kyle playing guitar. We talked about the Sower's Parable and how that related to each of us after the message that we heard through Kristen and Andrea the night before. A major prayer request is that the seeds that have been planted during this retreat find their way to furtile soil, that people come into their lives to support and encourage them during these diffucult years, and that these teens grow up to really have a personal relationship with Christ that strenghtens and encourages them during the storms of life.



Vacation....


The church was wonderful enough to tell us to take a little vacation time before we came back. Right after Orthodox Easter we drove to Arad to say goodbye to the Dunns. After that we headed up into the Apuseni mountains of Romania. I had made reservations at a Pensiune in the mountains but nowhere on the internet did it say it was on the TOP of a mountain. We should have known the road was bad when Romanians we asked said it was a bad road- that it must be really bad. Needless to say we had to travel 16 km up the side of a mountain on a road that was more like a logging road. After an hour we were wondering how much farther it could be when the car died. As it was rolling backward we saw oil on the ground and the oil light on. Turns out that some way back on the mountain road we bent the screw that holds the oil pan on so badly that oil was leaking right out of the pan. Here were were on a mountain top - no town or tow truck for at least an hour- all we could do was pray (well Maurice offered the car a small kick before that). I mean- there is really nothing else you can do but pray and trust God to help the situation. I think that so many times we trust ourselves first and forget the God wants us to trust him first- he will take care of us.

The whole time up the mountain we didn't have cell phone service. I gave it one more try when the car broke and we got a hold of the pensiune we were staying at. God was already at work- it was right around the next corner. He came with his tractor and towed us to the pensiune. The next day a man was going to the city 3 hours away and brought back oil and the 2 part glue "Poxi-Pol". Roberta has always called this fix all glue but this gave whole new meaning to that. The man sanded the oil pan- put the glue on it- and the next day we filled it back up with oil- and IT WORKED.

The people who live in the mountains in that region are called "Mots". It was just like being int the movie "Heidi". They are very self sufficient, hardy, and amiable people- not to mention the cooking was incredible. Almost every meal was served with items right from the farm- incredible Rasberry jam, Zacusca, butter, fresh milk, pickles. As you can see - the car troubles didn't affect my appetite for good Romanian food. The whole reason we were in this area of the mountains was to see the Scarisaora Ice Cave. From the Pensiune it was a 40 minute walk. Maurice was confused on how you go into a cave when we climbed to the hightest point on the mountain. We quickly learned how. The cave was at bottom of a giant hole in the earth. A very disconcerting trip down the side of the hole to say the least. At the bottom the steps were still covered with snow. Once at the bottom of the hole you walk into a beautiful cave filled with ice. One part of the cave is called the church because of the giant ice stalagmites and stalagtites. Good thing Grandma wasn't with is- as Nolan says- she would have been freaking out watching the boys go down into that cave.

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After a couple days in the mountains we were ready to cut our vacation short and get back home to Sighisoara. We had an uneventful trip off the mountain but only 20 minutes down the main road another teaching trust moment came along. In the middle of nowhere the car starts making a horrible knocking noise and dies. We waited couple minutes and the car started. We drove for 5 more minutes when the car dies again at the edge of the very next town. This time there was no restarting it. There was a wonderful family across the street who helped us out. It was May Day in Romania which means no one works. It also means that this turns into a 5 day weekend and the only garage in town is closed for the next 5 days. Some of you may be saying- call AAA, get a tow truck, no problem. WRONG. Tow trucks and towing companies don't exist here. The family let us push our car into their driveway and helped us figure out how to get back to Sighisoara. Turns out there was was a bus in just a few minutes and the bus stop was just a few houses down. Pretty much where the car died. We rode two great buses, a taxi, and a train and got safely back to Sighisoara. God took care of us again. Unfortunately the car spent two more weeks of vacation in the mountains before we found a way to get it home. That was over two weeks ago and we still don't have the car back. The mechanic always says- Tomorrow. It is beginning to feel like the country song- "If Tomorrow Never Comes". Ah well- Ce Sa Faci. What can you do?

Stamping.....

