Whitney's Romanian Adventure

Ending Quote

2008-08-13T00:15:00.001-07:00

The next two days were not exciting...I packed and got ready to leave for my 10 day trip around Europe. In conclusion to this blog I would like to end with my favorite quote:

"No individual has the right to go into this world or go out of it without leaving behind him distinct and legitimate reasons for having passed through it." - George Washington Carver

I hope I did in Romania.

The Final Goodbye!

2008-08-13T00:12:00.000-07:00

August 11, 2008 (Tuesday)
The Lord’s Hand in my Life: Feelings of peace and comfort after I said goodbye to Andrei and my orphan kids.

This morning I woke up feeling sick. I knew I had to say goodbye to all my kids. I was not excited about it…not at all. I met Whitney S. at her apartment to print something off for Andrei and then we made our way to the orphanage for the last time. I was dreading going – because I knew it would mean goodbye forever.

When we walked into the orphanage I couldn’t help but think that it was the last time I would walk through those doors and smell that smell of mashed up food. We got our scrubs on and I grudgingly went up the stairs. The second we walked upstairs the first little person I was saw was Andrei sitting at a kid’s table. He signaled for me to come to him with his hand and did a big cheesy smile and laugh. I waved at him and signaled to him that I would come in a few minutes. I wanted to say goodbye to my kids in the other room first and Andrei last. Whitney S. and I went into the other room for about 15 minutes and quickly said goodbye to our kids and kissed them. Then we went to the other room.

I hate reality sometimes. I hate it even more when reality doesn’t feel real. That’s what it felt like when I walked into the second room. I kissed my kids goodbye, and then I turned on a cd that I had burned and danced with Andrei to a couple of songs. In between songs I gave Andrei his gifts. The second I gave him the stuffed monkey he kissed it – I was glad he liked it. It made me feel good. Then I opened the photo album and showed him the pictures of the girls and me that were in it, and he looked at it intently and smiled. I was really surprised because he is three. I didn’t think it would interest him in the slightest. It made me feel good that he recognized I was in the pictures, and he seemed quite pleased. In between songs Whitney S. and I also asked the workers if we could take a picture with them and Lumie said “Yes, and you with Andrei?” I was like “yes!” So I got a couple pictures of Andrei and I on my last day which is amazing because they normally don’t allow them. At least I have something to remember him by.

As we danced Andrei was his usual cute self. He kept giving me hugs, winks and smiles. He is the best dance partner ever – I’m going to miss him dearly. Then the last song I danced to with him was I Hope You Dance by LeeAnn Womack. I had remained strong (when I say that I mean I hadn’t cried) until the end of the song – that’s when I fell to pieces. I started bawling. One of the workers came in and said they were going outside so Whitney S. and I decided we would help the workers take the kids outside and then leave. I put Andrei in the swing for the last time and pushed him in it for a few minutes as I continued to cry. I looked across the playground and Whitney S. was bawling too. After a couple minutes Whitney S. signaled to me that we needed to go. I knew we needed to go…after all this was torture, but when I tried to get my feet to move it was like they couldn’t. I felt like my feet were in cement, like I couldn’t take the step because once I stepped it would be stepping away from him forever…Finally I forced my feet to move, kissed him one last time and walked away. It was the worst feeling ever. I would be gone, and he would have no idea why. When Whitney S. and I got into the dressing room to get changed out of our scrubs we both looked at each other, hugged one another and started bawling. In between sobs I was like “I just hope the Lord takes care of our kids.” Whitney S. replied “He will, he will.” I know He will…but it’s still hard to leave – really hard.

Before we left the orphanage I left my orphanage shoes for Maria (one of the workers). She had requested my shoes a couple weeks after I arrived at the orphanage. I have been given so much I figured what the heck she can have them. Then we left for the last time.

As Whitney S. and I walked back to our apartment and we were able to stop crying I felt feelings of peace. Heavenly Father answered my prayers. Even though it was horrible to say goodbye to him, I knew it was what was necessary for me to do at this time. The Lord is so aware of us. Thank goodness.

After I got home I worked on some homework the best I could. Then Kenz came home. Her and Mindy had gone to say goodbye to their kids after us. She came in and was like “I have to tell you something.” She said that she saw Andrei sitting at the little table in the lunch room eating and smiling and when he saw them walk in he looked up and gave them the nod that guys always do. I was cracking up! He is so cute. He is such a little charmer. It just breaks my heart that he has no idea what’s going on. Maybe it’s better he doesn’t know that I’m gone forever, but as of right now he thinks I’m coming back just like I always do.

I talked to Mario on the telephone. I wanted to make sure the workers kept the photo album for him in a safe place. Mario said she would personally make sure they keep it for him and that she would check on it from time to time. She said that she would make sure that he knew I was a part of his life – a part of his history. That made me happy.

A few hours later we made our way to the hospital for the last time. I said goodbye to all the regular kiddos Alexandra, Mihait, the twins and Marion. They are all so cute! I’m going to miss seeing every one of their faces. In Alexandra’s room there were a bunch of girls, and I put fake tattoos on their arms that I had brought. They loved it! They thought it was the neatest things ever. Then I walked away and said goodbye forever.

When we got home we had a group dinner because we hadn’t Sunday because Sora Genevias. Then we went straight to our final Family Home Evening. We had a lesson by Radu and played Musical Chairs and Do you love your neighbor? for the activity. It was a lot of fun, but musical chairs was getting pretty aggressive. Elyse will buck you out of your chair at all costs. Then Kenz was on one – she was so hyper. During the lesson I kept trying to listen and she would make some goofy comment. I was having a hard time concentrating. Then to make matters worse for the opening song they sang Love At Home. I have hated that song ever since my parents would always sing it to us when we were fighting in order to help create peace. The girls all know I dislike that song so they looked at me and smiled and sang it extra loud. Thank you girls – thank you!

My mom called soon after I got home from Family Home Evening to make sure I was feeling okay about saying goodbye to Andrei and my kids. She said she had been thinking about me all day and cried when she thought about me saying goodbye to him. It meant a lot to me that she was concerned enough to call me and see how I was doing. I told her that it was hard to say goodbye, but that I felt peaceful about things…She said she had been praying really hard for me. The prayers of my parents and mine were answered…

After I talked with my mom we decided to have roommate bonding time for the last time. We went outside and looked out over the city and chatted about family traditions and other random topics. As we were looking outside I looked up and saw the moon. I remember when I was real little and I had to go back and forth between my parents my dad told me that if I was missing him to look at the moon because the moon meant “Daddy loves you.” He always told me that when I looked at the moon he was looking at the same moon and he wasn’t far away…good memories.

Then I did my fifth and hopefully final scabies treatment and went to bed after an emotionally exhausting day.

2008-08-13T00:09:00.000-07:00

August 10, 2008 (Sunday)
The Lord’s Hand in my Life: Writing a goodbye letter to Andrei (my little three-year-old monkey) expressing how much I love him and how much he is loved by the Lord.

I was exhausted when I woke up this morning. We all got to bed really really late, and I felt the effects. I literally had to pull myself out of bed.

During sacrament I should have been listening more intently, but I was tired and I couldn’t focus because I was worried about saying goodbye to my kids the next day – especially Andrei. So I wrote a letter to Andrei during sacrament meeting. I decided to put the letter in an envelope in the photo album I bought him so someday he will be able to read it. Then I gave it to the Elders and had them translate it in Romanian. This is what it said:

Dear Andrei:
I wanted to write you a letter to express how much I have grown to love and care about you over the short time I have been here. The first day I walked into the orphanage you instantly ran to me, and you have been by my side ever since. You have been the light of my life everyday and for that I thank you. Your three year old brown eyes, smile and flirtatious wink instantly stole my heart, and I will always remember you and the impact you’ve had on my life.
Andrei, I want you to know that you are loved dearly by a loving Father in Heaven and that He is aware of any trial, pain or heartache you will experience in your life. Andrei, you are an intelligent, loving, serving and carling little boy – never forget that! You have so much potential to accomplish great things! Take advantage of the opportunity to do good, and the Lord will bless you.
Saying goodbye to you Andrei is one of the hardest things I’ll ever have to do, but I’m trusting the Lord will take care of you in my absence. You will always be in my prayers and reside in my heart. I love you like you were my own son! Someday I will be able to tell you again face-to-face!

With Love, Whitney Alexander

P.S. I know that Jesus Christ lives and that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true.

I felt peaceful after I wrote the letter. I think I needed to write it in order to feel closure about the entire situation – even if he won’t know what it says until later. Later in life when Andrei wonders if anyone ever cared about him I want him to know that someone did very very much. He will always know that someone loved him.

During sacrament I made a bit of a fool of myself and Sora Stoica started laughing so hard she was practically crying. There was a young girl sitting next to her that I had never seen before and even though she was blonde I just assumed she was Romanian, so I looked over and to be nice asked “Cum te cheama?” (What’s your name?) I soon found out she was American and she had come to Romania five years ago and worked in the same program. Sora Stoica thought it was the funniest thing that I talked to her in Romanian and she was an English speaker. Leave it to me to do something like that.

Because it was the last Sunday we said our goodbyes. I hate goodbyes so much. We printed out a group picture we had taken with the Branch and gave them each a cd full of pictures that we had taken from the last couple of months. I think they enjoyed them. Then we ate banana cake.

After church I went to the girls’ apartment and did the video because I had time. We decided to put together a video for each girl where we each say our favorite characteristic and memory about them. That way we will each have a video – it will be a great keepsake. I had a lot of fun doing mine. I can’t wait for them to watch the recording I did on each of them. Especially Elyse – she is in for a treat!

