Angela's Journal

friends

2007-12-13T23:47:00.000+02:00

just a few of the special people in my life these last 2 years

Making Christmas cookies for our teachers.

2007-12-13T23:38:00.000+02:00

As one of our Advent activities this year we made cookies for teachers at school. I told the kids that everyone would take a plate, but not everyone had to help if they didn't want to. We listened to Christmas music and got to work making chocolate chip cookies and snickerdoodles.

Adriana, Claudia and Catalina mixing a double batch of chocolate chips cookies...way too many by the way.

ummm...just a little bit of a flour fight took place

Claudia was a pro by the end of the night!

Kati rolling out a snickerdoodle.

Making traditions

2007-12-03T21:46:00.000+02:00

This will be the 3rd Christmas for the kids at Casa Nadia and Casa Ana. They are already starting to enjoy family traditions, such as always decorating the tree on December 1st. It's so fun to watch all of them participate and enjoy preparing for the holiday season. Pray that we'd keep the focus on Jesus. Maria and Simona putting on the lights.
Casa Ana in their family picture.
Fanel unhooking Christmas ornaments.
Casa Nadia family

First snowfall!

2007-11-30T20:09:00.001+02:00

I'm not even back in the country 24 hours and it snows for the first time. The kids are loving it and I have to say I had some fun too!

Giving Thanks

2007-11-22T14:54:00.000+02:00

This morning my brother and I attempted to find a nintendo wii. The Kmart opened at 7 and when we got there at 6:40 there were already 100 people in line. Folks, it's Thanksgiving day, not the Friday after Thanksgiving. At 6:50 a lady came out to annouce that tickets had already been given out and that there were no more wiis. Not really a surprise considering we've been looking and calling places for 2 weeks and they always sell out in the first 15 minutes of the store being open. We checked out another Kmart and when we pulled into the parking lot at 7:02, we pulled right back out when we saw that the line was even longer as people were filing into the store.

But this is not a story about not being able to find game systems in this country.

As I was riding home I started to think about my Romanian friends and what they lived through during communism. The younger ones remember just being able to get oranges at Christmas. Others tell stories of waiting 4 hours in line for milk or meat and it not being available when it was their turn. One friend told a story of being 7 months pregnant, waiting in line and a riot starting around her...over vegetables.

We have so much to be thankful for here in America. Everything we need to survive, to live a healthy life is available. Most of our Thanksgiving tables are full, not only of food, but also of the ones we love. We are free to live, love, worship, speak, buy, drive, work, etc.

Tomorrow if you're joining the crowds on the biggest shopping day in America, be thankful you don't have to wait in line for milk and remember it's just stuff that will pass away, break, rust, or be stolen.

Kati's 13th birthday

2007-11-07T17:34:00.000+02:00

I'm a little late with my posting, but we did have a grand celebration for Kati's birthday. The day before she and Catalina came over to watch a movie after school. On her day we did the typical celebration of singing, eating and opening presents, but we did add the twist of her favorite game, "steal the bacon." Great game, a little violent, lots of laughs.

Kati and Claudia have become pretty good roommates, perhaps even friends.

Cornel, aka Speedy Gonzales, steals the bacon (an empty water bottle) before Zorro has a chance.

Charlie and Margareta were able to join in the fun. Here is team 1 picking numbers. It's all very intense.

Vacation with the Lovelands

2007-11-01T02:11:00.000+02:00

Day 1-boating with Rebecca's family; saw a shark then went tubing; ate the best ribs of my life...we're talkin' falling-off-the-bone good

Day 2-went to the hunting lease on the buggy (the monster truck of 4 wheelers/golf carts), had a cook out and camp fire

Day 3-another day at the hunting lease searching for hogs; not a one could we find until we stopped to take a picture and one walked out of the bushes 15 yards away; with our encouragement David hopped on the 4 wheeler to chase it down and shoot it;

Day 4-a little shopping and dinner with the Kuhls...elk steak...mmmmmm

Day 5-down time, a little more shopping and dinner and hang out time with Christ Fellowship

Day 6-departure to Disney

a fabulous week it was!

God Bless America

2007-10-26T04:53:00.000+03:00

It's good to be home. I'm in Florida until the middle of November (maybe longer). I've got a new stateside cell phone number so email me if you wanna chat.

weekend warrior

2007-09-27T10:39:00.001+03:00

i feel like i already defined myself as a weekend warrior sometime this summer, but i can't remember when it was. anyways, this weekend i went to "Scaunul Domnului," which means The Lord's Chair. if i'd known what i was getting into i would not have shown up on saturday morning. only after we were on the road did i find out that it's 4 hours up the mountain and 4 hours down. um...yes i've been getting a little more in shape with running/walking, but let's just say mountain climbing is not something i will ever be good at, or will ever even try again. i'm not going to go into details, because, well it's just too embarrassing. i did not make it all the way up the "hill," but i learned much and perhaps will write about this experience in one of my future books.

p.s. monday afternoon i went back to outward bound (ropes course) with the leadership of Livada. i attempted and succeeded on most of the obstacles...so basically what i'm trying to say is that i'm in pain from my head to my toes.

School for everyone!

2007-09-17T11:46:00.001+03:00

This year everyone is going to school (not kindergarten). We spent a good part of last week buying school supplies and making sure everyone had what they needed. Sergiu, Fanel and Daniela have been taking about going to school since June and are ready. This morning I asked Sergiu if he was nervous and he said yes! Fanel and Daniela will be going to the private Romanian-American school in town. We decided to keep Sergiu at School #7 so he could be near his brothers (Madalin is there now and Daniel will hopefully be returning there in the fall). One praise is that ALL the kids are going to school in the morning this year.

Happy Birthday Daniel!

2007-09-17T11:42:00.000+03:00

Daniel Kalanyos turned 11 on September 7th. Here he is showing off his new soccer jersey and hanging with the boys.

Not just play

2007-09-17T11:31:00.001+03:00

Believe it or not, the kids at Casa Ana and Nadia, don't play all day every day. In the month of August, they help with the roasting of eggplant and canning vegetables for the winter. Roasting and cleaning over 300 pounds of eggplant. It only took 5 hours!
Cleaning "gogosari," a kind of red pepper that I don't think we have in the States, used to make zacusca, a red sauce that you spread on bread. Oh so good!

Soccer boys

2007-09-17T11:25:00.000+03:00

Cornel taking a corner kick.

Zorro looking for a a teammate.

Daniel kicking it up the field.

Janos was out due to an injury, but he was there to support his buddies.

Bezid Lake

2007-09-17T11:18:00.000+03:00

Our new favorite day trip (and sometimes overnight trip) about about an hour from here...Lacul Bezid. Years ago it was a town, but was made into a lake. The tops of trees stick out in some places, as do telephone poles and even a church steeple. You can rent boats...we took ours inside the church. It's great because in some places the kids can wade in and in others it's over 150 ft. deep! We love the lake!

I really was there

2007-09-17T11:14:00.001+03:00

The problem with having the camera is that you always take the pictures, but are never in them. These aren't great, but I really was in Romania this summer!

