Paste 2011

Paste (pronounced PASH-TAY)= Easter

This Easter was the saddest, but the best for me.

Saddest because we were not with our family and we really missed them!

Best because we celebrated Easter for eight days in our home this year!

It was so much fun to be able to teach the true meaning of Easter to my children

and for at least Noah to really grasp more of the meaning and retell the story to us.

Thanks to my friend Becky for sharing some Easter ideas from Thriving Family magazine we were able to do a lot of creative things with our kids to help them learn the real meaning of Easter and why we celebrate it...we didn't do anything with bunnies and chicks!  And they loved it and had so much fun...and so did we!

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Palm Sunday

We made palm branches and talked about the Triumphal Entry of King Jesus!

The made several palm leaves and made a trail leading to the dinner table where they

ate at their seat of honor.

"The next day the large crowds that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. 

So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, 'Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!'"

-John 12:12-13

Bread of Life

We made a loaf of bread and talked about John 6:35

I would have posted a picture, but we ate the loaf quicker than

I could snap a shot! ;)

"Jesus said to them, 'I am the bread of life; whoever comes to Me shall not hunger, 

and whoever believes in me shall never thirst."

Easter Tree

We made a little Easter tree taped on the wall.  Noah told me things that reminded

him of Easter and I drew them and he colored and hung them on the tree.

Things that reminded him of Easter: a cross, a donkey, bread, Jesus, empty tomb, a palm branch.

Maundy Thursday

The name comes from Latin mandatum.

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have

loved you, you also are to love one another."

This is the new commandment Jesus gave His disciple the Thursday before He was crucified.

Maundy Thursday= Thursday of the Commandment

We had our own foot washing service.  

The kids thought this was so funny and Noah told Steve that he missed

a spot and wanted to get washed twice.  I think he is the Peter of the bunch!  

"Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him.  

For I have given you an example, that you also should do just s I have done to you."

John 13:3-5, 15

We shared with Noah & Paige how usually non-Jewish slaves were the ones who washed feet.  Jesus was a Jew and he was not a slave.  He became a servant to His disciples and to us by washing their feet and dying on the cross for us.  We must follow His example to put others first and be a servant.

At Mierlau we went old school and broke out the resurrection eggs!

Some of the kids acted out part of the story. 

Noah can now retell the story to us using the eggs!

In Romania they put flowers around the eggs and wrap them in panty hose

before dropping them in the dye.  When they are done they have beautiful 

impressions on them like the ones here.  On Easter Sunday kids in the villages go door to door 

collecting eggs to fill their baskets.  No plastic eggs to fill with candy here...just ones 

you can actually eat.

In Romania they celebrate the 2nd & 3rd day of Easter...the Mon. & Tues. after.

This is when we did our egg coloring and hunting.  Kids had SO much fun. 

"He is not here! He is risen, as He said."

Matt. 28:6

This is water to my soul!

Best news I've ever heard in my life!

our April

slumber party fun

cute little boys showing off their undies and muscles

Noah helping sort food to deliver to families

Spring is here and we have broken out the bug house!

We have caught 3 toads, moths, a salamander and a caterpillar.

We let all of them go free in the garden of our courtyard.

Bug hunt= 1 happy boy!

Toady #1

coloring eggs with the kids at Sumugiu

We've had some sleepless nights with little Ms. Paige thanks 

to her two year molars coming in.  The bottom two have arrived and 

still waiting on the top two to completely bust through. 

she's still a super smiley happy girl!

the three amigos

Noah's learning to bath himself...

he's getting so big!

We tried out a new hair style....check out the crazy eyes!

cuddle time

RANDOM NEWS:

*It finally feels like Spring!

*The kids and I have made more loaves of chocolate chip 

banana bread this month than I would like to admit

*The kiddies all have a nice "pinkish hue" thanks to being 

able to play outside all the time

*Noah is learning his letters and the sounds they make and 

figuring out which words begin with what letter

*Noah is getting really good at dressing himself.  We have had to teach

him how to do this and make him practice everyday.  Paige is already dressing herself

with little to no assistance and she just does it on her own.

*Paige is trying to go potty.  We let her go whenever she wants, but we are not

ready to unleash the diaper fully just yet.  She uses the potty several times a 

day though.  She's getting there!

They are just growing up!  

It must stop!

vegetarian

If you know Steve, you know he loves to eat...MEAT!


