Timisoara, Romania

Greetings from Timisoara, Romania! Internet access is about a 15 minute walk from our hotel, so this will likely be my only post until Matt and I return on November 21.

When I think about the past several days in Romania, my overall impression is simply this: God is in control (and conversely, I am not!). The people here are wonderful, and very personable. The country itself is very beautiful. We are about five hours out of Budapest, Hungary in the city of Timisoara, where the 1989 Revolution against Communism first began. It's unreal to walk through the town square and see bullet holes in buildings where the very first shots were fired; and to talk to our coordinator and translators and hear their stories of what their lives were like under Communism. To think that anyone our age would remember (and have lived through) that kind of oppression is difficult to grasp.

The team is doing very well. As you know, our coordinator Dora is eight months pregnant - or so I thought. When I arrived, she told me she is actually 36 weeks pregnant...you do the math. One more area that I can't control, and therefore have to give to God!

The main area of yielding is in the schools. The teacher's strike, which we were hoping would end on Monday, is now in it's second full week and does not show any signs of ending before we leave. Apparently, the teachers in this area are especially strong, and are not relenting where other areas are (!). This of course is problematic, since we had a week of schools lined up for the team to work in. However, God had provided some amazing ministry opportunities in some smaller village schools that have remained open, in some private Christian schools where we were able to encourage the youth, a school for deaf/mute kids, and in a children's hospital. Tomorrow we will be visiting two orphanages, one of which is for special-needs kids. So, the opportunities have been very different than expected, and it is hard to release the ministry that we had hoped we would have - but it is very clear to us that God is sovereign and we are walking within His will.

My theme verses for this trip, by the way - 1 Peter 5:7 and 2 Thess. 3:16. It's been very difficult, but God is providing in so many ways. Thank you for all of your prayers. We would not be able to work without them.

Love,
Kathryn