Casa Ana family vacation

2007-09-17T11:03:00.001+03:00

This week was a little different...I guess it always is with teenage girls. We did end up going camping...it drizzled on us most of the first day and downpoured as we were leaving the next day. We spent time at home as well, making pizza, watching movies, going to the weekend (at night as well), playing games. Kati and Rebecca making pizza!
Catalina and Simona in the lake.
Maria and Claudia hanging out in their tent.
Cornel is really beginning to shine. This summer he has finally come out of his shell. He's a delight to be around, makes jokes, loves to help out and is conscientious about his school work. I'm afraid to say it, but he never gets into trouble!

Casa Nadia family vacation

2007-09-17T10:50:00.000+03:00

Well it wasn't the beach, but the kids from Nadia enjoyed a week of hanging out at the guest house, going to the weekend, watching movies, playing games, eating out, making pizza, and going to the lake.

Adi making his pizza...they love the corn and pineapple!
Iby and Marga singing and dancing to "High School Musical."
Laura and I making s'mores in the kitchen. We wanted to go camping, but it rained almost all week. We ended up having a "campfire" with the flahslight in the livingroom. We sang songs, made s'mores and had a dance party!
We thankfully were able to go to the lake on Friday. We drove all the way around, almost got stuck in the mud, almost tipped the van over, but we made it and it was beautiful.

Simona is 17!

2007-09-17T10:39:00.000+03:00

On July 31 Simona turned 17! She was so surprised to receive what she wanted for her birthday...a digital camera. Since then the computer at the house has been filling up with pictures of her trip home with her siblings, Catalina's trip home to see her family, our camping trip, goodbye parties for staff, and many other events.

Sorry it's taken me so long to get this pics up. My laptop has entered into retirement unexpectedly and I don't make it to the office but about twice a month.

Elis is 16!

2007-07-26T16:33:00.000+03:00

After a week of camp we rushed home to celebrate Elis' birthday. She has been blessed the last two years, as Jamie (one of her sponsors) has been here.

Daniela is 7!

2007-07-26T16:28:00.000+03:00

Our youngest is growing up (though she still enjoys being the littlest)! She loved her drawing pad and markers that she got from a sponsor and spent the whole day learning how to rollerblade.

Iby is 10!

2007-07-26T16:23:00.000+03:00

Sweet Iby turned 10 on July 8th. She enjoyed the clothes and barbie she received from a sponsor and was excited to finally get her ears pierced!

summer fun

2007-07-06T11:40:00.000+03:00

I'm sorry to announce that my internet it down so I'm not able to post pictures right now...I'll work on that.
We've been keeping busy, busy, busy with trips to the weekend, day camp, playing outside, starting our summer reading program, beginning summer homework, trips to the library for some kids, a trip to Sovata for Casa Ana, and much more to come.

Please pray for Simona, Elis and Maria this next week. They are going to an evangelical teen camp with a church here in town. They know each other, but not anyone else. Pray for friendships to be established, and for them to hear and understand the truth. Pray that they will be well behaved! They leave Sunday afternoon and return Friday evening. I'm so excited for them to be able to do something special.

Please continue to pray for all of our kids to make wise and godly choices. Perhaps a day, but never a week passes without someone being caught stealing, lying, fighting or being disobedient. Pray for us to discipline how God desires and for energy to keep going when we feel like we've nothing left to give.

Elis

2007-06-28T10:44:00.000+03:00

Through a miracle, Elis passed her 8th grade exam! Please pray with us as we make decisions about where she should apply for school and her future.

Daniel and Kati move on to 5th grade...

2007-06-17T22:15:00.000+03:00

I remember like it was yesterday. Switching classes rather than just staying with your one teacher. It was scary at first, and hard to figure out where you were supposed to be and when. But then it became normal and you realized you were growing up, at least a little bit. This is what's on the agenda for Kati and Daniel next fall. Kati was pretty emotional and talked all day about "the big separation" of never being with this teacher and her classmates again, but I didn't see her shed tears (as most of the rest of the kids in the class did). The teacher had nice things to say about everyone and encouraged them to try even harder next year. The kids crowd around as their teacher reads a part of the letter that Kati wrote to her: "She forgave us for our bad grades. Our teacher is like a mom that I will never forget."
It took everything just to get Daniel in the van to come to this end of the year celebration. But he remembered his lines and sang along with everyone else. Here he is with David, who has worked so patiently with him (and Zorro and Janos) this year.

second grade carnival

2007-06-17T22:03:00.000+03:00

I think Claudia was actually worried about passing 2nd grade and moving onto 3rd because her face lit up when it was announced that everyone was moving on (she should have been worried because these last few months of school have been torture!). Margareta's and her end of year celebration was an hour of songs, poems, dancing and each child pretending to be someone at the carnival.

Mama Lidia is getting married

2007-06-10T00:05:00.001+03:00

As Zorro gave Lidia this vase from the boys, his words (though scripted) were precious and received applause, "We hope that Liviu will keep this vase full of flowers as beautiful as you are." Our brides, decorated by their teammates with toilet paper.
Catalina-her team worked the fastest and finished before the 7 minutes were up.
Daniel! What a happy bride he makes!
Mama Doina-very original tiara.
Claudia- couldn't be any cuter!

Catalina's dance recital

2007-06-09T23:55:00.001+03:00

Catalina faithfully (somewhat) went to reheasals all by herself from February through May getting ready for her "Sport Dance" recital. I'm glad she was able to branch out and do something a little different.

Sergiu, Fanel and Daniela are ready for school

2007-06-09T23:49:00.000+03:00

Well, we at least hope they will be ready by September. These little ones have come a long way. Here are Fanel, Daniela and Sergiu with their Kindergarten teacher for the last year and a half. Is she smiling because of all the fun she had with them or smiling because these little troublemakers are moving on? We'll never know.

Elis finishes the 8th grade

2007-06-09T23:41:00.000+03:00

Yeah! By the grace of God (and her math teacher) Elis has passed the 8th grade.

She and her Romanian classmates singing (oh yes, the more than an hour long ceremony was in Romanian AND Hungarian)

June 8 = day of insanity

2007-06-09T23:27:00.000+03:00

Well at least for me that what it meant. It all ended up being great but there were 4 events I had to prepare for/host/take pictures at/attend.

It all started at 10 am Friday when we celebrated with Elis passing the 8th grade. This is a big deal in Romania and at Casa Ana. She still has the huge end of year exam in a couple weeks (which passing will be a miracle, so please pray).

After this I ran next door to the outdoor market to get fruit for Mama Lidia's going away party/wedding shower. I went out to the houses, spending most of the day at Casa Ana getting ready for the party, thankfully having help from the kids to decorate.

At 4 was the kindergarteners' end of year celebration. I sadly missed the first part, but made it in time to see traditional Romanian dancing (which Fanel was so serious about) and to hear Daniela, Sergiu, Fanel and their classmates say poems and sing songs about going to school next year.

After this I ran (almost literally...I walked as there were no taxis in sight) to the "fortress" in the center for Catalina's dance recital. I thankfully made it in time for that and watched her cheerful group dance "The Jive." Very fun!

Then we went home to finished getting ready for Lidia's party (before it started I stood in front of the fan in the mom's room a good 2 minutes trying to cool off from all the running around). Thankfully Lidia was late, so I was less stressed. We played some games, enjoyed some food and delighted in each other's company. We'll miss her!

t-r-o-u-b-l-e

2007-05-30T23:33:00.000+03:00

this is claudia's real smile. this stray...no, this crippled stray wandered into our yard yesterday. sadly it won't be staying around very long, but claudia has fallen in love with it and her motherly instincts are shining through.

