We have decided that this year it was 'Survivor Romania" as first Doug was off, then we left Victor as the team went to Vienna. Then we left Don as the remaining 4 survivors stayed behind in Washington DC. Who will be next?
One at a time the team dwindles...
Here is how the DC thing happened. Imagine that you have just been in Romania for 2 weeks, gotten on a prop jet for 2 hours into Vienna, spent 4 hours walking and eating in Vienna, crashed in bed, got up the next morning to board a 9 hour flight to Washington, DC.
We arrive in DC, go through customs and make our way to our gate for ANOTHER 5 1/2 hour flight to San Francisco. You just imagine how excited we were about getting on that next flight.
When the announcement came that they were overbooked and looking for volunteers to stay overnight on the airlines tab 4 of us jumped on it. It didn't hurt when a little girl watching all of this happen ask us if we are bumping so she and her family can get on the plane. Her family stopped by to thank us and the airline staff also thanked us. What better ending could there be to a mission trip?
Now, to say more about Vienna...
Yes, Vienna was beautiful! We got to the hotel about 5 pm after sharing a cab with the trumpet soloist, his wife and the violin soloist from the concert we had been to in Sibiu the night before. What a small world! The violinist, Daniel, was originally from Sibiu and now lives in the US.
Daniel was staying at the same hotel we were and flying out on the same flight the next day. The other couple was staying on in Vienna for a while and had a hotel in the center of the city. Since they had to get a cab into the city anyway, we were able to share cab fare again. Also, during the flight to Vienna our public relations expert, Linda, made friends with Harold and he gave her a list, including phone numbers and directions, to his top three places to eat in Vienna. Two of them were quite close to the hotel the cab would be dropping us off at and close to 1 hour walk Harold outlined for us. We walked to Plachutta and sat down to eat around 7 pm. We just beat the crowds that Harold said made it almost impossible to get a table.
There are no words to say how wonderful the food was...and it was traditional Austrian fare. The meat was very tender and served with a unexpectedly good horseradish applesauce. Everywhere we looked on our walk was art, architecture, and beauty! More on this later...too tired to go on! Must eat! Must sleep!
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Friday, June 29, 2007
Vienna
Ok, it took about three seconds (once we got into Vienna) for it to become one of the most beautiful cities I have ever visited (waaaay better than Paris). Then we went to dinner and had the best meal I have EVER had. Could it get any better?
Funny note: On the way to the hotel we ran into some people from the concert in Sibiu. They said hi to Daniel.
Running to the airport, bye!
Funny note: On the way to the hotel we ran into some people from the concert in Sibiu. They said hi to Daniel.
Running to the airport, bye!
One more trip in the van
I will title each section, so you don't have to read the crazy irrelevant ramblings if you don't want to.
Goodbye Sibiu:
Ah, the van! I don't know if I can explain the feelings that I have about the van. We have spent sooo much time in there. I learned to appreciate a slight breeze in the van. Today will be out last trip (a short one) as it takes us to the Sibiu airport. We leave at 2:45 heading to Vienna for our overnight stay (awesome!!!) and the it's back to the states.
My pants:
Mom and I went on a last shopping venture in an attempt to find me a laptop bag (no luck there) and I FINALLY found a pair of jeans that fit! Apparently no one in Romania is a size 31. Needless to say, that helps me feel good about my recent clothing size increase. Not only can I not find any pants in the US, but now I know that it is almost impossible in two countries! Lame. Luckily I have a bunch of self esteem, or I would be feeling really bummed right now. On the upside, I have a pair of pants without a hole in an inconvenient place! Let's just say that the last few days have been...breezy.
Pictures:
I have a lot of pictures (although not anywhere near as many as Linda), but I probably won;'t get them up till I get home. I will put something up with this post, but the rest will have to wait.
The first picture is our team picture (sans Victor who came later) This is at the natural springs that we visited the first day. The second picture is the Romanian McDonald's menu. We ate there one our way to Sibiu from Bucharest. And finally....Marcel the turtle! Good old Marcel.
Linda wants me to tell you all that she put the last of her picture on the Costco website.
See you in a couple days!
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Photos of the Trip
Here is a link to all the photos posted on the Costco website:
http://www.costcophotocenter.com/groups/romaniamissionstrip2007
http://www.costcophotocenter.com/groups/romaniamissionstrip2007
Bye bye Doug and Slimnic
So...in the wee hours of the morning on Wednesday (midnightish?) Doug left for Bucharest to fly home to Fremont. I think Grace may be in her daddy's arms for at least 24 hours straight when he gets home...maybe he will put her down long enough to kiss Christy!
Today was our last day of VBS in Slimnic. We have only done about 1 1/2 hours of VBS each day and we feel a little lazy but God has given us so much to take in that I can't complain.
We had a guest, Andy, from Long Beach today. He is a friend of Radu's and is here for a week or so. It was funny that today as I was searching online for a skit to do for VBS, I chose one with two characters...Andy and Jill. It is a skit about prayer. Since Doug was gone, I changed Andy's part to Lisa. It was funny to have Andrew show up and take the part! God has a sense of humor, no?
Elizabeth did an invitation after the skit and did an amazing job. The kids all stood and prayed like the adults do here. Each one ended their prayer with 'Amen' and the rest all answered with 'Amen'. Elizabeth asked them all what they thought we should pray about and then took turns praying about those things. I am impressed that these children are less shy about praying than telling you their name.
We are having some thunder and lightening today, but it held off during VBS. Please pray that the weathere will be good as we take off in our teansy weensy plane in Sibiu on Friday afternoon!
Today was our last day of VBS in Slimnic. We have only done about 1 1/2 hours of VBS each day and we feel a little lazy but God has given us so much to take in that I can't complain.
