The girl that turned to stone. It wasn't my striking good looks.

Cautionary Tales

We had some people to our house the other night.  We had a devotion time, supper, and did some projects. One of our guest told our translator a story.  The names and location has been changed to protect the innocent this is the story.  A girl took some Orthodox communion bread from the church building for what intention I do not know.  She took the the bread to a baptist church then she was  turned into stone.  To me this sounds like a cautionary tale for children.  To our guest it was a true story.  My prayer if for eyes to be open in the name of Jesus.  I pray for lies to be brought into the light. Finally, lately I pray I can examine my own life and match it with the Word of God.

Only accessible by boat.


We met a friend that lived in Babadag.  I think we became friends. I enjoyed his company anyway. I had a plan of spending time with him and discipling him for the Kingdom.  God had other plans and moved him to a town only accessible by boat.  Two days ago Sheena, Kale, Andrea (our translator) and I traveled to bring him some Christmas cheer.  We also made plans to see him more often to study the Word with him.  He seemed to be excited for the opportunity.  Please pray for safety while traveling and a fertile heart.

Baptized into The Church not a church.


I had a conversation with a girl about being baptized.  She is a fantastic Christian and loves to do ministry.  She is a huge blessing in our life and a great encouragement.  I asked here about being baptized and she is hesitant because of the paperwork it would take.  She shared with me that she doesn't want to be baptized in to a church but The Church.  This makes me incredibly happy.  The thought process and study to come to this conclusion has only arrived to a few people that I know.  Speaking of being simply Christian.  I was doing my Christmas shopping for Sheena in our small market.  What I was looking for could not be found in our small town and maybe Tuclea county.  You would be surprised if you knew what I was looking for because it is very common.  Anyway one very helpful man attempted to find what I was looking for.  In broken English in Romanian we had a conversation about life and work. Pretty soon there was 4 or 5 shop owners interested in the conversation.  I said we worked for a foundation that worked with kids.  The next question is always the same.  Baptist? Pentecostal? Orthodox? Adventist?  The answer is always. no. no. no. no.  Sunt doar Christian.  I am just a christian.  Maybe I am not explaining it well but few understand.

A city on a hill or nomad?


I have this new appreciation in Kingdom work.  Someone more connected with God please help me understand.  How much are we to be a stationary city?  A city on a hill cannot be hidden.  People move to the city in search of something.  Is this a good concept of Kingdom work?  I like it.  It seems to me people come to church because they are in search of something which means the heart is in search of something.  This seems like a efficient way to do ministry.  However in Romania at least for now I don't see this as a great strategy.  I think the nomad approach is more appropriate.  I feel as though I must pitch my tent in the lives of others and move where they go.  The trouble with this nomad approach is expense.  I am not calling for more funds.  I am talking about time, energy and people.  It truly was an exhausting and expensive trip to go see our friend in a place only accessible by boat in the winter.  What will be the return?  I hope many disciples of Christ.  Someone smarter than me please give me some advice.

Operation Christmas Child


I got to partner with a really great foundation and deliver Operation Christmas Child gifts to people here in Babadag.  What a riot!!! I wish we could do that everyday.  Some moms were crying.  Some neighbors of recipients said they were going to call the police because we didn't give anything to them.  Nearly every place we stopped people came out of their houses and surround our car.  It was pretty fun.  So if you donate or packed a shoe box just know it was used, but probably not here though.


Finally we had a 60 degree day and found the coast of the largest lake in Romania just a few miles from here.  It was beautiful.

Man letting a net down. I never saw his reward.

Merry Christmas Everyone!!!

Shoes at the bottom of the out house, Bible study, and another trip for visas

Hello all,

Today Kale thought it would be a great idea to throw his shoes down the hole in the outhouse. Thankfully it is not used very often so shoes landed on dry ground we fished them out with a wire.  While fishing out the shoes we noticed Kale had thrown his cup of milk the day before. That explained why we could not find it. What fun. We got a dog she makes a great baby sitter.  I think I could kick over a bag of dog food, leave a bag of cookies for Kale and be gone for weeks.

