Craciun Ferecit! (Merry Christmas!)

Wow. I have thought since stepping off the plane in July that Christmas here in Romania would be the hardest time of the year for me. Honestly, it couldn't be further from it. One of my favorite things about living in Romania is that everything is so unexpected. I love exploring the differences that are inevitable when living in another culture. There is something magnificent about sharing life's most treasured time of year (so I think) with other people who are willing to open up their life with a "stranger" and guide them through the unfamiliar territory. So let me fill you in on my Christmas story...
Our Christmas tree. Fashioned by a well-known 4 and 6 year old. Complete with flashing colored lights.
Our pretend fireplace made of cardboard, construction paper, and tissue paper. Turns out I miss having the real thing. =] The boy's stockings hung neatly in front of it.
Our little Christmas elves. Or maybe they're santas in training. Either way they are all decked out and ready for their school's Christmas party. Where they both said poems aloud and sang colinda(s) (carols) in Romanian. It was adorable.
Christmas morning. We actually slept in til 8:30! Amazing, huh?
And here is what I am marveling at in the above picture. Karen and Maurice got me a watercolor of the citadel. It is definitely one of my favorite gifts!

Okay so here's how our Christmas went...
Christmas Eve we were invited to go caroling with a family from our church (the Ludu family). We were super excited, since caroling with the family is a Romanian tradition that we weren't sure we would have the honor of participating in. Alas, we did! With a wonderful family, too. We arrived at their house unsure of what to expect...would we just sing together at the house and enjoy some traditional food? Would we actually be going around to houses to carol? In fact, it was the latter. We spent almost 4 hours going around to about 10 houses, singing Romanian carols that we had just learned with the family. At each house we went, we were invited in for some suc (juice) and prajitura (sweets) of some kind and then encouraged to sing some more! It was a fun night and a wonderful time of fellowship with the Ludu family. Once we reached home, the boys and I crashed-excited for Christmas morning.
Christmas day was quite a rush. We woke up at the decent time of 8:30 and after opening a fresh box of Lucky Charms (woot!) began the fun of gifts. Watching the boys get excited over each one they opened was funny. And opening mine, was a blessing. Some had been sent from friends and family (and I restrained myself until Christmas morning) and others were from Karen and Maurice. It was amazing to me the provision God has for you when you least expect it (or are even asking for it). Thanks to all who sent their Christmas blessings to me!
After opening gifts and lazing about for a bit, I made my way to Roberta's to help with Christmas lunch preparations. We worked together for an hour before the guests began arriving and then all of us enjoyed a wonderful meal together. There was about 12 people there and it was a lot of fun to eat and celebrate. I left Roberta's feeling stuffed (although I had been forewarned not to stuff myself) and immediately the Hopkins and I piled into the car and headed for the Ludu household.
After caroling with the Ludu's we were invited to Christmas dinner at their house. Karen tried to politely decline, mentioning that we would be dining at Roberta's. But the response was simply "Oh that's okay, come after you're done there!". Sometimes Romanian hospitality blows me away. What wonderful people! And what an honor to be asked to their house for dinner! So we couldn't refuse and off we went.
We had a beautiful second meal that included Romanian potato salad and bread, homemade sausage and sarmali (with smantana, or sour cream), homemade grape juice, and homemade cozagnac (a traditional Romanian sweet bread). The finale was marshmellow fruit salad that Karen had made. And since you can't get marshmellows here in Romania, that was a huge hit. Eveything was absolutely delicious and again the fellowship with the Ludus was great fun. We shared with each other different wonders of our own cultures and delighted in simply having time to sit and talk.
Straight from there we headed off to Christmas service at the Nazarene Church here in Sighisoara. It was absolutely gorgeous. It was similar to the one at home, with carols and scripture, and lighting of candles. The candles are stuck in oranges, which is again a Romanian tradition (I think). The whole service was very peaceful and joyful, reminding us that even though we are basking in the wonders of having a "different" Christmas, it is truly all about the little baby boy- Jesus Christ.
So I praise God for the many blessings this Christmas season has brought into my life.
And also thank him for the ultimate gift of Jesus Christ, his son.

GOOOooooaaal!

Well, I just wanted to state that I finally, finally sent in my college application. After weeks of procrastination, denial, and self-doubt...it is on it's way over the invisible lines and fences we like to call the internet. I feel like running around yelling "GOOOAL" like the europeans like to do during "futbol" games. There are plenty of things that I learned about myself in this process, but none I feel like detailing for the world to see. I'm just glad it's over.
Now let the financial-aid applications begin. =P
Life is a whole lot of paperwork.

