The Roberts in Romania Blog

Thanks for Giving

2011-10-26T01:53:00.000-07:00

Thanksgiving Sunday
has got to be one of my favorite events in Bircii. It's not a national holiday, but one celebrated individually by many of the churches in this country.

It's hard not to smile when you see
the front of the church holding the bounty of the earth. Almost all of this food was raised on the land we walk past every day. It was furrowed and planted and hoed and weeded and canned or baked
by the folks sitting right next to us in church.

It's a special day, and it grows more festive as some of our friends from the neighboring church in Potcoava come in. The kids and church members treat us to songs, and ...

the youth group add more worship.

( Our Anna is in the orchestra, but she's hidden in the photo.)
Ron serves up the gospel,

and Necu*, our main speaker, dishes out more words of Life.

How refreshing to gaze at His bounty and thank Him for giving.

It's not so bad, either, to get in on the treats after the service.
Did someone say dessert?

Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name, make known among the nations what he has done.
1 Chronicles 16:8

*Bummer. I had a picture of Necu, but lost it in computer land.

Fall Work

2011-09-19T06:39:00.000-07:00

(Please excuse the random order of the pictures. I can't figure out how to get them in the right place.)

Fall looks a little different here than where I came from. Sure, we did some preserving and canning to get us through the winter, but I knew I could always go to a grocery store and buy what I didn't have time to preserve or grow. Here, not all folks have that option.

Rows of cabbages are grown in most gardens, and Romanians know how to use this vegetable in ways that make my salivary glands get busy even as I'm writing.

Last year, at River of Life, I got a first hand tutorial of how to store A LOT of cabbage for future use. Their planning ahead made sense. These folks have many big and little mouths to feed.

Starting with about 60 cabbages, we lined them up on the table and took almost an inch of the thick core from each.

Next, this core-less spot was filled with non-iodized salt and pickling spices.

Like expert moving van loaders, the ladies moved these "filled" cabbages and packed them snugly into huge plastic barrels.

As the barrels were filled, more spices were added, and when the barrel was as full as my belly at Thanksgiving,

a solution of water and salt was added.

We let the barrels sit, loosely covered in the corner, until bubbles started rising to the top (Yep, it was fermenting.)

Finally, the barrel went into cold storage. In a few weeks the cabbage would be ready, and in a few months it would still be ready. Perfect for great recipes, and making my mouth water.

2011-06-09T07:12:00.000-07:00

Remember my intentions with our last blog?
I was going to serve you Spring in Bircii on one giant platter. Instead you got an appetizer, and I got another chance to grow in the virtue of patience.
Today, our internet connection is smiling and we're going for the smorgasbord.
Enjoy a taste of Romanian Spring.

Our back yard, once a jungle, now is tame.

Don't keep your eye on the big wiggly tail and miss the piglets. They're about 2 days old.
No, they are not ours.

With spring came road construction. This is in front of our house.

Ron standing by our aerobic water treatment system. The barrel on the compost bin helps to redistribute the
resulting clean water onto our garden.

More road work. Now, how did you say we should get to our gate?

Some of our flowers...above and below :) .

Our chickens are hiding.

Anna might be hiding, too.
It's a great place to read.

Heather and 3 of her 4 kids. Sara, Josh and David.
She's got a great smile.

Aaah, Ron's homemade bacon. He's my hero.

The out house on the Ministry Center Land.
We don't use it, and neither does anyone else.

Mikayla stacking tile from the old building at the Ministry Center to be used later.

Are you hungry for more?? The heat is on, and summer is in the works.

Overkill

2011-05-27T11:32:00.000-07:00

I've been remiss. Well, remiss might not be the right word. Maybe we should call it lazy, or possibly procrastination, or maybe even a quest for privacy. Call it whatever, but putting our life out there for the world to see hasn't been happening.

So now, in one fell swoop I'm going for overkill.

IF I can get 20 pictures on this blog we're going to do a spring overview.

Are you ready?

Well, don't be. My mission has not been accomplished. Two days of attempting to load these pictures has made me re-evaluate. I'll post the pictures as I can, and be glad that patience is a virtue.

The Ministry Center property isn't what it used to be. Already much work has gone into getting the land usable.

We've had tremendous help and the old house is almost gone.

You can't buy what we consider bacon in this neck of the woods. Ron's attempt to make our own has me thinking, once again, that I married the right man.

With spring, barns are getting mucked, and the leftovers do wonders for a garden.
We now have an 8 foot pile of manure "cooking" until it's ready to supplement our soil.

The delivery man's horse was happy the grass was in need of a mow.

Flowers from My Father

2011-04-18T00:08:00.000-07:00

My spirits weren't high. In fact, they were close to my ankles, sagging like socks with no elastic.

My note to my friend vomitted my complaints. Life, and I, weren't what they should be.

"Lord, would you lift me up?."

AAAAAHHH, at times I have such little faith...

Last night at church the congregation from the next door village joined ours. The singing was deep, with voices loud. The pastor spoke, and I could "hear" some of the message. His words rang of Jesus.

This morning, an email arrived. "Remember, you are empowered by the Holy Spirit as God's ambassadors in Romania. Of course, that also means you are easy targets for the Evil One. Be on guard, but enjoy and bask in God's love, protection and power!!!!"

And then, to top it off, look above to see what He gave me via Maria.

My socks may still bag, but I thank Him for the best elastic.

The Work Begins

2011-03-28T06:11:00.000-07:00

Several weeks ago we started to clean up the ministry center property. This was the first step in getting the soccer field put in this summer.

Several kids who come to the computer center and youth group showed up to help.

We raked, picked up trash, and cut branches.

We got a lot of work done and ended up with one of the biggest burn piles I've ever seen.

I'm looking forward to roasting some marshmallows!

-Anna

Wool Working

2011-03-28T04:51:00.000-07:00

A few months ago Mom decided she would like to learn how to make yarn from wool. She mentioned this to her Bible study. The next week the women brought us wool and all the supplies we needed to make yarn.

We also got lessons! This is Pavel's mom showing us how to card the wool. She told us that when she was younger she carded wool all the time. Now most of the women buy yarn because making it takes a lot of time.

Anna and I have been practicing.

The next step is to make the yarn. We haven't figured out exactly how this works. Instead, we decided to felt the wool.

We put the carded wool in hot water and then pound it. This pushes all the fibers together and it comes out looking like a piece of fabric.

I made a felted glasses case. I like how it turned out, so I am planning to make a book bag.

~Mikayla

Neglected Blogging

2011-02-02T05:32:00.000-08:00

Can we back track to America six months ago?

It's late June, and we're just off the plane from Romania. America is hugging us as luxury flows through wide, sparkling streets. I smile as a long awaited for appointment begins.

My niece thrives at her job at a Paul Mitchell Training School, and she's an easy in for the primping and pampering this Romanian village girl craves.

Each member of my family is coralled to join me, and we meet our "Professionals in Training". (I was told I can't make fun of this title.) My Professional is short, cute, and talks about God. She also has bright purple hair.

God certainly aims to keep this missionary smiling.

Mikayla has masses of hair cut off...

while Ron considers the closest escape route.

Even Matt gets in on the action. How do you spell a cut to please your dad? S_H_O_R_T

The finished product leaves us groomed enough to enter the American culture.

We obviously are not in Bircii anymore!

Here's a thank you to Sara and the "Future Professionals" from

these "Current Missionaries".

Cold Winter Days

2011-01-24T23:48:00.000-08:00

Cold winter days have come again to Bircii. The snow has been falling continuously for over two days.

Perfect weather to curl up with hot chocolate and a good book.

In the afternoons we enjoy walking in the fields overlooking Bircii.

As Ron goes out to start the fire we settle in for a night of knitting, watching tv, or playing games.

(Insert perfect closing sentence here.)

~Mikayla

Whoops

2010-12-30T06:35:00.000-08:00

It's happening still. Our internet just can't seem to get enough speed for me to post pictures on our blog.
Facebook triumphs over our blog spot, however, and you can see some recent shots here.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=260917&l=71e1b85503&id=106939296953

Happy New Year!

Caring

2010-11-18T00:57:00.000-08:00

Tiny steps echo on the floor above me. In the hall indecipherable (to me) conversation takes place. The sounds could be the same in any home around the world. But these sounds are bigger, more intense. I guess that's what you'd expect as THIS home currently holds 4 moms, 2 moms-to-be, and 10 kids.

Three of the moms, with their kids, live here permanently. The others stay here, safely tucked in, until their babies bloom and are born.

Big brown eyes greet us in the morning, and little bodies crawl on our laps at night. Soft hands grab ours as we walk, struggling free if a neighborhood dog or goat go by.

One of the moms does the laundry. Several of them clean. Each are taught to serve others, yet still care for her own.

God has brought a social worker/nurse, a counselor and others to show His love to these moms full-time.
Things run smoothly and we don't feel we offer much. We walk with the mom's to school, watch kids, provide rides, or at times stoke the fire.

Why, we've even offered a cup of water. Didn't Jesus talk about that??

They Came

2010-11-02T06:43:00.000-07:00

With Joy wrapped around them and music in their hearts, they arrived.God kept this present a secret until days before they would arrive. "Fara Cuvinte" (Without Words), a praise band from Timasoara, spent the weekend with us, sharing their love of music and God. They taught the youth group during the day,

and sang for the community in the evening.

We hope to see Fara Cuvinte again.

May the praises keep coming!

Imagine this...

2010-10-04T06:05:00.000-07:00

During the last 1 1/2 weeks since we've been back in Bircii I've been deliberate.

"Our Stateside friends will want to see this," I comment as the camera clicks away.

Unfortunately, our internet service forgot what clicking is. I can't get our pictures to upload, so the rest is up to you.

Imagine this.....

A few days after we arrived back, a friend from church gifted us with eggplants, peppers, eggs, farmer's cheese, apples and more. Don't they look delicious??

