Europe 4 Him

Transitions

2009-08-02T23:40:00.006+03:00

This blogsite will be inactive for much of the year due to our transition out of full time mission work with Greater Europe Mission (GEM). Since we are still ministry associates with GEM, we will continue to be involved each year with ministry work in Romania. During our time in Romania, we intend to keep people up to date.

Therefore, We have decided to keep this site up for both a blog record of our past work in Romania, but also a way to update people on work in Romania when we travel there.

Thank you for your support of us.

God Bless,
Steve and Kristi

In Between Diaper Changes and Feedings

2009-02-15T21:47:00.009+02:00

We are here in Indiana with our new son, Andre. It is wonderful, but it is also a type of house arrest. I like to call it, "Baby House Arrest". We are stuck in our gracious host's house in a routine all parent's know. Eat, sleep, eat some more, wash his clothes, sterilize his bottles, and so on and so forth.

So what are we doing in between changing diapers and bottle feedings? Well, I, Steve, am developing a blog for new missionaries. Steve's Blog Many missionaries go to their host culture and know very little about how to do anything or even what questions to ask. By God's grace, Kristi and I had experts in developing missionaries literally right out our front door. Andy and Pam Labreche kept us on the right path and gave us great training. If they were not there we could ask GEM's regional director across town, or one of our other colleagues that had over 10 year experience respectively.

Even with this these great teachers, it was not possible for them to remember everything. We also found it difficult to call or e-mail people at 2:00 am, when they were on home assignment, or in a conference in another country or city. It just was not always possible to ask someone to get the answer.

Therefore, I am developing this on-line resource in blog format in order to provide answers and resources for new missionaries ask at anytime and anywhere as long as they have internet. Anyone can look at it at any time of the day, and even before they reach the field. Even though this is aimed at new missionaries I have found many resources even veteran missionaries can use either in their own work, or as a reference for their new charges.

2009-01-22T02:48:00.005+02:00

We are in Indiana finishing up the adoption of our son, Andre. We are both happy parents and splitting the duties during the night shift. God has given me energy to be able to take the early morning time. I am usually up after 2 am to about 8 am. Then I go to bed, and Kristi takes over.

We are both doing well, and our host family here in Indiana is wonderful. We should be in Indiana until late February or early March. My guess is March. In any case, we will then return to Chandler, Arizona.

Even though, we have a little one, I am busy none the less keeping busy with ministry. I am developing a website/blog to support new missionaries on the field. One aspect of the website is a section for disability resources. It will allow someone in the field to research and use tools at a moments notice. Because we are confined mostly in the house here, I able to concentrate a lot of time on it.

What's Next?

2008-11-28T11:42:00.004+02:00

Many knew that we thought we would be adopting and in the states for the holidays. Then things changed with that as the birthmother changed her mind. The big question was, "Do we still go on furlough?" or "Do we wait until we hear about another birthmother picking us?"

Well, we thought to wait it out. However, this past week we bit the bullet and purchased tickets for our home assignment. Yup, we are coming back to the states for a five, yes 5, month stay.

Our options for home assignment were:

1) 4 years Romania with 1 year back in the states.

2) 2 years Romania with 6 months back in the states.

We felt option one was too long for both reasons for relationships on both sides of the ocean.

We have now been in Romania for 2 1/2 years - so we are over due to get back to visit friends, family and supporters!

This past week we received a few reports from close friends and family of some health concerns. At that point we were more assured that we need to spend some good quality time with those we love back home.

We plan to spend holiday time in both Minnesota and Nebraska, with News Years back in Arizona. Then both of us need to take some continuing education courses for our therapy license and certificates.

Adoption News: We are so close to the top of the list at the adoption agency that every expecting mom that goes through this agency will read our profile and letter to choose from. Please join us as we continue to pray that during our time in the states our family will grow to include a beautiful, healthy baby.

As exciting as it is to think about being in the states it is difficult to pack up when ministry and relationships here are going so well. Please pray for us as we pack, organize, and visit with many before we leave here. Oh yeah, all of this in ONE WEEK. We will depart on Dec. 6th heading to Minneapolis first.

New Place to Call Home - Again.

2008-11-06T10:21:00.005+02:00

I had heard it said that a missionary's life consists of getting used to moving. Not always within the same city like us, but back and forth from the states and sometimes to different towns and cities. We have had our share of mobility in our two and half years of living here.

However, we are so happy with this present move we made. We left behind the apartment in the block building and are now in a large 3 bedroom apartment in a house. The neighborhood is nice and quiet with a observatory across the street. This makes parking our van so much easier!!! I can not even explain the increase of cars we have seen here even in the last two years. These Romanian cities were not designed to accommodate this and in the areas of block apartments it is the worst!

Steve has been busy with distributing wheelchairs and equipment and other ministry things with moving furniture in between. Hence, there has been no down time for us until this past weekend. We celebrated my (Kristi's) birthday and our new place with having friends over.

Adoption News - is that we have not heard anything new. We are still in the waiting mode for a birthmother to pick us. This has changed our travel plans and we will not be in the states for the holidays. Unless, we get a call that requests us to come immediately to pick up a surprise Christmas gift. Thanks for your continued prayer for us and our future family.

For the time being we expect to celebrate Thanksgiving with other missionaries and Americans here in Timisoara.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!

So Let's Get to Work!

2008-09-26T14:29:00.004+03:00

There are many reasons for ministering both alongside and to people with special needs and disabilities. All the arguments could fill volumes in anyone's library. However, two verses have been banging around in my head for the last six months. They come from the pen of the writer of Hebrews.

Hebrews 10:24-25 "...and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near."

We often see the verses in a different light than having relevance with special circumstances, needs, or disabilities. However, I feel convinced that it is extremely relevant to the life issues of all people who have special circumstances. Where are the vast majority of the people with special needs on Sunday morning and evening? Are they at church or in bible studies? No. They are home or elsewhere, cut off from the church body. Who is stimulating them to love and good deeds? Who can they encourage? How are they growing in love and in worship? I think the key is to help and encourage churches learn how to open their doors and incorporate those who have special circumstances, special needs, or disabilities.

Can anyone do this? Why not? God uses anyone with a mission, a heart, goals, and is obedient. So let's get to work!

Stephen Carnazzo

The Roller Coaster Ride of Adoption

2008-09-12T23:27:00.002+03:00

Life is in constant change and motion. We are in the midst of packing our belongings and moving to a different apartment. This next one will be in a house. Yeah! It will have more room for a baby.

Also we are trying to get ready to fly to the states for adopting a baby in December. BUT, halt on this one. The birthmom who had chosen us to adopt her baby changed her mind and is now going to parent her baby. It is a disappointment, but not a death or a miscarriage. We will continue to pray for this young mother and this baby boy. We still have a hope for a baby and our application and information is being shared with other expecting mothers thinking of adoption plans.

