10.

Today, we were on our own at DH. Sanda was sick today, so we had to fend for ourselves. We weren't quite sure what we were going to do with ourselves, but it ended up being one of our busier days. It was quality, I tell you. We talked for a couple of hours about our meeting with Lorena on Friday. We had so many ideas that I scribbled down in my notebook, and Ashley and I were finally able to talk about them. There are certain teenage/young lady issues that Lorena wanted Ashley and I to talk to the girls about, so we were sorting out our thoughts on boyfriends and body image. Meaning I have a list of vocabulary words I need to learn in Romanian. When the girls came home from their sleepover at DH2, we quickly were swept into the courtyard where we sat on the ground and played Uno. And then "Nu te supara frate!", which is basically Romanian "Sorry!", but with a much longer title. We spent time on the swing, talking and taking photos. It has been so nice to get to know the younger girls this way. After lunch, B*****, a girl newer to DH showed us around Giarmata. It was incredibly beautiful, and we found ourselves on many shaded paths. She showed us the school, churches, old ruins, springs, and helped us pick corcoduse (tiny plums that the US completely LACKS). This girl is so dear to us, and it was so great to spend a few hours of quality time with her. She is typically the "boss", it seems--very bold, always telling people to "okay, come on!". But today she was softer and relaxed. She opened up and told us her story and her aspirations. I'm so grateful to have been there to take genuine interest in her and remind her of her worth. The day went by so fast! All of a sudden we found ourselves at the bus stop, waiting with two of the other younger girls for the next bus to Timisoara. They wanted to accompany us, and so the four of us sat on the bench, white roses in hand, talking about little things. It was a pleasant and refreshing day of constantly pouring into people. I so wish I were able to post photos of these girls, so my descriptions can feel less flat. I say this in every post, but these girls are truly incredible.