The above picture is one of my favorites of winter in Sighisoara so far. It's the covered German staircase that is right around the corner from our house. I actually like climbing it just for the fun of it every now and then. What a beautiful town we live in.
On Tuesday morning I walked into elderly club expecting to help prepare a Christmas meal for later on in the day. Unbeknownst to me, all that needed to be done. We began by peeling potatoes, multe cartofi (many potatoes). As soon as we got to the bottom of the box I did a little dance in celebration, but stopped mid-dance as David brought in another sac de cartofi (figure that one out). We peeled 46 kilograms of potatoes all-in-all (for you Westerners, that's about 100 pounds). Once we had finished that, we moved on to setting the table, putting together Christmas packages, lighting candles, filling glasses full of cider, turning on the Christmas carols, and making sure that everyone had their fair share of chicken, potatoes, and pickled green tomatoes. We took ten minutes to eat ourselves and then began the process of cleaning it all up. Not only did uneaten food need to be piled, but dishes cleaned and washed, mugs and cups emptied and washed, everything brought in from the "dining room" to the kitchen (which involves a trip outdoors). Then we needed to prepare the room for a teenage group to come perform and sing. It took some convincing to get the elderly women to sit and wait for the group, but once we had they were happy to see the youngin's come. The ladies sang loudly and clapped even louder when time for applause came around. On their way out they thanked, and kissed, and blessed each one of us who had helped with the day's festivities. Next it was the teenager's turn for a snack and some tea and that took setting up and preparing as well, but luckily (as my parents have taught me) teenagers make great slaves and they joined in the cleaning process to quicken the shut down of the place for the night.
My "couple of hours" of help turned into a 10am-6pm production. An event I don't think I will ever forget. It was so much more than just "helping out". David, Mea, Magda B., and I spent much of our time singing, talking, and laughing. I learned more about the Romanian armada (army) from David as he told stories about serving as a soldier in the days of the revolution. Mea's laughter was contagious when one of us made a slip of the hand or slight mistranslation. Magda's quiet concentration and patience, along with encouragement provided a perfect mix among the group. The people we served were so gracious and thankful it almost broke my heart. It was as though we had made their year just by giving them their own Christmas party. It really didn't take much on our behalf and it meant so much to them...it was such a blessing.
So not only had I done enough potato peeling to make up for my entire childhood and washed enough dishes to make up for my lack of a collegiate food service job, but God taught me yet another lesson about serving others and using time wisely. Just a few hours can make a world of difference. Praise God.
One of the three vats of peeled potatoes.
David mashing and flavoring.
Mea cutting up some pickled tomatoes.

( I may have one of Magda B. before the week is over. =] )
Check back this weekend for an update on the "Canned food drive" and the Baragan Teen Ministry.
Thanks to everyone for their continual prayers and encouragement. Know that I love you and wish I could give you a huge hug. Consider it sent via blog. Blog-hug (kinda like bear-hug, 'cept a little less strong). =]

R.I.P. Lappy

Lappy the laptop has officially "bit the dust". It's time of death was about 7:32PM Sunday December 16th. I think I killed it. I was pressuring it to copy all my pictures on CDs and I was pretty relentless about it. Since each time I started it up the screen said "Back-up all files immediately. There is a hard drive failure. Replace hard drive. A crash is imminent." I decided it would be wise to follow directions and back it up. Hence, Lappy was working hard (but not very well) to copy a big set of pictures at it's time of death. I know I should have been nicer and let Lappy go out peacefully, but what can I say I'm ruthless. So Lappy's done...when I try to caress it back to life it simply puts up an angry black screen that says "Error in operational system..." Sigh. The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. I'm okay with it, but I am a bit sad that I hadn't copied any of my Romania pictures yet and that means they are all lost in a world of darkness somewhere amongst the broken failure that is my hard drive. Perhaps there is still hope, so I will hang on to Lappy's corpse until official declaration of death by someone more worthy than I. Until then, I will trek to the House on the Rock and climb up the big 2 flights of stairs it takes to reach a computer that will allow me contact with the outside world, not only because it's good for you to know what's up on this side of the world, but also because I love to write now. And once Lappy quit I realized the one thing that can't be taken away because of that is this, my blog. And so I write with joy, knowing that my words, this memoir of my experiences, is the best I have and I'm so happy to have it. =]

Keep on truckin' through...

