Joy :)

romania is hot. very very hot.



maybe it was this hot in sevilla but i didn't realize it....i don't know if i remember being this hot in a long time...

sooo yesterday constanta and doina met me at around 11 in the morning and we headed to Santa Maria together. the feeling of being back there is unexplainable. the girls running up to me screaming my name--i honestly didn't think they would remember me... after i unattached them from my legs and arms Constanta decided it would be a good idea to have a bible study time together with the young girls--side note: if anyone knows of how to get children teaching materials in other languages(romanian) please let me know, i am searching the internet as well--but Costy desperately needs more materials



during the bible study i didn't really do much...can't really speak the language...:) so i just held them and tried my best not to distract the girls and make them listen to Costy. She is an amazing teacher! the girls look up to her so much and you can see how they run to her for everything.



afterwards Doina, Costy, and I headed to a park to meet up with the missionary team from California and a group from Costy's church to help pass out flyers about the concert on Saturday night. The team set up and performed their songs and dramas in the middle of the park...welllll until the police came and told us we had to leave...seems to be some law against loud music in the park or something--honestly they were more upset that we were promoting christianity than anything else



but I had a chance to meet so many people that night--Costy's church, "Mustard Seed", has a sort of foundation that is in a building connected to the church. this foundation serves as a sort of half-way house for orphans to live in between the time they leave the orphanage and get on their feet by themselves. it is through this foundation that the missionary team from Cali came. Teresa is a woman who we met during January--she has served here for almost two years...it was great talking with her again--hearing more of her stories and receiving advise from her. I also got to talk with a few other people from the group and from her church which was so encouraging!



I don't have much time so here are some pics from monday :) and a couple of videos...enjoy!













here are the links to the videos :)



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTrh2p-JIm0



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pD8H825uYyQ





...and today i went to Pinnochio to see Tony and Ionica and play with all the kids!
Viorica and I bought lots and lots of soft pretzels on our way so we could give the kids. honestly the orphanage has gone from bad to worse...I took some pics but the director spotted me and i think because i was by myself she thought i was maybe with a newspaper or something...but anyways she took my camera away. I explained with her that i could delete the pictures and then I could have my camera back....so it all worked out but i wish i had my pictures. Viorica and I gathered some of the kids and went outside to their 'playground' which in america would be referred to as a dump yard...maybe not even that-- we gave the kids some jump ropes and coloring papers. Viorica read to them the story of creation in Genesis 1, while they colored pictures of trees and animals. i spent the next couple of hours playing hand clapping games and jump rope and teaching the kids songs!



then i saw a bus pull up and a mission team came and did skits and dramas! during this i got to snap a few pics with the kids :)



sooo here are some pics from today...

constanta and I walking home...:)

after pinnochio Costy, Doina, and I walked around the city for a while and then headed back to Viorica's for dinner.

today all the girls at Santa Maria left to go camping for a vacation sort of thing for a week and so Niki and Viorica decided that we would take a trip to see Dracula Castle and spend the night in the mountains! (maybe it will be cooler there) Costy, Doina, Ionica, and I are all going! I am so excited! mostly because i know they just need to get away from here, they need a break from their life for a few days.

ha and i asked Niki how long it takes to get there...possibly 8 hrs in a car....this is going to be very interesting...riding in a car in Romania with Niki and Ionica in the front for 8 hrs....say some prayers :)