Our Life in Bucharest, Romania

The Fire and its hidden blessings

2009-08-28T11:20:00.001-07:00

Last Saturday I was almost finished cooking what I thought was going to be a terrific salmon dinner when I heard a loud "POP" and smelled smoke. I ran in the direction of our fuse box which is directly above our front door and only exit to find shooting flames of fire. I immediately called Eric who was about 5 minutes away with the kids in the park. I will admit after that I did panic. The fire was burning the floor. I knew I should get the fire extinguisher but at the moment couldn't remember precisely where it was. (It was on top of the refrigerator-just out of my sight). Flames were starting to scorch the floor and ceiling and I was afraid if I waited too long I wouldn't be able to get out. So I made a quick decision-it was to run out the front door!(without my shoes) I knocked on all my neighbors doors in my hallway, screaming "Ajuta-ma!" (Help me). But it seemed no one was home. I went downstairs and did the same thing. Then Eric came home and I guided the kids to the next floor and finally found our building president who came to help. (Fire burning 8 minutes now) Eric kind of put out the fire a few times but since it was an electrical fire, we needed to get the electricity turned off. The main electrical box is outside in the hallway on our floor but is locked and the administrator who was not answering his door has the key. (Fire now burning 12minutes) Meanwhile, Eric has called the emergency/fire number but they seemed to be a little slow. Eric and our neighbor use some needle nose pliers to get the electrical box open and turn off the electricity which allows Eric to put out all fires. Meanwhile, the fire department is on their way up our stairs ready with the hose. Eric stopped them from dousing our apartment with water.

Results: Fuse box is one burned piece of plastic, floor in hallway is burned and destroyed, ceiling and walls are black, and soot and ash has covered everything else in the apartment. Eric has 2nd degree burns on his hand when burning plastic fell on him as he tried to put out the fire. Electricity needs to be rewired in the entire house along with new fuse box. We now have to live somewhere else for a few weeks while the apartment is being repaired, cleaned, and repainted.

But...here are all the hidden blessings:
1)My kids were not in the apartment at the time.
2)Eric's injuries were minimal.
3)Someone was home and was able to put out the fire.
4)The fire department did not use the hose and therefore we do not have to deal with water damage.
5) For me, one of my worst fears was realized and I survived. I have always feared a real emergency here in Romania, wondering if I could handle it. (which is really silly since God is always on my side) But more specifically would I freeze and not be able to speak Romanian. Nope. I ran outside, knew what to say. Talked to my neighbor upstairs, got him to come and help. Talked to firemen afterwards for their report-all in Romanian. THANK GOD!!!

God is good...all the time!

IKEA: My favorite place in Bucharest

2009-08-18T08:41:00.000-07:00

I really can't believe I'm admitting to Ikea being my favorite place in all of Bucharest but once you hear my reasons I am sure you will also concur. Reason #1: Refillable Drinks. As far as I know this is the only place in Bucharest you can have free refillable drinks. I am perpetually thirsty here in Bucharest when we go out to eat because really who wants to pay 3 dollars for each bottle of water or coke you consume with your meal. Well at Ikea I can pay 1 dollar and drink as much as I want. Reason #2: They serve an American Breakfast with BACON-something difficult to find here. Plus, my breakfast only costs $1.75. Reason #3: Kid Friendly. The kids play in the fun play area while Eric relax over a leisurely meal. The kids play on the fun slide and run all over and jump on the beds and the furniture. In fact, Hannah will always try to sleep in all the little beds. They even have a changing area and breastfeeding area as well as give out free diapers! Reason #4: Product Selection. They have interesting items that are difficult to find elsewhere in Bucharest. For example-ziplock bags (although every pricy) and popsicle makers. Reason #5-It reminds me of America. (Even though it is a Swedish company)I have to admit that I like things that remind me of "home". I also often hear English spoken there which is comforting to me as well. There are so many other reasons I love IKEA as well but those are my TOP 5 for sure!!

V is for Volcano

2009-07-25T03:29:00.000-07:00

During our little preschool time this year, we often did activities associated with different letters and by far I think the Volacano experiment was Samuel and Hannah's favorite. I remember this experiment from my childhood, but I had to build the volcano with dough etc so I wasn't too excited to try this with the kids. But I found this easy way of building the volcano with only a paper plate, a paper cup and foil-5 minutes tops to build. That's my kind of project. So the kids poured in the baking soda and the red food coloring and then the vinegar. They LOVED it. I think they had about 5 or 6 volcanic eruptions-basically until we ran out of the two bottles of vinegar we bought.

