Finding our routine...

  We have been in Romania for a month now and have been trying to get into a daily routine.  Our language lessons begin at 10am (which is a pretty good hour to start classes), but we have to be up at 6:30am and out of the house in about an hour, in order to arrive on time.  And although our language lessons are only 3 hours (jam packed with information) we can spend 7 to 8 hours, including our class, away on the days we do not help in a ministry.  We have learned quickly that this is "normal" in Romania and try to use that time to study our notes.

  Here we are with our Romanian language "profesoara".

  Speaking of language, we completed our first and second weeks of language learning with "The Doamna" and are beginning to feel the pressure.  The first couple of days were exciting, but it has gotten harder and in our classes we are already trying to have conversations in Romanian...this takes time and can get frustrating at times!  Since beginning language lessons, we have already begun to recognize several words more frequently and speak a bit more with the kids at the orphanage.  

  Although language learning is first priority for us we have begun helping within the ministries at the orphanages two days in the week, and the baby hospital one day in the week.  These days are great reminders of just why God called us to this place and are encouraging to us when we are feeling down about our inability to speak their language.  It is great to see their smiling faces and interact positively with them showing God's love for them!  They are so precious and special and it has already been such a pleasure to see how they have grown into individuals.  With the classes that H2H provides for these children, they are able to find their abilities and find something they enjoy, whether it is art, music, character class, and being a part of a youth group for the older children. 

Here are a few pictures of us with the kids at the orphanages.

 





  And so the language bloopers begin...  These can be really funny, upsetting and frustrating, or can be really embarrassing.  Thankfully they have only been really funny thus far!  So we were at the metro station trying to find our way to the baby hospital we go to.  I had called one of our Romanian missionaries to find out what stop we needed to get off of the Maxi Taxi.  I tried to say it out loud phonetically as I heard it, she asked me to say it again then told me it sounded correct.  I told Josh and the other couple (Steven & Haley) that she had told me the stop we are to tall the driver is "Lac Pultay".  Josh repeated it a few times and he said it as I had heard over the phone.  The driver pulled up and we got in and Josh told him we wanted to go to "Lac Pultay"...and the driver's facial expression was PRICELESS!  The driver asked where we wanted to go so Josh said again, "Lac Pultay" and again the driver did not understand the driver turned to me (like I knew) and repeated the words I heard from the Romanian missionary over the phone, so I said "da".  When the missionary met up with us near the hospital we told her what we said and how the driver reacted and she lost it!!  She then pointed to the sign that said "Lacul Te".  After seeing it, no wonder why the driver did not exactly understand what we were wanting.  I'm sure this is only the first of many many language errors, at least it was clean but hilarious!

  After both Josh and I getting ill and beginning language classes we have thought more about our families and the fun we had while we spent our last weeks with them before coming to Romania.  Here are few memories we often think of... 

 

Prayer Requests:

  - Continued progress with the language learning

  - Continued growing relationships with teammates/H2H family

  - The Boys Transition program will begin November 1st

  - That we find our daily routines with individual devotions, travel, studying, etc.

  - That we can continue to look toward God in amazement and worship Him in everything we do

Praises:

  - We are both feeling so much better!

  - We have made it through the first couple of weeks of language learning!!  : )

  - We have had some great times with Steven & Haley and others...some rest is definitely needed.

  - Programs have begun at all orphanages and have seen great interest from the kids.

  - Grocery trips have been much easier and taken less time.

  - Cooking for ourselves and the others has gotten easier.

  - Our great team of partners from home (friends and family) have been very encouraging  : )