keep short accounts

Today Terry and I were talking about the several times we've sold homes and moved. Why is it that we live in a house for 5, 10, 15, 20 years or more, and don't keep up with the little things? Dirty spots on the walls, paint chipped off of baseboards, stain needing re-doing on the deck...just make your own list. Then, when you're selling your home and getting it ready to show, suddenly you notice all these things that need to be done to "spiff" it up. Why didn't you do it before? I can say that until we look at the house, room, front door, through the eyes of a prospective buyer, we really kinda get used to seeing it that way and really don't see the flaws. Probably many of us are that way with our cars as well.....empty water (coke?) bottles, little scraps of paper, lone french fries......and that sand that gets on the carpets from continually getting in and out of the car. It could be that guys take a little better care of their cars.....I've met some fanatics, sure you have too. But there are those certain people who, every time we get into their cars, they say the same thing. "Oh, I've really got to clean this car!" And you know what? It never happens.....but I guess they just want us to know that THEY know it's in need of a good cleaning.
Maybe that's how it is with life (ya think?). I think that God wants constant fellowship with us for a very good reason. He told us to meet regularly with fellow believers.....He definitely wants us to read and memorize His word, and He wants us to keep short accounts with our family and friends. Meaning.....dust, paint, clean.....our lives regularly. If there's something wrong between two (or more) of us, we need to address it immediately and not let it go any longer. We need to "clear the air" with each other AND with the Lord often. He wants to hear from us every day. A.W. Tozer said, "No Christian, if he is right with God, should ever need to hide anything in his life." Of course, God sees it all anyway....we just think we're hiding something. But it's the same with us as we told our kids......if you're not doing anything wrong, why are you hiding?
The older I get, the more I realize that God made it that way for our protection. He is our Father and He wants us to come to Him with absolutely everything. When we are so close to Him and checking with Him about each aspect of our lives, we seem to find it easier to live the way He wants us to. Didn't we also tell our kids, "you become like the people you hang out with"? My goal is to become more like Jesus every day, so I need to "hang out" with Him all the time. My sister was telling me about a devotional she read that said our prayers need to be just like breathing, like our heartbeats......regular and constant. "Pray without ceasing," we're told.

thoughts

Out to lunch the other day with good friends (the kind you can just pick up with, no matter how long it's been since you've seen 'em) and were in a corner booth at Noshville's in Franklin. 3 couples, all roughly the same age (some more roughly than others!) having the most wonderful conversation about the Lord, some (a lot?) holy hilarity.....and a woman in the booth next to us kept looking around with a frown on her face! I'm thinkin' if you want quiet, stay home! The restaurant itself is noisy....that's kinda the way these places are. But at one point, she put her fingers in her ears!!! Seriously?? I find myself feeling more sorry for her than being angry. I always try to pick up on whether or not there's just been some tragedy to make a person act that way.....it didn't seem that way, because at one point, she and her husband leaned across the "aisle" between booths to converse with 2 people at another table.....and they laughed! So, I just can't figure out why it was okay for her to laugh, but not us! Oh well, some people can't stand others having more fun than themselves! We DID have fun, though.
The Nashville Praise Symphony played our last concert of the year.....at a church in Franklin, and we were helping raise money (and awareness) for a ministry called Caring Resources. 2 women, Farrar Moore, and Sheryl Cook, started this ministry and wrote a book, From Hurt to Hope, which they gave to each of us in the orchestra. Everyone has suffered loss and hurt, everyone comes to times in their lives when they need to forgive.....this ministry holds workshops to help people deal with what's happened in their lives, and then move forward in hope and freedom. Too many people just "stuff" the things that happen, and never deal with it properly.....there are people we all know who will just say "we're not having this conversation".....and that's that, according to them. That is not the way to deal with anything and only gives the issue room to fester in one's heart and life. A person may think they've "dealt with" an issue.....then years later, it comes back with a vengeance, kinda like my mom's cancer did 26 years after her initial operation and chemotherapy. Mom lived a long life and for just about a month less than 25 years, was cancer free....she had originally been given 6 months to 5 years.....and she's the kind of person who would say, "Don't you tell ME how much time I have left!" Told she'd never play the organ or piano again, she went to church 2 weeks after her radical mastectomy and played for the service.....leaving in the middle to go and throw up from her chemo.....then coming back to play the last hymn and postlude. So, was her cancer gone? I don't know, maybe from the initial site, but then who really knows what those nasty cells do when we're not looking? But my point is that with a hurt or injustice, we need to face it full on and bring it out into the open.....talk about it, in effect, cut it out of our heart, pray together about it (if there's another person involved).....and truly forgive. Every single person experiences loss......because loss is really just unfulfilled expectations. If someone in our life passes away, there's an unfulfilled expectation that they'll always be there for us. If our parents divorce, that's an unfulfilled expectation that they'll always be together.....just fill in the blanks for yourself. When we focus on the pain, hurt, loss, then, guess what? It's ALL ABOUT us! We as believers are to be focused on Jesus....who experienced the ultimate pain and loss (cut off from His Father) just for me and you. So, what are you focusing on today? What do I focus on? I do NOT want to be in "unforgiveness jail", because that's what it is......if we don't forgive whoever has hurt us, we can never grow as a Christian. One of the quotes in the book is "Without eternal perspective, I cannot forgive, and unless I forgive, I cannot have eternal perspective." And of course Jesus said in what we refer to as the Lord's Prayer....."forgive us as we forgive those who trespass against us". In essence, God, please forgive me to the extent that I forgive others. Ouch! So, ya mean I've got to forgive the others before He'll forgive me? Go read it for yourself.....pick up any Bible and just start reading the New Testament. You'll find the right verses.....God will bring them out to you. Now, sometimes our pain is the result of someone else's wrong choices......happens all the time.....like Joseph in the Old Testament of the Bible.....his brothers made a really stupid decision to sell him to some Egyptian passers by. Then they told their dad Joe'd been killed by a wild animal. Talk about wrong choices! Well, God ultimately brought good out of it (amazing how He does that every time when we let Him), but Joe had lots of forgiving to do.
Sometimes our pain comes from a wrong choice we made ourselves......but hey, who can we blame for that one? We try to find anyone but ourselves.........I'm discovering that it always works better when I "own" the choices I've made. My parents used to say I was a very responsible kid.....every time something went wrong, I was responsible! But really, isn't it a part of maturity to take responsibility for the choices we have made? Some of us are "pleasers"....we just want to cause the least disturbance so we "go along" with someone else's idea or suggestion, not so much because we want it that way, but we want them to "like" us more, or something......I can say this because I'm a pleaser. But then when it doesn't turn out like I REALLY wanted it to, I look for someone else to blame......and ya know what? I need only to look in the mirror. I'm the one who ultimately made that particular choice, and I am the one responsible for how it turned out. No one else. Several years ago I played the lead part in a great Sondheim musical "Into the Woods", and one of my favorite songs was trying to point to blame to whomever I could...a recurring line was "so it's YOUR fault then!" No one wants to own responsibility....it's always someone else's fault that I feel this way.
Just some of the thoughts flowing through my mind this weekend.......

Welcome home

So, the suitcase is unpacked, the laundry washed and folded (hung?), and all the "extra stuff" that decorated the middle of our bedroom floor for 3 nights is also put away. What am I doing??? This is way too organized.....but, yes, the trip is now a memory, or should I say many wonderful memories. Now, the prayers intensify for our friends in Romania, especially those on the committee for human rights and dignity. One of the things I discovered while there and have forgotten to write about is that when a baby is stillborn in Romania, it does not receive either a birth or a death certificate! In fact, most times it is burned or given to a lab for scientific research! Heartbreaking for you and me.....gotta be absolutely the worst kind of hell for the parents to go through.
Saw a sign in the Timisoara airport as we began our flights back home, "inhumane treatment is not human rights". I have promised to pray diligently for the Committee for Human Rights and Dignity, and those of my friends who are part of it.....wish you would too. Think I've written this before, but it bears repeating...the Romanian people will need a LOT of support and encouragement from us and the other participating European countries to stand firm on these issues. Another thing y'all could pray for is that babies are not allowed to be given to orphanages (most of which are now run by Christians) until age 2. Many orphanages have babies dropped off on their doorsteps and are required by law to surrender them to the hospitals...where, of course they will be given inferior food and inferior care...they just lie there....no hugs or any kind of human interaction. We're hoping that this committee will be able to change this law.
What to write about? As I try to ease back into daily life here, it's sometimes more of a rude awakening and culture shock to be back in the States. I'm all about relationships, so I guess it's no surprise to me that I sometimes feel as if I "fit in" better in most other countries where people actually just sit and talk to other people, and care about them, not what they do. Who I am is NOT what I do! I'm not a gadget freak or anything like that.....yes, I just got a new Blackberry, mostly because my other cellphone's camera broke and my contract was up.....but just today, Terry and I were lamenting the fact that there are umpteen ways of communicating with people and still it's just about impossible to get some people to return a phone call! Or an email. John Maxwell wrote a whole book about it...seems like everyone is "into" communication, yet very few of us really connect with people. It's annoying to see people with their heads down, constantly texting or facebooking on their I-phones (or Blackberries) instead of conversing. I've actually had it happen to me! 2 people in a Starbucks booth (we were waiting for some more to join us) .....just me and one other person who decided it was okay to ignore the human and just interact with a gadget. I'm not sayin' it's rude, I'll leave that to someone older than me. I guess all these "modern vehicles" are an inevitable part of progress...just wishing and hoping that people do not forget/neglect that God created us to live in relationship with each other, not just to be facebook or twitter friends! Big difference....just sayin'.

Home again Home again!