The other positives is that she changed her mind in advance before we purchased plane tickets or flew to the states. Those who follow our blog and are praying for our adoption we wanted you to know. We appreciate your prayers. Thank You!

Taking A Break

2008-09-07T15:56:00.005+03:00

After a wonderful and blessed summer we found ourselves exhausted. In knowing we needed a vacation we discussed the many possible locations in driving distance from us. We chose Vienna, Austria which was only an 8 hour drive away.

It was a time of more relaxation than sightseeing. We were fortunate to be able to stay in the home of fellow GEM missionaries who live in a smaller community just outside of Wien (Vienna). While we enjoyed visiting this family we also had quiet time to read and take leisure walks through the town exploring and tasting the foods of Austria.

Two of the days we traveling by train and subway into the city and explored. It is a beautiful city and rich in history. Kristi loved seeing the locations where many famous composer preformed and lived. We even took in a orchestra concert at Musikverein (The Golden Hall) where every year they perform on New Years Day and it is aired worldwide. The music of this concert was of Strauss and Mozart. The website for the hall is at http://www.musikverein.at/

2008-08-19T09:01:00.002+03:00

It was that time again for annual conference. Every year we look forward to this time to reconnect with other GEM missionaries servicing throughout Europe. Worship is with a great professional team from the states that serve in a week long mission to us missionaries. This is a huge blessing to us. Worshiping in our language is a moving and true worship experience.

It is encouraging to hear how God is moving in other countries and ministries. We connected with those we had initially met when joining the GEM team to some new missionaries just coming to the field.

This year they had an evening of a talent show and also a night with the opening of the Olympics in Beijing.

Nick Vujicic In Timisoara

2008-08-19T08:39:00.004+03:00

We did not get the chance to blog immediately following Nick's visit due to our annual GEM conference that took us to Hungary. People have been asking and wondering.

It was a blessed whirlwind of a few days. I thought a few of us were picking Nick and those on his team at the airport. As we waited I did not see any cameras in the crowd, but as he rolled out in his wheelchair out popped video cameras in many directions. Yup, it was big news in Timisoara. The newspapers had referred to him as a pastor living without limbs. The first church service on Monday was packed with people standing along the side of the aisles. That church can seat 2500. His message was powerful and the line afterward to greet and hug him took almost 2 hours.

The following day there was a press conference followed by a kind of townhall meeting with local professional regarding the state of living for those with disabilities here in Romania. That evening he went to our church in Timisoara. Yes, the one that had just built a ramp the two weeks prior to this visit. God has great timing. This church can only seat about 1200 people. Because of this it was overflowing into the front hall and 300 chairs in the basement with a live video stream there.

We have been praying for a movement that the churches can reach out to this part of the community. Please pray with us that maybe from these events the churches can provide special bible study and sunday school classes for as well as access to their general services.

Adoption Update

2008-07-29T22:37:00.002+03:00

While we were preparing for the team from Highlands our lawyers office called our Romanian cell phone. The phone call was to inform us that a birthmom was interested in talking to us. Within the next half hour we were on the phone talking to her for almost 2 hours.

The following day we heard again from the lawyers that she has chosen us as adoptive parents for her baby. She is due to deliver a baby boy in early December. We are in the middle of summer ministry and will be updating you more to our travel plans when the due date comes closer.

Thanks for your prayers and please continue to pray for the baby and birthmom.

Successful Week

2008-07-29T09:29:00.006+03:00

The ramp above was excellently constructed and a great example to the church body and also the whole community.

Highlands Church sent true servants to serve Betel church in Timisoara. It was great to see their attitude of humility and partnership. They came with a dual purpose to advance disability ministry in Timisoara, and to develop a true partnership with Betel. It was great to see how the relationships developed between the churches. God was truly with us.

Last week was FULL! Full of things to do, people to meet, training - BUT most of all it was full of loving one another. God worked out details of schedules and chance meeting of those He wanted to introduce to each other.

He also allowed time to do a little sight seeing. We traveled all of Thursday to see Hunedoara Castle, the fortress at Deva, and the Roman ruins at Sarmizegetusa.

The end of the day was at the home of Pastor Alex's parents in a village near Caransebes. Here is a picture of Pastor Alex and his wife Nuti. They are also the parents of Tania and Elias pictured in past posts in our blog.

Their hospitality they shared with us and the team this past week was a huge blessing. Thanks Alex & Nuti.

Thanks also to the whole team from Highlands - Matt, Mike, Joy, Doug, Missy, Katonna & Kelsey. We appreciate all the work you did and your hearts you opened up to share to so many others. We look forward to seeing you when we travel back to the states.

Get the Current Update

2008-07-21T19:51:00.003+03:00

Highlands Church in Scottsdale Arizona currently has a team here in Timisoara. They have a blog that is being updated daily of their activity. Check it out by clicking here.

God is working in some amazing ways.

Huge Evangelical Festival in Timisoara

2008-07-16T11:13:00.012+03:00

Franklin Graham Festival of Hope was in Timisoara July 4th - 6th. This was during our travel to Suceava, but we heard great things from our friends who attended. There were over 1000 Romanians that participated by singing in a choir. The sun was shining with a little breeze to help cool it a little.

We received this information from Dwight Poggemiller.

Friday Attendance 19,283 # of Decisions 676

Sat. Children's Attendance 7,252 # of Decisions 1,476

Sat. Evening Attendance 22,662 # of Decisions 703

Sun. Evening Attendance 27,787 # of Decisions 1,067

Totals: Attendance 76,984 # of Decisions 3,922

Prior to this Festival on June 24 - 26h we were happy to take part in a wheelchair distribution connected with the Festival of Hope in Timisoara.

140 Wheelchairs were fitted, modified, and then given to those in need before the fesitval. Watch this short video below:
Click Here

Steve Carnazzo

Full Week - BLESSED!

2008-07-16T07:58:00.011+03:00

This years Wheelchair Distribution for Joni & Friends in Romania was last week. There were three locations here in Romanian that had an American team and wheelchairs. We participated in the Suceava site, which is a community in the northeastern part of the country. The population is about 120,000 and is built on large rolling green hills. Beautiful countryside.

It was the first year that Joni & Friends Wheels For the World distributed chairs at this site. The church that hosted it was Filadelfia, and we found the Pastor, his family, and the church members some of the best people we have met. Suceava had a midwestern feel to it. The people were warm and friendly.

The week was a busy one as there were 91 chairs distributed and fit to those who came in need of a wheelchair. The church had some ramps and God had already placed a desire in this church family to reach out to those with disabilities.

Emil and his wife Simona were lovely people, and we enjoyed getting to know them throughout the week. We also had a barbecue dinner at Emil's parents home. Yum! There was so much good food.