We had a guest, Andy, from Long Beach today. He is a friend of Radu's and is here for a week or so. It was funny that today as I was searching online for a skit to do for VBS, I chose one with two characters...Andy and Jill. It is a skit about prayer. Since Doug was gone, I changed Andy's part to Lisa. It was funny to have Andrew show up and take the part! God has a sense of humor, no?
Elizabeth did an invitation after the skit and did an amazing job. The kids all stood and prayed like the adults do here. Each one ended their prayer with 'Amen' and the rest all answered with 'Amen'. Elizabeth asked them all what they thought we should pray about and then took turns praying about those things. I am impressed that these children are less shy about praying than telling you their name.
We are having some thunder and lightening today, but it held off during VBS. Please pray that the weathere will be good as we take off in our teansy weensy plane in Sibiu on Friday afternoon!
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Top 10 things you need to know about Romania
10. If you are planning to visit make sure that you bring your own index cards.
9. It is required to eat sausage, bell peppers, cheese and tomatoes at least once a day.
8. Stoves and water heaters don't light themselves.
7. Avoid talking about rivers at all costs--especially little ones.
6. If your squeamish about roller costers, keep your eyes closed when in any cars.
5. At least half the guys will be named Georghe and half the women will be named Maria.
4. Make sure you know the Romanian word for thank you, "Multsumesk", as Romanians overflow with hospitality.
3. Romania time = under 4 hours: +30 minutes, over 4 hours: +2-5 hours.
2. The Romanian word for ice is: "Gheati" (gee-aht'-ts [with a tiny little "ih" at the end]).
1. Make sure that you budget for daily gelato!
(Don't worry about the gelato, you will have a blast working it off in a million different ways.)
9. It is required to eat sausage, bell peppers, cheese and tomatoes at least once a day.
8. Stoves and water heaters don't light themselves.
7. Avoid talking about rivers at all costs--especially little ones.
6. If your squeamish about roller costers, keep your eyes closed when in any cars.
5. At least half the guys will be named Georghe and half the women will be named Maria.
4. Make sure you know the Romanian word for thank you, "Multsumesk", as Romanians overflow with hospitality.
3. Romania time = under 4 hours: +30 minutes, over 4 hours: +2-5 hours.
2. The Romanian word for ice is: "Gheati" (gee-aht'-ts [with a tiny little "ih" at the end]).
1. Make sure that you budget for daily gelato!
(Don't worry about the gelato, you will have a blast working it off in a million different ways.)
Monday, June 25, 2007
VBS and the Seniors Home
No, we didn't do VBS with the seniors...although that would be fun, I think!
We had our first day of VBS in Slimnic today with 17 children in attendance. We weren't as prepareed as I would have liked, but we just were too busy beforehand to lay out a cohesive plan...plus we aren't exactly a group of planners and you can't have non-plan following types stick to a plan anyway.
We started by letting the kids tear into all the play time stuff. Tomorow I think we will keep the sports and drawing stuff hidden away until after the inside stuff is done. I opened up in prayer and then Doug atempted to lead us with a guitar that was missing several strings. We ended up singing a capella...and none of us are worship leader material. I don't think the kids cared though. They enjoyed watching us jump around and sing with them. Doug even acted out a song with them. That got the boys to join in which is a hard thing to do.
Then, when it came time to memorize a Bible verse, we realized that nobody brought their Bible with them. We each thought the others had one. So, what verse does everyone know by heart? John 3:16, of course. I asked if any of the kids knew this verse in Romanian and would they like to come and try to say it in front of the group. One boy did and he rattled it off quickly. We all clapped for him. Then we all took turns leading the kids through the verse in English. Really they all seemed to know it even in English, but it was good to say it anyway.
We have two girls who live in Slimnic who helped us translate. Elizabeth told the story of King George and the Duckies (Veggie Tales). That was a challenge for our interpreters since rubber duckies isn't in the common vocabulary. We drew a picture of a duck and colored it in with yellow chalk.
Once the story and another song or two were done, we went back outside to draw with sidewalk chalk, play hopscotch, and play a soccer goalie/header game. Radu and Doug were amazing at keeping goal against some very serious soccer players. We also got to do something I have been dying to try. We asked the kids what they thought would happen if we put Mentos into a bottle of diet Coke. They said the candy would dissolve. It was fun to throw two Mentos into a small bottle of Coke and watch the fountain. I don't know if the kids found it as satisfying as we did.
Tomorrow I think we may try an experiment with three bottles and differing numbers of Mentos tossed in. I think some of the kids would like to drop the Mentos in this time. Warning: If you decide to try this at home, make sure you are a couple of feet away from anything you don't want to have diet Coke get on.
On to the Seniors Home. Our project in the afternoon in Slimnic is to recover the second greenhouse with plastic. Victor and Don did the first one last week, so we have a model to follow. Victor made some improvements to the design so that the fans will have to run less and more can be grown in each greenhouse. This is good because the Senior Home has to get everything they can out of every penny they get. They care for seniors who have little or no source of money. There was a tool missing so we had to wait till tomorrow to start on the greenhouse.
Instead, we ate lunch and then got to go to each senior resident's room to meet them and hear their individual stories. Many came to Christ here and the home. This home is so far different from our convalescent homes. I noticed right away that the smell was nicer. The residents have made themselves at home in their rooms and although most have no families coming to visit them, they seem to be very happy to have a family/home here. They pray, read the Bible, work hard around the property (kitchen, garden, etc). This is not a group of people waiting to die and being cared for by shifts of strangers. The couple who run this place know each of them and care deeply for them. One man staying here came parylized and now he can walk with the aid of a walker or cane. Several of the women told similar stories of being kicked out of their homes after raising thier children...usually by the daughter-in-law. There is so much to share and not enough room here. Linda took notes on each person we met and Elizabeth took pictures. I would like to get to know these amazing people better...there is one lady who has lived through WWI and WWII and the stories she must have to tell! Another was sent at least twice off to labor camps in Russia...the first time at the age of 16. She has no idea why...she was told that it was because she was involved politically...a girl in Eastern Europe.
