This morning began at the office with worship and devotion as usual, except it was the team's last morning with us. They'll fly back home early tomorrow morning, so be praying for them if you think about it.
We headed to Rehab after our morning meeting. I was quite anxious to see my Little Rabbit again (Marius) and a few of the other kiddos I've come to truly adore (like Stefi). Speaking of Stefi, who was there to greet us with a bright smile and an adorable giggle when we arrived? You guessed it. I'll never get enough of that precious face. We were all outside to begin with, so after playing on the swing a bit, Stefi grabbed my hand and dragged me in circles all over the yard. We really had no purpose in where we were going, but it didn't matter a bit. The cutie patootie sat on my lap while the team did their skit and sang, and then I helped her make her whale craft. It was all quite adorable. I'm certainly going to miss that one!
But, after spending quite a bit of time with Stefi, I was ready to head inside to see my little dude. The workers told us not to pick the kids up today (there were men all around the center replacing windows, so it was a bit chaotic), so I lowered the side of Little Rabbit's crib and sat with him while Micah played the guitar and we all sang. It's not an easy feat to get any sort of reaction out of that little man, but I did manage to make him smile a time or two. Of course, I was not ready to leave when our time was up, but I knew I had to, so I kissed Little Rabbit, hugged him, told him I loved him, and that I would miss him. As I put the side of his crib back into place, he started shaking so violently that it looked like he was having a seizure. I immediately went right back to him and realized it wasn't a seizure (thank you, Jesus), he was just that upset that we were leaving. Talk about rip my heart out. I pray that I'll be able to see my dear Little Rabbit this side of Heaven, but if not, I'm confident we'll be singing and dancing one day in the presence of our Savior.
After an amazing lunch (as usual!) at the office, the kids from Pinnochio came over for the afternoon. Since they had already seen the Jonah skit, AJ reviewed the story with them and shared his testimony--relating it back to Jonah. The kids also did a different craft, and we sang and played games. I think this was the last time I'll see those kiddos, so it was a bit different saying goodbye to them this time. Lord willing, I'll see them again next year.
Since the team is leaving in the morning, we had to say farewell to them next. I'm really not a fan of goodbyes (who is?!), and I didn't like having to start them already. There will be far too many in my near future.
When we got home, I gathered things and packed for the weekend--I'm heading to Arad tonight to see Stelu and Florentina, who I haven't seen in 10 years, and I'm SO EXCITED! I probably won't update much over the weekend, but stay tuned for the last few updates early next week.
Thanks again for all your prayers and encouragement. A huge answer to prayer is that we'll get to spend Monday and Tuesday afternoons at Chitila (well, the staff will be there each afternoon tomorrow and next week, but I'll only be around for those two days). I'm beyond relieved to be able to see the girls again. Please continue praying for them as well! La revedere for now!
Thursday, June 30, 2016
Storms and Stories
Wednesday began at the office with kids from the families (minus a few who were taking their school exams). It was quite fun to see them again, play games, reconnect, and love on them. I'm really going to miss the few I've gotten close to over the last few years.
We had an early lunch so that we could make the long journey over to Chitila by 1:30. The program was a bit different because of all the chaos and upheaval going on at Chitila. (You can ask my mom about it if you see her or anyone else connected to CTL about the situation. Otherwise, I'll fill you in in person when I see you.)
I was overjoyed when I walked up to the gate at Chitila and saw Flori there waiting for us. She grabbed me and kissed me through the bars of the gate as we waited for the security guard to unlock it. It was so great to see so many of the girls and be able to love on them again.
We began our time together with some singing, which is always quite calming. Then we did the M&M activity where depending on the color of candy you get, you have to answer a different question (i.e. What do you worry about? What do you like? What are you afraid of?). The girls were pretty open and honest, and it was good to hear their hearts and their fears. I shared my story next. At that point it was storming outside, and when I neared the end of my testimony, and the storm I'm currently facing, the rain poured outside harder than I've ever seen it pour. It was a great opportunity to discuss how we can remain faithful to God and trust in His unfailing love even in the midst of our storms. A few of the girls, including my beloved Flori, had tears cascading down their faces as I shared. As much as my heart was broken for them, I was grateful that God used even a bit of my story to touch their hearts.