On the way to Sora Geneviva’s in the evening we ran into this English guy who had stopped us on the street earlier on the way home from church. He was probably in his early 30s and very buff. He was from Great Britain and heard us speaking English and decided to find out why we were in Romania. We told him we were doing volunteer work here, and he thought that was neat. Then we told him we were going to London in about a week and he gave us all kinds of suggestions of things to do. He gave us his phone number and card and told us we should meet up with him and he’d show us around. He was really nice, but I don’t know why he’d care to help us out around the town. Hmmmm…

After a quick chat we made our way to Sora Geneviva’s house. She had asked us at church to come to dinner at her house, but we told her we already had plans. So we said we would come to say goodbye, but that we didn’t need dinner. She said she would only fix us a “little something to eat.” We should have known that wouldn’t be true. Luckily we decided not to eat before we went over just in case…because we have discovered several times over that Romanians feel it is essential to feed you if you’re a guest. Boy was I glad we didn’t eat when we arrived! She made us a “little something” which consisted of a bowl of soup, eggs, bread, French fries, deep fried salami, cheese, herbal tea and crepes. Haha…love Romanians.

In between courses we all had fun playing with Ionut (Sora Geneviva’s 23 year old son who has disabilities). He is such a character! I played the card game War with him for a while, but then switched with Mindy after I got bored. She took one for the team.

After dinner some of us girls tried to sneak in and do the dishes while the other girls distracted her. We only got two dishes done when she came charging into the kitchen knocking us all out of the way. The girls who had been trying to distract her were following behind her trying to keep her out of the kitchen – it didn’t work. She was so set on us not doing the dishes she grabbed the dish Kenz was washing out of her hands and it broke in the process. Then she quickly shooed us all out. We were all laughing pretty hard. Then she made us dance in a circle for a while. We had to wedge ourselves out the door – she didn’t want us to leave. We had so much fun though! It was a blast! I’m just grateful we didn’t eat before we went.

At home I put Andrei’s gift together and the missionaries dropped off the translated version of the letter. I’m really nervous about tomorrow, but I’m really excited to give him his gifts. I talked to my mom for a bit and that was nice. She helped calm me down about saying goodbye to Andrei. She said she would keep me in her prayers. I just hope that my last moments with him will be good, and that I will feel comfort when I leave him, because I’ve been freaking out tonight about saying goodbye.

2008-08-13T00:07:00.000-07:00

August 9, 2008 (Saturday)
The Lord’s Hand in my Life: We didn’t get sick from eating mici at the branch barbeque.

I woke up this morning with Whitney’s feet in my face. Haha…we had a sleep over last night, and I guess she didn’t feel like she had enough room so she decided to turn the opposite way Annie and I were laying. Good times…

After a few of us woke up Whitney S. and Elyse decided to play a little joke on Mindy, and I decided to film it. A couple weeks ago the girls asked me for a fake tattoo that came with one of the books I was reading in The Twilight Series. It was a tattoo with the name Jacob (he is one of the main characters in the book). They wanted to tattoo it on Mindy’s forehead while she was sleeping, but they decided to do it on her upper back to be nice. So Elyse and Whitney S. carefully crept around and put it on her. She woke up immediately, but she didn’t really know what was going on. She was a bit disoriented and confused. To make a long story short we were successful in getting the tattoo on her, and I was successful in capturing it all. The footage is amazing. Mindy is so grouchy in the morning…haha…it made it even more fun to mess with her.

For the next couple of hours we did homework and then Kenz, Annie and I ran to the mall to get some last minute gifts. I got a gift for Andrei! I got him a little stuffed monkey (because I call him my little monkey since he is always climbing and running around everywhere). I also got him a little album and put some pics of me and the girls in it. Then I got a card, and I’m going to write a letter to him so he can read it later on in his life. I want him to know and understand how much I love him and how much the Lord loves him. I’m glad I’m leaving him with something from me. It gives me peace of mind and makes it easier to say goodbye for some reason.

At the mall Kenz had a little misunderstanding. I walked into a souvenir shop and noticed she was buying decorated eggs that cost 180 lei – which was pretty expensive, but I figured “heck if she wants them.” Then right after the transaction she came up to me and was like “I thought it was 18 lei for all of them, not 18 lei per egg. I’m not spending about 80 bucks on eggs!” After she told me that I immediately thought that stinks because she probably can’t get her money back. Romania doesn’t really do returns – I’ve learned that first hand. So she went back and talked to the lady and explained the misunderstanding. They said they didn’t know how to do a return (surprise, surprise) but that she could get something else for 180 lei. Kenz wasn’t happy about it, but she accepted their offer. She ended up getting 180 lei of random souvenirs…She just laughed about how much it sucked…Oh Romania…

After the mall we immediately got ready to leave for the Branch barbeque at the lake. Don’t ask me how or why, but we ended up fitting eight girls in one taxi. Whitney S. and I were in the front seat and there were six girls in the back. We were laughing the entire time. It was really awkward, and probably dangerous considering they are Romanian drivers, but it made for a humorous story?

Once we were dropped off at the cemetery, which was where we were meeting everyone to then walk down to the lake, we ended up sitting there for an hour. We were so confused about where everyone was. While we waited we got bored so the girls had me teach them a dance. I put Elyse front and center of the triangle formation and taught them some moves to a dance I made up a long time ago. They were adorable. I was laughing so hard…Oh I love those girls dearly!

After we waited continued to wait forever we called some of the Elders and discovered we were in the wrong place to meet them. We were kind of sad about it because for once we thought we were on time and even better early. We shouldn’t even try anymore. So the Elders and President Popavich had to come find us. Once they finally found us we were so far away from where the barbeque was taking place that it probably took another good half an hour to an hour to reach the barbeque at the lake…we were just laughing about how everything is so difficult – Romania.

The barbeque was fun, but for some reason I didn’t feel like running around. I did have fun talking to Mary and Alexandra #1 though. They are really cute girls. They asked me about whether or not I had a boyfriend and random things like that. Then I asked them about boys in Romania. I mentioned to them that most boys seem disrespectful towards women. They both whole heartedly agreed that it was almost impossible to find a good Romanian boy. They said they wanted to meet a nice American boy. I told them to come to America, and I’d set them up with one of my friends. They just laughed.

The rest of the barbeque was fun. I chatted with some of the sisters for a while and watched people get in water fights. I didn’t feel like being in the middle of that so I just observed everything that was going on around me. We ate mici (it’s some type of meat). It was okay …just not what I’m used to. After we ate Annie and I left pretty soon after because we were getting eaten alive by bugs. On the way home we were both craving a chocolate croissant and decided to split one…we figured heck we only have a few more days here. Then we walked inside our apartment and it started raining really hard a few minutes after…perfect timing. Normally it starts pouring every time I walk out the door. I finally beat the rain!

After we got home we waited for the other girls to arrive and then Mary, Kenz and I went over to meet with Elyse to plan our Europe trip. We were only supposed to be over there for a little bit, and we ended up being up until about 2:30 in the morning planning and booking tickets for various activities. It was kind of fun though because everyone else in the apartment was up baking banana bread for church the next day. Plus we were all slap happy because it was so late and we were all sooo exhausted and tired. We were all laughing at the dumbest things.

As we were planning we found out that the two days we are in Rome are the only two days out of the month that Vatican City is closed. Just our luck. We were all so sad when we found out. We aren’t going to be able to see the Sistine Chapel or St. Peters Cathedral which are both two major sites people go to in Rome. Oh well…I guess that’s life. I started telling the girls to be optimistic and that maybe if we go walk around the city there will randomly be a guy outside of the Sistine Chapel with keys who will feel bad for us and let us in. MacKenzie made fun of me for about an hour for saying that…then she kept teasing me all night about it. Oh Kenz I love you!

After looking at our budget and how much everything is going to cost we realized that we probably aren’t going to be able to afford to eat in any of the countries we’re visiting. Haha…after we budgeted for the hostels we’re staying in, transportation and money to do the activities in each city there was pretty much nothing left. This is going to be an interesting trip.

When we got home we felt really bad because we were supposed to eat cake Annie made and have a final apartment night sitting and chatting outside. We ended up getting home way later than we thought. Annie was asleep when we got home, and there was cake waiting on the counter for us. The cake was amazing. Thanks Annie!

Part 1 of GOODBYES...

2008-08-10T06:52:00.000-07:00

August 8, 2008 (Friday)
The Lord’s Hand in my Life: A good, last full day with my orphans…

My stomach felt nauseous today because I woke up knowing it was my last full day with my kids. I had been feeling okay until today. I prayed that I would have a peaceful last day, and that I would be able to spend quality time with all my kids. That would have been horrible if Andrei or one of the other kids were stuck in their crib all morning. Thankfully the Lord answered my prayers.

When I got to the orphanage Whitney S. and Elyse were blowing up big workout balls. We bought them with money that was donated and gave a couple to each room as gifts. They ended up liking them. Ana tried using the kids as bowling pins with the ball so we quickly had to put it away in the other room. Oh Ana our little angel. Then Whitney S. and I gave gifts to our workers. We bought them each a scarf. They seemed like they appreciated them. They gave us a couple of chocolate bars in return…the chocolate here is so great. I don’t know what I’m going to do when I have to go back to waxy chocolate in America…hmm…

For the first hour and a half Whitney S. and I went and played with our kids in Mickey Mouse Room #1. Costy was sooo happy. I danced, held him, and swung him around. He just laughed and laughed. Then he did his usual cooing at me. For some reason as I was holding him I started feeling really emotional. I didn’t cry, but my eyes did tear up for a second. I looked over at Whitney S. and started laughing and fanning myself – I didn’t want to cry – after all I was coming back Monday to say my final goodbye. I’m just glad I’ll have Whitney S. to talk to if I’m missing my kids when I go home because she will understand. What’s even better is that she lives about a 10 second walk away from me.

After Costy I held and tickled Irina. She had that wide eyed look that I love. She was also really happy and giggly. I loved it! Sadly she did have a lot of gas though. Every time I tickled her she shot some bunnies. Whitney S. and I were cracking up.