Life is real busy right now. I guess it's Christmas, so that is to be expected...at the same time I was sorta hoping Christmas in Romania meant a 3 week break where all I do is sleep in, drink hot chocolate, and read by the fire. Hah. Dream on.
Nah, I knew it wouldn't be that lackadaisical but here's to fantasizing about it.
Reality check:
-Last week Saturday we had Round 1 of the "Canned food drive" all afternoon
-Had Thanksgiving #2 on Monday and said "official" goodbyes to American students
-American students left on Wednesday
-Thursday was Annie's (the nurse) last day in Tsigmadru before vacation and medicine storage/care had to be sorted out for the next 5 weeks while she goes to England
-Today I went out in Tsigmadru and spent the day planning (with both the kids and the teens) their Christmas program and party for next week
-Tomorrow is Round 2 of the "Canned food drive" during the afternoon and at night we have the Veritas/volunteer Christmas dinner
-Sunday I am going out to Tsigmadru in the morning to "film" with the teens (they are making a Christmas movie for the church) ...I'm an angel.

It was just last week that I said goodbye to Hans. And just last week that we celebrated mos craciun (said mosh crah-choon) day. Also just last week that we stayed home and made gingerbread houses and cookies. How is that possible?
Less than 12 days from now is Christmas. That's just sheer insanity. On one hand I'm in complete denial: It's not winter and no WAY is Christmas in a little more than a week. On the other hand I've embraced it: We witnessed a desperately hot summer and beautifully colored fall, naturally it's time for winter. Along with that reality I would enjoy some snow...I would even be happy if a blizzard came along, although it's almost risky saying so.
I love snow. I love putting on layer upon layer of clothing until I actually break a sweat from the effort, then walking outside into the bitter cold and still feeling the stiffness of my gloves and jeans through all layers as the cool air drifts over them. I love the smell of a fresh snow (or frost). I love the feeling your nose gets after being outside once you've escaped the frigidness and entered into a warm and cozy house. I love pulling out sweaters that have been tucked away since last winter and wearing my slippers (by my own choice) because they keep my feet so toasty. I love laying on the carpet with the boys under a warm blanket watching Elf together. I love drinking a hot cup of real, rich and creamy hot chocolate in the early morning when my eyes barely want to open. I love the fact that because I'm entering a time of tradition, there are all sorts of new cultural differences to delight in and be a part of. I love that here Christmas is less about stuff and more about people. So even though it's crazy busy...
I love winter and Christmas-time in Romania.

Forgotten Videos

I forgot that I promised a video too. =]
Here is the "Ott in Rome" video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBMs35S-95U
Here is a video of the Kid's Club in Tsigmadru singing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRf6iUoEIp0
When you're bored, check them out!

Wonders of Winter

I believe I promised some pictures. =] Here are some from the past few weeks:Playing in the Christmas lights in the park.
The front of the "Nazarene Center".
Kid's club on opening day, singing one of their favorite songs "Cine al creat..." (Who Created...).
Ali, Chila (dunno how to spell her name), and I at House on the Rock for the candle walk.
Winter sky view from my favorite window.
Ginger bread house fun: Liam applying icing cement. I didn't dare interrupt him.
Nolan using some imagination to decorate his house.
The boys' finished products! Nolan's on the left and Liam's on the right. (Liam had some help) =]
The front of mine as a finished product. =] Yeah I'm a bit of a craft nerd. Haha. All Liam wanted to know was "when can I eat it?"

Thanks to everyone who has been lifting me up in prayer! My spirits have been steadily rising since the last time I wrote.

Loss for words

So I felt the need to write tonight, although I have no idea what I'm going to say. Today is another day where words elude me, so why am I dedicating a post to words I can't articulate? Because it's important to see the struggles along with the triumphs. And since many of the people who read this are my support team and prayer warriors-I'm calling in the troops on this one. I need some prayer.
This week has been hard for me. I don't want to say it's "culture shock" because it's not. I still absolutely love being in Romania and believe whole-heartedly that this is where God wants me this year. Each day I feel blessed simply to have the opportunity to walk out of my door and into such a beautiful place. But somehow, I still feel defeated and weak. I still feel like I'm battling something greater than myself, bigger than I have ever dealt with. And the feeling of defeat has left me confused. I know that not every day can be filled with happiness. With gum drops and lolipops, rainbows and balloons. I know that sometimes a few days of solitude is just what God has prescribed and ends up building you up and growing you more. I know I will survive it and God will probably teach me something I hadn't known before. I know that because of what we are doing here, I am dealing with spiritual warfare. I know that I'm not just feeling like I'm in a battle, I am in one. But knowing all of these things doesn't make it any easier for the time being and right now I wish I knew exactly how to come out of it.
But I don't. You know why? God is the ultimate planner and he's got the schedule out of view from my prying eyes at this moment. He knows what he is doing and just because I can't look at a calendar and say "well, at least it will all be over in 4 days" doesn't mean that there is no guidance, no plan, no future. It's times like these that one of my favorite verses plays over and over in my head. "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11 Those are powerful words.
So I can go on, I can get up in the morning and know that even when it's hard God's guiding hand is there. I can pick myself up off the ground each time I feel knocked over and forgive the knockee, maybe even thanking them for the lesson learned. I can rejoice in the fact that God is teaching me something new and unprecedented. I can be joyful, even when I don't feel happy.
God is here. And I will praise him in the storm.