Pray that we would be inspired as we share time with the children tomorrow. We are having some trouble focusing!
We had our first day of VBS in Slimnic today with 17 children in attendance. We weren't as prepareed as I would have liked, but we just were too busy beforehand to lay out a cohesive plan...plus we aren't exactly a group of planners and you can't have non-plan following types stick to a plan anyway.
We started by letting the kids tear into all the play time stuff. Tomorow I think we will keep the sports and drawing stuff hidden away until after the inside stuff is done. I opened up in prayer and then Doug atempted to lead us with a guitar that was missing several strings. We ended up singing a capella...and none of us are worship leader material. I don't think the kids cared though. They enjoyed watching us jump around and sing with them. Doug even acted out a song with them. That got the boys to join in which is a hard thing to do.
Then, when it came time to memorize a Bible verse, we realized that nobody brought their Bible with them. We each thought the others had one. So, what verse does everyone know by heart? John 3:16, of course. I asked if any of the kids knew this verse in Romanian and would they like to come and try to say it in front of the group. One boy did and he rattled it off quickly. We all clapped for him. Then we all took turns leading the kids through the verse in English. Really they all seemed to know it even in English, but it was good to say it anyway.
We have two girls who live in Slimnic who helped us translate. Elizabeth told the story of King George and the Duckies (Veggie Tales). That was a challenge for our interpreters since rubber duckies isn't in the common vocabulary. We drew a picture of a duck and colored it in with yellow chalk.
Once the story and another song or two were done, we went back outside to draw with sidewalk chalk, play hopscotch, and play a soccer goalie/header game. Radu and Doug were amazing at keeping goal against some very serious soccer players. We also got to do something I have been dying to try. We asked the kids what they thought would happen if we put Mentos into a bottle of diet Coke. They said the candy would dissolve. It was fun to throw two Mentos into a small bottle of Coke and watch the fountain. I don't know if the kids found it as satisfying as we did.
Tomorrow I think we may try an experiment with three bottles and differing numbers of Mentos tossed in. I think some of the kids would like to drop the Mentos in this time. Warning: If you decide to try this at home, make sure you are a couple of feet away from anything you don't want to have diet Coke get on.
On to the Seniors Home. Our project in the afternoon in Slimnic is to recover the second greenhouse with plastic. Victor and Don did the first one last week, so we have a model to follow. Victor made some improvements to the design so that the fans will have to run less and more can be grown in each greenhouse. This is good because the Senior Home has to get everything they can out of every penny they get. They care for seniors who have little or no source of money. There was a tool missing so we had to wait till tomorrow to start on the greenhouse.
Instead, we ate lunch and then got to go to each senior resident's room to meet them and hear their individual stories. Many came to Christ here and the home. This home is so far different from our convalescent homes. I noticed right away that the smell was nicer. The residents have made themselves at home in their rooms and although most have no families coming to visit them, they seem to be very happy to have a family/home here. They pray, read the Bible, work hard around the property (kitchen, garden, etc). This is not a group of people waiting to die and being cared for by shifts of strangers. The couple who run this place know each of them and care deeply for them. One man staying here came parylized and now he can walk with the aid of a walker or cane. Several of the women told similar stories of being kicked out of their homes after raising thier children...usually by the daughter-in-law. There is so much to share and not enough room here. Linda took notes on each person we met and Elizabeth took pictures. I would like to get to know these amazing people better...there is one lady who has lived through WWI and WWII and the stories she must have to tell! Another was sent at least twice off to labor camps in Russia...the first time at the age of 16. She has no idea why...she was told that it was because she was involved politically...a girl in Eastern Europe.
Pray that we would be inspired as we share time with the children tomorrow. We are having some trouble focusing!
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Video Translation
If you haven't watched the video mentioned in an earlier post, you should before you read this. I'm going to put the translation in a comment to this post, so it won't spoil the fun. Remember, the goal is to figure out what the ladies are saying and/or asking (while you listen to Kim, Elizabeth, and Linda guessing/responding).
BTW, not only is Elizabeth working hard over here, she started a class in "Medical Terminology" and had to take her first test (online) yesterday. So she is simultaneously learning Greek, Latin, and Romanian. While certain other member of the team lapse into French or Spanish when they get confused.
And I still have a desire to laugh every time I see the "Bank of Transylvania" (which is NOT a blood bank).
BTW, not only is Elizabeth working hard over here, she started a class in "Medical Terminology" and had to take her first test (online) yesterday. So she is simultaneously learning Greek, Latin, and Romanian. While certain other member of the team lapse into French or Spanish when they get confused.
And I still have a desire to laugh every time I see the "Bank of Transylvania" (which is NOT a blood bank).
Saturday, June 23, 2007
The Pizza Was Great!
Kim has not adequately conveyed the challenges involved in making Chicago-style pizza (from scratch!) in Romania.
Last trip, after several days of effort and 2 dictionaries, we finally found out how to say "basil" in Romanian (we were walking by a store and finally spotted a picture of basil on a package).
She already mentioned the oven temperatures, but she didn't mention how much fun it was trying to light the gas ovens. We finally got some help from the B&G guy at the church (who didn't really know, but figured it out). Part of the problem was that there are two "burners" in the oven, one on top and one on bottom, and the dial only controls one at a time. I figured out how to light the burner in the top, but that is for broiling (and it doesn't have any temperature adjustment at all). The B&G guy (I think his name is "Marcel") showed me how to light the hidden bottom burner.
To open the cans of tomatoes, we tried a can opener we found (made in the 1800's?) with no luck, but no lost fingers. Marcel grabbed a really big knife and cut the cans open. Important safety tip: never let a cook (like Kim) see you use a knife to cut open a can!
