Wednesday May 22, 2019

2 Samuel 7:29 now therefore may it please you to bless the house of your servant, so that it may continue forever before you; for you, O Lord God, have spoken, and with your blessing shall the house of your servant be blessed forever.”

Today was a bit stressful. Jeff went to the hospital, while I did some yoga and helped the kids with their “summer school”. Then the 4 of us headed to the support center and then took a taxi to the post office. On our way back from Bucharest we stopped at a one of the roadside bodegaS and purchased sheepskin rugs for the kids and one for us. So we packaged them in a box that I carried to the support center and loaded into a cab to send to our friends in WI to hold for us until we get back. Anjali was so excited to be able to pick up her package from Eleanor; it absolutely made her day!

On Monday, Anjali hurt her foot and has been babying it since then, but the pain seems to come and go, which makes it really difficult to assess whether she is really hurt or just seeking attention. Either way, the walk home became unbearable for her, so we took a cab home and she iced her foot and rested the remainder of the day.

I walked up to the grocery store with Lucia to grab a few things for dinner. I am not sure if you read Jeff’s blog a week or so ago, but my experience was just the same. We left the gate to our apartment and she was bounding down the hill and her mouth was going non-stop. I can’t remember exactly what she was saying, but she was so excited. I am so glad I got to have this time with just her; it was so refreshing to experience and feel her energy. We made our way through the store and then home for dinner and then my interview.

Unfortunately, the kids were less than helpful and were actually extremely hyper and unable to control themselves long enough for me to concentrate and mentally prepare for the interview. Jeff’s patience was finally drained and he laid into the kids for their behavior. This seemed to get them back on track long enough for all four of them to be out of the house just in time for the interview. While they were outside Jeff was able to snap a picture of David scaling a pole–this kids is like Spider-Man.

I think the interview went very well and after speaking with the panel I am even more excited about this opportunity. I know that God will put me where I am needed, so I am putting my faith and trust in Him. I feel confident that I did my part, which was to provide the panel with my true self, including how my skills and abilities can benefit this position, and then I will leave the rest up to God.

Wednesday May 15, 2019

Hebrews 6:10 For God is not unjust; he will not overlook your work and the love that you showed for his sake in serving the saints, as you still do.

A busy, but wonderful day today shows just how amazing God is and how much He does in our lives. I went to the hospital today and Jeff stayed with the kids. Our neighbors downstairs don’t get out often just as a couple seeing that they have 4 kids, so we offered to watch their kids. As it turned out, we were able to allow Anjali to “be in charge” of the youngest, Martin, who is just under a year. Both Jeff and I were here during the whole afternoon, but Anjali really was watching and babysitting Martin and she did a great job. She was attentive and acted very responsibly.

I spent a good portion of the day studying for my licensing exam, but had a wonderful coffee break with Amy when they got home from their afternoon date. We have been trying to have coffee for some time, but our schedules seem to be conflicting, so it was nice to sit down and visit.

We still are no closer to answers about our future (what are we doing after June 2, where we will live in August, will we have jobs, etc), but I don’t feel as scared or anxious. We have heard that there is a possibility (though very slim) that we may be able to extend our time in Romania for a few weeks and continue helping here until the end of June. In order to even explore this as an option we need to find a Romanian speaker to join us for a visit to the Head of Police here in Brasov and ask for an extension. We have been searching for another place to serve after our time here ends on June 2, but we truly have not found anything we are feeling called to do. I think our hearts are still here and not wanting to leave. I am sure we are going to be able to find someone to help us with this task and I am praying that God will find a way for us to stay for a bit longer.

I know that God will take care of us and that whatever the outcomes may be, it will be wonderful because, just as the scripture says, For God is not unjust; he will not overlook your work and the love that you showed for his sake in serving the saints, as you still do. (Hebrews 6:10)

Tuesday May 7, 2019

Joel 2:23 O children of Zion, be glad and rejoice in the Lord your God; for he has given the early rain for your vindication, he has poured down for you abundant rain, the early and the later rain, as before.

As I read this scripture, all I can think about is our hope and promise for the future that God will provide.

Today Jeff and I celebrated our 14th wedding anniversary. It often seems surreal that we are spending our anniversary in Brasov, Romania after traveling the last 10 months volunteering and serving God’s children around the world. Jeff took the morning shift at the hospital while I stayed back with the kids and to finish my yoga. My anniversary gift to Jeff was to go and see the new Avengers:End Game movie at the theater with the kids. We decided that if the kids were going to enjoy the movie and understand what was happening, they would need to watch the previous Avengers movie, so they did that this morning while I did my yoga practice. We met Jeff at the hospital and headed to the mall for lunch and a movie.

