Moments

Snowflakes falling,

Beautiful sight.

Goodbyes calling,

Life is bright.

Blessed in passing,

Moments a treasure.

Sincerity unmasking,

Love without measure.

This little poem was my attempt at expressing the depth of my gratitude for the special people and the special moments in life. Each person, each act of kindness, each sight of the fruit of the Spirit, each genuine tear and hug... each moment a treasure.

I am here in Sighisoara, typing on the computer in my room. I have found the place that I will lay my head the next months to be cozy and comforting. The room is on the main floor with the family, which I know is providential being the only student here for the semester. The whole family is on this floor, and it will provide lots of opportunities for connecting and being together. 

I have already fallen in love with this family. I was welcomed immediately at the door by 11 year old Rachel. She also loves horses, a bond in which we share and contributed to our instant friendship! haha ;) I am truly thankful however for her mutual goofiness and joy in spending time together... I can not wait to spend the rest of the couple of months getting to know her better.

Although the 40th student to stay here with the family, yes that is 40, the family has welcomed me with equal amount of Christ-like love, and of course that Romanian hospitality. I am yet again amazed by this family's hearts for giving, sharing, and can see in their eyes a care and genuine concern for each student. The mother and father, whom I will call mamma and tata... are amazing. I am truly blessed to be here. Although the father knows little English, we have communicated well through hand motions, facial expressions and our small vocabulary of either Romanian or English. He radiates love for those around him and has such a gentle spirit.   He laughs easily and connects quickly with the students.

There are two other American girls living here till Tuesday from Huntington college. It has been so fun having host-sisters and they are fellow social work students! We had a great time tonight playing jungle speed with Rachel, during which I almost lost my nose to an intense battle for the game piece! hahaha :) Laughter is so good... the kind that makes your belly hurt!!

Yesterday, I was able to visit a town about an hour and a half away, called Sibiu. There were about 20 of us Americans with a group from Huntington and a Nazarene college. It was a great outing, and fun to get to know the students. As the only Cornerstone rep, I hope I did justice for the school!!! 

Sibiu was a beautiful old city, so much history, with ornate buildings that have been restored. Sibiu was nominated as the city of choice in Europe along with Luxemburg, last year I believe, and it was a great honor for Romania. Thus, most of the renovation money went into this city. We went inside a German and Lutheran church, as well as shopped in the Piata Mare (large square) and the Piata Mic (small square). There was a large snow hill right in the middle where gleeful children sledded down its icy packed snow. Some of the guys from the Nazarene college even decided to join in the fun and slide down with the kids.. definitely receiving some funny looks from the parents ;).

Well, tomorrow is my first day of "school" and I am still uncertain as to what to expect. Yet I am learning more day by day to just go with the flow and be flexible. It has really caused me to step back and reflect more on the value of cultivating relationships. Time is one of the most valuable things you can give someone, and I am recognizing that more as I experience a slower pace here in Romania. Moments really are a treasure, and the extent to which joy and sincerity and love can be manifested through quality time is truly a gift.

Praise be to the Giver of every good and perfect gift...

JoY

P.S. Pictures to come when the ability to post them comes :)

P.S.S. I know I didn't write about the topics mentioned in the previous post, sorry about that, but I will make sure to either share later, or in person!

Noapte Buna- Good Night!

Turning a page..

Well tomorrow I will be turning a new page, beginning a new chapter of the journey.
I head to Sighisoara in the morning, bags packed and memories treasured.
It was quite the experience, attempting to arrange my transportation to Sighisoara. I will have to refrain from details however, as I must snuggle under the covers for some necessary sleep.
However, let me mention some topics of future discussion- partly for aiding my failing memory ;) and partly to provide a bit of possible suspense!

Here are the topics:

• A Day of Silence
• "Maid" in Missions
• Village Vulnerability
• Testifying Tongues

There is so much to talk and share... I already feel as though as I am behind in updating!

But in the past few days my heart has experienced much.... and I am grateful for the friendships that have formed, the life-giving, edifying conversations, the moments of discomfort that shape, the witness of God's moving through His people and His words of truth... its been amazing!

So, I am uncertain as to what Internet access will be like in Sighisoara, but I will update again as soon I have the ability to update. Thank you everyone for the prayers and support, the emails and the encouragement. I can not say enough how much that means and how it touches my heart and spurs me on during some difficult times.

And I will leave you with a favorite passage of mine from Scripture that testifies to the Lord's goodness and His faithfulness, and embodies what I hope to do not only with this blog, but also in my daily life... to tell of all His amazing deeds! What a wonderful God we serve..

Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand.
You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory.
Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
Those who are far from you will perish; you destroy all who are unfaithful to you.
But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds.

Psalm 73:23-28

Social Workers Unite!

----Welcome to today's feature presentation... Social Workers Unite.