ON THE VISA FRONT

We got a call today from Jeremy in Bucharest.  He found out that the Visa office's scanner is broken.  No big deal except that we submitted a picture of Kale so they could scan it in for is visa card.  That means another trip to get Kales Visa.  I think Sheena will be leaving tomorrow with Kale.  They will take his picture and hopefully that will finish the chapter of the Visas.  We don't have our cards in hand yet but all of our paperwork is in.

BIBLE STUDY

Last week we started a Bible study Anca she lives a couple of villages away. She has a couple of boys one of them is a year older than Kale.   She speaks english and is hungry to talk Bible with someone.  It is a joy to hang out with her.  Last week we brought her over to our place.  We made American style hamburgers because she never had one before.

Please pray.  We should be starting another Bible study here at the house today.  Something always seems to come up that prevents us from starting a study.  With prayer I hope I can report to you that we had a great time in scripture.   Also this Wednesday I will go to Zebil to have a study with my guys group.  Again please pray that it will work out.  Last time we had a lively discussion on merits vs.  grace.  They do not understand grace because they have never be shown any of the scripture before.  It is fun to pioneer new scripture for them.

We got a card from Marie and Larry Goins.  Our first personal letter.  Thanks so much.  BTW we have only got a couple of pieces of mail in three months.  No junk mail!

Visa take two

We received the Kale's apostasied birth certificate from the states. Thank you Erna and Dennis.  Jeremy, my  FGCI missionary friend from Nebraska here, found out and double checked that only one parent needs to be present to submit the papers for children.  A short five hour train ride Mr. Eli took to turn in the papers and come back home. Easy peasy nice and easy.

We got in a long line outside the visa office waiting for it to open.  Just before the office opens a man comes out and announces a new law change. The tax went up 20 lei or about $7.  We left to go pay the tax at the bank.  The lady behind the desk had no idea what we were talking about.  So back to the visa office then back to the bank.  Everyone was very helpful but know one knew what to do.  No one has a clue when the bank will be ready to accept the new tax.  Jeremy decided we will try again in the morning.

Meanwhile we walked around town looking at buildings and talking.  It is exactly what I needed.  Around 2 o'clock we decided to check on Sheena and I's visa process.  (we got our applications accepted last week) I thought the card might be done.  Not only was the cards not done but our applications were on hold because of a new law change.  Now everyone has to be fingerprinted.  You would think we would be grandfathered in since our applications were accepted.

I am so thankful we took the time to check otherwise Sheena and I would have made a special trip to pick them up and they would have told us then.  Sheena still has to turn in finger prints which means a trip to the capital.

The next day (Thursday) we get to the bank and the lady said it would be Monday before they are ready. Kale's visa application is still not turned in.

Please pray for our visas. I don't know what we are supposed to learn through this but please tell God I get it.

Today I went to the Babadag home to visit some friends and encourage them.  It was good to get some ministry done.  It makes the visa process all worth it.

Now for your viewing and laughing pleasure:

My attempt at cream puffs 

Blue spots

A couple of mornings ago I woke up with blue spots all over my chest and arms.  The spots are flat and about the size of the end of a bic pen.  They did not itch but they do now.  I have well over a 100 spots in random order.

Living in different country makes diseases seem worse.  I decided I better have a doctor check it out.  Yay my first visit to a Romanian clinic! (sigh)

Let's just say the clinic is not what I am accustomed too.  I am not for sure but I think the next patient is the person that can get to the door faster than anyone else. There was a small lack of order and by small I mean none at all. The poor receptionists is more of a bouncer than a time keeper.  It doesn't matter the doctor was willing to see me.  I was grateful.

He diagnosed me with veirsat de vant.  Literally translated means "pouring of the wind" or we call it chicken pox.

I did not think that to be right.  I had chicken pox when I was younger plus I did not feel ill.  On my way home I saw my neighbors.  They had been on a 3 day trip to the delta.  It was good to see them. He went to shake my hand until I told him what the doctor said I had.