He has not digested well any piece of meat he has eaten in Romania, except for home cooked chicken.

He has considered becoming vegetarian while here because he has had so many stomach issues.

I was a vegetarian for nine years and pretty much only eat chicken for the most part, so it's not a big deal to me. But, the thought of Steve being a vegetarian is cracking me up!

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The other night we had a couple of kids over for dinner and soccer at the park.  These two little guys are from government housing and are so precious!  We had a lot of fun with them and enjoyed our "pizza party picnic."

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Just when we thought our night couldn't get any better, our landlord brings this over for us....

random organ meat packed into a nice sausage

We both began to dry heave.

We gave it away as a gift to someone.

America's Ugly Exported "Gospel"

I just saw this on John Piper's website the other day.  LOVE it!

Please click here and watch this video.

Chicks, Trees & Seeds

Last Friday we were able to deliver chicks, trees and seeds two two gypsy villages we work with here.

Fruit trees, though it will take time before they get any fruit off of them, will hopefully produce nutritious food for these families for years to come.

The seeds will provide lots of food for them to live off of this year.  These families have nothing, but they are willing to labor to provide for themselves and their families.

The chicks will hopefully remain strong and healthy and later provide eggs and meat for these families.

When the families received their trees they ran home and planted them immediately! They were so thankful and full of joy for these gifts.  Even though the gifts didn't provide instant gratification...they couldn't eat any of it right away....they were so excited to know that their needs are being met this year!

God is our faithful Provider!


I wish I had gotten more pictures, but we were too busy making sure everyone got what they needed.  I was trying my best not to get chicken poop all over me as I divided up over 200 chicks!  I had SO much fun being a part of this.

Ibolia planting her trees

Volleyball @ Meirlau

Last week a friend came for a week.  She enjoys playing and coaching volleyball and the kids at Meirlau love to play as well.  So we took the net out there to play with them last week while our friend was here.

Here are a few pics I thought I would share.

We had wooden stakes to hold up the net, which we drove into the ground with bricks.

Just being resourceful...

This was the most hysterical experience.  These kids had NO idea what they were doing! It didn't help that we didn't have a translator this day. 

Most of the just punched the ball with a fist or kicked it like a soccer ball.  After an hour or so they were beginning to get the idea and a few were doing better.  Practice makes perfect!

Easter in Sumugiu

Dying Easter eggs with the kindergarten class

They decorated crosses with stickers

**We had to celebrate Easter with them a little early because they have all of next week off**

This is the older class (1st-4th grade)

1st-4th grade class with all their finished eggs

I love going here.  I cannot wait until it gets a little warmer and there is less mud so we can spend even more time here.  So many situations we see are so sad, but coming here is just fun and we leave feeling so happy to just be with them.  

Abandoned

It's 3:11 am here in Romania. I have been up for a couple of hours.  I cried myself to sleep. I just cannot stop thinking and praying for the abandoned.

*Abandoned (adjective):  deserted, neglected, discarded, rejected, cast aside, forsaken.

Sunday afternoon was by far the most heart wrenching day I have ever had.

Let me catch you up...

Last week Child Protection called up our missionary friend and told her about a gypsy lady in a village that just had twins and does not want them.  They were trying to encourage her to keep her children and they would help with food and diapers. They wanted Robin to go and see if she could talk to her and maybe encourage her to keep them.

The government doesn't want to take them because they have no money for foster families.  There aren't any foster families waiting really.  In so many ways, it is SO different from back home.

So Robin went to see this lady and took food and diapers.  She would NOT accept them.  She told her that the food and diapers didn't matter...she just does not want her babies!  


I cannot comprehend this, but I do not live her life and I have never walked in her shoes.

Well, this twins have been on my mind a lot. They have been on Robin's mind a lot.

She called me Sunday afternoon and we went to this village together just to talk with the mom and check in on them.  When we arrived she had already taken them up to the hospital and just left them.  Abandoned!

The Lord sets the prisoners free;

the Lord opens the eyes of the blind.

The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;

the Lord loves the righteous.

The Lord watches over the sojourners;

He upholds the widow and the fatherless,

but the way of the wicked He brings to ruin.

Psalm 146:8-9

We drive to the hospital to see if we can find the twins.  A security guard takes us to the building where they are and as he is trying to find a worker (there were none to be found!) we could hear crying babies coming from a room.  We peek in the room and there are several abandoned babies there crying and some sleeping...and they are all alone!