Heather and some of the youth group did some weed wacking before we arrived. The weeds aren't gone, however. Here's a photo of Mikayla (wearing her "happy, I love to work" face) and Anna tackling the side yard.

The spiders and mice had 3 months to move into our home. Heather and crew got most of the spiderwebs, but here's Ron trying to capture the mouse under our stove.

Our greenhouse grabbed some wind early in the summer, and there isn't much left. You can see, however, that the tomatoes didn't seem to mind!

Hope you didn't mind imagining a bit of Bircii life. Maybe by the time I write the next blog both the photos AND internet will click.

Call it...

2010-06-22T07:47:00.000-07:00

"Furlough"

"Home Assignment"

"Not Vacation"

Call it what you wish. We're on our way tomorrow.

Here's a peek at our schedule:

(it will probably change!)

June 23...Rock Island, IL

June 27...Speak at Community Christian Church

June 1...Perry, IA

July 4...Speak at Perry Bible Church

July 5...York, NE

July 7??...Boulder, CO

July 12...Pray, MT

July 16...Libby, MT

July 18...Speak at K. Valley Church

July 21???...Victoria, British Columbia

July 23...Lebanon, OR

July 24...Speak at Church

July 26???...Lake Tahoe

July 29???...Desert Hot Springs

August 2...Scottsdale, AZ

August 5...Whitepine, CO

August 7...Salida, CO

August 8...Speak at Heart of the Rockies Church

August 10...Silver Lake, KS

August 11...Perry, IA

August 15...informal time with Perry Bible Church

August 22...Speak at Lighthouse Church

August 23...Cannon Falls, MN

August 24...Barron, WI

August 25...Rib Lake, WI

August 29...Medford, WI ??Speak at First Baptist Church

Meet with Cornerstone Church

August 30...Whitehall, WI

Sept 1...Clear Lake, IA

Sept 2...Perry, IA

Sept 3...Siloam Springs, AR

Sept 7...Perry, IA

Sept 12...informal time with Perry Bible Church

Sept 16...Rock Island, IL

Sept 23...Back to Romania!

Come and See

2010-05-17T04:51:00.000-07:00

They could've gone on a cruise.

We're thankful they didn't.

Romania from the Miller's lense.

Isaac and Nicole Miller experiencing mici, the forest,

and

sharing the beat.

Taking in Bircii's "Wal-mart"...

complete with shoes.

Lending muscle before

anticipating the views.

Peles Castle

Kings walked here,

Brasov

and Kings walked here.

Luke, Isaac, Nicole and Sara

They've joined our journey.

Thanks Isaac and Nicole!

Facing the Flood

2010-05-11T08:45:00.000-07:00

The thunder went on through two chapters of my book. Our roof did it's leaking thing, and there was some water seeping through the windows, yet still, it came as a surprise.

The water in front of our gate was a puddle in comparison.

Bircii is built in a valley and when the rains come fast and hard, so does the water.

Heather and Pavel had minor damage. Other's didn't fare as well.

H. and P.'s front gate. Do you see the bewildered cow?

Lord looking for a dry spot to stand. Heather and Pavel's other dog house was floating.

Some of the villagers lost livestock.

The water next to the pink stucco fence is actually a road which leads to higher ground.

A few homes took the direct hit of torrents funneling down the roads. Little resistance is offered when your house has a mud floor and clay walls. We know of three families who had everything ruined.

This is a road turned waterfall.

Surveying the damage at Heather and Pavel's.

The mayor came around the next day. A back hoe dug out a few ditches and locals started cleaning the mud/sewer/trash from their yards. There is no Red Cross.

The last flood was in '05. Hopefully it won't happen again soon,

but major storms are expected this week.

In fact, it's thundering right now.

Spring

2010-04-30T04:59:00.000-07:00

Spring has come to Bircii, and with Spring comes sun, warmth, and flowers! From what we have seen, Romanian's love flowers. Many of them have beautiful flower beds full of tulips.

These tulips came from Pavel's mom, she gave us a big bouquet.

These flowers came from one of our neighbors, she stopped mom on the road to give them to her.

This is one of the few tulips we have growing in our garden.

The whole village is full of blossoming plum trees, this one is in our back yard.

~Mikayla

Up the Mountain

2010-03-27T02:56:00.000-07:00

Three days of driving. Romania's pot holes and snow turn into smooth Hungarian roads. The sun shines and Slovakia greets us with good friends and solid beds. The road goes upwards. We enter Poland over mountain passes embedded with snow.

We're here!

Staff Conference.

Days of speaking just English. Worship with others sold out for Christ. Laughter and playing cards and a Youth Pastor from the States loving and teaching our kids.

Talk and talk and talk with messages speaking to the heart.

The trickle begins. Friends leave. The car is packed. Mountain passes fade. Slovakia turns into Hungary and Hungary into Romania. Potholes return. Watch out!! Romanian drivers are back.

How I love Staff Conference. How I love the mountains.

A wise sage* said it best, though. "Look at the top of those mountains...Is there any Fruit growing up there?"

"This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples."

John 15:8

*Darwin Anderson, Director of International Messengers

(written by Paula)

2010-03-04T00:36:00.000-08:00

Every Saturday at 2pm there is orchestra practice. Mikayla and I grab our mandolins and head down our dirt road towards the church. Some Saturdays we stay in Bircii and other Saturdays we drive to Potcoava to practice. When we get to the church Heather and one or two of the youth are usually there tuning mandolins and setting up.

By the time the rest of the youth have trickled in the mandolins are tuned and we are ready to start practicing. Everyone takes their mandolin, pick and seat. Heather then chooses a song to play and away we go.

After about 2 hours practice is done and we all head home.

The next morning before church the mandolins are tuned again and if we have time we practice some of the songs.

Halfway through church there is a sharing time. This is when the orchestra plays. No one claps but my mom always smiles

~Anna

Down The Danube

2010-02-24T03:30:00.000-08:00

It's dark.

The moon is hiding behind ever present clouds, and as usual, the street lights are off.

I know I'm in Romania, but my thoughts keep returning to a campsite twenty years ago by a waterfall in Canada.

These thoughts make no sense until I stop and listen.

Can you hear it?

The waters are rushing.

The once empty culverts have turned into rapids.
The snow is exiting and soon will be singing its song in the Danube.

Before long the ditches will dry, and the sound of rapids will retreat.

Or will they?

"...If a man is thirsty , let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him."

John 7:37.38

LISTEN.

Lake Bircii

2010-02-15T05:09:00.000-08:00

Last week we had a blizzard. More snow then we have had all winter got dumped on Bircii. Even the tractors trying to clear the roads got stuck in the huge drifts.
We were all very excited when it started to melt, the sun even came out for a while. The next day one of the girls from the youth came to visit and help us with our Romanian. She walked into our yard greeted us and promptley told us that we have a lot of water. Mikayla and I looked torwards the gate to see water trickling under it and agreed. We didn't discover what she actually meant untill we walked out our gate on the way to orchestra practice and were greeted with this sight.

We didn't just have "a lot of water" we had a lake, and there was absoluty no way to get through it without getting wet.

The next day dad decided that he had had enough of getting wet, and made a way for the water to drain. That was the end of Lake Bircii.

No one (including our nieghbors) were sorry to see it go, and no one wants to see it come back.

~Anna

CRAFT PARTY

2010-02-06T01:48:00.000-08:00

Last Wednesday Anna and I hosted a craft party for some of the girls in the villiage. We had 8 girls come. Most were from the youth group, but also 2 of our neighbors came. We were crowded, but I was glad so many people showed.

In Romania food seems to be a part of many events, so Anna and I made sure we had plenty. We had popcorn, zucchini bread, peanut butter bars, and nuts. I think the peanut butter bars were the favorite of everyone.

For a craft we decided to make woven heart baskets. They don't celebrate Valentine's day here, but we still thought hearts would work well.

The actual making of the hearts was difficult, so Anna and I helped most of the girls with theirs. I think the girls enjoyed decorating the hearts. They are creative and everyone's heart turned out well.

We didn't have much of a chance to talk to the girs during the party. Most of the girls who came don't speak much English, but I hope that being around each other will help us become more comfortable. I don't feel like we made any big steps in forming friendships, but I will have to trust God that eventually friendships will happen.--Mikayla

2010-01-29T03:49:00.000-08:00

Some of you might wonder what we do here in Romania to keep ourselves busy. Well, to be truthful not much; it seems that I am forever looking for something to do. In one of these searches I decided I wanted to make a lap quilt.
Places to buy fabric in Romania are scarce so I decided to dye my own fabric. This decision not only solved the problem of having no fabric I liked, but also was another way to spend my time.
After experimenting many times using many different kinds of teas and plants I came up with these 4 colors.

The next step was to figure out how to put all my pieces together and what I wanted my quilt to look like.

Then I had sewing, sewing and more sewing to do.

Before I knew it a couple of months had gone by without me being as bored, and I also have a way to stay warm in my cold room.

~Anna, for all

New Update Video!!

2010-01-16T09:42:00.000-08:00

Hey Everyone!

Here is a new video update filmed just last Sunday, January 10! Enjoy!

Look Familiar??

2010-01-15T06:52:00.000-08:00

We've posted lots of pictures to help you see how different Romania is. Romania IS different, but not totally.

How about joining us for a trip to buy groceries?

This is the store where we buy the majority of our products. Slatina is a 25 min. drive from the village where we live. We make this trip at least once/week, but there are folks in the village who may get here only once or twice a year.

(The prices are in ron. These oranges cost about $0.38/lb!)
The produce is great tasting and cheaper than the USA. We've found that in the winter the prices/produce seem to be better here than in the vendor markets. While fruit prices seem low, overall we spend about the same on food here as we did in Montana.

You have to weigh and price the produce yourself.

