It’s time for the next country on the list! Romania! This country was not part of the original eleven, but it replaced another country a while back. Quite a few of my squadmates are quite exited for Romania.
Romania is located just northeast of Serbia. While it was not a major crossroads, as Serbia was, it nevertheless has its share of history. It has existed in some form or another, under different names, since before the Roman Empire – and if it isn’t obvious, it gets its current name from that time period. Not counting political changes, it has existed in the form we know it today since 1918.
Whereas Serbia had been a communist country (as part of Yugoslavia) separate from the Soviet Bloc, Romania was behind the Iron Curtain, completely under Soviet control. Since the fall of the USSR, however, Romania has become an independent country and joined NATO and the EU in 2004 and 2007, respectively. Now, they are a semi-presidential republic. They have a President who is elected by popular vote and is allowed to serve for a maximum of two five-year terms. Additionally, they have a Parliament, which consists of two chambers, the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies. Members in both chambers of Parliament are elected every four years by simple plurality.
The climate in Romania can vary considerably depending on where we end up in the country, as it is a fairly large country with a mountain range running across it. However, given the time of the year (September), we aren’t expecting anything exceptionally cold unless we end up high in the mountains somewhere.
When it comes to religion, Romania is almost identical to Serbia, with 86% claiming Eastern Orthodox faith, 5% claiming Roman Catholic, and decreasing from there.
What you can pray about: When Romania joined the EU, many people took advantage of their new ability to travel freely amongst other EU countries. They left children with grandparents and left the country, many with no intention of returning. This has left quite the generation gap, along with a certain sense of abandonment. Additionally, Romania is home to the Romani people (“gypsies”, although this term is considered highly derogatory), against whom there is considerable discrimination. The Romani community is open to the gospel, but due to bias, few people are willing to reach out to them. This cannot continue!
Next time: Bulgaria!
Soli Deo Gloria!