Palm Trees in Bucharest?

2009-07-24T03:58:00.000-07:00

So our little sector in Bucharest seems to be in a frenzy with beautification-which I fully support. But I just thought it was so funny to drive around the corner from our apartment and see newly planted palm trees. Somehow it just doesn't fit with the environment. And what about winter and the snow? Does anyone know if there are palm trees that survive the snow?

Revolving Door

2009-07-18T05:44:00.000-07:00

I've only lived overseas as a missionary for 3 years so this topic of people coming and going and constantly saying goodbye to people is pretty new to me. But this year it hit me pretty hard. Two families that are in our Sunday night Small group left in June. For me, these people represented my family here in Bucharest. They were our best friends, our kid's friends, and our support system. I hate goodbyes, closure etc-even in small things. Take for instance a phone coversation-I dread the end because I don't know what the appropriate thing to say is except "goodbye". So I find it somewhat humorous that I've been put in this life where I will be constantly saying "goodbye" etc. I also wonder about the effect this will have on my children as they navigate their lives as missionary kids.
I will miss my friends greatly and to be honest, its difficult to imagine being here in Bucharest without them. But I do know that God will provide new friends and I think for now I just have to remember all the wonderful times and grieve the times that will never be.

Prejmer, Romania

2009-04-06T06:31:00.000-07:00

For part of our Spring Break, Eric and I decided to try to be more adventurous and travel to and stay at places in Romania that we'd never been before. So we ended up in Prejmer, Romania, a very small town outside of Brasov in Transylvania. We stayed at a little pension for $21 a night. There were a little Romanian grandma and grandpa who owned the place and were very accommodating. The town itself was very charming but looked like it was a place out of the 1930's.

The town is famous for its fortified church which we toured with the kids. We were the only ones there, but the history was fascinating! The fortress was built in 1427 to with stand the attacks of the Ottomans. The walls are 14 meters high and 5 meters thick. Access to the massive fortress was through a 5 meter thick long tunnel. The church was built in a shape of a Latin cross in a Gothic style.

We love learning more and more about Romania and its history!!

Simple Joys

2009-04-02T22:15:00.001-07:00

Its so funny how something as simple as canned soup could make me laugh and smile so much. About a month ago, a friend and I were shopping in a very small grocery store in the mountains outside of Bucharest and all of a sudden spotted these cans of soup. To help you understand, canned soup is not available here in Romania and second, to find Campbell's seemed like a little taste of home. I giggled about this for at least a week after and then had to tell everyone I knew that I found soup and then of course immediately made two recipes using it!!!! Although this may seem silly, I am thankful for the place God has me in, both literally and metaphorically, that makes me appreciate such simple joys.

Winter Break

2009-03-17T00:52:00.001-07:00

About a month ago during BCA's school break we took a fun trip to the mountains outside of Bucharest. We stayed in Bran (where "Dracula's castle" is). We had the opportunity to go with some friends of ours so we had 5 kids under 5 between our two families. We had a great time-it snowed the entire 4 days we were there and the kids loved sledding and playing in the snow. It was truly a winter wonderland. We did discover though, that we definately have "city" tires on our car as we got stuck and were not able to drive all the way up to the place we were staying. We will buy chains for next year!!!!

Yum Yum Donuts

2009-03-16T07:34:00.000-07:00

Behind our apartment in the park there has been a fair type thing since Christmas and it seems to just keep hanging on. Samuel and Hannah love it. Their favorite thing is to go get Romanian donuts: gogosi or as Hannah calls them "go gos". They are like little American donut holes served hot with your choice of topping: chocolate, white chocolate, raspberry, strawberry, and orange (which I think is weird!) We usually get white chocolate. Then they give you these cute little very sharp not so kid friendly forks to eat with. A fun family not so healthy treat! You can find these in little stands all over Bucharest.

Sensory Tubs

2009-03-15T07:28:00.001-07:00

One of the regular activities I've been doing with the munchkins is having them play in what I can their "sensory tub". It's actually Hannah's old baby bathtub. I put a different material in the bathtub every week and let them have at it. They can pour and sift and measure. It keeps them quite occupied. So far they have played with different types of noodles, rice, cornmeal and beans. My favorite was when we put coins in the rice and looked for them with magnets. They seemed to really like that. I love hands on activities!!!

