Some phenomenon happens every year as we mission in Romania.. the days grow shorter and shorter! Either that or the time flies faster and faster. .. I have yet to figure this out.
Tuesday we spent the morning working at HOH. It was such a blessing to walk through the apartment and see where once a tall mound of dirt and rubble stood was now a fully functioning kitchen with wonderful food aromas permeating the whole place. Cozy beds lined the walls where scaffolding once stood.... pretty chandeliers hang from the ceiling my son busted his head on nearly needing stitches. AHHH the memories! :) It was such a privledge to see the wall that was built and rebuilt by Shawn and Phil the year before as a true testimony of perseverance. They never gave up! I dont think we stopped smiling the whole time we walked in their home.. I was overwhelmed with Joy to have been a part of a place someone now calls home.
We toured the building and tallied up the list of chores to do... the basement is holding water so the thought was if they dug a hole through the concrete floor the water would have a place to collect. Shawn walked on his own and noticed the basement door was not covered and protected from the rain as it collects on the outside at the steps. He decided to build a portico to shield the door from the rain... after much discussion with all those involved it was given the go ahead and the guys began working.. and building up the land by the steps to protect the rain rushing down the stairs. Chuck, Ian, Henry, Shawn and Alex came up with a plan and had it near complete on the first day! What a team! Repurposing wood and building the portico like professionals!
The ceilings still need to be prepped for the hanging of drywall only this time we have a new sophisticated way of putting in metal tracks to slide together instead of cutting wood strips and cutting hundreds of shims (shhh dont tell Nicole and Karlann this way was much simpler and without slivers!) Phil and David had those puppies going in faster than you could say hand me the hammer! It was amazing! Before we knew it the walls for the closets were even in place and those blank canvases began looking like rooms! All this was happening as the guys were plastering rooms and mixing the plaster... Shelby, Ian and Brenda kept the sand supply and water supply full so the plaster work could keep moving! Sand and water from the first floor to the second floor like masters! Not one complaint... service with a smile. Shelby and Ian worked with me and Brenda insulating rooms... who needs scaffolding! We used brooms and various sticks to put the insulation in place. We wore hazmat suits and respirators.. no itching this year! Talk about whistle while we worked! We got one room and closet complete before it was time to break for lunch. Our friend Cristina made us the energy drink of the day... something in that delicious tea of fruit and mint energized us to keep the momentum going! The sun was shining and birds chirping... we sat outside soaking up the first warmth of the year for this Wisconsin team. What a blessing!
With all that work came a little play... Off to Toarcla we went for the afternoon! Here is my chance to brag a little... Shawn scored his first goal in football against the Romanians AND this is the FIRST year the Americans beat them! Now that is definately something to blog about! There was such a peace about sitting with the kids and playing games and coloring with them as we watched the football game. I cannot believe how much we enjoyed sitting with them and just enjoying one anothers company without the need to fill in the gaps with something. It was perfect! After the game we were invited to a youths home to see his horse... we promised to return the following day to honor Kyle and our dinner time arrival. This was the first time we have been personally invited to a home. It was hard to say no but we explained we would be back the following day. We drove away with enormous smiles on our faces.
The evenings were filled with board games and cards and lots of friendly competition. "Team bonding" some would say... Waking up on a deficit of sleep to repeat the day over again.
Wednesday the team split into 2... Shawn, David, Phil, Ian, Chuck and Alex went with Petry to HOH to continue working and Shelby, Candy and Brenda went along with Kyle to the English classes at the German school. We have visited these children each year and my how they have even grown! From 3rd grade to 5th graders.. They remembered us! It was such an honor to walk into the classroom and see those faces light up and they began to clap! We shared a game with them that Kyle came up with and had our time of English question and answers. When they speak Engligh to us we share a piece of American Chocolate... quite the incentive dont ya think?? Clever thinkers! It works.. and as usual the same sweet children challenge me to skip the rope! So here I am jumping rope in front of the class.. I still dont get why they dont ask Shelby to "skip the rope". :)
The toughest question to answer was from the sweet young man who missed Ian... "where is Ian?" with the biggest smile on his face. We had to explain that Ian stayed back to work at HOH.... but we also explained that as soon as Ian heard they missed him he would never stay back to work again and we were right. Ian was so honored that they remembered him he immediately wished he had gone along. Ian felt he disappointed them and promised to see them next year. (I cannot wait to see THOSE smiles when Ian walks into the room next year)
Thursday was another work day... it ended with Mommies Group, oh how I love Mommies Group! Meeting with these ladies I have grown to call friends is truely an honor. We talked about our identity and struggles with that and encouraged one another along this path of life. They encourage me so much to never give up and to love well. I only wish I could be present at each Mommies Group and not just once a year. We learned that Romanians do not have a translation word for "Sisterhood" as we Americans call it... Oh MY! So they learned what that means.... Sisterhood, and they model that very well to this heart of mine. I feel accepted and our relationships are growing every year... we took a group photo and it wasnt my idea this year! They are all so beautiful to me.. I hold them very near to my heart each day.
the days get shorter in Romania while we are there.. I just know it!
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