Well-adjusted

(NOTE:  Each time I post there will be a general post about life and a more specific post about my OT apprenticeship-- I have confidence you can make the distinction on your own.)

This first week has been a series of many blessings.

As I'm sure many of you are wondering, my luggage was delivered to me on Tuesday (surprisingly) and was completely intact.

All the children, staff, and caregivers have welcomed me with open arms and wonderful hospitality.  Each day I am showered with hugs, kisses, and questions from the children-- they are all very curious to know who I am and why I am here.  After work we play games together ("4 in linea"), play outside, or teach each other our native languages.  One of their favorite games is, "What is this?".  Thankfully the children are graciously forgiving and patient with my poor Romanian skills.  They are quick to correct my pronunciation and grammar, and (most) understand they need to speak very slowly and simply. 

At each meal the cooks prepare ample amounts and varieties of food to assure that I will not go hungry.  My typical diet consists of: warm milk and an apple with peanut butter (brought from home) for breakfast; fresh salad, an apple (or banana), and a rice/potato dish with veggies/beans for lunch and dinner.  Most of the meals are served with meat, but I choose not to eat it.  The head cook gets a kick out of my basic Romanian skills as we struggle to communicate.  Generally I eat with a few of the sisters in a dining room separate from that of the children.  Silence tends to dominate our time together with a few attempts at communicating sporadically-- I hope this will change soon.  Because the orphanage is funded by a church in Italy and accommodates many groups of Italian volunteers both the children and staff know Italian as well.  While this can be helpful at times because of the similarities with Spanish, I find that it is mostly confusing because they switch back and forth without warning.  Similar to our term "Spanglish", I have dubbed this "Romaniano". 

Each morning I get up around 6:15am to run-- another topic the children love to talk about.  "We saw you running this morning", they always tell me.  The cool, refreshing air and the beautiful view of the mountains makes a great start to my day (that is, until I must run back up the hill).  A new adventure awaits me every morning as I navigate through the town and find a suitable route (an apt foreshadow for my day at the orphanage).  Plus, in the US it's not everyday you see someone walking their cows up the road.

At night (after I finish interacting with the children) "Google Translate" becomes my best friend as I work hard to learn the language.  New words, phrases, and grammar lessons inundate my brain, but I am well prepared to face the flood.  If anything, my impatience in learning the language is the biggest barrier-- I want to learn all of it right now!  Slowly I move through the process until my skills have increased.  Then I take some time to unwind, relax with Jesus, and reflect on the day.  And glorious, indeed, is every day.