Sunday morning Ter had to call us at 10:30 his time in order for us to wake up at 5:30am, to be ready for Beni to pick us up at 7:30. Mihaela asked us about 3 times what time we had wanted breakfast, because each morning we've asked for it about 9 and then we don't usually arrive till 9:30. so when we asked for it at 7am, she (very understandably) was finding it hard to believe. Each day our breakfasts have been delicious and very beautifully prepared and laid out.....this Sunday morning was no different. Beni arrived only about 15 minutes late, and we got on our way to the church at Anina....Alex was coming along for the ride and to be our "photographer". It is 250 km to Anina from Timisoara....a very bumpy, very winding road, and right after breakfast is probably not the best time to make that 2 1/2 hour trip, but fortunately, I think for both Lisa and me, we kept our eyes on the horizon (little trick to prevent carsickness and seasickness), and our minds on the Lord! Anina is higher in elevation, and there's one taller mountain to go over - this time it was quite foggy - reminded me of home! It had also begun to rain and the temperature had cooled off a lot. It's still a surprise to me when we walk into this church, because we enter at the side front door where the pastors are - there's definitely NO sneaking in. This time, 4 other pastors were there as well because they were ordaining a new minister, so we were really happy to be able to help celebrate this day with these lovely people. Both Lisa and I had been there before, as had both our hubbies, so we each brought greetings from Terry and Mark. Many of the people remembered Terry having played the trumpet there before and gave greetings back. I played several songs at different points throughout the service, and Lisa spoke briefly....each of the pastors gave a sermon, yes they did. Lisa and I have commented often throughout our trip about the children and teenagers in some of these 2 and 3-hour church services! They're used to that sort of thing.
This church served a really nice meal, and I enjoy being able to talk with some of the people during this time. When the time came for us to leave, we drove up to a hillside overlooking the town and some of the surrounding mountains. They are building the New Hope Church up there and the foundation is already in. All 5 of the pastors drove up there too, and we all got out to look at the beginning, take some pictures and pray together for this church. There are also many apartment buildings in this area that are still unfinished and unoccupied. Evidently Ceaucescu intended to move all the townspeople of Anina up here, out of the town center because his wife had some crazy notion that the rich soil of the town of Anina could be burned for fuel. There is also no school in this area, and another building right next to the foundation of the church could be finished for a wonderful school building.....a large first floor area would work for the administration and counseling offices. Anina is a really pretty town, just a little far away from Timisoara. But, as a point of interest, Anina is the home of Arnold Schwarzeneger's parents and grandparents! They moved to Austria, and when their son began to get famous, the town of Anina, Romania wanted some of his mementos for their museum. The Austrians refused, but later when Arnold became the "governator" and reinstated the death penalty in California, the Austrians just gave away his things to the people of Anina. Beni said that now Austria wants some of them back, but the mayor of Anina has said it "will cost many Euros!"
We took a different route back to Timisoara, getting back mid-afternoon or so......had plans to meet Eugenia and Kriss at Starbucks, and then talk over exactly what Beni has in mind for the buildings. When he was in the states, he spoke to about a dozen people in our home and one of the things he mentioned is that Carla and Alex really need a place to live other than their tiny apartment. We have some guys who are praying about traveling there to do this, and also build a ministry headquarters and a couple other buildings to house women at risk, teens, and a counseling center. Big plans, but God is still in control. If He wants it to happen, the biggest plans in the world will be accomplished.
Beni drew this up on a napkin (how many great companies and great buildings have begun on napkins?) By the time we looked at our watches, it was time to get to Eclesia Church, where the Dugulescu family attends. The 6:00 service began with lots of music, and there are some talented musicians in many of the churches we've been in. The plan was the same as usual - I'd play about 3-4 songs and Lisa would speak about 5 minutes. We also heard some of the kids (and a few adults) play some hymns on their mandolins. What a pretty sound! This is the church whose picnic we went to on Saturday, so we already knew most of the people. There is usually a lot of music in this church and they love to sing, so it was such a blessing. When I played, they hummed along with me, which always just gets to me! The Romanians love music, and when they hum along with me, it's rich in harmony and joy. Afterward, Adi (guess he was the "in charge" music guy) asked if he could upload my CD onto his computer and use it with the church.....of course I told him to take whatever he wanted, and then as I was putting the violin and music away, the Lord put the thought in my mind of just giving Adi the sheet music. He couldn't believe that I would do that, but he remembered Terry from last year, and was so grateful that I'd just give him all of Terry's written music for me. Everyone we've met is always so appreciative of any little thing we do.....and then it makes me want to do more!
I think that's one of the secrets that I've discovered through the years. When someone is grateful and expresses appreciation, it pours over onto the person who gave or did something. You can't be grateful without having some of it trickle down on the others you encounter. A grateful heart is such a beautiful thing.
After this church service which lasted from 6-8:30 or so, the same group of us (WorldTeach team, Dugulescu family) went to the square to walk around. This seems to be a favorite Sunday evening activity all over the world! The weather had cooled off, but it wasn't rainy, and there was a floral exhibition (free admission - what a concept!) in the Opera House, so we all went inside. Alex and Kriss are 2 of the most loving teenagers I've encountered, and they came out with a potted plant for Eugenia....."just because". It wasn't a special day, they just wanted to give her something! I remember just wanting to give my mom a little gift.....maybe not much, but just something to show her my love, and these kids seem to be the same. Then, since we hadn't eaten since about 1-ish at the church in Anina, we went to KFC (yeah, I know, not my fav, but Alex and Jaclyn like it, and also Marius Dugulescu's 2 boys). We took up a whole corner, and ate our dinners.....actually I was the "healthy one" according to Georgi. I just couldn't think of all that fried chicken, so had a salad, and for a fast-food salad, it was quite good.
I'm usually more careful about eating salads in other countries, but this one was fresh and crisp. I am so thankful to God that no matter where we ate on this trip, neither one of us got any little food "bugs". That can wreak havoc especially when you're away from home, and I've had my share of food poisoning (one really bad episode when I was pregnant with Karyn and had taken Jimmy to Hamburg and Berlin!).
Finally the day wound down and we had to say our goodbyes to at least some of the group........Ligia gave Lisa and me each one of her CDs from Arvid Petersen, a Norwegian worship leader who has become a great friend to the "Jesus the Hope of Romania" ministry and gives benefit concerts when he comes there. Went back to the Guest house to begin packing........ Kriss, Georgi, Carla, Beni and Eugenia each came by to spend a bit more time with us. When it was just Lisa and me, we half seriously contemplated just staying up all night.....we'd have to rise at 4:30. But after packing everything, each of our lights went out anyway, until the phone call from Terry at 4:30am (9:30pm for him). I didn't think I'd fall asleep, but my first conscious thought was......."why in the world is Terry calling on the fax machine?" 'cause their telephone ring sounds exactly like our fax at home. The phone stopped ringing but before I could think more about exactly what happened, it rang again, and this time I was ready! I jumped out of my bed and ran into the office area to answer. As I said, "Good morning" to Terry, he told me to have a safe trip and then he said "Good night" to me!
I know this might be longer than usual, but, oh well, you've stuck with me this far and I really appreciate it, and I'm sure there's still a lot more processing to be done in my heart and brain.......well, maybe you'll stick with me longer.
Beni, Georgi and Alex came to pick us up on time at 5am and it was just about a 20-minute drive to the airport, where everything went very smoothly. We did see Marius Dugulescu on his way back to Parliament.....he flies to Bucharest every Monday morning to work and then gets home later on in the week to spend the weekends with his family. On to Munich.... about an hour and a half flight...our luggage was checked through to the states, so all we had to do was be responible for our personal carry-on bags, but my violin just gets heavier and heavier! Really fun trying to walk through the very narrow aisles in the planes, inadvertently hitting people with one end or the other....kinda remind myself of the 3 stooges. Ok, no comments! As we had 4 hours to "kill" in Munich, we checked out all the shops, bought chocolate candy for each of "our boys" and then "just happened" to pass a spa shop. With all the bumpy, winding roads and all the kilometers we had been riding the last 10 days, Lisa and I each decided to get a 30-minute chair massage.......oh my goodness, I forgot how good that feels.....drifted off to sleep several times, it felt so good. She also got her nails done and I had a facial......just nice to have a little pampering sometimes. With just enough time to get to the gate, we walked to the area where everyone was gathering to hear the announcement, "ladies and gentlemen, with all the volcanic ash still in the air, the plane has been delayed for at least 2 hours...that could improve, but just stay in the area." We did meet several other couples who had been stranded for the last day - Lufthansa had voluntarily put them up in a nearby hotel and given them meal vouchers, though we did see many cots set up in places in the airport, possibly for people with very early morning flights. Maybe some of our US airlines could follow their example! We've been handed alcohol vouchers when we were going to be stranded for 8-10 hours......but no food, and very rarely a hotel. Lisa and I both called our husbands, Mark is usually up at 5:30 to work out before he leaves for the office, but I know that Terry can do some GOOD sleepin' when I'm not around to harass him early in the mornings, so I felt badly for waking him up. It actually took 3 separate calls for him to even hear the phone!!! He, as usual, was totally cheerful even though I woke him up, and was glad to be apprised of the situation. I did say I'll call back in an hour with an update, unless I'm on the plane, and, sure enough, with Lisa and I both praying for a quick resolution of this problem, we were called for boarding within the first hour. Fastening seat belts, we heard the announcement that this flight would take 10 1/2 hours.....so apparently we would take a more northern route from Munich to Charlotte. Sure enough, I got some great pictures of Iceland and Greenland (why is Iceland all green and Greenland all ice?)
Also watched 5 movies.....that oughta keep me for the next year! Sleep comes more easily when I'm watching TV or a movie, so although I got the gist of each story line, I did get in a few catnaps. And though I can miss meals at home without really thinking about it, for some reason, when I'm flying, I get absolutely ravenous! Lufthansa serves good food. I can skip their desserts, though....maybe it's just harder to do rich tasting airline desserts!
Although we arrived in Charlotte and got through immigration and customs well past the time for my next flight, USAir had protected me on the next flight out at 8:05. Called Terry, read for a while, then boarded the plane for the last leg of this long journey. Well, second-to-last, as we would still have over an hour's drive...I can usually keep going until all my responsibilities are discharged. But I was sure beginning to fade VERY quickly.....had a forehead slapping moment when I realized that I had packed the little makeup bag with the luggage key INSIDE the locked luggage! Was proud of myself for thinking that since it's a TSA approved lock, someone at the Atlanta airport should be able to help me unlock it!!! Wow, how brilliant that was for being up 24 hours straight! Terry and I have always wondered how such a large airport can be so inconvenient and have so many people who aren't very helpful.....like those of you who have traveled, we all have our "favorite" airports, or the ones that are just so efficient and well-planned out. I suppose because Atlanta's been so big for so long, and is so landlocked, that they can't do much to improve access, parking, add a cell phone lot, whatever. But it's not a "fun" airport to try to navigate. When I saw Terry's smiling face waiting for me, I knew I was HOME! I've lived a lot of places but for me, wherever Terry is, is my home, and we love being together so much.....we're always talking, always wanting to be together.....even at home, we usually end up in the same room just because. Believe me, I know how fortunate I am to have a husband who enjoys being with me and really listens when I talk. He also has never let me carry anything (goes under the category, "why I love traveling with my husband")
but I always feel so funny walking through airports carrying only my purse, while this wonderful man beside me has my violin, his trumpet bag, and both our carry-ons!!! I'm sure people think, "who does she think she is, the Queen?" What they don't know is that to my hubby, I am! He constantly treats me like a queen and I do tell him just about every day how much I appreciate that. Women all over tell me how rare it is to find a gentleman......I've been fortunate to live with 2 of them, my dad and Terry.....and the uncles and grampa in my family were also thoughtful, polite and mannerly. Anyway, I digress .....really???
Surprised ya, didn't I?
Ter walked all around the baggage area - in fact, both baggage areas, because everyone he spoke to - who was wearing a TSA uniform, sent him to another place, and several said someone would be able to CUT the lock off. Well, they're the ones who tell you to get TSA approved locks in case they need to get into your luggage! Communication, people!!!
He finally found just the right person to talk to who was able to open the lock (not cut it!) and we got on our way.....whew!
Hayley had told us just to stay overnight in Cumming instead of driving all the way home, so we took her up on it, making sure she knew we were getting in late so when we used our key to get in, she wouldn't be startled out of sleep and think it was intruders! .... great to live close enough to kids who actually want to see us often and invite us to "have sleepovers"!!! They are such good kids, and my Mother's Day card from them said, "love from your Georgia kids!" Meisha was in the car when I got in, and of course I took her into my lap and hugged her, telling her how much I had missed her.....she crawled back into the back seat, kinda like "yeah, right, you leave for 10 days and then think I'm gonna just be thrilled to see you?" She's like that. When we rescued her, we weren't sure just what had happened, but we do know she must have been horribly abused, so she finds it a little hard to re-connect - she withholds her love for a short time after we've been gone. By the time we got to Hayley's, though, Meisha crawled into the bed and kept nuzzling my neck for so long I thought I'd actually have to put her out of the room to get any sleep, but God graciously allowed me to drop off so quickly and sleep all the way through to 6:30 (WITHOUT my "better living through chemistry" help)......Meisha plastered against my body all night long! Got up and dressed so I could say hi to Hayley before she left for work, then Ter and I left for home, stopping by the Starbucks to celebrate. With all my writing about hanging out at Starbucks in Romania, you might think I was drinking all the time, but actually my usual order was water while we were over there. So this morning I REALLY savored that first sip .....and then to be greeted by Ron, our favorite person there......."Hi kids, haven't seen you in a while...." Well, it was just "over the top!" That's how ya want your employees to treat their customers....and that's also how Starbucks trains their employees as well, but the way Ron does it, you know he's just that kind of guy. Always reminds both Terry and me of our dads, who never knew any strangers, only friends they hadn't met yet. Ron greets all the clients with such friendliness, and will come over to chat as well, so you really feel welcomed at this particular store. I'm a people-watcher, if you hadn't guessed.....and love meeting new friends and learning about them and their families.
Before we knew it, we were winding our way back up the mountain, and the house looked so good I thought Terry had brought someone in to clean it. He's so helpful and conscientious.....he was quick to point out that all my plants survived......there was a lot of rain while I was gone, and that really made everything look so green and lush.......it's a beautiful view any way ya cut it.
Thank you so much most of all for your prayers....it's such a great feeling to know certain people who, when they say they'll pray for us, WILL do it - more than once. Terry and I always consider it such a privilege to be able to pray for people, and when we say we'll pray for you, we do, probably most days of our week. I've got a running list of people's names......every once in a while the list is not nearby and I usually pray "God bless what's his name?" like Julie Andrews in "Sound of Music". We feel the responsibility believers have to the other members of this big family, and we don't want to be the "breakdown" or the weakest link in the chain of prayers for other believers. I would never discount a single prayer because James 5:16 says the "prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." (MSG) I know firsthand what it feels like to be supported by many people praying for me, and I'm so grateful...... I want to provide that kind of support for my friends who trust me to pray regularly for them and their situations. We've probably all memorized the verse that says "pray without ceasing" (1 Thess, 5:17) because it's so short, and it's one of many verses that exhort us to pray for each other often...Paul says in Eph. 1:15 and 16 that after he heard of the faith of the Christians and their love for each other he often gave thanks for them, mentioning them in his prayers. Are we living so that others hear about our faith and our love for each other? Do we "cease not" to mention fellow believers in our prayers? I am so convinced that the reason I've had so many healthy days and safe miles in my life is a direct result of the faithful [daily] prayers of my grandparents, parents, and those of my friends who are diligent to pray on a very regular basis for me.
I'll be adding to this blog as I process the last 10 days.....as I pray for God to show me what's next.....as He reveals more and more of Himself to me......and also as I figure out how to get the pictures on my new MacBook Pro!!!!! I love it, but I still need more lessons on how to best use it.....disappointed in the fact that I couldn't publish pictures with each blog, but I'll keep you posted....maybe you'll just get 'em on facebook, but just stay tuned! Thanks again for following.