We can find the majority of the items we want. Here are tiny bottles of flavoring. They hold about 4 tsp. each.

Since we're still learning the language shopping can sometimes bring a few laughs. We decided not to buy the Icre Crap.

THE Birthday!

2009-12-28T06:38:00.000-08:00

It started out slowly, not like the huge wave that hits you in the States.
Sure, there was a little red and green in the stores, but Christmas in
Romania was patient.

Orchestra and choir practice started in December, and the craft party the girls planned happened just weeks ago.As the holiday drew nearer, we weren't sure how the Orthodox would celebrate,

(This is the church in the neighboring village, Potcoava.)

but, for the "repenters" plenty of time in church was a given.

(The church in Bircii is heated with older space heaters. Coats and hats are often necessary!)

On the 23rd, activities began. Almost every block held villagers celebrating around burning tires,

and at 5:30 the youth group gathered to carol.

We stopped at various homes to sing God's news, and in the streets we were greeted by food, smiles and firecrackers. The biggest chuckle came from the youth group, however, when Ron was offered wine!

We had way more than we could eat, and soon our pockets were full. The youth sang until 11 p.m. (Ron and I left early to catch a skype call.)

(The live tree at church. It cost about $50.)

The next day Santa went to work, and our Christmas tree appeared.

(Anna is patient with Mom's photo shoot. Actually she picked out her gifts, but she didn't know the biggest gift wouldn't come wrapped!)

Christmas Eve brought the children's program at church. Little angles, and itchy collars seem part of the celebration in all cultures.

The villagers open their gifts on Christmas Eve,

(Andrei is the one holding the star.)

but we still had Orthodox carollers outside our door.

What else did we have outside our door?

MATT!

Ohhh, what a surprise, and what a Merry Christmas!

Thank you.

It's Coming!

2009-12-20T05:05:00.000-08:00

The fatted pig is butchered and while folks are preparing for Christmas inside...

Santa finishes the butchering of the pig.

It's obvious who's been butchering... all that is needed is a covering of snow. (Remind you of some biblical concepts?)

God is preparing the outside. We never expected we'd get Wisconsin weather in Romania!

This doesn't look like the garden we saw last spring.

Merry Christmas!

Guest Writer

2009-12-07T23:45:00.000-08:00

Our recent guest, Anna Klemm, posted this on her blog. Thought you'd enjoy a visitor's perspective on our life...

Bircii, Romania's only paved road.

High on a hill was a lonely goatherd...
Posted: 06 Dec 2009 04:26 AM PST

My school scheduled a welcome, albeit oddly-timed, two-week break from classes near the end of the trimester. Luckily, the break fell over Thanksgiving, and I got the oppotunity to visit a missionary family I went through training with last year, the Roberts. They live in a village the size of a large American high school in the middle of a lot of Romaninan farmland.It's been incredibly encouraging to see my friends again and to feel so useful out here. Seriously. When was the last time you did something that involved a little bit of physical labor? It's so satisfying. I've helped to do things like shovel "gravel" (read: dirt) to fill some of the ruts in the road, sew curtains by hand, assemble furniture, and fetch water.The latter has proven the most interesting so far.While the Roberts have running water (half the village doesn't), it isn't really suitable for us dainty Americans to drink. So, they drive about a mile and a half a couple times a week to fill plastic bottles at a spring.Except when the car has a flat tire. Then they walk. Like we did on Friday. Paula, Mikayla, and I each picked up two empty 2-liter bottles (except Mikayla, she was brave and took three) and set off. It's an interesting but muddy walk along the rut-filled dirt roads, past the unofficial town dump (a spot by the creek where villagers leave plastic bottles that they don't want anymore), past the orthodox church, and around the big hill.
Yes, I am wearing heels. Because, yes, I am a city girl.

While we were filling the bottles, a truck full of men in red jackets pulled up across the street and they got out and started hopping around while the truck played old American songs that had been dubbed in Romanian. They were campaigning for an upcoming election. (Obviously)On the way back, we started talking about how it's so freeing to get rid of all your old stuff when you move. "It's amazing how God has provided so much since we gave away most of what we owned and left home," Paula was saying when we saw a man running down the hill. He was wearing the same sort of outfit his great-grandfather would have worn as a Romanian peasant 100 years ago. The man ran across our path and over to where several bored-looking goats were sniffing around the dump. (He was a goatherder, in case you hadn't figured that out.)Now, the thing about two-liter bottles is that once you fill them with water they get kinda heavy. Mikayla especially was kinda struggling juggling her three bottles, so when the lonely goatherder walked up and asked (in Romanian) for some water, she just gave him a whole bottle. "What a great object lesson!" Paula exclaimed. "See? God always provides."She was right, too. We got the tire fixed the next day and were allowed the luxury of driving to get water once more. So, the next time you drink from the tap...well, just be glad that you can :)

Want to read more about Anna and her work in Slovakia? Visit:
http://www.slovakianna.com/

Thanksgiving

2009-12-04T00:13:00.000-08:00

Smells of the baking turkey and mashed potatoes wafted out of the Nicolae's house as we entered with rolls and a fruit salad in hand. The food was placed on the already groaning table, as more of Pavel's family arrived.

We all found chairs, the turkey was brought out and the eating began.

After we stuffed ourselves the women forced themselves out of their chairs to start the long process of cleaning up. Heather's kitchen was being re-done so we did the dishes in the bathroom sink.

That night we got up at 2 AM to go pick up Anna Klemm a friend from missionary training.

Then on Friday we had a Thanksgiving celebration with her.

Dad carved the turkey, and we all gathered to each say a prayer of thanksgiving.

Then a day of baking and cooking payed off when we sat down to a meal of pumpkin pie, turkey, green bean casserole, pumpkin muffins, mashed potatoes and more.

And of course Thanksgiving isn't Thanksgiving without leftovers that we are still eating today in soup form.

~Anna, for all

European Rest

2009-11-24T03:18:00.000-08:00

I wasn't sure what we were getting into when we signed up for sleeping in a Romanian Hotel

in order to attend a recent marriage conference.

The lobby was a good sign.

The pillows were a clue that we weren't in America, but we already knew that.

Our view was great. From our room you could pretend that communist block buildings don't exist.

The bathroom even had one of those showers with fifty buttons which direct where you want the water to squirt. I still can't figure out why I would need, or even want, my ankles jet streamed.

Of course, whether you are in America or Romania that magic remote still found it's way into a male's hand.

"Pop" goes the Soba

2009-11-11T05:00:00.000-08:00

Most of the homes in our village are heated by a soba, but it doesn't seem like any have popped like ours did!

I was in the kitchen, when I heard an explosion. Ash and smoke flowed through the living room. Mikayla ran to get Ron, and I walked around the stove to try and figure out what was going on.

In the back of the stove I saw a hole

which hadn't been there before. Flames from the firebox were dangerously close to our wall, but, thankfully, mud and plaster walls don't burn easily.

We opened some windows, and cleaned up while we let the fire burn down. The whole time Ron and I ignored the conversation that should follow. What would we do about our heating system?

God knew our dilemma. He knew we were here. He knew our finances. He knew it was cold, and He knew how to deal with the situation.

We went to bed that night with no heat, but Sunday dawned warm and clear. This was a huge change in the weather pattern, which was no coincidence.

Ron investigated the stove some more. There had been two 8 inch diameter plugs in the back of the stove which had blown out when things exploded. These cleaning plugs are not meant to pop out, but are relatively easy to fix.

Ron did the repair work that day, and after letting the clay dry for 24 hours we were, once again, with heat.

This is our soba, or wood stove. The extra items around it help to run the in-floor heating until we are able to install a boiler.

The soba tiles are made with open channels on the inside. The heat is stored in these tiles, and the stove radiates warmth for hours.

Water is pumped into the radiator where it collects the warmth of the soba . The water is then distributed through the floors.

Ron working on the valve system which controls which rooms get warm water for heat.

Late Night Visit

2009-11-11T03:05:00.000-08:00

Three a.m. in a Romanian train depot. People wander or sit hunched in their coats.

We walk in. There are five of us and we’re certainly not of their descent. Heads turn and stares begin. Warnings from seasoned travelers control my hand as it clutches tightly to our Visas. “Train and bus stations are where you need to be careful. Someone will cause a distraction, and while you look over there, another hand will be here, and your valuables will be lost.”

The nightlife of the train depot is compliments of Abby. She’s catching a train to return to Hungary. It turns out there is little catching involved. The train is late. Another cold forty minutes to wait.

As we seek specifics about the train I notice half a man. His wheelchair holds two stumps, and his mouth holds 4 teeth. He looks at me. “Do you speak English?”

“Yes,” I reply quickly. I was approached by a beggar five days ago, and I, with an utterly non-Christian heart, aim to head off another.

“Are you from America?”

“No,” I say, “we live here.” My voice is quick and bothered.

He fumbles with his words, and pries for more information. I barely speak, and blame the hardness of my response to lack of sleep and the foreign world around me. In reality, my sin nature is wide awake, and it seems as if nothing in me has warmth.

“Are you from California? Texas?” He goes on.

“We live here,” I say again. “Potcoava, Scornicesti, Bircii.”

“Here? For how long?”

“We’ve been here eight months, but before that we lived in Iowa.”

“I know someone from Iowa,” he states.

His one sided conversation continues while I’m lost in thought. His hands are grimy and calloused.

“Abraham, David, Daniel.” The names dance out of his mouth. He goes on, and I focus on his words. His grammar circles and his pronunciation doesn’t fit, but, from what I hear… could this man be a believer? Does he know Truth?

“Heaven,” he says, and his huge grin explodes. “Jesus wants us all to be in heaven. Would you like to have Him in your heart?”

I’m back on track with his words, and finally, I smile. Though tonight my actions haven’t shown it, I know Truth, too.