After I held them I went outside, and Andrei was outside sitting on a bench eating a banana. He instantly smiled at me and reached his arms out for me to hold him. I’m going to miss him excruciatingly, and I think he will miss me too …Please pray for both of us…we are going to need it. Thankfully the day with him was pretty perfect. We just did the things that we normally do. I pushed him in his swing and chased him around the playground. Ana was mean to him though. When I took two steps away from the swing he was sitting in Ana jumped off the swing she was on, stopped Andrei’s swing and pinched his cheek as hard as she could. That girl…I wish they would put her with the older kids so they can at least defend themselves. I don’t really understand why they stuck them in the Mickey Mouse Room. Oh well…I guess they have a good reason. As I pushed him in the swing I kept thinking to myself how he has no idea or understanding that this was the last time I’d ever swing or play with him. I was going to be gone – and probably forever. It’s interesting how when you know you don’t have much time with someone you value every second and minute you have with them. My question is why don’t we always value every second and minute we have with our loved ones around us? We should love even the bad days, because at least we are spending them with people we care about…I guess we’re just human…dang…

Outside I also played with Valentina. I pushed her in the swing next to Andrei’s for a while. Then I let her get down and walk around. She’s so funny…she walks with her upper body ahead of her lower body and after a few steps she almost always falls. It’s hilarious. Then she just laughs. I also played with Iulia as I sat and pushed Andrei in his swing. Iulia started crying so I just grabbed a piece of plastic for her to play with, and she was perfectly content. I love that she loves the feel and sound of random plastic bags, wrappers, etc. So random, but it is what makes Iulia unique!

I also cuddled Vali. While we were outside Vali started freaking out and crying uncontrollably. He had his arms reached up, and he was pulling on my shirt so I held and calmed him down. He just wanted to be held…Sometimes I wonder if he randomly thinks back to a bad experience. He will be fine one minute and then start sobbing all of a sudden.

After we played outside for a while we went inside and I played with Maria. Maria scooted around the floor wherever I went as usual. Then I cuddled her and she kicked and flailed her legs uncontrollably like she always does. I love that girl!

As we left I kept thanking the Lord for a good, last full day. I needed that in order to feel closure. Even Ana and Daniela didn’t bother us too much…just a little. I got to play with all my kids and do the normal things I do with them ever day. Some how there is just comfort in being able to spend my last full day with them doing the normal simple things. I also made sure I told every single one of them that I loved them. On Monday Whitney S. and I are going to go and stay for about half an hour to an hour and simply say goodbye…I have a feeling I will be balling. Thinking about saying goodbye for the last time makes me tear up as I write this. What am I going to do when it’s the real thing?

In between the orphanage and apartments Kenz ran with me to a little shop that sells painted eggs, and I bought some. Painted eggs are classic Romania. They take so much talent, precision, detail and patience to make. I’m excited to bring them home. They are beautiful.

In the afternoon Kenz, Mary, Elyse and I headed to the apartments. We planned to have a dance party with 3rd and 7th floor for our last visit. It ended up being a blast – I couldn’t think of any better way to say goodbye! We put together a play list before we went and danced our hearts out with our kids. We were all drenched in sweat. At the third floor we danced our last song to I Hope You Dance By Lee Ann Womack and each picked a partner. My partner was Cosmina. She is such a cutie….Then we said goodbye…forever.

At 7th floor apartments the kids are all older and knew how to dance so it was even more fun. The second I walked in Mirel instantly ran to me and did his arm flapping thing. Then when we turned the music on Laura and Catalina went crazy. It was hilarious. They were shimmying and doing all kinds of crazy dance moves. So adorable. We didn’t end up getting to dance to our slow song because the worker decided to have dinner early, but at least we got to dance for a little while. Then we said goodbye…forever. I really hate goodbyes – I need to go with Whitney’s motto. She always says “It’s not goodbye it’s a see you later.”

As we left I thanked Heavenly Father for a good ending day with the kids at the apartments. The workers even let us take pictures with them which made me happy. At least I will have something to remember them by. We aren’t really supposed to take pics, but they said we could so we didn’t question it.

Immediately after we got home we had to get ready to meet Mario for dinner – we wanted to take her out to eat and giver her a gift we got her in order to let her know how much we appreciate her for everything she has done. As we were getting ready Mindy informed me that the kids at the hospital asked where I was – apparently they missed my dance moves. She told them I would be ready to dance Monday for them (our last day at the hospital). Then since I wasn’t there today because I went to the apartments she said she had all the children gather around and watch the video of me dancing the other day. According to Mindy they were still quite amused…thanks Mindy – thanks!

As we got on the tram to go to the restaurant somehow Mary and Annie didn’t get on the tram with the rest of us. Luckily they ended up finding us – they were about 45 minutes late though. I guess they got lost. They both arrived at dinner and were like “Well we’ve memorized all of Iasi.” That’s awesome considering we are leaving in four days. Haha…we just laughed at them.

Dinner was nice and relaxing – we went to the restaurant that Nicu (member of the bishopric at church) sings at. We just sat outside and enjoyed sitting down and breathing. All of us girls were exhausted from the day. There was a lot of physical, emotional and mental stress we had been through today.

During dinner I asked Mario if one girl out of the group were to marry a Romanian who she thought it would be. (I was hoping that she would pick anyone besides me because I’m paranoid since Ionut said that he cursed me to marry a Romanian. I don’t really believe him, but I was looking for some type of alternative opinion.) Of course Mario ended up picking me. In my mind I was like “dang!” When I asked her why she said “There is something about you – you are sticky.” I looked at her with a confused look, and she said that people are drawn to me – especially boys - and that I have a big smile. I guess that was a compliment…I don’t know if I agreed with it, but I just laughed and said “oh..”

During dinner I was chosen to present Mario’s gift – we bought her a beautiful, silver, cross necklace for her (she is Greek Orthodox). She loved it! She just kept saying “Guys you weren’t supposed to do that! I know that you are broke!” Then we continued with “We don’t care. We appreciate everything you have done for us!” She also gave me a good suggestion for a gift for Andrei which I appreciated. She said that if I buy a photo album and put pictures in it of me that she will personally make sure the workers keep it for him. That way she said when other girls come that fall in love with him they too can put a picture of themselves so he knows that he was loved and cared about by so many. Along with the pictures I’m going to write a note to him about how much he has meant to me. Hopefully someday he’ll get it…

Before Mario left she gave us the cutest little speech. In her most sincere voice she told us how we had been eight angels for three and a half months to the children we worked with and how she didn’t think we needed to go on a mission for our church because this mission we had been on was enough. Then she kept saying “You guys are so good and natural with the kids. I just don’t know where it comes from.” I laughed because she wouldn’t state that the reason we are so good with the kids is because of the Lord’s help and guidance, but she did look up in the sky as she kept saying that over and over. She mentioned to us that she has seen the medical students in the hospital and noticed the contrast in how we deal with the kids and how they do. She said they barely touch the kids and treat them like a subject. She said we touch, love, cuddle and care for them no matter what disabilities they have or whether or not they have scabies (we laughed about that one). She said we had done good work and that we should be proud of ourselves. She’s right. We have done good, and we have improved the quality of life for the kids we’ve worked with. That was what we came here to do, and we’ve done it! It feels so good!

By the time we got back home from dinner it was late, and we were all exhausted. However we had planned for the other apartment to come over for a sleepover so they did. We didn’t really do much except write in our journals, but we always enjoy each other’s company. No complaints here.

2008-08-10T06:45:00.000-07:00

August 7, 2008 (Thursday)
The Lord’s Hand in my Life: We received the proper approval necessary in order to stay in Romania without technically having a Visa…

This morning we had to go to the Visa office with Mario. We stayed longer than we were allowed to stay in Romania without having a Visa – so we had to ask for an extension and get it approved. We brought some chocolates to thank them for being so nice and not charging us an outrageous fee. Mario said that in Romania when someone does something nice for you that they don’t have to do you always get them something. In essence, bribery works well here…. I’m glad in this case! Everything went smoothly. We were not kicked out of Romania early, and it was a fairly quick and painless process – even humorous. While we were there they had to take our picture for their files and apparently we aren’t supposed to smile. The first time I smiled he told me not to smile so big – just a little smile - so I did. Then he said my smile was still too big so he tried several more times – I thought I was smiling small! The guys working with us thought it was hilarious that I couldn’t smile small. Finally he told me to keep my mouth shut when I smiled – so I did, but I was not satisfied with the picture. I asked him why we couldn’t smile and he replied “because you’re not in America.” I was like “okay…” After seven pictures they finally settled on a “half smile.” The girls were cracking up when the guy told them how many tries it took for me not to smile…oh well…Romania is so strange.

By the time we got to the orphanage from the Visa office we only had about an hour and a half left to play with our kiddos. Andrei was inside sleeping when I arrived, but lucky for me our “two little angels” were outside running around. Ana was on one today. She still wasn’t as bad as earlier this week, but she kept biting me. Every time she did I would push her away, ignore her, and say “nu frumos nu fetele.” I probably said that phrase a thousand times this morning.

Vlad’s mom came to visit him today, and she was standing there as Ana came up from behind and bit my back and said, “She doesn’t do it maliciously – I’ve watched her, and she really likes you…she will walk around but she always comes back to you.” I wanted to tell her that she hasn’t seen half of the “non-malicious”stuff she has done to us. Then in my mind I kept thinking “Great…she likes me that’s wonderful!” Whitney S. agreed with Vlad’s mother’s comment and she said “She didn’t bother me today at all. I think she does like you.” Apparently the more she likes you the more she comes around, and the more she hurts you. Oh I’m so lucky to be her favorite! Haha…at least I only have one more full day. Today I noticed whatever child I was giving attention to she would hurt. My poor kids. She pinched Maria really hard when I was holding her, and then she pinched Alex really hard when I was walking around with him outside. I told the workers, and she was put in timeout. What’s sad is that Ana will never be able to form a relationship with anyone. Whitney S. and I read a book that talked about street kids and sociopaths. She seems to have the characteristics of one.

Outside Maria was hilarious – she does not like Ana, and I don’t blame her. I took Maria out of her chair to hold her, and Ana came and sat in Maria’s chair next to me. The entire time Maria kept grabbing at her chair and trying to push Ana out of it. She did not want her in her chair. It was pretty funny…haha…

Andrei was the most adorable little angel today. Once he got up from his nap he just cuddled with me in my arms. He rarely lays in my arms still (normally he’s the biggest wiggler), but he did for a while today. He just laid in my arms like how you would hold a baby and looked up at me and smiled and played with his toys – which happened to be dolls…haha... It was precious. I am going to miss that boy so much! He is my little angel. I just hope Heavenly Father takes good care of him for me – especially with the two girls around.

