I Heart Romania

Well, this summer has been crazy/stressful/fun/rewarding/tiring/etc. I won't recap the whole summer, but I do want to talk a little about the best part. I went to Romania from July 8-19. When I traveled there in 2009, I fell in love with everything about Romania. This year was no different. I had new experiences with old friends and it was great! Below are just some of the reasons why I HEART ROMANIA....

1) They have an IKEA in Bucharest. :)

2) They have what seems like endless fields full of sunflowers!

3) It sort of reminds me of Nebraska.

4) They have ferries to take you from one side of Braila to the next. I got to ride one!

5) They have ruins from an old Greek settlement, dating back to the 13th century.

6) The car of choice there is lovingly called "The Romanian Death Trap." Also known as The Dacia.

7) Although it's slightly annoying while you are there, it's also sort of cute/endearing. Many of the "old" Romanians believe cold air or moving air is bad for your health. So, there is no air conditioning and no fans. This picture is our bus driver. He put on a makeshift hat when we insisted he roll down the windows since there was no AC and it was 97 degrees. When asked why he did that, he said he didn't want to get sick. :)

8) The food is...amazing...to die for...and in abundance.

9) They have really neat trains and train stations.

10) I got to spend time with my two closest friends from church. Lovely ladies.

11) There's a lot of times where you sort of feel like you've traveled into a different century.

12) Kids are kids anywhere you go. Here in Romania, they are cute and spunky and I love them.

13) You can hang out at the beach - and not just any beach. THE BLACK SEA!

14) This little girl is so stinkin' cute. Her name is Lois - just like my mommy. But you can only find THIS Lois in Romania.

15) They have a lot of pretty, brick streets.

16)The church is so loving and kind. Even though I hadn't seen any of them in 2 years, I still felt like I was saying hello to my family!

17) I've never met more prayerful people in my life. It's a quality that I truly admire about the people there.

18) This couple, Costel and Gianina feel like best friends. They are an amazing couple whom I have kept in contact with since meeting them two years ago. When we saw each other again, we all had tears in our eyes - same as when I left to go home. :( Gianina speaks pretty fluent English, so deep conversations with her are easier to have. Costel is a ham - always trying to make you laugh, even though he doesn't speak any English. But they both have hearts of gold and hearts to see change come in Romania.

19) Pastor Costica. He is my favorite person in the entire country of Romania. His gruff exterior fools a lot of people - and don't get me wrong...you shouldn't mess with him. But, he has the biggest heart, full of love and wisdom. If he ever says, "I have a question for you..." (In Romanian, of course!), RUN! He'll have your ear for about 2 hours listening to a "sermon" of sorts about something he's wrestling through. He doesn't speak a lick of English, but somehow he and I communicated and there is a mutual love and respect for each other. He is like a 2nd grandpa. He will be coming to Nebraska in October and I can't wait!

Writing this and looking at all these pictures have brought tears to my eyes. Romania is something I hope to share with my husband, my parents and my children someday. I heart Romania.