“He is,” I reply. “That’s why I’m here… He’s why I’m here.”

He gives me a grin, and his grimy, calloused hand shakes mine. Joy and hope bounce from him, ricocheting off the walls. “Heaven,” he states in parting, and one true missionary rolls away.

We've Moved In!

2009-10-31T02:51:00.000-07:00

We've got lots of pictures of our new house on facebook. You don't need a facebook account to view them. Just click below. The newest pictures are towards the end of the album.

Of course, the best view of our home would be if you visited in person!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=118402&l=89ea36f817&id=106939296953

Faith??

2009-10-19T07:25:00.000-07:00

Oct. 19th, 2009

Last year I wondered if God would provide a way for us to minister in Romania. Guess where we live now?

Nine months ago I would've said "no way, won't happen" if you'd told me fellow missionaries would share their home with us for over seven months. However, it's been done...with grace and generosity.

Last month we never thought we'd have money for appliances for the home we were hoping to soon move into. Yet here they are, sitting in our kitchen.

Five mornings ago we sat and talked with Heather about how difficult it is to deal with a car accident in Romania. She told us how you'd have to find your own parts to fix it, and try to find an honest mechanic, and how the insurance company doesn't give you any money until all the work is done. That VERY afternoon the sound of screeching brakes came from the car that hit us. While I sat in the car waiting for Ron to return with the police, I felt no panic, no fear. We drove away from the accident not needing a mechanic or a doctor.

So how can it be that I got angry two nights ago when we looked at our budget and realized we wouldn't have enough money to move into our own place this week and still have money to eat? How can it be that I would, even for a minute, feel that God abandoned us?

Oh me of little faith, and much impatience!

October 28th, 2009

WE'RE IN!

And to further prove His Faithfulness?

Our Visas arrived the same day!

2009-10-19T06:50:00.000-07:00

It was my son, Matt, who got me into this. He happened to mention to Vali, one of the youth from church, that his mom cuts his hair.

Guess what happened next?

I have no complaints about cutting hair, but the first time I cut Vali's I was nervous. I had noticed he liked it a particular way, and an European cut was not my specialty.

I counted my blessings when he returned the second time, but it was the fourth return that sealed my job. You see, on the third cut, I picked the wrong blade size by mistake. Vali was wearing a hat the next time I saw him.

Easily forgiven, Vali brought Natu to his next appointment. Vali started cutting Natu's hair himself, but soon the clipper was again in my hand.

Joshua and David wanted to be "big boys" too, but I played it safe.

The blade wasn't in place, and the "big boys" kept their smiles and their hair.

Thanksgiving Sunday

2009-10-12T06:12:00.000-07:00

The buzz from the church started an hour before our afternoon service began. People wandered in and out of the building depositing samples of the harvest.

The front of the church.
As I walked into the church the buzz grew. This was Thanksgiving Sunday. The date varies, but most Baptist Churches celebrate God's goodness sometime in the Fall.
I noticed a packed house and a few new faces in the pews. They probably weren't there for the preaching, but I was glad to see them anyway.
The front of the church was decorated with produce (yes, those are real grapes hanging on the podium), and desserts were stored out of sight.
The service began and progressed in the usual way. There was a bit more squirming in the pews, and the smell of chocolate in the air. Anna and Mikayla had made chocolate chip cookies, and Heather had assured them they would probably be the first thing gone!

David is Heather and Pavel's youngest.

As the service ended, the buzz kicked into full gear and the rest of the celebration began.
Out came plates and baskets of food; fruit, and pop, and croissants, and tea cakes, and chocolate frosted things, and sugar dipped other things, and ooohhhh. I've been around Romanians and desserts before. This time I actually stood up and walked around so I wouldn't have to risk offending someone by not eating everything offered!

Betty and Maya.

Chairs were rearranged and people sat and ate for about 45 min.. before slowly making the move toward home. Some treats were taken with them, and even the zucchini disappeared.

Anna is holding grapes and a quince.

The only sound left was from the clean up crew.

Happy smiles, happy tummies, grateful hearts.

Thank You God.

To Market We Will Go

2009-09-25T04:14:00.000-07:00

I know it's Sunday morning because of the staccato rhythm of horse hooves on the road. They're on their way to the local market. Today Ron and I are going, too. We're on the look out for a door. We take the car, but pass a lot of carts on the way. I'm thinking it would be nice if there was this much excitement for Sunday Church services.

We arrive earlier than most, and find the field behind the gypsy homes coming to life.

(Gypsy tribes have a hierarchy, and money earned is funneled up. These homes beside Ron are owned by some gypsies higher in rank.)

The three rows of vendors at first seem confusing, but things are almost as organized as Walmart. Walmart can't beat their prices, though. During this September visit, we find 1 kg (2.5 lbs) of peppers for $0.66, and the same amount of tomatoes for half that!

The colorful scarf, braided hair, and tiered skirt is typical dress for a gypsy.

All this great produce should make you jealous. Are you sure you aren't "called" to Romania?

Of course, if you are called and die here, the market has you covered. Some of these tombstones have pictures already on them. How does that work???

As I walk down this isle, I am reminded of the Iowa State Fair. No free pencils, though. We end up buying a door, but pass on the furniture...

...and the sheepskins.

The Corn Comes Home

2009-09-11T05:00:00.000-07:00

I didn't think seven acres of corn to hand harvest was going to be so bad. After all, we had help. Pavel had hired some of the youth group and several local ladies to join us. (They were making almost $14 plus two meals/day; a good wage in the village.) Two friends of Pavel's and his sister had also come over to assist.It was on the way to the field that I asked Heather how long she thought it would take.

"Oh, maybe two days or longer."

I bounced over one more rut in the road and wondered just what we were getting into.

The field is about a 1/2 hour drive by truck from H. and P.'s home. Like most of the plots of land in the area, it is long and narrow. When communism fell, the land was given back in strips.

We were actually starting the harvest a little early. For the past week the corn was being stolen, so Pavel was forced to begin. Field theft is common. Because Pavel's field is so far from houses, it is a prime target. The previous nights he had his uncle patrol the field. One group with a horse cart, and several folks on bicycles lost their cow's free lunch.

The process began as 15 of us spread out. Some experienced pickers were able to handle two rows at a time, but the first day I was designated a bag lady. I held the bags as the pros went to work. Three swipes with their hands and a cob was shucked and in the bag.

As the bag filled I hefted it onto my shoulder and walked out to the wagon. When the wagon was full the tractor took it's place. Slowly our group worked it's way into the patch.

At intervals the wagon or tractor was moved to keep up with the workers. Every now and then Ron got to do the honors. The look on his face as he sat in the tractor is one I haven't seen for awhile.

Pavel helped with the picking and did runs back to the village to drop off loads.

I started to judge time by how full the wagon was. Thankfully we had cloud cover and a fair breeze during most of the harvest. The one time the clouds disappeared, the wilting of the crew was obvious.

Heather helped a little with picking, but most of the time she was busy at home. The corn needed to be unloaded, and meals needed to be made. Sometimes she had help, and other times not.

When lunch appeared I was more than ready for a break. Homemade farmer's cheese and preserved plum jelly sat well on my bread, and in my stomach. I'm not too fond of the sausages, but most of the worker's dove into them. I was pleased to see waffle cookies for dessert. They remind me of eating snacks with my dad as a kid.

After lunch the process didn't change. The rows of corn continued.

When we used the tractor one guy usually stayed on top to help the workers haul their bags up and dump them. Stelika is feeling strong as his turn begins. As I trudged out to the wagon I'd glimpse down the field trying to judge how much work we had left. After a while I stopped doing this. It wasn't an encouraging view.

The harvest was good this year. Even though there was some drought, most stalks yielded two or occasionally three ears of corn. Pavel had planted 100 lbs of Iowa seed that had been donated by a friend. I noticed that his crop looked much healthier than many of the fields around him.

Yeah Iowa!

Our picking continued for three days. My views didn't vary during that time, but my job did. I rejected my bag lady status and moved up to picker. Now my shoulder no longer hurt, but my hands felt like they were on fire! I realize now why they used to have a cream called Corn Huskers.

The ride home on the wagon was my favorite part of the job. All that joy and peace God promises seemed to rest on me as I jostled above the fields.

As we arrived home, more good stuff awaited. Heather had prepared the second meal for the workers. Soup got us going, then came the main course. If any stomach space was left, you could have dessert.

This picture shows about 1/4 of the corn we picked.

Just because the corn is in, it doesn't mean the work is done. It all needs to be cleaned, and the stalks in the field have to be cut, wired, and stored.

A few people around here do hire combines to do the harvesting for them. Since H. and P. don't have a place to store the seed or a way to dry it, they choose this route. I guess we are in good company, but I wonder if they hurt as much as I do?

House Progress!

2009-09-04T03:40:00.000-07:00

It's hard to post more than 5 photos on this blog, especially with our unreliable connection. So, for those of you who want to see some recent photos of the house remodeling, check out this:
http://www.facebook.com/robertsinromania#

Fifteen!

2009-09-01T05:05:00.000-07:00

A fifteenth birthday comes around only once, and the whole household was excited to celebrate with Anna.A typical birthday celebration in Romania might not include pizza and brownies, but we succumbed willingly to Anna's request.

While in the States a party is thrown for the celebrant, in Romania it's the other way around. If it is your birthday you throw the party. You invite all your family and friends and provide a big meal. The parties we've been to have had barbecued mici (sausage) and chicken, and mamaliga (corn meal mush). Ohhh, and don't forget the cake.

You still get presents in Romania. Here Luke and the gang are singing to Anna before she opens her gift.

On Saturday after youth group the youth sang to Anna, too. (Romanians have multiple birthday songs which they sing while standing to honor the celebrant.) Anna brought chocolate chip cookies and pop. To celebrate their days other youth have brought great pastries, and one girl brought an entire meal!

