Thanksgiving

So many things to share. I have been missing in action over here. All the weeks have become busy and precious here in my last days in Romania. Here is a picture of some of our recent art projects. Each of the kids painted an eye. View the beauty.

In book discussions, we just started reading our final text, "Pedagogy of the Oppressed" written by Paulo Freire. It is a dangerous read. After reading this, you cannot remain in the middle ground when it comes to issues of the poor. It is my new recommended read for the brave.

Our dedicated "lunch lady" Doamne Dorna from the center invited us (servant team, plus) to her home for dinner a week back. In Romanian homes you are served dinner and your host does not usually join you. This is hard for me because I want them to sit down and chat. But the value of caring for people is very very evident in everything that they do for you. There is such sweet generosity and care. After dinner we all stayed and played games with Doamne Dorna's children. They are all in college/high school and we had a lovely time together laughing and later playing guitar and singing.

The other day I had a moment of connection with our kids here at the center. During our play time outside Madeline and Anna were having me push them on our tire swings and another rope swing. They liked it when I pushed them together so they crashed and then just laughed and laughed. Later, Anna went inside and Madeline and I continued playing. She started to sing in her off key child voice and then demanded that I sing too. I sang her a lullaby in English and she was mesmorized as I kept pushing the swing back and forth. It was the first time she was ever quiet and looking into my face with concentration and delight. Madeline asked Josh to help us translate the song line by line and then we sang each line and she tried to sing them in English back to me. Her English was unrecognizable and so was the song. Still such a special moment of connection. For a few instances her face was transformed into the face of any normal child, all innocent and sweet. I wished that her mom had done this for her. I prayed that the Lord would give her more of these moments.

Saturday we had our Thanksgiving dinner here at Casa de Vale (the name of the center here which translates "Valley House"). I started baking at 10am and we didn't leave the kitchen until dinner was served at about 6pm. But it was such a wonderful day and we had so much fun making yummy food for everyone and attempting all our family recipes in a strange country. All turned out perfect, even pumpkin pie! As we were attempting to answer a few questions as to the reason Americans celebrate Thanksgiving - always a touchy subject to me since it started out with such a pleasant theme and then progressed to such horrors for our Native American friends. But, as we were attempting to be truthful and yet simplify the description of the holiday it seemed profound to me that it really is a holiday about community and friendship of different cultures. And then of course, it seemed there really wasn't a better way to celebrate than exactly how we were with friends in another part of the world.

I received word yesterday that my great-grandmother Floy died on Saturday. Her funeral is today and I am missing it. I am sad. I am missing her as she was when I was growing up. I am sad for the things she suffered in her life. But, I also see God's grace in having me here during this time. I have received such grace from friends here. Last night three of us just went into the chapel and sang while I cried. It is so good for my heart to worship when I am grieving. He is yet a good Lord. Would really appreciate prayers for my family. My first thought upon hearing the word that she had died was the desire to go and light a candle for her at the Orthodox Church.

My time here is so limited and I am trying to make the most of every moment and experience. I feel so blessed to have had this time with the Lord and His people.

Joy and Anger

This week I taught art classes again. One of our projects was simply a piece of paper and one crayon or colored pencil. We then gave them 5 minutes to depict an emotion that we gave them and then repeated the exercise 5 times using 'anger, joy, shame, fear, and courage'. They idea was for them to be very abstract in their interpretations and to only use one color per emotion so that their color choice was symbolic. I was amazed at their creativity. For instance, one boy drew 'fear' as a navy blue heart with an arrow through it.
Moise is a sweet boy but easily and often distracted. He is challenging but I learn from him often. He enjoyed our art project but when asked to depict anger he blurted out, "but I don't have any anger" with joy spread all over his face. And it is true. I have never seen him angry or discontent. Whatever we are doing he brings a childlike joy, perhaps he is more childlike than his age should be, but this spoke to my heart. This boy has reason to be angry. His life is hard. Difficult and painful things have happened to him and continue to happen to him. Yet he says, "but I don't have any anger" and smiles and is gentle. I am not saying he is never angry or sad because I do not know. I am only saying that in his response I was convicted. I am easily angered, I am quick to say, "that is not fair" and I do not have moment by moment delight in the blessing all around me. Moise is teaching me that.
On a completely different note. I thought you all might enjoy hearing about some of daily life here. Food - It is fall. Apples are in. Cabbage is in. Everything goes in seasons of harvest and that is how we eat. Everyone cans and pickles things for the winter. In my house it seems like Irina is canning something new every week. I am sorry to say that most of it doesn't smell very good to my picky nose. Romanians really enjoy a vegetable spread made from eggplant called salate de vinete. I am not a fan though most Americans have taken to it quiet nicely. I am getting over the intimidation of the markets and starting to really enjoy it. In the center of town you can go the Piatsa where there are vendors for all sorts of food. One whole building is nothing but vegetables, fruit and other produce. Another building has several meat markets and cheese counters and bread too. I enjoy the rhythm of buying only what you need for the near future. I am getting used to the concept of no lines for anything - just get in there and push and shove your way to the front if you want something. Hmmm, what a shock the States will be after all this. You might see me at the grocery store cutting in line.
Everyday we eat lunch at the center with the kids. Staff take turns serving lunch not as a cook but as a kind of master of ceremonies (that is the best description I can come up with). Give the kids and staff plates, pick someone to pray, makes sure no one is too loud, tell them where to sit, give them more as hands start raising, water, dessert, napkins, spills, "can I go?", "so and so did this to me!", and so on... etc etc. Recently I was given a turn. Well, it was fairly exciting although I think most of the drama occurred in my head. I was terrified because of my terrible Romanian and all the chaos of la masa (meal time). The only thing I really messed up were the numbers of large and small portions between kids and adults, confusing, funny, but minimally embarrassing and not disastrous. Everyone was very very patient with me. Very.
Well, I have 6 weeks left here in beloved Romania before I come home. I could really use some prayer for the following: a job, a car, a home, and grace to really soak up all that the Lord has for me in the next 6 weeks. I will be arriving back in Omaha December 15th.
Much love,
e