Our "Schedule".....

One thing I absolutely LOVE about being in most of the 30-something foreign countries I've visited is that no one seems to be in a hurry. Oh yes, the Italians drive and talk faster than most everyone else I've encountered, but even so, every time I (and whomever else....) get picked up to go somewhere, there are still the little niceties....whether it's Beni or Carla, or some of my other friends in other places (Drew in Brazil, Elke and Jean in France), they always take several minutes to greet the person at whose place we are staying....whether or not they know them personally, there is time for conversation about the person and his or her family. In America, it's always "hurry up, we've got to be at ----- by 2 o'clock!" It used to bother me that whenever I was overseas somewhere, no one was EVER on time. (funny that Vio just came into the guest house to tell us that Beni called and said instead of noon, he'd pick us up at 1pm.....perfect "timing") Eventually, the realization came to me that the reason for the tardiness is that everyone other than most Americans I know is way more interested in having a relationship than in keeping a tight schedule. Of course I understand the need for schedules.....airlines (really?) trains, meetings, dr. appts., etc., but on the other hand, maybe we need to take a little lesson from the others instead of assuming that we're superior because we've got more spaces on our calendars (ahem...I mean i-phones) filled in. Over-scheduling is......maybe not the ultimate goal. Many people have said it - so I'm not sure the original source - but the quote is: "show me your calendar and I'll show you your priorities."
Whoa.....she's done quit preachin' and gone to meddlin'......
It seems that several of the days' conversations have all wound their way back to wisdom.......maybe God's trying to teach us all something.....Lisa and me from US, and Beni, Eugenia and Carla......well, we're listening. One of the days Alex (Carla's 17-year old son) was in on the "wisdom" conversation, and he interjected....."it's easy to be wise....just think of something stupid and then don't say it!" So, I guess that about wraps it up.
Alex accompanies Beni on many of his out of town trips to preach.....it's great one-on-one time for a kid who has been raised by a single mother, and Beni enjoys pouring his wisdom into the "son" that he has taken under his wing. Alex is a great photographer too, so any photos you might see on facebook just might be some taken by him. They were in a church one Sunday and the pastor of the church asked Beni to ask Alex if he might have a message (for the church). Alex pulled out his cell phone and began to scroll down...........true story.
Yesterday the church picnic was quite fun. It's so wonderful to see brothers and sisters who truly care for each other.....it was so evident in their play, their conversations, their hugs and smiles.....and I've heard many stories from people about how loving and caring someone else has been at a difficult time in their lives. Loved talking with Mary Dugulescu, widow of Peter.....and hearing how so many people in the church have continued to invite her over for dinner every Thursday night for the last 3 years since her husband died (on a Thursday night). Do I take that much time to care for someone else? I will remember that and try not to worry so much about my own inconvenience, but about the other person.
There was great grilled chicken, sausages that were rolled by hand just prior to placing on the grill, and wonderful potato wedges with the ever-present garlic sauce.....sour cream and LOTS of freshly grated garlic. Yummy, but POTENT. They began with a wonderful time of praise music, everyone young and old, singing their love for God......the pastor prayed and then a race to be first in line for the food! The teenaged boys were so polite and offered to have me go in front of them. Fortunately the rain held off but it stayed somewhat overcast so therefore it didn't get too hot. Surrounding the open area where most of the "action" was, were about 20 tiny wooden A-frame cottages, just large enough for 2 cots with walking space in between them. A miniature "porch" with 2 steps led out into the grassy area.....they had set up a sound system on one of these porches, and played many of our American contemporary Christian CDS, some Romanian CDS, and there were football (soccer?) games, kickball, badminton, volleyball.....one of the teenagers "called" the games from there. The pastor asked me to play several songs on the violin, so I set up right there by the sound system. My music was laid on the porch railing....had 2 clothespins just lying on the music to "secure" it from a light breeze, and someone held up the microphone for me to play into! At one point, a soccer ball came careening up and hit my ankle! What a funny place to play a violin, but I've always promised God that I'll do whatever He wants me to do, wherever......and this definitely fits into the "wherever" category.
Later on in the afternoon, people wandered back for more food......the pastor called for small groups to pray together, we had another short musical worship time and then the need for that "all-church" photo. Since my camera seemed to be the best quality (thanks, Mandy) they used it.......LOTS of laughter as everyone tried to pose, then squeeze together, babies crying and the pastor's daughter/amateur photographer pointing at someone to turn around, scooch down (there's no Romanian translation for that, by the way) or make a better smile! After a corporate prayer, we all cleaned up and began to pile into cars (or for most of the church members, the bus) for home. Good timing! I'm positive the mosquitoes GREW from the time we arrived till the time we left......they may even be bigger than the ones we designated as our national bird in Wisconsin! Just as we got into the car, a few raindrops began to fall.....off and on till we arrived at the guest house, where we literally got inside and the sky opened up.....thunder and lightning.......pouring rain most of the night, but it was nice and cool for sleeping. We really had fun at the church picnic....been a while since I've attended one of those!
Time to pack......in one way I can hardly believe our time here is over....yet in another way it feels as if we've been gone just about forever! I really miss my hubby!!!

just for "free"

PRAYER REQUEST: First of all, praise for the good night's sleep for both Lisa and me! Today we're going to a church picnic and I've been asked to "bring your violin"....there's a first for everything, and I believe this will be the very first time a violin will have been played at a picnic (at least for me!)