Following that, we made rainbows with characteristics the girls desire to be one day written on the colored strips, such as respectful, loving, polite, etc. At this point, I was able to sit down with Flori and Florina and hear more about Flori's struggles and her heart. Remember my post from last week about Chitila being harder every time I go? That truth still remains. My heart ripped into pieces as I heard her talk, and I know I haven't even heard it all yet.
Bailey also shared her story while we were there, and we could tell the girls were interested and could relate.
We relaxed a bit and painted their nails after that. A couple of the team members sat and sang to a few of the girls at this point, and you could see the Spirit physically calming them down. Music truly is a gift from God.
I was quite sad as our afternoon wrapped up, thinking I may not have the opportunity to see these girls again. I gave many hugs and kisses as I left, praying that God would continue to protect his precious daughters. He knows each one. He made each one. He loves each one far more than I ever could.
After Chitila, the interns grabbed dinner together and headed back to the apartment to hang out for the evening. We put our phones in the middle of the coffee table and enjoyed a few hours of good conversation--everything from elementary school stories to deep theological topics. It was great. Evenings like this should definitely happen more often. God did create us to be in community, after all.
But alas, because of this, the blog post didn't exist until today. My apologies. I hope it gave you some ideas of how to be praying. I can hardly believe I'll be gone in less than a week. Please also pray for the transition home. Thanks so much!
We had an early lunch so that we could make the long journey over to Chitila by 1:30. The program was a bit different because of all the chaos and upheaval going on at Chitila. (You can ask my mom about it if you see her or anyone else connected to CTL about the situation. Otherwise, I'll fill you in in person when I see you.)
I was overjoyed when I walked up to the gate at Chitila and saw Flori there waiting for us. She grabbed me and kissed me through the bars of the gate as we waited for the security guard to unlock it. It was so great to see so many of the girls and be able to love on them again.
We began our time together with some singing, which is always quite calming. Then we did the M&M activity where depending on the color of candy you get, you have to answer a different question (i.e. What do you worry about? What do you like? What are you afraid of?). The girls were pretty open and honest, and it was good to hear their hearts and their fears. I shared my story next. At that point it was storming outside, and when I neared the end of my testimony, and the storm I'm currently facing, the rain poured outside harder than I've ever seen it pour. It was a great opportunity to discuss how we can remain faithful to God and trust in His unfailing love even in the midst of our storms. A few of the girls, including my beloved Flori, had tears cascading down their faces as I shared. As much as my heart was broken for them, I was grateful that God used even a bit of my story to touch their hearts.
Following that, we made rainbows with characteristics the girls desire to be one day written on the colored strips, such as respectful, loving, polite, etc. At this point, I was able to sit down with Flori and Florina and hear more about Flori's struggles and her heart. Remember my post from last week about Chitila being harder every time I go? That truth still remains. My heart ripped into pieces as I heard her talk, and I know I haven't even heard it all yet.
Bailey also shared her story while we were there, and we could tell the girls were interested and could relate.
We relaxed a bit and painted their nails after that. A couple of the team members sat and sang to a few of the girls at this point, and you could see the Spirit physically calming them down. Music truly is a gift from God.
I was quite sad as our afternoon wrapped up, thinking I may not have the opportunity to see these girls again. I gave many hugs and kisses as I left, praying that God would continue to protect his precious daughters. He knows each one. He made each one. He loves each one far more than I ever could.
After Chitila, the interns grabbed dinner together and headed back to the apartment to hang out for the evening. We put our phones in the middle of the coffee table and enjoyed a few hours of good conversation--everything from elementary school stories to deep theological topics. It was great. Evenings like this should definitely happen more often. God did create us to be in community, after all.
But alas, because of this, the blog post didn't exist until today. My apologies. I hope it gave you some ideas of how to be praying. I can hardly believe I'll be gone in less than a week. Please also pray for the transition home. Thanks so much!
