Isaiah 55:5

Today is Father’s Day. I know my dad will read this, so I’d like to wish him a Happy Father’s day. I love and am missing you very much today Papa. I wish I could be in two places at once…
If any other dads read this, the wishes for a great day extend to you too!

I promised pictures, so here are a few that I’ve taken this week:

They are such great students!

This is Kati – She is one of my favorites.
She’s so patient with my terrible attempts
at Hungarian.

The Parachute was a big hit!!

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the responsibility involved in leadership. Katie and I have had some interesting conversations since we’ve been here about just that. We were discussing last night about how all of the children watch us very closely. I’m not sure if they are comparing us to the image that they have of Americans from television and movies etc… if it is because we are believers, and speak to them about it every day, or if it is simply because we are different from them. I was overwhelmed last night after realizing many times throughout the day that children were just staring at me – for seemingly no reason. What do they see? What are they thinking? Am I putting forth the person every day that I want them to see? I really think that I am; knowing that I am being watched so closely does put a different perspective on how I behave, even subconsciously sometimes. When I leave this camp, what do I want the children to remember about me? Namely, that I both told and showed them the love of Christ. I don’t think that the little English that I’ve taught them this week really matters. But I want them to know in their hearts that they are loved. Will they remember that? Will they tell their families? Will they be impacted for the rest of their lives? My only desire is to say with the Psalmist, “You are loved. There is no reason to be afraid. In love God created your inmost self and knit you together in your mother’s womb.”(Psalm 139:13)
Responsibility. We have a responsibility not only as leaders of these children to proclaim this message, but also as children of God. This is the good news. There is a Love far greater than any love that I can offer – am I fulfilling my responsibility to share it with every one that I meet? It sounds so trite, “Love your neighbor”, but do I really unconditionally love my neighbor? It seems easy to love these children, but after I go home, will it still be as easy to love those around me?

“Let me love you, my Lord and my God, and see myself as I really am: a pilgrim in this world, a Christian called to respect and love all whose lives I touch, those in authority over me, or those under my authority, my friends and my enemies.”

Today, Katie and I have officially been here a month. I know, I know, my blog says Day 28, but it really has been a month today since we flew into Romania. To celebrate, we took a nap, and bought some chocolate. This is pretty much the best day of our lives. Just kidding. But it has been a great day.

I think I am starting to get used to being cold here – being in the mountains is wonderful, but I’m still having to convince myself that it is the middle of June and not March. Also, as soon as I get home, I would like for someone with a scientific brain to please explain to me why it doesn’t get dark until 10:00 pm here, but it is fully light out at 5:00 am? I would like a very simplified answer because I don’t feel like thinking too hard about it. But I really do want to know.

Katie is teaching the English class today, and I will teach tomorrow, so I’m taking advantage of my limited free time to blog. On the first full day that we were here at camp, Katie taught the children how to say Hello and Goodbye. Unfortunately, the word they use most as a greeting, Szia, basically means Hi and Bye and of course they use it as both, so without fail, everytime we greet the children in the morning some of them say very energetically, “Goodbye!!”

Yesterday we went on a 7 mile trek to a mineral water spring, and I cannot believe how sore I am today! I would not have thought I was out of shape considering how much I ran before I came over here, but by the way that my legs feel today, I’m worried about myself haha. I think we wore all of the children out after the excursion. They were so quiet at dinner!! Like I’ve said before, they really are incredibly well behaved for the most part, but last night they were angels.

Katie and I were talking about the children the yesterday while we were walking back from the spring, and we came to a funny conclusion. I don’t think a couple of the younger children have realized that we really don’t understand about 90% of what they’re saying. They know we speak another language, but many of them still come up to me and Katie and talk to us emphatically about something for about 10 minutes, and as many times as I try to explain in my very poor Hungarian that I don’t understand, or ask them to speak slowly, they still keep going 90 miles an hour like we’re natives haha. I’ve gotten to the point where I just nod, and smile and say “Ohhh…igen(yes).”

There is a tennis court here at camp, and I’ve started playing again. I didn’t realize that it’s been three years since I’ve been on the courts. Attila is pretty good, so we’ve been engaging in some hardcore playing – so far I’m losing, but I’m proud to say it’s really only because I can’t serve to save my life, and his serve is the only thing he’s consistent with. (Attila if you read this don’t be offended – you know it’s true.) I also played Volleyball for the first time Wednesday and LOVED it! Katie and I are really enjoying being so active with the children. It’s nice to be able to do something with them that doesn’t require a whole lot of conversation, but at the same time, there is a bonding of sorts involved in playing with them. I love seeing the personalities come out in the children when we’re playing games – some of them are SO competitive. I’ve taken quite a few pictures, but I haven’t had the chance to upload any, so hopefully soon I’ll be able to post some of the children. They are so PRECIOUS.

“I offer you, Lord, my thoughts: to be fixed on you;
my words: to have you for their theme;
my actions: to reflect my love for you;
my sufferings: to be endured for your greater glory.”

Well, here we are on our second full day here. The children have warmed up to us so much, and that is a blessing. We played a lot of sports with them yesterday; well Katie played volleyball, and I played something comparable to tennis, haha, but we had a lot of fun. I had a breakthrough yesterday when a boy asked me if I wanted to play basketball in Hungarian, and I knew what he was asking! I still haven’t learned as many verbs as I would like – but Orsi gave me homework on our last day in Reghin, so as soon as I get the chance, I will start to work on it.

Katie taught the English class yesterday, and I will teach today. It is a little more difficult than any of the other classes we’ve taught because these children learn very slowly. Although our children from Apalina have a terribly attention span, they do learn fairly quickly. Mirjam informed us that most of these children here quit going to school after fourth grade, so that causes difficulty in teaching them, but I think as long as there is a lot of interaction and they are having fun, they will learn something.

Yesterday I surprised myself. I haven’t eaten a banana in at least 12 years. Anyone who knows me knows that I pick bananas out of banana pudding because I hate them so much. Well, yesterday at lunch, they had bananas, and Katie was going on and on about how good they were…I was curious. So I tried one, and it was actually pretty good haha. I don’t think this is the start of a long-lasting relationship or anything, but at least my opinion has been improved of bananas. However, all of the fruit here is better than the fruit in the States, so I really doubt I’ll be eating any when I come home.

I went on a walk with a couple of the older girls yesterday and had a somewhat decent conversation in Hungarian until the end of the walk, when they started asking me a question that I didn’t know. They persisted for awhile, but then gave up, so I was a little discouraged, but I have to remind myself that I am learning. This is SUCH a learning process, and I’m finding so many things out about myself. For one thing, I have never felt so vulnerable for such a long period of time and it is taxing. But I think it is a good thing as well, because I am finding that some things are easier – like prayer, for example. And love. It is so easy to love these children when I feel that I have nothing else to offer them. And I think they are beginning to love us in return, which is comforting. God works in mysterious ways, and even when I feel that I will never learn this language, I am still able to establish relationships and see Him working through them.

‘I trust in your faithfulness. Grant my heart joy in your help, that I may sing of the Lord, “How good our God has been to me!” ‘
Psalm 13:6