Culture: Arcalia, Romania is a small self-sufficient farming town in the valley between rolling mountains capped with evergreens. Romanians and gypsies reside as neighbors here. During the day, not much activity seems to be going on in town, but reality is most of the adults are working for larger farms, harvesting fruits and vegetables or in Spain, working to send money back to their families in Romania. Cows graze freely near the river. Children chase and catch chickens on the street for entertainment. Grocery shopping consists of going to the backyard garden and harvesting whatever is ripe. 
Ministry: As a part of the Arcalia church plant, we are discipling leaders in the community to continue the work of the church. This Sunday, we lead worship, shared testimonies, and tag-team preached the Word with the help of a translator, Gabi, a local member of the church body. With Gabi’s help, we will be able to make home visits to Jenny, who’s wheelchair bound and whose husband prayed to receive Jesus yesterday! Praise the Lord! In the future, we will begin a women’s Bible study for the local church and hope to encourage local women to continue this ministry. We have also begun a local ministry to the street children in Arcalia through sports, music, Bible stories, Bible verses, and a bonfire. Simultaneously, we are discipling and coaching young Praying over Sister Jenny adults in the community to continue this ministry.
Language: Romanian is spoken here in Romania. Very little English is spoken, although it is taught in the local schools. Spanish is a more common second language for Arcalia. I have thrown out a few broken Spanish phrases, learned for my former missions trips to Tijuana, to aid in the communication of who we are and what we’re doing in Arcalia. A few phrases we’ve used frequently…
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Salut! (sa-loo) meaning Hello!
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Multsumesc? (mult-sue-mess-k) meaning Thank you!
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Va punta ajuter? (va poon-t ah-zhu-at) meaning Can I help you?
Food: Particularly in this harvest season, we have been blessed with a bounty of fresh fruits and vegetables from the family garden. Daily, we pick apples, plums, and grapes for snacks. The Viman women have blessed us incredibly with local and traditional Romanian dishes. I particularly enjoyed the cabbage rolls, which I have learned to make, and the stuffed bell peppers in a tomato broth. Every meal comes with freshly baked bread and potatoes are a staple. While our host mother, Claudia, is very concerned about our liking the food and being comfortable, we are just so excited about enjoying home-cooked meals prepared with love and care.
