MERRY CHRISTMAS!

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!

I had an extremely busy but blessed week. I am really looking forward to this coming week. Tomorrow some of the girls are coming over and we are gonna doing a little celebrating, watch a Christmas movie, make ornaments and they will get their presents. Monday, my friend Amanda (from Australia, who lives in Timisoara) and her best friend Kerrie are coming up for a few days. Both of the centers where I work are closed for the holidays so we will be able to spend the whole time together out in the city. Christmas Eve morning we will be traveling down to Timisoara where I will be spending Christmas with them and with all my friends there. We will be going caroling on Christmas Eve and then to the service on Christmas day. I will have time to visit with all my friends there and to see all the lights in the city. I will be staying down there for about 5 days.


Here are some pics of my apartment decked out for the holidays. I do have to admit that I have had my tree up since before Thanksgiving!
















This is the before picture of my tree and the second is with my presents that I got this week.

I had fun with the girls today at Children of the Promise. Had the girls sing a few songs they are below. Hope everyone had a great thanksgiving!

I have been sick all week so I will post soon about whats going on here. But until then here is my prayer for myself for the week.


Title: Overflow
Writer(s): Matt Goss
Products:Cover The Earth
Artist: Lancaster County Bible Church


(Verse)
Open my eyes so I can see Your glory
Open my ears to hear Your voice more clearly.
Open my heart Lord and let it beat with Yours
Beat with Yours.

Pre-Chorus)
Fill me up so I can be poured out
Fill me up so I can be poured out.
Fill me up 'til I overflow with You

(Pre-Chorus)
And overflow in me Jesus
Overflow in me
Pour Your Spirit out Jesus
And overflow in me

Here are some pictures that I took today at the center where I work, Children of the Promise. I hope you can get an idea of what the center looks like and the kids that I am around all the time. The girls are the ones that I tend to spend most of my time with. They are such a joy!!

So last night I took Nadia, Aghi and David to dinner and then to the circus. I was kinda excited myself but was trying to compose myself in a way that didn't show how excited I was, hehe! So we got there and found our sits. Of course, like Romanian culture, get as many chairs into an area as possible so my knees were touching the chair in front of me, but we were 5 rows from the stage on the left. (I'm trying to give you a visual because we were not able to take pictures). We were in a huge tent. The beginning of the program started with some clowns playing around, a man juggling, a trapeze guy and a man who can bend and twist and ended his performance fitting in a box (rather disturbing, I'd say). We then had a pause and they announced that for 5 lei each (a little less than 2 dollars) you could go outside and see the animals. So as we thought it was our only chance to see the sharks, pelicans, porcupines, and hippo. We pushed our way through the crowd and headed outside. I thought I would be so excited to see all the animals but in reality I felt so bad for them. Poor things having to live in tanks that were very big or the other animals. Awww, I felt bad that I had paid money to come out and see them.

But after our 10 minute break we came back in and found our seats still empty, thankfully and waited for the second half to begin. The second half was a pirate theme. I couldn't understand everything but they started bringing out the animals. Yes the animals we had just paid money to see because we thought it was our only chance. Anyway, overall it was an interesting experience and everyone enjoyed themselves. I did laugh a whole lot which made it a great evening for me. And I was thankful to have had the time with Nadia and Aghi.

So that basically covers my circus adventure. I wish I had pictures to show you. I might try to get a pic of the tents sometime this week as I pass by it to the center.

I am going to try to post more regularly so you can have a better picture of what is going on here.

Below are some pics of the city where I now live, Oradea. These were taken when my dear friends from Timisoara, Anna (from New Zealand), Amanda and Kathryn (from Australia) came up for a girls weekend. It was a huge blessing!

Its finally Saturday after a very busy week. I was at the day center three days this week and had a lot of fun playing cards with the girls. I am really trying to reach out and spend time with some of the other kids because it seems like I am always with the same ones. So a boy asked me to play ping pong with him and I had been watching him play (he was really good); I didn't want to play him but I thought it would be a good way to get to know him. I ended up beating him 5 out of 6 games. I really impressed him!! hehe!!
I also taught English this week with the girls from the transition home. Things are going really well. I never imagined teaching English would be such a great way to get to know people and to build a relationship. The Lord is really using my time there to get to know the girls.
This week, Wayne and Greta Meece, were here from Team Expansion. I had a nice time talking with them and showing them my apartment. We took them to the airport yesterday in Budapest and Jenny and I had our first visit to the American Embassy there. We both needed more pages for our passport. It was a nice and quick first experience. I was also able to get a few things from Ikea (one of my favorite stores) for my apartment.
I am getting my apartment organized and resting this weekend so that I am ready for another busy week.

This past weekend I was in Timisoara for Adi and Jennifer's wedding!! It was so much fun! My first wedding since I have been here. It was on Saturday and we all met at Adi's apartment and stood around outside and chatted while our cars got decorated with ribbons. The 2 bride's maids then escorted Adi to Jennifer's apartment where he went upstairs to get her. I was a little sad that I wasn't able to see his reaction when he saw Jennifer for the first time. We then headed out to the village where the ceremony and reception was taking place. Our drive consisted of a line of cars all decked out showing that we were part of the wedding party and we honked the horns the whole way there. Lots of fun!!!

