Hello from Romania,
Things are going well. I am sitting on the floor of somewhat of a convenient store right now b/c we found FREE Wi/Fi – HUGE!!! We walked around for 45 minutes looking for dial up internet but hit the jack pot with the wifi. I am doing very well in Romania. These people are so kind and are just showering us with their love. We are staying in a church and it is going very well. We are working in a gypsy village and these people have a hunger for Christ unparalleled by anybody or any group of people I have ever met. There are two groups working in our village and we are both having wonderful host homes. We are eating very good, or atleast very normal, and a few of the meals are delicious, everything is starch but I long since decided that if they are serving food I like and will eat it is quite the victory. We do draw our water from a well, which in a weird sort of way makes me feel real legit… The village has asked us to do some sort of service every night. They sing, we sing, they teach, we teach and they translate, or atleast I think they do. This is the second time I’ve ever spoken with a translator and I’m becoming increasingly certain that the translator just says whatever they want.
We had “real” church on Saturday night form 8:00 to 11:30, and they told us that it can go as late as two. It was really neat. I am working with the same contact my sister which is just a neat thing to know. She actually went to and worked in the same church that I am teaching and sleeping in. I have had the opportunity to teach/talk 3 times and I have been quite humbled by how awkward I am when I have to stop talking every sentence to let someone else say what I just said. The funny thing is I’ve noticed I listen to the translator say it in another language, and always nod my head in approval as if I had any idea what was just said. Have gotten better at it though.
The other day we got to take a “picnic” which ended up just being a 3 hour hike. Wish I had dressed slightly more appropriately but none-the-less it was gorgeous. rolling hills as far as the eye can see and just the simplicity of life are so neat to me. I will say that I have no idea how these people earn a living. It seems that all day every day people are just haning out, but they for the most part seem so content with life. There was a fair kind’ve thing in town yesterday that we had the opportunity to go to. It was pretty neat to go to, they had dancers from romania and hungary, and surrounding gypsy villages, come and dance, I think it was somewhat of a competition. To dance like a gypsy ( for a guy) you shuffle your feet and hold your hands up and snap them back and forth to start. Then you start clapping your hands and different parts of your body including throwing your feet around and slapping them in creative ways. It slightly looks like something Steve Martin would do on “The Jerk”. Don’t ask me why just the first thing that comes to mind. I will try to post again next Monday on our day off, but I hope everyone back home is doing well.
I would ask you are in prayer for our health as a few people on our team are getting sick and so it would be great if everyone could just stay healthy. Again, would love to hear how things are back in the States, I know Ted Kennedy died thanks to the ireland news, but past that I’m clueless. Oh and I saw that A&M had a decisive victory over NM. I like our chances this year, tough Big 12 South, don’t think we’ll win it, but could suprise a few people.
And on the topic of Texas A&M I am now and official alumni. Let me tell you that it was a sprint to the finish, including making phone calls via skype from Ireland to get transcripts in the right places. Check facebook for evidence if you dont believe me.
Much love from Romania.
P.S. broke my screen on my camera so picture taking will be limited until I guess I buy a new one – can’t travel for 11 month without a functioning camera.
