Snippets

I apologize in advance for the potential length of this post....I have several random snippets to share with you and I just haven't sat down to type in quite a while. I don't know why....

Snippet #1: A few weeks ago, I got in a taxi at 7:30 in the morning to go to the post office and pick something up that required identification. The taxi driver was quite chipper. He showed me a picture of his dog and told me how he loves to play. He told me jokes and made up songs and was singing the whole way. He was very nice and very happy for that time in the morning. Then he told me he had not yet had his first cup of coffee and I thought, "If he's like this without his first cup of coffee, I wonder what he's like once he's had his first cup of coffee..."

Snippet #2: A couple of weeks after that, I had the opportunity to go to the Opera. Someone had bought tickets and couldn't go, so I got a free ticket and went with a sweet lady that also works here. When we got there, there were several nice cars and bodyguards and media everywhere. We didn't know what was going on or who was there. Turns out it was the 60th birthday of the Crown Princess of Romania and that evening was a special opera performance just for her. The whole Royal Family of Romania were there. They do not hold any political power, they are social Royals, like the British Royal family, but clearly not as famous. However, the performance made it clear that Romanians love their Royalty. They were in exile somewhere (Sweden maybe?) during Communism, and I don't think they have moved back to Romania after that. I think they just come for major holidays and occasions. Who knows, though. Now I can say that I went to the opera with the Royal Family of Romania. It was quite an experience.

Snippet #3: Since I last wrote, we put the veteran family that was here in Romania for 14 years on the plane. They don't plan to come back for various reasons. Please pray for their health, their family, and the unknown as they don't know where they will end up settling once their stateside assignment time is over.

Snippet #4: I know I left you all on a cliffhanger at my last post about what my new assignment will be. I will update you as soon as all of the details are worked out. That will be by this weekend hopefully. Please pray that as we sit down with supervisors this week that we would be of one mind and be able to make purposeful plans for this ministry that I will be involved in.

Snippet #5: This week I have been in the city of Bacau with a sweet family that has lived here 5 years. They have 2 kids, a 7 year old boy and an 11 year old girl. The parents went to a pastors' and wives' conference one night so I got to stay with their kids. Their son is just a constant ball of energy. He is so much fun. Their daughter is a sweet girl who is so helpful and is so caring. I have had so much fun getting to know their family and just spending time with them. Yesterday they took me up into the mountains to a place called Lacul Rosu (The Red Lake). There is a small lake there and several little shops where you can buy souveneirs. The little lake is still frozen, but there are sections where the ice is real thin and cracking. We drove through a gorge in the mountain alongside of a river to get there. It was so beautiful. I will post pictures in another post soon. This trip reminded me again that I serve the most amazing Artist who is the Creator of the Universe...He can carve rocks with water and glorify Himself with our enjoyment of them.

Snippet #6: Please pray for the next few days. All of my colleagues are getting together in the mountains for a few days of retreat and fellowship. We will have a speaker and a worship leader from the States who are coming to minister to us. Please pray that this would be a wonderful time of renewal and fellowship for everyone.

Snippet #7: As everyone in the Western World celebrated Holy Week and Easter last week, in the Orthodox world Palm Sunday was this past Sunday. We are now in Holy Week as to the Orthodox calendar. The Evangelicals here also celebrate this week. It has come to my mind that regardless of when we celebrate Christ's death and Resurrection, the greatest Sacrifice of all time, it happened. Truly truly He is Risen!