Tuesday, June 28, 2016
Tei, Pinnochio, and Worship Night!
This morning at Tei we were met with a gaggle of giggles and an abundance of hugs. These kids seriously melt my heart. Have you seen the pictures I've posted from today yet? If not, please take a moment and refer back to my FB/Insta for a moment. How can those faces NOT melt your heart!?
Other than hugs and kisses and giggles and heart melting, we spent the morning playing on the inflatable slide, face painting, singing, watching the Jonah skit, and making adorable little whales with clothespins. The kiddos were loving it. Unfortunately, a few of us had to do a bit of face washing before we left since they couldn't put the kids down for naps with face paint, but it was all fun regardless. I'm seriously going to hate saying goodbye to those little ones next week.
This afternoon (after some private lessons from Florina during the journey back from Tei) we headed over to Pinnochio and did much the same program with them, but amped up a bit as many of them are older. They seemed to really enjoy it, but they especially enjoyed the team singing. I'm sure the kids are going to really miss that!
When we returned from Pinnochio, we were greeted by kids from the families' program and our dear friends Denisa and Eliza (former CTL staff members). I was beyond delighted to see them and get in some much needed hugs and love and encouragement.
Worship night was great as always. We sang and Ana, Bogdan, and a few of the team members shared. It's always encouraging to hear how God has transformed lives. We're all so very different, yet He cares about each one of us and each one of our stories so intimately. He truly is an awesome God!
Tomorrow we'll work with the Rehab kids in the morning and head to Chitila in the afternoon. PLEASE be praying for our afternoon tomorrow especially--these girls are in a delicate state right now and we want to love them well.
Thanks for your encouragement, support, and prayers! Noapte buna!
Other than hugs and kisses and giggles and heart melting, we spent the morning playing on the inflatable slide, face painting, singing, watching the Jonah skit, and making adorable little whales with clothespins. The kiddos were loving it. Unfortunately, a few of us had to do a bit of face washing before we left since they couldn't put the kids down for naps with face paint, but it was all fun regardless. I'm seriously going to hate saying goodbye to those little ones next week.
This afternoon (after some private lessons from Florina during the journey back from Tei) we headed over to Pinnochio and did much the same program with them, but amped up a bit as many of them are older. They seemed to really enjoy it, but they especially enjoyed the team singing. I'm sure the kids are going to really miss that!
When we returned from Pinnochio, we were greeted by kids from the families' program and our dear friends Denisa and Eliza (former CTL staff members). I was beyond delighted to see them and get in some much needed hugs and love and encouragement.
Worship night was great as always. We sang and Ana, Bogdan, and a few of the team members shared. It's always encouraging to hear how God has transformed lives. We're all so very different, yet He cares about each one of us and each one of our stories so intimately. He truly is an awesome God!
Tomorrow we'll work with the Rehab kids in the morning and head to Chitila in the afternoon. PLEASE be praying for our afternoon tomorrow especially--these girls are in a delicate state right now and we want to love them well.
Thanks for your encouragement, support, and prayers! Noapte buna!
Monday, June 27, 2016
Bucharest + June = Water Fight!
Today we had the kiddos from #7 with us at the office all day today. It was great to be able to spend a good amount of time just hanging out with them and relaxing with them without having a strict schedule. It was also great to be able to spend time with kids we really know at this point. I'm certainly going to miss them...
The morning consisted of a lot of Dutch Blitz, Tenzi, and other games while in the afternoon we sang, learned about Jonah (from a pretty entertaining team skit), and painted nails (while the boys played outside).
Shortly thereafter, Nelu beckoned us all outside for a few games. Outside + Bucharest + June = WATER. We most certainly spent the afternoon playing a series of water games before erupting into a water fight of epic proportions. It. Was. A. Blast. We laughed and ran around and threw water at each other and laughed some more. I loved it--not to mention that it felt GREAT on a hot afternoon. Riding home on the metro and going to the store afterward wasn't the most fun in wet-ish clothing, but sometimes it's all about sacrifices, right? :)
The roomies and I actually spent a good amount of the evening writing out our testimonies because we are going to have the opportunity to share our stories with the girls at Chitila on Wednesday. There has been a lot of upheaval there in the past week, so PLEASE continue to pray for the girls there and for us as we share our hearts. May God use us however He plans to reach out and touch His children.
