Remembering Romania #6

I hope you are enjoying this series about the time we spent living in my Dad’s home land: Romania. While it has been a blast for me to share about it, there actually is a reason why. These posts are all leading up to a big surprise announcement that we are working on! It is going to be so great, but that’s all I’m going to tell you about it for now. You’ll have to just keep checking back to see what it is.

As for my Mom’s diary, if you are falling behind, you can catch up by clicking here.

October 21, 2003

The melting snow worked…we finally have enough water. Fedi and I sit at the table and watch the meter go up and up. We also can tell if there is any electricity being used from this meter and exactly how many amps it draws. So…woe to anyone who leaves a light on. We often show 0 usage. We have no refrigerator, no clocks plugged in, and no TV. I know exactly how many amps florescent lights draw (.5), the circulating pump is 2.2., the well pump goes up to a shocking 65 amps-but only for a few seconds. The lap top computer draws about 2.2. Now that the generator is buzzing we can watch some DVD cartoons that we borrowed from Csilla. It’s so fun to be all of us cuddled on the bed and treat ourselves to Tom & Jerry. The kids laugh so hard at things they were bored at 2 months ago.

Yesterday the cow rancher’s son Attila came up with their tractor. Fedi, Ryan and he went up to do some logging for our firewood. About 6 hours later they dragged in 5 big long pine trees. Fedi and Attila cut them up and the kids and I carried them to the garage. Pine is very light so Steven felt like quite a man as he carried in some big pieces. Later when Attila came in for supper he asked Fedi about Christianity. Fedi told me later that when they were on the mountain Attila at first showed him how to sneak trees off of private land and cover up the stumps. Fedi told him “no” because there is a living God who sees everything. They probably talked for 20 minutes at the table about the Bible. Attila wouldn’t take any money or even Fedi’s toolywooly for his tractor, gas and time. He said, “friends help each other”.

There is a lot of this attitude here. People go out of their way to be friendly. If your car breaks down, you better have some friends you can call on. I’m pretty sure there are no food stamp program or government agencies to bail you out of hard spots. Friends are very important.

Leventa came today to work with Fedi. They are putting up shelves out of some rough wood to put our 3 big sacks of winter apples on.

October 22, 2003

It’s in the middle of the night but since I can’t sleep and we have plenty of water power to have lights on, I might as well write.

There is one use of the donation money I feel bears further explanation. That is the $200 we spent on the couch. All the rest of the $2,300 in no way benefits us. It did not go to anyone we were related to, or anyone who did any work for us. The couch came from a desire to have a place for people to sleep if they needed it. Even in America I told some of my family that I might use some of the donation money for this. Fedi’s uncle may need a place at the end of November. He is an alcoholic who has shown improvement since he has been working at the Baptist camp where there is not alcohol to be had. Well believe me, there is not a drop to be had within five miles of us. His work runs out in Nov. The problem is, Fedi and I had no extra money to buy the couch from our own money. Even now, we need cupboards in the bedrooms and kitchen and bed frames. We are also still sleeping on borrowed mattresses but unless Judy sells a horse or something we need to wait until December for some of it. Some of these, I think Fedi can build from trees we find around here. I’m not complaining. I love it here and we are plenty comfortable. I think it is cool to slowly work on this place.

Anyway, I wrote all that because I’ve heard family and some friends are reading this journal. I actually sent the first one to Mom because I was too lazy to write a separate letter and no one spreads news like my Mom. She has spared me hours of letter writing.

Someone asked us the other day if we were homesick. Not really, though I miss my family. The kids are doing fine also. Fedi is, of course, good but I do notice that he seems to get a little lonely for other people sometimes. Of all of us he has the biggest life-style change. The kids & I do school and housework same as always.

So far Fedi hasn’t got permission to go in the prisons. Everything seems to go slow in Romania. We gave the old man all the vitamins, toothbrushes, deodorants, and soaps we brought to give to the prisoners.

Rachel let Jessica call Anni yesterday. (It was Jessica’s 9th birthday) That girl (Anni) was beaming afterwards. She is trying to make something now for Jessica for her birthday.

Rebekah mentioned again something about Sarah repenting. She just finished reading a Christian book and I think she is trying to figure things out in her mind.

October 23, 2003

Well Fedi went up with Jozsef, Attila and another Attlia who is known as the man with the horse. He has a great logging horse. Fedi said at a command the horse would jump at the harness and pull with all her might. Anyway they came back at dark with nothing. They had the trailer loaded so full that it tipped over. The Attila with the tractor is back today to help haul the wood down and right the trailer. The four guys came back hungry and cold. Csilla and I scrambled to have a hot meal for them and to keep the kids (hers & mine) fed and reasonably quiet.

Now this morning Fedi first went to the town nearest us to talk to the school director about handing out Christmas packages for the kids. The request was granted enthusiastically. This is another ministry from churches in England and Germany.

Fedi and I want to visit the Nazarene church as soon as we can. It looks like though the little Baptist church where Csilla goes will be our home church here. It is much closer. We already know the people there. They are very evangelistic minded and the teachings and doctrines are sound. No disloyalty to our church in America is intended. If there was an AC church close enough, we would go there. When we return to America, I will be thrilled to go back to the Peoria AC church.