Romania Adventures

Bucharest metro goes on strike!

2009-11-16T13:45:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow the Bucharest Metro will go on strike. Bottom line? One big, ugly headache in the city. Everyday close to one million people use the metrou to get around this big, growing metropolis. It is not rare to hear people say that the best thing the communists did in the city was build the metrou. (I utterly affirm this acclomation!). It is BY FAR the easiest, fastest, and most eficient way to get around the city. But with drivers and metrou workers unsatisfied with wages and hours, they have announced that they will go on strike indefinitely. The above ground traffic will be a nightmare. Please pray for all of us "Bucharesteniens'" patience and nerves. We will need it! And pray for a quick end to the strike. One of my best friends works at a foundation where kids go for daycare and kindergarten education. Because of the strike, they will have no way of getting to the foundation because of overcrowded and limited transportation. As we say in Romanian: CE NASHPA!

Dracula is Dead

2009-11-13T00:08:00.001-08:00

Here is an interview with the former US Ambassador to Romania about his new book "Dracula is Dead." Please take a look at this interview to get a little slice of where Romania is at today.

You see everything in Romania ;)

2009-11-05T03:56:00.000-08:00

I just love life in Romania! Never boring :)

Fall Retreat in Bucegi Mountains

2009-11-02T13:12:00.001-08:00

Just got back from a great weekend with our youth group up in the beautiful Carpathian mountains (Bucegi mountain range) a few hours to the north of Bucharest. We got on the early train at the crowing of the rouster. We enjoyed hiking, laughing, singing, and looking at God's word. It was absolutely beautiful up in the mountains and the fellowship even better. I led a Bible Study on Phillipians and several people pitched in with the guitar. It was a great time had by all. I love being up in the mountains in the fresh air and I love being on the train in Romania: always a truly cultural experience! This time was no different: we played games, sang Christmas carols (I know, but the snow got us all in the Christmas spirit), and laughed over a lot of jokes. Most of all we were able to make some new friends and share Christ with friends and non-Christians. A great weekend!..

New to Bucharest

2009-10-27T13:58:00.000-07:00

Cinnabon is the latest thing to hit Bucureşti and I'm excited. If you have ever walked by a Cinnabon restaurant and smelled those fresh rolls coming out of the oven, you know you can't resist! I also hear a rumor that Taco Bell is coming (something I have prayed a long time for). Nice to have a few comfort foods once in a while:)

What I'm listening to:

2009-10-23T03:35:00.001-07:00

Your Love Never Fails -Chris Quilala / Jesus Culture....I love this song! Great way to start out the morning.

Youth Group Up & Running

2009-10-21T11:50:00.000-07:00

The fall season is up and running and our youth group has grown leaps and bounds. At our first couple of meetings we have had over 60 youth. This fall season our theme is "Authentic Christians or False Christians." We are looking at what it means to be the body of Christ in our community, how to apply the word of God in our daily lives and to be men and women who don't just talk about the Gospel, but LIVE the Gospel. Please pray for our efforts as we lead our flock to grow deeper and deeper in their relationships with Christ and with one another.

With my parents in Romania!

2009-10-18T12:56:00.000-07:00

I have been blessed to share time with my dear parents in Romania this month. It was great spending time together and having an opportunity to talk. I truly feel that I have the best parents in the world! We got to go spend time in Târgu Mureș and eat the wonderful food of Cristina Florea--a longtime friend. Just take a look at the plate above. I was drooling over the food it was SOOO good.

Me with the Florea's (Cristina is next to me) including my friend Calin and his girlfriend Ioana
My parents at lunch with my Romanian parents, the Tamaș'

We invited some of my friends from Church over for dinner and game night!

A new beginning and challenge!

2009-10-04T12:01:00.000-07:00

Today was our first Sunday in our new location as a church at a movie theatre up the street from where we have held church services for 10 years. Our church, Bunavestire (The Good News) has decided that it's time to move to a bigger space since we have seen our church grow a lot over the year. The new theatre (Scala) is much bigger than our old location and already we filled up the main level (500 seats) and started to use the over-flow space in the balcony (another 300 seats). Praise the Lord! Our pastor has challenged us to go out from our comfort zones to be a prescence in society, our city, and spheres of influence. We are a church that wants to be an authentic, Christ-centered community. We have time for socializing built into the service and each Sunday night we meet in over 25 small groups throughout the city for Bible Study, prayer, and fellowship. We inaugurated our new space together with Adi Gliga, a prominent Romanian praise and worship singer. We pray and hope that soon we will be forced to find an even bigger location! Thanks for your prayers and support.

Drum Bun Alex!