I wanted a second opinion.  So me and a friend went to Tulcea to see a dermatologists.  She said it might be an allergic reaction to something.  I can't think of what it might be.  Tomorrow if the spots are still persistent I will go to Constanza for a third opinion.  That might sound extreme but the first doctor diagnosed me with chicken pox... chicken pox.

I am hoping this is not serious or contagious. This week we were planning on going to the orphanage in Issacea to visit our girls.  I have not been to the Babadag home for a week because of our trip to obtain our visas.  This guy needs some good ministry time.  Tomorrow night I will teach english at the small church we are attending.  Lord willing. Life overall is good here. I can see real opportunities for ministry.

Our language is starting to click now.  I can have whole conversations (as long as they are shallow) with people.  We are looking for a car but they are expensive so we are just waiting for the right one to show up.

Thanks for the prayers.  Share with others about the blog please.  I hear several people are printing this off to share. THANKS!!

eli

Visa... it is illusive

Considering we moved here by choice (depending how you look at it) I told myself I would not complain about living in Romania. The following story is not a complaint rather a funny story that you may enjoy.  Of course if enjoyment comes from hearing torment inflected to people then you should seek help.  Honestly, in hindsight we could see God's hand in the whole thing.

This is the story of obtaining our visas... well at least 66.6% of our visas.  In case it is not blatantly obvious after reading this blog the Romanian Government is big and loves control.  The government changes laws more often than most of us change our underwear.

This story takes place in Bucharest, Romania from Sept. 20 to Sept. 28.

Before we left for Bucharest I told my Romanian friend (I have blogged about him).  He was our neighbor and moved to Bucharest to look for a job.  He told me about a place to stay in Bucharest.  As he was describing the lodging I realized that is the same place where Sheena and I spent our first week and a half in Romania.  The place is a dorm for a baptist college.  We are able to stay there for about ten dollars a night.  My friend had been staying there for a week or two.  How cool is that?  I only know a hand full of Romanian people and one of them is staying at the same place we are in a city of 5 million people.  What a great start to our visa experience.

 First day.

Jeremy FGCI's first missionary helped us obtain our visas.  He hired a lawyer to do much of the paper work because he knows it can be a difficult process.  We picked up the papers and made plans to meet the next morning at go to the visa office.

The office has four stations with four windows where the government employees sits.  There is some information pinned up on the walls but it is not exhaustive or up to date. The system is incredibly inefficient.  There is one line for the visa we need and there is no help desk. People that have a simple question must stand in line or cut ahead.  It is a little frustrating to the people in line and to the employee to have people barge up in front of people.

Jeremy is so good at helping us out.  He kept our papers in perfect order and tried to guess on what the government would ask for.  For example pictures and copies of passport etc.. We were in good hands.  Everything looks professional and Jeremy has everything in order.  This will be easy....

It quickly became our turn to speak with the lady behind the window.  The first visit to the visa office ended because the law had been changed August 1st.  We needed additional documents.  All of the information in the office was outdated by over a month including the information on the window above the employee.  Jeremy explained to the lady about the information but with no results.  We lacked a few documents the papers for the foundation we work for and health insurance.  Evidently the global health care insurance we have is not good enough for Romania.  

Most of the other people in line had the same trouble we did. One man must of been a foreign business owner he was rejected because he needed paperwork on ten native Romanian employees before we could get his visa.

We spent hours walking around Bucharest looking of the right insurance. We were told that any travel agent company would have what we needed.  The proved not to be true.  We were able to find the insurance.  We made plans to try again at the visa office.

We paid our taxes for living in Romania that totaled to around 800 dollars and went to the office again.  This time we were told that the insurance was not good enough and we needed the government healthcare insurance. In addition the foundation papers where not the original papers and therefore not good enough.  Mind you none of this information was given to us in exact detail.  I guess we were supposed to be born with the knowledge.

The next time we visited we presented our government healthcare insurance and we had the original papers of the foundation.  Now we have our American global insurance, travel health insurance and Romania social health insurance.  I think we are covered.  It was a great feeling to hear the words go sit on that chair for your picture.  We made it.  We got all the unknown puzzle pieces together.  Now it was time for Kale's visa.

