Strange place or Home?

  We are finally getting into our routine now since we have been in Romania.  On mornings we go to language learning, we have time to stop for coffee and pastries at a nearby pastry shop.  Here we are at one of the two places we usually go.  We like this shop because there are seats where we can study before our lesson. 

Can you tell the coffees in Romania are mini?!  They are!

   In language lessons, we have begun writing small paragraphs in just over one month with our profesoara!  Here is a short paragraph about what we did Halloween weekend, in Romanian:

 Sambata trecuta, noi am dormit pana tarziu.  Am mancat cereale cu lapte si fructe apoi am facut dus.  Toti ne-am intalnit pe strada si am mers la fabrica de geamuri cu masinele.  Cand am ajuns am cautat ceva frumose.  Dupa ce am mancat la pranz lat KFC, am mers la petrecerea, unde am intalnit prietenii mai si am jucat 2 jocuri.  La ora 10, am plecat spre casa.  Cand am ajuns, am dormit.

Duminica noi am mers la slujba cu masina.  Dupa slujba, noi am mers la moll la masa.  Cand noi am ajuns acasa, am studiat lectie de limba romana.

Translation:

Last Saturday, we slept in late.  I ate cereal with milk and fruit then I took a shower.  We all met at the street and went to the glass factory in the cars.  When we arrived we looked for something beautiful.  After we ate lunch at KFC, we went to a party where I met my friends and played 2 games.  At 10, we left for home.  When we arrived we slept.

Sunday we went to church in a car.  After church, we went to the mall to eat lunch.  When we arrived home, I studied for Romanian lesson.

Our profesoara definitely pushes us but we have gained so much knowledge and are able to understand more and more as the lessons fly by.  It has gotten a bit easier as we are getting more used to the format and rules of the Romanian language, although our vocabulary continues to overwhelm us.  

  We did go to a Halloween/Birthday party where we all dressed up.  We all put together and made our own costumes.  We had a lot of fun mingling with friends from church and new friends and playing games.  Here is a picture of the six of us in our costumes:

L to R: Josh, Me, Mark, Rebecca, Haley & Steven

  I, Missy, went back to the hospital to see the babies after a week or so (we had a team here so I stayed home and got in some extra studying, so the team could have some time with the babies) and to my surprise a couple of babies had gone into foster care (to be adopted) and we got a few new ones!  I wish I could take pictures to show you the precious faces I have come to love, but unfortunately I am unable to at this point.  There is one little girl who I became fond of and she me, over the past couple of times I had been there.  Over the time I wasn't there she had grown quite a bit!!  She was baptized, a common occurrence throughout Romania even with these little ones, and got a bit heavier!  This is a good thing because she has definitely been getting fed more, as she is more than likely going through a growth spurt.  This last week, she also got to go upstairs to a playroom and roll around on the floor and play with others!  The older babies get to do this but this was the first time I had seen her be taken up.  : )  It was funny though, when I was holding one of the new babies and walked into the room she is in and I could tell she was completely jealous!  It feels good to know she recognizes me and that she knows I love her.  Although, she is a liked baby in the hospital, as she is BEAUTIFUL, but some of the others are not so I try to spread the love around and hold them all.

  Also, I am becoming more involved in the pre-k/"Kindergarten" program at the Voluntari orphanage.  We have 10 children in this program ranging from ages 5'ish to 7'ish.  I was almost shocked to learn that these kids do not know the letters in their names and do not know how to write their names.  They do go to a class, but we are not exactly sure what they do, if anything, related to teaching/learning.  I am beginning to put together worksheets to help the children learn and practice writing their names and will be planning different things to help them know their colors, numbers, etc.  This week we read a book about leaves and made leaf prints.  Here are a few pictures of the kids hard at work:

They absolutely love to color!

Here is Alex showing off his leaf prints!  : )

 

 We have been in some need of rest as it has really been setting in what we are doing in Romania.  Bucuresti is known for it's rather unappealing block housing.  However, scattered all throughout the city they have put in hard working hours and lots of money into beautiful parks!  Josh and I had a time of relaxation with one another and rejuvenation in devotion last week.  Here are a few pictures of this awesome place!

Cool view across the lake of the newspaper press from the park!

Josh and I in front of a beautiful yellow tree!  : )

  As an entire Heart2Heart staff, we are reading Francis Chan's "Crazy Love".  If you know nothing about it, I encourage you to check it out!  Both Josh and I have been really stretched by this book as Francis puts things bluntly but very truthfully.  Even here in Romania doing missions work, we are reminded that we are to daily sacrifice everything and worship God in all that we do!  Even here, it is easy to get into a steady routine wanting all the control in our lives.  No matter where you are in the world or what job you have, we have to live by faith and look for those opportunities that God has laid perfectly in our paths, that He may use us for His glory and kingdom.  May you be encouraged by this in your walk with the Lord!

Praises:

- We are feeling stretched and stronger in our relationships with God

- We are feeling more at home in this "strange" place

- We are SO thankful for our partners and loved ones back home who support us in so many ways!

- Ready for our upcoming Thanksgiving feast a week from TODAY!  : )

- Feeling more at peace with our Romanian language process

- We have learned so much and I (Missy) have gotten so much better at cooking...this is a big accomplishment! 

-  For packages from home filled with things we miss from America

- For the continued monthly financial support from you all!  This makes God's work that much easier!

Prayer Requests:

-  Continued health as the season changes and we work closely with the kids

- That all the kids we work with will feel God's presence more and more 

- Continued strength and confidence in learning Romanian

- Continued closeness in our daily walks with the Lord  

- Continued unity with our Heart2Heart staff

- Boys Transition Program: the boys moved in on November 1!

- For our 80 person Thanksgiving dinner next Saturday!

Thank you and love you all!