Monasteries of Romania

While we were in Romania we were able to see several churches and monasteries. They are typically very beautiful and ornate and fun to see. The most unique monastery was one that is built into the face of a cliff. This was about an hour hike from camp over some mountains and over a river. The monastery was used by early Christians to hide from persecution, as it was well hidden and at that time only had a door small enough to crawl through. It has been used by 4 civilizations and is pretty well preserved for how old it is. It was really exciting to see because it is carved right out of the rock and it is so full of history.

The current doorway is by the white wall.

The inside is painted beautifully. The whole ceiling is painted but it is so old that it can hardly be made out as painting.

This is inside the middle window up above.

This is the doorway to the monastery at Curtea De Arges, the nearest town to camp. We went here on the second weekend after the kids left. The inside was very beautiful, with gold inlay and plating everywhere. There was a priest sitting down inside who at first we thought was a wax statue but then he moved and we were a little startled.

The outside of the monastery at Curtea De Arges. This monastery is on the Romania $1 bill.

Okay, now I'm cheating a little bit. We saw this monastery at Sinaia when we went there on our last trip to Romania. It was this monastery that attracted the first king to build his castle nearby.

The bell tower at Sinaia.

This is a typical Icon on the outside of a church. It is actually a mural, not a painting.

The Beauty of Summer Camp

Now that we're back home we will be telling more about our camp experience and adding LOTS more pictures. The camp and the surrounding area was so beautiful and serene, just like we had imagined it. This was a great place to have camp because most of the kids don't get out of their orphanages, and the area they live is very flat. Plus they all live in cities so coming out to the mountainous country was a very different experience for them. It was great for us too because we could experience God's glory through his magnificent creation.

The camp had several small cabins which the kids and some staff stayed in. There were also a dining pavilion and several small ponds. There was a pool but we didn't use it because it wasn't kept up. The camp owner is building a house out of clay and straw in the bottom of the picture.

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The mountains were very beautiful, especially at night.

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This is the river that we would hike down to for swimming. The kids all really had a blast swimming because it's something they almost never get to do.

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On the mountains almost all the fields look like this.

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Villagers harvest all the fields by hand and pile the hay up in stacks like this.

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When the hay dries out they move it by horse cart to their barns so they can feed their animals during the winter. The villagers live very simple lives and they work really hard. Sometimes I wouldn't mind living like that, without the stresses of a busy schedule and lots of obligations. This would be a wonderful area to live with all the beauty all around.

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This is an old horse/hay barn in the camp.

Some flower pictures from up on the mountain.

Hopefully you can see from the pictures why we loved this place and why the kids did too. Maybe next year camp will be here again.

Finally Home!

Oh, airlines. We should have been writing this update when we arrived home on Wednesday evening, but we didn't make it home then. When we got to Amsterdam in the morning we looked at our flight status on the screen and it said "Tomorrow." We were in disbelief, but it only got better. We went up to the arrivals counter and they told us that our flight was delayed and that we wouldn't be leaving until Friday (today). Apparently the pilot had been sick and the flight from the day before was delayed too, so there were a lot of people trying to get home. They told us that there was no posibility of catching another flight or going to a different airport, which we found pretty hard to believe, but what could we do? So they put us up in a nice hotel with all meals included. The airport and hotel were too far from the city to walk, and there was nothing around them. The problem with that was that we spent all of our money in Romania, and we didn't have a PIN for our credit card so we couldn't use it. We tried to get a cash advance from a bank with the card and my passport, which they said usually works, but it didn't. We called the credit card company twice and they said it should work but it didn't, so we had no money at all.

Fun stuff. The airline also gave us a 5 minute phone card, which was just barely enough to call my dad and let him know since he was planning on picking us up from the airport. We weren't able to get our luggage, so we were stuck with only our carry ons which didn't have clean clothes or our toiletries. The airline gave us some temporary toiletry kits which got us through, so we made it. We also didn't know when our flight would be so we had to check back later.

The airport had a nice mall in it but one can only walk around the same place so many times before getting bored. So we decided to take a walk by the hotel because we could see across the field that there were some houses over there. So we walked through a field that had ponys, miniature horses, and large horses. Then we walked for about an hour and ended up in a small villiage on a canal. It was very nice and the houses were typical Dutch archetecture. So even though we didn't get to go into Amsterdam we at least got to see some real Dutch sights.

So we left the hotel this morning at 6:00 and the plane departed around 9:00. When we got to Detroit we made it through customs, and it was like everyone knew about our flight. One said "Oh, you were on THAT flight, how could they delay it for 2 days?". It was pretty funny. We had to rebook our next flight and they put us on the very next one to Grand Rapids, even at the expense of possibly bumping others because we had already waited so long. In the end I don't think anyone had to be bumped but it was nice knowing that they gave us priority.