Sergiu is 8!

2007-05-30T23:21:00.000+03:00

Unbelievable! These kids are growing up so fast. Sergiu turned 8 on May 27th. Pray for him, as his brother Madalin is in foster care and his brother Daniel is about to be moved into his new "therapeutic house." None of the brothers are very close, but it's nice to know you have someone on your side.

it's prayin' time

2007-05-30T23:09:00.000+03:00

I recently watched “Facing the Giants,” and though at the beginning I was thinking “Oh, how cheesy,” at the end I was crying my eyes out at the picture of God’s faithfulness and the truth that nothing is impossible with Him. Or as it’s stated throughout scripture:

“Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing it too hard for you.” Jeremiah 32:17
“I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?” Jeremiah 32:27
“With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:26
“I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted.” Job 42:2
“With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.” Mark 10:27
The two new testament verses are speaking specifically about entering the kingdom of God.

I have humongous, only possible with a miracle, God-sized, expectations for this summer. I don’t know why, but in my spirit I feel that salvation, redemption, healing, freedom, righteousness and praise (Isaiah 61) are going to spring up, most specifically in the lives of the children, pre-teens and teenagers at Casa Ana and Nadia. And at the same time, I have never felt that they have been under such a strong oppression. It fits. Usually when God is at work, the devil is fighting ferociously to keep people out of the kingdom. All of these 18 kiddos are being faced with temptations to lie, hate, rebel, disobey, run away, fight, cheat, be prideful, swear, disrespect and so on, and most of them are falling into these temptations, and even have habits of some of these behaviors. They remain apathetic and without remorse.

I am beseeching you to please pray with me, throughout this summer.

-that they will turn from their evil ways and live (Ezekiel 33:11)
-that their hearts of stone will become hearts of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26)
-that the Holy Spirit will expose their guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment (John 16:9)
-that they will love the Lord and see His rescue, protection, deliverance (Psalm 91:14-16)
-that they would bow their knees and lives to Lord Jesus (Philippians 2:10-11)
-that they would have the Spirit of wisdom and revelation so they may know Him better (Ephesians 1:17)
-that the eyes of their hearts are enlightened to know the hope to which He has called them (Ephesians 1:18)
-that the staff will be of singleness of heart and action (Jeremiah 32:39)
-that we may be like-minded (Philippians 2:2)
-that we all would train the children in the way they should go (Proverbs 22:6)-discipline!
-that we would keep our heads, endure hardship, evangelize and complete our duties (1 Timothy 4:5)
-that we would not become weary in doing good (Galatians 6:9)
I feel like my vision for the summer is for the kids from Casa Ana and Nadia to learn about God’s character, through prayer, Bible-reading, hearing testimonies, scripture memory, and activities. He has been faithful already to give me a few ideas and materials, and has reminded me of deeds He’s done in my personal life. Pray that I would be organized, be bold, be able to communicate, be spiritually sensitive, have energy, persevere, make it fun, and be God’s instrument. Please also pray for my physical, spiritual, emotional and mental welfare. The mission field is, believe it or not, still hard after two years. I have come to the conclusion that sometime after Christmas I will be making my way back to the States for whatever the next step in life may be.
Please feel free to share this with anyone you know that is willing to join us in praying specifically for Adi, Janos, Daniel (Lord willing he will be moving into his new therapeutic home mid-June), Sergiu, Fanel, Laura, Iby, Margareta, Daniela, Simona, Elis, Maria, Kati, Catalina, Claudia, Cornel, Daniel and Zorro.

calling all prayer warriors

2007-05-04T23:42:00.000+03:00

this was my latest email to my sponsors and prayer warriors:

I know that I am guilty for not praying often enough for our kids here at Livada Orphan Care, but I am calling out for your help and for your prayers. I feel like we are in over our heads. It seems like daily, the kids from Casa Ana and Nadia are getting caught stealing, lying, skipping school, and today buying alcohol. Praise the Lord that they are getting caught, but it all seems to be multiplying and it’s exhausting. I’m not even sure what to ask you to pray for right now…perhaps recognition of sin, repentance, fear of God, respect for authority, and wisdom and perseverance for those of us working with them and making decisions.

A great praise is that things are in progress for Daniel Simon. By the grace of God, an enormous amount of money has been raised for his care for the next year, including a radical therapeutic program. Pray for God’s staff to be found, as well as all the other details to fall into place. I know that God wants to bring healing to Daniel’s life; please continue to pray with us for this miracle.

The school year is coming to an end and our summer camps are just weeks away. Pray for our construction staff and the two teams that are coming this month work productively. Nothing is to hard for the Lord!

Check out the new Livada website at www.livada.org

Spring in Romania

2007-04-17T18:02:00.000+03:00

I really don't think I've experienced a more beautiful spring in my life. It seems like everything is blooming all at once, and it just keeps getting more and more gorgeous. Yesterday I took a little break and went to Sighisoara with a friend. We just walked around and killed time and I remained in awe of all the wild flowers. Near the end of the day we sat down on a bench in the park and there were all these birds in the flower-covered grass. It was a sweet reminder of Matthew 6:25-34. I don't know about you, but I have a tendency to worry about everything. But the Lord cares for us, more than the birds of the air and more than the grass of the field. This is one He keeps teaching me, so I guess I haven't gotten it down yet.

forgiveness...

2007-03-18T20:08:00.000+02:00

means forgetting you are/were the victim.

One of the teenagers from church shared a poem this evening and this thought flew out to me. It's truth. Jesus was beat up, spit on, made fun of, stripped and then crucified. Yet He cried out to His Father, "Forgive them for they know not what they do."

shopping

2007-03-17T10:37:00.000+02:00

For more than one reason, I took Catalina and Kati clothes shopping yesterday. It was actually less stressful than it's been in the past and we actually were able to find a few things.

Claudia is 9

2007-03-17T10:28:00.000+02:00

Attitude should be this girl's middle name. She's a rebel, loves to laugh and be the center of attention, and gets into alot of trouble. She got rollerblades for her birthday and is actually getting pretty good.

Maria is 15

2007-03-17T10:19:00.000+02:00

Maria is loved by all but also down to earth and loves just about everybody. She's fun, ambitious, and one of the few kids who sets goals for herself.

Adi is 13

2007-03-17T10:12:00.000+02:00

a game with wikki stix-Adi looks like a king
If I could choose one word to describe Adi it would be "leader." He has really lived up to being the oldest in the house. He is definitely still a little boy at heart, and goofs off with the rest of them, but he has moments when you can really count on him.

Catalina is 12

2007-03-17T10:06:00.000+02:00

They're all getting so big! Catalina is definitely turning into a lovely little lady. She's started going to dance lessons right near the house and is enjoying being one of the big kids.

Fanel is 8

2007-03-17T10:00:00.000+02:00

Oh the excitement is unbearable! This kid knows how to rip open his presents.
And he also knows how to schmooz the camera. Fanel is our storyteller, and sometimes it's hard to tell what is real and what he's making up.