Flying Dutchman (more like driving)...

Alright, it's true...I'm overdue for a post full of pictures. I just don't think I have it in me to do that tonight. I spent a lot of today on my computer doing one of two things the whole time: 1) Making a video slideshow of Ott the troll in Rome for Hans (I'll add a link to it in my next post) 2) Re-booting repeatedly and scanning for viruses. It's true I could have been a lot more productive today, but something about the weather being halfway between snow and rain makes me feel sluggish. Then I spend time on this time-sucker of a computer and feel even more sluggish. It's sort of a continuous cycle that I hope to break tomorrow. I'm setting my alarm and getting up relatively early even though we are having a "home day" together. I will put on a thick layer of comfy clothing, my gloves, and a hat, then head outside to hit the road and bring myself back to Center. Something about a frozen morning mixed with a nice walk and good views over the town, just reminds me of who I am and what I'm here for. It reminds me of God's all-encompassing grace and his purpose for my life. It may sound crazy, but it really does bring everything back into perspective.
After that I'll be able to face a day full of fun in the Hopkins-Roorda household. We're looking forward to starting off the Christmas season right with gingerbread house construction, cookie baking, house decorating, craft making, and Christmas carols as background music all day long (at least until I go to Tsigmadru at 2). That is a day guaranteed for greatness right there.
The only thing holding it back from hall of fame status is the fact that tomorrow is the last day I will see Hans for a real long time. He's going back to the Netherlands with his girlfriend, Rhiann, to figure things out for an undetermined amount of time. It is definitely for the best, but I am really going to miss him. He gives so much to the programs out in Tsigmadru and without him it will feel completely different. I know that God has big plans for him and for Tsigmadru, I just wish that they were overlapping plans.
The first day I met Hans he made me put wood putty in screw holes at least four times, sanding back excess each time. I thought he was an obsessive control freak. When in reality he's just Dutch. (Being 50% Dutch makes it okay to say that.) And the truth is, he can make decisions and reach conclusions before I've even thought about the issue at hand. His initiative and willingness to put ideas out there (even if they're not openly welcomed) will be one of the many things I'll miss. It will be hard to say goodbye but I know that God will see us through. I hope you will join me in praying for the best for Hans and for Tsigmadru, whatever that may be.

Breaking new ground

The past twenty-four hours have been an exciting and joyful time for many people here in Romania. Today was the official opening and dedication of the Tsigmadru Nazarene Center, which means the "Tsgimadru church" is official! WOOT. It's been a long three years in many ways, yet short in others. It was four years ago that a group of teens sent from Pearce were priveleged to see the land where the church would be built. All that was there at that time were stakes in the ground. This was only the beginning of Pearce's ministry in Tsigmadru, which conincided with the new beginnings of the church. There have been several teams from Pearce in between then and now and the progress has been followed (and helped along!) year by year, but it is now that the final "product" stands. The church looks absolutely beautiful, it's long-time brick facade...now a beautiful smooth and creamy color. Inside is no different. The wooden floors are laid, sanded, and stained. The walls and trim painted. The balastrada up, stained, and functional. The computer room actually has computers in it! Same for the sewing room, it actually has sewing machines (and very little excess stuff) in it! The daycare room is as clear as I've ever seen it, it's walls freshly painted. So much work has gone into this church. So many people have put their heart into this church and today it showed. God's presence among us was so tangible it's hard to explain and the joy was almost too much to take in. Surely God has blessed this church, these people, and the work that they do and plan to do. It was a very cool thing to witness and be a part of, I wish you all could have been there with us.
Towards the end of our stay at the opening, we got to enjoy a meal of sarmale. Sarmale is steamed (pickled?) cabbage leaves stuffed with a mixture of rice, onion, meat (of some sort), and...who knows. It's a traditional Romanian meal and this was by far the best sarmale I've had yet! A fost delicios (It was delicious).
I was too excited to tell you about today to mention the fact that I spent the night out in Tsigmadru at the church last night. It was a teen sleepover thing because some teens from Bucharest and Sighisoara came and joined the teens from Tsigmadru for their evening club (and for the events of today). It was a lot of fun. We played games for the majority of the night, but it was topped off with a Russian movie (Romanian subtitles). I think I understood about 3/4 of it. It was actually pretty funny to watch without complete understanding, makes things a little more interesting. =]
So yet again we've had another incredible weekend and God has blessed us with being a part of something much anticipated and way bigger than ourselves (praise God). Again, I wish you all could have been there to see just how God is moving in this place. It truly is a miracle sometimes.