Culture Shock (noun): a condition that occurs when one moves from living in lockdown to a small town with an American mall, cafes, and ice cream parlors.
*We stormed Starbucks during our layover in Madrid.
*I almost cried when we got off the plane and our contact handed us sandwiches with cheese and gigantic apples.
*I was so overwhelmed at the mall in Bucharest that I couldn’t even decide what store to go in, let alone what to buy!
*Flowers, greenery, and storms are much more beautiful to me than they were 9 months ago.
*Wait? I can upload pictures on the internet? Seriously?
*And the winner…no more lockdown!! I can go out past 7:30pm. It’s amazing. The options are endless. McDonalds? The corner store? Ice cream? Coffee? Out to dinner? Wow.
Yes, we had just a little culture shock…
We’re working at another orphanage this month. However, it looks totally different than Nigeria. (And no, not just because the kids are Romanian and not African!) We’re working with Oaza Ministry (Oasis in English.) They have an orphanage and run an after school program. At one time the orphanage had over 30 kids, but due to the changing government regulations and needs of the community, the orphanage now has 6 kids, and Oaza is wanting to expand the afterschool program.
Once again we’re living with the kids. However, there are 2 main differences this month.
1. We are not on lockdown 7pm-7am.
2. This place feels like family!
An amazing couple lives here with the children, and I feel like I’m living with and getting to be part of their family. It’s an incredible place to be. Hot water, access to a kitchen, and internet doesn’t hurt either!
I’m going to be incredibly buff after this month! We spend most of our days preparing one of their houses for remodeling – so that their new vision can happen. I’m tearing out pipes, pulling up floors, painting ceilings, ripping out tile, etc. It’s lots of fun. Did I mention we get to burn lots of things?
We also spend lots of time with the kids we live with. We take them to the park, get ice cream, and we even took them bowling for the first time. THAT was a hoot! They’re a ton of fun and bursting with energy. I’m in love.
That’s what my time in Romania looks like. God is teaching me a lot of crazy things. There will be more to come on that! Love to you all