Your prayers are not useless

2007-02-23T16:54:00.000+02:00

A few weeks ago Pastor Nicu shared with us during the evening service Philippians 1:19, “for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance,” and he reminded us that praying for one another is not ineffective. Paul knew that the church was praying for him as he was imprisoned, and he knew that their prayers along with the work of the Lord would result in his deliverance.
In the same way I know that your prayers for me, for our staff, for the children and especially for Daniel Simon are valuable and helpful. The month is not over, nor is the battle. Daniel spent a week in the local neuropsychiatric children’s hospital (where though he was quite sedated, he managed to steal from several of the other patients and their families), and his medicine was regulated. He’s now been home at Casa Nadia a week and praise God that he sleeps at night and for a couple hours during the day because that is about the only time there is peace in the house.
The last effort for this lost and troubled boy is a therapeutic family/home requiring at least $3000/month. We are looking for four qualified people to work in shifts, willing to love and fight for (and with) Daniel. We are looking for a small house to rent. Daniel is ten years old and after a conference call with a developmental psychologist from the States, we realized that it will take at least ten months to bring about change to his behavior and healing. His brain chemicals are all out of whack, he is in a chronic state of fear and has very little seritonin to balance him out.
The situation seems hopeless. I think if it were a year later it would be, but at this point we are still hoping and praying for change and for deliverance. Please continue to pray with us. We are holding out with Daniel at Casa Nadia for another month and then Lord willing will be able to start this program.

If you want to be a part of Daniel's sponsorship team, you can let me know.

watch out sports fans, here we come

2007-02-22T02:48:00.000+02:00

We've got three new soccer players--Zorro, Janos and Daniel K--and two new basketball players--Maria and Kati.

Everytime they come home they are exhausted and Maria asked me today, "Is it a big problem if I don't want to do basketball any more." It's only been a week!

Thank you to my faithful financial supporters! They wouldn't be going without you.

what a difference a year can make

2007-02-22T02:42:00.000+02:00

I feel like I am always telling stories about Kati, but we keep saying, even if no other children had changed, Kati would have been worth it all. A year ago if asked to pray for the meal, Kati would say she didn't know how to pray and quickly pass it off to someone else. Last week she called me into her room about 8:30 at night and said, "Don't forget to pray for Claudia because her teeth are hurting and I will pray too." Indeed Claudia had not been able to go to the dentist that day and was whimpering in her bed. I told Kati, "Let's just pray now." She prayed the sweetest prayer for Claudia and cried out to God on her behalf. And God answered her prayers.

Happy Birthday to You and You

2007-02-22T02:33:00.000+02:00

Sweet Laura turned 13 and went the next day to get her ears pierced with her educator Rodica.

Her brother Janos turned 12 the next week. Gotta love those action shots!

back in the saddle again

2007-02-13T22:25:00.000+02:00

We were blessed with a relaxing spring break with two days of sledding in Bucin (just under a two hour drive from here), lots of movies, me sleeping over at the houses, hide and go seek and other fun. But school has started back up and I am again challenged with my knowledge of multiplication...I often have to check myself to make sure I'm really giving the right answer. We have some additions to our schedules this semester.

Cornel will continue playing soccer, and Janos, Zorro and Daniel K will be joining his team (if they can handle the discipline/pressure).
Maria and Kati have started basketball (and will continue if they also can handle the discipline/pressure).
We're still looking for basketball for Adi and dance for Catalina (maybe; she's also mentioned soccer, but I've been encouraged for her not to be on a soccer team)

We're about to enter into our crazy time of year with 6 birthdays in 3 weeks. I'm already tired!

As for Daniel Simon, he is almost finished with his week at the local neuropsychological hospital. They are running tests and making what diagnosis they can. Mama Keta that was working with him is no longer able to help out, so we are looking for someone full time. We really need several someones full time. He is not going to be going to school, but needs to be on a schedule. And that's where I come in...making the schedule for him of activities, both educational and fun, to fill his day.

PRAY!

it starts

2007-02-02T13:45:00.000+02:00

Semester break that is. Most of the kids stayed at school for just the first couple hours and now only the kindergarteners are gone. It's windy, sunny and cold and all the good snow has melted. I slept at Casa Nadia last night as we're trying to keep at least two people there at all times since Daniel has come back. So far he's been pretty well behaved, but he hasn't had any huge demands placed on him. This weekend he's going home with Mama Mariana, the cook. It's only the first day of vacation and I've already heard twice, "I'm bored." I told them if I hear it again I'll send them upstairs and give them something to do. I'm here all day today and tomorrow so educators can have a little break too.

“Don’t be afraid; just believe” Mark 5:36

2007-01-31T01:15:00.000+02:00

These were Jesus’ words to Jarius when some men came to tell him that his daughter was already dead. I feel like these are the words that Jesus is saying to me as we continue to fight battles here. So often Jesus took what was an earthly, hopeless situation--death, illness, craziness, demon-possession, sin--and brought life, healing, truth, and freedom.
I feel like that’s what we are faced with now. Hopelessness. And dare I believe that God wants to do a miracle? Dare you to believe and pray with me?
Daniel Simon is back at Casa Nadia. According to the staff doctor (who is completing his residency in psychiatry), you cannot diagnose a ten-year-old child with schizophrenia, but some of Daniel‘s behaviors point in that direction. What I was able to translate yesterday from our meeting concerning him is that he is aggressive (at least once his violent behavior has been pre-meditated), his behavior changes abruptly, he runs away from school and other authorities in his life, he has injured animals, and he has illusions (voices telling him to go to the roof of the two-story house to catch butterflies or to sunbathe when it was raining). The self portrait he drew had two heads. What seemed like it was going great in his foster family came crashing to an end when he beat up the youngest child (the same age as Daniel) and made threats to kill him. The family was obviously very disturbed and called for reinforcements and to say that they could no longer care for him.
The short term plan is for Daniel to be at Casa Nadia under 24 hour watch. This is not an easy task. Over the weekend, even with extra staff on hand he was able to sneak out of the house and go to the store down the street. He has yet to have an aggressive episode since his return, but everyone is on pins and needles. Everyone is afraid and asking “What if…?” What if Daniel goes on the roof again and jumps/falls and dies? What if he follows through on, “I’m going to kill you,” and hurts or kills another one of the children or a staff member. All of us a part of making decisions concerning Daniel are aware that Nadia is not the best place for him (mostly for the safety and the mental health of the other eight children) and we are working frantically to find another solution. As to be expected, there are not many options here. We discussed a house with a staff just for him and we discussed finding a hospital, but even those alternatives would not be for long term.
The truth is, I do not know what God’s plan is for Daniel’s life. I know that, “The Lord will fulfill his purpose” for Daniel (Psalm 138:8). I want to believe that God raised Daniel up for His purpose, that He might display His power in him and that His name might be proclaimed in all the earth. I want to believe God for a miracle.

a favorite

2007-01-21T16:41:00.000+02:00

mmmmm...millstone's chocolate velvet coffee is like a little sip of heaven itself.

New Year's Resolutions

2007-01-18T19:11:00.000+02:00

i don't believe in them. i've never kept them. but i am trying to be a little more goal-oriented (this is not one of my strong characteristic traits) this year. here are some i've come up with so far this year.