Anna and Mikayla while opening another gift.

David and Luke were still excited long after the party was over.

Keep the Home Fires Burning

2009-08-24T02:27:00.000-07:00

This winter, just like most of the other folks in this village, we will heat with wood. Often people gather their wood from a local forest, but since that is government land, it is illegal. One other source of wood is the gypsies.

A friend from church was hauling wood this year for his boss, so we were able to split a load of wood with Heather and Pavel. This load was harvested about an hour from here. It was driven to the village at night to avoid the police. Our friend was doing nothing illegal, but the police may have found a way to fine him if he did not offer a bribe.

The cost for our half of the wood, which we hope will last 2 years, was $900.

Most of it looked pretty good, but Pavel was disappointed in the amount of punky pieces. Next year he plans to be around when the wood is put onto the truck.

Getting the wood into our driveway was a smooth maneuver.

The unloading at our place went much faster than at H. and P.'s!

Of course, the work isn't done yet. Anyone who wants to cut and stack is more than welcome to stop in.

Mary, Mary Quiet Contrary...

2009-08-19T04:21:00.000-07:00

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Mary was contrary, but we may be worse. We're thankful God still made our garden grow.

Our peppers are just starting to get hot. Add these to your salsa and it will cure what ails you.

These grapes by our well were here when we bought the house. Masses of them are also intermingled with wild berries on about 1/6th of our yard. Dealing with them is on the fall "to do" list.

Most of the tomatoes we've been canning have been from Heather and Pavel's garden. We've worked with wheelbarrels full.

Romanians may not celebrate Thanksgiving, but we'll be able to!

A Colorado blue sky surrounding Iowa sweet corn. Wow. Life in Romania isn't much different than in the States.

A Few of Our Favorite Things

2009-08-10T01:38:00.000-07:00

Those who are privy to our prayer notes may think much of life in Romania is always hard.

Alas, tis time we correct that thinking.

Here are a FEW of our favorite THINGS.

The history of this country is rich. Above you see Ben (visiting from the States), Matt, and Vali (from our youth group) while sight seeing. This castle belonged to Vlad the Impaler. Does "I want to suck your blood" ring any bells?The views here are not typical American fare. This shot of the Orthodox church in our village would make you wonder if God dwells there. From what we've heard, HE DOESN'T. (Thanks Josh, for the picture.)

More than once we've mentioned the great food. Patisseries can be found almost anywhere but our village. Most of the desserts are made with sugar, lard and fruit syrup. Often the Romanians eat one of these for breakfast or lunch. We eat them whenever we can. The cost? A BIG treat is often less than $1.00.

The mountains are about 2 1/2 hours from us. They may make the Tetons and the Rockies jealous. Above is Anna, Kendra (from the States) and Mikayla.

During the day we hear the horse carts clop by at least every 10 min.

It's like the sound of huge raindrops on a tin roof.

Another time we'll show you more of our favorites. The best idea, though, is for you to come over and discover some favorites of your own.

From a Visitor's Perspective

2009-07-31T05:48:00.000-07:00

[Josh Haldeman and Ben and Kendra DeFord have been visiting the Roberts for the past week and a half. They will be heading back to the States on Monday, the same day that Matt will be on his way back for college.]
Mrs. Roberts was excited with the idea that "foreigners" write her weekly blog. So now we have been given the incredibly difficult task of recapitulating the event-filled two weeks of life here in Romania.
The Roberts had invited us to come "visit," earlier this year. Neither Josh nor I have ever flown, so our thirteen-hour induction into the world of flight was a real thrill for both of us. Kendra has traveled internationally before, so we had someone who knew what she was doing.
:-) Our time here has been consumed with working on the Roberts' new home, and sitting in on the different ministries that the Church has here. Of Course, we also spent two days actually being "tourists."
We have all enjoyed getting to know the Roberts better, helping out in their ministry, meeting new friends, and learning about a new country and culture.
Since the house isn't done yet, we are all staying at Heather and Pavel's home--a real blessing.
We have so much we could tell you, but for the sake of time, I'd better wind down.
The Roberts have been such a blessing, and I hope we will take home all the things we have learned here. We are thankful for the opportunity to minister to them in all the ways we are able.

Ben DeFord (for Josh and Kendra)

Bread of Life

2009-07-20T06:23:00.000-07:00

We're in Romania to share the Bread of Life, but we need regular bread, too. Much of our time focuses on planting, cultivating, harvesting, and preparing food.

In Bircii many people fix most of their food from scratch. While there are two small stores in the village, or a more typical grocery store about 30 min. away, it isn't practical to buy the majority of our food.

In the above picture Pavel is roasting egg plant. Heather and a friend visiting from the States are finishing work on huckleberry jam. (The berries were bought about 8 hours west of Bircii.)

Our house came with about an acre of land. About 1/6 of that is loaded with an overgrown grape and wild black berry patch. Here Mikayla is picking some of the bounty.

There seem to be more plums in this area than people. Our property has about 4 varieties. While most of the folks here use the plums for making plum wine (about 90% proof), Anna is picking them to eat.

This picture shows a recent meal. It includes cooked carrot/garlic salad, fresh homemade bread, zucchini donuts, cabbage with sausage, and fresh tomato/garlic sauce. We had no complaints!

A typical Romanian breakfast includes cold (rather fatty) sausage, tomatoes and peppers, bread, and a type of farmer's cheese. All of this is served with hot tea.

While the Bread of Life nourishes our souls, we're thankful for this bread, too.

Let's Associate

2009-07-13T01:48:00.000-07:00

Many of you know we've been trying to find an agency to sponsor us for Visas. Having no success these last months, Pavel finally decided to form an Association. This non-profit organization will have the ability to sponsor Visas.

Here are some of the steps involved in forming this association. I have not included the cost.

1) Pick a name and have it approved through a government agency.

2)Drive to Bucharest (3 hours one way). Get lost for 1 1/2 hours while trying to find the "notary" (these folks are more like legal aides in the USA).

(Bucharest)

2.b. Sign your name at least 10x on various forms.

2.c.Stop at McDonald's to remind yourself that life isn't always about beauracracy.

2.d.Smile at the little faces that greet you when you come home.

4) Start again the next day and drive to Scornicesti (about 20 min.) Go to one agency and make two stops in that building. Be told that you must drive to another agency in another town.

5) Drive to Slatina, about 30 min. away. Go to 4 different places. In most of these places go to at least 3 different people. At several of these stops be told to return to the person you visited before. Wait by your car for 20 min. until the person who double parked behind you returns.

6) Go to Slatina 5 days later to give the paperwork to the judge. Be told to return Monday to pick up the signed papers.

7) On Monday return to pick up the papers and be told that the papers need to sit for 5 days in case someone has an objection.

8) 5 days later return and pick up the papers, but not the "official" form. Be told that you must wait another 5 days, in case someone has an objection.

9) Keep waiting for the rest of the story.

(We're not sure if the papers are done yet...Pavel will return again this week to try picking up the forms.)

There's a Hole ...

2009-07-06T23:39:00.000-07:00

For any of you following our blog closely, you'll notice that our psychedelic room has a hole. A huge hole. We took out the back wall so we could add a few inches to the kitchen. The room we're stealing those inches from will be our bathroom.

The whole point of the description above has nothing to do with our house, however. It has to do with Matt. He will be leaving us soon, as he's on his way to college back in the States in less than 4 weeks. I will miss him much more than the wall.

For an idea of what we will no longer be living with, check out his blog:

http://www.notboringyet.blogspot.com/

The Cows Come Home

2009-06-30T00:09:00.000-07:00

This is the street of our future home. It is on one of the few back streets in Bircii, and is usually pretty quiet...(Our house is the blue one.)

Except when the cows come home.
The cows of the village are daily led to pasture in the surrounding fields and forest.
The number of cows you own determines how many days each month you spend caring for them while they pasture.

At dusk the cows are brought back to the village to meet with their owners.

The cows at the end of our street had found our place to be a great place for a bedtime snack.

This is one reason for the fence.

Of course, our diner is still not closed. The chickens have heard of our reputation, too.

Camp 2009

2009-06-23T02:30:00.000-07:00

Last week my family and I, Heather, and 4 teens from the youth group in Bircii set out to lead a 4 day Bible camp. After a long 9 hour trip we arrived at the facility where the camp was being held. We all had a little time to relax because the camp didn't start till the next morning.
The next day kids started arriving. We were told to prepare a camp for kids ages 9-14, well...the kids were ages 2-17. Thankfully most of the activities we had planned worked for all age groups. We were also in for another surprise when the leaders of the kids who came already had a schedule for the camp. They wanted us to lead 2 and 1/2 hours of games each day in the middle of the hottest part of the afternoon. We told them that we had some other activities planned and ended up only having about 1 and 1/2 hours of games a day.
The whole camp was kind of hectic! No one ever really knew what was going to happen next. A lot of times we were running around trying to think up things to do to keep the kids busy.
One of the most exciting nights was when we did skits. The kids chose a Bible story and then acted it out. No one had brought costumes with them, so they just used bed sheets. At least half of the camp was dressed up in sheets that night.
I think God really worked throughout the camp. Even though most of the time we had no idea what was happening the camp turned out really well. The leaders of the kids that came said it was the best camp they have had. I think a lot of that was due to the fact that we had teens that spoke Romanian, so they were able to interact with the kids. I also think that God really worked through all your prayers. We really had to rely on God to get through the week. It was crazy, but it was a big blessing to us, and hopefully everyone one else that was involved.
Thanks so much for all your prayers!
-Mikayla Roberts

New Pictures!

2009-06-21T12:36:00.000-07:00

Hi!

We've posted a bunch of new pictures of the camp this past week and pictures of our home improvements! Enjoy!

Home Improvements: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2024689&id=1469817809&l=ec945df461

Camp & More: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2025888&id=1469817809&l=666a20af2d

As always you do not need a facebook account to view these! Enjoy!

