...and now we're done!
Buna! I'm back in Bucharest for a few hours to have a bath! It's very nice to be all clean again. I've been washing my hair "in a bucket" out in the village but that's been it! Fortunately, we've not had any really hot weather. :)
I am very pleased with how the program for the children went. My only regret is that I still don't speak enough Romanian to interact with them more than a little. We ran program every day from 5:00 until 8:00(ish) pm. The first day only two children were there by 5:30 pm. Oh oh. That's when we learned that the school has two "series", one in the morning until 1:00 pm and the other in the afternoon until 6:00 pm. This is how they get more children into the available space! One of the young adults from the church went out between 5:30 and 6:00 to gather some children and by 6:15 or so, we had six boys and one girl...all very enthusiastic! On Tuesday, Ana and Andra went to the school and talked to some of the children...that evening we had an attendance of 25. On Wednesday, the weather was miserable - dark, cold, raining. We were wondering if any children would come...but they did!...15 of them. Thursday and Friday were gorgeous sunny days and about 35 children showed up both days! We finished up this morning with 21 and are eager to see how many come to church tomorrow to perform the songs we taught them.
A "typical" day at program started with a few children playing with a ball or the skipping rope or the parachute. As more children arrived, the games got bigger (and louder!). After games, the children came into the church for songs and a Bible lesson and a craft and a geography lesson and snack. The order varied every day and two of the days we ran out of time for the craft! The children LOVE to sing and I can now sing a simple Sunday School song (I've got joy like a fountain) in Romanian from memory. :) We had a geography lesson every day except for today because the curriculum that we were using as a resource is called "The Jesus Expedition" and every day we visited a new locale, with the help of a nice globe that we bought. The first day we learned about Antarctica (did you know that it is technically a desert?), the second day we journeyed to the jungle (where we made monkeys and tigers), the third day we climbed Mount Everest, the fourth day I introduced the children to my home on the Pacific Ocean, and the last day we trekked through the desert. It was fun to watch the children get excited as they learned more about the world outside their village. We also had the children memorize two Bible verses: Matthew 19:14 and a simple version of Philippians 4:6. Hopefully, these words of encouragement will stay with them.
I have been taking lots of pictures and will have stories to tell when I get home. I so wish that I could stay and continue to get to know these children but I know that I have my "own" children at home in Vancouver to work with. :)
Time to go back to the village...I'll try to write more when I am back in Bucharest!
"'You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a [lantern] and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.'"
Matthew 5:14-16
Light and dark are two of the most powerful metaphors in our world. Light represents the known, the safe, the comforting. Light allows us to see the world around us, it reveals the truth, and it brings hope. Darkness, on the other hand, represents the unknown, potential dangers that we cannot see. It obscures our choices, makes us fearful of moving forward, and brings despair.
For me there is a big difference between a walk in the dark in unfamiliar territory...and a walk in the dark in unfamiliar territory with a lantern. Even though the circle of light might be limited, it is still a circle of light. I can see the path in front of me, I can see what's right beside me. I have hope that I will reach my destination unharmed.
That is what I want my ministry to be. I want to give a "lantern of hope" to each person that I serve. I want to enable them to see their own path and to move forward without fear. I want them to know the truth of God's love and feel hope.
"Jesus bids us shine with a clear, pure light,
Like a little [lantern] burning in the night.
In this world of darkness, Jesus bids us shine;
You in your small corner and I in mine."
Matthew 5:14-16
Light and dark are two of the most powerful metaphors in our world. Light represents the known, the safe, the comforting. Light allows us to see the world around us, it reveals the truth, and it brings hope. Darkness, on the other hand, represents the unknown, potential dangers that we cannot see. It obscures our choices, makes us fearful of moving forward, and brings despair.
For me there is a big difference between a walk in the dark in unfamiliar territory...and a walk in the dark in unfamiliar territory with a lantern. Even though the circle of light might be limited, it is still a circle of light. I can see the path in front of me, I can see what's right beside me. I have hope that I will reach my destination unharmed.
That is what I want my ministry to be. I want to give a "lantern of hope" to each person that I serve. I want to enable them to see their own path and to move forward without fear. I want them to know the truth of God's love and feel hope.
"Jesus bids us shine with a clear, pure light,
Like a little [lantern] burning in the night.
In this world of darkness, Jesus bids us shine;
You in your small corner and I in mine."
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