Nothing has happened yet, except I'm up and drinking my coffee.....reading the Bible reading and devotional for today. It looks to be less "wet" than yesterday.....several rain showers throughout our Friday. The whole 'structure' of this mission trip has been different than what I'm used to experiencing, and I know this is God just telling me to wait on Him, relax in Him.....in essence, "Free Fall" into His arms. Not to confuse this with plain ole' chilling. I'm realizing there is a gap between the last 2 sentences. Maybe wisdom would be to know and live the difference.
Many of us know how to relax (some of us perhaps TOO much!). Many others of us feel that "relaxing" is a waste of time. I lived a life for 24 years where both the circumstances and the people I lived with were not conducive to enjoying some "down" time. There were 18 children to raise.....along with the prevailing notion that in our family, one should always be striving to improve oneself either mentally or physically and therefore, just reading a novel, listening to music, or even daydreaming were stupid activities. We had to keep our 18 kids busy and fill up every second of their day.....if they're too tired to get into trouble that's good, of course, but it can also produce adults who don't even know how to take some time off. Even God rested after creating the whole world! He created our minds and bodies to need regular times of rest and relaxation. Having been raised in a family where the relationships were far more important than the careers, where music was not only enjoyed, but used as a ministry tool (my mom was the church organist for 38 years, my sister played flute and I violin...and we all sang together), and dad used to love planning our summer vacations.....after returning home, he taught us to savor the memories.....I am much more prone to want to enjoy every moment, whether or not it is a scheduled, life-improving activity!
But I believe that "Be still and know that I am God" (Ps. 46:10) is way different than crashed out on the sofa in front of the TV for hours at a time. To me, it almost implies a deliberate and even active, focus on who God is....choosing to crawl up into His lap and lean back close to His heart. Many of us DO daily devotions.....read the passage, give a little nod to our Lord....."hey, good morning, nice to see you again, gotta go network!" and check that off our to-do list. We show up at church, drop a check in the offering, and pat ourselves on the back because "enough" people saw us at church....maybe even on their TVs because we "just happened" to be sitting in the area where the cameras pan the congregation. We pride ourselves on knowing the worship songs, maybe raising our hands at the proper places (usually the chorus, right?) and even underline some verses in our Bibles.
Don't get me wrong, I love to underline favorite verses, so I can go back and meditate on them again......but what I want more than than a Bible that's marked up, is to have a life that has the definite mark of my Lord in whatever I do. I am extremely blessed to have hopped off a folding chair as a 5-year old girl at a tent meeting....to "go forward" and ask Jesus to come into my heart. George Sweeting will always be special to me, because it was he, as a young traveling evangelist/chalk artist, who drew a picture of Jesus walking on the water and gave the invitation that was earmarked for me.
Yet, I know that I had nothing to do with it. God placed that desire in my heart in the first place, and all I can do is continually thank Him for drawing me to Him so early in my life. Parents and grandparents who were very committed, quite fundamental believers, gave me a wonderful foundation and heritage, and though I had Eph. 6:1 read to me more often than I want to admit, I will always be grateful that they cared enough about me to drill obedience and respect into my life.
Maybe it's a sign of getting old that it seems American teens and twenty-somethings today are becoming much less caring of their parents. Or maybe it's just a sign that that's exactly what's happening! After all, family is where you live....parents were given an assignment by God, and one can't just discard a parent if they say something one doesn't want to hear. When I think of how much I love my own children, yep, all 18 of 'em, (20 if you count my two wonderful step-daughters) it's just a teeny fraction compared to how much my Father loves me!
I've been trying to read a Proverb a day.....and I'm hoping to keep this up for the rest of my life. (interesting how there are 31 of them....) and I think, "ok, now I'm old enough".... but I continue to need more wisdom. I love Chris Tiegreen's devotionals (Walk thru the Bible, Atlanta, GA)....and to quote from May 4, "wisdom isn't flashy, rarely impresses, and never demands. Folly is brash, showy, and frequently pushy."
Which one am I? Do I expend energy trying to impress everyone? Do I need designer everything and the latest gadget to show how important I am? Is more of my time spent on my outward appearance than on my inner attitude and character? Do I continue to honor my parents' training and heritage, though they're Home now? Every time I go through the Bible.....Proverbs especially, I'm amazed at how many verses equate wisdom with honoring one's parent. Apparently God really places a high value on obeying that commandment of honoring our parents, and I still reflect on what a rich life my parents passed on to me. No, we didn't have a lot of money....I remember a day when I was outside the kitchen window playing, and I heard my dad say to my mom we only had $500 in the bank, and the company where he was working was closing down, laying off all employees. My recollection is that no matter what, we were in God's hands and so even my earliest memories were of total dependence on Him. We always had a roof over our heads, food to eat, and family to love, and that was enough. New clothes came, usually at Christmas. New shoes, at Easter. Otherwise, my mom sewed all my sister's and my dresses. I never felt poor, and though my sister and cousins and I were the first generation to go to college, my parents and grandparents were wiser than most other people I knew.......the older I got, the smarter they got! (how DOES that happen?) All I knew was that God said if I wanted things to "go well with me", and "live long" that I needed to obey and honor them, and that was a very wise thing to do. This seems to be a generation when many children think they have the RIGHT to "cut parents off" from their lives, and it scares me that they don't understand there will be consequences.....maybe not right away, but ultimately we all have to stand before God and answer His questions. Not that we are to be legalistic and Pharisaical, but I've always been taught that a sign of my love for my parents and for God is my wanting to obey His commandments. Is this wisdom? I hope so.....I can tend to ramble (ya think?), but maybe the older I get, the more okay with that I am. I know I want to be blessed, and there's a verse that tells us, "yea, rather blessed are they that hear the word of God and do it..." Ok, I want the blessing....guess that means I need to not only read, underline, carry the biggest Bible I own to church, but actually prove my love for God by obeying His word.....maybe that is a good start on growing in wisdom.....Prov. 1:7 says the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction." Lord give me more wisdom......(and just maybe, a little nice weather for the church picnic today! :-)

Time to Party!!!

PRAYER REQUEST: Good sleep for both of us.....the last couple of nights, I've slept fairly well, but now Lisa is not, so restful sleep and continued good health. Also, if you would pray for us to truly be a blessing to those we encounter. The Eclesia church is in great need of some encouragement, and we'll be at their church picnic tomorrow (Saturday).

