Mamba

WE'RE ALL HERE!!!! Our other student arrived today with no trouble! We were so excited that he had safe travels and everything worked out so well. He made it, just a day later. In fact, he had an amazing experience with the man he sat next to on the plane and was so blessed by that experience. I shouldn't be surprised, God is sovereign after all. So, all of Mandy's sheep are here ;).

The only word to describe today is "gorgeous". It was sunny and clear and around 70 degrees. (It could not have hurt that for the previous 28 hours we were in stuffy airports and smelly planes ;). After some much needed rest (and showering), we started our day by going to a hill that overlooks the city of Oradea. It was truly an amazing sight. We took some pictures and spent some time praying over the city and for our week. At this particular sight, we could see the whole city, but something distracted me. There was a small bunker type structure at the top of the hill that was once used during wartime to kill those trying to charge the hill. It was hard to accept that this part of history took place while I was still alive. For many of us, this part of history isn't quite as real because we didn't necessarily experience it, but for these people it still hurts. They still remember, remnants of its hard past are almost overwhelming... like the synogogue that we saw had been burned from the inside out. We were told later that during World War II the synogogue was evacuated and all the worshippers were taken to the street and shot. Their past may be in the past, but it is very real and can not be overlooked.
Later in the day we visited an old Hungarian cathedral built in the 1700s, the word "beautiful" does not hardly begin to describe it. The portraits and paintings were so ornate that one look did not do justice. After some other sightseeing, we went to the "walking street" to do some shopping. We spent the remainder of the afternoon going into various shops and enjoying the gorgeous day. As I was buying a scarf in one of the shops, I tried to say "thank you" in Romanian, but clearly did not say it correctly.... good news is a smile translates in every language and the lady at the counter just laughed and smiled back. Although, it is unbelievable how much English is around. The radio stations switch back and forth between everything from Celine Dion, to Shania Twain, to techo Romanian music, to Stevie Wonder. It seems that Romania is heavily influenced by Western culture and I just pray that we don't steal what makes these people unique.
During dinner I noticed something that I usually don't notice until the end of a trip. We were loud and all telling stories... sharing laughter... talking over and around each other... joking around, and it reminded me of a big hodge-podge family. It was such a blessing. After dinner, a few of us went to the grocery store to buy food for our lunches and for the families with the center. There I found "Mambas". If you don't know what those are, they are a chewy candy comparable to a mix of starbursts and now and laters. Mandy and I hadn't had these since we were kids!! It was so funny to see them here. Most of the students got to meet some of the kids and played with them for a few hours. It's so funny how kids here love the same things... Hannah Montana, the Jonas Brothers.... again... it's that western culture seeping in where it can.

Today was a beautiful day. Everyone else has gone to sleep in preparation for tomorrow, but I'm still reflecting on how God works in the most mysterious ways. I pray that we remain open to the many ways in which God works and ready for what He can do this week.