2009-09-28T13:16:00.000-07:00

My good friend Alex will be leaving us to go do some of his master's studies in Dresden, Germany so we threw him a going-away party. I was the host and chef. We invited some of his closest friends and had a time of collective prayer for Alex. What I appreciate most about Alex is his willingness to serve (he has always helped us in our youth group with service projects, music, studies, etc.) and most of all his smile. Alex is one of those guys who just makes you smile, everytime he enters a room you just feel better. That, my friends, is a gift. Drum Bun Alex and God Bless, we'll be praying for you!
We gave Alex a t-shirt with some of his closest friends on it, so as not to forget us :)

My friend Simon is already a Viking fan, I think the horns are a good fit :)

More fun times with the youth!

Zilele Bucureştiului: Bucharest Days

2009-09-14T23:23:00.000-07:00

This week the city of Bucharest is celebrating 550 years. There will be many parades, concerts, food tasting, games, etc. to mark the festivities. The churches in Bucharest are also taking part to show an evangelical presence by doing dramas in the parks, cleaning public spaces, and handing out modern translations of the New Testament in Romanian complete with testimonies of prominent figures in the city who have given their lives to Christ. Churches will also be holding an evangelistic concert and distributing food. Please pray for this combined effort to be a blessing to our city and the people.

As part of the events, Bucharest has "White Nights" where people can visit museums for free all night long and laser shows are projected onto the People's Palace as in the picture above.
In its day, Bucharest was known as "Little Paris" because of its rich character and Parisian atmosphere.

Let the Trafic Begin!

2009-09-08T14:08:00.000-07:00

Towards the end of September, everyone in Bucureşti is returning from vacations and heading to work, school, etc. Hence, the traffic heats up. Here is a taste of what it is like. Going 13 kilometers can take 2 hours in the middle of the day. And no, I'm not exagerating.

Around Romania

2009-09-02T01:46:00.000-07:00

Check out how we pave roads in Romania and it's no wonder why we complain!

Interesting!

I love how this zebra leads you right into the middle of a crossing street!

Anything to find a parking spot :)

Check out this interfon at a Bloc in the Ferentari neighborhood of Bucureşti

It's not easy washing windows when you live in a Bloc

Anything for "Gratar"

2009-08-24T13:45:00.001-07:00

Take a look at how this Romanian family was able to fix up something on the grill. As I say, it's NEVER boring in Romania :)

Youth Camp at Arieşeni

2009-08-17T11:38:00.000-07:00

Just got back from a blessed week up in the Apuseni mountains of Romania with our youth at church. Honestly, the week went much better than we thought it would. We had 45 in total and enjoyed time in God's Word, in prayer, in fellowship, music, drama, and a variety of activities and games. Our theme was "Zero Ego," looking at the fact that as humans we are extemely selfish people and how that selfishness affects our relationships with others, with our families, and most importantly, with God. Many of our games and activities helped to drive home our theme and make us more aware of what it means to be more altruist. It was a blessed week in an absoluletly gorgeous area of Romania. Every year God continues to amaze me at camps and this year was another blessed experience. Thank you for your prayers and support. God is doing amazing things in Romania, and HE is only getting started.

Water-Fight!

Me getting soaked during one of the water games

The wet slide!

If there's water, that's where you will find Mihai :)

Me with my good friend Simon

My team for "The Amazing Race." I coordinated activities for camp and had our youth divide into four teams for a 7 hour race of challenges which included: milking a cow, building a durable chair out of wood from the forest with a hammer and four nails, women carrying water on their heads for an extended distance just as women do everyday in Africa, chopping wood, etc. It was an exhausting, but fun and hilarious experience, and a GREAT challenge to go alongside our theme. We learned we still have an awful long way to go to be unselfish people.

Each team participant in the Amazing Race had to complete a challenge of chopping wood, both with the chainsaw and with the hatchet. They also had to push a car for close to 1 kilometer as a group :)

We also got to visit several caves: Peştera Urşilor (the cave of the bears) and Peştera Scărişoara. I have to tell you that they are absolutely stunning! The bear cave left me speechless, I had never seen something so interesting in my life. All the more reason why Romania is simply amazing and our little slice of heaven! It really is the most beautiful country :)

Adi and Adriana's Wedding

2009-08-09T09:47:00.000-07:00

Today I went with my music director and several members of our choir at church to the city of Alexandria to sing at Adi and Adriana's wedding. Adi goes to our church. It was a beautiful service and Adi and Adriana were simply glowing. We wish them many blessings and God's wisdom as they begin their journey together! Now it is off to youth camp for me :)
Adi & Adriana

Our pastor

Camp Video

2009-08-02T14:05:00.001-07:00

Here is a video from the adolescent camp I worked in. Sorry the audio doesn't work.