"Don't ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who come alive." I know that I come alive when I'm on a mission trip. God has put it in my heart to love meeting new people, finding out about their culture and life, and their needs. Today was another chillin' day....though I was up early, I just had some coffee and my devotions while Lisa got some extra sleep which she needed. Breakfast was again a huge buffet and as usual, very tasty! Mihaela also washed some of our clothes for us.....she is such a delightful person and is quick to serve wherever she can. Mid-morning someone rang the gate bell, and Miha brought someone into the guest house.....it was Felix! I was so hoping to see him because when we were here in June, we met Felix and the other 4 of his brass quintet...in fact, they wanted Terry to play with them when we visited their church.....got to chatting, and the next thing we know, there's an email from Felix asking Terry to arrange some music for a CD the quintet is going to record! They were so grateful when both Terry and his copyist told them there would be no charge, and they've begun practicing.....when Ter asked them what style they wanted, they told him just to do different styles.....and they absolutely love what he's done. (well after all, he's MY favorite arranger!) Felix presented me with a gift for Terry for all his work, but of course, I cannot tell you what it is because I'm keeping it a surprise so Terry can see it first!
Shortly after Felix left, Beni walked in....he's back from Ploiesti and would take us to the Law School where he, Eugenia and Carla all study. Terry and I had been there in June, but we didn't get to see all the classrooms because of exams, so this time I got to see that part of it as well. Beni is so proud that WorldTeach has several of their published books being sold in the bookstore at the Law School! We usually stop in the snack shop before we leave, and the owner Cyrus showed Beni something new! Dr. Pepper! Beni was so excited and bought 4 of them because his family all love Dr. Pepper. Cyrus is the very first and only distributor of Dr. Pepper in all of Timisoara....he's very proud of that. During the next 5 phone calls Beni received, we picked up the words "Dr. Pepper" in every one of those conversations!
From the Law School we went to see the ministry "Jesus, Hope of Romania" and Onesimus House, run by Ligia Dugulescu, another place that I had seen in June with Terry. However, each time a person visits and hears the story, more of it sticks....at least in my case, so I was very happy to take the tour again, seeing some of the same boys Ter and I had met previously. Peter Dugulescu, Ligia's father, was the very 1st evangelical in the Romanian Parliament, and is thought of as the Romanian Billy Graham. During communism, abortion was illegal, and the women couldn't afford to keep their babies, so they took them to orphanages, because - think I mentioned this before - Ceaucescu was paying families a monthly stipend to keep their children in the orphanages....his plan was to indoctrinate the children and train them to become his army. So Peter Dugulescu started several different works that his family continues to administrate after his death. 3 of his children, Ligia, Marius and Eunice all live here in Timisoara.....his 4th daughter Christina lives in No. Carolina. We spent about an hour in Ligia's office where she reiterated much of her father's story for us, and read us some of his poems....translated, of course. Even in English it is such beautiful poetry. Marius - Ligia's younger brother, is the member of Parliament who ran the entire Committee Launch on Tuesday, and Eunice was the one who was in charge of inviting me and the speakers. Just an aside, 3 days later, Marius is still being attacked by the press (surprise, surprise!!!) and I'm sure you'll never guess which issue is the most explosive.....could it be unborn children? Yup, one lady in the press is just beating THIS particular dead horse over and over again, but there are many people emailing and asking her to write about some of the other issues.....she, however, refuses to give them "equal time" in her column.....one man said if she wouldn't publish his email, he'd plaster her pictures all over every porn site he could find! "In this world you shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world" (John 16:33) ...... can't say we didn't expect this. But I'm always encouraged by the fact, that, in the end, WE WIN!
Also at Onesimus House there is a shop that Ligia runs to make money for the ministry......yes, we did shop till we
dropped..... several lei for a couple of items each!
It seems that every morning we eat a big breakfast and then starve until 3pm when we finally stop to eat something.....today was not an exception.....after Onesimus house we drove over to our favorite hangout......Iulius Mall, went to the Food Court, and had some gulash. That has to be one of my favorites.....of course it's a Hungarian dish, but many places, especially in this western part of Romania, serve it and it's delicious! That "saved the day" for us.....at least me! (I learned early on to bring a little snack bag of sunflower seeds or almonds. Then, lo and behold, we went back down to Starbucks. I'm not kidding....I really think Alex is a part owner of the place......one thought Lisa and I had is that rather than sitting in one's tiny apartment for hours, it may be more pleasant to hang out at Starbucks! This is the newest and most recent store to open, and Alex was the first person to apply for a job, but he's only 17......he has the manual practically memorized and knows everyone on the staff. He only has to wait till December till he turns 18, and then I'm sure he'll be working there. Today Ioana gave us a tasting of their newest coffee....Sumatra Siborong-Borong..... instructing us on the proper way to first cup your hand over the coffee and breathe deeply......"what do you smell?" Then of course the slurping sip....and finally she gave us each some rocky road cake and had us take a sip, take a bite, take a sip........ well, you can figure out the rest! She was so cute....you could tell she loved doing this, and she has been friends with Alex for a long time.....last night we dropped her off after work. She's a newlywed and hopes to move to Canada with her husband. Anyway, we (whenever I say "we" I'm usually talking about Beni, Eugenia, Carla, Lisa and me......most often Alex, and sometimes Christiana, but today she was tired after tennis so just stopped by to say hi and then go home) stayed for quite a while.....just talking.....till time to PARTY!
The pastor of one of the local churches was giving a birthday party for his friends and we were invited.....the Dugulescu sisters were there, as well as Theresa.....and this time I met Ligia's mother Mary.....ended up sitting next to her at dinner and we had a great conversation. She speaks excellent English and after her husband Peter Dugulescu died, the 2 sisters and their families moved in with her. What a lucky mom! For dinner we had french fries and 4 kinds of meat.....well, chicken breast and chicken wings, pork, and sausage meatballs.....great grillin'....... 2, count 'em 2 kinds of cake, and yes, I had one of each!!!!!...and then the music began! At first it was Shania Twain, Patrick Swayze (Dirty Dancing), Abba, people dancing......then some typical Romanian music - some of them formed a "conga line" and began to dance the hora........(yes, the same as in Greece). Suddenly Ligia's younger daughter Jaclyn ran over and grabbed Lisa and me by the hand.....I think we laughed more than we danced, but we had a ball. Ligia's adopted daughter Georgi, who is 21 now, broke out of the line and turned on the video in her cell phone! She then told Lisa, Theresa and me that we'd each have to pay her $1000 or she'd put us on youtube! Of course she'd donate all the money to her mom's ministry, but still!
In America we call that blackmail! But she WOULD be the cutest blackmailer ever. Yesterday and today, both Lisa and I were feeling a bit of disappointment that we haven't been visiting more ministries.....we've been mostly having "down time". Yet, tonight, at the pastor's birthday party, both of us came to the separate conclusion that what God wants us to do in these last few days is connect with people, not just communicate. Many Americans seem to be of the mindset that if it's not big, impressive, or shiny that it really isn't worth doing. Tonight chatting with different people at the party, it was a good feeling thinking that I could bless them just by listening. Even Christians are too busy networking and trying to impress everyone with their latest book, CD, or corporate project......while people, many of them friends or family, are hurting inside, lonely, and just want to feel loved and cared about. Someone once told me that to be a great conversationalist, keep the other person talking about themselves instead of talking about yourself. May I ever remember that it's far more important to care about people than to puff myself up telling them about my latest achievement. Don't think Jesus went around saying, "hi, I'm Jesus and I'm a carpenter, what do you do?" ........ just sayin'......
Darkness set in, the air got cooler, trash was put in bags, tables folded up and stored, music off, and people beginning to leave. On our way home, Beni received a call, then hung up and told us that the church we were to go to on Sunday night had called apologetically saying that 2 different people had invited 2 different pastors to preach, so in effect, Beni was "un-invited". I don't believe there are any coincidences with God, and just today Ligia had practically begged us to come to Eclesia....her church, because they are in great need of encouragement. So, guess where we'll be Sunday night??? God knew before we did! A GOOD day was had by all.....at least, by me for sure. I'm still writing notes about what I want to do when I come back with my teams, but I'm trusting that God is going to give me the wisdom to plan just the right balance of ministry - "go-go-go" periods with time simply to connect with people's hearts. I do so love the Romanian people.
Time to call Terry.......good night my friends and family, and as always, thank you for your prayers. they have made a real difference in my life and in the lives of my new (and old) Romanian friends.

Movie night

PRAYER REQUEST: My plantar fasciitis is really bothering me....all the walking yesterday exacerbated the condition and even after a good night's rest wearing "the boot" there's still quite a bit of pain.....I don't want to drag the others down with my slowness!
Also, we'll probably visit an orphanage today......I'm still asking God for His wisdom as to the people and places we're visiting and how best to serve them in the future.

About midday yesterday Eugenia walked into the guest house and asked if we were ready to go.....sure, we're always ready. We walked out and down the block, and then she said we'd have to walk about 500 metres. So, with my heel spur/plantar fasciitis, I'm thinkin' I should have prepared for this possibility and worn my Skechers! Drat! I'm just not a mind reader.....wish I was, but I'm just a mother with eyes in the back of her head.....at least that's what my kids used to think :-)
Well, it must have been more like a mile or so that we trekked....and let's all remember that.... as bad as the streets are??? Well, the sidewalks are probably worse than that. It's one thing to hike a mile on even terrain, but I've hiked in the mountains on paths that were smoother than some of these "sidewalks" (and of course I'm using that term very loosely). We finally made it to a main road where we caught a taxi to Carla's apartment for lunch. Her 17-year old son Alex was already home from school, and also her mom Geta was there as well. They had made a Moldovan soup recipe.....with veggies and a very tasty broth.....very good! For the main course, we had polenta with sausages.....you top it with grated sheep's cheese.....with all the good food, it's really difficult to stop at just one helping! Lisa asked Alex to style her hair (he is a licensed stylist) and while Geta and Carla cleaned up, Eugenia and I just relaxed in the living/dining area. Eugenia was pretty spent after her exam in the morning.....she was disappointed in her grade because she missed one question! She can have the opportunity to take it again, and since she has had the Romanian equivalent of straight A's, she wants the chance to make 100% on this exam. Oh that I had been so conscientious when I was a student! (or maybe my kids???)
Lisa came back out to oohs and aahs, and Eugenia then asked Alex if he could just cut her bangs. He's terrified of cutting because he's only just gotten his stylist license.....but he did a great job. Another thing Alex loves to do is make pizza and also crepes. I'm glad he didn't make pizza for dessert, but the crepes were filled with Nutella, apricot jam, or strawberry jam, and topped with cherry ice cream! I'm afraid I'll just have to be rolled off the plane when I finally return home! I, of course, have every good intention of not eating too much when I'm here, and then when it is brought out and placed in front of me, it looks so great, smells so wonderful, and tastes so amazing, that all my will-power flies right out the window! Oh well, I'll eat, drink, and be merry, for when I get home, I'll diet!
It's hard for me to sit still......don't get me wrong, when it's time to chill, I'm at the head of the line and I can relax to the MAX! But when I'm on a mission trip, thousands of miles away from home, I'm always ready for anything.....I don't want to miss a thing or place or person that God has for me to meet, so when there doesn't seem to be a plan, it's a little frustrating to me. Don't tell anyone, I'm just admitting this to you....it's one of my [many] shortcomings. If there's one more orphanage to visit, or church, or ministry, I want to be there! Guess this is what it means to really be passionate about something.....so thank you Lord that you've given me this passion......all this to say that yesterday morning and afternoon was more difficult for me than if we'd been on the go since 6am! I'm just like that.....Terry always tells people that I wake up in the morning saying, "...so anyway..."
Sitting around yesterday actually made me tired, so when Carla got a phone call and said, "we're going to the movie tonight," I thought, "oh great, I can sleep!" We were going to meet up with the Dugulescu family....Ligia and her 2 adopted daughters, her sister Eunice with her husband Christian, one of Ligia's boys from Onesimus House, and Theresa, Ligia's friend (and my new friend) from Salt Lake City, who is head of the European commission on human rights and dignity.....she also spoke to the Romanian Parliament. Met everyone at Starbucks.....sat around and talked till the movie time, and then I found out we were going to see Clash of the Titans. I was not that excited, but this was at least a plan, so I got my ticket and picked up my 3-D glasses. Actually, I got into the film.....thoroughly enjoyed the music (well, duh) so when it was all over, I realized I was glad we'd gone to see it! I love Perseus' line.....he says it once at the beginning and once at the end, and I've said something similar to Terry for many years now, "I've got everything I need right here!"
Movie over, glasses handed back in, we headed back downstairs to Starbucks.....well, down the escalators from the top floor until we stepped on one that wasn't working. Thought we were gonna be stuck at the top of that one all night! (ok, Terry, just laugh this once and I'll never say that again!) The "garage" door was halfway down at S'bucks, but in we walked anyway. I'm sure that Alex is part owner of this one :-) because we just walked in, sat down, several people got more drinks.....and sat and talked while chairs were being put up around us, floor being mopped, the "garage" door was lowered all the way.....till quite a bit past closing time!
Alex has every Starbucks mug available, so I was really excited that the one I brought him was one that is not available here.
We literally closed the place down and all parted to go to our respective "homes". A different day, but a good one, for sure.