Emil is a worship leader at Filadelfia, and is in a wheelchair due to a spinal injury. He and his wife Simona were at the church everyday and were great support to those who came for wheelchairs. Gordon, an American, and Emil shared the gospel and prayed with those who came.

Many close friendships were made and Steve and I look forward to the next time we travel to Suceava.

What a great place. - Kristi

Babysitting

2008-06-30T09:52:00.008+03:00

Elias playing the lollipop drum.

Some of you might remember a blog we posted over a year ago about our language instructor who quit her job to take care of her newborn. Well, this past week I had the chance to watch him while the rest of the family had work, vacation bible school, and appointments.

Elias loves music, so we got along well. I did discover that I need to increase my box of toys. Watching a toddler I had to pull lots of tricks out to keep him occupied and entertained for about 5 hours that day. Being an exploring little boy, he found the TV remote fun. Overall, the day was a joy and I'm looking forward to watching him again.

His sister, Tania, requested that I come back to their house to play and sing more sometime.

Kristi

Three T's in the Capital

2008-06-12T15:59:00.015+03:00

Kristi (me, on the left) MT, Jenny (front center) a PT,

and Dawn (on the right) an OT

Jenny Lotter, Dawn Hoffman, and myself have been in Bucharest, the capital city of Romania for the past two weeks. Jenny is a Physical Therapist, Dawn an Occupational Therapist that specializes in SI, and I am a Music Therapist with SI training. We spent our time in a Rehab Center for Disabled Children. The first week consisted of 3 days observing of their PEC's program (Picture Exchange Communication), and then 3 days of training staff about Sensory Integration. The trainee group consisted of teaching assistants, psychologists, physical therapists, and a few staff from other facilities.

Group Picture of Center Staff who attended training.

The second week we stayed to work alongside the staff and put into practice the SI theory and techniques. It was amazing to see both the children respond positively, and the staff have many "ah ha" moments. Today was our last day there, and the staff expressed their gratitude and gave us an invitation to come back. Within the same building is an orphanage with many children that could benefit as well; however, we were not able to train the staff with these children, but continue to pray that the training that the PEC staff received will be communicated to them. Pray that this training will be multiplied in its effectiveness to touch more children that God Loves.

Tomorrow will be a day off and touring the city of Bucharest. I'm looking forward to going home on Saturday to Timisoara and seeing my husband!

Pricey

2008-05-23T09:38:00.004+03:00

I have been reading and hearing about the prices of gas in the United States. I knew that we have been paying over $5 per gallon over the past two years here. However, I had never actually taken a receipt and converted the price to dollars, and litters to gallons until today. Wow! The last time we filled was May 17th and we paid $7.16 per gallon.

It doesn't seem to be slowing people down from driving. We have noticed even in the past two years here that there are more and more cars on the streets and in parking lots. This is making parking difficult. It is also the reason one sees cars parked on sidewalks and blocking roadways and other cars in constantly.

After grocery shopping at Walmart in November, we were shocked at how much we got for the price; however, we purchased mostly canned and boxed foods that are not found in Romania. I imagine that prices on the staples are comparable.

These are just a few of the prices listed in an advertisement flyer. How do they compare?

$670 26" LCD HD Television

$3 Whole Chicken - per 1 Kilogram = 2.2 pounds

$5.43 Pork Roast - 1 Kilogram

$1 Flour - 1 Kilogram

$1.20 Sugar - 1 Kilogram

$1.3 Milk 1 Litter ($4.93 1 gallon)

$1.60 Eggs 10 (they don't sell in dozens here)

$3 head of cauliflower

$1.25 head of green lettuce.

Babies! Babies!

2008-05-09T10:06:00.013+03:00

Emma and Baby Filip

Yesterday, I went to visit a former language instructor named Emma. She and her husband had a beautiful baby boy last January. It was the first time I saw their son, Filip Alexandru. He is a good little boy and SO adorable. It was nice to catch up with Emma, and also see what wonderful parents they are.

Last week, Steve and I visited another young family from our church who have a one year old son, Andrei. He has blond hair and clear blue eyes, and was a happy, ACTIVE little guy. We know a few other church members who have recently had children with one other couple currently expecting. It is a good place to be, when we as a couple are expecting without the pregnancy.

In our last newsletter, we announced our plans of adoption, but this is the first blog about it. We are in the waiting stage. We have completed all the steps of our home study, and are just waiting for the finalized social workers written report Then our lawyers, who are located in Indiana, will be showing our letter to expecting moms for them to make their decision of choosing us as the couple

they would like to raise their baby.

I don't have morning sickness, the cravings, and all the other pregnancy symptoms, but I think about this little one growing and wonder at what stage God has him or her. We are not just waiting on paperwork, but God's timing. Our future child could already be 5 plus months along in the pregnancy, or not yet conceived. So, in the mean time we wait while going forward with the daily blessing of opportunities God has given us to do in work where we are.

Kristi

(If you are an expecting mom surfing the web and considering placing your baby in an adoption plan, and would like to read our birthmom letter. Please contact our lawyers, who are in the state of Indiana. You can see their website and get their phone number by clicking here.)

Meeting of The Minds

2008-04-16T15:51:00.013+03:00

The past few weeks have been filled with meetings. These have all required some travel. We began by traveling across Romania to Suceava. There we met with different Pastors and potential churches that could possibly host the Wheels For the World distribution of wheelchairs this coming summer. Sami Mitrofan was key in helping us with this process. All the meetings were helpful in deciding where to host the distribution, they all are great churches who are ready to serve the disabled community. Since only one spot could be chosen, we weighed careful how best to hold the distribution. In the end, we choose a site that was physically ready for 100 or so disabled visitors. They already have built ramps through out for they have a worship leader in a wheelchair, and recently they purchased a van from Germany to help transport anyone with a disability to church. We could not have done this without the help from Sami, a true friend of Joni and Friends ministries.

After returning to Timisoara we had two days to wash laundry and pack for our Romanian GEM team meeting.

This year the team traveled to the coast of Croatia at a Christian retreat center in the town of Crikvenia. This was a 9 hour drive from Timisoara. It was a time to plan and express team goals, as well as individual goals for reaching Romania with the Gospel. We feel extremely fortunate to be part of this great team.

As Steve drove our van back with other team members, I continued to travel down the coast with two single female missionaries, Dawn and Amy. We took three days to explore the beauty of Croatia. I highly recommend it as a travel destination! The city of Dubrovnik has a beautiful, intact fortress along the Adriatic Sea. We also drove to and hiked in a National Park where we saw many waterfalls. You can see more pictures in our picture album.

I then traveled on with Amy to Italy where I volunteered to watch the GEM Italy teams children as they met for their team's strategic planning. This was held in Sorrento which is another coastal city. It is south of Napoli on the Almafi coast.

From our balcony you could see the lights of Pompei and Mount Vesuvius.

