The Circus

On Sunday night, we went to the circus. It was a different sort of experience in Romania! All of the talking was in Romanian, so I think we missed a lot of the jokes. It was still mildly entertaining and a good way to pass the time. We couldn't really figure out why the guy balancing the pot on his head was such a great act - he was on forever! The biggest animal they had was the alligator that they did have lay on a girl. The tent was too small to have a trapeze or anything, but they had a couple of people do things on swings and ropes hanging from the ceiling. We had fun and were glad we can say we went to the Romanian circus!

Hanging Out Again

On Monday, two of the volunteers left to go back to Holland. I'm sad because I spent pretty much all day everyday with Henriet in the care program. On Saturday night we went out to hang out one last time. I thought I'd put these pictures on here, because they show a few more volunteers as well. This picture is of Marion (one of the girls from Holland who was leaving), Kevin (Scotland), Monseiur (not a volunteer - apparently he's a futbol player for a team in Romania. He's from Africa originally and hangs out with us every night), and Vivien (China)

This picture is of Henriet (from Holland, the other girl who left), Carla (South Africa), Rachel (England), and Marion (Germany)

Getting Lost

This shouldn't come as a shock to anyone who knows me well, but I managed to get completely lost for the first time this weekend. On the way home from the zoo, Vivien and I stopped off at a store to buy some toys for the kids at the orphanage. We found a really fun store that reminded me exactly of a Super Wal-Mart back home. Anyway, a girl had told me what bus to take back and promised it would take us to the center (where we live). So, we took the bus and it took us way out of the way to a place we had never been before. We decided to get off the bus and try to figure out where we were on our own. It might not have been the smartest move seeing as we had no map and we both lack any directional sense. We started walking and just sort of guessed at directions and tried to find our way home. After about 20 minutes of walking we saw the greatest thing - the Brasov sign on the mountain. I mock the sign a lot because it looks just like the Hollywood sign you always see on the hill in movies, but after this adventure I will never mock it again! I am forever grateful to whoever put it up there to help poor souls like myself be able to find the town from far far away. We finally had a direction to head and did manage to make it back in one piece. Plus, we got to see a whole other side of Brasov that we hadn't seen before!

Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My!

This past weekend I made a trip to the Brasov zoo with Marion, Vivien, Rachel, Henriet, and Emma (she wouldn't get in the picture). We had a lot of fun walking around and looking at all the animals there. They had some strange things in cages, like chickens and pigeons, but for the most part there were normal animals.

One of the strangest things we noticed was how close you could get to the animals, at least to the dangerous ones. You could literally reach out and pet the bears and the lions if you wanted to. We saw one guy get up close and personal with a bear - it was a little scary! None of us were brave enough to pet the angry animals, so we stayed clear. It was a really fun and cheap way to spend the afternoon.

Placement

Well, I think I finally have a fairly permanent place where I'll be working from now on. Unfortunately I can't show any pictures of the cute kids because we aren't allowed to take them. I'm working in a state run group home for mentally disabled children in the town of Sacele (right outside of Brasov). There are 10 children who range in age from 2-6 years old. They are absolutely adorable and I really like working with them. It's nice to feel useful there as well. The kids definitely need love and attention and the workers need the extra help. Most of the workers I've met are pretty nice and seem to like the fact that we are there to help out. The kids seem to like music a lot and bubbles. I'm heading to a big store here in town this weekend to try to find some other stuff they might like to play with.

There are 2 shifts per day and I'm working the morning shift from 9-1 every day and the evening shift from 4:30-7 on Tuesdays and Thursdays. In between the shifts on Tuesday and Thursday I am helping out at an after school program in the town. The program is run by a lady who tries especially to help gypsy children in the area. I think I'm going to be teaching English to a group of kids on those days. I'm pretty excited about it because it's fun to help the kids there and teaching them English will help me learn to speak Romanian a little better. The only downside is the fact that Sacele is a little over an hour away by bus and we have to change buses on the way. The bus schedule basically doesn't exist, so you never know how long you'll have to wait! It's okay for now, but when the snow starts coming it won't be quite as much fun.