Tomorrow we'll head back to Tei in the morning. In the afternoon, we'll have the kiddos from Pinocchio and some of the families at the office for the usual program and they'll stay into the evening for a BBQ and worship night. Please also be praying for our time together tomorrow.
Sorry for the short update, but that's all for now! Thanks for all your prayers. Te iubesc!
The morning consisted of a lot of Dutch Blitz, Tenzi, and other games while in the afternoon we sang, learned about Jonah (from a pretty entertaining team skit), and painted nails (while the boys played outside).
Shortly thereafter, Nelu beckoned us all outside for a few games. Outside + Bucharest + June = WATER. We most certainly spent the afternoon playing a series of water games before erupting into a water fight of epic proportions. It. Was. A. Blast. We laughed and ran around and threw water at each other and laughed some more. I loved it--not to mention that it felt GREAT on a hot afternoon. Riding home on the metro and going to the store afterward wasn't the most fun in wet-ish clothing, but sometimes it's all about sacrifices, right? :)
The roomies and I actually spent a good amount of the evening writing out our testimonies because we are going to have the opportunity to share our stories with the girls at Chitila on Wednesday. There has been a lot of upheaval there in the past week, so PLEASE continue to pray for the girls there and for us as we share our hearts. May God use us however He plans to reach out and touch His children.
Tomorrow we'll head back to Tei in the morning. In the afternoon, we'll have the kiddos from Pinocchio and some of the families at the office for the usual program and they'll stay into the evening for a BBQ and worship night. Please also be praying for our time together tomorrow.
Sorry for the short update, but that's all for now! Thanks for all your prayers. Te iubesc!
Sunday, June 26, 2016
Sunday FUNday!
Sunday morning began with a journey to Uniri to meet up with the team, Ioana and Marc, and some kiddos to head to church. It was so fun to start the morning with those smiling faces and sweet hugs.
Since this particular church was only in Romanian, we sat in the back with Delia and Florina so that they could translate for us. The Home of Hope girls were there, which was wonderful, but it was even more delightful to see Ilincuta and Elena who are now living with families hoping to adopt them. It seriously warmed my heart!
Bogdan and Daniel were able to share about CTL after the sermon and show a short video that Nelu made. It's our prayer that more churches here will embrace CTL and the orphaned and abandoned kids in Romania.
After church, we headed with Nelu, Florina, and Ioana to the mall for lunch with the kiddos and the team. Shortly after lunch, the kiddos and team left and the interns stayed for quite a while to hang out with the Stoicas. We really enjoy each other quite a bit, and it was so nice to just sit back in the cool air and chat.
This afternoon, the interns decided to wander around and keep hanging out. I'd say we got our "steps" in, but they were equaled with good conversation, so we quite enjoyed it--not to mention that we learned a thing or two about each other.
Bailey and I ended the evening with peanut butter toast and flat peaches for dinner while Leanne ate cornflakes with yogurt. We eat super well around these parts... Actually it was around 8pm, so we certainly didn't want to cook anything. Yah, we'll go with that.
Alrighty. Back into the swing of things tomorrow. Must. Get. Rest. Thanks for all your prayers! Noapte Buna!
Saturday, June 25, 2016
Sunny Saturday in Sinaia
The alarm went off far too early this Saturday morning, but I knew Sinaia would be worth it.
We met the team at the train station at around 7:45 and waited to hear from which platform we'd be leaving. A few minutes later, platform ten flashed up on the board, so we headed that way. However, when we arrived at our train, our tickets said "Car 21" and there were only five cars there. Period. Pe bune?