Macbeth Performances

2009-03-15T07:18:00.001-07:00

I think one of my favorite things to teach is anything by Shakespeare. I love the fact that students are up on their feet performing, trying to figure out meaning and having fun all the while. My 11th/12th grade class read and performed Macbeth. This was my first time actually teaching this particular play but I ended up absolutely loving it. What's not to love-ambition, murder and the supernatural. The pictures above are from the student's final performances. They did a great job. There was everything from a rap to Macbeth being set during the roaring 20's. Let me just say that I so enjoy my job!!!

Manufactured Snow

2009-01-05T00:02:00.001-08:00

In the park behind our apartment, the mayor's office and the local "home depot" sponsored a sledding/ski hill. They bulldozed a giant portion of the hill and then when it got cold enough, they brought in giant snow blowing machines. Samuel and Hannah had a great time sledding and Eric made fun snowballs with this great snowball maker that my sister and brother-in-law sent us. It helped make our Christmas break more fun and the best part was that it was all free!

Family at Christmas and Missing them

2009-01-04T03:24:00.001-08:00

This was our third Christmas in Bucharest, but our first without any family visiting. Although we consoled ourselves with the idea that not having family would make for a beautiful, quiet Christmas for us, we did feel lonely when Christmas day came around. We had the wonderful opportunity of chatting for long periods on Skype with both our families and had the grandparents watch the kids open the presents on the webcam-but if we are being honest-that's not really enough. And for me, this is a grieving process. I grieve that I am not there to take cute pictures with my sisters all in matching pajamas. I grieve that my children cannot hug their grandparents and sit on their laps.

But Christmas is just an event-what I really grieve is having the relationships you have when you live 10 minutes from your parents and you drop by for dinner (like we use to!) or just shopping with my mom or hanging out with my brother and sister. But in reality,(the reality I want to focus on) when I look at what my Savior has done for me and the little sacrifice he has called me to-living in Bucharest-who Jesus is comforts me beyond what I need and want.

Christmas Time in Bucharest

2009-01-03T08:04:00.000-08:00

This year it seemed that city officials tried very hard to decorate and get into the Christmas Spirit. I remember our first Christmas here-2006. It was weird to walk around the city because there were no outside indications that Christmas was being celebrated. Now just two years later, we have lights all over the city, little Christmas markets, and trees for sale everywhere. Eric and I really enjoyed the festive spirit around outside and we took walks several nights with the kids to look at the lights and see performances around the city parks.

Santa and his ladder

2008-12-20T05:57:00.001-08:00

In Romanian Santa is called "Mos Craciun." When we first moved here I remember being very confused why Santa was always pictured climbing a ladder. But of course with all the very tall block buildings and no chimneys-Santa has to climb up the buildings somehow!!!

100 Sheep, 2 shepherds, and 1 donkey

2008-12-19T03:34:00.000-08:00

Living in Bucharest is never dull. As Eric and I were driving home from the grocery store, we looked up at this little grassy area (in the middle of a city of 2 million plus people) and there were over 100 sheep, 2 shepherds (dressed just like you would imagine out of the Bible) and 1 donkey. Eric and I just looked at each other and started laughing and then looking for the camera. Of course it was sitting at home. We also both said "OIR"-its our code for "Only in Romania" Romania is such a country of contrasts. I had just exited a very modern day supermarket, hypermarket as we call them here, and then was confronted by a scene that seemed centuries old. I also thought that it was God's Christmas Gift to me because both Samuel and Hannah have seemed very interested in the whole shepherd/angel idea. What a great reminder of the simplicity of Christmas!

Happy Birthday Hannah!!

2008-11-09T11:35:00.000-08:00

Hannah is 2!!!! How is it that it has been 2 whole years since she was born here in Bucharest???? We celebrated with her favorite character-Elmo and some of her friends. Half of her party was at a little bounce house place and the other half was at our apartment. She smiled so much-she truly is a joy!!

Luau Cookout

2008-11-03T23:41:00.000-08:00

This year I have the opportunity to be the co-adviser for Student Council at BCA. Its a lot of fun and I get to help the students plan fun events and also get to know some of them better in a different setting than the classroom. They planned this Luau with Hula Lessons, Limbo, and the annual rock, scissors, paper game which is always a hit!! It was a lot of fun!

