la revedere trist

I spent the last three weeks living and working in Pauleasca a small gypsy village outside Pitesti Romania. I was working with an organization called Somebody Cares Romania, whose mission is to give evangelization, social, and educational help to the Gypsy community. Letting them know that somebody cares about them and that somebody is our heavenly father.

The majority of my time in this community was spent working in their educational program. Monday through Friday we had two groups of kids come in during the day, all together around 70 kids! The kids would start their time eating a hot soup, then would separate into their classes where the teachers would help them with their homework from school. I would go around to each class and help them with what I could. All I can say is I am thankful for smart phones and google translate J it’s difficult trying to help with word problems when you don’t understand the words! Being that I only know a few words in Romanian, you would find me telling the children “Bine” (good), “foarte bine” (very good), “Bravo” (Bravo), “Aici” (here) and would just repeat the same thing over and over again, but the children didn’t seem to mind! They would all want me to come and help them, and one thing you should know about gypsy children, is that they are loud. Like really loud, everyone is yelling over each other and laughing and screaming randomly. At times you can’t even think because so much is happening at once and your name is being screamed by 6 children but sounds like it’s being shouted by 30.

Oh, but how I love their crazy loud energy. These children have so much heart, energy, and love! I looked forward everyday when these children would run in and just cling to me and give me hugs and kisses. I feel like it has been so long since I have been around children in this way, and my soul just relished during my time here being a “doamna” (which means lady but they used it for teacher) My time in Pauleasca really just reconfirmed my passion and love for teaching and loving on children, it also made me miss my kids back in America a little more.

I was also able to go every Tuesday into the village with Damaris (the KM missionary I was working with) to have health checks for the babies in the village. The main road in the village was really a small riverbed so anywhere you went, you walked through mud or water that had pigs and other animals walking through it. Many of the homes had only one parent in them while the other was off in Switzerland to “work” which most of the time meant beg. The loud trait doesn’t just include the children, often as we made our way to the different homes we would start yelling for the person we were visiting while we were still a block away. It’s common in the gypsy community to “marry” at a very young age. Most of the mothers we met with were 16-18, we would come in their home making sure their baby didn’t have any infections, and that they were developing at the proper rate and meeting the milestone’s during their first two years. I really enjoyed being a part of this ministry, being welcomed into the homes and just seeing how the mothers where eager to learn so they could give their babies even better care.

This past week as most of you know was thanksgiving. I was able to share this special holiday with my friends that I made here and worked with every day. There ended up being 19 people that came for dinner, and we ended up having the perfect amount of food with just a small plate of leftovers! We started the dinner with drawling names and writing down four things that we were thankful for in that person, then during dinner we shared what was written with the whole table. It was really a fun time just hearing about each other, and laughing at the funny things like “I’m thankful that he gives me money each week”. Getting to know the team at Somebody Cares was truly wonderful, each morning we would start with a devotional and a prayer time over the kids and the families, and you could just really see the heart behind each of the workers.

Friday was my last day, I was able to go to the children’s program and say my goodbyes to the children who all gave me hugs saying don’t leave. Saying my goodbyes to these kids and this place is probably one of the hardest goodbyes I’ve had since being on this journey. There is just so much love and beauty in this place, and with these people and although I was only there for three weeks I definitely felt connected and a part of this place.

Tomorrow I say goodbye to Romania as a whole and my time in Eastern Europe, I honestly can’t believe it’s already time to move again and that it’s the end of Eastern Europe. The Eastern Europe culture is so different than anywhere else I’ve ever worked before, there is definitely a different time table and outlook on life and people, and I have really come to love this culture. Tomorrow I move back to the west, I will be spending the month of December working with Hope Community Church in western London. In sounds like it’s going to be a busy month for me (which December always is) I am really looking forward to all that God has prepared for me in this community and for this last month and a half of this journey….

Please be praying

-For Somebody Cares Romania, they do so much work in this village and a few of the surrounding villages. Be praying for their outreach, for their building projects, and for the ministries they have going on. Pray that the workers are encouraged and that they continue to seek God’s will for their lives and in this ministry

-The children in Pauleasca- a lot of them are very behind in school, many of their parents never finished school and don’t really see the importance in making their children attend if they don’t want to. Be praying that this changes and that the children continue to go to school and to the afterschool program at the center.

-Pray for the center’s teachers- As I mentioned earlier it gets crazy in the classrooms. Be praying that the teachers can deal with the stress of the day, and stay encouraged of the fact they are doing great work even on the hard days

-Pray for my travels tomorrow- My flight takes off around 3:30 my time (7:30 your time) and I will arrive in London about 3.5 hours later around (11am your time)

- be praying over my time at Hope and all that God has laid out for me, that I see his opportunities and that I love the way he loves

Thank you all for your love and Prayers and for just being awesome! 

Fun view from Bucharest