In between the orphanage and hospital a bunch of us girls went to Carrefour to shop. Carrefour is probably the largest grocery store in Romania – it reminded me of a Wal-Mart but not quite as big. Kenz kept saying how she felt like she was home. I agreed with her to a certain extent. We decided to go look around and buy our final groceries there. I bought a ton of chocolate bars to take home with me so everyone can taste them. I’m pretty excited about them. Then Kenz and I looked around for decorated eggs and other souvenirs, but we didn’t find anything good. I also looked for a necklace for Andrei. I can’t seem to find a plain silver necklace anywhere – I think I might end up getting him a stuffed horse. His favorite toy in the orphanage is his little toy horse he rides on.

We ended up taking some time at Carrefour so we all got back a little late for the hospital. Once we got to the hospital we only had an hour and a half left – just enough to have a birthday party for Marion. While we were waiting for the rest of the girls to arrive for the birthday party we were all in the room Marius used to stay in before he left for the United States…(I’m not sure if I mentioned that, but he left Monday. We are all so excited for him). Because we chatted with Marius so much we became friends with the kids in that room. Then all of a sudden the girls started telling all the kids how I was such a good dancer and they all started exclaiming that I had to dance – they even turned music on. I figured what the heck and got my groove on. The girls and kids were cracking up, and when I stopped dancing I realized that half the people down the hall were stopped in their tracks watching me (there are windows in between every room which allow you to see anything and everything that was going on). Some were smiling and some just looked confused – but I didn’t care, I just laughed and kept going…the kids loved it and that’s why I’m here. Luckily Mindy got it on tape…thank you Mindy thank you.

Once I finished dancing Whitney S. and Elyse arrived for Marion’s birthday party. They had planned the entire thing. They bought Marion a Mickey Mouse birthday cake, juice, and all the utensils needed to complete the party. Because we all got to the hospital before Whitney S. and Elyse did we found out before them that one of the nurses had taken Marion home for his birthday. We tried calling Elyse and Whitney S. to tell them but it was too late…When Whitney S. came in we told her the bad news. Then we asked where Elyse was and Whitney S. sadly replied “She is outside setting up for the birthday party.” As you can imagine Elyse and Whitney S. were very distraught. They bought and brought all the stuff needed to make Marion’s 2nd birthday amazing, and he wasn’t there to share in it with them. They were both sad and disappointed which is completely understandable. We all felt so bad that they had put so much effort into it…but there was nothing we could do. Then because they were distraught and they had already set up for the party, they decided we would still have a birthday party without him. When we walked outside Elyse and Whitney S. were sitting on the ramp where they had the cake sat up with the saddest looks on their face. We ended up singing Happy Birthday in Romanian to Marion while Elyse held a picture up of Marion. After the song we cut cake and started eating it. That’s when one of the glasses of juice spilled and Elyse exclaimed “This party sucks!” and started crying. It was the straw that broke the camels back. Then Whitney S. started crying…it was so sad…Then they tried to make me dance for them – Mindy said it would make them feel better, but I refused…sorry girls sorry…I had already made a fool out of myself enough for the day.

After Marion’s Birthday party Annie and I went and played with Mihait. He was his adorable self. We played with stickers for a while. We ended up putting them all over his shirt and face. Then all of a sudden about seven or eight people walked into the room. It’s funny, but we automatically attract moms and kids in the other rooms. They just sat and watched us play for a while. Then I gave some of the other kids stickers. I think they had a good time!

On the way home from the hospital we all suddenly felt something wet on our arm and realized that someone had spit on us as they were driving by. SO RUDE! Then we had multiple men yell and hollar at us…Romanian men are pigs…they should oink instead of speak…

The rest of the night was uneventful. I had to finish my write ups about all my kids. They took a lot of time, but it was good to get them all done. I love my kids! I’m going to miss them a ton!

ENLIGHTENMENT!

2008-08-08T04:26:00.000-07:00

August 6, 2008 (Wednesday)
The Lord’s Hand in my Life: The Lord helped me figure out how to handle our two new girls! He is aware…

This morning I was dreading going to the orphanage. I have been praying the last couple of days that I will know how to handle the two girls with love – even though they are abusive towards everyone around them. I prayed the entire walk there that everything would be okay…the last two days have been miserable.

As we got changed into our scrubs at the orphanage I started laughing and was like “I feel like I should go into the room with the girls with dark paint on my face and army gear.” I felt like I was gearing up to go battle – except I wasn’t going to fight just get beat up on.

We made our way upstairs and everyone was inside because it rained yesterday. Whitney S. and I decided to go to the first Mickey Mouse room because we didn’t get to spend a lot of time with them the last couple of days. Luckily the two girls were in the other room so it was nice and peaceful. I just played with Irina, Constantine and Valentina. I swung Constantine in the air and boy did he love it! He was giggling and smiling so big. Then I practiced jumping with Vali again…she is getting better at pushing off the ground, but she still doesn’t exactly understand the concept of jumping…I sure wish she would jump on her own for me at least once before I leave…grrr…

While we were in the first room Ana kept peeking her head around and giving me an evil smile as if to say “I’m ready for you – just wait until you get in here.” However, somehow I immediately knew how to handle the situation – with Heavenly Father’s enlightenment. When she stuck her head around the corner and looked at me I waved and smiled at her as big and cheesy as I could (she hadn’t done anything mean yet so I wanted to give her positive attention). She persisted in peaking her head around the corner, and each time I did the same thing. I made my hello as big and extravagant as possible so that when she was bad I could turn and ignore her and make an extremely stark contrast. I wanted her to understand that if she is nice we will play with her, but the second she is mean we will ignore her and pay no attention to her. It ended up working! I realized I needed to be more black and white in my actions than yesterday. Everything she did that was nice or good I overemphasized it and made it a huge deal…then everything she did that was mean received no response. Although she still did a few pinches she was much much much better than yesterday. I even got her dancing and playing ball with me. Then she sat by me for a while, and I cuddled her and scratched her back. Her behavior was a huge improvement from yesterday. At least I wasn’t punched, kicked, bit, stomped on, and hit with blunt objects – only pinched…Whitney S. and I were pretty proud of ourselves today.

The rest of the kids in the room were really well behaved today. Maria was so cute today – she really wanted to be cuddled. She can’t walk, but she can scoot…whenever I got up to walk she would follow me around the room and scoot to wherever I was and pull at my legs. At one point I was dancing with Ana and she pulled on my pants so hard that they almost came off. I was like “excuse me!” Haha…Then Andrei was his cute usual self. I got him to dance for a little bit. It’s so adorable. He’s doing really well on his signs. I feel pretty good about the fact that he didn’t know any sign language when I got here and now he knows several signs…some things I have taught him have stuck! Yes!

At the hospital the sister missionaries joined us today. Sora Betham came with Annie and I. We went and played with Mihait. He is a four year old orphan boy and dang is he cute. He is just a petite little guy with big brown eyes, pale skin and purple fingers and toes. Annie gets to visit him everyday and she adores him, and he adores her. I have to go to the apartments a couple times a week, but I like to see him when I can. Today we had Sora Betham ask the nurse why Mihait is in the hospital and apparently it’s because he needs plasma and if he doesn’t get it he’s going to die. Annie asked if Americans were able to donate plasma – apparently not. Annie and I were talking about how frustrating it is that Romania is the way it is. In America plasma is so easy to get it’s ridiculous. In Provo alone half the student body sells their plasma because they get money. We think the reason people don’t donate it as much in Romania is because they probably don’t get paid for it – if they did half the country would be standing in line every day all day to donate. It’s just frustrating that a little boy could die over something that is so easily treated in America…ahhh! He is seriously the cutest little boy! When Sora Betham was translating for us what he said it was so cute…he just has the cutest personality. At one point she went to ask him a question and he was like “what do you want?” (As if to say I’m busy playing with my little cars why are you bugging me.) We were all laughing pretty hard.

Later we visited Florine and Alexandra and took them outside. I promised Florine I would get him a treat for his birthday because it is coming up – so I did. That little stinker was such a pill though. I told him he could get a small treat, and he was going for things that cost 10 and 15 lei in the store. That boy will try and take advantage if you let him. After saying “no” to several things he finally settled on a chocolate cake from the bakery section and a soda. I was like “Florine be grateful!” One thing I’ve learned about Romanians is that if you are nice they usually take advantage so you have to be careful…really careful…

Tonight was my last time to cook for group dinner. I made lasagna from scratch, corn on the cob and franzela with butter. It was pretty good except the corn was hard for some reason – I think I got bad corn from the piata…oh well I tried…

For the rest of the evening I spent my time doing write ups on my kids. At the end of every semester we are required to write a page or two on each kid about their likes, dislikes, development, things you have been working with and other useful bits of information for the next group. That way the girls don’t have to start at square one when we’ve already built up to square 10. We have a binder that has all the write ups and pictures of each kid. They are very helpful. I had a lot of fun writing my write ups tonight. They took a while, but thinking about some of the silly quirks, experiences or random things they like to do made me laugh. Even though I’m going to miss them a great deal I’ve felt more calm and okay with leaving this week than I have the entire semester which is strange considering it’s my last week. The blessing the elders gave me has helped.

To end the night I had an unwanted visitor in my bed. As I was doing my write ups I looked over and all of a sudden I saw a baby roach sitting in the place Annie usually sleeps. I was like – not okay! So I hollered for Annie and she lifted our sheets so it would get out of the crack. Then I scooped it up with my flip flop and flung it out the window! We both cheered and laughed once it was gone…SICK SICK SICK! MacKenzie found one in her bed the other day. We are going to have to spray for roaches again – they must be making babies.