The process for Kale was much like ours.  Outdated and incomplete information was the only thing available.  It is a guessing game.  The first time we turned in our paperwork for Kale we lacked a notarized document that said we will take care of Kale and cover any of his expenses and the doctor's note saying Kale was clinically healthy was worded wrong.  It need to say Kale was healthy and not a danger to Romania.

We found a notary and for just under $100 we got at document that said we will take care of Kale and saw the doctor to write the correct statement.  We returned the next day to find that Kale's birth certificate, the original, and a notarized copy was not good enough.  We need an apostile letter from the State of Nebraska.

We are now waiting for an apostosied copy to arrive in the mail for Kale's visa.  Thank you Dennis and Erna.

Now something for comic relief.  The first few days we were in Buchrest I found this little gem in the road.  

 This is not a picture of a tree growing in the road it is a tree indicating that road work is being done to a man hole cover.

The tree was not enough of a indicator.  Here is a picture of the tree destroyed.

Plan b is three tires and a tree. 

Finally the work is complete.  

I hope you enjoyed. I know it was God's plan and timing because of the doctor we met.  He is an American that belongs to a church that is trying to figure out a way to bring Christ to people in the sex industry.  Jeremy and I recently met a different man that has a mission to reach out to people in the sex industry.  We were able to give out his contact information.  Who knows if all of the run around was meant for us to end up exchanging information with the doctor.

Scripture only

What is wrong with living scripture only?  Really I would like to know.

I was given the opportunity to preach yesterday at a very small Pentecostal church.  The choice of text was Acts chapter 1.  What an exciting time for the disciples.  Jesus is alive and spending time with his close friends.  The Holy Spirit was the final piece for the disciples' ministry in this world.  These men spent three years with the Son of God doing INTENSE ministry and learning. You would think that would be enough but Jesus told them to wait until the Holy Spirit came.  There must be something to that Holy Spirit.

After the message a man told me that he was not pentecostal he was a baptist.  I told him I was simply a Christian (that really perplexes people here) and followed up that up with I believe in scripture only.  His reply is we need tradition to learn how to be saved.  Is scripture not enough?  I would really like your thoughts. Maybe I am wrong in thinking that the Bible contains sufficient material for salvation.

I don't want people to think like me rather I want to encourage people to read the Bible.  I thought I would include some pictures for your enjoyment.

Hike in the wood behind our house

Construction of a new home.

Kale and his kittens.  Thy have since disappeared 

We are looking for prayers for our community Babadag. Pray for the Holy Spirit to work in this town. Please pray that I will not grow weary and my heart will be soft and not combative.  

The one I was in is white.

I hate starting a note with 'it's been a while'.  As if the recipient of the message didn't know. So I wont start out that way.  The truth is it has been awhile because seemly not much is going on.  Then it hit me like a communist made Dacia.  In Romania the everyday ordinary details of life are so unusual to me.  I don't know maybe it is the beginning of cultural shock or the 'honeymoon'  is wearing off.  I really don't know if you are interested in spending the five minutes to read about our ordinary life that is so very unusual.

What will God do with our ordinary life here?  For example it was not unusual for Sheena and I to visit our neighbor in Auburn.   This morning I went to the neighbors house and ended up going to several stores in town looking for olives.  Okay that sounds ordinary.  I have taken many of youth group kids on excursions through Auburn.  Here are the unusual details.  The car is a communists era Dacia.  Anyone that owns a Dacia quickly becomes a great mechanic.  It is a lot of fun to ride around town speaking in broken Romanian.  The markets are made up of several shops that basically all sell the same thing.  We arrived at one to market to see several Gypsies running around with 1leu (money about .30 cents) in there hand trying to buy a snack. These kids are filthy, with wild hair.  It is like watching a movie play out in real life.  In the middle of the market is a shop that sells fresh milk.  The milk is in old bottles that have been repurposed.  Don't ask me where they get the bottles from.  I bought some fresh milk. I heard that the cream is delicious.  To my utter disappointment the milk I bought had no cream in it.  I think they had already removed the cream.  I was so excited to have cream that I tried my hand at cream puffs.  The puffs did not puff that is fine anyway because I didn't have cream.  Two disappointments in one day. The unpuffed puffs made a nice cookie.