1 being intentional- i haven't quite figured out how to put this into other words, but i am pretty sure it means being sure i'm on the same page with God and taking advantage of the teachable moments with the kids

2 exercising-does this not make it onto everyone's list every year? but i'm serious. i've got the gear (thanks mom and dad) and i've tried out the path twice in a week's time, once during the day and once at night. it's well-populated, well-lit and there are crosswalks. i'm safe (that's for JP in Lubbock)

3 spending more time with Simona- this girl needs a friend

4 family nights- one every other week at each house=good times of bonding and teaching

5 blogging-now i'm not making promises of posting daily because i'm just not that ambitious, but more often. i hear that even though few people post comments, many people are reading about what's going on, so i'll try to be faithful to my fans (just kidding about that part, i really don't think that highly of myself).

A New Start

2007-01-16T23:30:00.000+02:00

Last Thursday I was able to visit Daniel Simon in his new foster home. He moved there about 2 weeks before Christmas. I am so excited for him! His behavior is better. He's more successful at school (the teacher at his old school was not going to accept him any more in her class because he kept running away and fighting). The family he's with has 3 children so he has older, positive role models. It really seems like a great situation. I think this kiddo has grown at least 2 inches since I saw him in November. We were able to visit the day after his 10th birthday. Everyone laughed when he took a picture with me, as they all realized that he learned to smile from the Americans!

A part of Daniel's new family. Sergiu, Daniel's younger brother who is still living at Casa Nadia, was able to visit Daniel with us.

Please keep praying for Daniel and this family, for their adjustment period and for when the honeymoon is over.

I HAVE INTERNET

2007-01-16T20:51:00.000+02:00

ummm...that's it really. i'm just really excited about being unlimitedly connected to the outside world.

It was Christmas all over again

2007-01-03T21:52:00.000+02:00

I got my bags last night! My living room looked it had been hit by a tornado...clothes over here, food over there, games for the kids thrown in that corner and so on. It's looking a little better, but I still have a lot to put away. I also jimmy-rigged my curtains up. Is jimmy-rig really a word because I don't think I used it until I got to Romania.
The kids are great. They've been enjoying the foosball tables that got for Christmas, finishing up homework, playing games inside and soccer outside. The weather is yucky...it's been raining and everything is covered in mud. We want snow! If I have my facts straight it hasn't snowed since the last weekend in October!
The biggest change is that Daniel Simon from Casa Nadia is now living with a foster family (he is still in Livada's care, but under a new roof). Our pshchologist goes out to see him two times a week and he is apparently doing very well. The family lives further out in the country and has animals, so he is loving that...this is the kids that made a dog house for the puppies that showed up on our property and after they were gone found a kitten and brought it into the house and hid it in his closet.
Our kids (Laura, Ibi and Zorro) that are being "homeschooled" have their big exams at school this month. Adi (6th grade) is really working hard to learn multiplication. School starts again on Monday for the kids, so we have a few more days of freedom.

Happy New Year!

2006-12-31T20:14:00.000+02:00

Just a few more hours here in Romania until we ring in 2007. I hear there will be lots of fireworks tonight because of all of the extra celebrating that RO's entering the European Union.

I did make it back safely...almost missed 2 planes...haven't gotten any of my luggage, but by now I'm getting used to that by now (0-3 arrivals of luggage in two years). I've been trying to get over jet lag, but I think it's just going to take a week.

Time home was fabulous. It was hard to come back, but it's good to be back if that makes any sense.

May 2007 be a year of accepting God's will and living intentionally for all of us.

Merry Christmas!

2006-12-23T23:27:00.000+02:00

Alas, being in the States for 5 weeks has not provided me with time to update my blog. But it has been great to be home. I have heard that things in Romania are going well, and I plan to rejoin life there in a little less than a week.
I pray that everyone's Christmas is a sweet reminder of the greatest gift ever given and the one that can change your life the most--the gift of Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.

WHAT?!

2006-10-27T20:47:00.000+03:00

I cannot believe that I haven't posted in two months! Forgive me, please. I know I need to put pictures from Kati's birthday last week, and possibly even Daniel's birthday. I'll get on that.

The kids have gotten back into the routine of school and homework. We adults have been working hard to get everything in order to become licenced here in Romania....lots of paperwork and learning what the law requires.

Another, more specific update to come soon.

Croatian Vacation

2006-08-27T21:29:00.000+03:00

I know it's coming all year long, but I just never know what to do with the staff vacation at the end of the summer. Do I go home to the States? Do I backpack across Europe? Do I stay home and rest? But this year I kind of invited myself to go along with some of my LOC friends/coworkers to the beach in Croatia. It was a 16 hour drive folks, almost half of which was on the pot-holed, curvy roads of Romania, another bit through war-torn Belgrade, Serbia (saw some bombed-out buildings on the way home), and the rest through really beautiful Croatia. Don't ever be deceived if you look at pictures of the beaches of Croatia. Yes, the water is that beautiful and crystal clear; no, that's not sand, it's rocks. Definitely invest in the water shoes; I did not, but my flip flops joined me each day in the Adriatic--the saltiest sea I've ever been in. I realized that I love snorkeling (might have made the top 10 list of things I like to do) and saw all kinds of fish, sea urchins, coral, crabs, shrimp, and collected many shells. We visited 4 "beaches," saw the first ever "sea organ" in which the waves push air through underground pipes and make music, and took a boat tour of a national park (though the second half of the 10 hour ride was a little much). I'm as tan as I've ever been and am feeling rejuvinated.

Becky, Fiona and I on the boat tour (Paul, Fiona's husband is taking the picture).

Absolutely gorgeous beach (though the rocks were large and very jagged) where I first went snorkelling. I wished all week long that I had an underwater camera!

Some sweet rock formations on the boat tour. The dude who sold us our tickets totally suckered us into it and told us we'd be making a stop at which we couldn't anchor, but could jump off the boat and swim. That did not happen, but we did have great seats that were in the sun all day and the food was not too bad (definitely ate a fish with it's head still attached).

Our third and possibly favorite beach was found because we got lost going somewhere else. We hiked down this steep hill where there were very few people and excellent snokelling conditions. Most of the shells I was able to take that day were actually hiding in the rocks (much smaller and less painful this time). The shells I found in the water still had animals in them.
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Family Vacation

2006-08-18T20:57:00.000+03:00

I am ashamed to say that I took almost no pictures of our Casa Ana family vacation to the Black Sea. However, Kelly is putting them on a disk for me and I will be sharing them with you soon. It was a fabulous time; I don't think I would have changed a thing. The weather was beautiful, the kids were well-behaved. The LOVED the tv in the rooms almost as much as the beach and the hotel swimming pool. They had great attitudes and were thankful for all they took part in.
We left at 12:30 am on Friday the 11th and sadly hit a detour and then a pothole (turning into a bent rim and flat tire) that made the 10 hour trip into a 14 hour trip. Each morning we walked 5 minutes to the beach and played until lunch--sandwiches in Becky's room, and each afternoon we played in the hotel swimming pool. We went out to dinner at some fun places and rode rides at a small amusement park. One day we went to a water park and went down slides, floated on the lazy river and listened to some bands. (That would have been day 2 of my "I've been in the sun too much and have a rash" and so I spent the afternoon under an umbrella on a beach chair). After a morning in the pool (and pedicures for Kelly, Becky and me) we drove home on Wednesday.

Party at the Mac

2006-08-18T20:51:00.000+03:00

Elis' 15th birthday happened in the middle of camp this year, but thanks to her sponsors we were able to take her and the rest of the kids from Ana into town for a celebration at McDonalds. The kids were so tired that it took everything for the party people to get them to play games, but they did love the foozball table.