2008-08-08T04:24:00.000-07:00

August 5, 2008 (Tuesday)
The Lord’s Hand in my Life: Coming to understand how amazing Christ was for loving those who despitefully used and persecuted him…

Oh life was a joy today – not…We tried not responding to our two terrors, but it wasn’t without a lot of pain. Daniela was really good today (she’s usually only bad if Ana comes around), but Ana was her usual horrible self. Ana managed to stomp on my hand three times in a row, bite, kick, hit, grab, throw objects, and hit me with a foot long plastic rattle with beads in it as hard as she could in the middle of my back. I kept trying to tell myself I love her over and over again. She did stuff to Whitney S. as well…it was just a fun day. What was frustrating was that she’d do it every time the worker turned their back so they wouldn’t know…evil…After she didn’t get a reaction she would eventually stop, but then she’d come up with something else to try. Elyse came into the room for a while and the same thing happened to her – she was terrorized. For some reason I guess Ana has learned that we won’t beat the crap out of her so she thinks she can get away with it. She listens obediently to the workers… When Ana was nice today we gave her attention, but then the second she started with her bad behavior we ignored her. She hit some of the kids a couple of times and when she did that we would tell a worker, but they didn’t really do anything. She does her attacks constantly – yet there is no reason for them…Today made me appreciate how amazing Christ was for what he went through. He prayed for those who cruelly used and persecuted him…It’s hard, but I’m trying really hard to exemplify charity like Christ did…

Andrei was whiny again today. I’ve been praying that I would have an easy time leaving my kids – I think Heavenly Father is answering my prayers. My final week has been miserable to the point I don’t get upset when I think about leaving. Because of the two girls I have dreaded going to the orphanage… getting beat up isn’t fun…the only comforting feeling is that at least they are taking the majority of their aggression out on us and not our kids.

The moments I wasn’t terrorized – which were far and in between - I held me kids. I pushed Andrei in the swing for a while, and I held Irina outside on the ground. She loved it. Maria was in her bed most of the day. I guess she didn’t sleep well last night, and I’m not sure why…?

In the afternoon I went to the apartments. Everything was pretty regular. Costica was hilarious. He will imitate any face you make. We are so amused by just sitting there and making faces at him, and he loves it! We get a kick out of it. As for poor Mirel, he is always getting pushed around, and he never does anything to retaliate. I’ve decided that if you want to survive in an orphanage you have to fight back…no wonder most of the kids are so brutal…they don’t really have any other choice…

For the rest of the evening we ate dinner and went to the internet café to research our Europe trip. This is taking a lot of time. I just hope we can get everything planned out decently well. There are so many things to do in Paris…it’s crazy! I’m feeling a little stressed about our trip, but I’m sure it will end up being fun.

2008-08-05T04:32:00.000-07:00

August 4, 2008 (Monday)
The Lord’s Hand in my Life: Blessing of comfort on returning home…

Wow the heat isn’t dying down…I haven’t felt like I’ve been able to get cool for a few days now. Waking up early and working out didn’t help the situation any. It has definitely been a very warm couple of days. Quite miserable actually.

Today was pretty much a bad day all around. Andrei was really really whiney, Maria was crying and our two new girls were horrid – I do not use that term loosely. When we walked in today several of our kids had bruises and scratches on their faces – especially Vlad and Maria - which we can pretty much assume came from the “two girls.” They are malicious. Ana is seven and Daniela is eight. Thank goodness they will be going back to the apartments they were staying at soon – apparently they are remodeling the apartments and that is why they are at the orphanage.

The second we arrived the girls – especially Ana would come up and pinch our arm randomly and run away, or stomp on Whitney’s foot or blatantly kick one of the kids. I ended up holding Ana in timeout three times where she persistently tried to bite, head butt, kick, etc. After three times in time out Ana behaved for me (or that’s what I thought). After she calmed down I tried to show her that I still cared about her by playing with the toys and scratching her back. However because Ana was calm Daniela decided to make some commotion. Daniela hit Ana in the nose and gave her a nose bleed. Then I had to hold Daniela in time out while we tried to stop Ana’s nose bleed. Soon after the nose bleed Ana decided to be naughty again. I wish the two were separated because they play off one another. At one point the most disturbing thing happened – repulsive enough it’s not appropriate to write about it on my blog...All I can is that these girls have definitely been abused in every way. Then as we were about to go upstairs Ana kicked Vlad and Whitney S. so I put her in time out again.

As we went in the elevator to go upstairs I had Irina in her wheel chair, and the two girls in the elevator with me – by myself. The second the doors closed the girls started jumping up and down and banging on the mirrors. Then when we stepped out of the elevator I went to push Irina to the room and Ana pushed me as hard as she could. Then immediately after she pushed Daniela as hard as she could into the glass door and dashed off. I ran after her, and I was pretty mad. I grabbed her arm as firmly as I could and made her come to the room and held her in time out once again. Of course the workers never saw anything she did because they don’t misbehave if they are looking…so I think they were confused as to why she was in time out again. By the time I left I was exhausted, worn out, angry and scared for my kids. They could easily hurt my kids, and they wouldn’t even be able to put up a fight. What’s worse is that I wonder if they would ever try to sexually abuse some of the smaller kids…it makes me sick to think about.

In between the orphanage and apartments I was really agitated about the entire day. I was angry, and I didn’t feel like I was able to feel promptings of the spirit because I was so upset with them. I said a prayer that I will be able to know how to handle them with love – I don’t enjoy holding them down in time out – but what else do you do when they’re hitting, kicking, biting, tearing and molesting?

Whitney S. and I decided to ask Elyse about how to handle them. She has had a sister with autism her entire life and knows how to deal with kids like the two girls. Elyse said that we can’t give them a reaction – even if they hurt us. She said that special needs kids don’t understand “right” and “wrong,” but “reaction” or “no reaction.” She said if they start hitting one of our kids we need to move our kids away from them, but not give them a reaction. If they follow us as we move one of our kids away from them then we need to put ourselves in between them and the child they’re hitting so we get the beating. So tomorrow Whitney S. and I are going to try not reacting to see if that works any better than our tactics today…Supposedly they are supposed to eventually stop – I just hope it’s sooner than later. However we may come back with lots of bruises. Hopefully not too much damage will be done though…to be honest these girls are making me dread going to the orphanage. I’m just glad they didn’t show up until our last week.

At the hospital we visited Alexandra and Florine and took them outside. It was a little bit crazy…but we managed. Florine’s wheel chair kept breaking. Every time we went over a crack the wheel would fall off. Luckily Radu (teenage boy from the branch) came, and he was able to help us put the wheel back on again. After Alexandra and Florine we visited some of the other floors and there were a couple babies. He held one of the babies and it was one of the cutest/funniest things I’ve seen. Guys are sooo awkward when they hold babies. It’s like they are too afraid to hold them close or afraid to move them out of fear they will break. I love watching guys with babies…funny funny funny…awkward awkward awkward.

After the hospital Whitney S. and I got out gifts ready for our workers that we are going to give them on Friday. We bought them each a scarf to match their personality. Hopefully they like them. Whit and I debated for a while on which scarf should go with which person. We’re such girls…

At FHE I had to give the spiritual thought – so I decided to base the topic off of a talk by James E. Faust called The Power to Change. I think making ourselves better each day is the entire point of this life – so I thought that would be a good lesson. For the lesson I had each person list a quality they most admire in people they know. Then after we were done writing them on the board I had them pick out the quality that they needed the most improvement on, and I asked them to write down how they were going to accomplish improving that particular characteristic about themselves in the near future. I gave them a few minutes to write with church music playing and concluded with quotes from his talk.

When Annie and I got home from Family Home Evening we had a little surprise. In the kitchen a ton of food and random objects were thrown on the floor. and there were blobs of what looked like a mixture of chocolate and vanilla ice cream. On the counter we noticed a pile of dark syrup that had been spilt – it was our vanilla flavoring that had been knocked over on the shelf above and drizzled down onto our counter. Coming from the puddle were little bird tracks that stood out in perfect contrast from the white counter. After we examined the kitchen a little more we found three bird feathers. One was on our table, one was in a pan of leftover food and one was on our window seal. It made a mess for us to clean up…but we thought that was pretty funny.

Soon after we got home the Elders came over and translated some notes we had and gave us a blessing of comfort as we returned home. They gave the other apartment full of girls a blessing Sunday night and our apartment them tonight. Elder Armstrong gave me my blessing, and I was surprised about some of the things that were emphasized. The majority of my blessing strongly emphasized following the promptings of the spirit when I get home…so I can be led down the right path. Annie wrote down our blessings for us as they said them so we could keep them – they are going to be really nice to have.

Armstrong also said that every once in a while when he places his hands on people’s heads it is as if for a glimpse the Lord allows him to see a glimpse of how much he loves and cares about them. Then he continued with “it’s really cool to be able to see that.”

2008-08-05T04:21:00.001-07:00

August 3, 2008 (Sunday)
The Lord’s Hand in my Life: Having fun and being silly…even if it is immature…

It was Fast Sunday today, and I knew exactly what I was going to fast for. I fasted that Andrei and my kids would be taken care of when I leave, and that I would have feelings of peace and comfort when I leave Andrei. I’m really going to need help with being able to leave him. I’ve been praying for peace so much that I bet the Lord is getting sick of hearing me ask him.

I think leaving is getting to me because today I felt irritated and antsy even at church. I had a hard time focusing on the lesson and noticed I was being more short than normal. I was a little short with Kenz, and I apologized to her. I don’t know how to handle leaving. I’m really excited to go on our 10 day Europe trip, and I’m excited to go home and see my friends and family, but I’m really sad to leave Andrei and my kids. I’m torn…

At church Sora Padoru bore her testimony and she did part of it in English so we could understand. It was so cute. I was very impressed that she cared enough about us to try and speak in our language. Melissa bore her testimony in perfect Romanian – none of the rest of us are very good at the language…so we kept our mouths shut. As the sisters were bearing their testimony I kept thinking how strong they are in their faith. Many of them are the only ones in their family practicing the LDS religion. That has to be hard to live a religion all by your self. I’ve always had good strong family members who I can look to as examples and gain support from…I take it for granted.