Amazing Romania - Land of Choice 1

2009-07-30T01:23:00.001-07:00

Here are some Romanian tourism videos with Nadia Comaneci, Ilie Nastase and Gheorghe Hagi. Kind of a random video, but I like the idea. So, how about coming to Romania and discover for yourself why we consider it our little slice of heaven :)

Romania - Land of Choice 2 (official)

2009-07-30T01:21:00.001-07:00

Here is another Romanian Tourism Video

Picnic in Pucioasa

2009-07-23T01:40:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday some of our youth group traveled to the city of Pucioasa, about an hour out of Bucureşti to have a picnic with one of our partner churches. Our music director's brother is the pastor here. We sang songs, had a barbeque, played volleyball, and enjoyed getting to know each other a bit more. We are hoping to do more things in partnership in the future.
Me and my good friend Simon

Corina working the grill

It was hot, so of course we went swimming at the dam!

Viaţa la Inalţime: Life on the Heights

2009-07-17T11:47:00.000-07:00

I just got back from an incredible week at adolescent camp up in the Bucovina region of Romania known as Voroneţ. Camp season is truly my favorite time of the year. And once again, God knocked our socks off. We were blessed by great weather, diverse and fun activities, a zip-line, rock-climbing, amazing kids, and an awesome staff. To top it all off, we were shrouded by the majestic Carpathian mountains. Absolutely beautiful! I had a young boy in my group who came for the first time to camp and is not from a Christian home. He left amazed by the week at camp and is starting to ask questions about what it means to live a life with Christ. I will be emailing and following- up with him in the weeks ahead.

The theme of the camp was "Viata la Inaltime" or "Life on the Heights". We talked about what it means to live the Christian life, the sacrifices involved, but the utter joy, comfort, and security that comes with choosing to follow Christ and accepting Him as your Lord and Saviour. I had a great group of kids and enjoyed talking with them one-on-one. Some of the best times of my life have been spent at camps in Romania and this was no exception. And I might add that God didn't just speak to the campers, He spoke to me too--reminding me of how important it is to share Christ with others so that all can share in the ultimate fellowship that is the Body of Christ! Enjoy the pics from an awesome week. I love camp and I LOVEEEEEEEE Romania!
My "gasca" at camp (gang/homies) from Iaşi!

My small-group

Edi and me

La masa

Radu and me, my volleyball buddy and fellow jokester :)

It is tradition in Romania to stay up all night during the final night of camp. No leader wanted to stay up, so I volunteered to look after the kids. I remembered the fact that some of my best memories in life were those nights staying up talking with kids at Romanian camps--those are moments you just don't forget--and I didn't want these kids to miss out either. It was a sweet, blessed time. Besides, sleep is over-rated :)

The cross overlooking camp

Me on the zip-line flying and climbing the wall

Off to camp!

2009-07-10T13:05:00.001-07:00

I am off to camp again. This time I will be working with close to 100 adolescents up in Voroneţ, Romania. I can't wait. Camp is such a sweet and blessed time in Romania where God always does some amazing things. Please pray for safety, for many deep conversations, and for lives to be changed eternally for Christ! I love camp!
This is the painted monastery not too far from where our camp is situated.

Back to the Inferno

2009-07-07T13:28:00.000-07:00

The summer heat in Bucureşti is quite intense. Because the city has so many concrete block apartments, the sun's radiation makes temperatures soar in the direct sunlight. We have been hovering in the mid-90s lately and are told that it will get much hotter. It is not unusual for us to have weeks of temperatures at or near 110. So we find the nearest fountain as these pics taken around the city. I have to dump water over my head daily, even at the office. Praise the Lord I am headed to the mountains and the solitude of camp!

'Beautifying' the city

2009-07-02T05:45:00.000-07:00

My area of Bucureşti is known as Piaţa Muncii (the place of labor). Recently the city has been trying to spruce things up a bit by adding more green space, trees, flowers, etc. The picture above is from the square near where I live. In the past, it was full of billboards, dirt, etc. Now, the city has replaced the the ads with trees, grass, and flowers. I can tell you, just seeing the green space puts me in a better mood when I walk home from work!

About each month the city puts new flowers in. Pansies used to be in the above photo. I am told they are now going to put in some magnolias.

It's Camp Season!

2009-06-25T03:00:00.000-07:00

It's summer, it's hot, it's sticky. So, it must be camp season. This is my favorite time of the year. I have had so many blessed times in RO camps, sharing Christ, laughing, crying, and simply lending a listening ear to youth who needed to talk. This summer I will again be involved in several camps for youth, adolescents, sports, youth leader training, and missions. Please pray that God will use each and every camp in Romania this summer for His Kingdom and that lives would be eternally changed!