Camp Sadu

2006-08-18T20:32:00.000+03:00

This year camp was full and so I just went up with the other American staff to visit for a couple days. Personally that's the way to do it! I loved being there with my kids and just having fun with them. They were already established in their teams, they had already accepted the authority figures in their lives for that week, and I didn't have to be "Angela-the boss." During one of the free times, I took a walk with Zorro and Simona to the river down the road. We played, gathered rocks, found and ate raspberries and strawberries.
Maria getting her make-up done for the girl time.
The campfire and s'mores are always favorites at camp.

Sweet 16

2006-08-18T20:23:00.000+03:00

Simona, our oldest, turned 16 on July 31. 16! It's such a monumental age in the States, but thankfully she will not be driving any time soon. She enjoyed all of her gifts immensely (I think that receiving gifts is her love language)...thanks to everyone who sent her something!

summer summary

2006-08-18T20:17:00.000+03:00

Sports camp, camp at sadu, the weekend, bicycles, birthdays, vacation to the Black Sea, what am I leaving out?! The kids at Casa Ana have been loving their summer vacation. Occasionally I've heard the words, "I'm bored," but for the most part they have kept themselves entertained. They have enjoyed Livada's summer interns and short term teams, and it's been fun to listen to they try to use their English. They've enjoyed the new freedoms of bike rides and visits to Casa Rebeca. Less than a month until school starts again.

my apologies

2006-08-18T20:14:00.000+03:00

I'm so sorry that it's been almost 2 months since I last posted. This summer has been insanely busy, which is great, but it hasn't been easy to keep you all updated. I'm working on it though!

Plan B

2006-06-25T19:31:00.000+03:00

Last Friday was a planned trip to the weekend, with a picnic lunch and everything. Unfortunately the beautiful sunshine at 9am disappeared by 10 when we were supposed to leave. Thankfully the kids at Ana had great attitudes and played monopoly or helped make strawberry jam all morning. I helped also in the making and the tasting and it was yummy!

Schoooooool's out for summer

2006-06-25T19:18:00.000+03:00

Not sure where I ever heard that song, but rings true here in Targu Mures, Romania. Last week was the first of summer vacation for the kids. The sun has been shining (with the occasional afternoon thunderstorm) and it has been HOT, close to 90 every day. We've been cooling off and passing time at the local outdoor swimming pools--known as The Weekend.

Rush hour traffic

2006-06-25T19:14:00.000+03:00

Watch out! The cows have the right of way.

I didn't think I was a missionary stationed close to the equator

2006-06-25T08:41:00.000+03:00

However, I think I might need to get a mosquito net for when I sleep, as that is apparently when my blood is the sweetest and that is when they most enjoy the attack.

Girl time

2006-06-13T12:05:00.000+03:00

Another trip to the forest (with the camera this time) resulted in decent pictures and more fun memories. Such beauties!

I rolled down the hill

2006-06-08T11:25:00.000+03:00

I apologize for not having much photo proof for yesterday's events, but it's just not convenient to take the camera to the forest up the hill. Maria, Simona, Catalina, Claudia and I set off about 4:30 and had a good hour and a half of exploration and play time. There were definitely a few minutes of cops and robbers, lots of collecting and eating of unripe and very sour fruits (not on my part), gathering of flowers, and good talking about memories and stories of home. And yes, Simona and I rolled down a very large hill. We escaped ant bites, but were very itchy from the grass and other growing things. The other excitement was when we were walking home and a frog jumped up and scared Catalina, which made me scream, which made Simona and Claudia scream also, as it jumped between my legs. Girl time is good.

The bouquet

Driving Lessons

2006-06-08T11:13:00.000+03:00

In Romania, much like in the States, it is not uncommon for children to learn to drive on the family farm truck (or horse and buggy). Alas, we do not have a farm or a truck or a horse and buggy, so the kids from Casa Ana took their first driving lessons in the bumper cars and the Children's Day festival on June 1st.

Zorro taking a Sunday drive.Daniel taking Catalina out for a spin.

David giving Cornel a little lesson.

a happy morning

2006-06-02T10:16:00.000+03:00

It's 10 am and it's almost like a "i just moved into a new place and i'm getting the phone, water, electric, gas and cable turned on and they're delivering my stuff" day. Almost.

Our couch will be delivered in a matter of minutes, as well as the repairman for the washing machine is showing up. Now if they would just turn our hot water back on everything would be fine and dandy.

kid update: they've been asking more questions about God the last couple days, and I had a lovely conversation with Simona about the end times. She's definitely set against taking the mark of the beast.

The best family night ever

2006-05-30T21:43:00.000+03:00

First of all thanks to God for listening to and answering prayers. Second thanks to Heritage Builders from Focus on the Family for the ideas. Tonight was a great family night. The best ever. All others have been close to disaster, but this one was amazing.

We talked about the fact that we deserve punishment for sin and how Jesus took our punishment for us...and some of them actually understood. The last activity was me acting as a judge and each child being convicted of something they had done in the last two days and having their consequence read to all (a little intense, but had to get the affect of judgement day). They all recognized their guilt and were upset with their punishments, but knew they had to be done. Then I threw in the last one, that no one was able to go to the pool next time (side note, they had all gone today, but I stayed home working on family night stuff). That got them all riled up, but at that point I took off my judicial robe (bathrobe) and said, "But I love you all so much that I will do your punishments for you. In fact for those of you who have to write out verses (15 or 25 times), I've already written them." For the children that had to pay for things, I pulled money out of my wallet and I even stayed in the corner for Claudia. We had a great discussion about their feelings of guilt, and how I didn't deserve to do the punishments, but how grateful they were for my sacrifice. Maria caught onto the fact that this is what Jesus did for us. Praise Jesus for this opportunity to present the truth of what we deserve but He took upon himself. Keep praying for future family nights, and for daily teachable moments.

New Truth?

2006-05-28T16:16:00.000+03:00

So apparently the Ninevites were incredibly wicked people (using human skulls for wine glasses). But they responded to Jonah's call to repent or be destroyed, just as the Lord expected and really just as Jonah expected--they turned from their evil ways. (This is what I understood in Romanian Adult Sunday School today) As a matter of fact, I realized today that God desired many populations to come to repentance and loved them just as much as He loved the Isrealites.

I KNOW God has a heart for the nations, but He just continues driving it home. Around this time of year I always get a little misty-eyed as my college-student friends head out into the nations. Yes, yes I know I'm also "at the end of the earth." Pray for all of us who are trying to make disciples and teach all that He commanded us. It's hard work waiting for the nations (or in my case 9 kids warded to the state of Romania) to come to repentance.

Things I miss

2006-05-28T00:33:00.000+03:00

The fam
Friends
9:30
California
Mondern Conveniences (this might include anything from faster food, besides McDs; finding whatever you want, when you need it, or being able to order it and know you'll have it in a week or less)

Mexican food has been marked off the list for now as we have a plethora of tortillas and seasoning for tacos, fajitas, salsa and guacamole--thanks to Mom and Kim.

Ah, I was also longing for the Romanian goodness of cireşe (pronounced chee-resh-e), sweet, yummy cherries, but discovered that they are beginning to make their appearance at the local outdoor markets, along with fat strawberries which I also haven't seen/eaten in almost a year.