There's more, but the important thing is, it tasted wonderful! Of course, we had the usual lunch here earlier (large, high calorie, excellent food), so I'm afraid I may actually be gaining weight. I spend my days working on computer and network issues here at the church, not hauling away large buckets of rock and concrete like everyone else. Happily, the only scale I've seen doesn't have any numbers on it (not even kilograms, just a blank dial) so I can't tell for sure.
Someone tell Steve Lopez I can use his help, if he can catch a plane over. FCC can survive without both of us for a few weeks, right? :)
They have a really nice video setup in their production room. They only have 1 video camera, but rather than the type of switch we have at FCC, they have a computer-based switch. It has 16 inputs, and a USB physical switch to control it. I'm taking notes -- we could use something like that some day.
We are experimenting with live webcasts of the Sunday morning services. We can stream them over the LAN (that is, within the chuch), and I've re-configured the internet connection so that we can make them available over the internet, but the upload speed is too slow to support more than 2-3 viewers at a time (it's actually about the same as our upload speed at FCC), so it's just an experiment for now.
The ministry here is so "outward bound", with so many challenges, it's hard to know where to look next. Radu told me his vision is for there to be NO young people in the church here in Sibiu on Sunday -- instead, they are all out ministering in the villages. Kim got to listen to them practice singing while she was making the pizza.
The difference between Sibiu and the villages is even greater than it was two years ago. Romania is showing signs of greatly increasing prosperity (although not fast enough for, especially, the young people), and you can really see it in Sibiu. Being the "Capital of Culture for Europe for 2007" has been an obvious boost to the economy. But, although it looks like there are some improvements in the villages, leaving Sibiu for Slimnic is like stepping back in time a few hundred years. And, while most people in Sibiu seem to have their eyes turned outward to what they hope to acquire (not necessarily in a bad way), the people we've met here at the church have their eyes on those still in the greatest need, both for material things (which here means medicine, etc.) and for the gospel. Keep them in your prayers.
Last trip, after several days of effort and 2 dictionaries, we finally found out how to say "basil" in Romanian (we were walking by a store and finally spotted a picture of basil on a package).
She already mentioned the oven temperatures, but she didn't mention how much fun it was trying to light the gas ovens. We finally got some help from the B&G guy at the church (who didn't really know, but figured it out). Part of the problem was that there are two "burners" in the oven, one on top and one on bottom, and the dial only controls one at a time. I figured out how to light the burner in the top, but that is for broiling (and it doesn't have any temperature adjustment at all). The B&G guy (I think his name is "Marcel") showed me how to light the hidden bottom burner.
To open the cans of tomatoes, we tried a can opener we found (made in the 1800's?) with no luck, but no lost fingers. Marcel grabbed a really big knife and cut the cans open. Important safety tip: never let a cook (like Kim) see you use a knife to cut open a can!
There's more, but the important thing is, it tasted wonderful! Of course, we had the usual lunch here earlier (large, high calorie, excellent food), so I'm afraid I may actually be gaining weight. I spend my days working on computer and network issues here at the church, not hauling away large buckets of rock and concrete like everyone else. Happily, the only scale I've seen doesn't have any numbers on it (not even kilograms, just a blank dial) so I can't tell for sure.
Someone tell Steve Lopez I can use his help, if he can catch a plane over. FCC can survive without both of us for a few weeks, right? :)
They have a really nice video setup in their production room. They only have 1 video camera, but rather than the type of switch we have at FCC, they have a computer-based switch. It has 16 inputs, and a USB physical switch to control it. I'm taking notes -- we could use something like that some day.
We are experimenting with live webcasts of the Sunday morning services. We can stream them over the LAN (that is, within the chuch), and I've re-configured the internet connection so that we can make them available over the internet, but the upload speed is too slow to support more than 2-3 viewers at a time (it's actually about the same as our upload speed at FCC), so it's just an experiment for now.
The ministry here is so "outward bound", with so many challenges, it's hard to know where to look next. Radu told me his vision is for there to be NO young people in the church here in Sibiu on Sunday -- instead, they are all out ministering in the villages. Kim got to listen to them practice singing while she was making the pizza.
The difference between Sibiu and the villages is even greater than it was two years ago. Romania is showing signs of greatly increasing prosperity (although not fast enough for, especially, the young people), and you can really see it in Sibiu. Being the "Capital of Culture for Europe for 2007" has been an obvious boost to the economy. But, although it looks like there are some improvements in the villages, leaving Sibiu for Slimnic is like stepping back in time a few hundred years. And, while most people in Sibiu seem to have their eyes turned outward to what they hope to acquire (not necessarily in a bad way), the people we've met here at the church have their eyes on those still in the greatest need, both for material things (which here means medicine, etc.) and for the gospel. Keep them in your prayers.
Little River and the Castle Peles
I am sure there will be much more on this subject...but I am getting the first lick in!
Yesterday (Friday) we made the 3 1/2 hour drive to Sinai to see the Peles Castle. Construction on the way turned the drive into a 4+ hour drive...each way. It was a lovely, warm day in the van. At one construction section there was a hole in the road we were driving around. Of course we looked in the hole. Apparently a van had fallen in and it looked like it had been set there by a crane or some giant child's hand. The windshield was smashed, but it looked normal otherwise. That was good to occupy 10 minutes of time as we discussed how it could have fallen in like that. There was no way it could have driven down into it on purpose. The hole had perfectly vertical sides and the roof of the van was level with the road. Weird!
Don't worry, I'll tell you about the little river soon.
We drove on and on and finally came to the beautiful resort town of Sinai (pronounce Sen-eye-ah). The last time Michael and I had been here we had taken the train from Sibiu so we really enjoyed seeing a different approach to the town. Up the hill was Peles (Pell-esh) Castle. It is very picturesque. After the long ride we were all full of water and needed a restroom. We found one on the walk up the last of the hill to the castle. There was a window inside the door where you paid .40 lei (about 15 cents) to use the toilet and for one 12 inch piece of 1 ply toilet paper.