Homeschool Preschool Fun

2008-11-02T11:40:00.000-08:00

Since I am home in the mornings now and teaching in the afternoon I feel that I have more quality time with the kids. We've been doing little preschool activities each morning-nothing fancy, just learning letters and reading fun books and coloring. It is really more of a way to organize their time and give them various experiences. When we did the letter B-we had Bob the Builder's Birthday Party with their friends and when we did the letter D-we went to the park and fed ducks. While online searching for fun activities, I am amazed at all the fabulous homeschooling parents there are out in the world. Me? I am just trying to stay sane while enjoying my 2 and 3 year old!!

Woman and her Cow

2008-11-01T10:49:00.000-07:00

I took this picture while driving just outside the city. We were actually stuck in traffic and I just looked at my window and there they were. I don't know if you can see it in the picture but she is walking her cow with a little leash. I love Romania!

Secondary Retreat-Bran, Romania

2008-10-31T11:01:00.000-07:00

We had the priveledge again of atteding BCA's Secondary Retreat. All of the students in grades 7-12 and most of the teachers (and their small ones like Samuel and Hannah) spend 3 days up near the mountains in Transylvania. It is such a beautiful place to be and so different than Bucharest.

The students have many meetings with a speaker and a spiritual emphasis and also have the opportunity to get to know each other while playing games and hanging out. Eric and a lot of the students played tackle football during free time. I participated in a staff vs. students volleyball game that the staff actually won!!! And everyone always looks forward to the bonfire and smores!! Samuel and Hannah had a great time and were spoiled by all the students!!!

We so enjoy these times of being able to pour into the students' lives. Praise God for his goodness to us!!

Our Summer Furlough Adventure

2008-09-17T23:05:00.001-07:00

We were in the United States for a total of ten weeks and had so many wonderful experiences. We had the opportunity to share with many groups and individuals about our ministry at Bucharest Christian Academy. Also, we were so blessed be people's genuine interest and generosity to us.
But for me what tops the list was watching my kids interacting with their grandparents-it is what we miss and grieve the most when we are gone so it was such a special time.

Back to Blogging in Bucharest

2008-09-17T23:05:00.000-07:00

I'm not exactly sure why I had such trouble finding time to blog while on furlough in the U.S. I mean I had so many blog worthy adventures this summer but could not quite get it together. Well, now we've been back in Bucharest about a month and school is in full swing and have once again decided start blogging.

Graduation

2008-05-31T11:25:00.000-07:00

Bucharest Christian Academy had 6 graduates this year. The graduation ceremony was so -wonderful-I think mostly because with that small number of graduates-everything is so personal and meaningful. The students in the class of 2008 were from very diverse backgrounds but they all bonded because they were here together in Romania. They are each special individuals who I know will make their mark on the world for the glory of God. Congratulations Christina, Sean, Kyle N., Kyle R., Rachael, and Lauren!!!!

BCA Field Day

2008-05-31T11:14:00.000-07:00

It has been a tradition for several years now that on the second to last day of school, all students participate in a Field Day. Field Day consists of teams, games, relays, and lots of fun. After the team events, the whole school played "Capture the Flag". Eric was in charge this year because he is the P.E. teacher. I got to help out by being a team leader and I am proud to say that my team who named themselves the "Pink Power Puffs" won two events!!The students had a great time and rewarded Eric by drenching him with their water guns and frozen water bottles!!!

P.E. Final Exam

2008-05-31T11:06:00.000-07:00

For the 7-12th graders final exam in P.E. Eric rented a soccer field and they had to demonstrate what they learned during the unit on soccer. Each student had to demonstrate different kicks and then they had the opporunity to play a game. Since they only get to play at school in a very small concrete square, the students were thrilled to play at a "real" soccer field. I think Eric has done such a great job this year teaching all grade levels and especially with all the space constraints!!! I am always in awe how much the elementary students bonded with him! (I get to brag on him a little since he's my fabulous husband!)

BCA Talent Show

2008-05-25T06:02:00.000-07:00

The students at BCA put on a wonderful talent show-students from K-12 all participated! There were the normal piano pieces, guitar solos, singing, and of course skits. Some of the high school students decided to perform a skit entitled "BCA Survivor". They asked Eric to be the host. Eric was very excited for his acting debut, but unfortuately a small car accident prevented him from participating (He was at the police station for several hours and he was not injured Praise God!!) So I had to fill in for him at the last moment. The "punchline" of the skit is that I, Mrs. Kooiman get voted out of BCA Survivor. It was a lot of fun and I love being part of the school life here!!