Sit back and enjoy the broadcast.-----

So you know the poem that says, "visions of sugar plums danced in my head.."?? Well, yesterdays visions were quite different, instead of sugar plums they were visions and ideas of helping, empowering, and fundraising! hehehe, Its craziness when two social workers connect on the same frequency! For three hours straight, Heather and I bounced around ideas and thoughts with one another about helping various people and ministries here in Romania!

Stay tuned for the rest of this riveting message....

---Commercial Break---

A Social Work Joke- For Kicks and Giggles:

"A man went to a social worker and told him he wanted help because he thought he was a dog. When the social worker asked him how long he had been thinking he was a dog, he replied: “Ever since I was a puppy.” The social worker said: “OK, lay down on the couch.” The man said: “I'm not allowed on the couch.”

----Now, returning to our feature presentation... Social Workers Unite----

So, there is more to the story than just a simple three hour conversation about helping others.

The night before, I had quite the difficult time finding any sleep. Because of my cold, my body has been attempting to rid itself of all the yucky, through the nasal passage of my nose, or otherwise a substance called snot. :) This, accompanied with coughs and sneezes, afforded me no sleep. However, I found myself praying and talking with the Lord during this time. It was a tad bit frightening for me to be sick in another country, and it was easy to think of all the worst case scenarios. Scenarios such as- what if this gets worse and I have to go the hospital, what if I can't breathe...you know those crazy thoughts that sometimes our minds tend to think of! Anyways, I really had to surrender those to the Lord, and remember not to be anxious about anything. He never slumbers, He never ceases, He never fails... I could trust Him and focus on the truth and cast all my cares on Him, even these of worry! And finally sleep came..

In the morning, Heather and I were planning on joining Kathy (the director of a ministry called Living Alternatives-LA here in Cluj) to visit some women who had formerly lived in the House of Joy (the ministry of LA). However, because of my sickness, and the fact that the women had small children, I had decided I would not be able to join them. However, Kathy called and said that she could not get her car started, and we would not be able to travel that day. Heather and I were sad she was having car problems, but were grateful that I now would be able to still visit another time!!

So because of this time we now had, we started discussing ministries here and how we could help!

This is how it all began..

There is quite the need here financially. The House of Joy is a home that Heather worked at for 10 months back in 2005 and 2006.

Here is their mission statement-

"Living Alternatives Romania is serving Romanian women facing crisis pregnancy situations or those with pregnancy-related concerns; striving to provide them with life-giving alternatives for themselves and their babies.We are dedicated to communicating the truth of God's love and redeeming power to see these women restored to a life of peace, hope, and wholeness for themselves and their children."

Currently, the ministry is building a home, right by the YWAM base. The house is larger and designed specifically for the ministry, with a classroom, offices, playroom, medical room, and staff apartments. The thing is, there are three floors, and only one floor is payed for, and by "payed for" I mean just the structure. To finish the other two floors, just the structure, it will cost 80,00 euros (about $100,000). They are still in great need of finances and support.

Heather and I had ideas to bring out a media team from Cornerstone to record a advocacy video that the ministry could use during fundraising. It would be a great asset to bring to churches, universities, business, and people who may be able to provide financial support. We also had many other ideas, such as creating a catalog of items the house needs, in which people could choose an item they wanted to purchase. We thought about a doing some sort of beauty day during Prom or Homecoming day for high school girls. During this time we would find hairstylists who would be willing to donate their time, as well as have some speaker for the girls. Almost like a mini little conference with a biblical message and focus!

And the wheels kept rolling, but those were just some of the ideas.

So, this post is already getting really long, and I do not want to take up any more of your time! But I wanted to share a bit about this and bring awareness to this ministry and its need! I am sure there will be more to come, and more details to follow!

Love and Joy!

~Lauren

More pics from the past few days below...

The three of us on our way back in the taxi.

Heather emailing her mommy..

My beautiful little corner for the past few weeks.

The backyard view from our window.

The view from the front of the house.

I love this lone tree on top of the hill.

I put on my walking shoes for our trip to Zela and Dorin's!

My tour guide and friend.. Heather :)

So pretty...

Two smart cookies.

Cristina's midnight snack...corn in a can!

Heather showing off her beauties (bruises) from the fall down the stairs!

Ok, so there is a reason for me posting this scary photo :)

Heather and I made a deal that if I posted the video below, I had to post this picture!

I think I got the better end of the deal...hehehe ;)

"Showcase of the Bruises"

Starring: Heather Derrick

A cold in the cold...and some fun outings.

--*Sniff--- Sniiifffff--- SNIFFLE--- Sniffle....pause....foghorn in the tissue--- sniff*---

Oh the lovely and serene sounds of one who has a cold :)

I admit, at this very moment, it is I who create this symphony of sniffles as I attempt to provide a brief pictoral update!!

