As much as I love writing, other people are known to express something more eloquently than me. My teammate Martha wrote a blog about a man whose house we painted our last few days in Viile Tecii. The things she felt echo my emotions exactly, so rather than write another blog saying the same thing she said, I’m posting her entry (Love Spoken Without Words) here.
This is Poppy.
He stole my heart.
He lives three doors down from my host family I lived with in
Viile Tecii, Romania. He is a quiet man and doesn’t smile too often. I
immediately developed a heart for him. There was just something about
him that drew me in. He is the cutest old man I had ever seen. I would
walk past his house and he would always be sitting on the bench in
front of his house. There was something so peaceful and gentle about
him. One day I walked to his house and saw a pitiful little doghouse.
Viile Tecii, Romania. He is a quiet man and doesn’t smile too often. I
immediately developed a heart for him. There was just something about
him that drew me in. He is the cutest old man I had ever seen. I would
walk past his house and he would always be sitting on the bench in
front of his house. There was something so peaceful and gentle about
him. One day I walked to his house and saw a pitiful little doghouse.
So Danielle, Jennifer and I had the idea to build a new doghouse
for him. Before we knew it, that project idea developed into painting
his house orange. So we headed to the store to buy some paint. We
recruited some more helpers and began painting his house.
for him. Before we knew it, that project idea developed into painting
his house orange. So we headed to the store to buy some paint. We
recruited some more helpers and began painting his house.
Poppy sat quietly and watched us paint. He spoiled us with apples,
cookies, pop, and some more apples. He was always bringing us cola and
treats as we painted and he would just sit and watch us, not saying
anything, but once in a while standing up and pointing to a spot we
missed on the wall.
cookies, pop, and some more apples. He was always bringing us cola and
treats as we painted and he would just sit and watch us, not saying
anything, but once in a while standing up and pointing to a spot we
missed on the wall.
He doesn’t speak English and I don’t speak Romanian. We didn’t say
much to each other. But I would smile at him, give him hugs, and tell
him I loved him even though I knew he didn’t know what I was saying.
much to each other. But I would smile at him, give him hugs, and tell
him I loved him even though I knew he didn’t know what I was saying.
Now fast forward to our last morning in Viile Tecii. I was saying
my goodbyes to my host family, and the bus was there waiting for us, I
heard someone say that Poppy was here to say goodbye. I turned around
to see him standing behind me and immediately I was brought to tears. I
hugged him and said goodbye and loaded the bus. I looked out the window
and stared at Poppy standing outside, and he looked back. I waived, not
wanting to stop. I didn’t want to leave him. As I watched him, he broke
down and tears just streamed down his face. He was really, really
crying and I just broke down. I haven’t seen those kind of tears coming
from a man before. I was touched in such an incredible way. And I knew,
without words being spoken, that love was experienced and shared
between us. When I saw those tears streaming down his face, I knew that
a great thing was accomplished in Romania. I knew at that moment that
he felt the love from me and my teammates.
my goodbyes to my host family, and the bus was there waiting for us, I
heard someone say that Poppy was here to say goodbye. I turned around
to see him standing behind me and immediately I was brought to tears. I
hugged him and said goodbye and loaded the bus. I looked out the window
and stared at Poppy standing outside, and he looked back. I waived, not
wanting to stop. I didn’t want to leave him. As I watched him, he broke
down and tears just streamed down his face. He was really, really
crying and I just broke down. I haven’t seen those kind of tears coming
from a man before. I was touched in such an incredible way. And I knew,
without words being spoken, that love was experienced and shared
between us. When I saw those tears streaming down his face, I knew that
a great thing was accomplished in Romania. I knew at that moment that
he felt the love from me and my teammates.
Although it was so painful to say goodbye, and those tears hurt,
I am so thankful for them. It means hearts were touched, lives were
touched and relationship was formed. If there are no tears shed when we
leave then what did we really accomplish?
I am so thankful for them. It means hearts were touched, lives were
touched and relationship was formed. If there are no tears shed when we
leave then what did we really accomplish?