Easter in Romania

2008-05-02T10:20:00.000-07:00

Although most of you celebrated Easter almost six weeks ago, Romania follows the Orthodox calendar and so we just had easter last Sunday, April 27th. Unlike the States, where Christmas is by far the biggest holiday, in Romania, Easter is much bigger. Everyone at stores, and even the journalists on TV all say "Christ is Risen" in Romanian. This is the greeting on the street (Now keep in mind, that for many, it is simply a ritual). We had a wonderful time at church and had a big meal with several friends as well as an American Easter Egg hunt for the kids.

Another tradition in Romania is decorating eggs--which can be quite intricate. Families often dye eggs and try to crack one another's eggs saying "Hristos a inviat" (Christ is Risen), while the other person holding his/her egg replies "Adevarat a inviat" (He is risen indeed). Whoever's egg doesn't crack is the winner.

Pie in the Face!

2008-04-17T03:20:00.000-07:00

Eric, (known as Mr. Kooiman to all the kids) was one of three teachers asked to participate in a pie in the face "contest." The juniors at BCA were sponsoring the event as a fundraiser for their Junior/Senior Banquet. For two weeks, there were jars which the kids put money into for the teacher they wanted to see get the pie in the face. I'm pretty sure they chose Eric because he teaches the entire school except kindergarten and he makes all the kids run (which they hate!). In fact, just before the announcement most of the elementary kids were chanting "Mr. Kooiman, Mr. Kooiman." But in the end, it came down to just 1 Lei (romanian money), and Mr. Perkins, the Bible teacher was "the winner."

Lake Balaton, Hungary

2008-04-15T03:05:00.000-07:00

Our trip to Hungary was exactly what we needed. It was relaxing and a good time to refresh to get ready for the remaining months of the school year. We went to a place called-Lake Balaton, about an hour outside of Budapest and spent our week there. It is a beautiful place and being there off season, it was incredibly quiet. We took the kids swimming everyday and made the tour of all the playgrounds and zoos! Our favorite activity was this bobsled car thing called "balaton bob". Praise God for a wonderful time!

Spring Break is here!!

2008-03-28T06:38:00.000-07:00

We are off from school for a week and a half. Bucharest will be a crazy place because they are hosting the NATO summit here where 26 heads of states will be meeting, so we are escaping the country to Budapest, Hungary. Please pray as we take the night train (12 hours) with our little kiddos. We are looking forward to our first vacation as a family of four. We will update you when we get back!

Trust

2008-03-20T05:13:00.001-07:00

This past week Hannah was very ill with a high fever and no other symptoms. We feared again that she had a kidney infection like she did earlier this year. Unfortunately, the doctors we usually go to were in the U.S. this month and this made finding out what was wrong with her even more difficult. But God provided as he always does, as another doctor friend of ours made a house call to check on her and helped us interface with a lab so we could get her tested. Her test came back negative and it seems that maybe she just has a virus or something. As I write this her fever is almost normal and we think she is recovering well.

No one likes it when their very young child is sick, but in a foreign country with a lack of acceptable medical care it makes it even tougher on a crazy, cautious Mom like myself. I felt "out of control" this week as I was worried about Hannah. I think some of it also had to do with that another American had just airlifted their toddler to Austria for medical care and I was imagining the same thing happening to Hannah.

But upon further reflection and while I was praying for her, I started to ask myself the question. "Do I trust God in this situation?" Do I trust him with my child's life, with the possibility that everything won't turn out ok? If Hannah was sick and we were in the U.S. I would say, "of course I trust God" but really meaning I trust God and then the terrific doctors and medical facilities as God's back up. In reality, in both situations-here and in the U.S. God is ultimately in control of what happens to my children. Just in the U.S., I think I have more control than I really do.

I believe one of the reasons God has called me to this life living in a place where I often feel out of control is that he wants me to have complete dependence and trust in him. He is constantly using situations and circumstances to mold me into the woman of God he wants me to be. Here in Bucharest, I am stripped of all my natural comforts of "home" and have no choice but to rely on God. Although this is not a "fun" process, I am thankful that God continues to pursue me in this way and not just let me live in dependence on "self"

I currently am reading a book called "Ruthless Trust" by Brennan Manning. He writes, "Ruthless Trust ultimately comes down to this: faith in the person of Jesus and hope in his promise. In spite of all disconcerting appearances, we stare down death without nervousness....ruthless trust is an unerring sense, way deep down, that beneath the surface agitation, boredom, and insecurity of life, it's gonna be all right. Ill winds may blow, more character defects may surface, sickness may visit, and friends will surely die; but a stubborn irrefutable certainty persists that God is with us and loves us in our struggle to be faithful."