We came with grand plans to start small businesses in Tsigmandru. Needless to say that our plans and God's plans were a little different. This has been a blessing to me. We set up the card workshop in the Baragan apartment and are working with a Mrs Ludu and Mia as well as Lori and Sendi Ludu on getting this project going. They are all excited about it. We have made over 100 bookmarks and have done well selling them. We have a basket in the House on the Rock where we can sell them. They have already sold over 50 of these in just three weeks of making them. Lori is really talented and I think has the enthusiasm to really make this successful. Pretty soon she will being making actual cards. I went to Targu Mures a couple a weeks ago and was able to have some stamps made that said Sighisoara, Romania as well as Multumesc- which is thank you. The proceeds are divided three ways, part for the church, part for the person who makes them, and part for supplies. We have a meeting tomorrow night to discuss the transition time as well as resupplying, selling overseas, paying people, etc. Please be in prayer for this fledgling ministry.

Other Ministries....

Last Thursday and Friday I was able to provide a ministry to Dorothy through the form of cooking. The Veritas Board was here last week for a Board Meeting. Dorothy was very anxious that they have great experience and had been preparing for them for months. I saw as chance to give something back to Dorothy for all that she has done for us and also to help relieve her stress a little. I offered to cook two Romanian meals for her guests. Mama was out of town so Liana helped me on Thursday. She made an incredible soup and salad but I was able to make the Salata de Beof and Chicken Friptura with wine sauce all on my own. On Friay I made Sarmale. It is good to know that I can actually cook this Romania food when I return to America. It is like bringing a little piece of Mama, Liana, and Romania home with me. The Board really enjoyed both meals which made Dorothy very happy. So- ministry a success. I wish they were all that easy.

Sunday School Room......

The Sunday School room area at the church has been filled with years full of stuff that teams bring and leave. Much of this in English that no one can use as well as tons of craft items in various places. All of this makes it very difficult to have Sunday School. About a month and a half ago I started working on pulling everything out a drawers, cupboards, and throwing lots of things away. On Sundays duirng Sunday school Lori and I would continue to work on it and put things in order. When Aaron and Kyle were here they helped Maurice and David get a huge, heavy cupboard out of the room that had been partially blocking the stairs to Roberta's office. On Saturday Lori and I spent 2 hours labeling every cupboard and drawer with exactly what was in it. She really enjoyed doing it and did a fantastic job. I think now that her big sister Sendi is going off to school (college) she is really looking forward to leading Sunday School (and at 12 years old). Please continue to pray for both Lori and Sendi. Sendi as she takes major final tests for school and then heads off to college starting a new chapter of her life. For Lori as she now becomes the oldest girl in the Ludu house and the one of the oldest teens in church. She wants to continue with youth group after we leave so pray that a way will present itself.

Construction.....

Lastly but not leastly. Maurice has been actively doing construction projects since the team left in February. He worked with a group that came from Maine and tiled the kitchen in the Baragan apartment. All the work we did on our own house before we left payed off. After the group left Maurice and I went down and grouted the whole kitchen. Who knew that when we we were grouting our own kitchen a week before we left that we would be grouting a kitchen in Romania? Needless to say the bathroom is completely torn apart but not put back together. I guess it is God's will for someone else to finish that. When Kyle and Aaron were here they worked with Maurice and fixed and painted the wall at church. It looks GREAT.

Pictures are worth a 1000 smiles

Over the last year I have been accumulating pictures of people from Tsigmandru. Pictures from literacy class graduation, people becoming members of the church, random pictures of children, and family pictures. A couple of weeks ago I printed them all out and sorted them into about 25 different packages. On Sunday before church I took them out and Dorina (Hordu's wife) helped me walk around and deliver pictures to everyone. It was like Christmas. There were smiles everywhere. It made me realize how much we take pictures for granted but that the people in the village rarely have any photos. The sad thing is- is that they have probably been photographed hundreds of times. Lots of people promise to send copies to them but it rarely if ever happens. Or they might give one copy of a picture when 5 different people are in it. Here is one of the pictures we handed out.Yesterday we had a family photo day out in Tsigmandru. Each family from the church was able to come and have a picture of each of their children as well as a picture of their family. I think we took over a 100 pictures and people were so excited. Little girls were all dressed up. I also took some pictures of a new playground that was built for the block of houses next to the church. In the background you can see the new wash house that is being built. The whole area is fenced in. The children seem to love having something to play with. Please pray that this playground can be used as a ministry and not lead to hard feelings within the village.