The movie was wonderful and I think the kids enjoyed it, as did Jeff. We got the kids home and had plans of getting them settled with dinner and then the two of us heading out to dinner alone. However, we decided to go to dinner tomorrow night because things were going to be so rushed and we had to get started so late into the evening. Boy was this a good idea.

Anjali has been losing the battle with her allergies lately and for whatever reason, she got very angry and upset when we asked her to eat her dinner. Unfortunately, she has not quite learned the beauty of good communication. Well, she got angry, Jeff got angry, and before I knew what was happening World War III occurred inside our small little apartment. Things escalated and everyone was upset; the whole night went down the drain.

Jeff went for a walk to calm down, no doubt completely frustrated by Anjali’s attitude and snarky mouth, Anjali was upset because she was not feeling like she was being listened to and wanted to make her own decisions, and I was going back and forth completely lost and understanding both sides. Anjali has quite a mouth on her and very often puts herself first and tells the rest of us to take a hike because she can care less what we think or feel, and Jeff (just as I am) is sick of it–she doesn’t get to treat others (especially her parents) this way with no consequence.

This is such a hard situation. But as I sat up unable to sleep tonight, I realized that Anjali is still very much a child who is only starting to look like a young adult. She is still learning how to handle the complex emotions coursing through her and she needs us to guide her, even if she says she doesn’t (she is regularly telling us that she doesn’t need our help). I can remember being her age and that feeling of just being lost. You so desperately want to grow up, but there are so many times that you act like a silly little child and when you do, it frustrates the hell out of you! She is totally caught in the middle of the pendulum between a child and teenager, and it sucks for all of us. But I keep thinking that there has to be a way for all of us to embrace these emotions, own them, name them, and learn to respect and handle them. I don’t know how yet, other than being the calm voice of reason when she flies off the handle.

Anjali sat up with me for a bit and we had a nice talk about how she needs to work on communicating better with Jeff and I about what she is needing and feeling, and I will work on staying calm and being a better example to her of how to handle emotions. Jeff may have been the one who lost his temper this time, but I have had my fair share of moments where I was the one who went berserk. Parenting during this time is quite challenging, but I know with God’s help and grace we will all make it through it successfully and without killing each other!

Here are a few pictures of our free noon date on Saturday!

Monday May 6, 2019

Psalm 119:169 Let my cry come before you, O Lord; give me understanding according to your word.

I had the hospital shift today and there were 5 of us for 2 children on one floor and 3 children on the other. So we divided ourselves up amongst the two floors. It was a very quiet shift, but still very rewarding, as it usually is. I mean really, snuggling babies is such a wonderful way to spend a morning.

Today was also the first day of my 108 day yoga challenge. I started this particular yoga program (The Ultimate Yogi) several years ago and have continued my practice through the years, though not as consistent as I would have liked. I was so excited to hear that there was a challenge that starts today and so I joined up on Facebook. This is a way to keep me accountable in making sure I get my yoga and meditation in every day. I am ready for the challenge. I started my day today with the ab workout and then did the flow practice when I got home from the hospital.

After that was done Jeff and I headed out to mail a package to our family back in India on the mission. We sponsor a child there and his birthday is next week. I really wish we could have sent this off sooner to ensure it gets there by his birthday, but it just didn’t happen. I really enjoyed this walk with Jeff, just the two of us. I feel that we have had a shift in our relationship, we now have more time to just be together without the children. Our kids have gotten to the age that we are able to leave them alone for an hour or two, which affords us the chance to just be together and have adult conversations without the input from little ones. I am cherishing these moments because it almost feels like we are dating again. I guess I am just realizing that we are entering a new chapter in our relationship and in our family. I know there will be a time when I miss my children being around, but for the moment I am enjoying the times that they aren’t!

I still haven’t heard anything on any of the various jobs I have applied to, which is a bit discouraging, but I guess this is where today’s scripture comes into play. Without even knowing it, this has been my prayer for a while now, asking God to give me “understanding according to His word”. He has a plan, I just don’t know what it is yet. But after this weekend and the conversations that Jeff and I have had (alone!) we have decided that it would be beneficial for me to acquire my license to practice social work in Wisconsin. So I was able to get my application submitted and the process started today. I am hopeful that within the next 3 months or so I will be a licensed social worker, which will open up many more job opportunities to me.

Sunday May 5, 2019

John 2:23-25 When he was in Jerusalem during the Passover festival, many believed in his name because they saw the signs that he was doing. But Jesus on his part would not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people and needed no one to testify about anyone; for he himself knew what was in everyone.