The kids were great and I was able to get to know the Italian team better.

As I return to Timisoara, I join Steve in a busy schedule of preparation for the summer to come. While I was off to Italy, he was working away at many existing and upcoming ministry events.

Tuesdays with a True Partner

2008-04-14T21:26:00.006+03:00

What can I say about Iosif Blaj. He is a dedicated friend, an great repair man, but most of all a true ministry partner. Iosif and I are collaborating with Centrul Comunitar de Asistență Socială (The day center for the elderly). We go each Tuesday to work with the elderly in their homes, making repairs. In the same time, I look for ways to modify the homes to be more accessible and functional for them. If needed, I provide adaptive/medical from our friends at River of Life Ministries. It is a great way to fulfill James 1:27 "Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father in this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world."

DEZINFECTED

2008-03-28T21:09:00.006+02:00

Living in a different culture, life is always a little out of the ordinary. To be understood and to understand is a work in progress. It is one reason the life as a missionary is a full one. There is always something to learn or be taught. Always the next challenge to tackle. Just trying to use the bathroom calls for a little DEZcernment.

2008-03-11T08:29:00.004+02:00

We had the privilege to attend a meeting with other Romanians who are working and ministering to people with disabilities. Joni and Friends has had contact with many of them through the years. This meeting brought them together to discuss how an alliance of everyones ideas could strengthen and empower each other to do ministry.

We met in Bucuresti, which was our first time in the capital city of Romania. It was a 9 hour train ride from Timisoara. We enjoyed our time there and have been asked to go back and present a workshop/training at a Rehab Center for children with disabilities.

My American Dishwasher

2008-01-24T12:04:00.000+02:00

I had forgotten about dishwashers. You can find them in the appliance stores here, but they are extremely overpriced in comparison with the States. Also, taking into account that the kitchen space is much smaller it is rare to find one in a Romanian home.

Fortunately for me I have Steve! While I cook he enjoys washing the dishes afterward. Hey, check out cabinet above him. It has a built in drying rack for the plates and glasses which is very useful.

Holiday Seasonings!

2007-12-30T16:03:00.000+02:00

The spice of Christmas this year was flavorful!

On the 18th of December we were invited out to the village of Recas for a children's program. The choral director from our church also works there teaching the children within the orphanage to sing. The event was also supported by a team from England with Samaritan's Purse. The place was packed with the children from the facility as well as the children and families from the village. Check out more pictures from the program.

Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and the day following all had church services. The messages and music all celebrated the birth of Christ. From the children's program on Monday evening, to the brass band Christmas morning, to the choir and orchestra at the evening service, all were wonderful presentations.

Christmas Eve, Steve and I enjoyed the evening at our Pastor's home in front of a warm fire as we waited for carolers to stop. I loved the brass players in their courtyard playing Christmas hymns and then again in the house after partaking in hot tea and food.

Christmas Day we ate at our GEM - Romania director's home along with seven international medical students from India. The following day was also filled with more good food as we were invited into a Romania home and ate traditional sarmale (cabbage rolls) and mamaligia (cornmeal mush or grits). The meal had three courses all excellent and leaving us bursting from our seams. Diets are in our future!

The past few days we have enjoyed house guests playing card games and relaxing. See more pictures of our guests.

Christmas Sounds

2007-12-15T12:13:00.000+02:00

OK... we have been back in Romania for two weeks now, and it is cold. For the last two days we have woke up to snow on the ground. Our Christmas tree is up, and I'm playing Christmas CD's. An American missionary showed me this link to an a-cappella group from Bloomington, Indiana. I enjoyed it and wanted to share it with you. A little fun way to get more into the spirit of Christmas.

Kristi

Still Hangin' Out in the USA

2007-11-27T02:16:00.000+02:00

Worship at the West Coast Summit Conference

I thought I would write a quick update since we have neglected our blog while being in the United States.

Five weeks in the states has been a joy as we have visited many family members, friends, and supporting churches. We also visited doctors for general check ups, and the dentist as well. All is set for us to return.

After attending a wonderful Joni and Friends conference in California some family met us at Disneyland for some fun. Playtime for any age.

Getting wet at Disneyland

We were also able to travel to Minnesota and spend some time with Kristi's family. However, our time is at an end, and we are ready to get back to our second home. Tomorrow we began our 24+ hour journey back.

We are currently attempting to pack. It seems we have far more we want to take back than we brought here. Packing will be an adventure.

Thank You's to all we were able to visit and have meals with. We love you and look forward to our next visit.
The Carnazzo's

Love and Kisses

2007-10-22T17:09:00.000+03:00

A family wedding brought us back to the States for a visit. The above picture is Steve with his brother Dave. It is nice to be with family again. Jetlag slowed us down some, yet we were able to stay awake for all the wedding events. Aleen (Steve’s niece) was a beautiful bride and the wedding was fabulous.

It is amazing how quickly one forgets driving directions and standard routines, such as the questions at the supermarket check out. “Do you want paper or plastic?” “Do you need ice or stamps today?” “Ok, just slide your card through.” Hummm, what was our pin code again? We survived; however, our brains had much slower processing speed.

Arizona weather is wonderful, and we are looking forward to our visit next week to California. We will visit Joni and Friends International Disability Center as well as participate in a conference.

Right now we are staying with Kristi’s brother and able to see our dog Lucy who lives with him.

Bob, Buziaş, and Blessing

2007-09-29T10:48:00.000+03:00

Bob standing on the drivers side of his British Landrover

Bob Sumner is a British man with a long history in Romania. We met him through our involvement with a ministry situated just north of Timisoara called River of Life. There situated in a small village called Cornesti, is a storage building for medical equipment donated from England to Romania. He has repeated bringing a trailer full of medical equipment to Romania each year ministering to those in need. We are now partnering with Bob and River of Life bringing blessings to those in need of the loving hand of Christ.

The equipment and trailer Bob brought

Last week Kristi and I had the opportunity to travel along with Bob and two others from England to Buziaş, another village east of Timişoara. There we met Alena, a Romanian woman that has developed a lasting friendship with Bob.

Our Visit with Alena

Alena suffers from paralysis after a tragic car accident. Prior to this visit she asked if it would be possible to be transported to her mother's gravesite. With the help of ramps that Bob supplied and the use our minivan together we were able to transport her.

Watch the video of getting Alena into our van.

Spending time with Bob and his friend here in Romania has been a blessing to us and one in which we have been personally touched to see God’s provisions.

Imagine

2007-09-29T09:42:00.001+03:00

Imagine what it would be like to have been born with a disability, have an accident, or condition that is serious enough to cause difficulties moving without help. Now imagine that you have no wheelchair, walker or adaptive equipment to help. You are constantly dependant on another person’s help. All around the world there are people who live their lives only within their homes. To go outside would involve someone carrying them.

