Babysitting

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

Babies! Babies!

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.)

Holiday Seasonings!

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.

Celebrating One Year!

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.

New House Guests

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.

Lost a Language Instructor

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.