We started attending a very small church downtown.  It looks like we will be getting involved with working with the students.  I think the pastor Paul is somewhat burned out and is looking forward to our help.  I am looking forward to helping out.  We met an older lady of the congregation. She is a very sweet lady.  She invited us into her home after church.  It reminds me of several people in Auburn that were always quick to invite a visitor to pizza hut after church.  Sounds ordinary well it is a bit unusual. Her home is very modest the front door is padlocked.  The front room has several doors and a quick search for a key opens the second padlock to her living/dining/bedroom.  I started to feel really uncomfortable when the lady hand my son a 8 inch knife to give to us.  He walked across the room in perfect form no one was killed or injured.  Our new friend went to her backyard to collect some grapes and tomatoes for us to eat add some bread and that is a great afternoon meal.  She was very insistent that Kale eat a mixture of milk and crackers.  The pot the milk resided in was not clean and the milk had probably been in there since it was cleaned last.  We didn't force Kale to partake of the meal.  Our friend lives in a very small mud brick house with many cracks in the walls.  We plan on getting her house shored up for winter.

Our new friend.  

I feel a little evil about it but last Sunday we told her that we could not make it to her house after church. It is a true statement.  I was hoping to be back in time to speak with my parents on Skype.  She insisted we come to her house again she would make us a Romanian treat to eat.  We convinced her that we had to go home.  An hour or two later a knock at our door.  There stood our friend with the plate full of treats.  She walked a long way up hill while carrying the treats in one hand and her cane in the other hand.  She kept telling us it from God.  She also informed us to eat the treats and do not feed them to the dogs.  We are starting to understand a little Romanian but she talks to us like we know it all.  It is a little frustrating.

There are some boys that hangout at the end of our block.  They speak english pretty well. One day I see them looking on the ground like they lost something.  I investigated and found they lost a plastic bb for their gun.  It must have been the only one. We try to speak with them often. When I find a bottle of bb's I am going to buy and give it too them.  

I could go on. Like just right now, no kidding, I saw a car towing a pickup with a very small rope up our hill. One of my favorites is working outside then hearing the Islam mosque give the call to prayer.  It is a bit surreal.

I don't know what God is going to do with our early relationship here in Babadag. I do know that our energy is not wasted on meeting and investing in people.   Please continue to pray for the relationships that are forming.  I will have more updates on our ordinary life in an unusual way.  I believe God uses our ordinary lives in extraordinary ways.  Trouble is we may never know how.

Chicken in a bag

I’d like to tell you about our friend Catalina.  Catalina knows the ministry we work for and used to help take care of the house that we are now living in when no one was living here.  Our first encounter was the first weekend we were here with two translators and our fridge stopped working.  We called our friend and somehow the word got to Cathy and she came over to look since she lives in town and I believe her husband works on fridges.  Well, she took one look at it and said it was old and not worth fixing.  Now, being the thrifty person I am I knew that it could probably be fixed, but that is the Romanian thinking.  I’ve heard stories of people throwing out their old, hand-made, solid-wood furniture for new particleboard stuff because it was new.  (that house had two other smaller fridges, so we are using them.)  She did not stay long that time, but as she left I told Eli I wished I could talk to her because she had a nice spunk and seemed like she would be fun.  Ever since that day she stops by a couple times and week and she invites us to her house from time to time as well.  She does not speak English and we speak few Romanian words, but it is fun to try to talk and figure things out…we have also learned to use online translators a lot.