My mind couldn't help but wonder how long had they been left here?  

When was the last song sang to them, if ever?  

When was the last diaper change or bath?  

When was the last touch?  

Two workers come up and we ask if they know where these twins are. Sure enough they were there in that room.

It was the size of a bedroom. Walls lined with cribs.  A sink in the corner with a baby tub and to the left of that a changing table.  The walls were bare.  No toys.  No rocking chairs.  No body in the room looking after them. 

There were the twin girls and two other newborn babies, as well as an 18 month old girl with a cleft palate that needs surgery badly. The 18 month old had been left here since she was basically a newborn.  All of them just left here....abandoned.

The 18 month old was rocking back and forth in her crib.  My heart just felt like it sank.  A huge giant pit in my stomach.  I just wanted to sneak out with all of them and bring them home....my little Paige would be in heaven! :)

But it didn't take her long to come over to the edge of her crib and play with us.  She was very easily entertained and it didn't take much to make her laugh. And her laugh?!  Completely adorable!  

While there we just got to hold, rock, love on and feed the babies their bottles.  It felt good to know that today they were touched, prayed for and loved even for just a couple of hours.  

This was by far the worst thing I have seen.  The workers here do not care about these babies.  It's a job. They don't stay in the rooms to play with them or hold them.  The babies for the most part are just left alone in this room.  My heart just breaks.  I want to do something so badly to change it all and give them a home.  And all I can do is pray right now. 

So will you pray with me for these babies right now?  Just for a minute or two?  

Father of the fatherless and protector of widows

is God in His holy habitation.

Psalm 68:5

I will not leave you as orphans;

I will come to you.

John 14:18

Video

Check out this short video that Cali put together of some of the people we have been blessed to get to know over the last few months.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WllbDOl2Ek

the joker

SO, it's been a month and it's time for the unveiling of our new ride, the Joker!

Before you see the picture please know that we do wash our car, but Romania is very dirty. Everywhere we work has a lot of mud or a lot of dust so it never looks clean.

 Isn't she so compact & cute?!  

We are zooming around the country and trying not to stall around the city.  Can't believe we actually drive a "stick."  It hasn't been too bad.

Not sure if you can see the little sticker above the gas tank?  It says "joker."

We found out after we bought the car that "joker" is the name of a local gang.  

Wonderful.

Then, we found out that it was a gang that just does graffiti and such.

Ok, so now we look like we're representin' for a really lame gang.  

I guess it could be worse.  

Regardless, a car has made life so much more convenient!!  No more three hour trips to the store. I can skip the bus and tram and just hit the road.  And very useful for ministry!

1997 VW Golf

Week in review

Our week has been full.....I love it!

Paige took this picture....that's why all the heads are cut out :)

But, it's also been an emotional week for me.

Countless situations that leave me in tears at the end of the day or in the midst of them.  I have never been surrounded by this many hopeless situations and people for this many days.  It can make the soul feel weary.

Back, to our week....

Monday: Cherichu Food Delivery

sorting all the food out

The first week of each month is the week to deliver all the food packages to families here that are sponsored by other families in the United States.

Cherichu is a Hungarian gypsy village consisting of 14 families who are all sponsored by families in the U.S.

*Side note:  $30 a month to sponsor a family and 100% of the funds go to buy food, soap and a few rolls of toilet paper for these families.  It provides with the basics which is mostly carbohydrates, flour, cornmeal, oil, butter, sugar, canned meats, etc.  With 100% of the funds going to these families they still are without fruits and vegetables each day!  Organizations such as World Vision and Compassion do not give 100% of their funds to sponsored families. Call and ask.  A percentage goes to their workers.  So, I am left wondering how much food and help those families sponsored in these organizations are really getting??  Unless they have a lot of sponsors for one family.  I wonder how many more people could have adequate nutrition and clean water if 100% of those funds went to the families being sponsored? Just a thought.  No offense to World Vision or Compassion or any other ministry like that....we have sponsored children from WV....a great work is being done.  BUT, I LOVE that 100% of the money goes straight to the family sponsored through Project 127 for food and hygiene products.

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Back to Cherichu....