A few weeks ago we met Ivan and his wife. A Christian doctor suggested we meet them to see if we could help get them a wheelchair. Over the phone and in person, Ivan’s wife was full of life and greeted us with a huge smile. She led us up the bloc apartment building, into their apartment, and into a living room where Ivan was laying on a sleeper sofa. He also greeted us with a smile and a healthy hand shake. Romanians are well known for their warm hospitality and this family, even with Ivan’s illness, exemplified this as well. After measuring and speaking with them, Steve was able to explain and show some exercises to help strengthen his body.

We returned a few days later to deliver a wheelchair and a bedside commode. After transferring Ivan into the wheelchair he demonstrated his ability to use it well, and then he high tailed it through the hall and into his kitchen, where he looked out the window to the scene below.

His wife offered us all coffee and fruit and we talked about the last time he was able to be in that room of their apartment. It had been six months since his return from the hospital and that whole time he had spent his time confined to the one room, the living room.
What a joy and a blessing to meet this couple and to be apart of God’s plan.

GEM Annual Conference 2007

2007-08-17T18:23:00.001+03:00

Worship at Conference

Every year the missionaries with Greater Europe Mission gather for an annual conference. Last week we participated in this year’s conference in Sopron, Hungary.

Steve and I were refreshed and encouraged by other Missionaries throughout Europe. The guest speaker was Kalevi Lehtinen who was born in Finland. He has worked with Campus Crusade for Christ, and has headed up evangelistic outreaches in several European countries.

This conference held two celebrations. The first occurred on Monday evening. It was for our current president, Ted Noble and his wife Lynn. This was a wonderful banquet celebrating not only his leadership, but also gave recognition to past leaders. Ted announced at last year’s conference that he felt the Lord leading him on toward something new. He asked for prayer in the search for the following president.

The second celebration was on Tuesday evening with the Installation Service for Henry Deneen, who will begin leadership on September 1st. It was a graceful change of leadership with a sense of peace, unity, and joy among all who attended.

The highlight of the week for Steve was when the Romanian team (that’s us) sang a Romanian hymn. There were eleven of us singing in four part harmony. This was a first for Steve, not only singing in harmony, following a line of music, BUT also singing in front of an audience of approximately 300 people.

Check out some of the pictures we took. A few pictures where from an afternoon outing to a Palace.

Wheels For the World - Continued.

2007-08-17T17:43:00.000+03:00

Ligia, pictured above received her first wheelchair. The request for the wheelchair was made months ago from Ligia’s mother, Neli. She had talked with a member of a small village church which Steve and I visited at Easter. During that visit, Steve measured Ligia for a chair. We prayed that within the shipment of wheelchairs coming for the July Wheels for the World Distribution there would be something perfect for her.

Answering this prayer, God provided just the wheelchair for Ligia. At Cluj, Jenny Lotter, our friend and colleague, spotted a chair that would fit her.

On August 1, Steve, Jenny, and Kristi delivered the chair above.

Over 100 Wheelchairs Given!

2007-07-26T22:21:00.000+03:00

Last week in Craiova, Romania, Joni & Friends – Wheels for the World had a team to distribute wheelchairs to those who needed them. Everyday around 20 individuals were given a chair that was fitted to their specific needs, sizes and shapes.

What a blessing to get a glance into the lives of those who came. Many times they were individuals with years of hurt and suffering behind them. Each person dealt with their own disability; amputation of legs, stroke, MS, CP as well as other types of disabilities.

God showed Himself as a true provider for those in need.

One lovely woman named Gina (pictured above) had been injured in the earthquake of 1979, and arrived with her teenage son who helped her move. She received a special chair for those with paralysis.

Anka, Cornelia, Alin, Ana Maria, Alex where there along with other children throughout the week. These children sat for the first time in their wheelchairs eyes twinkling and smiling with a smile that warms the heart.

This picture to the right is of Bianca with her twin sister and the therapists who helped fit her wheelchair. She stated, “This is the kind of wheelchair I have always wanted.” The therapists and mechanics (Steve & Alex) adjusted and also prepared a table to fit on her chair. The team was blessed to hear later in the week from her mother saying that Bianca was doing things she was never able to do before, such as hold crayons and color in a position comfortable to do so.

Adrian who had had one leg already amputated registered for a wheelchair two weeks prior to the distribution; however, in the intervening two weeks, his condition worsened, and he was faced with the amputation of his other leg. With clearance from his doctor, he was transported from the hospital to be fit with a wheelchair.

The man pictured below was a veteran in WWII , was not able to move around because of his illness. Now he sits crying with joy as he receives his new wheelchair and renewed independence.

The last patient fitted with a wheelchair had a doctorate in chemical engineering that traveled the world during the Communist years. He could have even moved to the United States in the 1960’s, but he chose to remain with his homeland despite the hardships.

God showed himself to be the best physician for those who came.

Celebrating One Year!

2007-07-05T14:42:00.001+03:00

Kristi and Steve on a mountain top in Switzerland.

Now after one full year in Romania, life is beginning to be more at ease. As missionaries with Greater Europe Mission we participated in a conference specifically designed for first term missionaries. It was held in Saas Grund, Switzerland in June. What a beautiful and relaxing location to gather new GEM missionaries to debrief on the highs and lows of moving to another country. Those who attended were from Bulgaria, France, Portugal, Germany, Holland, Austria, Malta, and Romania.

Every morning we were involved in sessions dealing with culture, language, and family issues. Then each afternoon was free to take nature walks, read, or naps. The temperatures were cooler for long sleeves and a light jacket. It was refreshing, and we returned to Romania with renewed energy to face another year of expectant possibility.
Check out some of our photos.

This past weekend two of our pastors from Highlands Church in Scottsdale, AZ. came to Timisoara for a short visit. It was exciting for us to share with them our local church we attend, some city sites, our home, and neighborhood.

Steve, Pastor Les and Pastor Tyler while having some coffee and ice cream at a cafe in Union Square.

A Place to Call Home

2007-05-30T17:15:00.000+03:00

Heartfelt thanks to those that have been praying for us in yet another transition. Let us take a short minute and tell you where God led us for housing. We began thinking that a house would be good, because in the future we hope to have storage for adaptive equipment and wheelchairs. We also need an extra room for visitors. Those things along with a prayer for good owners to rent from were our primary desires.

The month of May was filled with moving and transition. God showed us that apartment living was His plan, because the cost of renting a house was far too high for our budget. Even though we did not find a house, God proved to be our strong right arm. He first supplied an answer to the prayer of storing medical and adaptive equipment in a nearby village with another missionary couple and a ministry there. Steve will write later with more details regarding this opportunity of partnership.