Once we had paid then we saw what the toilet was. It reminded me of toilets in China, or at least what I have heard of them. There are two foot shaped placed where you are obviously supposed to put your feet as you squat and relieve yourself over a drain. It was all nice and clean and modern...but you have to squat really low if you don't want to splash...use your imagination. I know my imagination was running wild at the sight!
The castle was beautiful. You could just lift your camera and take a picture without looking and it would be postcard perfect. I am sure our photographers Liz and Linda will post some pictures. Doug picked a perch and spent the time sketching. He was really in the zone and we all came up to watch him when it was time to leave. He didn't notice us for a long time, so of course we took pictures of him. I think they are some of our best shots.
After the castle we had lunch at a place near the bottom of the road to the castle. We had several dishes we shared...mostly anyway! The road to the castle had lots of stalls full of craft items to buy. We did some shopping, but were short on time so had to cut it short.
On the drive home we noticed signs with names of streams/creeks we crossed. We asked Radu what 'parau' meant as it was before each name. He said it meant 'little river'. We spent the next 3 or 4 hours trying to say it correctly. We even tried again today and we still don't really have it. It seems so simple but it uses a sound we don't have in English. To us it sounds like Radu is saying Peru, like the country with the r rolled....but that is not it. I think there should be a prize for the person who gets it right!
Tonight I am making Chicago style pizza for everyone. I remembered from last time I was here that the ovens do not have degrees, just low flame, medium flame and high flame. I was prepared for that...but we have no measuring cups! So I am just about to go downstairs to see how the dough is doing. I just guessed what was close to a cup and a teaspoon and how much yeast I needed. It should be fun. We have to wait to find out if we have an edible dinner tonight, so you will have to wait to find out, too!
Yesterday (Friday) we made the 3 1/2 hour drive to Sinai to see the Peles Castle. Construction on the way turned the drive into a 4+ hour drive...each way. It was a lovely, warm day in the van. At one construction section there was a hole in the road we were driving around. Of course we looked in the hole. Apparently a van had fallen in and it looked like it had been set there by a crane or some giant child's hand. The windshield was smashed, but it looked normal otherwise. That was good to occupy 10 minutes of time as we discussed how it could have fallen in like that. There was no way it could have driven down into it on purpose. The hole had perfectly vertical sides and the roof of the van was level with the road. Weird!
Don't worry, I'll tell you about the little river soon.
We drove on and on and finally came to the beautiful resort town of Sinai (pronounce Sen-eye-ah). The last time Michael and I had been here we had taken the train from Sibiu so we really enjoyed seeing a different approach to the town. Up the hill was Peles (Pell-esh) Castle. It is very picturesque. After the long ride we were all full of water and needed a restroom. We found one on the walk up the last of the hill to the castle. There was a window inside the door where you paid .40 lei (about 15 cents) to use the toilet and for one 12 inch piece of 1 ply toilet paper.
Once we had paid then we saw what the toilet was. It reminded me of toilets in China, or at least what I have heard of them. There are two foot shaped placed where you are obviously supposed to put your feet as you squat and relieve yourself over a drain. It was all nice and clean and modern...but you have to squat really low if you don't want to splash...use your imagination. I know my imagination was running wild at the sight!
The castle was beautiful. You could just lift your camera and take a picture without looking and it would be postcard perfect. I am sure our photographers Liz and Linda will post some pictures. Doug picked a perch and spent the time sketching. He was really in the zone and we all came up to watch him when it was time to leave. He didn't notice us for a long time, so of course we took pictures of him. I think they are some of our best shots.
After the castle we had lunch at a place near the bottom of the road to the castle. We had several dishes we shared...mostly anyway! The road to the castle had lots of stalls full of craft items to buy. We did some shopping, but were short on time so had to cut it short.
On the drive home we noticed signs with names of streams/creeks we crossed. We asked Radu what 'parau' meant as it was before each name. He said it meant 'little river'. We spent the next 3 or 4 hours trying to say it correctly. We even tried again today and we still don't really have it. It seems so simple but it uses a sound we don't have in English. To us it sounds like Radu is saying Peru, like the country with the r rolled....but that is not it. I think there should be a prize for the person who gets it right!
Tonight I am making Chicago style pizza for everyone. I remembered from last time I was here that the ovens do not have degrees, just low flame, medium flame and high flame. I was prepared for that...but we have no measuring cups! So I am just about to go downstairs to see how the dough is doing. I just guessed what was close to a cup and a teaspoon and how much yeast I needed. It should be fun. We have to wait to find out if we have an edible dinner tonight, so you will have to wait to find out, too!
Peles castle
That's pronounced "Pelesh."
Yesterday we went to Peles castle. It was supposed to be a 2 1/2 hour drive, or 3 because of construction, but somehow the trip lasted 12 hours. No, I'm not exagerating. We spent about an hour and a half at the castle and the rest was in the van (with a few brief stops). The castle was so photographable that I could have gotten beautiful pictures by closing my eyes and randomly clicking the button.
I wrote that yesterday. I have been studying for my test and didn't ever finish my post. Hopefully I will get through all of the chapters I have to know for my online class. It is starting to get even more confusing, with me studying greek and latin (for medical terminology) and working on romanian with Radu. That doesn't take into account the french and italian that we throw into our attempts at romanian.
Today we go to Nou and Slimnic. As I write Doug, Kim and Don are discussing what we are going to do tomorrow. Plans tend to evolve here. We'll see.
Yesterday we went to Peles castle. It was supposed to be a 2 1/2 hour drive, or 3 because of construction, but somehow the trip lasted 12 hours. No, I'm not exagerating. We spent about an hour and a half at the castle and the rest was in the van (with a few brief stops). The castle was so photographable that I could have gotten beautiful pictures by closing my eyes and randomly clicking the button.
I wrote that yesterday. I have been studying for my test and didn't ever finish my post. Hopefully I will get through all of the chapters I have to know for my online class. It is starting to get even more confusing, with me studying greek and latin (for medical terminology) and working on romanian with Radu. That doesn't take into account the french and italian that we throw into our attempts at romanian.
