Carrots and Onions Oh My!

August 26, 2008

The harvest of the garden is in full swing here! Everyone is helping in someway to get ready for the winter. Yesterday, I sat on the bench with Nicoletta, Lenuta and Julia peeling carrots and onions and lots of them as the kids played in the field below. Today my hands still have dirt in the cracks and they smell so bad! I sat peeling one to Nicoletta and Lenuta's 4 listening to them speak with each other making up my own stories in my head of what they were talking about. I understand, maybe, every 10th word. :) I think it was about school and the schedule and the kitchen...I dunno, but that is what I imagined they said.

Since I did not completely understand what they were saying I drifted into my own thoughts...What did peeling carrots and onions have to do with spreading the gospel? I mean there is nothing super spiritual about this job and what about when I was in House 2 last night mopping the floors and cleaning the toilets after a full days use and the thought came again, What does this have to do with missions and laying hands on people and seeing them healed? Where are the miracles in this job? Where is the annointing in this...:) God I am a missionary and I should be out spreading the word! Doing miracles, raising the dead, healing the sick...Blah, blah, blah...

After I finished I walked up to the 3rd floor to visit with the big boys, Jenut's (probably spelled wrong) and Cosmin, 12 and 13 years old. They shared their hopes and dreams with me. Jenut's wants to be a profesional football player and his favorite team is Rapid. He showed me his scrap book of the team and told me all about the players. His birthday is in October and he wants a football with Rapid on it. I asked him if he could ask God for one thing what would it be and this is it, a football. I don't know if I can make that happen or if I should but we will see.

Cosmin, he is so fun! He said he wants a transitor radio with headphones. His birthday is in October as well. These kids are so special and they work hard here and deserve everything their hearts desire. I will pray and see if it is possible for me to help with their request but after spending time with them and actually getting to talk with them without 20 other kids around was a blessing. I encouraged them to pray and ask God for what they wanted and that they could be anything they wanted to be! God had a plan for their lives and now is a good time to start asking God what he wants them to do and learn.

Walking down the steps to lie down on the concrete floor I found the answer from earlier in the day, the miracles are in the carrots and onions and the cleaning the toilets! This is the ministry of all of us, serving and relationships. This is what God created us for to serve in relationship with Him. I will cointue to serve into my destiny. It is not super spiritual it is not well known or even very popular but after peeling carrots and onions and cleaning toilets...That is when the miracles show up! Have you peeled a carrot or onion today? :)

"How bouts"

It has been a very difficult week for me, no reason in particular just a tough week. You know we all have them...The summer is coming to a close the same thing day after day begins to get to you...Then you add a giant bucket of culture shock and you have yourself a very difficult week! I looked culture shock up on google to make sure that I was really experiencing that and yup! I am! I have all the symptoms and results. :) Look it up and see and you may understand. The good news is that if you are having a bad week in your everyday life you can't blame it on culture shock! Ha!

I mean if you just want to go to the store you can't cause the public transportation only comes at 7,8,2,6 and 8 and not on the weekends. Well...This is just one thing I can complain about and trust me there are many more...

Somehow those things mean nothing when you hear 30 children running in the sprinkler or when your very good friend from Germany who has been here one year returned home and you give 10 girls a gift to give her and the excitement of giving something that they did not even pick out is like a balloon just before it explodes. The excitment is uncontainable.

How bout spreading some pumpkin spread on bread and placing a cucumber and tomato on it with Ileana, who is delighted to help me in the kitchen, just me and her, to feed 30 children dinner. Or waking up at 5:30 a.m. to spread peanut butter and jam on 3 very large loaves of bread to feed 30 children for breakfast. They are delighted by the peanut butter and ask me every day when it is my turn to prepare the breakfast and if I will give them more peanut butter. :) (Thanks again Knox Church)

How bout putting beanie babies next to their head so in the morning when they wake they will have a surprise for being good. (Thanks Knox Church) However, it backfired on me as the first boy woke at 5 a.m. with such delight that he woke the others as well. I remembered the excitement of christmas in my own childhood that if you got there first you were sure to shake and stir the everyone else in the house. So how could I be mad!

How bout making your Granny's bannana bread recipe with 10 girls in Romania who can't hardly wait for it to come out of the oven and sharing 2 small loaves with 40 people. :) God is always more than enough!

There are so many "How bouts" here...It makes the really hard days, the really difficult moments fade away like a cool breeze on a hot summer day. After all the hard times are usually about me and the "How bouts" are about the children and what God is doing in their lives through us! We are blessing them each and everyday with the love of Christ...So the next time you are having a difficult time think about the "How bout" moments in your life!

When I was a child...

August 18, 2008

I read something on the internet that posed a very interesting question. "How would you feel in Jesus was in the next room waiting to speak with you?" I have been pondering that question in my own heart. My first response was I would be afraid, not afraid of Jesus but the reverance of Him who has created all things. The awesome wonder of His mighty power...There are so many things to revere about Him.

The next thing I thought was fear and I realized I had more fear about my life than previously thought. Fear to be alone, fear of failing, fear that I am not worthy..Oh my, it opened a door in my life that I thought was finished...However, being in an unfamiliar place, not knowing the language, not having established relationships is a very real fear...

Today I was walking in the city and was looking for a familiar place and got turned around...Now in the US, no problem, you just ask someone, if your a female, :) but when you are in a county that is unfamiliar and noone speaks your language fear is very real. I did find my way home and it was not a big deal but I further ponder and ask God to help me deal with the fear I am experiencing here. Please pray for me as God melts and molds me through this process.