Takin' a breather

Last night upon our arrival here at the Peter Dugulescu Guest house, we were served pizza.....no matter that it was 10pm and we just wanted beds, "you must please take two!" I think that was part of my problem trying to fall asleep.....did get to call Terry and talk for quite a while.....he mentioned that my sister Debbie had called him just to check on him! What a sweet sis to do such a thoughtful thing. I've been worried about him, because his idea of a balanced meal is a spoon full of peanut butter in each hand!
Thanks, Deb for doing that! As I've been opening one card a day.....how obedient is that? yesterday's card had a picture of a TV dinner on the front! I KNOW he's not eating that well! He DID tell me that all my plants are thriving.....Meisha (our "baby" - mini schnauzer) just changes the wall she stares at each day! Guess I'm thankful for the creativity she's displaying while I'm away!
If I haven't mentioned this before....next time you go on a tour, or just a long walk at home, make sure you're wearing Skechers "Shape-Ups" They are the best thing ever! Like walking on a cloud......
Woke up around 8am after finally falling asleep who knows when??? We had our own coffee maker so got that going really quickly. I have to say that my MAX has kept me healthy and very energized. Beni and Eugenia were so excited when I handed them 5 months' worth of MAX! Beni said he used to need 5-6 cups of coffee a day and now with MAX he just needs his first cup of the morning! Great stuff.....
When we walked into the kitchen and dining room area, there was a huge buffet table awaiting us! 2 chicks like us just cannot eat all this food we're being offered.....6 fried eggs, a "mess-o'bacon", 8 slices of toast, several quartered tomatoes, half a cucumber sliced up, 2 different kinds of cheeses.....THICKLY sliced......2 kinds of cold cereal, and the ever-present dozen or so of black olives! We're just gonna have to tell Ligia to tell Mihaela (the cook) to cut that down by about 9/10ths! Of course it's all delicious, but really! My slacks were actually beginning to feel looser on me. (or was it the larger size I had to buy? I can't recall) Of course there was also cream cheese, butter, 5 kinds of jelly/jam, and NUTELLA! Ok, that's my "secret sin". I can tell this is gonna be a test and I'm prepared to fail miserably. My idea of a balanced meal is a spoon full of Nutella in each hand!
When they told us last night that they were going to let us have some "down time" this morning, we thought we'd enjoy it, but now we're fed, showered and dressed, and ready to hit the road again. Ok, not literally.....these roads are WAY too bumpy! But we do want to get out and discover what God has for us today. Oops, maybe it's that everyone else needs downtime from Lisa and me. That couldn't be it, could it??? (don't answer that)
Well, whatever God has....Lisa and I are ready. We have so enjoyed getting to know each other, and even though there's an age gap (nope, even torture won't get me to tell you how many years!) we have discovered so many similarities of our growing up years, such as godly Moms who taught us piano (and lots of other practicalities of life), dads who took LOTS of pictures....she's the very first person I know who just may have more slides from her dad than I have from mine -we'll have to count to be sure - and also dads who knew how to use every tool in the toolbox.....AND hubbies who are not terribly handy! Well, I can't say that exactly, because Terry DOES know how to change the guts of the toilet.
Just when you thought this was going to be a clean blog!
We have also had some wonderful fellowship....oops, sorry, for the Christian-ese - I just mean some good old conversation about the Lord we both love and serve. She's got 2 sons who are growing up to be godly men, and both she and I know she is very blessed. We've talked a lot about our parenting, and it's amazing how alike we are in our parenting ideas, according to how we were raised. Prov. 15:20 says "A wise son makes a father glad, but a foolish man despises his mother." My 11 sons probably have no idea how much I pray that for them....along with so many other verses as well. (my 7 daughters and 2 stepdaughters too, of course!) We as parents want our kids to be so blessed of the Lord, and it all starts with obedience to His word.....all parts of it, not just the parts they want to, or the parts that other people see. That's only for show. We all had to learn this (me, the hard way), and Lisa gave me a great translation of Eph. 6:1-3. "Children obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother - which is the first commandment with promise - that it may be well with you and you will live long on the earth." She says that means, "if you guys obey, we won't kill you....that's how you'll live longer!" (I think she was kidding.....but it does give more understanding about the fact that lions sometimes eat their young! Maybe the cubs just didn't obey!)
So, as you can see, 2 moms together on an extended trip only beget more parenting ideas than just one can think of! Thank you Lord for putting us together for this time.....I'm learning an awful lot from Lisa.....she's definitely a wise woman....and I'm so blessed to now call her my friend. Ok, we're going to take a little walk around this compound and see what else there is to see.....we're locked in by a gate (or maybe it's just that everyone else is locked out!) so we can't go far or get lost. It's another beautiful day....a bit more breezy, but definitely sunny after the rain last night. I sure pray that all our Nashville "family" are experiencing some drier weather!!!!! I've been looking at some of the photos.....y'all are definitely in our prayers!

Bucharest is just a memory

PRAYER REQUEST: That Lisa and I can continue to bless those we come in contact with....we have no idea who that will be, or where we'll go for the next 5 days, but we'll definitely keep you posted. Also, that I can learn as much as possible about other needy ministries I can connect with people in the states who have asked me how they can help.
Please also pray for Eugenia...she had very little time to study in the last several days, and this is an important law exam tomorrow morning at 9am. (remember we're 7 hours ahead here)

Thinking I would just crash last night when we returned to the university, I walked in quietly...we're all on the same hall with small rooms, a desk and non-working TV, non-working fridge, and private bathrooms, but all the lights were on, and voices were laughing next door to Carla's and my room. We knocked on the door and Puiu opened it....invited us in. Brian and Lisa were already there and soon we were joined by Beni and Eugenia. Brian regaled us with some great Welsh jokes and then Puiu asked me if I had slept well the previous night. When I responded in the negative, Beni said something to him, and he went out to his car....came in a few minutes later with a plastic bottle of his homemade plum brandy! He also had glasses for everyone, who toasted each other with "cheers, noroc, salud" and a Welsh one I can't remember. It was a great de-briefing to a very stressful day for everyone. John peeked his head in but said they would join us but Mary had a splitting headache, so they were going to bed. When our "party" broke up, I did crash.....and slept great! (thanks to Puiu's plum brandy, I'm sure!)
This morning we all met for breakfast one more time before we all went our separate ways. We had called a taxi for the Isch's trip to the airport, so we waited till they got picked up. Since Carla's car couldn't fit all 4 of us gals' suitcases, Puiu and Dorina took one of the bags and we planned to meet up at a restaurant along the way.
The drive is always so beautiful because we're going along the Olt river and through the Carpathian mountains.....just gorgeous scenery, and we also saw snow on some of the taller peaks! I hung my head out the window with my camera for much of the drive....yes, I did wrap the camera strap around my wrist! Driving through Sibiu is always very nostalgic for me as that's where I got my daughter Gabi from.....#10 Hegel Street, to be exact. Sibiu is a beautiful city in Transylvania and I have wonderful memories of staying in a hotel right on the square and listening to the church bells.
Just at the place where the road split - one way to Arad and the other to Timisoara, we met up with Puiu, Dorina and Brian, and had a light supper. I love gulash so that was my meal.....it was spicy but excellent!
We had planned to take extra bag back into our car, but as we still had 4 hours left and not an extra inch of space, Puiu said they'd just bring it sometime later in the week. So, the final, final goodbyes were said and we set off once again. This part of the drive was a bit more ordinary......when I caught myself looking at the clock 8 times between 8pm and 9pm, I knew I was pretty much DONE! However, we still had more miles to drive, so Lisa and I began talking about all the silly games we used to play with our kids in the car......so we finally arrived in Timisoara at 9:45. It didn't take 12 hours like they said, it was only 11 hours and 45 minutes!!!!! Most of the way it's just a 2-lane road.....much like a rural road with lots of potholes! Speed limits are non-existent, passing lanes are whenever you want to, curves and hills are no exception!.... and everyone is quite polite anyway!
Dropped Eugenia off at home and promised to pray for her exam Thursday at 9am, then came on to Ligia's guest house. Terry and I met Ligia last June on our trip, and it was her father, Peter Dugulescu, who prayed in the square at Timisoara when the Revolution began.....of course there was a slaughter in the square including many children, but when Peter started to pray, the people began shouting, "there IS a God! there IS a God!" Ligia runs a wonderful ministry that her father started, "Jesus, the Hope of Romania" which has several "branches"....there is Onesimus House, where we visited on our trip....Bethany House which houses elderly and some disabled girls, and now she also has a brand new guest house where Lisa and I are staying. We each have our own room.....mine has a lovely 4-poster bed! There's a big-screen TV...I'm watching CSI now, IN ENGLISH! Phones in the rooms, coffee maker, computer and fax machine........nice courtyard where Georgi served us pizza at the picnic table under the gazebo, and a separate kitchen and dining room where we'll have our meals. This is WAY more than we ever expected and much better than the hotel we expected to be taken to. Thank you Lord....we are comfortable, and all our US phone calls are free! Yea! I thought there wouldn't be much to write about since all we did was drive today, but then God blessed us with this really fabulous place to stay! It was also wonderful to see Georgiana....we had met her also last June and she is such a loving and sweet 21-year old girl.....very quick to smile and serve. When she saw me, she got excited, ran to me for a hug and the traditional kiss on each cheek, and said "Hi Jill!" We had a great time catching up.....she's graduating high school this year.
I can tell I'm flatlining and need to stop writing so I don't say anything too inane. So, thanks again for praying for yesterday.
I'm sure more will come as I mull over what several of the people said. One comment is that though OUR "work" is finished, the Human Rights Committee's work is only just beginning....and one thing we'll all have to continue to pray for is that they stand firm on the issues. Already before our meeting was even over yesterday Marius Dugulescu had a press conference, and they were trying to put words in his mouth. (surprise, surprise! Do reporters REALLY do THAT???) With the rights for unborn children as an issue, some of the press were trying to say if Romania is anti-abortion, they may as well just return to communism! This will be a long hard uphill climb for these dear people and we need to keep them in our prayers for many years to come.
Goodnight my family and friends....thanks again for reading and praying.