After church Annie and I went to make peach cobbler for joint dinner tonight with a yellow cake mix I had. My mom sent me three cake mixes from home, and they are very prized. You can’t buy them in Romania. Apparently I had chocolate flavored not yellow cake mix like I thought – so sadly I couldn’t make peach cobbler. It is one of my favorite desserts…oh well I’ll have to wait until I get home. We made cupcakes instead. They ended up tasting good anyways. I’m really missing home and simple things like being able to buy cake mix and normal ice cream at the store! I’m ready to come home to America!

Before dinner we had a meeting to discuss and plan our 10 day Europe trip that we leave for in 10 days. I’m really really excited about everything, and talking about all the things we want to do made me even more excited. We are going to be running everywhere we go to try and see everything, but I’m sure it will be a blast. We are going to Rome, Venice, Paris, London and then staying one night in Vienna before we fly home. We are only going to be in each city for about 2 days, but at least we’ll get a taste of each. The list of things we want to do in each city is probably more than we can handle and do, but we’ll try our best. We all have very limited funds, but we will budget. It’s going to be so fun! I’m stoked!

For dinner we had hoagie sandwiches and potato salad. Very good – perfect for the weather. It has been really really really hot today – so something light was wonderful. It was so hot I felt like I couldn’t get cool at all today. As we ate we were so hot we were eating dinner in as little clothing as possible without making one another uncomfortable – tank tops and shorts…oh I miss air conditioning…AHHH!

After dinner I found out a secret – the girls played another prank on me. I could have killed them. Apparently the girls and Radu (a teenage boy from the branch) made the entire thing up about the guy calling and saying he watched me workout. I’m sooooo glad it’s not true, but I couldn’t even sleep last night because I was so paranoid. Plus the really loud dog fight for 20 minutes didn’t help. The girls or culprits (specifically Mindy, Elyse and MacKenzie - the rest of the girls didn’t really know) were laughing so hard when they told me they made it up. They are gonna get it. They were like “we didn’t think you’d believe it!” Then I told them that normally I wouldn’t have, but I had a similar situation happen last semester that was real. Guys in my ward found a guy trying to look in my apartment window while I was getting dressed, and when they tried to confront him he ran away. Those girls…they will get what is coming to them…I will have to brain storm some ideas.

When we got back to our apartment Kenz and Mary got the bright idea to sprinkle water on people walking below – so I joined them. We were laughing hysterically. It wasn’t a lot of water – just enough for them to notice. They would look up and we would all duck. We were sooo obvious. We would be the worst spies ever. I love how mature we are…

Later we watched the movie The Ringer. It was so cute. I had never seen it before, but I loved it! Good times…

2008-08-05T04:20:00.001-07:00

August 2, 2008 (Saturday)
The Lord’s Hand In My Life: Understanding roommates…

I leisurely woke up this morning at 8:00…it felt amazing. It’s interesting how essential sleep is to how good you feel. I wish I got more of it more often, but I just don’t have much time for it – too busy.

Today was really boring it consisted of homework. I finished my last cultural proof and my summaries for my 1000 pages of reading. There is a lot of coursework – I’m glad I’ve stayed on top of it. It definitely hasn’t been easy, but I’ve done it! I should have everything done before I leave. That way I can enjoy my 10 day trip around Europe. When I get home all I’ll have to do is physically put my portfolio together and drop it off. Gata! (Finished)

I still didn’t feel well today, and I started feeling really bad in the afternoon. Every time I stood up I felt really dizzy and nauseous. Annie and I had to go to the store to get groceries for dinner because we invited Sister Padoru over, and I thought I was going to faint to the ground while we were walking. I think I realized why I’ve had prolonged headaches, dizziness and felt sick to my stomach for a few days – scabies cream. I’ve been putting the cream on my face consistently because I had a few scabies on my face. Probably not the smartest idea considering the cream is toxic, and since it has been on my face I have been inhaling it regularly. It all made sense today. No more scabies cream for a while. I felt really really bad today.

I laid down for a few hours because I felt so bad. I could barely stand. The girls were nice enough to let me lay down while they made dinner for Sister Padoru. I felt a little better after I rested for a while, besides the fact that I was paranoid that someone was watching my every move because of the phone call last night. Then Sister Padoru came over and ate with us. It was fun to chat with her. We all showed her pictures of our family and chatted about our lives as much as we could in Romanian. I don’t think she enjoyed our dinner very much, but I could tell she enjoyed our company. She is so cute. She came over all dressed up in a Sunday outfit with her little hat on. I loved it. She is such a sweet lady…

The rest of the night I did more homework and then Annie and I watched A Beautiful Mind. Nothing too exciting…

2008-08-05T04:14:00.000-07:00

August 1, 2008 (Friday)
The Lord’s Hand in my Life: A roommate that made Brownie Sundays!

This morning I woke up and my mouth felt really hot – random I know, but I felt like I had a temperature. My head felt a little better since yesterday, but it still ached. That’s normal though – whenever I get a migraine my head aches for days after. They are the worst. I’m just glad I wasn’t throwing up all day. For a minute I debated about staying home, but I only have a few days left with my kids. Not gonna happen.

I was supposed to make chocolate gogosi with Whitney S. last night, but I didn’t because I didn’t feel well so she made them on her own. When we went to give them to our workers today to our dismay we found out they couldn’t eat them. Apparently because it was Friday they weren’t allowed to eat any animal products because of the Greek Orthodox faith. There were eggs in the ingredients of the gogosi. It’s okay though because they are going to eat them tomorrow…Whit S. and I laughed at the irony of the situation. Of course the one day we bring them treats they can’t eat them. Just our luck.

On the way to the orphanage we were walking down the sidewalk, and there was a man hole without a lid in the middle of the sidewalk. If you weren’t paying attention a person could easily plummet 30 feet, and boy would it hurt when you got to the bottom. I couldn’t believe they didn’t have signs, tape or any type of warning around the hole. That is a classic example of the character of Romania…

At the orphanage we got two new older girls. They are crazy…and a little scary at times. They are both about seven or eight, and they are mean. The workers were telling us how they will hit and beat up the little kids. Whit and I experienced it first hand today. One of the little girls named Ana would hit, pinch or kick Whitney S. and I then run off. I was starting to get quite irritated with them. I guess they are in our room now. That makes me nervous, because they will do mean things to the younger kids so fast that it’s impossible for the workers to catch them all. Not cool…I will get very cranky if they hurt my kiddos. What’s even creepier is that Ana will hit you, and then give you this creepy look and laugh. Today she threw a ball that hit me smack dab in the face…patience…I’m trying to learn patience… I’m also trying to keep in mind that these little girls are mean for a reason. Kids don’t just automatically exhibit cruel behavior – someone else must have treated them very badly in order for them to act the way they do.

Andrei was sick today. When I got to the orphanage the workers said that Andrei had thrown up. There was evidence of that just under the swing he was swinging in all over the ground. They put him in his bed after that, and he slept for a while. Then we got him up and he seemed like he wanted to play, but the poor kid still had a fever. He’s so funny. Even though he wasn’t feeling well he was still pretty much as active as he normally is. Lately I’ve noticed that Andrei will scream and cry if I leave him for more than a few seconds…I don’t know what he’s going to do when I leave him for good. I just hope he doesn’t think I simply abandoned him.

At the hospital Annie and I went and saw the two sister babies. When we walked into their room they were in the same crib crawling on top of each other. It was adorable. I guess they were twin sisters, and we didn’t know it. Annie took one and I took the other. Sadly Ilena wasn’t her usual smiley self today – poor thing – I think she felt really bad. As we were playing with the kids there was a room full of Gypsy moms that were talking to us. They seemed nice enough so right before I was about to leave I pulled out a package of stickers so their child could each have one. (I was trying to be nice.) As all Gypsy women they took advantage of the situation. I was furious. I handed one of the moms the package of stickers so she could pick one for her baby, and I told her she could have only one. Then she ended up taking an entire sheet of Spider Man stickers and placing them around her openly exposed nipple. Then another mom took the entire set of stickers and wouldn’t give them back. Then another mom tried taking the stickers as well, but I ended up ripping them out of her hands before she could get them all. They were complete jerks. I sat and stood over one mom for five minutes and asked her to give them back as sternly and meanly as I could muster. Even Annie was like “Whitney be strong don’t give in!” We couldn’t believe the way they were acting. She ended up giving me back a couple more sheets of stickers, but she still kept several of them. I told them “shame on you” and “not nice” and that “they were for the kids without moms,” etc. – but they didn’t care. They only cared about themselves. By the time I left I was so mad I was shaking, and their laughter had quickly turned to solemn faces. The room was silent at our exit.

Later I had to go back down the hall to find Annie and one of the moms was out in the hall and was talking to the nurse. When she saw me she looked like a dog with its tail in between its legs. I looked at her and gave her the dirtiest look and in front of the nurse I bluntly pointed at the mom, looked her in the eye and said “nu frumos” and kept walking. The nurse who was white instantly looked at her and asked her what she did. I’m sure she ended up lying about what had happened, but I didn’t care…that’s what Gypsies do - lie. I’m sure she knew that. No wonder Romanians detest them so much. I don’t blame them.

By the time we got home from the hospital I was exhausted – plus I hadn’t felt well all day. I felt like I had a fever, but when I took my temperature it contradicted what I felt. Regardless I went to take a nap when Annie came in and said that the girls were leaving their apartment so if we wanted to use the internet we needed to go right away. So we were immediately off once again. I swear getting a break is impossible.

Kenz and I used the internet for a while in order to get caught up on everything we needed to do. It’s so frustrating that we don’t have internet access easily available to us in our apartment. Oh well, we only have a week and a half left in Romania – I can handle it for that much longer.

When we got back to our apartment Annie made Brownie Sundays for all of us. A few days ago when I found out that I should have a job in the fall that I will love she told me that in order to celebrate she would make my favorite treat over the weekend. My request was Brownie Sundays. They were absolutely amazing. Whit S., Annie, Mary and I ate each bite with gratitude. I love chocolate – oh yes I do!