Happy Cinco de Mayo!!!

Today we split up as a family, Jeff took the younger two kids down to the school for Junii, which is another celebration of Easter here in Romania, complete with a horse parade, while Anjali and I headed to church. Here is a snippet of the parade:

We all met up together at the house for lunch and then a quiet evening at home with the hope of having Mexican food and margaritas to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, but those plans fell through. The kids had something easy for dinner, while Jeff and I had a quick ravioli toss after the kids went to bed.

I was able to do get the process of obtaining my license all figured out and should be able to submit everything on Monday. I even started the readings that I will need to. I am so happy to be doing this because the types of jobs that I will now be qualified will be much more prolific. We also started looking at apartments in the same area where we were before and have at least narrowed our search down to a few.

The peace and calmness I have experience today is so wonderful. God knew that I needed this direction and because He knows me better than I do, knew just how to present it to us so we would understand. What is so funny is that this path has been here all along, we just were not following it.

Saturday May 4, 2019

Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace

Today was such a wonderful day. We all woke up, had a nice breakfast and then headed into town to see the art fair and to acquire that last few things we needed for the box to India (thankfully we found everything we were looking for).

The kids were tired and wanted to go home, so for the first time ever, we walked them to the street leading up to our apartment and they walked home by themselves while Jeff and I headed into town for some lunch.

We ended up eating at La Ceaun right on the square. This was such a wonderful afternoon of sitting outside, getting rained on, and drinking wine (beer for Jeff). We talked for hours as we sipped our drinks and believe it or not we finally agreed that going back to Madison is the best decision at this moment. God has not led us anywhere else, so why are we stressing about trying to make a new plan? We also agreed that I needed to acquire my Social Work license for Wisconsin because it will open up many more job opportunities. I can’t even begin to tell you how much better we both felt after we made this commitment. We have been waiting on a job to tell us where to go, instead of following what was planned all along. We both sat back and, for the first time in a while, relaxed. We had a plan, a direction, a path and if God wanted to change it He would and we would listen, but for now, this is it! Now comes the leg work of getting my license and the us finding an apartment and a job for Jeff.

The only problem was that when we stood up to leave, the four glasses of wine I had hit me really hard. I realized quickly that I had had too much! I felt so irresponsible. By the time we got home I went straight to bed, while Jeff and Anjali headed out to play ultimate frisbee David helped manage both himself and Lucia. I could not believe that I did that, I guess I let it get away from me because I was so relieved to have a plan for after this year. I still make poor choices as adult, thankfully not as often as I did when I was younger!

Friday May 3, 2019

Proverbs 27:17 Iron sharpens iron, and one person sharpens the wits of another.

We did some school this morning and while I was getting ready for my hospital shift this afternoon Jeff took David to get his haircut and then they were going to run a few errands to pick up the last items for our box to India.

I had the hospital shift this afternoon. It was a very relaxed shift with only a few babies to snuggle, which worked out well for me and Ann. I really just love coming to the hospital and spending time with these children. They blossom and come alive when we are there and it is so heartwarming. I can tell that it is going to be very hard to leave here, but it will help that they have had several new Romanian students come forward to volunteer. This is great for the FFR program because they are building a local group of young adults that are bringing in new friends to help.

It was a bit of a crazy afternoon for Jeff. We had planned for the kids downstairs to come and watch a movie this evening and Anjali was heading off to teen night at the church, but there was some difficulty in the 5 kids selecting a movie (weird, huh!) After several messages back and forth with Jeff, I guess the kids decided to watch the LEGO movie and watch it downstairs. Amy was so sweet and told us to enjoy the hour without kids, so we sat upstairs with some wine and talked about what our plan should be when this year is done. We are not any closer to a decision, but I guess talking about it is a start.

Given what Jeff and I were discussing this evening, I guess we were right on cue with the scripture. Neither one of is ready to make a decision yet, nor do we feel called in one direction or another, but doing this together is much better. This whole journey has been us making decisions together. When we do this one may see something or hear something that the other doesn’t and it opens more doors and opportunities to hearing God’s call.

Sunday April 28, 2019

Isaiah 30:21 And when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left, your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”

Happy Orthodox Easter! This is so weird to be celebrating Christ’s resurrection again, but we are embracing it. I guess in reality we need to be celebrating this event every single day, because every day is a celebration of Christ’s sacrifice and resurrection.