Anyway, that's the latest on what I'm doing. I'm trying to work something out for Monday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoons and have a couple different things I'm looking at doing. I'll let you know when I get all that finalized.

Rasnov

This past weekend I went to Rasnov, which is a town right outside of Brasov. There is an old fortress there that we went to go walk around. We had no idea where we were going when we got off the bus and proceeded to get lost in the town. We walked forever before we finally found a way to the fortress! It was a fun adventure walking around the town. This was the view of the fortress as we were walking up to it.
Me, Henriet, and Marion taking a break from touring the fortress. These are the 2 girls I spend everyday with for the care program. Henriet is leaving on Monday, and I'm so sad!
This is right inside the entrance to the fortress. Lots of cute little houses and things set up to walk around a tour. Vivien, Henriet, Marion, and Marion are the girls I went with.

Hanging out

Every night some of the volunteers meet at the town fountain to go out and do random things. This is from Tuesday night. We went to Deane's which is a karaoki bar. There was a big soccer game on TV Tuesday though, so that's what everyone was watching. This picture is of me, Vivien from China, and Marion from Holland.

This is a picture of Reolof from Holland, Suzanna from Romania, and Henriet from Holland (Marion's sister).

Hiking

On Sunday afternoon I went on a hike with some of the girls I have met here outside of Tapa. We took a bus to Poiana Brasov which is a mountain right by the town and hiked down a trail that took us back to the city. It was really pretty and we had a good time. This is a picture of some of the girls I went with. They live with Sarah (the missionary I had been talking with from the states before I headed over here). Steffi (from Germany) is holding Roxi and Kirsten (from Australia) is carrying Rebeca on her back. Roxi and Rebeca are kids Steffi has taken from the hospital where they work and are now living with them.

Church

I went to a little church here in Brasov last weekend that is pastored by a missionary from Hawaii. It was really tiny (only 12 people this week!), which is a huge change from The Village in Dallas, but I really enjoyed it. I met a lot of neat people and was glad to get connected outside of Tapa. I also attended a Bible study last night with some girls from the church. I'm amazed at how the Lord is providing exactly what I need when I need it here.

I love heat!

I know this is random, but this is my heater in my room. While it may seem a little strange that this would make the blog, you have to understand how rare that is here. From talking with other volunteers, I am realizing how blessed I am with my host family. Having a heater in my room is basically unheard of with everyone else! It's quite cold here and I don't know what I would do without it. Also, just the fact that I have a room that is somewhat private and access to a microwave and refrigerator is amazing. God definitely took care of my placement and gave me a wonderful family to live with!

Romanian Food

Lots of people asked before I left what the food was like in Romania, so I figured I would put some pictures on here for you to get the idea. So far the food at my place has been pretty good. The bottom picture was the only night I didn't really enjoy - it was a mix of mushrooms and tomoatos, neither one of which I am a big fan. I don't know what a lot of it is, and I don't bother asking. I figured I have more of a chance of trying it if I don't know what I'm eating! Most every meal comes with rice, some form of potatoes, some type of meat and a soup. They serve huge portions, so I always feel bad not finishing everything.

Orphanage

I got to go to an orphanage yesterday for the first time! It was a very nice one (privately owned I believe). The kids lived in little houses set along the property with about 10-12 of them living in a house. They have a huge recreation field and area inside where they can play games or do crafts or other things. The kids range in age from about 6-17. We just walked around and played with them all afternoon. It was fun playing with the little ones, and made me more anxious for everything to get settled so I can go work with all younger kids.

I'm learning very quickly that my organization isn't the fastest at getting things together and that you don't always get to do what they tell you you'll be doing. I'm still completely trusting that this is where God called me and this is who He called me to go through on this journey. Please pray for patience for me and that things will get worked out quickly! Even in this nice place where we are going right now, there is still a huge need evident in these kids.

