Romania Day 1

This is taken from my journal on the trip and I will add any other info as needed. I pretty much started writing when we arrived in Romania so I will spare you the expense of the grueling flights and drive...though the driving in Romania is exciting, to me. I will add pictures as I get them. Please ask any questions you might have! Click the pictures for bigger views.

Here is the history of Romania and the religious persecution that they went through in 1989 told by Dave Jolly, a radio announcer for the local radio station on WDLM.

The town of Otelu Rosu (Red Steel)

Well we made it to Romania finally yesterday (5.10.08) at about 4p.m. Romania time. The traveling to get there seemed like it took forever, mainly because I didn't sleep at all. In the last 4 days from yesterday. I think I got something like 14 hours of sleep. With anticipation being part of the first 2 days of the 4 (being at home waiting) and just not being able to sleep on the way to Romania...on the plane, jet lag, long drives, etc.

Well I slept a lot last night and WE ARE IN ROMANIA! We are staying with a host family for the night before going to Rast. They know no English but luckily Dave Jolly knows a little Romanian. There was 4 or us in 3 beds in their house while they slept in a cottage in back. We made the folks that snore sleep together. The host's 'mom' was named Sylvia, I didn't catch the man's name. She would have lengthy conversations with us in Romanian and we would just smile and nod. The other group members spread out to different host houses throughout the town.

What was so amazing, that this family, that spoke no English opened their doors to complete strangers, willing to share their house, give up their bed, offer food because we share one thing...Christ. The language barrier didn't matter so much anymore.

I did get a shower that evening (and I didn't know it would be my last for several days). What I had to remember was not to drink the water while I showered. Even though the water was supposedly chlorinated, you could still get sick. So when I did get some water in my mouth, I would freak out...it was humorous to me and I didn't get sick.

The day before we ate at Arne & Caroline's (the long term missionaries that are friends with our leader Dave who have been in Romania for around 15 years) place in Otelu Rosu (where we stayed the night too, the host's house was a couple blocks from Arne & Caroline's). We gathered there together and enjoyed some spaghetti and "Hungry" doughnuts. Then talked plans about the building that will be build in Rast...I did not participate in it, though I thought they should work on the quad spectre of the 4th quadrant...what? These are pics from their house and the amazing view.

This is their vineyards, grapes are produced abundantly in Romania.







What a view!











This was a town with a huge steel mill with brown billowing smoke coming out of it...hence the name of Red Steel was given to it during the countries communist ownership.

They also picked us up from the airport in Timisoara which was about an hour away.


















God is good. All the time. Thank you for the rest and safe travel! Tomorrow Rast!