We are blown away by Catalina’s generosity.  She is always bringing us vegetables from her garden.  One day she brought us some chicken legs from the chickens she raises.   Another time at her house she asked me if I wanted a chicken.  Of course being an American I think to myself, “No I do not want a chicken,” but how do I tell her no.  She told me it was a gift and she would kill it and pluck the feathers for me.  Well, I told her maybe because I happen to know the words in Romanian, “not now, but later.”  She said to let her know when and I actually hoped it never came up again, but when we left it turns out that later meant the next morning.  I figured she would come with it already dead and I thought she said something about soup so maybe we were going to make the chicken into a soup.  When she arrived with a live chicken in a bag the next morning I was a little scared.  I grew up on a farm, but we never had chickens and I had never gone through the process of killing one.   My chicken always came from a store and to tell the truth I like it that way.  Well, she went around back and killed it and then pulled off the feathers.  I think she was a bit surprised when she asked if we did that in America and I told her no I get my chicken from the store.  I’m pretty sure she knew I never had though by my reactions and face through the whole thing.  Next we went inside and she got the chicken all cut up for cooking.  Turns out though she was just leaving the chicken for me to do what I wanted with it.  I did make soup though after all because this was not a big chicken and did not have a lot of meat on it.  That really was the first time I’m a little ashamed to say that I have cooked a whole chicken.  I am the pathetic person that only buys boneless, skinless breasts so I do not have to deal with the bones and skin.   I know pathetic.  This whole ordeal made me feel like a spoiled American. 

Last week we went to the Pentecostal church that she attends because he husband was getting baptized.  The service was, well, I really do not know because it was all in Romania, but the people were real nice.  We walked to church and afterward she said they would take us home.  The local bread store is about a block from the church so Eli got some bread before we went home.  Later that evening she brought us over some homemade bread.  Then two days later she brought us another loaf and said not to buy bread from the store.  Now, I am a bit of a baker, but when the bread from the bread store is $0.30 you do not even think of baking your own.  It is cheaper to buy it in my eyes.  We told her if she wanted to bring us bread we were going to pay for it, but she will not let us pay her for it. 

We owe her so much as she keeps giving and giving to us.   If anyone has some good ideas of ways to repay her please give suggestions.  

monster fish

I like to watch American TV with Romanian subtitles to help reinforce what I am learning.  It was during a show called Monster Fish the Holy Spirit started working on me.  Let me explain.

A few weeks ago I finished a book called Great Missionary Heroes.   Great book full of missionaries who sought out lost tribes in the middle of Africa and South America.  These are missionaries who did not see barriers. Despite language, wild animals, warriors, distance, and sickness they trudge on and took Christ to where most... okay I am back.  Our first load of wood came!!! These missionaries took Christ to people that would make most of us uncomfortable even to watch on TV.  These men where pioneers. They are my heroes.

Enter Eli Davidson.  Move to Romania and use language as a barrier.  Move to Romania and use government employees as a barrier.  Move to Romania and use what will people think of me as a barrier.  Move to Romania and use .... you name it.  How pathetic.

Monster fish is about at guy that travels to the ends of the earth to catch big fish.  Nothing stops him.  That is when I decided I don't need a translator I don't need to worry about the Romanian government.  God brought us here and He is going to use us.

Today I went to the Babadag mental/retirement home.  My mission was to speak with the director with what little Romanian I know then track down Alina and help her study her English.  I know it sounds so incredibly simple but for whatever reason I have been afraid to do this since the last American team left.

Alina light up when the director told her I was there.  She immediately got out her books and started reading in English.  (she has no idea what she is reading) What a great experience!

I don't want you to think that I have not been working.  We have been studying language like crazy and working around the house.  We have been doing ministry as long as we have a translator.

My encouragement to you is do not allow barriers in your life.  God is bigger. Alina and I now have plans to meet more often.  Who knows what God will do with this new relationship.  What can God do in your life?

Random

Sheena and I have been busy studying the language.  Believe it or not it is not as exciting as it sounds.  Actually it is not too bad. The most fun is trying to use it and watching tv with Romanian subtitles.  It is a little difficult to blog about definite and indefinite articles so I thought that I would bring to some Random thought with Eli Davidson.

1.  I met a guy to combines with a John Deere combine built in America. Go America!
2. The same guy uses a Case International tractor.
3. Everyone is "helpful" to the point you feel like an idiot.
4. More people speak English than you think.
5. Sporting a beard most mean you are a Priest.
6. Trash haul away in the village is a tractor/trailer and six guys.  Be sure to kill the engine and coast down the hills.
7. It was 90 degrees yesterday but nearly everywhere you looked people are cutting wood and preparing for the winter.  We are not even close to being ready.
8.  Google translator is a God send.  Sheena and have been using it frequently to communicate to friend.
9. I got a hair cut yesterday from someone the does not understand English.
10. Romania does have a single comfortable chair.