After that we did face masks and turned on the movie Center Stage. Some of the girls hadn’t ever seen that movie. I couldn’t believe it! It’s one of my all time favorite movies because it is about dance, and I love dancing! At the end they said they really enjoyed it.

A couple minutes after the movie started my Aunt Ariane called. It was great to hear from her! I gave her a quick synopsis of what had been going on in my life. So many things happen each day so it’s hard to summarize everything, but I told her the most important things. I’m really getting excited to see my family when I get home. I miss them so much! Ironically Ariane ran into Mike’s (her husband) cousin Scott, and he is friends with Whitney S. and the guy she is dating. She told him I was in Romania, and he said he knew someone in Romania. She informed him that we are living in Romania together. It’s such a small world.

After I finally got to sit down and watch a couple minutes of the movie I got another phone call. Kenz was on the phone. She had a panicked voice and exclaimed “Whitney the creepiest thing just happened I need to talk to you!” Apparently some young guy called the apartment and said to her “you look really beautiful when you work out in the morning” then hung up. She said it took her a second to figure out what he was talking about, but then she realized he was talking about me. (Don't worry parents I found out later the girls were playing a prank on me...)

2008-08-01T09:26:00.000-07:00

July 31, 2008 (Thursday)
The Lord’s Hand in my Life: Slowing down for a few hours…

We were outside most of the day at the orphanage again today. Andrei was his energetic self, but today he kept going to time out. Time out #1: Andrei kept trying to jump out of the swing. Time out #2: Andrei was climbing on these high metal bars, but he kept trying to go over the top and I told him “no” in sign, and he deliberately didn’t listen. Time out #3: Andrei kept taking his hearing aids out and biting them. We were sitting on the bench for quite a while today to say the least, but I still love that little monkey. Every time we sat in time out he would scream, then when he was done I’d make him sign “im pare rau” (I’m sorry), then he’d get down and do something else to get in trouble.

I walked around outside with Alex again today. He loved it. Alex is great, but he can be a little stinker. Today he pulled Whit’s hair and wouldn’t let go, and then he was laughing about it. We told him that wasn’t allowed and that we couldn’t play with him if he acted like that…

Today was Florine’s last day at the orphanage because he gets to go on vacation for a month. He came outside and asked me for my email address again – he said he lost it somehow…so I gave it to him. It’s frustrating to talk to him sometimes, because neither of us speak each other’s language very well. I think he could tell I was a little annoyed, because he promised me that within 10 months he would learn English. I don’t know if I believe him…but okay…it’s going to be funny when he tries to instant message me online. I can see that conversation lasting about a minute with only simple phrases like “hello” and “how are you” and “good.”

Vali had an interesting episode today. He started freaking out so they put him in his crib. Then later on they discovered his pants off and his diaper torn to shreds and thrown all over the room. Thank goodness it wasn’t a messy diaper – just a wet one. Otherwise that would have been one huge and gross mess to clean up.

After that I held him in my lap for a while. He sat there very content, and he seemed fine. I just wish I knew what was going through his mind. He just stares off into space and avoids all eye contact. I really wish his parents were put in jail for the way they have treated him…It makes me so sad.

I fed Constantine today…they made me feed him with a spoon. Thank goodness the experience was better than last time. He didn’t choke on his food as much. I kept saying really nice things to him in a high pitched voice and he would smile. But then the second I put food in his mouth he got the most disgusted look on his face. It was kind of funny, and it took FOREVER for him to eat – but he did it!

Towards the end of our time at the orphanage I started getting a really bad headache. It felt like a migraine, but it wasn’t to the maximum intensity it could have been for which I am grateful. I’ve gotten migraines since I was 12 years old that are really bad. I know I’m getting one when objects in my vision start to disappear, my hands go numb, my head kills and I throw up over and over. I get them bad. However, I haven’t gotten them to their full extreme since I’ve been taking this herb called Fever Few. So I went home and slept a few hours. When I woke up my head still hurt, but it was a manageable amount of pain. Whenever I get migraines it’s my body telling me I need to slow down…I guess it decides that if I won’t slow down on my own it will make me. I ended up skipping apartments because I was sleeping. I hate missing time with my kids.

Mary and Kenz were sick last night and today running to the bathroom. Hopefully it wasn’t the hamburgers I made, but I don’t think it was because Annie and I felt fine today and we all ate the same thing. Maybe their stomachs are more sensitive? I don’t know.

For the rest of the evening I laid in bed, relaxed and chatted with Kenz and Mary. We all looked pathetic – it was pretty funny. We had messed up hair, comfy clothes and looks of pain and agony on our face. When Annie got home from the hospital she gave each of us a popsicle and made us all grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup for dinner. It was so cute. She was like our little mom. She brought it into our rooms and everything. So sweet and considerate.

When Annie walked in she looked at me and was like “Whitney I’m not very happy with you. I’ll have to deal with you later.” We all started cracking up. I did some dishes from dinner that were in the sink, and she left me a note telling me not to because I wasn’t feeling well. However, I could still stand so I did them. They were dishes from the dinner I made last night. I didn’t want her to clean them – that’s not fair!

Later we watched The Devil Wears Prada, and the girls made me promise not to do homework or think about doing homework. I agreed reluctantly, but I did agree. What’s even better is that I sat and watched the entire movie without doing anything. I was so proud of myself. It’s really hard for me to sit and relax when I have a ton to do even if I don’t feel well.

I didn’t get to use the internet today or make gogosi with Whitney S. because I didn’t feel well – I hate it when health issues get in the way of plans.

2008-08-01T09:21:00.000-07:00

July 30, 2008 (Wednesday)
The Lord’s Hand in my Life: A job that I will love!

On Sunday I made a new goal for myself – to read my scriptures and say my prayers every morning before I do anything else – no matter what. I’ve done that the last couple days, and I’ve noticed my life has run so much smoother, and I feel like I’ve been more happy. It makes me wonder why I’m not always as valiant as I should be…we get all kinds of blessings when we are!

On the way to the orphanage Whitney S. had a funny dream about me. In the dream I was upset with the girls, because they hadn’t been responsible and taken care of something they were supposed to. Then someone had gotten mad at me because they hadn’t taken care of it. She said in the dream I told them something like “I don’t like it when things don’t get taken care of because people think I’m not reliable and that makes me look bad.” In her dream my character was right on when it comes to me caring about people being dependable and reliable. If you say you are going to do something then do it – otherwise don’t say it. Simple as that…We were both laughing because that would be something I would get upset about in real life…

At the orphanage we were outside most of the day. I walked around with Alex for a while. He’s a cutie. I would count to three and then say “rapid” (fast), and he would go as fast as his little legs would allow him. He LOVED it! He was laughing and smiling so big…which made me laugh and smile so big…My kids are great!

Andrei signed “gata” (finished) for the first time on his own today! I was sooooo proud of him! Normally he jumps out of the swing without telling me he is finished - which can be quite dangerous. Today he did the sign and I promptly got him out of the swing. I’ve been trying to teach him that sign for months! I was so proud of him…my Andrei. My little Andrei. I love him so much!

Today when I went to play with some of the other kids Andrei freaked out. It’s so hard, because I can’t spend all my time with him – otherwise some of the other kids don’t get attention. However, if I walk away and one of the other girls pushes him on the swing or try and play with him he will cry. Then if he cries the workers put him in his bed early – which is what they did today. I detest it when they do that! Absolutely detest! It breaks my heart.

I decided that I want to get a little necklace with my name and Andrei’s name engraved on it. I want him to have something to remember me by. I just hope no one steals it from him – that would be really really low if they did, but I wouldn’t put it past Romania. The other day a Romanian friend the girls have came to their apartment to drop by and say hi, and they had 100 lei in a jar for group funds. After he left they noticed it was missing…then the next day they saw him with a brand new bike. They thought he was a friend. Rude.

Florine came outside again today, and he hung out with us almost the entire time we were playing with the kids. He kept looking over and smiling at me while I played with the kids…tomorrow is his last day at the orphanage, because he is going on his month long vacation. As we were talking I asked him if he knew there were any places that I could get a necklace engraved for Andrei, and he said he didn’t know. A few minutes later Florine came back outside and told me his coworker Mihai knew a place to get that done. So I went and talked to him. Mihai was very helpful. He even drew me a map of how to get there. I’m just hoping it’s not that expensive…It was really nice of him to go and find out that information for me. Really nice.

At one point outside I was sitting on the bench playing with Vali outside. Then Florine was sitting next to Vali and Dr. Pantezescu next to Florine. Vali was intrigued by the rings on my fingers so I was letting him take them off my finger, look at them, and then put them back on my finger. Then all of a sudden Vali was about to put the ring on my finger when Florine took the ring, took my hand and was like “will you marry me?” I was really embarrassed because Dr. Pantezescu was sitting right there. I wanted to die. Dr. Pantezescu jokingly looked at Florine and shook her head. Then I just awkwardly laughed, and Florine smiled…AWKWARD!

Then Vali was sitting there, and we gave him a pen to draw with. He was doing so good staying on the paper, then I turned my head for two seconds and when I looked back he had drawn all over his arms. I was like “crud!” It was too late though – Dr. Pantezescu saw. I’m sure all the workers are really loving me this week.

Maria was crying once again because they tied her too tight in her chair. They insist that’s not why she cries, but she stops whenever I loosen it. You’d think that would be a clue. Oh no…GRR! They need to stop tying her in so hard. Ridiculous.

Maris (the worker) wasn’t feeling very well today, and when the workers don’t feel well it stinks for the kids because they don’t put up with anything. Andrei was quickly taken upstairs to go to bed after persistent whining. I wish he would understand that whining will only make his circumstances worse, but he’s three – what three year old would understand that.