These are the Youth

2009-06-09T03:56:00.000-07:00

Some things about our youth group aren't any different than in the States,

but some things are ...

-This youth group ranges in age from 13-23.

-The kids are fashionable, but only have about 2 sets of nice clothes. They take good care of these clothes, and make a point of not getting them dirty.

-A few of these high schoolers go to school in towns up to 45 min. away. They board by the school (hopefully with relatives) during the week and come home on weekends.

-School is taken very seriously by some of these students. By the time they reach high school they are already channeled into a probable career.

(These pictures are taken behind the church building Heather and Pavel attend.)

-The youth, and most Romanians, don't sit directly on the ground.

-If your bumm gets cold they believe you'll get an infection "down there".

Next week we'll be taking 5 of these youth to another village about 8 hours away to run a bible camp for 5 days. This will all be new to them, as many have never been so far from home. Few of them have spent the night away from family or relatives.

If God brings us to mind, please pray for these youth. They are the ones our Director at International Messengers is praying will be future missionaries to Bulgaria, Turkey, Macedonia and beyond!

Pray

2009-06-02T06:49:00.000-07:00

Another missionary here in Romania (Laura Westrum) had the words of this song posted on her blog, and I can't help but repeat it here. For those of you who are looking for ways to pray for us, read on. (If you want to see Kendall Payne's performance of this song, check out You Tube. It's worth the search.)

Pray
Kendall Payne

I will pray for you now, for you have been my faithful friends
While the road we walk is difficult indeed
I couldn't not ask for more than what you've already been
Only that you would say these prayers for me
May your heart break enough that compassion enters in
May your strength all be spent upon the weak
All the castles and crowns you build and place upon your head
May they all fall, come crashing down around your feet
May you find every step to be harder than the last
So your character grows greater every stride
May your company be of human insignificance
May your weakness be your only source of pride
What you do unto others may it all be done to you
May you meet the One who made us
And see Him smile when life is through
May your blessings be many but not what you hoped they'd be
And when you look upon the broken
May mercy show you what you could not see
May you never be sure of any plans you desire
But you'd learn to trust the plan He has for you
May your passions be tried and tested in the holy fire
May you fight with all your life for what is true
I have prayed for you now all my dear and faithful friends
But what I wish is more than I could ever speak
As the way wanders on I'll long to see you once again
Until then, would you pray these prayers for me?
Oh, that you would pray for me

Treats in Bircii

2009-05-25T07:02:00.000-07:00

Just because we live in a little village, it doesn't mean we don't get treats!

Treat Number One:
Soc (pronounced soak)

The flowers from the above tree are combined with water, sugar, lemons and yeast. You then let it sit out a day or two. Result? A "carbonated" drink that is mild and good.

Treat Number Two:

(Heather, David and Luke Nicolae)

Ice Cream!

You can buy it right down the street at the little store. I'm not sure who enjoys it the most.

Treat Number Three?

All mom's will agree it's got to be one year old David (above).

Welcome Home!

2009-05-18T04:06:00.000-07:00

This is the place we all prayed toward for so long. We thought we'd be able to purchase it in our name, but at the last minute we learned that Americans can't buy land. It is now in Pavel's name, but it is "ours." The cost? $13,000.

The house is about 600 square feet. It has electric (which needs to be redone), no plumbing, kitchen nor bathroom. Ron already put a pump on the well outside the front door. We take the pump in when we leave the property. Our gate needs major repair and until we move things won't be safe.

We were surprised to have several people from church show up to help us clear the yard. What a blessing! One Romanian woman tackled pulling out part of the fence by herself, after she saw me struggling. We've decided to wait to deal with the overgrown vineyard until this fall, but Pavel was still able to plow a good sized garden beside it.

A man and his son from church came to help haul away junk. There really wasn't much., but it made me smile to have them help. I love seeing these carts and horses.

We'd like to be able to move in by late July. We hope to get a bathroom and a kitchen put in, as well as heating and new electric. We also need to patch the roof and seal the floors with cement. (Right now they are packed dirt.) The cost to update the home will be similiar to costs in the States, so finances are a factor. Materials are available at some of the super stores (45 min. away) which have come in with the European Union.

Many of the Romanians in the village live in similiar homes. About 1/2 of them have indoor plumbing. The folks that have larger homes usually work on them in stages. Sometimes it takes years to get the outside finished, or the windows in.

We are excited about what God has given us. We've been living with others since we sold our place in America in July of 2008. It'll be great to move out of suitcases and have a home of our own!

(By the way, did you notice God's Hugs to Paula? Three beautiful rose bushes, and a walnut tree!)

New Pictures!

2009-05-16T06:00:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone!

As most of you have probably heard by now we bought a house this past week. Here is a link to lots of pictures. Remember, you do not have to have a facebook account to view these pictures. Enjoy!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2022713&id=1469817809&l=ef792a6f8c

The Roberts

Romanian Lawnmower Part II

2009-05-12T04:27:00.000-07:00

O.k. as some of you know this "mowing of the lawn" is not for aesthetics. Pavel has both alfalfa and grass which he uses for feed. He tries to harvest 2-3 crops a summer.

(We have seen a few people mow the grass in front of their gates with a scythe. We have also seen cows, horses, and older ladies with scissors doing the job.) Pavel gives Ron a lesson in using the scythe. There are advantages to sharing the job.

After the crop is down it is turned at least twice to dry before stacking. Heather takes a break from turning to comfort Joshua.

When communism fell the land was given back to the people in long narrow strips. Ron, Pavel and his dad work to dry the crop.

Pavel's Mom and Dad collect some of the crop to store at their house. It is stacked around a stick, and ends up in a conical shape.

By the way, Murphy's Law exists in Romania, too. We haven't had rain for many days, but it came the day we were ready to stack the hay. It wasn't enough rain to water things well, but it was enough to have to start the drying process over!

Romanian Lawnmower

2009-05-05T06:53:00.000-07:00

Here's Pavel mowing the lawn.

Guess you guys in America can no longer complain.

This Little Piggie

2009-04-25T06:20:00.000-07:00

Here he is. What a life. Last month he was castrated, and this month, well....

Wilbur sneaks a peek at what is happening to his relative.

Pavel killed the pig by cutting his juglar with a knife. He is now burning off the hair with a blow torch.

After torching the hair and the skin, the scraping begins. The scraping removes the top (dirty) layer of skin. It took about 2 hours to get to this point of the process.

The scraping and torching continue until the skin is almost white.

Heather and Pavel's kids have been talking about this part of butchering since we got here. Pavel peels off a layer of skin and scrapes off the small amount of fat on the underside. He then rubs salt all over the piece.

Joshua got the first piece. At first I thought he was jumping the gun. I had only heard of fried pig skin.

Sara with her treat.

Pavel's mom joining in. During the day the workers stopped to enjoy a bite.

Ron refrained.

I did try some (a very small some). It didn't seem to have much taste, but Sara assured me that was because I didn't use salt.

This little guy wanted some, too!

Sara tried to bite off a piece of hers for the puppy, but she couldn't tear off a piece. It is tough, chewy, and pretty greasy.

The butchering continues.
(The girl helping in this picture is Lucika (sp?). She is the 23 yr. old that Heather and Pavel took into their home when she was too old for the orphanage. She is a HUGE help in all aspects of running their home.)

More butchering.

All the pig will be used. The lard is rendered and the skull and organ meats will be used in various dishes. The intestines were wheel barrowed outside the gate, and dumped into a ditch down the road. The local dogs will deal with those.

At times the family will make sausage (Pavel's mom wasn't feeling well, so she didn't do it this time) but they buy casings for that. The casings are cheap, and cleaning the intestines would take hours.

Pavel and Ron load up the car to take it the freezer in Heather and Pavel's home. (The animals are kept at Pavel's folks.)
It took about 6 hours to do this much of the butchering, and the rest of the day to package the meat.

I asked Pavel how often they butcher.
"Whenever the freezer is empty."

We have no complaints. The pork we ate that night was foarte biene (very good).

Easter in Bircii

2009-04-22T04:47:00.000-07:00

We just got done with the Easter celebration. It started with everyone cleaning everything. Teen girls were outside attacking huge rugs hung along the fences with scrub brushes and soap and water. Men and women were whitewashing fences, and garages, and the bottom of tree trunks. I even saw an old women on her knees hand cutting her front grass. She had a basket beside her that she put the tops of the blades in.

When Saturday came, all outside work stopped. We couldn't hang clothes on the line, because it was time for the holiday. Women were still working inside preparing food, but outside jobs were taboo.

Sunday was church and a great celebration. We had music from the teens, from the kids, and from the choir (some of the kids were actually part of all 3 groups.) The mandolin orchestra also played. The service went long, 2 hrs and 20 min., and this was o.k. 'cause I was counting on 3 hours. (Of course the evening service went over 2 hrs also.)

A feast for the family began soon after church. It started with each of us getting an egg that had been boiled and dyed. One person turned to his neighbor and as they hit the tip of their eggs together they said, "He is risen" and "He is risen indeed." The idea is to see whose egg will crack. (I'm not sure what the significance of this is.) The eggs could then be eaten if you wanted, or you could just start with the first course of the meal which was soup. Pavel's mom made this. I dove into a rich, heavy broth made with I'm not sure what. There were a few things I chose to swallow without chewing, and it was only after I looked around at Heather's plate that I realized you didn't have to eat everything in the bowl.

The next dish looked like a spinach casserole. It seemed a bit dark, however, and I realized after it was dished up that this was the recipe Heather had talked about. I kept my mouth quiet as the kids took their pieces, and watched their expressions as they chewed. No grimaces. Good. It was my turn to bite into the innards from the lamb mixed with some sort of greens and eggs. It was o.k., but I was glad I took a small portion.

