Thursday, July 30th
was a cultural experience.
Because we were picked up and transported to DH2 by Ghita. We exited the vehicle to see the most fantastic display before us: loud, "musica populara" playing (Romanian folk: accordions, pan flutes, synthesizers, mandolins), girls in headbands and aprons chopping up vegetables, and some sort of steamer sitting in the middle of the field surrounded by smashed vegetables on the ground. Zacuscă! This is a vegetable spread that is very popular in Romania: peppers, eggplant, tomatoes, onions, all stewed and then put into jars. I am not a fan myself, but spent four of my Thursday chopping tomatoes for the concoction. I had good conversation with one of the girls, E****, who has become very dear to me. She has bipolar disorder, and has been so open with me in regards to what she goes through with the disorder. The other girl I talked to today has intimidated me since day one, but somehow chopping vegetables brings two people closer together. It seems that once again God decided to blow away my expectations, because most of my preconceptions about the girls thus far have been shaken. This one is a very sweet girl, and I was encouraged at how easy it was to talk to her...in Romanian! I'm getting better! Lunch today was a thin rice soup, followed by salata de vinete (an eggplant spread of sorts), bread and tomatoes. My mother would be blown away to know that I actually LIKE salata de vinete now. Something else I have gotten used to is eating tomatoes like they're apples. At breakfast I hold a tomato in one hand and a slice of cheese in the other: bite from the left, bite from the right. Romania is good to me :)
Ashley and I made cookies for the girls, and it seems our little American recipe has become quite the hit! Today we learned just how much food can bring people together.
was uneventful.
Because Sanda was still in the hospital, and because most of the girls were still at home visiting their relatives before their big Ireland adventure. So, Ashley and I took the opportunity to stay home and help the family clean. I had a few translations to do for Ionut, but outside of that, it was a day for us to process things with each other and plan how to best use the rest of our time. It was a good day, and I don't feel it was a waste just because we didn't go to DH. Rozi (host mother) has been using the boxload of tomatoes we brought from DH in every meal, and it makes me happy. Hers aren't ripe yet, and are an absolute necessity for any Romanian household in the summer. Just glad I could help :)
I spent a lot of time in the word today, and it has been refreshing to take a breather and converse with God about some things. I feel like I've been consuming so much information and real-life training and stories that it all started to run together. I searched for God, for clarity, and I'm starting to sort through this incredible experience. More than anything, I'm learning what it means that God is strength.
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