We figured that maybe it meant car one or two, so we hopped on and hoped to find our seats. After a bit of hunting, we walked toward the front of the train, past first class, and into cars beyond car five. What!? You added cars on us? Apparently so, because we happened upon "Car 21" and settled into our seats. Now, there weren't anywhere near 21 cars on the train, so I still have no idea why we were assigned to "Car 21," but we figured it out regardless.
Austin, Bailey, Leanne, and I ended up in a booth together, so we played a few rousing rounds of Uno. Actually, we played one "boring" round of regular Uno before switching over to Speed Uno. Far more fun!
When we arrived in Sinaia, the sky was blue, the sun was bright, and the air had a nice crisp breeze. We were beyond delighted! It is absolutely gorgeous up there, and it was delightful to be among the trees.
We journeyed up to the castle, only to happen upon a car show. At. The. Castle. Pe bune? Yah, the cars were cool and all, but there were So. Many. People. We (Marc) figured out where the tour line was since everything we knew was blocked off, and we got the team on their way to the castle tour.
Since we've both seen the castle a number of times, Marc and I decided to sit down in the shade and read--well, a bit of reading. A lot of people watching.
When the rest of the folk finished the castle meandering, we all did a bit of souvenir shopping before finding a quaint little Indian cafe for lunch. It was actually really delicious!
Fortunately, the train ride back was void of any hitches. I'm fairly certain most of us fell asleep. A nap around here is always welcome!
The heat and humidity hit us as we detrained, and I seriously wished we were back in the mountains. But, my people are in Bucharest, and I love my people. I'm so glad I have the opportunity to be here for a week longer than planned. I can't even imagine going home this week.
Tomorrow is church and grocery shopping and laundry and rest (hopefully!).
Hope you all enjoy the rest of your Saturday!
We met the team at the train station at around 7:45 and waited to hear from which platform we'd be leaving. A few minutes later, platform ten flashed up on the board, so we headed that way. However, when we arrived at our train, our tickets said "Car 21" and there were only five cars there. Period. Pe bune?
We figured that maybe it meant car one or two, so we hopped on and hoped to find our seats. After a bit of hunting, we walked toward the front of the train, past first class, and into cars beyond car five. What!? You added cars on us? Apparently so, because we happened upon "Car 21" and settled into our seats. Now, there weren't anywhere near 21 cars on the train, so I still have no idea why we were assigned to "Car 21," but we figured it out regardless.
Austin, Bailey, Leanne, and I ended up in a booth together, so we played a few rousing rounds of Uno. Actually, we played one "boring" round of regular Uno before switching over to Speed Uno. Far more fun!
When we arrived in Sinaia, the sky was blue, the sun was bright, and the air had a nice crisp breeze. We were beyond delighted! It is absolutely gorgeous up there, and it was delightful to be among the trees.
We journeyed up to the castle, only to happen upon a car show. At. The. Castle. Pe bune? Yah, the cars were cool and all, but there were So. Many. People. We (Marc) figured out where the tour line was since everything we knew was blocked off, and we got the team on their way to the castle tour.
Since we've both seen the castle a number of times, Marc and I decided to sit down in the shade and read--well, a bit of reading. A lot of people watching.
When the rest of the folk finished the castle meandering, we all did a bit of souvenir shopping before finding a quaint little Indian cafe for lunch. It was actually really delicious!
Fortunately, the train ride back was void of any hitches. I'm fairly certain most of us fell asleep. A nap around here is always welcome!
The heat and humidity hit us as we detrained, and I seriously wished we were back in the mountains. But, my people are in Bucharest, and I love my people. I'm so glad I have the opportunity to be here for a week longer than planned. I can't even imagine going home this week.
Tomorrow is church and grocery shopping and laundry and rest (hopefully!).
Hope you all enjoy the rest of your Saturday!