Next we had the lamb cooked in wine, potatoes, two types of bread, and salad. No one went away from the table hungry, though several hours later we did dessert. These were of typical American fare; cherry pie, pumpkin pie, lemon pound cake, and rhubarb/strawberry cobbler. The fruit had been preserved from last year (except the lemon), and the pie crusts made with lard rendered from last fall's pig.

Outside people gathered outside their fences spending time with family and friends. The stores were ALL closed. Ron and I had to go into town to the cash machine, and we had the streets to ourselves. It was wonderful to be able to drive in Romania with alittle less defensiveness.

Monday continued the celebration. Most people did not have to work, and it was still a holiday. You still couldn't hang clothes on the line, and instead people hung around outside. Pavel brought some of the youth to the forest, and later that night they played games in the church's back yard. Believe it or not, 16-23 year old's played catch in a circle with a ball. I don't imagine many in America this age would be so easily entertained.

I could tell the holiday was over when I noticed Heather doing laundry about 5 p.m, with the clothes on the line at dusk. The Easter festivities were over, and the rest of the week begun.

Music

2009-04-20T09:11:00.000-07:00

The picture on the left is the choir, which consists mainly of the youth group. They practice every week, and come out with sounds which impress me. (O.k. it doesn't take much to impress me, but I think most people would think these guys are good.)

The mandolin orchestra plays in the Bircii church every other week. (The opposite week they play in the village down the road.) Only one of the girls actually owns a mandolin and the rest of them play instruments that the church has purchased. Mikayla is way in the back playing the flute, and Anna is still in the audience. She is learning mandolin, but doesn't feel she is good enough to play in public yet.

Pictures!

2009-04-13T23:46:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!

We have posted more pictures, this time from our trip to Poland. These are on facebook, but you do not need an account to view them. Enjoy!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2019774&id=1469817809&l=b00ca8815f

Familiarity

2009-04-13T06:05:00.000-07:00

O.k. So it’s day 4 of Staff Conference in Poland. This is Sunday and we’ve had great worship and participated in communion for the first time since we reached Romania. (The Baptist Church here believes that only an ordained pastor can serve communion, and since the preacher here isn’t ordained, we don’t do communion at church.) I’m understanding most of the language spoken since it’s been English, and I’m feeling more like Paula than I have since we left the States.

We’re on our way back to the hotel after some sightseeing in town, when I look up. There is a man, in uniform, waving a yellow flag at us. We pull over and sit in quiet. The universal look of “oh no, it’s the police” settles on our faces.

Ahh, but I am wrong. He is not just the police. He is the Polish Border Patrol.

Walking over to the car he speaks. “Ladchh, Kebagalll gachhhh, un vealuch .”

Ron pulls out his license, assuming that’s what he wants.

Polish Border Patrol changes languages. “You are American. Do you have an International Driver’s License?” Ron answers no. I want to stick my head over and explain that everyone we’ve asked has told us that we don’t need one. Instead I remain silent.

Polish Border Patrol. “Not good”

I gulp.

“Let me see your passports.”

I gulp again. Newbies that we are, we don’t have those either. We just take copies of our passports when we go out in Romania because of possible theft, so it never occurs to us to bring them with us today. They are in the hotel, which Ron is explaining as I scramble in the glove compartment for the duplicates.

Polish Border Patrol One consults with Polish Border Patrol Two. I consult with God, the Only One. “Enter into this situation Lord, may you be glorified” (Wow, this actually comes out naturally. The Holy Spirit is definitely doing HIS job.)

Polish Border Patrol Number One: “You drive to hotel and we follow you. You get passports.”

We drive. The kids are unnaturally silent, and I think this might make good newsletter material. (I learned a little something in missionary training.)

We pull into the Hotel Parking Lot and various missionaries enjoying the sun glance our direction. I smile thinking that there is no better place to be when in trouble. Even though I’ve known Eastern European missionaries only a short time, I do know there aren’t many who don't pray when they see one of their own followed by authorities.

Jumping out of the car, I take the hotel stairs in twos, and run to get our passports. Fellow missionaries are a blur, but when I see them I whisper “PRAY”.

I come out the hotel door and see my kids standing like they are glued to the outside of our car. I also see one of International Messengers polish speaking missionaries and his cute wife high stepping it over to the patrol.

A conversation begins in Polish. The Border Patrol talks through our missinary, and interepretation comes in bits and pieces.

Missionary: “He says you need an International Driver’s License”

Ron and I smile like people in all languages smile at authorities.

Cute Missionary Wife starts to talk. She shakes her head, raises her hands. She talks some more and starts to laugh. Border Patrol laughs too.

Missionary: My wife is telling the authorities that she has never had an International Driver’s License.

Border Patrol (through Missionary Interpretor) If you had been stopped by just the Polish Police you wouldn’t have needed an International License, but this is a new rule and only we know it.

Now I think that Poland isn’t sounding much different than Romania.

The Cute Missionary Wife talks some more. Her head is sticking in the Patrol car and she’s going on and on. I hear more laughter.

Missionary: “My wife is telling him you just got to Romania. She let him know you don’t
even have a place to live.” (Hey, there ARE reasons for everything. )

Missionary: “It looks like you will just get a warning, no fine.”

Big breath. Big smile.

We stand and wait, watching the Patrol hand copy all the information off our passports. The cute missionary wife keeps talking to the Patrol, and I’m thankful for God’s beauties. In any language He can use gorgeous brown eyes.

That night I'm telling our story to some missionaries.

“Hey, that would make great newsletter material” one says.
“I know” I say and feel like one of the gang.

Another looks at me soberly. She asks questions. “You know, that’s something.” she says. “A similar thing happened to our friends who were here another time. He spent the night in the Polish Prison, and we had to hire a lawyer to battle him out the next morning. NO ONE gets away from being stopped in Poland without at least paying a fine.”

Well, that familiar feeling of the old Paula is still gone, but I think that’s o.k. My God has stayed the same, and His miracles are plenty familiar for me.

See the Day

2009-03-30T04:16:00.000-07:00

This is one of the two houses we are looking into buying. Sorry, this is not an April Fool's joke.

This is the spring where we get our drinking water. The atmosphere isn't great, but the water is.

This is Pavel's Mom. The boar that is soon to be castrated is hiding behind the fence. In the picture below, the guys are pounding in stakes on which to tie the boars legs as it humiliated. The vet was about 120 lbs and female!

This is in Pavel's parents back yard. All the animals are kept in the courtyards close to the houses. Almost everyone has guard dogs to protect their animals from theft. One time the tag that is required for all animals was ripped from some of their pigs ears so someone else wouldn't have to buy their own tag.

What's A Sunday Look Like?

2009-03-23T01:59:00.000-07:00

I heard Church bells ringing yesterday morning. They mingle for a moment with the clopping of horses’ hoofs on the street outside. I am getting dressed to go to church. I have on my dress (mandatory), and realize I’ve forgotten to put a scarf on my head. Being married, this is a must. Out comes a versatile bandana. Ron uses it as a hankie, and after it comes from the wash it goes on my hair.

We enter the church and I pull my coat tighter. There are just a few oil space heaters in the cement building. I’m not freezing, but know the cement blocks are competing for my body heat.

Ron and Matt sit on one side of the room, and the girls and I place ourselves on the other. Everyone greets us with a handshake, a smile, and sounds that must be words.

The songs begin. I’m shocked by the volume and richness of these 25 people. Some tunes are familiar, and some seem to cry with a Russian undertone, dark, yet somehow laced with The Hope.

The first speaker is from the congregation. For forty minutes he talks. We then pray. All of us stand as various men talk to God. With some unspoken cue, the women know it's their turn. Some of their voices waiver as they make appeals. Jumbled voices dance around me and I pray too.

We are sitting again as the Pastor starts his part of the service. Heather and Pavel bring up the youth group and sing three songs. It is not the timid singing of a youth group at home. One young man closes his eyes and sings for His King. The pastor asks for any special messages or gifts for God. A man reads a Psalm. Ron (my husband!) gets up and talks about revival. Pavel translates. I wonder what the Romanians think about Ron’s message. I wonder what they think about us. A 1 year old toddles up and down the isle, circling the pulpit and laughing with joy. Oblivious, a man reads his poem. That unknown cue comes and the women begin. One lone gorgeous voice sings a song. With the second stanza others join in. The toddler continues to play.

The Pastor now has his chance to preach. He stands, gestures and talks. He seems a good preacher, but soon I settle into God’s word and soak. I can’t understand the words from the pulpit, but I hear HIS voice. I am among God’s people, and there is joy surrounding my space.

Two hours are gone. We rise, and greet each other again. Pace they say and I say it back.
Peace.

Give thanks!

2009-03-17T05:33:00.000-07:00

We've got so much to be thankful for!

This first picture is Pavel with David. Our meals often look like this, but our faces are cleaner.

The second picture is our new car which was donated by the daughters of a former missionary to Romania. You can't see this in the picture, but it has IA lisence plates. Hurray, we can find it in any parking place.

New Pictures!

2009-03-11T12:58:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! Here are some links to pictures of our new home. They are all posted on facebook, but you do not need to have an account to view them. Enjoy!

Where we are currently living: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2017157&id=1469817809&l=108e9

A walk around town: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2017195&id=1469817809&l=e6403

Never-Never Land

2009-03-11T07:18:00.000-07:00

What does our new home look like? From inside Heather and Pavel’s home it is not so different from America. What looked strange to us when we visited for two weeks last year is no longer unfamiliar. The propane tank next to the tiny oven blends right in. The ceramic heating stove in the corner is part of the furniture. (Today it is full of wood as the rain outside keeps descending, and our clothes hanging on a rack in the middle of the living room need to dry. )

There is no trace of America when you look outside, however. Color splashes from walls, and ornate windows peek out from steeples. Carts are pulled by horses, and Mercedes rush by. Chickens roam in the street, and our eyes are wary as we direct our feet around remnants that squish.

