I have been trying to thing of an appropriate way to blog about my experience in Romania. When I think about my time here, it is not so much the experiences that stand out, it is the people. So I would like to introduce you to them…
This is Anutsa (I have no idea how to spell her name). She lives two doors down from us. Her daughter, Stella, had to go to the hospital last week because a large tumor in her stomach ruptured. Stella had been taking care of Anutsa, so now that she is in the hospital, Anutsa is all alone. Megan and I have been going to visit her every morning. She is always sitting outside her house, just watching the cars drive by. She doesn’t speak a word of English, and we don’t speak any Romanian, so we are not really able to communicate very well. But we pray for her and Stella, and sing songs. This woman has completely captured my heart, and every time I see her, she gives me a huge hug and lots of kisses. I hope that you will pray for Anutsa and for Stella. Pray that Stella will be healed and able to come home soon. And pray for Anutsa- against loneliness, and that she would have everything she needs.
This is Alexandra. (and her brother Adi) Alex is the daughter of one of the pastors, Aubie, that we are working with in the village. She is 13 years old, and she is one of the sweetest people I have ever met. She and I became friends early on, because she has been helping to translate during the kid’s club we have been doing. Alex has been doing a great job translating, even though she is not very confident in her own speaking abilities. Pray for Alex-for confidence, against loneliness, and that she would grow in her relationship with Christ.
This is Sandu. He is the other pastor that we are working with here. This picture was taken after we had all covered ourselves with mud at the salt lake. As you can see, Sandu is a lot of fun and has a good sense of humor. But not only that, Sandu is one of the most hard-working people I have met. He, along with our contact John, and Aubie, have helped to plant churches all over the surrounding villages. I love it when Sandu gets up to sing and preach, because he is so filled with joy. He makes me smile every time I am around him- whether he is preaching, covering himself with mud, or just giving me a hug. It is obvious that God has done a mighty work in his life, and he is anxious to share it with everyone he meets. Pray for Sandu- that he would never grow discouraged in his ministry, and that he would be able to provide his family with all that they need.
This is Tootsie and Holden. (Unfortunately, I don’t have a picture of John for whatever reason. I will try to post one later.) John, Tootsie, and their two year old son, Holden, have been our contacts this month. Myself and five other girls have had the pleasure of staying in their home for the month. They have shown us nothing but amazing hospitality since we got here. John first came to Romania around 8 years ago. Originally, he was just working in Romanian churches, but he later became aware of the gypsy/Roma people, and was shocked by how little was being done to help them. He shifted his ministry to focus solely on the Roma people. He ended up moving here and marrying Tootsie. Together, along with Aubie and Sandu, they have been able to plant many churches. Please pray for John and Tootsie- that they would not grow discouraged, but continue to be blessed in their ministry.
I hope that you will join me in praying for my new friends. Team NEON is doing well, and we always appreciate your prayers! LOVE!