Pray for me that I continue to trust God in every circumstance.

Samuel turns 3!!

2008-03-13T04:03:00.001-07:00

Is it really possible that my "baby" is 3 years old? We had a wonderful party on Sammy's actual birthday: March 1st. He had 5 little friends over. The party theme was Disney's "Cars". Samuel loves the movie and plays with his cars daily. I attempted to make a race track cake and with Eric's help, it turned out ok-Samuel really loved his cake so I was pleased. We made "cars" out of boxes and the kids raced around. We had races with their favorite race cars and listened to the Cars soundtrack. Then we went inside for lunch-macaroni and cheese from the states!!! and watched the movie Cars. It was a great day!

On a deeper level, I had many thoughts. This is Samuel's second birthday celebrated in Romania-and this was much better emotionally for me than last year. Last year I was very focused on the fact that our family could not be there and it was hard on me. This year I focused on the fabulous friends that God has given us and the fact that they love to celebrate with us. In our missionary training they told us that our transition would be almost complete once we were on the second year of celebrations-second Christmas, second birthday celebration and I think that rings true for me. I have transitioned into living here-I still grieve that my family cannot be an integral part of celebrations like this, but it is no longer my focus. This life is God's choice for me so I need to look for the blessings that He brings- like friends to celebrate with.

High School Valentine's Day Banquet

2008-03-11T03:52:00.001-07:00

We had so much fun being the chaperones for the high school Valentine's Day Banquet! The students did a great job of planning it! We had dinner at a cute little Italian place not far from the school and we ate some terrific pasta as well as played games such as Taboo and a pictionary type game. Eric and I just love investing in the student's lives and learning more about each of their individual personalities. Plus, it was a fun way to spend Valentine's Day!

Watch Out! Heather now on the road in Bucharest!

2008-02-11T03:07:00.000-08:00

Many of you have been praying that I would have the courage to begin driving here in Bucharest. I had intended to begin driving this past summer when there are less cars on the road, but our car was in an accident and then in the shop until the end of November so I kept putting it off. But, this past week I have conquered my fear and have driven just a handful of places.

Here are my observations so far: 1) Driving in Bucharest has greatly improved my prayer life-I pray constantly whenever on the road. 2) I have greatly improved my skill of multi-tasking-I can make sure I am not being hit or hitting the trams, stray dogs, carts and horses, other cars, or suicidal pedestrians all while driving. 3) As long as I am aware of the concept that the rules of the road are that there are NO RULES, I keep my frustration level down. It is only when I EXPECT people to follow the signs, stop lights, lane markings, or stay on their side of the street that I become like a crazy person.

And lest you think that I have completely conquered this driving thing, I am still only able to drive places that I can figure out how to get to all turning right (even if it means driving WAY out of my way) The left turns here scare me to death-they have no left turn arrows. The left turns are what my friends call "chariot turning"-If you want to turn left everyone (including people turning both ways) piles themselves in the middle (which also happens to be the tram tracks) and when the light finally turns red, a line of 4-7 cars all turn at once but all into a one lane (sometimes two) street.

The pictures that I posted above are very TYPICAL Bucharest traffic-scenes I see everyday just in front of our buildings.

In all seriousness though, I would love some prayers of protection and calmness with this whole driving thing!!! Thank you!

Our 2nd Christmas in Romania

2008-01-16T04:06:00.000-08:00

Can it really be that we just celebrated our 2nd Christmas here in Bucharest? We had a wonderful time-mainly because Eric's parents had the opportunity to be here and see the grandkids open their presents!! What a blessing it was to be with family!! We had a fun time with them here in Bucharest as well as doing some traveling too!!
The picture above with Eric's parents and Sammy in front of the big lit Christmas tree was taken in downtown Bucharest-in the main square. The tree is suppose to be "Europe's largest Christmas tree" and had over 2 million lights. Right under the tree is a fun ice skating rink and fun treats to eat! Sometimes its fun living in a big city with lots to do!

