Out and About

Accompanying the children on field trips to various places in Romania is one of the few benefits of the influx of volunteers here.  On Tuesday we ventured to the gorgeous town of Sinaia (30km away in the mountains) to visit the Castel Peleș. Because of its popularity, we had to wait in line for several groups, some of whom came out of nowhere and entered before us.  As one group made their way through the masses one of the Italian volunteers murmered, "They're American, they have the money."  I turned and smiled at her because the statement probably rang true.  At the same time the children all began excitedly telling me "they're American" and pointing as they passed by.  They are all very proud when people from the US visit their country. 

After almost an hour of waiting we finally went inside the castle-- definitely a gorgeous piece of architecture and craftsmanship.  While I only understood random bits and pieces of what the guide said, most of the castle contains original furniture and decor from the 1600-1700s and has required little restoration.  Most of the children enjoyed seeing parts of the castel but could have easily zipped through in a third of the time the 45-minute tour lasted.  Nevertheless I was impressed by their behavior inside.  After the castle we had a picnic lunch near the forest, and then went to a nearby playground to let the children run around. 

 



The group at Castel Peleș

Another fun thing I did with the volunteers was walk to the supermarket with the children, as mundane as that sounds to many of us.  For some of the children this marked the first time they saw the inside.  Even for those who had been before the chance to go again was a rare adventure.  With almost a one-to-one ratio of adults to children, we took each child through the aisles to look at everything the store sold.  The children enjoyed pointing out each type of food and stating whether or not they liked it.  Many of them passed up and down the aisles several times, intrigued by the vastness of the store (even though it contains only 9 aisles).  After spending quite awhile in the store each child picked out an ice cream to experience going through the check-out line.  When sitting outside to eat their ice cream many children asked questions about the beggars and gypsies standing around the doors.  Unfortunately my feeble responses were inadequate to explain their circumstances.  Exposure to these situations definitely helps the children see the social circumstances that surround us, and will be useful as Iulia and I try to teach them empathy.  Again, I was impressed by the children's behavior inside the store, as well as during the long trek to and from.  The fact that almost half of the children are now in Italy or various homes in Romania makes trips like this much easier (albeit this doesn't help with the consistency of participating in the activities Iulia and I are implementing.)

This marks the half-way point of my journey here.  While I continually experience frustrations, barriers, and set-backs, I am eager to see what the next 8 weeks bring.  At the same time I am eager to return home to see family and friends, as well as indulge in conversations in English.  I can truly say this has been a great learning experience thus far that will provide necessary knowledge in pursuing similar work in my future.  Plus I'll have learned a new language (and pieces of another one)!  Thank you to those praying for me and supporting me-- God has been working in me and through me each day.  Perseverence, diligence, tenacity, and patience represent the key characteristics as I move forward.  And so, I keep pressing onward.