We delivered all the food to the families there and I passed out dum dum suckers (riot! probably won't be doing that again!) :)

Met a gal who is 18 yrs. old and is pregnant with her third child!  The oldest is two years old.  She let me go into her home which consisted of mud floors, mud walls, two twin "beds" and a cabinet...typical gypsy home.  Just SO bare.  If the kids want to play on the floor, they can play in dirt.  I found out that her husband has been abusive to her in the past.  My heart hurts for this family and so many others like this.  This young woman has no idea how to take care of children and she has nothing.  Bad combination.

But sweet beautiful children who need Jesus!!

Robin passing out vitamins to all the families

One young girl in this village was recently hospitalized due to a vitamin deficiency.  She could not even walk. She was receiving just water and vitamins for days.  When we saw her this day she had just been released from the hospital and was having trouble walking. Not sure what the long term effects will be??

Well....we move on to Salucea, which is another village about 20 min. from here.  Seven families in this gypsy village are sponsored by others in America.

One lady told us of a woman who needed a lot of help.  We had some extra food to give to her.  We go into her home and find out that she is a 25 yr. old single mother.  She has lost one child and has a ten year old little girl.  The daughter has not been able to go to school because she doesn't have clean clothes or lunch to take with her.

I had to walk out of the house because the tears started streaming down my face.  Once I start crying it is really hard to pull it back together....but I managed.

Robin said we needed to pray for a family to sponsor them.  I immediately knew that our family was supposed to sponsor them. So we are.  I am SO EXCITED!! Can't wait to love on them, help meet some physical needs and most importantly share Christ with them.  I want them to know Jesus personally!

Here they are...

Rest of our week....

Tuesday: Sumugiu (taught on forgiveness)

               Deliveries to Topa de Sus

Wednesday:  Maternity Center- made monster cookies (they had never made cookies or cooked!)  They                 were "so enthusiastic" they said.  SO MUCH FUN!  Steve worked at Sintelek doing construction and tearing down stuff.

Thursday:  Steve working at Sintelek. I went later and cleaned some inside the house.  Then off to Meirleu for some volleyball and games.  Learned some of their names better!  

Friday will be a work day at Sintelek for Steve and I will be at home with my kids!!  

the latest...

1. THANK YOU SO MUCH for all of your prayers!  Robin (missionary friend) fixed me up with some medication from the pharmacy and I am feeling back to normal again!  I was sick and did not leave the house or eat sweets (or eat) for EIGHT DAYS!  It was frustrating for me because I am a busy body and despise being sick, but so thankful that it has passed. Pretty sure I ate something that was not very clean and had something like salmonella.  The only good thing that came out of this is that I got caught up on Survivor.

2.  Thursday our family went to Meirleu to be with the children there.  We made Father's Day cards with them because Friday was Father's Day in Romania.  We played lots of games and had a great time.  Still just trying to learn names and build relationships out there.

3.  Friday Steve worked at the property in Sintelek where all the guys worked on tearing down an old building.  The homes for the older orphan boys will be built here instead this summer, Lord willing!!

4.  Sunday (today) the whole ministry team drove out to a gypsy village about an hour away to attend church. Robin and Aaron both shared a great message from the Bible!  The worship service was held in a small room that was packed full.  There were no instruments and no band. Just voices singing and praying to GOD!  It was different than any church service I had been to in several ways, but the one that stuck out the most was how they pray. When they pray, everyone just prays out loud at the same time.  It was loud!

All I could think as they prayed was, "God you understand all of this!?!  This just sounds like jibberish to me, but it's not for me or to me.  It's for You!  You hear it and it is a sweet aroma to You.  I cannot believe you know what I am praying in silence while my lips aren't even moving and you also can discern what every other person in this room is saying right now; never mind the countless others throughout the globe who are praying to You at this very moment!"


It was a fresh reminder of how God is so very different from me.  His greatness and all of His qualities and worth.....I just cannot fathom it all.

By the way, while all of this was going on....Noah's face was priceless!  Paige just started sucking her thumb.  She never sucks her thumb!  So funny!

Another highlight...my friend from GA, Natasha, arrived to Romania last night. She is a teacher and is spending her spring break here working with us.  She brought us some goodies.....okay, she has spoiled us!  Sam's Club size of Nestle chocolate chips, ritz crackers, oreos, peanut butter!!!  The best part, I had ordered a hand grain mill and had it shipped to her house and it arrived on time!  I left my electric grain mill in Knoxville and have really missed fresh milled grain for pancakes and muffins, etc.  My digestive system thanks you Nat!  You da best!!!

Fun filled week ahead...can't wait to fill you in later.