Secondly, God supplied wonderful proprietors/owners and friendly neighbors. The owners have been very kind, and have invited us in the future to spend a weekend with them in their mountain cabin. We speak mostly Romanian with them, but they do understand some English for those moments of learning new vocabulary. Our new neighbors are friendly. We hope to share our new language with them; however; more than language we hope to share our lives with our new neighbors strengthening their walk with the Lord or sharing the Gospel with them.

Thirdly, we have enough space for hospitality, an important thing in this culture and in the life of missionaries. God provided a large apartment. The apartment has four rooms and 2 bathrooms. That means it has 3 bedrooms and a living room. We have a guest room for visitors – another prayer answered! It is in a block that is 10 stories, but we are fortunate to be on the first level. First level is not ground level as in the states, but the second floor. We have small mom and pop stores below us.

Fourth, we are next to an open air market with lots of fresh veggies and fruit. We are within walking distance to the center of town as well as the new large mall, both have many areas to either shop or to do the things necessary to live life. Even our view is pleasing; all our rooms face an Orthodox church with a nice park and fountain. In addition, an important factor for me, is that we are close to a good pizza place!

Lastly, God provided the things to fill the apartment. We bought many things from a Missionary returning to the states last September. We were able to buy them at a fraction of the store prices. We bought and then stored a bedroom set, an office desk and book shelf, washer and dryer, two arm chairs…..It has taken weeks, and we are still in the process of moving, because the apartment was empty. Empty means we had to purchase kitchen cabinets, light fixtures, and appliances. We are still waiting for the correct person to hook up the gas oven. We need someone that has an official stamp applied to our guarantee paperwork. The kitchen needed some help so we also tiled that as well as painted all the rooms.

Being Used For His Glory

2007-04-15T21:48:00.000+03:00

Over the past two months, God has displayed His always supportive hand in our lives. Romanian village churches have found their way into our hearts as we have experienced wonderful hospitality.

Those of you that know Steve well know that he considers his skill in public speaking a weaker point. However, God uses our weakness for His greater glory.

About a month and a half ago, we were invited to go with Dwight Poggemiller, our regional director, to a village south of Timisoara. We felt welcomed by the church members and the pastor. Steve gave an initial message prior to the main sermon Dwight presented. Many of the attendees were exposed to the Gospel.

On Palm Sunday, we went to a village with our Sibiu colleges and received a warm greeting from this church and noticed all the great things the Lord is doing. With each visit we are looking for ways in which we can help with our ministry gifts. Steve again gave a short greeting while Kristi sang a solo. Even though Kristi loves music she doesn’t consider herself a soloist.

This Easter was no different. We went with Dawn Elenbass to visit two other colleagues, Susan and Richard, in Oradea in northwest Romania. On the way up, we stopped at a nearby village were we visited a family, and measured a young child for a wheelchair. Fellowship over the weekend was great, and on Sunday, we went to our colleague’s village church. There Steve had the privilege of giving the Resurrection Morning message, while Kristi was able to participate by singing a solo and accompany Susan’s solo on keyboard.

We know more and more just how God has been preparing us throughout our lives for just a time as this. Steve’s seminary studies are definitely used and Kristi has found that growing up on a farm in Minnesota has prepared her to be a housewife in this culture by cooking from scratch, hanging clothes on the line, and growing a garden.

It is wonderful to see God’s had at work in the life of those we meet. Resurrection Sunday is an evident reminder of the Promise we have in Christ to be with those who love Him until the end.

Şi iată că Eu sunt cu voi în toate zilele, până la sfârşitul veacului. Amin

Matei 28: 20a

I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Matt. 28:20a

New Life With A New Shepherd

2007-04-07T09:30:00.000+03:00

Blessings and Happy Resurrection Sunday to you all!

On Palm Sunday we celebrated with two new believers who came to Christ. What Joy!
Steve and I were blessed to attend a small village church in the mountains near Sibiu. It is mostly a village of sheepherders. Many of the members of the church are not the owners, but the men who do the odd jobs such as sheering the sheep. It is the sheering season right now. The Sheep are losing their winter coat to begin a summer much cooler and lighter of weight. These new believers, as well, are beginning life lighter and with a new found spirit.

These pictures are of Steve giving a greeting and Kristi singing at the church.

Take a Walk with Me

2007-03-24T19:47:00.000+02:00

A typical day here consists of considerable walking. We thought we would take you along our path to our language class through pictures.

A friend asked for some more shots of Romania….here we go.
Ok, a month ago we blogged about our muddy road. Well, wahla! This past week they started putting in a new road. We think they are planning on asphalting it next.

Take a look, Andy! (Andy is our supervisor who is currently in the States, and we are renting his home)

The walk to our tutor’s home takes about 20-30 minutes one way. This picture is of a park along the way.

There are many block apartment buildings. Here are a few next to the park.

These are streets along our way back home. We sometimes stop at the open air market to buy fresh produce. On this particular day we did not stop so it is not pictured here; however, it is located behind the block apartments on the left. (Above picture)

A taxi line.

This is the closest one to our home, which is about 1/2 mile away.

The final picture is of a small store, which we call the "Blue Bread Store". They have wonderful fresh bread where we purchase a loaf every 2-3 days.

Thanks, for taking a walk with me!

CARTOON

2007-03-24T19:10:00.000+02:00

At a Christian fundraiser there was a Cartoonist.

Check out Steve’s caricature, everyone said it captured his essence.

What do you think?

Timisoara at Night

2007-03-07T16:35:00.000+02:00

After our first visit to the National Theather in Timisoara we made
a short video of the City Center.

Click on the above picture to see the video clip.

It's Clean but Drafty

2007-03-03T13:52:00.000+02:00

While traveling one always appreciates to find a nice clean bathroom. Fortunately for us, Romanian gas station bathrooms are usually decent. A while back, I took a trip with two short term missionaries and my colleague, Dawn, to see some of Transylvania. Along our route, we stopped to get gas a use the bathroom. Two of the gals went ahead of me, and I met them on their way out of the restroom with funny smiles on their faces. I said, “Are the bathrooms not very clean?” They replied, “Oh no, they are very clean,” and then told me to go ahead and use it. The above picture is what I found; a bathroom without the back wall.
The cashier laughed at us all as we had ignored the sign in Romania that stated it was out of order. She told us to use the men’s room and all was well.
You can find more pictures from this trip in our web album. Click on the link on the right of this page that says Carnazzo Picture Album.

Kristi

At Church This Morning

2007-02-18T22:52:00.000+02:00

Today at church there was a brass band playing. Every Sunday there is a choir and organist. Sometimes they have an orchestra with strings, and at the evening service it is more contemporary with guitars and the young leading worship.

I had my digital camera and for the first time I used the little film clip button. You can view that on our picasa album webpage. http://picasaweb.google.com/skCarnazzo/BetelBaptist
Click on the third picture for a short 10 sec video clip of this brass band. We were in the last row of the balcony and the quality isn't the best, but you can have a little taste of a church here in Romania.