It feels like a never- never land. Never could we have imagined what is beginning to look like home, and never could we have prepared for the sense of total dependence that seems to drape around us like the clothes hanging on the line. Sometimes that dependence clings to me, tangling my hair, my arms, my stomach. Other times (the times I suppose you are praying) I’m still surrounded, but a breeze touches my cheek, and I feel His Smile.

His Smile. It shines even in never-never land. I guess He knew someday I’d be here. “NEVER will I leave you, NEVER will I forsake you.” (Heb. 13:5) Maybe never-never land isn’t such a bad place to be.

Romania

2009-03-07T07:46:00.000-08:00

We made it!
Thanks for your prayers as we travelled 1/4 of the way around the world. Travel was easy, except somehow I ended up wearing my tightest jeans. It wasn't because of those that I was wanded and searched, however. Not realizing we would have to go through security between Chicago and Dusseldorf, I carried a full water bottle with me in my carry on luggage. The only advantage to this whole scene is realizing I could go under cover if Hitler ever makes a come back. Every security guard talked to me in German.
We don't have an easy i-net connection, but I'll try to keep posting. Right now we're off to our first youth group. We are wearing our coats, not because it is cold outside, but because the church will be chilly.
Keep praying and we'll be in touch.
Paula

Please pray...

2009-02-26T06:46:00.000-08:00

I'm sitting here at my computer listening to Mom and Anna cough. Sickness has descended on our family. I am the only one who hasn't been affected yet, Mikayla has had it and is better, I can't really tell how Dad is doing because he never really shows anything, but I do know that he is not feeling well.

The attacks are beginning. We were told at the training school that this would happen, that we would probably get sick right before we head out on the field. Satan is doing everything in his power to hold us back. I believe that while my family has caught the flu bug, it is more than just the flu. It is a spiritual attack strategically placed to keep us from going to Romania.

Please pray for us. Mom and Anna are completely unable to do anything, but there is a whole lot to get done. We only have 4 days left. Pray that He would step in and heal. Pray that we can get everything done. Pray that God would set up hedges of protection around our family as we get ready to jump into a world of darkness.

Please, let us know how we can pray for you,

-Matt

Seven Days

2009-02-24T08:07:00.000-08:00

You know you leave in a week when--

your mascara seems to be constantly smearing (why are my eyes always dripping?)

you start wearing the same pants for three days because you have the other ones packed

people start calling "just to say good bye"

you eat Whitey's Ice Cream (the best in the world) for the last time

the knot in your stomach seems to be inching up your throat

God's people surround you in church with prayer and hands

you wonder what in the world you are doing

you pack stuff into boxes, drop it off in Chicago, and hope to see it in Romania

You eat Whitey's Ice Cream for the the last time AGAIN.

We load up the car with shipping boxes.

We shipped 25 boxes. We must be Americans.

We decided these two were too big to ship.

It's Simple

2009-02-13T10:08:00.000-08:00

Nineteen years ago today Ron and I got married. We were in the midst of a major snow storm in the Rockies of CO. The Pastor who married us said our life would be an adventure. I always thought he knew God pretty well, but in retrospect, I have no doubt.

The adventure continues even through the mundane of getting ready to go to Romania: what do we ship? how do we get Matt's school program on the computer running again? does Anna have enough jeans? what should I fix for lunch? It seems like a million details to detail, and I'm thinking living an adventure isn't simple.

Nineteen years ago we honeymooned in a little cottage tucked away in the mountains. I wasn't concerned with all the details then. I was just interested in spending time with the love of my life and trying to please him. Guess things shouldn't be any different now. My Main Love is still the same, and thankfully He worked out all the details long ago.

The snow is coming down right now in Iowa, and I think Ron and I will have a great anniversary. But I was thinking, maybe next year in Romania (to celebrate our twentieth) we'll run away to a place with running water and a flush toilet.

Not My Writing

2009-02-10T16:36:00.000-08:00

I want to let you in on an email conversation I had with a friend the other day. My writing is in blue, and G.Diane's writing is in red. She was a missionary for years, and continues to be "on the field" through prayer and encouragement.

This is what I wrote:
I am humbled and a bit scared because God has obviously equipped us with a support team that is greater by far than we are, because He has work to do that is greater by far than we can imagine.

G. Diane replied with this:
He has work to do that is greater than any of us.
When I first got to Africa, I was scared to death. I had worked ER, I wasn't afraid of that. I didn't know enough to be afraid of the cobras. I hardly knew they were there yet. I was afraid that I didn't have enough skills. Equipment? Forget it. Diagnostics? Surely you jest. I looked around and saw massive injuries from accidents. I've never in my life seen so much pus. I was almost covered with it constantly. Gangrene. Rotting flesh and pus draining from teeth. Parasites. Amputations from hippos...yes...hippos. Horrible mutilations from machetes and witch doctor practices. We had a WW II X-Ray machine whose appendages flopped around when you rolled it and probably made the patients glow in the dark. The ether machine was rusted shut. Person to person transfusions. Babies left under sacrificial trees to die of starvation...or worse. Burns, ooooooh, the burns from cooking fires. People going blind from Spitting Cobras spitting venom in their eyes. It just didn't quit. I was going through what every nurse goes through when she arrives in Africa, an immobilizing inadequacy. I felt so low that I had to get a step ladder to get over a cotton ball. (Don't even bother counting the "I"s in that paragraph.)

I muttered to the doctor's wife, the charge nurse over the whole hospital, that I didn't feel capable. She stopped and slowly turned toward me and asked, "G. Diane, do you know any first aide?"

"What?"

"Do you know any first aide?" Her voice was calm, patient.

"Well, yes", I stammered. "I'm an RN and I started out as an EMT on an ambulance. But this..."

"I want you to remember something, G", she said softly. "The Lord sent you here to help people and to help us. If you know anything about first aide, you know far more than they do. An aspirin is like magic to them. You will see people die every day because they are 80% dead when they come. Our mortality rate is about that. They need the best you can give before they die and that is a chance to hear about the Lord Jesus Christ. If the Lord wants you here, you will be constantly amazed at what He wants to do through you. Give it back to Him each moment of every day...get out of His way...shut up...and watch. Prepare to stand in wonder at our Lord."

I decided it wasn't about me.

Random Thoughts 28 Days Out

2009-02-03T13:52:00.000-08:00

-It's wonderful to have some real time alone with you, God.
-Why did I just yell at Matt like that?
-Going grocery shopping in Romania is not going to be like this.
-I've got to get this room organized.
-Ron handled that situation so well.
-How will I ever get all of this packed?
-I don't deserve such a wonderful friend/prayer warrior/God.
-I have got to get that blog written.
-I'm so sick of not having my own place to live in.
-Why did I yell at Matt like that?
-I'm so blessed for not having my own place to live in.
-Life is never going to be the same again.
-Will I ever get a handle on all the paperwork that goes with raising support?
-Should we take __________to Romania?
-Maybe I yelled because of hormones.
-Is this some sort of spiritual attack?
-I can't believe we'll be leaving in 28 days.
-Don't forget to order more hormonal cream.
-Maybe someone will think I don't sound like a missionary.
-Maybe someone will see this and pray.

-

Influenced

2009-01-26T14:45:00.000-08:00

For almost a year now I've gotten THE LECTURE from the kids about the necessity of posting regularly on this blog. I think we had a bit of role reversal. You know the routine. Someone tells you what to do, and even if you want to do it, something in you rebels. (Hasn't Paul told you all of this before?)

Seems like my kids weren't the only ones that want me writing. So, for the ONE family that I know of, and my kids, I commence blogging. Hurray for child and peer pressure.

Here are some highlights from the past few weeks:

Prayer card photoshoot fun.

Playing Wii Sports!

Enjoying ourselves at Harvest Home Farm

Matt getting to eat the long awaited Becky Polous cookie! (3 years!)

Here I am hula-hooping for the first time in my life! I finally learned how...

God bless!

-Paula

Is this worth it?

2008-11-04T15:31:00.000-08:00

Hello,

We are in the process of evaluating whither our blogs are being read. Are you interested in reading our blogs? Do you want more than our monthly updates? Let us know and we will be glad to continue writing, and we will start to update more regularly.

Thanks!

I'm going to try

2008-10-18T17:58:00.000-07:00

I just spent 10 minutes reading the blog of one of our co-missionaries in training. She wasn't anything more than herself, and was able to let others see a bit of the life we have here at the Missionary Training School. I think this has shamed me a bit. I have this trouble with thinking that I won't be able to keep up with blogging, so I have never gotten started. Well, this is the day.
We just finished a week of classes with Darwin Anderson, the Director of International Messengers. I have said in the past that I would like to shrink Darwin, and put him in my back pocket. Then when discouragement comes, I could pull him out to push me forward.
As Darwin talked, I found myself sitting in class wondering how I could have limited God so greatly. I had started the week feeling overwhelmed with the thought of raising support. After reworking some numbers with more current costs from Eastern Europe, I had been startled by the amount we needed. But then a different view of God started to emerge. This wasn't a God that called, and then didn't provide. This wasn't a God who promised my life, or missionary work would be easy. This wasn't a God that said "I have given you a spirit of discouragement."
I've been on my "knees" a few times this week. This box I put My Lord in just isn't big enough. Open up, He's coming out.

The Cedars of Lebanon

2008-09-08T13:53:00.000-07:00

We took some time to go sight seeing last week. We went to the Ross Creek Cedars, which are these HUGE trees that supposedly are very similar to the Cedars of Lebanon mentioned in the Bible. They were amazing!

We also went to a Pizza place called "Red Dog." The food was really good!

Here is a picture of MMT, so you all know where we are living!

Hope everything is well with you! Please leave comments so we can know how to pray for you!