So now we're home, it's kind of wierd after having been gone for more than 5 weeks. This is just the beginning of our journey, now we start processing our emotions and trying to figure out what our next steps are. We want to share our story with everyone we know so we will keep updating this blog with pictures and more details of our trip. We also want to get together with everyone that we know soon so we can talk all about it. We really love sharing our experience with people and this trip was so amazing that there is a ton to tell.

Last Days In Romania

Since we got back from camp we have been doing a few different things. Sunday we went to church at Alpha Omega again, and it was really great. The sermon was translated by one of the H2H staff members and the music was really rocking! The church is mostly made up of young people and Heart 2 Heart has been a big part of starting it and getting it off the ground. We recognized lots of people there, some from the transition houses from last year and this year, and lots of other H2H staff. After church we went had a traditional Romanian meal at one of the camp team translator's house. His mom made us Romanian cheese pie, fried fish, Mousaka (kind of like lasagna without noodles and with eggplant instead), and two cakes. It was all really good and we had a great time.

Monday morning we went to the Peris orphanage where some of the kids we knew from camp live. It was really awesome. The kids were really excited to see us and most of all Claudiau from week one was really happy we came. He was the one who had said to us that he would really like it if we came to see him, so this meant a lot to him. We played with the kids for a few hours and then had to leave, so it was a short but sweet visit. In the afternoon we went to the new baby hospital and fed, changed, and held 20 babies. They were so sweet and it was pretty overwhelming seeing them all there, knowing that they have been abandoned. Thankfully some are being adopted or going to foster care, so they have better chances of a normal life. We went to Hard Rock Cafe for dinner so that we could hang out with some staff maybe for the last time, and we had a great time.

Today we went shopping in the morning and then came back to the house for debriefing. We talked about what to expect when we get home and the feelings we'll have. We had a great time here and we don't want to leave. Even though we've been here for 5 weeks it seems like it has gone by so fast. We know we'll be back here some day, but only God knows when.

Camp Week 4

Week 4 of camp is now completed. It was a lot different than the other weeks because more than half of the team was gone, and we had a whole different cirriculum. We had about 40 kids which was a little less than we expected but that made it easier to handle for us. The kids were mostly aged 17-18 but there were some outliers. We gained some more translators and some high schoolers that go to the youth church that Heart 2 Heart is a big part of. Rebecca continued to run the crafts and this week Mark was in charge of games. Both had help of course and it was pretty fun.

The week was very rainy and after the first day we were able to move into a vacant cabin because our tent was leaking. We started off camp with a hike up the mountain and ended up on the football field to play some soccer and frisbee. We played ultimate frisbee later and had campfire. Tuesday it rained almost all day so we had to do indoor activities. Wednesday we played the spider web game where the team has to get from one side of the web to the other without touching the web. It was a really fun team building game and the kids really enjoyed it. It rained later so we had a dance party before having the campfire program in the dining pavilion. Some of the kids were pretty awesome at breakdancing and they all had a blast. We went on a road trip to where the river connects to another river up the mountain. It was very beautiful. Rebecca and I walked down the road and it started to rain so we got drenched, but it was worth it. On Friday we took a long walk to the oldest monestary in Romania, it is built inside a rock face in a mountain, and was used by persecuted Christians many centuries ago.

We had a very challenging team with some kids that liked to make fun of everyone. We had some special needs kids too that the other kids made fun of which made us very upset. Our team was always scattered and they didn't work together during the games. At the end some of them got a stern talking to and it seemed to get better after that.

We made some great relationships too and that's what this trip has been all about for us. Rebecca really bonded with Gina who loved to ask us questions like how we met, do we ever fight, what did I like about Rebecca when I met her, and so on. It was fun talking to her. On the hike to the monestary Mark really bonded with Elena who he had played frisbee with earlier in the week. We talked about various things and then she said that she would love to have me as her father, and my heart melted! Rebecca and I talked to her later that night and we shared about our lives and she told us about hers. She was very quiet throughout the week but she really opened up to us and kept saying that she would like us as her parents. Wow. It's amazing how close you can get so someone in such a short time.

So now that camp is done we are back in Bucharest. We don't really know the schedule for the next few days until we leave on Wednesday. We are hoping to go to the baby hospital and one of the orphanages if it can be worked out in the schedule. We are sad that camp is done already but it will be great to be home again and to see all of our family and friends. We hope you're all doing well and again we thank you for the encouragement and prayers. We'll see you soon!

Week 3 Camp

Another week has gone by, it's hard to believe how fast it went. It was a really interesting week. We had 56 kids aged 15 & 16, and nearly 30 staff members. The week started out great with a long hike along a different path than we had gone on before. First we went through a forest like back at home, very open and leaf covered, most of the forests are not that open in the area so it was pretty nice. Once we got to the top there was a huge open field with an awesome view of the entire area. We played cards, frisbee, and of course some soccer there for a while. On the way back we went through some areas with huge leaved plants and one that looked like a bamboo forest. In the afternoon it clouded up and then rained in the evening, but we were able to have a campfire. It took these kids a little while to warm up to singing but in the end they did get into it.