I just wanted to post some pictures of the happenenings of the last few days, hope you enjoy it!

(Sniffle- -swallow----sniff) ;)

Heather and Cristina at Michelangelous, a pizza place!

Cristina and I all excited to eat pizza pizza!

This is Stacey and Shauna- from Michigan!!

Check out those sodas..

My yummy pepperoni and spicy sausage pizza

This was at an amazing little cafe called the Mozart cafe, decked out in the victorian era.

Even the waitresses were dressed up in victorian fashion.

Another cute cafe outing to Quo Vadis..

And below... a mocha masterpiece! Well done, well done Quo Vadis!

"Continuance"

Plans have changed here in Romania for me.
Originally, Heather and I had made arrangements to travel the country, visiting the capitol, Bucharest, and a tourist city on the Black Sea called Costansa. However, there has been some sickness and weariness, as well as the deterring thought of a 10-13 hour train ride, just one way!
So, we have decided to stay here at the YWAM base in Cluj. I am grateful for this change in plans! I truly love it here. Three people have returned, one girl named Cristina from her home here in Romania, where she was for the holidays. Also, 2 girls returned from their time in Egypt... and they both are from Michigan! So there are 3 of us here now from the good 'ole state :).
Yesterday, I attended the same church that hosted the New Years Eve party, with Goldy, Isa, and Eddy. We only stayed for the first hour, which was mainly a time of worship. We had to leave early in order to bring Eddy to the train station as he had to return home for school. I miss him already. The night before he left we watched a edition of Extreme Makeover House Edition, and then he loves to watch funny videos of people falling, like funniest home videos. I had brought lots of chocolate that I received for Christmas and we had quite the little feast and entertainment!! hahahaha :)
Also yesterday, a family who lives in the attic of the house had us over for a delicious lunch. She made soup, potatoes, creamed corn, chicken, bread, and fruit salad! I am also happy to say that I have met many fellow coffee lovers here and we enjoy chatting and sharing while enjoying coffee with one another!
In the evening, Heather and I hopped in a taxi and headed out to visit a family that she is very close with. Their names are Zela and Dorin and they have an adorable 3 year old daughter named Naomi. They also blessed us with Romanian hospitality and we were ushered into their apartment to enjoy another yummy dinner of chicken, corn, and bread!
At the beginning, I was uncertain as to how much English the family knew, so I stepped back and let Heather do alot of much needed catching up with them. Heather is quite fluent in Romanian, and it was so fun to just listen to them talking with one another. I tried to catch words here and there that I now know as well as try to figure out what they were saying by observing the body language!!!
After dinner, we sat down together and Zela and I were able to have a really nice conversation while Heather, Dorine, and Naomi laughed and played with each other :).
I have some prayer requests now...
Heather is not feeling the greatest, as I mentioned earlier. She will be going to the doctor with one of the mothers later this afternoon. Please pray that she will receive good counsel, advice, and possibly some medicine that can help! Also that she would be able to continue to have strength and energy as it is so hard when you are sick to feel up to par. But her attitude has been truly great even in this difficulty! I am thankful for her friendship and laughter in the midst of the sickness :)
Also, please pray for me in regards to resting in the Lord and daily looking to Him for my needs. As many know, I happen to struggle with people pleasing, my love for people and service has been a strength in various forms, but also a weakness. I want to love and serve in order to glorify the Lord, and not to meet my sometimes perceived "need" to be liked. I share this in honesty, knowing that the Lord is stretching and refining.
Today's devotional was a good reminder in regards to this issue. In all my ways, in all my days, the only reason for strength, for joy, for love, for hope, for service... is because of His continuance in providing and strengthening, etc. Being liked and loved by others is a blessing, but not something to strive for ultimately. The praise of man is empty, and not something that I can stand upon!! Anyways, here is what the devotional said...
Isaiah 64:5
Thou meetest him that rejoiceth and worketh righteousness, those that remember Thee in Thy ways... in those is continuance.
"Three conditions, two assurances. If only we will be happy, work, and remember our loving Father, He will meet us in His ways, and those ways will not end in a blank wall, a precipice, darkness; in those (ways) is continuance.
This word has strengthened me afresh. Many things end- hopes, plans, powers- but not the eternal leadings of the Lord our God. The path leads on through plain and valley and forest, up to the heights. The way is like the sunlit patch on the sea at dawn. It 'shineth more and more unto the perfect day'. And then?"
The eternal leadings of the Lord are continuing and never ending... I am so thankful and renewed "afresh" in focusing and basking in this truth.

Much love friends and family!!!


JoY

More pictures.

The new mall in Cluj...

And in this mall.... a Starbucks!!! I was so excited..
Oh the small joys in life ;)

Pictures

A nativity inside a Catholic Church built in the 1300's!

Inside the church...

Skating on a frigid January day..

Another beautiful church with Romanian flags out front.