Today we go to Nou and Slimnic. As I write Doug, Kim and Don are discussing what we are going to do tomorrow. Plans tend to evolve here. We'll see.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Some More Photos
Linda has uploaded all of the photos she's taken so far to CostCo. Try this link:
http://www.costcophotocenter.com/share/p=387211182476220981/l=11080151/g=3309394/cobrandOid=1008/otsc=SYE/otsi=SALB
Let us know how it works (and feel free to ask questions about any photo).
http://www.costcophotocenter.com/share/p=387211182476220981/l=11080151/g=3309394/cobrandOid=1008/otsc=SYE/otsi=SALB
Let us know how it works (and feel free to ask questions about any photo).
Some Video Snippets
I've uploaded Linda's videos to http://www.thehensleys.com/romania2007 but you are on your own figuring out how to play them.
The best of the lot is "MVI_5144.AVI"; you can listen to Kim, Elizabeth, and Linda try to communicate with Anna, Maria, and Maria (we don't know the name of the guy standing in the back). When the Romanian women's comments were translated for us later, it was even funnier. I'll post the translation tomorrow. :)
Here are 2 things to try:
1. Just click on the filename. Depending on what plug-ins you've installed on your web browser, they might just play.
2. Download the file to your computer, and open it with something that plans ".AVI" files.
I'll try to provide more info and some descriptions tomorrow.
The best of the lot is "MVI_5144.AVI"; you can listen to Kim, Elizabeth, and Linda try to communicate with Anna, Maria, and Maria (we don't know the name of the guy standing in the back). When the Romanian women's comments were translated for us later, it was even funnier. I'll post the translation tomorrow. :)
Here are 2 things to try:
1. Just click on the filename. Depending on what plug-ins you've installed on your web browser, they might just play.
2. Download the file to your computer, and open it with something that plans ".AVI" files.
I'll try to provide more info and some descriptions tomorrow.
Today is a good day to...
...die!
...wear well-tailored slacks!
*Sheldon
Today was great. I loved using the jack-hammer, although I was so tired that I had a little trouble actually lifting it. I also got to drive the cart to the rock dumping site. That was so much fun, I wish that we used real horse power in America. Although, I can't imagine a trip to IKEA in a horse-cart.
Linda, mom and I have escalated to 3 scoops of gelato now...
Jessica Prince will be glad to know that I beat a Romanian today at ping-pong. And then really lost in a pairs game.
I love soap. and water. and washing machines. and chapstick. and ice.
...wear well-tailored slacks!
*Sheldon
Today was great. I loved using the jack-hammer, although I was so tired that I had a little trouble actually lifting it. I also got to drive the cart to the rock dumping site. That was so much fun, I wish that we used real horse power in America. Although, I can't imagine a trip to IKEA in a horse-cart.
Linda, mom and I have escalated to 3 scoops of gelato now...
Jessica Prince will be glad to know that I beat a Romanian today at ping-pong. And then really lost in a pairs game.
I love soap. and water. and washing machines. and chapstick. and ice.
Elizabeth "Jackhammer" Hensley's New Job
Here's a picture of Elizabeth putting her degree in Biblical Studies to practical use.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Maria
Maria worked with the team in Rosia. They said she worked like a machine (and put the guys on the team to shame).
Stop taking my shovel
On the one hand, it was frustertating to have someone keep taking my shovel every time I found something I could do...
On the other hand, I am so tired, that I couldn't really do much yesterday anyway.
We are getting ready to go back to Rosia now. We are running out of fresh shirts and pants that aren't covered, inside and out, with dirt.
PS. Has anyone seen Fantastic 4 yet? Is it good?
PPS. Happy Birthday Jacob!
On the other hand, I am so tired, that I couldn't really do much yesterday anyway.
We are getting ready to go back to Rosia now. We are running out of fresh shirts and pants that aren't covered, inside and out, with dirt.
PS. Has anyone seen Fantastic 4 yet? Is it good?
PPS. Happy Birthday Jacob!
Third day in Rosia
Our third day...not the band :)
So, Michael has successfuly cured the internet service problems...for now. They are digging up and resurfacing the street outside the church, and let us just say it feels like little earthquakes all the time. This can't be good for the internet connection. Of course this is minor to the problem of the older less maintained houses on the street that are slowly turning to dust as the plaster is being shaken.
Doug has been playing rugby and wrestling with one crazy young man we work with in Rosia. We think this guy, Valo?, is trying to show off to some of the girls next door. None of the folks in Rosia speak English, so the person who drives us or the Swiss man, Daniel, has to translate for us and that is hard when there is a jack hammer going! We are grateful for the jack hammer though because until we got it today we were using hand picks, buckets and shovels to remove a rock and dirt foundation down about 4 feet.
We are too sore to snap our fingers (these are the muscles that hurt most). Today the trailer we were using to dump all the dirt and rocks into got a flat tire on the way back from a dump run. While we waited for the repair, Maria took Elizabeth, Linda and me to her home. She is probably at least 60 years old and moves like a spring chicken as she winks and puts her finger over lips to indicate we are sneaking and waves us to follow her through the gently slopping pasture behind the church to her home. She lives there with many of her children and it is out of the last century. She and her daughter and daughter-in-law show us to chairs under an umbrella outside the kitchen door. There are flowers in pots everywhere, a dog, cat and some ducks wandering around. It is a small courtyard with a barn, stable, shed and rambling house surrounding it.
We are offered apple flavored soda and hot coffee boiled directly in a coffee pan...no filter, no cream, no sugar. Hot and black! Since I don't drink coffee unless it doctored up to taste like coffee ice cream, this was an unusual experience for me but there is something different about coffee in Europe.