I hope you enjoyed the first random thoughts with Eli Davidson. We have a team coming this week.  They will be with us for a little bit.  I hope to write more then.

eli

a system of control

You will go to hell if you start to read your Bible and don't read it in its entirety.  Besides who are you to read the Bible you are not trained enough to read it in the right way.  These two phrases are preached from the pulpits of the Orthodox keep Romanians from opening up God's word for themselves.  I now know people who believe these phrases.

The system is brilliant. The government salaried priest can now tell their flocks whatever they want and the Romanians have to believe them.  This is not a church but a system of control.  This is not a way of bring salvation through Jesus Christ but away to keep people in the dark.  My heart breaks for these people.  It reminds me so much of the Israel Jesus found when he was with us.  A church that was built on rules and not worship. Reading the Gospels have a whole new meaning.  On the flip side I have meet at least one person who has read the Bible for himself and believes the same things I do.  I had Sunday School teachers, great ministers, great parents that educated and trained me the way I should go. My friend had himself the Holy Spirit and the Bible.  There is hope for Romania through the scripture.

Pray for Romanian people so they will open the word and discover what God has for their lives.

forest fruits

Update on Larry.  We went hiking in the woods this morning.  We were hunting the elusive forest fruits.  Larry was eating them up so I did the same. So far so good as far as my digestive system goes.  I wanted to finish hearing Larry's answer to the question are you a Christian.  I brought up our two day old conversation and he finished it. He is a Christian.  He is frustrated with the Orthodox Church and he has been somewhat chastised by his family and friends because.... he reads his Bible.  His views on scripture, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit is identical to what I believe.  It was an incredible hike. It seems that he is very excited that we are here and looks forward to see what God will do with our lives here.  God is so good.  Larry leaves tomorrow for a job interview in the capital.  Sheena and I made him a travel package for his train ride.

Larry told me about a Gypsy Temple in the woods that I will go visit next. He says they sacrifice animals at the temple.  okay bye bye now

Are you a Christian? I don't know...

We have some wonderful neighbors across the street.  They seem to have an endless supply of tomatoes. It is like a red river that starts in their garden and ends up in our kitchen.  Sheena is busy trying to use the tomatoes all up.  The neighbors have a two year old grandson that visits often.  Kale has a friend and they like to play in the sand together.  The neighbors also have a 32 year old son he is looking for work.  He has a college degree in writing java programs for computers.  I don't think that is easy.  Larry is the name I will give to him for this blog. Larry and I speak often and sometimes for a couple of hours. He tells me his opinion on Romania.   He says most people regret getting rid of communism because everyone had a job.  (they must have forgotten they had no food and the government tortured and killed people) He is the first and only Romanian to ask what we are doing here.  I told Larry that we are Christians and we see needs in this county. He thinks this is a great thing.  He asked me what I did in America and I told him about the same thing as we plan on doing here.  He was very interested in my job in America.  Finally I asked him Larry are you a Christian?  His response I don't know...

Larry is like most people in Romania.  Educated but can't find work.  Thirty-two and lives at home. Caught between a generation that wants communism to reign again and a generation that wants expensive homes, clothes, cars and vacations.  Caught between the orthodox church and well I don't know.

Larry went on to speak about the Orthodox church and how is Romania is an Orthodox country.  I think he sees Orthodox as the only option.   Larry doesn't like it though because it is all about tradition and following rules.  We hope to bring a scripture only attitude to church to give a place for people like Larry to develop that faith God has given us.

Please pray for this country and in particular Tulcea County.  

money for bread

Today Sheena and I fumigated our house.  I am pretty sure there are fleas among us.   I don't think Romania has seen a bug bomb yet but I used my Mcgruber skills and fashioned bombs with a can of raid, masking tape (I didn't want to open the new roll of duct tape), and glue stick.  Say tatada and you have a home made bug bomb.