The ceremony was suppose to take place outside but because of rain earlier in the day they thought it would be better to bring it inside. So we had the ceremony which was very nice. And also nice because I was able to understand everything only because it was translated into English. Jennifer is from Australia so there were lots of foreigners. The reception followed the ceremony and it included a huge meal that was 5 courses. We were there until 1 am. It was lots of fun though. Lots of games, for instance, steal the bride. The bride disappears and they call wanting something for her return but then a twist, when she was brought back the groom disappeared. Lots of music too.

I was able to see the girls that I worked with at the girls home at the wedding so that was so so nice!!

Also this weekend I was able to go out and see the puppy that I rescued earlier in the summer. His name is Buster now! He has grown so much and it was good to see that he has a nice home and a team that was here this summer built him a doggie house. How nice!! The house parent at the place where he lives took him into town and the people there believe that he is part wolf. How crazy is that. His paw is the size of my palm. He loves to be around people so it was nice for us to be able to go out and play with him for awhile.

Overall is what a great, relaxing weekend full of fun and being able to spend time with friends!!

After a couple slow weeks, things are starting to get busy again. The center opened up again and I was so excited to go on Monday. As soon as I entered the room I got a hug. It made me so happy that they even remembered me because I guess I had this feeling that they wouldn't. I have spent the past few days there coloring and talking with a few of the girls. Yesterday we took 7 of the girls out to play basketball. It was lots of fun. I love these girls, they are so sweet even though they have nothing. I am learning more about them every day.

I am looking into getting involved in a couple of ministries at the time. I am excited about the possibility.

The Lord continues to teach me so much. Monday I joined with over a hundred ladies in memorizing Philippians 3:7-21. The Lord has already shown me a few things since Monday while meditating on verses 7 and 8.

So a few weeks ago we had a team from Virginia that was here. I joined them in serving the kids here in the city and those out in local villages. The center where I had been working, we did VBS for a week and one day we took them on an excursion to the river about a hour or so outside the city. The kids were able to play in the water; it was lots of fun and lots of work considering there were around 40 kids that we took. The second week of the team being here we were doing VBS out in the local gypsy villages. The Lord is so good!! I feel like every time I am out in those villages my heart begins to burst and my burden deepens for them.

After the team left, I left with my friend Rachel for Austria where I spent all last week in a mission's conference. There were around 300 people total; including families, pastors, missionaries and those who came to minister and serve us. We stayed in a castle up on a hill overlooking a beautiful lake and mountains. The view couldn't have been more amazing! Lets just say I never got use to seeing it everyday.

The Lord taught me a lot there. I feel like He gave me a confidence in who I am in Him and a renewed strength to come back and to serve Him wholeheartedly. I am so excited to be back and to see the Lord work in and through me.

This week is rather slow but I am trying to take advantage of the down time to get caught up on some stuff and to study (Romanian).

Here are some pics from Austria. I will not take credit for all the pictures because my friend Rachel is amazing at capturing some things better than I am.

I just had a great two weeks with a team from Virginia. We did VBS at the day center and in three gypsy villages. I was extremely blessed!! Here are some pictures so you can have an idea of what it was like. I leave tomorrow for Austria for a missions conference; when I get back I will write more about the past two weeks and the conference.

This past week has been crazy busy with a team from Virginia here. I am having so much fun with them. We have been working at the day center, where I have been working, doing VBS with the kids. We also took them to the river about an hour away to swim and play for a day. The Lord once again is confirming that I am where I am suppose to be. He is stretching me and teaching me so much and it seems for once in my life I am enjoying it!! I don't normally like to be stretched and forced out of my comfort zone. Here are some pictures of the week. I will continue to post some because I want you all to see the kids that I will continue to work with at the day center. This week has been so good for me! I have got to know the girls a little more and most of the kids at least know who I am now and want to talk with me. It touches my heart every time the girls come up to me and want a hug. Please pray for the team and me as we will be in the gypsy villages this coming week.

I am back from a great weekend in Timisoara! I went down and spent all day Saturday with Lynn because her birthday is tomorrow and was able to catch up with some of my other friends too. I stayed with my friend Anna and we watched movie and caught up on each other's lives. Here are some pictures of my friends and I.

Hope everyone had a great 4th of July!!! My friend Rachel came over and we ate some chicken salad. I took some pics so that those who know me would believe me when I said I ate salad. I am working on my eating habits, slowing but surely I'm eating better. Hope everyone is doing well!!!

Also a pic of Rachel!!!

Here is a little video tour of my apartment. Things are going well. I am blessed to have a great landlord. I will make it a point to take pictures of Oradea so you can have an idea of the city I am living in.

I am now in Oradea!!! Wednesday I spent the day with my friend Rachel and we went shopping for the apartment. There is still a lot of things that I need to eventually buy but for now I am content. Here are some pics of the apartment.

I'm moving tomorrow to Oradea!!! I had a great weekend. Saturday night I had all my friends over to hang out one last time before I leave.

The Lord is so good to Lynn (my current roommate) and me because our friends Steve and Deb have decided to take the puppy off our hands and find him a home. This is a huge praise!! We have been praying for a home for the puppy for a while now!!!

Here are some pics of the last few days with the puppy. He is getting picked up tonight!!! Kinda sad but happy that someone will keep him who will be around and will be able to take care of him and give him the love that he deserves.

Also yesterday after house church we all had

lunch together. Here are some pics of me and my friends there!! It was a great way to spend my last day with my friends and fellow believers from church.

Puppy!

More pics of the puppy that we are trying to find a home for and my roomate Lynn who has been helping me take care of him!! Sweet puppy!!