Day 9 - Thursday, 9 June 2011
Posted by Daphne Nicely on Friday, June 10, 2011
Up bright and early and off to Grace Christian School (GCS). Every morning we eat breakfast and at the school and every afternoon we eat lunch there as well. We helped clean the lunch room and then participated in a few English Classes. We were then called upon to watch a class for a teacher that had to leave. She was showing them a video when we entered the romm and as she was leaving she said to me in Romanian when it's over just hit "Replay". We thought that sounded simple enough except for the fact that she didn't tell us that the video was less than 5 minutes long. It is incredible how unruly a group of bored 4 and 5 year olds can become when they have a substitute teacher. Especially one who they know doesn't know what they're saying and therefore one they can seemingly ignore. Unfortunately for them I do know how to say, "Be quiet", "Sit down" "Listen" and "Be still" in Romanian. Unfortunately for us they didn't care. Then we were delivered (cue the Hallelujah chorus). Someone had arrived at the school and we were told that we would be taken to see a recently purchased farm and to hear the vision for the ministry that will take place there.
The farm is about 10 minutes outside of Lugoj and situated on a very large piece of property. There will be housing provided for the farmhands and other employees. A bed and breakfast (for the "City Slickers" who want to rough it) and restaurant. It will be able to host special events and tours, educational programs and job training amongst other things. The farm will also have several dozen Holstein cows (for dairy products) and some other type of cow for beef products. FYI: At this time, cows in Romania are used primarily for milk products and the beef is not of a good quality or grade (reminiscent of shoe leather in flavor and texture). The beef produced by these cows will be of superior quality and quite desirable. The farm will be used to provide education, experience and jobs for adult orphans!
We returned to GCS for lunch and then headed over to PC 3/4. As always we spent time with the young people. A young woman asked me to wach a film on You Tube. The footage had been shot in the early 1990's at some point after the Romanian Revolution of December 1989. The film documented some of the many abuses and atrocities committed at a "home" for handicapped children in Bucharest. At this one orphanage alone 137 children had died due to various causes. It was absolutely heartbreaking and I wept as I watched and remembered the public rage and outcry when we in the US and the rest of the world saw the images of the Romanian orphans over 20 years ago. Then two of the (older) young women, both in their early 20's shared about the abuses they had experienced before the system was overhauled (i.e. cold baths, beatings...). I was just so heartbroken and devestated by the pain and suffering they had experienced and I sobbed openly. I'm still shedding tears everytime I think about it and with every keystroke I am making as I type this out. We were created in the image of God and He valued us enough to send Jesus to die for us. What right do we, as people, have to devalue any human life?
That evening Dean, Didi and I walked to the Olariu home where Haley and Sandra are staying. The Senior Pastor of One Heart Church, Gearl Spicer, arrived this afternoon and the Family Olariu is also serving as his host. We had a wonderful meal and time of fellowship and then walked back to Grace Baptist Church. The Beer Festival is in town this weekend and we stopped by to do some people watching. There is one concession stand, Betty Ice Cream, that is spectacular. They actually have Cantaloupe flavored ice cream (who'd have thunk) that is awesome! The Beer Festival is less than half a block from GBC. All the rides have music, there are live bands and music over the loud speakers. I wonder if we will be able to hear it at night and what time it will end. Hmh???
It sprinkled throughout the day. Dean is a little under the weather and started a course of antibiotics today.
The farm is about 10 minutes outside of Lugoj and situated on a very large piece of property. There will be housing provided for the farmhands and other employees. A bed and breakfast (for the "City Slickers" who want to rough it) and restaurant. It will be able to host special events and tours, educational programs and job training amongst other things. The farm will also have several dozen Holstein cows (for dairy products) and some other type of cow for beef products. FYI: At this time, cows in Romania are used primarily for milk products and the beef is not of a good quality or grade (reminiscent of shoe leather in flavor and texture). The beef produced by these cows will be of superior quality and quite desirable. The farm will be used to provide education, experience and jobs for adult orphans!
We returned to GCS for lunch and then headed over to PC 3/4. As always we spent time with the young people. A young woman asked me to wach a film on You Tube. The footage had been shot in the early 1990's at some point after the Romanian Revolution of December 1989. The film documented some of the many abuses and atrocities committed at a "home" for handicapped children in Bucharest. At this one orphanage alone 137 children had died due to various causes. It was absolutely heartbreaking and I wept as I watched and remembered the public rage and outcry when we in the US and the rest of the world saw the images of the Romanian orphans over 20 years ago. Then two of the (older) young women, both in their early 20's shared about the abuses they had experienced before the system was overhauled (i.e. cold baths, beatings...). I was just so heartbroken and devestated by the pain and suffering they had experienced and I sobbed openly. I'm still shedding tears everytime I think about it and with every keystroke I am making as I type this out. We were created in the image of God and He valued us enough to send Jesus to die for us. What right do we, as people, have to devalue any human life?
That evening Dean, Didi and I walked to the Olariu home where Haley and Sandra are staying. The Senior Pastor of One Heart Church, Gearl Spicer, arrived this afternoon and the Family Olariu is also serving as his host. We had a wonderful meal and time of fellowship and then walked back to Grace Baptist Church. The Beer Festival is in town this weekend and we stopped by to do some people watching. There is one concession stand, Betty Ice Cream, that is spectacular. They actually have Cantaloupe flavored ice cream (who'd have thunk) that is awesome! The Beer Festival is less than half a block from GBC. All the rides have music, there are live bands and music over the loud speakers. I wonder if we will be able to hear it at night and what time it will end. Hmh???
It sprinkled throughout the day. Dean is a little under the weather and started a course of antibiotics today.