Over these last couple of weeks I have also been working with Mia and David to give each person from the elderly clubs a framed picture of themselves. They were all so pleased to get a picture of themselves.

I want to thank everyone who supports us while we are here- YOU made it possible for us to put those smiles on people's faces. It is really amazing what a simple picture can do. - Karen

Easter- What must it have felt like to be there?

April 27th was Easter here in Romania. I really experienced Easter in a much different way this year. The sights and sounds of Easter here made me realize so much more . I will try to describe this for you. On Good Friday morning we spent time with the Veritas staff in a beautiful, quiet little garden. We read a play called The Passion of Christ which tells the story of the persecution and crucifiction of Christ. In the middle of the circle was a table and on the table was a crown of thorns, a purple cloth, and a large antique nail. As the play was being read and it said he was made to wear a crown of thorns and a purple rode you could imagine it better with those images in front of you. How piercing that crown must have been- how beautiful the purple rode would have been if it hadn't been stained with so much of Christ's blood. The quietness of the garden felt like we were in the Garden of Gethsemene.

(Sorry if some of you are shocked or appalled at this part- but Christ's Crucifiction wasn't pretty. It was in the graphic detail that I began to really grasp his pain and suffering) That afternoon the boys and I took Emil out to Daie to slaughter the lambs for Easter. Actually seeing these innocent little lambs being slaughtered. To listen to a knife being stabbed in their throats as they hung helplessly upside down and to hear that last gasp of air. How much worse must it have been for Christ. After the lambs were slaughtered the heads were cleaned and the eyeballs were popped out. These were then thrown out to the chickens. The boys chased the chickens around the yard with these eyeballs just dangling out of their beeks. It made me realize how callously Christ was treated. We also took eggs home to dye red. The red color of those eggs was the color of blood and you couldn't help but remember that Christ shed his blood for us.

That night we went to Church and the feelings continued. Communion was served like it was the Last Supper. There was a table on the alter. We went to the table in groups and sat down. Roberta broke a loaf of bread and we passed the cup around the table. How intimate the Last Supper must have felt. The service was by candlelight and the candles were slowly extinquished throughout the evening. At the very end of the service, as the last candle was put out and the church was completely dark, there was suddenly the smacking of a hammer on a nail. Oh the shudder one felt at that sound. To hear what it would have sounded like as the nails were driven through Christ's hands. Then it was just dark and completely quiet. It felt like being plunged into darkness with complete sadness. How must the disciples felt, his mother, Mary Magdalene, his followers? Maurice said- it is easy for us living on this side of the Ressurection. How did they feel- hearing that Christ would rise again but not really understanding what that meant. How did they feel to remain in that utter darkness and sadness until he rose again on the third day.

Thank You for allowing me to share these feelings with you. - Karen

Last Week

April has just flown by. Debbie- a friend from our church was here last week. She had a chance to visit and work with most of our ministries. While she was here she was able to do a short devotional with the elderly at church as well as a lead a really great talk on the 10 steps of prayer with the Veritas staff. It was really neat because we were able to see that prayers can be written, spoken aloud, silent, or sung. You can sit still and pray or you can walk and pray. Debbie also had a chance to cook vegetable sarmale and bean soup with Mama which was a lot of fun.