Instead of sitting around an inhaling toxic gas we went to the park.  Unless the merry-go-round is supposed to be on its side and the swings are supposed to fall out underneath you 30% of the park equipment was good enough to play on.  I also imagine it was much like an American park in the fifties.  There is nothing safe about it.  Lots of fun for my two year old boy.

The park was a good time but soon it was time to find some ice cream for the day.  We went into one of the  seemingly 100 identical stores to find a tasty treat.  Three gypsy boys exited as we were entering.  For whatever reason we stick out and they must have figured we were Americans.  I don't know maybe it is the way we walk.  We selected and paid for our little slice of heaven and upon exiting we were greeted by the three gypsies.  We practiced the few phrases we know and I would say both parties had a delightful conversation.  We said good-bye and walked away.  Two of the boys caught up to us at the end of the block asking for bread money. They were also giving the international sign for hunger.  To me it looks more like slicing your gut open. Hold you hand open palm up and slice it across your stomach.  If you didn't know the hunger sign you would think they mean to slice gut open if you don't follow their request.   I knew what they were asking for but I played stupid.  I only played stupid because they must have thought that I was. I mean really I watched them devour an ice cream bar.  If you wanted bread that bad you should have bought it.  What was really fun is that he took 1 Leu from a wad of money in his fist to show me what he wanted.  I again played stupid and said good-bye.

I got to learn this language.  Thanks for the prayers let other know we are blogging.

Meeting the people

What a strange country.  The house going up next door to us is own by a Romanian couple who live and work in Italy.  The do not plan on living in the new house they are building even though it would put a lot of American homes to shame in size and beauty.  My neighbor across the street has a couple of green houses and sells produce.  His son Lawrence is moving to Bucharest to find work.  Lawrence was standing in a bird cage full of pigeons for the first ten minutes of our conversation. Yeah it was a little weird. Lawrence informed me that many Romanians can no longer find work in Spain or Italy (the Chinese are moving in and they are cheaper) and are returning home to find no work. Can it really be that no one can start and run a business in a town of ten thousand people?  The largest grocery store in town is just a little better than a gas station.  Will ten thousand people not support a full blown grocery store?  Is it red tape or poverty or the lack of vision that keeps Babadag on the short supply of jobs?

I think there is money to be made here. I know that must sound like an evil capitalist pig.  If we could get jobs here in Babadag we could keep families together.  Is the church meant to merely give hand outs or just preach the gospel, what about a hand up?

There are so many directions to go here in Babadag: work with orphans, plant a church, start a business that employs people, work with the mentally handicapped.  Each one of these directions needs a family to follow it.

Meeting people in Babadag has been a lot of fun.  I enjoy this town very much because it is so much like Auburn.  I mean Auburn doesn't have goats running through town but they are both laid back.  I remember when the mormons moved to Auburn and it seemed the whole town knew about it.  Just today we were walking up the street to hear an older lady tell here daughter those are the Americans that moved here.

Please pray for more workers.

Stateside I was a volunteer fireman for the Nemaha Volunteer Fire Department.  I only went to a handful of fires but all had something in common.  We were rushing in when others were running away.  Romania is much like a burning fire.  Most people I talk to leave the country for work or their children are out of the country working.  I ask me self about 100 times a day, "Why are we here?"

We are here for a girl like Alina.  Her parents left her in a mental/orphange/old folks home and went to Spain.  Alina does not know when her parents are returning if ever.  She speaks some English and wants to learn more.  We hope to reach her for Christ.  We are here for a guys like Adrain.  He can't walk and wants to know why God made his legs without the capability of walking.  Who will explain it to him?  We are her for a group of orphan girls and boys that need to know Christ.  As I read scripture there are two groups of people that we are called to watch over the widows and orphans.  As people flee Romania the church is rushing in.  

I believe Romania has a younger generation of people ready to be apart of a church that is alive and not steeped in tradition. I know much like fighting a fire it will be hard work, demanding, and will take team work.  

We want to thank you for reading this and being apart of reaching Romania. eliwdavidson@gmail.com