I’ve been in Romania for several days now. We had our debrief in Bucharest, and travelled to Dragonesti today. I wanted to learn for myself and share with you some info on Romania!
WHERE IS IT?
Romania is in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Ukraine, Moldova, Bulgaria, Serbia, and Hungary, and has access to the Black Sea.
BRIEF HISTORY OF ROMANIA:
The 14th century marked the first time where Romanians were united. This regional unification was called Wallachia. The first Romanian book, a Lutheran Cathecism, was printed in 1544, following the spread of the reformation in Romania. In 1601, the three lands that now form Romania (formerly Wallachia, Transylvania, and Moldavia) were united by a man named “Michael the Brave”. Though they paid tribute to the Ottoman Empire, they were able to retain autonomy. Current-day Romania was formerly part of the principality of Transylvania. The seventeenth century was a continued series of attacks from the Turks, Tatars, Poles, Hungarians, and Cossacks. By the late 18th century, the territory now called Romania found itself in the middle of three battling Empires: The Habsburg, Russian, and Ottoman empires. It was conquered for a time by the Hapsburg Empire, but was still dominated by the Ottoman Empire. In 1859, Wallachia and Moldavia were united; this was named Romania in 1862. Fifteen years later, Romania declared its independence from Turkey. Romania became a kingdom in 1881 with Carol I as its first king.
Modern Romania doubled its size in 1916 when it took Transylvania from Hungary. In the late nineteen twenties, new political factions began to form, leading to significant political instability in the 1930s. In 1938, political parties were banned by the king, and Romania became a royal dictatorship. King Carol gave up portions of Romania to Stalin and to Hitler in 1940, making him thoroughly disliked. World War II was a travesty for Romania; many Romanian Jews and Gypsies were deported and murdered. Romania joined Russia against Germany in the latter half of WWII, which opened the door to communism. 1948 marked the totalitarian regime takeover: Romania was now communist. Nicolae Ceausescu became the ruler of Romania in 1965, and led with a harsh rule. Most people were destitute. Communism fell after a revolution in Bucharest, Romania, in 1989.
Romania had a hard transition from Communism to democracy. In 2004, Romania joined NATO, and in 2007, it joined the European Union. Romania still retains its own currency, called “Lei”. Romania’s population is approximately 22 million.
For more information on Romanian history: http://www.localhistories.org/rumania.html
SOME CULTURE:
Traditional Romanian life still exists in many small villages of Romania. Many of the folk traditions of Romania extend beyond the villages, though. These include folk arts like wood carving, ceramics, weaving, embroidery, and folk music. Bucharest, the “Paris of the East” is the capitol city, and feels somewhat like other European cities. Most Romanians are Romanian Orthodox; the orthodox church seems to be the most trusted institution of the country. Romanias eat soup frequently, and are known for their out-of-this-world pretzels. It is also the world’s second largest grower of plums! Romanians have many sayings about food and eating: “Thank you for the meal, it was good and tasty, and the cook was beautiful”.
HOW TO PRAY:
–For Unreached people. Over 20% of the Romanian population is currently unreached.
-For Romanian Youth. Many were orphaned in the 1990s. Pray for openness to the gospel, and that the gospel would be attractive to youth. Financial resources for churches and for the gospel to go forth.
-For life to take over death & decay. The city of Bucharest feels heavy with decay. Pray for the light of Jesus to push out the darkness. Pray for healing of the land and for leaders who will lead the country into godliness.
-For the Gypsy people. For Jesus to be integrated and to take over the gypsy culture. Pray for healing of racial tensions, and for fear of the Lord.
For more prayer resources: http://www.operationworld.org/roma
From Dragoest, Romania,
Natalie