I am glad the time she was here went well because the day she arrived started a little rough. I went with Nolan to pick her up at the airport. Nolan and I really enjoyed some good mommy-Nolan time. We had an uneventful trip from the airport to the train station and even enjoyed a little McDonalds while waiting for the train. When we got out to the train I realized I couldn't find my wallet. I went and looked around at McDonalds where a guy come up and told me he thinks a couple guys had stolen it. I called Maurice and told him to call our bank and cancel our credit card. By the time he called, which couldn't have been more than 45 minutes from when it was stolen, they had already tried to use it 3 times. Unfortunately in my wallet was my VISA permit for Romania, my driver's license, and some money. I really thank God though for taking care of us. Our train tickets were in my pocket and so we still had those and Debbie had money to help us get home. Our church ATM card which allows us access to all our funds for Romania was back in Sighisoara. God gave me a sense of peace about all of it- they were just material things and he was taking care of us. We had a nice trip on the train but almost had a longer than planned trip. When we got to Sighisoara we were waiting by the door of the train but when we stopped the door wouldn't open. We had to rush to the other end of the train. There was a conductor there but the train was starting to move away from the platform. She was trying to wave the engine down to stop, Maurice was calling to tell me that my train was pulling away and where was I, and Nolan was starting to panic that we were stuck on the train. The train finally stopped at the end of the platform and were were able to get off. Nothing like a little excitment to end the day.

Construction Update

I just wanted to give everyone a construction update. For the past two months I have changed my focus from working on the Tsigmandru church to working here in Sighisoara. This basically began when the teen group came from Pearce. When they were here we started working on the apartment that the Church of the Nazarene owns here in the Baragon area of Sighisoara. No one lives there, but there are various clubs and prayer meetings that meet there five days a week. When the teens were here they scraped a type of calcium coating of the walls in three rooms and the hallway. These walls were then coated with a light coat of plaster. I have been sanding, painting, and laying carpet in theses rooms. Just this week I started to tear apart one of the bathrooms. I am currently pulling tile off the walls, scraping the calcium off, and beginning to change out the bath tub. It is hard, difficult, and time consuming work, but also very rewarding in the end. I am including some before and after photos of the other rooms and will soon do the same for the bathroom. Maurice

Thunder Snow?

Easter sunday was a beautiful warm day and the following day was even more beautiful. The spring flowers were already popping their heads up. It was about 70 degrees that afternoon. That Monday night Mel and I were at Monday night dinner when there was a huge crack of lightning. When I left for home it was just starting to snow and by the time I got up the street the snowflakes were even bigger. I took the boys outside to show them and the snowflakes were about the size of silver dollars.- Karen

Easter Sunday (Number 1)

I say Easter Sunday number 1 because here in Romania the majority of people here have not celebrated Easter yet. Orthodox Easter is April 27th which is when our Church here will celebrate Easter. Hungarians and Germans celebrated Easter on March 23rd. Let me tell you a little bit about how we spent March 23rd. At 7 am I climbed the stairs to the German Church on the hill for the sunrise service. This church is over 700 years old and has a crypt underneath of it. The service was all in German but it didn't matter- it was still beautiful. At first we all stood in a circle around the inside of the church while music was sung and the pipe organ was played. Then we slowly filed down into this small little crpyt where there were candles on the floor. It was so peaceful and really helped to picture what Christ's tomb might have been like. After a small service we each took a candle and walked back up into the church. We stood in a circle again and sang joyful music to celebrate the resurrection. Afterwards everyone was invited to the Lutheran priest's home for Easter breakfast. Breakfast was simple but beautiful. In America everything is pastel colors for Easter but here it is bright colors. At each place at the table was a bright red egg and the whole table was decorated in bright yellow, red, and orange. The red dyed egg is to symbolize the blood of Christ. It was really a blessing to be included in the German celebration of Easter.

Nolan and Liam knew that it was Easter in America and so expected that the Easter Bunny would come and leave some Easter eggs outside in the yard. I found a couple of eggs at the store and hid them in the backyard. The boys really had fun looking for them and were perfectly content to only get two eggs each.

After church we went out to Saes with Emil, Liana, Lian, and Andre for a gratar (grilling). I have really come to appreciate Romanian "gratar"s because they are so much simpler than grilling out in America. When we got to Saes we worked out in garden cleaning up dead branches and raking up all the dead stuff from the previous year. This all gets put in a big pile and burned. Once it is burned down enough the grate is put over the coals and the meat is cooked. Along with the sausage and cremwurst we ate some radishes and apples. The boys had a lot of fun. Nolan helped Emil and his cousin haul wood for over an hour. Emil calls Nolan "harnic" or hardworking. I can't say Liam is the same. He would rather just play.- Karen