The First Snow of Winter

2007-12-16T04:58:00.000-08:00

This past Friday it finally snowed as it had been threatening to for over a week. Well, still being a true Southern Californian I was VERY excited until I realized I still had to walk to school in the snow and worse, frozen ice. So there I was in my new winter boots (that never saw the light of day last year) walking (ok perhaps creeping) extremely carefully as not to fall. Never mind that all around me were my Romanian neighbors, running so it seemed to me in their high heels and tennis shoes-like there was no snow and ice at all. After teaching my two classes at school, I "ran" home and put Samuel in his snowsuit and took the kids outside to play in the snow. I thought we were having a picture perfect winter time till Samuel said, "Mom, can we go home now?" I asked him why and he replied, "Snow is COLD!" Apparently he too somehow is a southern californian at heart. (As I type this it is snowing heavily!)

A Taste of Romanian Cuisine

2007-12-10T02:33:00.000-08:00

The traditional big Romanian meal involves several courses. Here is a sample:

A true Romanian meal always begins with soup like the one pictured above. The most common type of soup is called "ciorba" and it is a sour soup and can be served with vegetables and a variety of meats.
A common appetizer: Salata de vinete is an eggplant spread with mayonnaise and spices served with tomatoes on bread.
Appetizer #2: salata de boeuf. It is a mayonnaise and mustard salad with potatoes, beef, pickles, carrots, peas. It is often served on bread or with hard-boiled eggs. It really is very good-much better than it looks and sounds!!
The Romanian delicacy: sarmale (pronounced sar-mall-ey) is sour cabbage stuffed with a mixture of rice, and minced pork and beef. It is steamed for over 24 hours and served with a smothering of sour cream. The yellow stuff in the background is called mamaliga, (one of my favorites!!)kind of a corn-bread mush often served with a pork sauce or cheese and sour cream.

And nothing better to top off a good Romanian meal than gogoşi: home-made Romanian donuts sprinkled in powdered sugar and dipped in Romanian fruit jams. Yum!! So come and visit us and we will treat you to all the good food!!

BCA Girls Group

2007-12-04T02:40:00.000-08:00

I have the opportunity to be the leader for a small group of girls at BCA. The girls range in age from 13-18. We get together and discuss everything and anything, although some of the purpose of the group is to discuss the topics presented in our weekly chapel. We spend time bonding and praying for each other. From left to right, they are Abby, Rebekah, Rachael, and Ji Hye. Most of them have spent the majority of their life here in Romania and at BCA. It has been my pleasure to get to know them and fun too because I have only one of them in class and otherwise would have had limited interaction with them. Please pray for me as I try to be a good example to them of a godly woman and as I attempt to answer their questions about life and God. This awesome responsibility weighs heavy on me at times.

Family Photo Time

2007-11-25T12:14:00.000-08:00

Who knew that trying to attempt to get a decent photo of the four of us could be so difficult? It seems one of our little toddlers is always having a meltdown!! These fabulous pictures were taken after the wonderful Thanksgiving we shared with our OC International Team. (although a Thanksgiving without turkey!!-not a very popular meat here in Romania)

"Grounded"-the BCA Coffeehouse

2007-11-16T03:42:00.000-08:00

Every Thursday morning Eric and I bring Samuel and Hannah to eat and hang out at BCA's coffeehouse-"Grounded" they call it. It is located in the basement, really a one car garage of the main building. The Seniors organized it and work there selling all types of coffee, tea, hot chocolate and breakfast treats. There is also often live entertainment! (See photo above with our student Matews-a Brazilian missionary kid) Its a nice way to start out the day before school gets too busy and a good way for us to bond with the students. Plus, those of you who know me well know that I do indeed love coffee and love this opportunity to drink a lot of it!

Happy 1st Birthday Hannah!

2007-11-12T09:49:00.001-08:00

I think Hannah will always be one of our markers for how long we've been in Romania as she was born 2 and 1/2 months after we arrived. I can't believe its been 1 year since God blessed us with such a wonderful and safe birth of our beautiful little girl! She is VERY active and started walking about two weeks ago as well as climbing on everything. She definitely keeps us busy!

Romania: A life of contrasts

2007-10-29T04:42:00.000-07:00

Right across the street from our building is a gypsy camp where they have many horse carts. Samuel still loves seeing the horses everyday. Interestingly, the EU (European Union) laws adopted in Bucharest say that peasants from the countryside are no longer allowed in the city with their wagons and horses. Driving on the highways in Romania is a kind of like watching two time periods living side by side. I have never seen more Mercedes and BMW's in my life than in Romania. But then you pass these and get behind a horse and wagon. Or, you see a field with a large combine, followed by a field with people working with a horse and plow. Thus, Romania is truly a life of contrasts.