Where is Winter?

2007-02-16T10:48:00.000+02:00

It is the end of February, and I have been watching the nasty weather reports from the Northeast US. That is the type of weather I expected here in Romania. It has been a very mild winter thus far. If one could even call it winter. We had just a few days of snow that dusted the ground and disappeared quickly. Our worry of survival with our 12 years of thinned blood from Arizona has not been a problem. Windy days back in January had us concerned; however, we could still have a late storm.

Right now we are enjoying the 50 degree temperatures while we jump over the large mud puddles from all the rain. All the early spring flowers are a month early this year and beginning to bloom. The trees are showing lots of buds, the strawberry plants are growing in the garden, and I have spied earthworms hanging out on our front sidewalk.

It makes me wonder if this August I’ll be melting in the heat as there are few places with AC here.

Kristi

Living Without an Explanation

2007-02-03T11:07:00.000+02:00

I guess that is, in part, living out our Faith. There are many reasons we must live without any explanations in our new culture. The three most obvious are the differences in customs, culture and language. What do I give young children who are begging at the grocery store with their noticeable unwashed clothes and bodies, or what to say to young man at the car window who is faking an arm amputation to get money? What should I do when I walk past gypsies picking out of the apartment bloc trash to get food and other valuables?

Every time I see the children, I think how come I do not have a pack of peanuts or crackers with me. The last boy I saw, when we were coming out of the grocery store, I was able to give a bag of breakfast cereal and a box of long life milk. He ran away with a big smile saying “lapte, lapte” which translated means milk in Romanian.

Faith often has more subtle questions. One is having a time table that is in flux. This coming summer, Kristi and I are looking to find a place to rent in Timisoara with a safe storage space for adaptive equipment. Another is ministry planning. Starting in the late spring, we have a definite increase in our ministry schedule, and are humbly looking forward to God’s leading. Recently, I was reminded from an online sermon about God’s ownership of everything. He quoted the psalmist, “For every beast of the forest is mine, the cattle on all the hills…If I were hungry I would not tell you, for the world is mine and all it contains” (Psalm 50:10,12). He is not commanding us to serve because He needs our help, but to be a disciple of Him and love others. How true that is and how easy to forget! For the Apostle James instructs us how to be a disciple, “Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world” (James 2:27). In return for obeying, we are truly blessed more than we think. Recently, we meet a young teenager with cerebral palsy at a church based disability support group, and I was able to help her and her mother with some basic exercises for her arm. I feel blessed that I have cerebral palsy, because I am able to treat many people with disabilities offering them an example of encouragement while using my therapy training to assist them. God has a plan for us from the womb, through school, and even now. What a loving God!

There is always a reason for living without an explanation, faith demands it, but with a measure of hope and love everything is bearable. God often lets us see peeks of His master plan, but just like a good parent He knows what we can handle, and what will make us more like Him.

New House Guests

2007-01-29T21:16:00.000+02:00

This past two weeks we have had new guests come to stay with us. Jenny and Kelly are from Indiana and are new missionaries with Remember the Children. They are scheduled for 6 months of language school; the same school that we attend. Jenny is a Physical Therapist and is also involved with Joni and Friends- Wheels for the World. What a great connection and future colleague here in Romania. Kelly will be working with youth sports in a village setting. They are going to stay in the house we are in until they leave for Oradea in July.

The great part of having guests is reliving and seeing through them the exact place we were eight months ago. The extra energy it takes just to cook and doing dishes after language school. The spoken and unspoken questions you can see in their eyes. How does public transportation work? What to buy and not buy at the grocery store.

We have to walk to class down that muddy road?

It is a good experience for us to share and learn how to prep other missionaries in our new culture.

Using Language at The Boys Without Parent's Home

2007-01-05T09:26:00.001+02:00

Kristi and I have been busy with language school and building a foundation in the culture these past seven months, but what does that mean?

Atat de mult a iubit Deumnezeu lumea, incat si-a dat singurul Fiu, pentru ca oricine crede in El sa nu piara, ci sa aiba viata vesnica.

If you can not read that sentence, it would be difficult to share it with a Romanian.

Learning a language and culture means that you can sit down and share what really matters, and have meaningful relationships.

The Romanian sentence above says For God so loves the world, that He gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

2006 Christmas in Germany

2007-01-04T23:51:00.000+02:00

I was recalling memories of the return to school after winter break as a kid. It was so much fun to share about all the holiday activities and Christmas gifts. In sharing our Christmas vacation with you I get that same little excited feeling.

Christmas 2006 was a different experience for us as can be expected when living in a different country. However, we were not even in Romania, but traveled to Germany to visit friends from Phoenix, Don and Jennifer. It was a joy to see and spend time with them during Christmas.
We visited Christmas markets with so many beautiful things, crafts, and foods, all on display for the senses to take in.

We did some sight seeing along the Rhine River with its numerous castles and grape vineyards.

Christmas meal was at Don’s parent’s home and was a traditional one with turkey and all the trimmings. On the 25th and 26th businesses were closed, and we all played board games and ate great German food. It was different being away from our family at Christmas. Sending cards/e-cards and some on-line ordering was handy, but we missed being there in person.

The Kehren family opened their home up to us and had a few surprises. Jen was able to pack in her luggage a few gifts from family back in the states. Steve especially liked his socks and comfy long underwear.

Sharing so many new sights and experiences made wonderful memories to cherish. Hope you enjoyed some of the pictures.

Half Empty or Half Full

2007-01-03T19:16:00.000+02:00

In Romania New Years is a huge holiday. We looked forward to celebrating our first New Year’s in Romania.
However, we came home on Friday the 29th from Germany sick with a little cold. We decided we were going to stay home and recover rather than spent the night in the center of town until the weee hours of the morning. Disappointing!

After a week vacation, we needed groceries and so we had a little adventure at the shopping market. Saturday morning on January 30th was like black Friday after Thanksgiving. The whole parking lot was full of cars and all the shopping carts were gone. That has never happened in seven months since we moved here. The store was wall to wall people and shopping carts, getting ready for New Years Eve and preparing for everything to be closed on New Years Day. Exhausting!

That evening we watched the raising of the EU flag on TV which initiated Romania’s entrance into the European economy. Even though we stayed home with the sniffles, we had the fireworks brought to us by light shows all over the sky, and one at the end of the street in the nearby field. It was a trill to have 4th of July in 30 degree temperatures.
Ok – Getting Better!

New Years day there were no cars on the road. It reminded me of Christmas morning in the states. When preparing to go spend the evening with friends we called one after another taxi companies to hear, “nu masina.” – meaning no taxi, sorry tough luck.
Ok, no problem we started walking and eventually found a cab about 8 blocks away.
That night we ate dinner at played take two (a scrabble game), Yatzee, and Uno. Fun!

