So much to think about- so much to process; and when I got off the plane in Sacramento on July 20th, the tempo of life back here kicked in and I was off and running-- all good things, wonderful things. But this was the first time in 3 trips to Romania, that the words from Jen's debriefing really played out for me. I am still thinking about things that I experienced during our two weeks and trying to find quiet moments to listen to God's heart on these matters.
It's hard to know what to write about first-- I had such an awesome team to travel and minister with! Shannon was a great Team Leader and we all had fun working together in the days and months before our trip to fund raise. Getting to experience this a third time with Natalie was a very special blessing too. Adding to our foursome was Jessica, Natalie's good friend and an adopted daughter of mine! It was such a joy to share Romania with her. Jessica's Mom, Flossie, was our "home team" team member and her efforts enabled us to purchase the gifts we needed to bring for graduates and also pay the charges for our extra bags. Krista was another member of our team and her trip to RO overlapped a few days with ours.
The kids were fun, rambunctious, and so happy to have hugs and attention and the opportunity to attend the Day Camp. It was wonderful to see little ones we had met before and see them recognize us with happy smiles and hugs. They all had grown taller - of course!
Last year I had met a little guy named Elvis. Now, you don't meet many Romanian children named Elvis; in fact, he is the only one I have encountered. Consequently, with such a notable name, it was easy to remember him. The first day we were at the playground, I had hugged and greeted alot of the kids that had just been to the camp and also sought out ones I remembered and wanted to see. I saw Elvis and walked over to him. For some reason, a sudden shyness overcame him, and he didn't want to make eye contact with me. So, I leaned over alongside of him and said in Romanian, "Your name is Elvis." Then I saw this big smile come across his face. The shyness of the moment disappeared, and the snapshot of that smile will forever be in my memory.
Here are some pictures from our visit:
