2 Teams, My Birthday, Easter

  A lot has happened since I last updated our Blog.  We have since had 2 teams come and go, we celebrated my birthday with a "weekend getaway", we celebrated Easter with our new family, and we were a part of the new Heart2Heart promotional video!  And, we are in our first week of our full-time ministry schedules.  WOO HOO!!  : )  We are so excited for the things God will do through us as we continue to learn about the kids individually and see where we can help in the ministries that have begun.  So here's a recap of what we have been up to...
  We had a Kiwanis team here during școala altfel, this is a new thing that schools all around Romania did for the first time this year.  It was a week where teachers would use different fun "tools" to help kids learn.  For instance, teachers put on puppet shows to teach kids about cavities and having healthy teeth, going on field trips to museums or taking the classroom outdoors.  It was cool to be a part of new teaching techniques and changes the Romanian schools are attempting.  During this week, the Kiwanis team spoke about America in Roșiori and I helped plan all of the crafts.

American coloring pages.

A boy from Roșiori with his crafts he made.  : )

  At Periș, during școala altfel, we had 4 stations where kids could learn a bit of different things.  We had a group teaching dance moves, we had another group teaching about cameras and taking pictures, Josh helped the kids make no-bake cookies, and I helped with the music groups.  Here are a few actions shots of the kids in the music groups. 

We played with boomwhackers! They all did so well and loved it!

  For my birthday, Josh surprised me with a trip back to Oradea, Romania!  If you remember back about 6 years, this is where we took our first 2 trips to Romania when we did our Week of E at Lincoln Christian University.  It was a 12 hour train ride but so cool to experience Romania's countryside by train!  We traveled to Oradea, at night in a sleeper car.  It was awesome and totally reminded Josh of Chronicles of Narnia!  Here was our sleeper car.

It was a bit small, but nice to have a place to lay down to sleep.

  When we arrived at Oradea, we met up with old friends and made some new ones.  It was fun to experience this part of Romania again and because we had learned the language it was so interesting to hear the accents the Northerners have!  They talked so slowly that we could actually understand what they were saying to us and it seemed that they even added little sounds to the ends of their words.  It was so cool!  : ) 
  In Oradea, there is an organization/orphanage called Caminul Felix.  It was extremely interesting to see the differences between our kids here in the capital city of București and the kids there in Oradea, the countryside.  Caminul Felix has homes with house parents and daily helpers who help raise the 12-18 kids in each home.  It was drastic the differences in comparison to these kids from ours in București.  It just goes to show the impact of living under one roof and having the "parental" guidance in kids' lives. 

Celebration House kids - 2006.  (L to R) Boy in red (not sure), Zoli, Andrea, Câtalină, Timi, Ionuț, Victor, Ghița is holding Sara and Ionela is to the right on the floor.

Celebration House kids - 2012.  Standing in the back (L to R) Josh, Ionel (father of home), Anca holding Hanna (mother of home), Zoli, Valerie, (on couch) Catâlină, Dora, Andrea is holding Sara, Maria, Me, Norbi, (on floor)Timi, Ionuț, Ionela and Ghița.

We went to see John Carter in 3D!

  I was missing home a lot just before my birthday, so getting away helped to rejuvenate me!
  While the Canadian team was here, we celebrated Easter.  We celebrated a week after you did, on the 15th.  Easter is just as big as Christmas here, with stores closed, people away to the countryside where they grew up, and a week off of school.  We put on an Easter celebration with about 40 Transition graduates.  We could not hide Easter eggs outside for the Easter egg hunt because of rain, we played bingo instead and put all of the eggs into a black garbage bag and when someone got a BINGO they were able to reach down into the back and pull out an egg.  You see, the Easter egg hunt is a big deal around here because there is 1 golden egg with 50 lei in it!!  (That is equivalent to about $15...but is a big amount here).  This game was a huge hit...until the golden egg was found, so then we added 10 lei into 2 other eggs and 5 lei into another.  It made the game a lot more interesting.

Helping to answer the Bible questions to get a BINGO.

  Also, while the Canadian team was here, we put together some Easter activities to do with the kids at Periș and Voluntari. 

Julian painting an Easter basket.

George hard at work on his Easter painting.

Claudia making an Easter card.

Florin (in the back) and Marin making Easter pictures.

Diana doing a good job of keeping her egg on the spoon!

Ionuț trying to make his Easter egg into the basket.

Look at Nicoletta's concentration!

Florin and Adrianna trying so hard to pass the Easter egg only using their feet!

 PRAISES:
      - We have both stayed healthy through the change in seasons.
      - We have had great short-term teams who prepared so much to do with the kids!
      - For our families, you, and our partners back in the States, it has been so great to receive notes and packages and prayers.  THANK YOU!!

Prayer Requests:
      - For continued health and safety, especially as I (Missy) am learning to drive here!!  WATCH OUT!  : )
      - For financial support for us, the other missionaries and H2H as a whole. 
      - For our kids, as they grow into young adults with jobs and responsibilities, dealing with both the good and the bad.  May their hearts be forever softened for the things God has planned for them, that they may be open to His calling to bring them closer to Him and that Josh and I may be intentional and responsive to His voice while we have the pleasure to be a part of their lives, no matter how long or short that time is.
      - Also for family members back home that are sick, in pain, and expecting!  May God bring healing, health and joy to you all!  We love you!  : )