October 2006
After six wonderful weeks in the States with family and friends, I'm back to life in Romania and having a time of it.
Tonight I blew a fuse when I plugged my surge protector into the wall for my new computer.
Guess it wasn't supposed to be used on European electricity. Why didn't you tell me that Dad?!?! … I guess I should have asked first. The pop of electricity made my room a little smoky, shut off the refrigerator and all the outlets, but thankfully did not harm my computer (I guess the surge protector works). After a phone call to Lau, a flashlight and candles, and a little searching for wire, we got the situation resolved. I'm quite the electrician now.
The other funny moment of today was thinking I was going to die on my way home because I had my computer over my shoulder (probably about ten pounds with books and all) and then I had the great idea of picking up a watermelon on the way home since I walk by big mounds of them every evening (literally hundreds… they're in season at the moment). So I pointed to a nice plump green one, had the lady weigh it, paid my 2 lei (75 cents) and headed towards home.
Apparently my eyes were bigger than my stomach… AND bigger than my back muscles because within a few steps I realized this 20 something pound watermelon plus my laptop computer bag were a rather burdensome load! Luckily the watermelon market is only blocks from my home, but I got to my entrance and remembered that I live on the fifth floor, with NO elevator.
It was in that moment that I had one of those fleeting thoughts, “What am I doing here?! If I were at my folks place we'd have pushed this puppy out to the car in a cart, loaded it in the trunk, drove home, and then nicely loaded it into the cart to wheel it up to the front door!”
Huffing and puffing at my door, I fumbled for my keys and actually had to put the watermelon down to find them. I kept picturing smashed watermelon on the ground all the way home if I slipped for just one second, or worse yet tripping on the steps and seeing it bounce down the stairs behind me and splat at the bottom. Thankfully I was successful in completing my proposed mission – getting watermelon home for dinner! And it was definitely worth the effort — I enjoyed every bite of it!
So that's my little story. For those who are wondering what to pray about, here's what comes to mind for this month:
Praise God for providing a new place for the McAvaddy family to live! They found an apartment closer to the drop-in center and are busy getting settled and entertaining lots of visitors. Please pray for Moise who left the boys' home on Sept. 9, 1 ½ years after moving in. We are saddened by his decision, but trusting that God will guide and protect Moise as he lives with his father and continues with school. Please pray for the wisdom and discernment for Casa Lazar. We need wisdom in knowing what direction to take since there are currently no boys living there and none ready to take steps off the streets right now. Pray that God will make the path clear for us. Pray for all the school children as they begin a new year of studies on September 15. Pray for Nina Sinca who leaves for art school this month in Northwestern Romania. Nina was the second Romanian staff member hired and has served with WMF Romania for 8 years. Pray for her to find a supportive community of friends in Cluj and discover creative ways to keep in touch with all the children and staff who will miss her dearly here in Galati (including me!). Pray for Ana Maxim who graduated from high school this year and is joining us as an intern. Ana has been a faithful volunteer at Casa Vale for more than 3 years. With Nina's absence, Ana will have a lot on her plate, so pray for a smooth transition and for good relationships with the girls she will work closely with every day. Pray for our time spent on the streets. We have made several changes to our program seeking to best meet the needs of the children. Pray for protection and a clear sense of God's guidance as we move forward.
Thank you for your constant prayers, financial support and many words of encouragement that I received during my visit this summer. God bless you and keep you.
Peace,
Rachel
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