Weather Update

2006-05-28T00:30:00.000+03:00

Last Wednesday it reached a near 90 degrees...I thought death was upon us unless I was in the air conditioning of the car. But all has turned back to "normal" 60s with a rain shower almost daily. We're equipped for the next heat wave, as I've purchased fans.

Saturday Night Live

2006-05-28T00:14:00.000+03:00

Do you ever make a list just so you can check things off and then once the day is over realize that you weren't able to check a thing off? That's what today was like. However, I still think it was productive. I was actually beginning to feel a little bit like Martha this afternoon and think I need to spend a little time at the feet of Jesus.
My kids came over for a movie (which turned into two) and cookies today (thus my need to be Martha-y--had to have a clean apartment and fresh oatmeal chocolate chip cookies). It's just a different atmosphere here at home than at the house; and it gets them out of the village for a while.
Kati is sleeping over now. After everyone else left we went into town to pick out some new hair clips and pick up dinner...the only choice of McDonalds. We also watched her favorite movie-The Lion King. She was a gentler Kati than I've seen before. She was timid in town, and clung to me in the store. Of all the kids she's the one that gets under my skin the most, but she's also the one I pray for the most.

Zorro's birthday

2006-05-27T19:14:00.000+03:00

Zorro was actually a little melancholy the day of his birthday (May 6). I'm guessing, but I think he was missing his family. I know what it is like the first big holiday you're without a member of your family, and I can imagine it was a little tough. But he cheered up with his cake, and really got excited when he opened up his gift--soccer cleats! The game was amazing. We made a pinata out of a soccerball and the kids took turns kicking the fire out of the ball.

livin' on the edge

2006-05-13T18:42:00.000+03:00

I went 4-wheeling today with Nicu and Septi. It was AMAZING FUN, and I made it out with only four blisters (three of which were really never blisters, just the skin ripped off) and I think there will only be bruises on my right hand. I, however, did not fly off or drive myself into any ditches.

Family Time

2006-05-11T11:01:00.000+03:00

It was absolutely wonderful having my mom and aunt here. We spent lots of time hanging out with the kids, visiting, shopping, and sightseeing. We took the kids to Sighisoara on Monday, May 1 and walked around and saw old churches and buildings and the museum. We climbed up (if I remember correctly) 279 stairs to see a church and explored a cemetary, looking for familiar names. On Tuesday Bethany, my mom, Aunt Kim and I set off towards Brasov. We hung out in the center that night and saw the Black Church and ate at Kentucky Fried Chicken (mmmm, corn on the cob). The next morning we got up and drove (after being lost for a good 1/2 hour) towards the village of Bran and Bran Castle (legend makes it a part of the dracula story, but it's really not). After visiting the castle, we did a little shopping with a very friendly woman. We were at her booth for probably 30 minutes so decided to take a picture. After Bran we headed towards Sanaia and Peles Palace. We took a less-populated road through the mountains and enjoyed driving a little slower and seeing shepherds with their sheep. We had a little run in with a sheep dog when Kim and Bethany got out of the car to take some pictures. We arrived at Peles and parked the car and started our uphill hike, but it was worth it, as the palace was magnificant. We ate at a hotel restaurant down the hill and then headed home.

We were also able to visit the baby hospital and Patelea (I can't remember if I have blogged about the family in this village, I'll get back to you on that one). Saturday morning we took Simona, Maria, Cornel, Daniel and Claudia Kalanyos home for a visit with their family. That afternoon we celebrated Zorro's birthday (next blog). Here the girls are all playing/watching a video game that Becky brought over for the day. Mom jumped in for a picture, but they weren't really excited to be in one this time.

In my dreams

2006-05-05T22:27:00.000+03:00

So the other morning I'm livin' in that half awake/half asleep state where you can still remember your dreams. This is how it went down: I'm not sure who all was a part of the team, but I was a bank robber and was at work. Inside all the safety deposit boxes were american foods that you cannot find in Romania. I remember feeling complete joy and fulfillment as I loaded large bags of chocolate chips into the back of our truck. And I'm sad to say that the police sirens were really my alarm clock (ok the part with the sirens didn't happen, but how do you end a story like that?).

my "vacation"

2006-04-26T17:09:00.000+03:00

I can't lie, personal time is goooood. Even if I am not on a beach in Greece or exploring Romania's capital city, just having free time has been so nice. I've been painting my room and cleaning-getting ready for my mom and Aunt Kim to arrive on FRIDAY.

Easter Weekend Pictures

2006-04-25T00:53:00.000+03:00

Easter Weekend in Romania

2006-04-25T00:16:00.000+03:00

I'll probably never understand why the Romanian Orthodox calendar has Easter a week later than the rest of the world, but that's how it is. It ended up being a great weekend. Friday after the zoo we painted Easter eggs. That night I shared the Jesus Film with the kids and we attempted to make Resurrection cookies (each ingredient representing a part of Jesus' death, burial and resurrection). I spent the night at the house (I was "on duty" Saturday) and woke up bright and early, as the kids started creaking around upstairs. I let them watch a couple Disney movies--Saturday morning cartoons are just not an option in Romania, so you've got to make your own. After lunch, some of us decided to take a walk up to the nearby forest. This was great fun and I think will become something we do on a regular basis. The kids wanted to go home another way and as I stood at the top of this hill deciding if we'd be able to find our way home, Maria jokingly yells out, "Look out, here come the wolves!" So we all race down this hill until we arrive to the dirt road. We eventually did find our way home, just minutes before the thunderstorm hit. Sunday morning was of course church, everyone dressed in their new clothes. That afternoon Becky had an Easter egg hunt for the houses and they kids enjoyed this fun egg-breaking game.

Vacation Outings

2006-04-25T00:04:00.000+03:00

The weather didn't cooperate perfectly last week, but the sun did peek it's head out on Friday afternoon. We were scheduled take a trip the the zoo and have a picnic there, but it was very yucky when it was time to leave. However, about 2 it was lovely out and we loaded up the cars and headed out. Thursday afternoon was a new adventure for all of us as we tried out Romanian bowling. Casa Ana, Nadia and Rebeca rented out the hall (all 6 lanes) for 2 hours and enjoyed playing. I had lots of fun watching kids try to get the heavy ball without holes down the lane. Thankfully there are no gutters so unless you are really bad you can knock down at least one pin.

To the earth's core?

2006-04-24T23:53:00.000+03:00

Well, we did not go quite that deep into the ground, though we did visit a salt mine. Deep inside we found a playground and enjoyed exploring. Maria-Do the walls taste like salt?

Enjoying the swings (above) Me and Kati, (below) Catalina, Elis and Maria.

Pool time

2006-04-24T23:39:00.000+03:00

The kids (and I) are loving the pool. A couple weeks ago Claudia told me, "I want to go the pool again and I will pay for it." So last week during vacation time they had the choice of going to the pool an extra time on their own allowance and everyone chose to come. The educators take turns coming and we have enough people usually to actually do some lessons. Most of the kids have no fear...I can't decide if that's good or not.

2006-04-19T23:15:00.000+03:00

I know it's been a while since an update...sorry! Things are going well on this end. The kids are on Spring Vacation now. We've been swimming, to a salt mine, to the circus and the fun will continue with bowling and hopefully a trip to the zoo.

