Two Weeks In!

It is hard to believe I’m entering my third week in Bucharest. In some ways it seems like I’ve been here for months, and in other ways I feel like I got here yesterday. I hit a point early last week when I just kind of looked around and thought “Ok…now what?”! I was settled, my visa process was well under way, and I honestly didn’t know what to do with myself! Thankfully, in the last week or so God has begun to fill up my schedule.

I’m so thankful for the teammates God has given me! They’ve gone out of their way to make me feel welcome and comfortable, and I’ve spent quite a bit of time at all of their apartments in the last few weeks. It has been important, especially as I’m starting out, to build good relationships with them. They are my lifelines here, and I depend on them so much! They’ve been very helpful and patient as I learn all the things I need to know to live here. So getting to know all of them has been a big part of my last couple of weeks.

The visa process has taken quite a bit of time as well. It is pretty much like a giant, international scavenger hunt. You have to run all over the city, getting different places to fill out forms for you, collecting them all and eventually turning them in for the prize: a five year visa! Woohoo! I’m ALMOST ready to turn everything in to the government, and Scotte (my team leader) tells me having it all ready this quick is some kind of a record! I can be in the country for 90 days before I need the visa, so it should be done in plenty of time. Should be! ☺

Starting next Sunday, I’ll be taking over the Sunday night children’s program at church! It is done completely in English and mostly just MKs come, but it is still a good opportunity for me and I’m looking forward to it! My co-workers have been taking turns doing this, so I’m glad to be able to give them a break. Once I’ve gotten my feet wet a little bit, I think we may begin advertising it as an opportunity for OTHER children to work on their English, too. I’m excited about the potential and glad to be doing something so worthwhile!

I’ve also been observing the Sunday School program at the church I’m attending. I’ve especially “clicked” with one teacher, and have decided to start helping in her class. I’ll teach some, try a few ideas, and just try to get a feel for what’s going on.

I’m also going to be traveling quite a bit in the next couple of months! ABWE is doing three teacher training seminars in three different cities in March, and I have the opportunity to go and observe all of them, and have been asked to share a brief devotional at each one. In April, we’ll be doing a seminar in Moldova (a tiny country east of Romania), and they’ve asked me to actually teach a whole session! WOW! It is really intimidating, but as I prayed about it, I felt God telling me to stretch myself. So I’ll give it a shot! I’ll get my topic in the next few weeks and start working on it. What a cool opportunity!

In April, the Romania North and Romania South teams will be meeting in Transylvania for four days to do some planning. While all the grown-ups sit in meetings all day, I get to entertain the kids, which should be fun! I’m looking forward to it, and am glad to be able to help in this way.

The summer is also coming quickly, so planning is well under way for camp! I attended a meeting last week and am excited to be a part of this ministry! My specific role is still being discussed, but I’m glad to help however I can. Counselor applications and training will begin soon! I’m loving learning about the process of running a camp!

TOMORROW I will start my language lessons! I’m looking forward to finally being able to get into it because I want so badly to be able to communicate better. As an AMP missionary, I’m not required to take language classes, but I think it is important and really want to do it. I’ll be taking four hours a week and will have lots of homework, too, from what I hear! So today is my last day of freedom, I guess! ☺

Would you please pray specifically that I’d make some Romanian friends here? I’m trying, but it is HARD and it just takes time. I keep being told to “invite some girls over”…but that’s a little hard when I don’t know many girls, or even how to meet them! I love working with kids, but since I’m with them Sunday AM and PM, it makes it hard to meet people at church. I AM attending a Bible study on Friday nights, which has been good, but because it is English speaking, most of the people I’ve met have been from the US! So please pray that I meet people and am able to build relationships. That really is what I want!