Hello From Romania!

What an adventurous 3 days I have had! I will just start from the beginning and try to put in as many details as possible without writing the longest blog ever know to man. :)

DFW airport was a breeze, except for the part when we were all loaded up on the plane and made it to the runway only to be told we were going to wait for about an hour. I sent out several texts asking for prayer to make the connecting flight (my layover was 1 hour!) and because the Lord is faithful and hears His children, I made it in plenty of time to New York to catch my next flight. I sat next to a lovely woman named Brigitta who was on her way home to Zurich. She is a world traveler, but feels most at home in New York and was sad to be leaving. Once we landed in Zurich I did have to do an airport dash to switch terminals and find the right gate. I'm pretty sure is was on the opposite side of the airport from where I landed! When I got to the gate, there was no plane, only a bus. A couple of minutes after boarding the bus, they took us to the plane and off we went. After arriving in Bucarest I picked up one of my bags and reported the one that was lost. Thankfully I had printed out the name, address, and phone number of my host family! It was delivered this morning. :) Then I walked out and found my Projects Abroad sign and met Daniel, who drove me to Brasov. He was very kind, didn't speak much English, and laughed at me very much when I told him how much I like baseball. I was incredibly tired, but managed to stay awake for some of the ride. I saw everything from buildings to horsedrawn carts, roadside markets, and people all along the street. We drove through some beautiful mountains and on roads with plenty of hairpin turns. It was wonderful!

Daniel dropped me off at the house where I am staying and I met my house mom, Para, who speaks no English. So there is one question answered- no, the family does not speak English. I have not met her husband yet. He has not been at the house. I do have a roommate, Talia. She is from New Zealand and has been so welcoming and helpful. That first night we went to the town square because she had plans to meet friends that work at the hospital for some opera event. When we got there it turned out to be an opera that was being televised on a big screen. We didn't stay for long, but met up with the other girls and went for dinner. They are such fun and I am really looking forward to working with them and getting to know them. So that was Thursday and Friday for me. I'm not really sure when one stopped and the other started, but it was all good.

Talia told me she and one other girl had a tour planned for Saturday to see some of the area surrounding Brasov and invited me to go. We met our guide at 9am and soon there after left in his van to see Romania. His son also went with us as the guide. Father and son, Traian and Claudio respectively, were so much fun. The way they interacted was so sweet and fun to watch. Their affection for one another was a great addition to the day. Traian speaks very broken English, and Claudio does very well. He is probably in his late teens and still in school, but helps his dad out during the summer with tours. We toured 2 castles, 3 churches, drove through the mountains, had a lovely lunch, and returned to Brasov around 6:30pm. We ate dessert on one of the main streets and then headed home. I did manage to get a shower in before I completely crashed, but that was about all.

I know that was a lot to do after just arriving, but I am so glad that I did. I have already come to love this country and the people. I cannot wait to spend time here, learn about the culture and people, and hopefully share this Love I have been given.

Today (Sunday) has been an easy day. We slept in a little and then caught a bus out to the supermarket. It is basically like a Wal-Mart. It is Father's Day back in the states and I am wishing that I could talk to my dad. He is so special to me and I love him greatly. So, Dad, happy Father's Day. You are leading worship right now and my prayers are with you. Have a wonderfual day!!!! I love you!

I will go for now. My orientation is tomorrow with Projects Abroad and the hospital and then I get to start work on Tuesday. I am so blessed to be here! I will try to include more day-to-day details next time I write. Feel free to comment or email me with questions and I will do my best to answer them. This internet cafe does not have USB for me to put up pictures, but hopefully they will come soon! Miss you and love you!