They asked about our homes and what they were like...in Romanian and with much hand gestures. They smiled, laughed and clearly looked up to something as they pulled back a curtain covering a doorway near the chairs we occupied. They kept saying the word for kitchen in Romanian (I know it becuase I keep asking to go to the kitchen for something at the church). As I entered I see a neat but small kitchen. It really is smaller than it looks due to the low ceilings. Even Linda and I look quite tall next to these ladies! As we survey the kitchen, they confirm what we have told them about where we live. Then they point through an archway to a beautifully tiled bathroom that just has a tub in it. No toilet. They indicate that I should go in and see. So I step in and what do I see? Once inside I can see they have their stove in there rather than in the kitchen! The ladies all laugh at our reaction. We tell them it is beautiful in our broken Romanian.
Once back outside with our drinks, Linda records our conversation with her camera. It is too funny to even convey...hopefully we will be able to post part of it so you can hear us struggle to communicate. This is one of the most special moments in Rosia, I think. I will never feel the same about a cup of coffee again.
Tomorrow Maria and her daughters will show us how they make brooms from twigs and bark. We hope to make our own miniature ones to bring home to show everyone. Hopefully our tired fingers will be up to the task.
This evening Radu, the pastor we are working most with here, walked into Sibiu with us to help with a money exchange and then we taught him how to play spoons. If you don't know what spoons is, ask someone to show you. We added a rule though. The dealer gets to make up a rule, or task, for the loser of the current hand as they deal. Once Linda and I lost the round together (we played two spoons short instead of one) and had to stand on one leg, hop and down while singing 'I'm a Little Tea Pot'. The loosers of another round had to play True/False and another round was to share your testimony in 60 seconds or less. It was so much fun and I think Radu really enjoyed himself. Of course, he may be thinking we are all a little crazy now...but aren't we all?
More later....keep the comments coming!
So, Michael has successfuly cured the internet service problems...for now. They are digging up and resurfacing the street outside the church, and let us just say it feels like little earthquakes all the time. This can't be good for the internet connection. Of course this is minor to the problem of the older less maintained houses on the street that are slowly turning to dust as the plaster is being shaken.
Doug has been playing rugby and wrestling with one crazy young man we work with in Rosia. We think this guy, Valo?, is trying to show off to some of the girls next door. None of the folks in Rosia speak English, so the person who drives us or the Swiss man, Daniel, has to translate for us and that is hard when there is a jack hammer going! We are grateful for the jack hammer though because until we got it today we were using hand picks, buckets and shovels to remove a rock and dirt foundation down about 4 feet.
We are too sore to snap our fingers (these are the muscles that hurt most). Today the trailer we were using to dump all the dirt and rocks into got a flat tire on the way back from a dump run. While we waited for the repair, Maria took Elizabeth, Linda and me to her home. She is probably at least 60 years old and moves like a spring chicken as she winks and puts her finger over lips to indicate we are sneaking and waves us to follow her through the gently slopping pasture behind the church to her home. She lives there with many of her children and it is out of the last century. She and her daughter and daughter-in-law show us to chairs under an umbrella outside the kitchen door. There are flowers in pots everywhere, a dog, cat and some ducks wandering around. It is a small courtyard with a barn, stable, shed and rambling house surrounding it.
We are offered apple flavored soda and hot coffee boiled directly in a coffee pan...no filter, no cream, no sugar. Hot and black! Since I don't drink coffee unless it doctored up to taste like coffee ice cream, this was an unusual experience for me but there is something different about coffee in Europe.
They asked about our homes and what they were like...in Romanian and with much hand gestures. They smiled, laughed and clearly looked up to something as they pulled back a curtain covering a doorway near the chairs we occupied. They kept saying the word for kitchen in Romanian (I know it becuase I keep asking to go to the kitchen for something at the church). As I entered I see a neat but small kitchen. It really is smaller than it looks due to the low ceilings. Even Linda and I look quite tall next to these ladies! As we survey the kitchen, they confirm what we have told them about where we live. Then they point through an archway to a beautifully tiled bathroom that just has a tub in it. No toilet. They indicate that I should go in and see. So I step in and what do I see? Once inside I can see they have their stove in there rather than in the kitchen! The ladies all laugh at our reaction. We tell them it is beautiful in our broken Romanian.
Once back outside with our drinks, Linda records our conversation with her camera. It is too funny to even convey...hopefully we will be able to post part of it so you can hear us struggle to communicate. This is one of the most special moments in Rosia, I think. I will never feel the same about a cup of coffee again.
Tomorrow Maria and her daughters will show us how they make brooms from twigs and bark. We hope to make our own miniature ones to bring home to show everyone. Hopefully our tired fingers will be up to the task.
This evening Radu, the pastor we are working most with here, walked into Sibiu with us to help with a money exchange and then we taught him how to play spoons. If you don't know what spoons is, ask someone to show you. We added a rule though. The dealer gets to make up a rule, or task, for the loser of the current hand as they deal. Once Linda and I lost the round together (we played two spoons short instead of one) and had to stand on one leg, hop and down while singing 'I'm a Little Tea Pot'. The loosers of another round had to play True/False and another round was to share your testimony in 60 seconds or less. It was so much fun and I think Radu really enjoyed himself. Of course, he may be thinking we are all a little crazy now...but aren't we all?
More later....keep the comments coming!
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
message from doug
Hi-
Been great so far. Mission trips are amazing. I miss Christy and Grace. I am just trying to drink it all in and savor the moments with our team. Looking forward to reporting back. Maybe the Giants will be out of last place when we get home...
Bye.
Been great so far. Mission trips are amazing. I miss Christy and Grace. I am just trying to drink it all in and savor the moments with our team. Looking forward to reporting back. Maybe the Giants will be out of last place when we get home...
Bye.
Monday, June 18, 2007
Obosit? Da!
In English...Tired? Yes!
I am experiencing a special joy at being here for the second time. After church (the third service, that is) some people I met last time came up to greet me. It was wonderful to be known and to recognize others. I really love being here.