Now on the other hand, I asked the kids here what they would do if Jesus was in the other room waiting to speak to them. Almost all of them said, "I would go and speak with Him." :)

When I was a child I used to speak like a child,think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. I Corinthians 13:11

What is worthy of praise in your life today...

August 16, 2008



For the rest, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of reverence and is honorable and seemly, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely and lovable, whatever is kind and winsome and gracious, if there is any virtue and excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think on and weigh and take account of these things [fix your minds on them]. Philippians 4:8

A very good friend emailed this to me and I have been meditating on it day and night. Last night I worked in House II, the boys house. My first time on the graveyard shift since my days at the hospital. This is my least favorite shift and when I work with the boys it takes me off the schedule with the girls and they are frustrated about that and so am I. The girls and I were just starting to get adjusted to each others ways. :) God always turns stuff around for us and instead of focusing on being away from the girls and kissing them goodnight I embraced the time I would spend with the boys, even though most of it would be sleeping for them.

Well...When I arrived at 1o they were all settled in and quiet when all of a sudden across the fields, in a small town there were Fireworks! A whole show, not like America but great for Romania! Well, after that you can guarentee there was so much talk about what they saw I thought they would never go to sleep.

Then they asked me to sing for them...I am not a singer but the stark walls, tile floors and concrete stucko makes for great accoustics! You know like the shower. I sing great in the shower and the car and would not sing for anyone else but 8 boys requesting every song ever known to a church! These kids know more songs than you can imagine. Soooo...For at least 1 hour I took request after request. "Open the Eyes of my Heart Lord", Jesus, Lover of my Soul. Jesus, Jesus Jesus, I love you Lord, Unto the O Lord..You name it I sang it and one hour later those boys were snoring under the annoiting. I have been told that they wake up and cry all night, well not last night they slept all the way through. In the morning I made Peanut butter and jam bread for all the kids, which is a great treat! Thanks again..Knox Church.

Today we had water balloon Pinta and then all out water balloon fight, all was soaked! Even when I am lonely and things change you can always find something so beautiful, so lovely, so wonderful about our God. What was worthy of praise in your life today?

It's a simple life...

August 14, 2008

I thought I would start this blog spot to udate you on the daily activities here in the orphanage. It will give you a good handle on what and how to pray as I will be very open and honest with my life here. I look forward to reading your comments and sharing your thoughts with me. I will also try and share photos and some fun stories as there are so many you have missed already!

My prayer is that you will all be touched by the lives of these children as much as I am...Not only the children but I hope you will get to know the staff as they are here for the children as much as I. The Lord has brought all of us together here for such a time as this! Psalms 139.

I will go back a few days, starting on monday or maybe it was tuesday, :) as it was a significant day for me!

Almost every day I try and take a walk to the town of Livezile, just to get off the property and get some excercise. I walked with Julia, a 17 year old girl who grew up here in the orphanage. We stopped at Ms. Mena's house to pick a prune from her tree, they are sooooo good! Ms. Mena is a lady who defected to Romania during the war, she speaks Romanian and German and I can't understand a word she says but she is a happy spirit!

She was not in her yard so we ate from her tree and continued on thru the town. Nicoletta, a worker at the orphanage son was out playing and ran and told his mom there was 2 blondes walking down the street. She came from her house calling my name. She welcomed us in her house and fed us good chicken and the most delicious cake. As we visited, Ms. Mina came to the door looking for me. :) I thought it was so sweet. She saw me take fruit from her tree but by the time she came to greet me I was in Nicoletta's home. We visisted a little and Nicoletta gave me a tour of her simple but lovely home. She has a beautiful garden and we enjoyed the strawberries from it.

As we departed we stopped at Ms. Felicia's house to greet her as well...She also works at the orphanage, for 12 years, and recently had surgery for a cyst, I think. She has been out of work for some weeks and is still not completely well. We ate some cookies and listened to the horror stories of her visit in the Romanian Hospital. Julia was there so she told me what she said. Before we left I laid hands on her and prayed for her. She mostly works with the girls in House 3 and they miss her very much and are always full of stories that Ms. Felicia tells them.

It was special because for the first time here, I felt like I had friends and was starting to establish relationships. I was also moved that not only is the ministry God called me to here in the orphanage but to the people of the small town, Livezile. I understand that touching lives here is a blessing but then when God moves me outside of that I am more blessed.

We are definetly in the dog days of summer here, it has been 90 plus degrees here...I know it is hot where you are but you have air conditioning. The other day the girls rode the bikes around the property and I was busy teaching Diana how to ride. She has not mastered it yet but she will before summer is up. She is thrilled that I am teaching her!

Yesterday they picked all the green beans out of the garden and the children help pop them and get them ready for the winter. I think they ate more than they popped and after lunch 2 of them were vomitting! Samone and I cleaned vomit up 3 times. Today, they did not eat them they popped them. :)

It is a simple life, one that is difficult for an American to embrace. No car, no malls...blah, blah, blah but one worth adjusting to! All the malls in the world and the nicest car can not replace the smile on Diana's face while I teach her to ride a bike! I will exchange air conditioning for a visit at Nicoletta's house with Ms. Mina and a prayer for Ms. Felicia. It is simple but the most gratifing thing I have ever done in my life and I would not change it for the world!