Loads of Laughter
Friday morning we headed back to Tei--of course we were quite excited. Because of school ending, a few of the CTL staff members were at end of the year parties with their own children. Thus, we didn't have a vehicle available and we had to haul our stuff over to Tei--added adventure. 😊
Again, when we arrived, we were met with the joyous sound of little giggles and hellos. I was so excited to see the little ones, but I was overjoyed when I spotted Bianca. I've watched her grow up for the past four years, and I haven't been able to see her yet this summer because she has been in school. When I called her name and she realized who I was, she ran over and jumped into my arms. After a quick hello, she immediately asked about Brooke Brown (who has been on the BCHS team the last couple of years). Last year, I was able to FaceTime Brooke when Bianca was at the office, but I didn't have internet at Tei, so I had to settle for letting Bianca know I'd tell Brooke hi for her. Little Bibi is one special kid, and Brooke and I obviously adore her. Be sure to check out her age progression picture on FB.
The team sang and taught the story of Joseph, so our craft was an adorable little multi-colored coat with torn pieces of colored paper. It was so fun to watch how each child took it and made it their own in their own creative way.
We also had quite a few mamas outside with their babies, so a few of us had babies in our arms all morning. I'd never argue with that!
In the afternoon the kids from #7 came to the ministry center. The most entertaining part of the afternoon was breaking up the story of Ester into four parts and having different groups of kids act out a scene. We certainly had a few laughs.
After the kids left, we bid farewell to the team, and the interns (including Marc) went back to our apartment. Nelu and Florina came over a bit later and Florina (with the help of four sous chefs) cooked Fajitas for dinner. We FaceTimed my mama and Marc's mama while Florina yelled at us and ordered us around (all in love, of course). At one point, Marc and I were even messaging Aimee in India--talk about a gathering of cultures. We pretty much enjoyed every moment of the evening. The food was amazing, and the company was even better. I seriously love those people. Evenings like that are good for the soul.
After an emotionally exhausting week, a lighter day like this with tons of laughter truly was a blessing to my heart. The conditions aren't any better, the kids are still in desperate need, the situations are dire; but, amongst the pain, we can find joy and laughter.
Thanks for your continued prayers. Please pray for moments of rest this weekend as we gear up for another busy week. We're headed to the mountains early Saturday morning, and I'm quite excited for a beautiful day.
Again, when we arrived, we were met with the joyous sound of little giggles and hellos. I was so excited to see the little ones, but I was overjoyed when I spotted Bianca. I've watched her grow up for the past four years, and I haven't been able to see her yet this summer because she has been in school. When I called her name and she realized who I was, she ran over and jumped into my arms. After a quick hello, she immediately asked about Brooke Brown (who has been on the BCHS team the last couple of years). Last year, I was able to FaceTime Brooke when Bianca was at the office, but I didn't have internet at Tei, so I had to settle for letting Bianca know I'd tell Brooke hi for her. Little Bibi is one special kid, and Brooke and I obviously adore her. Be sure to check out her age progression picture on FB.
The team sang and taught the story of Joseph, so our craft was an adorable little multi-colored coat with torn pieces of colored paper. It was so fun to watch how each child took it and made it their own in their own creative way.
We also had quite a few mamas outside with their babies, so a few of us had babies in our arms all morning. I'd never argue with that!
In the afternoon the kids from #7 came to the ministry center. The most entertaining part of the afternoon was breaking up the story of Ester into four parts and having different groups of kids act out a scene. We certainly had a few laughs.
After the kids left, we bid farewell to the team, and the interns (including Marc) went back to our apartment. Nelu and Florina came over a bit later and Florina (with the help of four sous chefs) cooked Fajitas for dinner. We FaceTimed my mama and Marc's mama while Florina yelled at us and ordered us around (all in love, of course). At one point, Marc and I were even messaging Aimee in India--talk about a gathering of cultures. We pretty much enjoyed every moment of the evening. The food was amazing, and the company was even better. I seriously love those people. Evenings like that are good for the soul.
After an emotionally exhausting week, a lighter day like this with tons of laughter truly was a blessing to my heart. The conditions aren't any better, the kids are still in desperate need, the situations are dire; but, amongst the pain, we can find joy and laughter.
Thanks for your continued prayers. Please pray for moments of rest this weekend as we gear up for another busy week. We're headed to the mountains early Saturday morning, and I'm quite excited for a beautiful day.
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