The "afterglow"

Well, we have all changed out of our Sunday-go-to-meetin' clothes, back into jeans, contacts out, and as you can tell, I must be at S'bucks if I'm sending this. What a day this has been! Seems like few of us slept soundly....except for Dr. John and Mary.
Breakfast was a bit more subdued than yesterday, probably because most of us were feeling the solemnity of what we were about to witness. Beni, Dr. John and Mary all left early to take the tour of the Palace. The rest of us had already done so on previous trips, so we stayed back to get ready at a more leisurely pace. I did some more "practicing"....just listening to the hymns and reading over my music. Eugenia, Lisa, Carla and I left together around 11-ish....and proceeded to circle the Palace about 3 times before we found the proper parking gate! Just as we got parked, Beni, John and Mary emerged from their tour, and we also met up with Brian, Puiu and Doina.....all walking into the entrance together, surrendering our passports and bags to be searched.
We arrived in plenty of time to sit around, but as we all agreed, better to sit around than to rush in at the last minute.
Conversation still came easily for most of us. Puiu and Doina are dear people who don't talk much...with the grief they have just endured, losing their young son just about a year after his wedding, it's no wonder they are quiet. Brian is a fascinating Welshman and I have enjoyed talking with him because we've visited many of the same places. Lisa has spent many practice periods cutting and working on her speech....Eugenia is always just sweet and quiet, and Carla runs us all! (well, someone has to). Of course we also harass her about it.
Finally we are motioned to go into the room with the huge round table and I think I counted about 66 of us sitting at the table, as well as some guests in chairs in the corner. There are booths for the translators, headphones and microphones at everyone's place. As with any trip to a foreign country, we think we need to be flexible but as one person put it, "flexible is too rigid! You must be fluid!" If I get any more fluid, I'm going to just slip away down the drain one day! I was supposed to do a 30-minute concert before the meeting, but, after all, we ARE in Romania. Does anything begin on time? I submit that it does not! At least, this meeting didn't. So, along with Eunice's computer somehow freezing up, we only had time for one song before we started. As I always pray for God to choose the songs and in what order, somehow "What a Friend we Have in Jesus" found its way onto the stand. I use that term loosely because I have no idea what the contraption was on which I clothespinned the music! But my violin case had to be set on the bottom of this thing just to keep it from falling over! This hymn was my mom's favorite, and it just seemed the right way to begin. Later on, Mary and John Isch both said that was a "God thing" because at the last minute, Mary had been asked to read a letter from a New Jersey Senator who couldn't be here, and she was just panicked....she does not do foreign languages, and there were so many Romanian names in this letter, she was certain she'd never get through it. She said my song reminded her to just "take it to the Lord in prayer". So, thank You Lord that You chose that hymn!
There were so many people who spoke, and most of them far exceeded their original 10-minute limit......at one point Marius Dugulescu, the moderator, asked everyone to cut down to 5 minutes. Well, that really worked! NOT. So we went about an hour past our 3pm coffee break. Beni felt badly that the opening didn't go so well, computer-wise so he told me I should just play at the beginning of the next part - we would just look for another computer. Leo saved the day for us, and both Beni and I have promised to pray 3 times a day for a wife for him....so he let us use his computer!!! This time, before we began the second half, I played "It is Well with my Soul", "Amazing Grace", and "How Great Thou Art"....they're each fairly long, so it was over 15 minutes of music, which everyone seemed to enjoy....in fact, I had several people just standing around me taking pictures, moving to another side for another one.....calling home on their cell phones so a wife or husband could listen!
Carla said there was very loud applause when I finished. I'm not even sure I heard it. I was so relieved that the computer didn't freeze up, and God just moved my fingers to the right notes. The second portion went quicker.....well, we were already about an hour late......so Marius asked everyone to limit to 3 minutes. Poor Lisa had already cut so much of her speech I worried about her trying to cut out any more. John, on the other hand, had asked Beni several times, and Beni told him not to cut anything. About halfway through John's sermon (because that's exactly what it was!) I saw Beni say something to Lisa, who said something to Mary, who wrote something on a piece of paper and push it over to John, who looked at it and kept on going! He was havin' a come-to-Jesus meetin' and nothin' was gonna stop him. It was glorious and when he did finish, everyone broke out in spontaneous applause. It seems that everyone there was blatantly pro-life and they were making the most of this moment. Marius then said he was going to ring a bell at the 2-minute mark and people would have to stop. He's young, though, and most people went a bit beyond, but tried to be sensitive to the lateness of the hour.
Has anyone noticed I didn't say a thing about lunch? Just checking to see if you're really reading this :)
Probably about 5pm....an hour and a half later than the original ending time, we did finish and were escorted downstairs into a lovely room with a beautiful buffet, where everyone was encouraged to interact with the others.....it was literally almost 8pm when the last of us left the room.....just for fun, I've got a picture of a sign that says tourists aren't allowed past a certain point.....but guess who went past that point???! Hey, not just me.....all of us did on our way to the food!
Carla and I drove John and Mary back to the University, and then servant-hearted Carla asked me if I wanted to come to the mall so I could tell you all about this wonderful day and try to communicate with Terry. Thank you again for your prayers..... none of us could have done it without the power of God flowing through us, and again, we all feel so honored to have been invited here to be a part of this Committee launch. It's late.....I'm tired, Carla is waiting......good night everyone......and please remember to pray for our long car trip tomorrow. Beni has to go to a funeral of a Dugulescu family friend, so he's going the opposite direction.....John and Mary fly to Vienna, and everyone else will be leaving for their respective homes.....new friends, new brothers and sisters, new ideas, new day for this beautiful country! Good night.

Whew! Thank you Lord!

PRAISE: Tuesday May 4 is now officially over. Romanian history has been made. Now the prayer will be that they can shine the light all across Europe. Each of the Americans on our team, and several other American speakers were all very clear on the gospel message. Praise God for His answered prayer and thank you for your intercession!
PRAYER: Wed. is a 12-hour drive for us, from Bucharest to Timisoara. Please pray for safety, and also pray for Eugenia who has one of her law exams on Thursday. Every spare minute here, she's been studying!
I will begin yesterday since we never even got to the mall:
Monday evening our supper was at the Marriott across from the Palace itself! The hotel has a wonderful Italian restaurant “Cucina”, and we were taken back to a large table...several people were already there, and others joined us, including Beni and the group he had been ministering with - Dr. John Ish, prominent Indianapolis cardiologist, and his wife Mary, Rev. Brian Gregory, the Welsh founder of The Friendship Foundation UK-Romania (now lives in England with his wife), and Puiu and his wife Doina, from Arad, who recently lost a 23-year old son to cancer. Eunice, our hostess, is responsible for putting together the program today, and she had invited about 20 of us from other countries and different areas of Romania, all with the common goal of being an encouragement to the members of Parliament in this momentous new chapter in their history. The food was delicious and beautifully presented, the conversations were free-flowing. When you’re among believers, you’re always with family, and this new family had a great time together. The evening went long, as if people were reluctant to leave, but around 10:30, Beni’s group, who had driven for about 12 hours, stood up to leave...we 4 gals took that as our cue. A few stayed to have dessert, but our 2 groups came back to the University where for some, the conversations continued!
I tore myself away from the one in Lisa and Eugenia’s room in order to at least look over my music...hadn’t had a spare minute to even think about practicing! (usually there are very few of those anyway) Took out the violin and just “fingered” several of the passages in each hymn. Somewhere around 1am, Carla came in. Our day was over, though even in the dark, I continued to go over the music in my head. I didn’t FEEL any nerves, but sleep just wouldn’t come, so I just alternated the words to the hymns with prayer. It’s now 6am here in Bucharest, and today marks the beginning of hope for many of those who have never known their own worth or dignity. Most oppressed people don’t think they even have rights, and all of us who have come are praying that along with human rights, more and more people of Romania will begin to understand and accept their worth in God’s eyes, and this will begin a ripple effect that will spread throughout Europe...and the world!

for Terry Winch (is there any other one?)

Hi Ter,
I tried to send you an email from my other email acct. but it seems not to have come....I did get yours. So, I'll just either send or draft one from tjw5199 and you'll have to check the "sent" or "draft" folders on that acct. Love you

Buna ziua (good day)

PRAYER REQUEST: Tuesday, May 4 at 1:00 pm Romanian time (we're 7 hours ahead) will be the presentation in the Parliament building. That's the biggest one for today as we prepare our hearts (and Lisa's speech, and my playing fingers!) for this very momentous honor of launching the Committee on Human Rights and Dignity.