Tuesday it rained on and off for most of the day, we weren't able to go to the river or on a hike but we did start a campfire and then had to finish up in the dining pavilion when it started raining again. We had lots of free time with options of jumping on the trampoline, doing crafts, or playing games. It only rained a few times the rest of the week. The rain didn't seem to help the water situation, it's still pretty dry but we are making it. One thing the rain did do was wash tons of silt and mud into the river, so we weren't able to bathe in there like we did last week. With no water for showers we have been relying on ample amounts of deoderant to keep us smelling nice.

Rebecca continued to help with crafts throughout the week and Mark didn't really have a specific task other than being with a team of kids. There weren't as many behavior problems this week and the kids were much more willing to stay with the group. They were also quite into the program and especially the memory verses. We had small group discussions where we got to share deeper things with the kids and talk about important issues like having a personal relationship with God instead of just having the head knowledge and going through the motions. We are praying that God used this to plant seeds and water them as this is a very crucial time in these kids' lives.

Some other highlights from the week were: Rebuilding a dam in the river with a group of guys so we could have a deeper swimming spot, spending time with Berkey who was such a gentleman and who did Rebecca's hair on our last trip, spending time with kids in their cabins for quiet time, and the girls' secret outing to the river.

Now we are back in Bucharest for the night. The high school team from California is leaving tomorrow morning, so we came back here too so we can talk through our experiences at camp. We are looking forward to showering (woohoo!) and sleeping in a house instead of a tent. Rebecca just left for Starbucks with some of the girls who are staying for the rest of the time. Since we are here I am going to post some pictures. We'll do a lot more when we get back but this will show a little of what we've been experiencing this whole time.

Also I just wanted to again thank everyone for their support of us and our trip. We are so greatfull and we know the prayers are keeping us going.

Rebecca and Mark on the top of the mountain.

Mark and his friend from last year, Bogdan.

Rebecca and new friend Miki.

Us with the Saru family, Christina, Elena, and Aurel.

Us with Claudia and a friend.

An Orthodox church in the mountains.

A beautiful mountain sunset, after a rainy day.

Week 2 Camp

Wow, week two of camp is already over. We had a great time again with around 45 kids mostly from the ages of 12-14. This group as a whole was easier to work with because they didn't have the endless energy of the younger group last week. We ran basically the same program as last week, and it worked out well. The kids really enjoyed jumping on the trampoline, going to the river and swimming, and hiking up the mountain. They were really into the skits. Of course there were also some challenging kids but we let them do their own thing and sometimes put them to work, which they actually enjoyed.

Mark didn't stay in a cabin this week because there were more male staff that came. It was also nice to have a break from staying in the cabin because last week was a bit chaotic. The kids loved the campfires and really enjoyed singing. Some of them would also break out into singing at random times durring the week. One of their favorites was King of Kings and Lord of Lords (in Romanian of course). Some of the kids spoke a little english so we could get to know them better without translators.

The weather has been great, it rained one afternoon but that was it. It's been in the 80's and sunny, pretty nice. The one down side to that is that we're running low on water, which was also a problem last week. Most of our water is from mountain springs, and when they dry up we have to get a tank full transported in. We have been enjoying bathing in the river since we can't take showers. The river is really beautiful. We can't wait to post pictures when we get back home, and we have even taken some videos. We were able to check e-mail so we appreciate all of the support we've gotten. We would appreciate continued prayers too! Until next week...

Camp Update

Hi Everyone, we are here in a small city outside of the camp, and finally found an internet cafe to write an update. The first week of camp is already done! We had a great time and so did the kids. It was also very challenging with some behavior problems that a few kids had, but it has caused us to grow a lot. There were 43 kids from the ages of 6-12, and they all slept in cabins. Mark slept in a cabin with a group for all but one night, which was quite something! They were so excited it was really hard to get them to bed. Mark told some bedtime stories that the kids really loved, they wanted to hear them over and over. Rebecca slept in a tent with some other girl volunteers, as there weren't as many girls in cabins to watch over. Some of the orphanage workers slept in the girls cabins. Most of them enjoyed being at camp and seemed to actually care for the kids.

The kids left today and it was very emotional since we had become attached to lots of kids, and they didn't want to leave, which is so understandable. We got lots of hugs and kisses and had lots of cuddle time. One kid, Claudiau, asked us to come to the orphanage to see him again, and we were told that he usually doesn't get attached to people, so we are hoping that after camp we will be able to do that.

The rest of the kids' summer will be spent back at the orphanage with nothing to do. So this week of camp was the highlight of their summer and we tried to make it as fun as possible. Some highlights were climbing up the mountain with kids, going swimming in the river, playing games and doing crafts, and of course the campfire times. The camp is so beautiful and the weather has been great! We can't wait to sh0w pictures but we won't be able to until after we get back. This has been amazing so far and also such a blessing for us and the kids. Thanks for your prayers and e-mails, we really appreciate your support!!!!