I now have been almost a week in the tiny Romanian village of Apata (pronounced A-pat-za); yes so tiny that it doesn't make the map, so don't even try to find it. Its been an intense week for me especially. I've been experiencing culture shock, it's not that I don't get poverty and am shocked by that, not that at all. But spirituallly, going from the YWAM base in Lausanne to here, was an intense change for me. At the base there was so much prayer that it was a safe place spiritually, then coming here, the land is way less prayed over. Even driving into Romanian on Sunday, 13 hrs of driving was tense at times, and I couldn't pray or read my bible as much. I was finding things so tough here since we got here that I was crying multiple times a day as depression and hurts from the past seemed to come out of no where and just made me feel worthless and hopeless. But my team is amazingly and graciously patient, giving me space when I need it, praying over me and with me. My wise young leaders emailed our school leader and talked to her, then she called me here and talked with me. It was so reassuring and enouraging as she shared with me the above concept I just explained of spiritually being culture shocked; just encouraging me, speaking words of life into me and praying for me. I love her so much.
In between the down moments things have been fun though. Especially last night, there was so so much laughter with our team. We are here living at Metro Ministries until the end of the month. This is not a typical week. There is a team of men here doing construction work around the place, so our boys are helping them. The four of us girls have been becoming perfect little Romanian house wives: Cooking, cleaning, sorting clothes. Oh my! Missions are given insane amounts, of not just clothing, but everything under the sun. Boxes and bags...and so we've been helping to sort through all these boxes and bags into some amount of organization, up in the attic of this huge building that we're living in, which I think used to be a barn. In this building is the church and two apartment style rooms, some washrooms...there is only heat in the bedrooms b/c we have space heaters, the rest is concrete and let me tell you it's been SO cold. I'm dressing warmer here than I ever did in Switzerland:like 6 layers on top. I was not feeling grand health-wise this morning, but I'm better this morning. It should get warmer soon. Hopefully next week. Us four girls are in a relatively small room (when you add four outreach packs, our sleeping stuff, ministry stuff and winter coats b/c it¡¯s COLD here (thankfully not snowing, but cold none-the-less) everything from the van and everything of our two guys¡¯ as well, b/c they¡¯re sleeping in the garden house but can¡¯t leave anything in there b/c it will get robbed. We only have hot water at certain times in the day. But it¡¯s better than none, especially since it¡¯s so cold (i'm kind of exaggerating the coldness, it's just colder inside b/c this building is all concrete).
Romania has beautiful mountains, lots of flocks of sheep being watched by shepherds (oh yeah, no joke), and a lot of pollution. It¡¯s not at all the garbage city in Egypt (where another team is going). But its uncomfortable for me (being so hardcore concious about the environment, gosh I appreciate my country so much): fields upon fields littered with trash and the air is well: not fresh. There's a big rich-poor gap, with the bulk being quite poor: lots of older people and lots of children wandering the villages. There are horse and carriages, and people working in the fields work as though 100 yrs ago: men push the plows, and are spreading sead by hand in normal huge farm fields. It's a whole other world. Oh, and dogs, so many dogs. There are three dogs here that are our guard dogs. At first they made me nervous, but they protect us well, so I love them now. Oh, and we have wireless internet here. Many of these poor houses have satilites attached to them. So ironic.
Yesterday I went with Debbie to a village with a team of metro ministry leaders to do cell group with the kids; a small group of hungarian kids and gypsy kids. We mostly observed as the metro ministry leaders led the quick sunday school type program, pictures, prayer, bible lesson games. Just loving on the kids. The villages are interesting, and the roads out to them are INSANE. Talk about off-roading. Driving in Eastern Europe is more than an adventure. We went into Brasov on monday (that is on the map), and did a little grocery shopping. I was a little stressed on edge at the time, but it was still good. (I love my team). It is such a drastic difference from the villages. The rich-poor gap here is so huge and there is such a depressed spirit over this area. It was heartbreaking to be in the van in traffic and having the poor gypsy kids coming up to our windows begging.
This afternoon was a chill afternoon, I taught the girls in my team to knit and they are addicted and loving and have picked it up well! We're making some stuff for the kids here. I will be teaching the boys too, they were just out doing construction stuff today.
I apologize for this update being all over the place. This week has felt a bit like that. I'm working at getting a regular blog up and running, so far I've got one post on it.
http://outreacheasterneurope.blogspot.com/
and if you want to check out the ministry we're currently working with it's http://www.metroministries.org/
I extremely value your continual prayers for the next three months. As well as your continued encouragement and email updates about your own lives. Please share! You may not think you're lives are exciting but I do!
I love and appreciate you all!
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