Fun with students at the Progressive Dinner!

2007-10-22T03:31:00.000-07:00

We had the opportunity to host the appetizer portion of the high school progressive dinner last week and had a great time. Both Eric and I love hanging out with the students and getting to know each of their unique personalities better! It was fun to have the students in our own home and share our lives with them also. Samuel also enjoyed having what he calls the "kids" over. He probably talked the most out of everyone there sharing all his new words!!!

My Daily Walk To and From School

2007-10-13T02:56:00.000-07:00

Most days I walk to and from school because 1) I enjoy walking and it gives me some time to be alone with my thoughts and 2) I have not yet tackled driving in this city. These pictures are from one of the nicest parts of my walk. Although somehow the pictures portray it nicer than it really is. BCA is near "the river"(well, as much as Los Angeles has a "river") and I cross that little bridge everyday. I also pass by 20 concrete block apartment buildings on my walk as well. Here are other things I see every day on my walk: 5 car wash stations, 2 tire stores, 3 pizzerias, 1 vacant lot, a minimum of 20 street dogs (this alone will have to be a topic for a whole separate post!), 2 beauty salons, 4 bus stops, 1 model train store (very odd!), 3 pharmacies, and 2 industrial type plants. This is for sure: my walk is NEVER boring.

Samuel at 2 1/2 and Hannah at 11 months

2007-10-04T03:36:00.001-07:00

Hannah is everywhere constantly-she is our little mover and shaker. There is no rest for her-she wants to GO, GO, GO!! She also loves to wave all the time and at EVERYONE! She also shakes her head no just before she does something she knows she should not be doing.

Both of them are at such fun ages!!

Samuel is pretty much out of his "NO!" stage and has become Mr. Helpful around the house-enjoying doing his "chores" like helping Mommy with the laundry. He loves his little sister but is often annoyed by her constant presence in all his stuff. He does love to kiss her though! His current favorite word is MINE! (big surprise there!) and his favorite sentence is "What cha doing Mom?" which must be immediately answered!

The Views from our Apartment Windows

2007-09-30T11:27:00.001-07:00

Our favorite view-from our bedroom

What Samuel and Hannah see out their windows

As I sit on our sofa I often watch these women chat with each other out their windows

The view from our living room windows

From our kitchen window

BCA Secondary Cookout

2007-09-25T09:20:00.000-07:00

We were excited to chaperone our first Bucharest Christian Academy Event-the annual cookout. Basically, the students hang out after school- cooking hotdogs, hamburgers, and mici (Romanian sausage type things). We had a fabulous time playing games and bonding with the students.

2007-09-23T06:37:00.000-07:00

A Year in Review

It’s hard to believe we have lived in Bucharest, Romania for just over a year now. We wanted to take some time to not only reflect on what God has done for us but to thank you for being faithful in your prayers and support of us. Many of the items below were only possible because of your prayer and financial support.

So what did this year look like?

*Hundreds of Hours Studying and Learning Romanian-we enjoyed working with our language teachers and practicing with our new friends and neighbors. We are so thankful for the foundation of the language we now have. It makes all the difference in being able to function here. Our plans are to continue language learning on a much-reduced schedule as we teach at the school.

*We added another member to our family!! We are now 4! Hannah Alice was born November 9, 2006. So many of you prayed for her safe arrival and she has been an extremely healthy baby! We can’t believe she is already 9 months old and standing up and attempting to walk and do everything her big brother Samuel does.

*We bought and remodeled an apartment here in Bucharest. This is one experience we will never forget! How thankful we are for our new home!

*We were blessed to have family visit. Eric’s parents were in Bucharest for Hannah’s birth and then again in April. Heather’s parents and siblings were able to visit for Christmas and again this summer. We can’t express what a difference it makes to have such supportive family.

*We watched Samuel grow from a baby to “real little boy”! It is such a joy to interact with this very loving little child. Heather’s sister Amanda was such a blessing in taking care of him.

*We spent time learning the history of Romania, reading books, and also traveling around to places outside of Bucharest to get more familiar with our new country.

*We worked and bonded with our OC International Team here in Bucharest. They are like our family. We went on retreats, had fellowship times, weekly prayer meetings, and also occasionally helped out with their ministries.

*We worked on preparing for our classes at our ministry focus at Bucharest Christian Academy.

And although we would never say that this past year was easy, it certainly was full of many blessings from God at every twist and turn!!