Home Away From Home

My living situation is somewhat different than I was expecting, but it's very nice. I'm in a great location right near the center of town and just a 5 minute walk from the main Tapa office (access to the internet, staff, etc.) Many volunteers have to take a bus just to reach the town, so I am very lucky with my spot! I live in a room on the 2nd level of the house owned by my family. I'm not sure I've met everyone who lives there yet, because there seem to be a lot of them! I don't really see the family too often. They bring up dinner at night and that's pretty much the most I see of them. The mom, Roddica, is very nice and talks to me every night, but it's all in Romanian so there's not much of a conversation. We've gotten pretty good at using hand signals and me trying to guess the words she's looking for. Her daughter, Ramona, speaks very good English, so she's the one I look for if I need something. I'm sad I don't get to interact with them more, but hopefully over the next 9 months that will improve and I will see them more and more! I think once my Romanian improves a little I'll be better off.

This is the room where I sleep - mine is the bed in the corner. I had a roommate for the first 2 days I was here, but she left early because she missed being home (this picture was taken in the middle of her packing process so our room is not so neat). So, now I am alone in here, but I think they're going to put someone else in soon. It will be nice to have a roommate I think because it might get a bit lonely by myself!

This is the table in the room where I eat dinner. My family is very nice and asked me what I like to eat. Romanian food is a little different, but so far I've been able to eat everything they've served (big accomplishment for those of you who know how picky I am!!)

I tried to upload a picture of the bathtub as well, but it didn't work. The funny thing about it is that they have to come light a fire under the water tank in order for me to have hot water! They do this for me every night, so it works out well. It's just funny to have to wait for someone else to be able to take a bath (no shower - all baths!)

Address

Hello! Things are going well here and I think today I actually get to go to an orphanage. There have been all kinds of delays with information I didn't have when I got here (medical stuff and background checks). It's all getting worked out though and I've had a lot of time to relax and get to know my way around the city. I plan on posting some pictures and more details soon (hopefully by the end of this week) so check back in!

If you want to send letters or anything, here's the address in Romania:
Beth Bray
c/o Projects Abroad
Castelului 86
Brasov 500014
Romania

I also have a cell phone now, so if you want that information let me know.

That's all for now!

Romanian doctors

Unfortunately for me I missed the section on the web site saying I had to get a physical before coming here. That means that when I arrived here, I got the joy of experiencing a Romanian doctor's office and hospital! Needless to say, it's a little different than going to the doctor in the US. It's a little hard to communicate with doctor's who only speak Romanian and they're trying to tell you to do things. It made me realize how much I don't want to get sick while I'm here!!

I'm here!

Well, I arrived safe and sound in Brasov! I'm not going to say much more here right now, because in all honesty I don't know much. I'm hoping to get on here in the next couple of days and be able to post some pictures and give some details of what is going on. Right now it's just lots of confusion and no real direction. That should change in the next few days and I should be able to report more. THANK YOU for all the prayers - they are needed and appreciated!

So Much Stuff!

I found this picture I had taken before leaving of all the stuff I traveled with on the airplane. It looks like sooooo much, but when you consider it's for 9 months and in the middle of winter, it makes it a little better! When I got here, it was quite a challenge getting everything to fit in the car that came to pick me up.

Going to Romania

Here's my attempt at keeping in touch with everyone while I'm in Romania! I'm hoping to be able to update this on a fairly frequent basis, but can't make any promises until I get there and see what the Internet situation will be like. For those of you who don't know what I'm doing, here's what I know:

I'm leaving this Saturday, October 7, to travel to Brasov, Romania for the next 9 months. I'm going to be working in 2 different orphanages while I am there; one will be for disabled children and the other is a group home for children ages 2-4. While I am there I will be living with a Romanian family (very excited!) I don't really know too many more details at this point, other than the fact that this is where the Lord is calling me right now. I can't wait to get there and get started (and learn more about what I'll actually be doing!) Hopefully I'll be able to update pretty soon after I arrive and give some more details.