Jeff took the family to church this morning, but I was still feeling pretty tired after the last 2 days. I stayed in bed and rested, which gave me an opportunity to do some more job searches. I am excited to have found several possibilities, but am worried that I will continue to run into the problem that I haven’t worked for the last 12 years, so my job experience is quite out-dated. I know that I have a great work ethic and I will do my very best in any position that I acquire, but I need someone to take a chance on me and give me the opportunity to prove my abilities.

This scripture is a wonderful reminder of God’s plan for me, as long as I am willing to listen to that voice behind me saying “This is the way; walk in it”. So I have made a decision to apply for all jobs that fall in line with my experience and passions, and trust in the Lord to show me the way; He will guide me. This does make me a bit nervous because some of these jobs are not in Madison and some not even in the States. But I have faith that God will place us where we need to be.

Yesterday at the grocery store we picked up some Romanian seasoned pork to grill. I am not sure what “Romanian seasoned pork” actually is, but I do know it tastes wonderful. We had a great meal together as a family and finished the evening with a game of Exploding Kittens.

Wednesday March 27, 2019

“The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” John 1:17

John, chapter 1. The Gospel’s version of Genesis perhaps. “In the beginning…” Beginnings mean hope, optimism, freedom, courage, and opportunity. This year has been about beginnings every day. With each new day we have a new opportunity to make an impact, to show God’s love reflected in not just our words but in our actions. Today was certainly no different.

I had the morning shift at the hospital with Katie and Calah. We are very fortunate that Calah has come back as we had 9 babies on just one floor alone. We were also fortunate that the nursing students are on rotation this month as we had another 5 babies on another floor with whom they were able to spend time.

All in all it worked out okay as we rotated nicely through but it reminded me that every day we face uncertainty about what we will find, be it in the hospital or anywhere else. This uncertainty though is a true blessing because it means that every day we have an opportunity to employ the grace and truth given to us by Jesus. I came across a post on Facebook about the great Alabama coach Paul “Bear” Bryant. The short video relates that Bear always had a poem in his jacket pocket that he read every day. One of those poems reads as follows:

Following my shift Sara and I met up in the Support Center where she and the kids were busily making baby bundles. We wrapped up this week’s requirement and then I walked the kids home. Sara ended up taking on the newborn feeding shift and then came home late that afternoon. While we prepped dinner the concept of beginnings took root as we discussed future plans, jobs, locations, family. What I found most exciting and energizing was that despite all the uncertainty of what tomorrow might look like, we both faced it without fear or apprehension. I was also so amazed and inspired by my children. When we talked with them about some of our thoughts they rose to the occasion and recognized that they could make sacrifices too for others and that those sacrifices would be worth every second of hardship for the love that they would reflect. We all understood that we were well equipped by God’s law, grace, and mercy.

We realized that while the opportunity was great, there would be a cost. But the price we pay is negligible next to the price paid by Jesus for us. There is no monetary cost nor inconvenience that I can imagine that could compare. I am so thankful that the Lord called to Sara and me and asked us to take up this mission. I am not sure what the results will be but I am certain that I am more prepared than ever in my life to make the most of each and every day and to do it with the grace and truth that Jesus gave to us all.

Thursday March 21, 2019

Song of Solomon (Song of Songs) 2:11-13 for now the winter is past, the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth; the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land. The fig tree puts forth its figs, and the vines are in blossom; they give forth fragrance. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.

Happy Spring! Today marks the first day of spring, hence the beautiful reading from the Song of Songs. Winter is gone and now begins new life to the earth. I do love spring for this very reason, all of the trees and flowers that were dormant are starting to look alive again and there is a promise of more to come. With each new bud there is a new hope for tomorrow, something to look forward to in the coming days. As a family we have a lot of new opportunities ahead of us, we just don’t know what they are yet! We have seen a few new buds with the possibility of new careers, but I am sure that there are more to come.

The kids must have known the Bible verse for today because they were amazing today. Anjali got invited to help out with the Kid’s Club program that FFR facilitates in Budila (about 30 minutes from Braşov) with Steffi. Jeff went to the hospital and I stayed back to teach David and Lucia. With all of us going our separate ways today I realized how much I am going to miss our family being together all the time. Yes, there have been many times that I want to strangle my children and I am sure they feel the same too, but I am really going to miss how much we get to be together. I get to experience their silly voices and games, their obscure thoughts, and their love and joy for life because I am with them all day, every day. When this year is done and they go back to school I will only see them before and after school and when they don’t have activities in the evenings. I know that we will all be ready for our own space and our time away from each other, but this year was such a wonderful opportunity to spend quality time with my kids, as a family, before they grow up and really go their separate ways. I am so thankful for this opportunity and the strength that God gave to both Jeff and me to follow through on His calling.