To top the New Year off, I was able to watch the second half of Nebraska against Auburn using Fox Sports Online. Yea, yea, Nebraska lost. Bummer!!

But, I will be able to download and watch the bowl games on our new Christmas ipod. Getting Better!!!

Lastly, I found out, Oklahoma lost to Boise State. Priceless!!!!!

Why Be Happy for Christmas

2006-12-22T15:06:00.000+02:00

At Caritatea last weekend in Cluj, we were blessed to partake in the their bible group’s Christmas gathering. The members of this group have experienced pain and rejection due to limitations with a disability. Here everyone is accepted and has genuine fellowship. A poem was recited with each person presenting different verses. The beautiful Romanian language was uplifted as a gift and praise.

A message was given and the question was raised, “why be happy for Christmas?” The reason of the hope and joy of Christmas all stems from the perfect gift already given. It was evident being among this group that whatever pain was experienced among them it was not their focus in life. An eternal hope and peace was clear to see and feel.
Merry Christmas!

Lost a Language Instructor

2006-12-09T10:05:00.000+02:00

Recently, we lost Nuţi, one of our language instructors. The picture shows Kristi holding the reason why. Yes, Nuţi and her husband Alex had a beautiful, healthy boy. We accepted this as a good explanation for her absence. He was born on November the 5th and was named Elias Cadmiel.

In Romania they do not throw baby showers like in the United States. Instead, the weeks following the birth, family and friends visit the home bringing gifts and visiting the newly numbered family. We were overjoyed to participate in this tradition. Kristi loved being able to feed him a bottle, and then rock him to sleep. The other picture is of Tania, his proud older sister giving him a hug.

Babies: precious, little, fragile, and a miracle.

Learning to Wait

2006-12-08T10:12:00.000+02:00

It is Christmas time again, and we all wait like children in anticipation of special treats, gifts and family gatherings. We find ourselves in a time of great waiting, and not just for the celebration of Christ’s birth. We wait for paperwork with our visa process, paperwork for the van we purchased, the plumber to come fix the radiator for heat, and for our new language to instantaneously become effortless. Hmmm, I’m sure there are many lessons to be gained through these experiences.

We need to be more like children, anticipating the great things yet to come. We hope in the good for Christ is good. It is good to see the way in which God works out all the little details that appear as large hurdles to us. It is good to be renewing our mind again and again on the upcoming birth of Christ. Thinking about the many years of waiting for a Savior, then the 33 years of lessons He gave on how to live a godly life, and finally that perfect sacrifice for our sin. Waiting always has purpose! Will you join us in praying for God’s will in the above matters, and that we can be patiently renewing our hope in this process.

During this Christmas season, we lift all our family and friends up with prayer and blessing. We miss you and think of all of the gatherings we can not attend. Yet, we are hopeful of building our own new traditions within this new culture. Our Christmas plans consist of traveling to Germany to visit friends from the states who will be vacationing there. This kind of anticipated wait is exciting. We will experience a German Christmas Market, and spend time with close friends. December 15-17 we will be taking a short trip to Cluj to visit people who are involved in Wheels for the World Romania.

Fun pictures of Budapest, Hungary

2006-11-28T14:11:00.000+02:00

Budapest and the Danube in the Fall

Castle Hill

"Show your teeth for the camera"

Stephen in front of Saint Stephen

Kristi next to statues on Castle Hill

Thanksgiving in Romania

2006-11-27T13:02:00.000+02:00

Yes, it is possible to purchase a turkey, or should I say turkeys, in Romania.

We were blessed to host a Thanksgiving meal for other Americans here in Timisoara. The house was a buzz with 14 adults and 2 children visiting and eating the traditional flavors of Thanksgiving. There was turkey, green bean casserole, pumpkin pie, and many other dishes that each person brought to share.

After the meal, everyone visited while some took walks, and others threw a football around. Board games were played and joy filled the home. Alas, there was not football on the television. Yet, Steve and the guys survived, and it was not a downer to the festivities. Our hearts were overflowing with thankfulness as we shared food and conversation with others.

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving as well. - Kristi

"I will give thanks to the Lord because of his righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High." Psalm 7:17 (NIV)

Just In Time

2006-11-24T13:23:00.000+02:00

How Fun! Our front gate bell rang at 10:30PM with a surprise delivery from a friend back in the states. It was an early Christmas! Well, actually a belated birthday for Kristi. The items in the box were treasures for an American in Eastern Europe. The hard to obtain things like maple syrup, Libby's pumpkin pie, Crisco, and an American movie.

It arrived just 3 days before Thanksgiving. Yes! French Toast in Romania.

Living Life Differently

2006-11-20T21:19:00.000+02:00

What a beautiful opportunity every morning at breakfast to look out the window and see the cherry tree change colors and see leaves falling. Yes, life is different for us compared to what it was in Phoenix. Yet, like the tree it is just God’s new season for us, and in everything there is beauty.
Life in Romania can appear simple and slow to some and to others cold, poor, and difficult. In making our home here we are adapting and finding the joy in the differences.
Cooking for Kristi is not as quick and easy as in the states. However, the food prepared from scratch is flavorful and fresh. It is also rewarding to create a meal from one’s garden and fruit trees. Everyday life consists of going to an open air market for produce and buying fresh bread. As you can see from the picture we picked and made our own grape juice. Making apple pies and hanging the clothes on the line remind us of a time when we were kids. Things might take longer, but there is an enjoyment and a savoring of a new season that is often lost in the hectic American life.

Wheelchairs and the Word

2006-11-20T14:05:00.000+02:00

Wheels for the World is a ministry which helps distribute needed wheelchairs. This past July in Romania hundreds of wheelchairs along with walkers and canes were distributed. Teams from America comprising of therapists, housewives, wheelchair mechanics, and a therapist from Portugal arrived willing to love the needy and many times the forgotten. Those Romanian’s who came seeking a wheelchair or a walker all had a story to share and burdens that were heavy. Each face coming through the door seemed sad and weary. What a blessing to witness the change in each expression as he or she first sat in a wheelchair that was specifically fit by the therapist(s). After every person received equipment, a Romanian would speak with them about God’s love and desire for a personal relationship with them. A gift of a Romanian New Testament and translated materials from Joni and Friends were also given. The team came to bless but found themselves equally blessed. Pictured above is Simon. He arrived on a motor scooter with his father. Simon has cerebral palsy and with assistance is able to walk. His father had tears in his eyes as he began to explain in broken English and a thick Romanian accent of his son. He said, “You know my son, Simon has a very, very important name. It is in the Bible, the Simon of Cyrene. I give him this name at birth, but God teach me a lesson now about love. (more tears and a pause) You know this man Simon carried Jesus' cross, and I now carry my son Simon everyday.”