A warm hello from Rasnov, Romania! I just wanted to share a little bit about my experience in Romania and work with Tabara Mia, a Christian camp and ministry, thus far.

This place and these people have very much become a home these past couple weeks. The simpleness of my routine, the chance to be outside and play games and worship God all day long, and my new relationships and community here have completely wooed my heart. To think that I’ve become so close with my friends here in just a couple short weeks and that camp will be over in a week is hard to swallow.

There’s so much about this place that I’ll miss: the chorus of farm animal noises that greeted me at 6am this morning as I awoke on a trampoline next to two good friends on staff, Daria and Aris; my shady spot on the far end of our futbol terf listening to mandolin/accordion-driven Romanian folk music blaring from a nearby neighbor’s radio; the brown sparrows flitting gayly between strands of ivy; our raucous staff games of spoons in the dining hall late at night; doing dishes with the kitchen crew; singing worship songs of familiar tune and unfamiliar tongue at the top of my lungs next to some of my recently acquired favorite people as they supply the complimenting harmonies in Romanian; birthday cake surprises and campfires and field trips to the nearby city and water balloon fights and acting in skits and taking pictures and making new friends. Working through language barriers and cultural differences that make you appreciate and celebrate all the more when we succeed. Embracing (pun intended) a culture that loves through physical touch (friends, whether girls or guys and from young to old, will just as often walk hand in hand or arm in arm or kiss on the cheek as speak to each other.) Dreams of coming to visit in the States. A culture that believes wholeheartedly in frank honesty and telling things the way they are. Listening to youth speak with passion about their country’s history, one that I knew almost nothing about. Hearing dreams of finishing “Faculty” (college) and then earning a master’s degree or working on embassies or Geographical Information Systems or engineering. Meeting incredible people that are publishing in magazines at 16, or work at the Romanian NASA, or draw portraits in few hours that could pass for photography.

God has been incredible and I’ve seen Him do so much in me and around me over the past two weeks. I can’t wait to see what happens next. One week and counting until I don’t know what will happen. But I will share the next step of the adventure with you as soon as I get the chance! Love you all.

-L