Big news: Zorro has officially passed the first grade and will hopefully take the exams for second grade this summer. We are making room for a new face at Casa Ana. Pray for wisdom and God's will. My mom and aunt come next week! Yahoooooo!

A little team work

2006-04-02T16:56:00.000+03:00

First glance at Casa Nadia might make you question if the house itself has contracted chicken pox. A closer look reveals hundreds of soccer ball marks, as it tends to be the goal.
Last Wednesday was gorgeous weather and Zorro was finished with his homework. I noticed that he was in a helpful mood and asked him if he wanted to join me in sweeping off the courtyard in front of Nadia. A few minutes into it Adi joined us and about an hour later we finished up. Then Adi said suggested cleaning off the ball marks, so we requested scrub brushes and cleaning solution. Well, I don't know that the house looks much cleaner but I think the kids had fun and enjoyed working.

Zorro getting a boost from David.
Daniel problem solving when we ran out of brushes.
What a team! Casa Ana and Nadia kids working together to clean up the mess they made together.

Cornel's new pursuit

2006-04-02T16:43:00.000+03:00

From the time he moved in, Cornel has wanted to play soccer with a team...and he's good. We finally are feeling comfortable with letting him do so and he has joined a team of kids his age, some from his class. He had his first game last week and when he got home and was asked how it was, he said "We lost," but still had a big smile on his face. His coach is very excited to have Cornel on the team and has said he is a great player...ok, he said he's the best, but I didn't want to brag.

Action shots

2006-04-02T14:45:00.000+03:00

Casa Ana's new favorite past-times include playing the card game Phase 10 and jumping rope. Bad weather doesn't stop us-we'll jump rope in the house as well as outside.

Zorro and I getting in on the jumping action. Who can last the longest?
Zorro beat me and Kati joined him as David and Mama Juli turn the rope.

Simona and Maria look like they are trying out skateboard moves.Claudia enjoying it on her own. It doesn't matter what I might be doing, every once in a while I hear her call out, "Angela! Uita-te! Numara!" which translates to "Angela! Look! Count!"

Hat #2

2006-03-27T23:19:00.000+03:00

Beautician- Tonight after Claudia took her bath I said, "If you let me cut your nails I'll paint them for you." Hey, I'm not above a little bribery. We ended up doing her toes in a red to match the flowers on her bathing suit and her fingernails in a transparent, glittery number. Mama Gabi helped me so that we could work quickly.

Happy feet at Casa Ana!

2006-03-27T23:15:00.000+03:00

What a blessing for all of our kids to receive new shoes from the States. Thanks to Andrew Vidal for letting people know the need and being our point person.

Hat #1

2006-03-24T11:04:00.000+02:00

What does it mean to be "coordinator of education" for a group home? I ask myself this question weekly and people ask me all the time, "What do you do?" It covers a wide range of responsibilities and a new aspect of my blog will be letting all my fans (did I really just write that?) know what those responsibilities are. These "hats" will be presented in no particular order of importance and will not be presented on a regular weekly basis, as all blog topics come when time is available.

Hat #1-English tutor All of our kids are learning English at school and a couple times a week I get called in for homework duty. A few days ago Daniel had to learn to count from one to twenty. He really already knew up to ten, so we got cracking on making the connections and making it stick for the rest of the numbers. The next day he said, "I need to learn to 26," so we started again. Now it's our little game. I say "one" and he starts counting.

Spring is in the air

2006-03-24T10:47:00.000+02:00

Warm weather has been blowing in and out of Targu Mures, Romania the last week. What a blessing. The snow has melted and the ground is drying up. At the first sign of sun and a little warmth (I think it was about 58 degrees), the boys took full advantage of it. They were off to the soccer field down the road to play.
Just a couple action shots of the boys playing with David (part-time tutor/mentor). In spite of the chill in the air, a couple of them were in shorts. What can I say, I would have done the same thing when I was their age.

Girls just wanna have fun

2006-03-24T10:35:00.000+02:00

In spite of all the hard work we do, every once in a while we get to giggle and joke around. At our most recent leadership of both houses meeting (really no way of giving that a catchier name), Cristina pulled out a lollypop and we all decided that we wanted one too. She had back-ups. We goofed off for a few minutes and took a picture before getting back down to serious business.

This is our "we're laughing so hard we can't sit still because we're taking a picture of us eating lollypops sitting on the floor" picture.

Take two worked out much better. Bethany, Angela, Elena and Cristina.

A family reunion

2006-03-16T11:13:00.000+02:00

Wednesday morning I was able to go with Catalina to visit her 3 brothers at Ludus. Each of them stayed home from school for this visit and she was so excited to see Trandafir, 14 (which means Rose), Gerian, 10 and Corado, 8. I know I have shared about this family before, especially the two little boys. She and Trandafir talked quite abit and he shared that their older sister, Rebana, 17 just gave birth to a little girl (she is not at the orphanage). All of the boys talked about the fact they they are going home after Easter. I can never quite figure the younger boys out. From what I understand they were at home for the first several years of life, but rock in the typical orphan manner as though they have had no stimulation or comfort in their lives. I can never tell what is rumor and what is truth in stories, but I have also heard they lived with the dogs at home. Apparently mom has a new man and that is why they are in the orphange. The boys were never in school, even though Catalina was, and Geri and Corado are both in the first grade now. I asked them how it is and Geri said in Romainan "Ugly." The caregiver that was in the room with us was very kind, but shared that they only get into trouble at school. Older brother also shared some of the trouble they get into and how he is always having to protect them from getting beat up (Geri definitely had the tail-end of a black eye as it was a bit swollen and he had scratches next to it).

When Catalina and I arrived home everyone asked how it was. I told them it was good for her. As I was talking with Bethany last night she shared that she's never seen me so attached to kids before. I guess I just have a heart for the underdog. I think about their lives and how they are at Ludus and I think about how they'll be at home...neither of the situations are very pretty. Geri and I played with some stuffed animals for a long time (10 year old playing like a 5 year old if that tells you anything) and our interactions were wonderful. Corado just sat back and watched, as he just has lower language and social skills. These boys were filthy, needing a bath and clean clothes and boots without holes in them.

As I looked at them though, I could see two things--the battle it would be to bring change into their lives, the daily fight of discipline and a future and a hope. Please continue to pray with me for these boys and their futures.

Happy Birthday Claudia

2006-03-14T12:31:00.000+02:00

Our baby turned 8 on Sunday the 12th. She had a great day and has been playing with her new toys. She got a Jasmine doll from the movie Aladin so we're going to watch that tonight.

Blowing out her birthday candles.

Look at these beautiful kiddos!

2006-03-11T23:59:00.000+02:00

Sometimes taking pictures is fun, especially when some of them actually turn out. Bruce is getting ready for fundraising in the States and asked us to prepare some sponsorship cards with the kids pics on them so I went into picture taking action.

Elis
Claudia
Catalina and Maria
Cornel
Mama Julieta with Simona

Happy Birthday Maria

2006-03-11T23:48:00.000+02:00

14-the age of adulthood in Romania. Well they get their bullentins--government issued IDs--but that's about it. Maria enjoyed her day and we celebrated and they they watched movies all afternoon.

An unexpected event was the whipped cream fight. Poor Daniel was covered, but he loved every minute of it.