My first walk to the city center (the old part with the fortress wall around it) was so very different I almost could not recognize it. They have finished the renovations that were in full swing when I was last here. Now there are all modern tourist shops for the people pouring in at all hours for the Cultural celebrations going on during this year of Sibiu being the Cultural Center of Europe. No more small stores packed to overflowing with trinkets and goods to look through. I mis that, but it is amazing to see how beautiful the archetecture is and my favorite gelato store is still down a side alley.
Hey Andy H....do you remember the flavor of gelato we liked? I can't so I guess I will have to try them all unless you can tell me what it was!
Okay, you can't laugh (at least where I can hear you) but I got another Shrek Happy Meal toy (Fiona) here in Romania....and yes, she speaks English. Wouldn't it be cool if she spoke Romanian?
I was invited to share my testimony on Sunday and it was great to finally share something personal and give praise to our Lord and Savior with these passionate people.
Our first day working in Rosia was big. We shoveled cement rocks out a window into a cart pulled by a horse. Have you ever tried to aim a shovel full of rocks and dirt through a window into a cart? I am waiting till tomorrow to see which muscles will not forgive me for that.
There were several village women there to help us shovel, pick and sweep. Maria, Maria, Anita and Anna were four I did Romanian charades with. I found was able to learn how to ask about their children and familes. These three women were mother, daughter and daughter-in-law. I laughed as much as I worked. They were so hospitable and even made the special Romanian donut called gogosh for us.
We also met Daniel there. He is Swiss. His wife, 4 children, 2 dogs, 8 puppies (that were sooo cute), chickens, turkeys, rabbits and sheep all live down the street from the church we are working on. Daniel's wife and children were away for the day and he was so very kind to offer us use of his real flush toilet...much nicer than the outhouse at the church.
I will stop now and try to leave something for others to say...if they have the strength left to type!
I am experiencing a special joy at being here for the second time. After church (the third service, that is) some people I met last time came up to greet me. It was wonderful to be known and to recognize others. I really love being here.
My first walk to the city center (the old part with the fortress wall around it) was so very different I almost could not recognize it. They have finished the renovations that were in full swing when I was last here. Now there are all modern tourist shops for the people pouring in at all hours for the Cultural celebrations going on during this year of Sibiu being the Cultural Center of Europe. No more small stores packed to overflowing with trinkets and goods to look through. I mis that, but it is amazing to see how beautiful the archetecture is and my favorite gelato store is still down a side alley.
Hey Andy H....do you remember the flavor of gelato we liked? I can't so I guess I will have to try them all unless you can tell me what it was!
Okay, you can't laugh (at least where I can hear you) but I got another Shrek Happy Meal toy (Fiona) here in Romania....and yes, she speaks English. Wouldn't it be cool if she spoke Romanian?
I was invited to share my testimony on Sunday and it was great to finally share something personal and give praise to our Lord and Savior with these passionate people.
Our first day working in Rosia was big. We shoveled cement rocks out a window into a cart pulled by a horse. Have you ever tried to aim a shovel full of rocks and dirt through a window into a cart? I am waiting till tomorrow to see which muscles will not forgive me for that.
There were several village women there to help us shovel, pick and sweep. Maria, Maria, Anita and Anna were four I did Romanian charades with. I found was able to learn how to ask about their children and familes. These three women were mother, daughter and daughter-in-law. I laughed as much as I worked. They were so hospitable and even made the special Romanian donut called gogosh for us.
We also met Daniel there. He is Swiss. His wife, 4 children, 2 dogs, 8 puppies (that were sooo cute), chickens, turkeys, rabbits and sheep all live down the street from the church we are working on. Daniel's wife and children were away for the day and he was so very kind to offer us use of his real flush toilet...much nicer than the outhouse at the church.
I will stop now and try to leave something for others to say...if they have the strength left to type!
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Arrival in Romania
We made it!
Some highlights:
Made it to the airport on time...and found each other easily.
Lost no luggage or had anything confiscated.
Found Chicago pizza while waiting in the international security line.
Barely made the connection in Chicago due to the long security line.
Almost had to shorten our legs to fit in the Austrian Airline flight from Chicago.
There was no AC in the car/van ride from Bucharest to Sibiu, but really enjoyed the amazing thunderstorms.
Decided not to try the sulfer spring water at the health springs we visited...Radu (Missions Pastor at Betania, and our host) didn't drink any either!
Looking forward to attending several church services tomorrow!
More later, we all need showers and sleep.
Some highlights:
Made it to the airport on time...and found each other easily.
Lost no luggage or had anything confiscated.
Found Chicago pizza while waiting in the international security line.
Barely made the connection in Chicago due to the long security line.
Almost had to shorten our legs to fit in the Austrian Airline flight from Chicago.
There was no AC in the car/van ride from Bucharest to Sibiu, but really enjoyed the amazing thunderstorms.
Decided not to try the sulfer spring water at the health springs we visited...Radu (Missions Pastor at Betania, and our host) didn't drink any either!
Looking forward to attending several church services tomorrow!
More later, we all need showers and sleep.
Friday, June 1, 2007
Team Romania Plans
Welcome to the TEAM ROMANIA blog!
Please comment...we love to hear back from everyone.
We will be arriving in Sibiu on June 16. Sibiu is 10 hours ahead of California time.
We look forward to seeing our friends in Sibiu and working in Rosia on the church building project there during our first week. Our second week will be in Slimnic at the Seniors Home and at the church for VBS.
Hopefully, our weather and health will be good...look for our first entries on the road soon!
Please comment...we love to hear back from everyone.
We will be arriving in Sibiu on June 16. Sibiu is 10 hours ahead of California time.
We look forward to seeing our friends in Sibiu and working in Rosia on the church building project there during our first week. Our second week will be in Slimnic at the Seniors Home and at the church for VBS.
Hopefully, our weather and health will be good...look for our first entries on the road soon!
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