Hello! I'm so excited to be back online again....after my 45-minute flight to Charlotte.....on the airbus for a 7 1/2 hour flight to Munich. Lisa and I had seats together and talked for several hours before and during dinner.....discovered we were sitting next to 16-year old Jacob whose parents were missionaries near Constanta (there's a squiggly line under the second "t"). Jacob has lived all of his life (so far) in Romania, speaks fluently and also a little bit of Turkish. Of course we all had lots to talk about since his parents run a baby home that now has 11 kids. There is no more Romanian adoption and many babies are just left in hospitals by their young single mothers, so the Reed family takes them in.....they're with Charity Baptist Missions in Eastern Europe since 1992 and just come back to the States to raise money. What a pleasure to meet this lovely family....our only disappointment is that we probably won't be able to visit them and their "baby home" this trip.
God answered your prayers that we wouldn't be sitting near any screaming babies......but I forgot to ask that you'd pray for the tallest person on the plane, who sat behind me! When I tried to put my seat back, I met some resistance.....so checked that I was pressing the proper button, and tried again. The third time, I was hit on the head! Yeah, you heard me. This guy behind me just tapped me on the head and said something in German.....since I don't speak it well, I can only surmise that he was saying something like, "yeah, no, that's not gonna be happening!" So the sleep that I longed for did not even begin to come all night long. Great time for prayer and reading, though....sitting straight up in a cramped situation is really not my idea of fun, but then again, I could be wrong. We did manage to go through immigration in rainy Munich and get back on the proper plane for Bucharest....another uneventful trip, although Bucharest had the sun out to welcome us, along with Carla and Eugenia's bright smiles! They had just driven 12 hours from Timisoara (yes, we have a 12-hour drive ahead of us on Wed.) to Bucharest, the first time either of them had been here!
With the help of the GPS we arrived at the Baptist University where we are staying, dropped off our things and then walked to the mall. There were 4 levels, so it took us a while to get through it, after we ate our lunch at the Lebanese restaurant. I've been looking forward to having Shawarma, and theirs was good! After we walked back, it was still light out, so Carla said we had to stay outside and talk to keep ourselves awake! Lisa and I tried like crazy to get connected....even pacing in the street outside the gate to find some internet connection....without success, so, disappointed, we gave up. I managed to stay up till around 9:30pm.....Carla had left for a meeting and I thought I would read.....think I turned only one page before I gave up, and slept, not quite straight through, but very well - for me.
At around 7:30, I awoke for good to the sounds of kids running through the hall....there is a kindergarten that is run by this establishment and the children were coming in for their breakfast.
Ours was served at 9....typical Romanian breakfast of cheese, sausages, ham, olives, and a small amount of scrambled eggs. The coffee was good and hot and just what we all needed. After breakfast the 4 of us went outside to have our devotions and "play" a bit on the playground.....suddenly the area was alive with the happy screams of the children, the thud of a bumped head, a wailing child and the soothing sounds of his teacher comforting him. We enjoyed watching them for a while, and then came back to the mall where I'm sitting at Starbucks writing this.
So, thanks for all your prayers for safety and luggage on the trip.....grateful and appreciative. Ceau till next time

It's TODAY!, part deux

It took so long to connect to the WiFi at the Atlanta airport that I could only write for a couple minutes before we had to board the plane......just a little aside.....Atlanta charges for their WiFi, and as I mentioned, it takes so darn long to connect.....I connected, FREE, I might add, in about 30 seconds at the Charlotte airport. Thank you Charlotte!
But, again, I get ahead of myself....last night, because of the gorgeous view, we left our drapes open in the room.....woke up to a bit of a gray day but not foggy, thank goodness. Terry had ordered room service....so I had a leisurely time getting ready while he went downstairs to bring me probably my last Dark Cherry Mocha Breve from Starbucks for a while. Although there is a new Starbucks in Timisoara, and one in Bucharest.....with traffic the way it is, I'm sure we'll just refrain from going.....I can handle it, yes I can. Just before breakfast, he handed me a Starbucks bag with one of those new "green" to go mugs.....AND 10 envelopes! He allowed me to open the first one, an anniversary card in which he had written a poem for me! Way to make a gal cry! There are 9 more cards, one for each of the next nine days. He trusts me to open just one a day??? Yes, he can, I like to savor the fun stuff slowly too...besides, it's a little part of him I can enjoy each day. Of course, I also have those silly pictures we took last night in the photo booth!
Because we hoped to beat the rain, we started out fairly soon after breakfast for the airport - we were going to take the MARTA so had to walk just about 3 blocks. And, thank you Lord, no rain. Easy ride to the airport, met a Lutheran minister/professor on the train and our chat helped to pass time as well.....he thinks he knows my brother-in-law. Do I hear someone whistling "It's a Small World?" Shake yourself!!!
Checking in was a snap.....just patted my checked luggage and asked it to please arrive in Bucharest the same time I do! Terry and I took some time to just sit and enjoy each other before we parted....a couple dozen service personnel were arriving, and got huge applause from those in the arrival area....always brings a lump to my throat. I am the mom of 2 Marines, one of whom went to Iraq and returned safely. I know how blessed I am....many other moms aren't so fortunate. When the time came for me to go through security, we finally had to say goodbye, and I kept looking back to see Ter waving at me, until I could no longer see him. I'm gonna miss my man! Though we try, there are those times when we do have to travel without each other, and we both hate it every time! Knowing we're just where the Lord wants us makes it a little easier, only just a little, though.
Had to eat something.....you know, to take the place of the wonderful airplane meals we used to get? Just an FYI, Sbarro has a garden salad for $3.99. I did walk up and down the gate area, just to check.....and they're at least 3 bucks less than anyone else's. I'm still a cheap date, even for myself!
Boarding the plane the gate attendant looked at my violin and said, "don't think that's going to fit on the plane".....I smiled and took the yellow tag he gave me, put it in my pocket, and proceeded to carry the violin AND my carry-on bag. One little phenomenon that I've noticed on these commuter jets...as you look down the aisle to the back of the plane, it seems that the seats get smaller and narrower....but as I walked to my seat in the back, I can tell you for sure that it's not an illusion. They ARE smaller! And someone made a huge mistake with my seat assignment...I was seated behind a 10-month old darling little girl who did nothing but smile the entire trip! I actually checked my ticket to make sure I was in the right place, because my place is usually next to/in front of/beside the loudest crying baby on the plane! No joke. Of course this WAS only a 45-minute flight....there's always another chance on the flight to Munich!
Well, Lisa is somewhere in the airport....we discovered we have seats near each other so I'm glad about that.
[one hour later] Lisa and I have been sitting here talking for the last hour, but I'm thinkin' I need to post this before we board. I'm so grateful for those of you who are reading, praying and following.....you are loved. Please pray for calm babies and some sort of sleep on this flight. Thank you Terry for making this anniversary such a wonderful one, even though I'm leaving you alone for most of it. I love you

it's TODAY!

Yeah, I never did get online yesterday....what with finishing up the packing, practicing again, and finding out that Terry was "whisking" me away to the Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel in downtown Atlanta for our "pre-anniversary" celebration, I was kept busy the whole time. This is the tallest hotel in the western hemisphere, and staying on the 60th floor gave us an awesome view of Atlanta, the capitol building, Braves Stadium, the Olympic park, and the aquarium, among other points of interest. He said we had 6pm dinner reservations, so we had some time to relax....or rather, he relaxed, and I re-checked just about everything in my suitcases...eliminating a few more things I figured I could do without. After weighing the suitcase at home and finding it to be a couple ounces over 50 pounds, I gave it my best and figured I took out about 3 pounds' worth of stuff........when I checked in here today, sure enough, it was 47 pounds. Man, I'm good!
But, I get ahead of myself. Just for anyone who cares, here's a little bit of useless trivia. Do you know it IS possible to "refill" a travel-sized toothpaste tube from your larger one? Just in case.......
Ter said it would take about 5 minutes to walk to dinner, which, as it turns out, was on the 72nd floor of the hotel....in the SunDial restaurant! You guessed it! It revolves! It was the clearest evening, a lovely sunset, and 360 views of all around Atlanta, along with Miss Ann, the best server we've probably ever had. In her 27 years working here she has served 3 or maybe 4 presidents, and several CEOs, including the Donald and Lee Iaccoca....(can't remember how to spell THAT one!) Interestingly enough, Miss Ann said the presidents and "bigwigs" she had taken care of were the most gracious and thoughtful people.....nice to hear. On the other hand, she said, "how do I say this? I've served many sports guys, and they were...can I say short?" Her words. Just sayin'
Terry handed me a box, which I of course opened to find a citrine necklace and earrings....citrine is my favorite stone, and, who knew? one of the 11th anniversary gifts is citrine! He actually checked! What a guy! After the most scrumptious dinner AND dessert, (well, it was our 11th anniversary eve, after all) Ter said we had "one more stop" to make and we caught a cab. Dropped us off at the Fernbank Museum of Natural History. Huh? Dinosaurs? As we walked in, there was some great live music playing, and we bought 2 tickets to the IMAX film. However, as we walked down the stairs to where the band was playing, who walked up but Hayley! Ter's younger daughter and 3 of her friends were there to join us and help celebrate the day! Great surprise, and though we've seen Hayley quite often, we had some catching up to do with Kelly and Tiffany, whom we had not seen since Hayley and Jason's wedding. Brittany was new to us, and she was actually working so we just said a quick hello. Hayley got us some perrier and coke, and then "insisted" we go to the photo booth for pictures! It was really funny to find out later that they could watch us from the outside on a screen.....they were laughing when we came out, but they were a great part of the fun we had. Went into the IMAX theater for a wonderful documentary film on Saudi Arabia...... breathtaking photography and a great narration by a young Saudi photo-journalist who went back to "find himself" and discover who his people were. Really enjoyed that one, and made so much more fun by having the 3 girls there too. Afterward, Terry told them I was leaving for Romania today and they all came outside, laid their hands on me, and prayed for me! Pretty powerful to have "20-somethings" (yeah, I know your ages!) mature enough in their faith to pray for this ahem, 39-many-times-over woman. Brought tears to my eyes, and I know these girls are the real deal. One of them asked what is the most pressing need in Romania, and Terry replied that really, it's a "golden age" of sorts....people are so open and hungry for the gospel, and the churches are full.....many of the missionaries who go into other European countries come from Romania.
The gals mentioned they're starting another small group Bible study with some of their other friends....at all levels of spiritual maturity....we'll sure pray for them too...especially Kelly, who is leading the first one in 2 weeks! We hugged, our taxi came, and parted ways....got one more call from Hayley when we got back to the hotel.
It was a perfect sendoff.....mostly because I was so distracted by all the fun. Calling our flight now....lots more to tell.