I actually like Maria (the worker) when she isn’t giving us sex talks, but if she’s in a bad mood you have to watch out. The other day she was trying to tell me that Maria (my child) was going through puberty and she pointed to her chest and then poked mine. So awkward. Romanians are very touchy people…I don’t think they believe in personal space…

When we got home from the orphanage Kenz called the taxi driver to get her purse from him. Apparently when he called he said to Kenz “and Whitney will be there too.” She was like “Whit he made sure YOU were coming to pick it up with me.” I tried to get out of it – she wouldn’t let me…oh well. He was nice enough to just meet us down at the bottom of our apartment building. No big deal. As we walked down I quickly reminded her that “we both had boyfriends” if he asked again…

The hospital was a ton of fun today. Annie and I played with Marion for the first half of the time we were there. He’s so cute – such a little guy. We got him an ice cream and walked around outside. He insisted on holding each of our hands as we walked. As we walked we would say “un, doi, trei” and then swing him in the air. He loved it. He would copy our counting, but every time he would skip “un” and just say “doi.” I think he just wanted to get to the swing part faster – smart. It was the cutest thing ever!

Outside there were a bunch of kids sitting on the benches. Mindy ended up coming outside with Gabby (one of the other burn victims in Marius’s room), and we all played soccer with this little pink ball I have. We would run around holding Marion and kick the ball. Then the older kids would kick it to us. Marius would freak out every time we got the ball. He kept yelling “Hai! Hai! (Come! Come!). It was a blast! It’s so funny, but wherever we go the kids are drawn to us immediately.

Later I went to look for Alexandra and I couldn’t find her anywhere. She was on the 5th floor. Then the nurses said she was moved to the third floor, but I couldn’t find her anywhere. The girls said she wasn’t feeling well yesterday again – we think she may have been in surgery today? I don’t know, but I was extremely sad when I couldn’t find her. I’m going to make sure the girls look for her tomorrow since I go to the apartments in the afternoon.

Annie and I saw Florine today! We couldn’t believe it…he is back at the hospital. Annie saw him through one of the windows, and we went and gave him big hug. We didn’t know he was back. Florine is still as much of a stinker as he was when he left last time. The first thing he did was ask us if we had gum or balloons. At least he’s not selling the pampers we give to him?

After we got home it was my turn to make dinner. I was quite proud of myself. I made some dang good hamburgers and homemade French fries. The hamburgers ended up being a little harder to make then I thought because our stove gets so hot. I had to put it on and then take it off so it cooked it all the way through, but they were pretty good.

After dinner we went to the Internet Café to research our trip around Europe for 10 days. We each took a different city to split up the work load. I’m doing Paris, France. I’m so excited to go there. I’ve wanted to go to Paris my entire life. We’re only there for 2 ½ days, but I’m still excited. I didn’t know there were so many things to do in Paris. It’s crazy! They have all kinds of passes to get into the museum, but I’m not sure which one will be cheapest. All of us are going to get together and have a meeting and talk about things. So fun!

While I was at the internet I also checked my email. I received an email back from Shannon Farmer regarding a position at Nu Skin on the Special Events staff for Americas and Europe. She said that their department needed help and that my experience would be valuable. I’m so excited! So unless there are any major glitches I will have a job when I get home doing something I love – planning. YES! I was jumping up and down…the Lord is watching out for me. Finding a job immediately when I get home has been the biggest stress…Annie said that we have to celebrate so we are going to have Brownie Sundays sometime this weekend. I’m okay with that…

Because I was so excited I called my Mom Mia to tell her, but she wasn’t feeling well. I felt bad…I guess her head is feeling really really dizzy. She was excited for me about the job because she knows I have a ton of expenses when I get home, and I was worried about it. Then right before I got off the phone with her she made the comment “every time I think about you leaving Andrei I get teary eyed” – I just thought so do I – so do I. I really don’t know how I’m going to handle leaving him. I don’t know.

Before I went to bed I put my favorite picture of Andrei and I on my desktop of my computer. It’s so cute. I love that little boy!

2008-08-01T09:13:00.000-07:00

July 29, 2008 (Tuesday)
The Lord’s Hand in my Life: A nice taxi driver who spoke English and helped me get my camera fixed. The Lord is aware of even the smallest concerns we have in our life.

Last night I had another dream…Normally I don’t remember them, but I have the past couple of days for some reason. In my dream I was getting married in a couple of days, but I didn’t know who to and I was feeling panicked. Then the scene in my dream switched, and I was sitting at a decorated table like you would see at the reception. At the table I was introduced to my husband – he was black…I’m not racist, but I’m not attracted to black men so I was upset about who I was marrying. Then all of a sudden he told me that he was not only marrying me, but he was getting married to another woman as well. I was really upset about the entire situation to say the least, but I was panicked because the wedding was the next day and I knew I needed to break things off soon if I was going to. In my head I thought “I need to talk to my Dad about it – he’ll help me figure this out.” So I went to him and my Dad was like “Whitney – do what you feel is right, but remember eternity is a long time.” Then he told me that if I didn’t feel good about it I needed to get out of it right away. Then I broke off the wedding, and I felt much more peaceful…

At the orphanage we were outside for most of the day again. While we were out there we started our Brigance Tests on the kids. We did them when we first arrived, and we have to do them right before we leave. They are used to measure where the kids are developmentally. Andrei wasn’t real cooperative with the test, but that’s my little Andrei.

While we were outside Lumie (a worker) came up to me with a distressed look on her face and told me in Romanian that Andrei cries when he is not with me and that it’s not good for me to hold him. I don’t know what she wants me to do, but I’m not going to stop loving and holding him. No way. That’s why I’m here. Not an option. Plus I have less than two weeks to spend with him…there is no way I’m backing off.

Outside I pushed Andrei on the swing and walked around with Alex. Alex was looking so sad again today (probably because he missed Elisa), so I took him out and walked around with him. That instantly made him happy. However, I can’t walk around with him for too long because he’s a big boy, and he was not happy that I put him back in his seat. I tried though…

On the way inside the workers weren’t too happy with me. I pushed some of the kid’s wheelchairs on the grass so they could sit close to us and some mud got on them. First Maria (the child) got mud on her wheels so Maria (the worker) and I wiped them off. Then Alex got mud on his wheels, and I helped her wipe them off. Then I ended up tracking mud inside from my shoes. I felt like all I was doing was saying “I’m sorry” today. They weren’t really mad, but Maria (the worker) was a bit irritated. It was kind of funny though. She made me wash off my shoes and my feet in the bath tub. I felt like I was one of the kids…

In between the orphanage and apartments I went to get my camera fixed for the third time in two months. I never should have bought a camera here, but at the same time I wouldn’t have all the fun pictures I’ve had. The only problem is that it’s a pain because it breaks every two seconds. Anyways, Kenz went with me and the situation ended up turning out okay thanks to the Lord watching out for me. Kenz and I got in a taxi and asked the driver to take us to the place I bought the camera. As we were in the taxi I took the camera out of the bag and the driver asked me what I was going to do with it. I explained the story of how it had broken twice and last time I exchanged it it was really difficult, and he asked if we needed him to come inside the store with us to translate. I couldn’t believe it – a taxi driver, who spoke English and offered to translate for us. He was so nice. So I graciously accepted his help.

The taxi driver went with me inside the mall area where we bought the camera, and he talked to the guy in Romanian. After about 10 minutes of bickering the guy said that he wouldn’t exchange my camera, but that we could take it to the repair shop to get it fixed. I chimed in the conversation a few times speaking half Romanian and half English and Kenz was cracking up at the butchered sentences – so were the people standing in line. Even the people in line were yelling at the guy to return it, but he wouldn’t budge. The Romanians are really stubborn.
Before we left the mall to go to the repair shop Kenz had to buy diapers so we ran into the store and bought them. As we were standing in line Kenz gave her debit card to the lady, but she blanked out on what her pin was – so after several tries I ran and got my wallet out of my backpack at the station. It’s annoying but some of the larger grocery stores make you check your bags. Kenz was like “I’ve used this card a thousand times how could I forget the pin.” She was so embarrassed, but it’s okay …I know she will pay me back.

The taxi driver was so nice. He just waited on the bench outside the store as we got the pampers. Then he promptly took us to the place I needed to go in order to get my camera fixed. He was an angel – I don’t know how I would have been able to communicate with any of the staff if he hadn’t been there. It would have been extremely frustrating. Plus he was a big guy so that helped the situation. He explained the situation again to the guy at the main desk of the place to get it fixed. A few seconds later the guy who actually fixes the cameras came out and talked to me. He spoke a little bit of English which was nice. I told him that I wanted to get my money back because I was afraid of what would happen when I take it to America and it breaks again. There’s nothing I can do about it over there – my guarantee is only applicable to European countries. So basically he’s either going to fix my camera, exchange it, or try and get my money back. He told me he had to email his superior and explain the situation, but that he would do his best to see if he could get my money back. He was very helpful. I’m going to cross my fingers that they will do a return! If not – it is supposed to be ready in a week…

On the way home the taxi driver started talking about how frustrated he was because he wanted to visit America, but it is really hard to get a Visa. Then he asked us if it was a problem to get a Visa to come here, and we told him ‘no.’ It’s hard for people from other countries to visit America, because everyone wants to go there. In contrast, it’s easy for American citizens to visit wherever we want…That must have been what Florine was talking about when he said that in order to get a Visa to visit the States he needed an invitation from someone who lives there. He was joking around about me writing one.

Although the driver was nice he started getting a little too friendly. He asked Kenz and I if we had husbands – we said “no,” but then he asked us if we had “boyfriends” and I quickly gave MacKenzie the eye and told him that we did. I didn’t want him to think we were available…even though we are. Luckily she understood my eye language and she agreed with me. Boys here seem nice – but they get a little creepy sometimes. I’ve found the best way to get them to lay off is to tell them that I have a boyfriend. What is weird is that the driver was probably in his mid 30s, and he was hitting on us.

At the 3rd floor apartments Alina was a little pill. She pretty much spent the entire time we were there in time out. She would hit one of the other kids, punch the window screen or try and throw the tables around. Then we would sit and hold her hands while she sat in time out. We had to make sure we also held down her legs and stayed away from her head because she would kick and head butt us while we held her there. Oh the joys. Then the second we were about to let her out of time out we would make her sign “I’m sorry,” because she can’t speak. Then she’d get out and look at us and do something else naughty. It was a vicious cycle. I guess she just wanted attention really bad today.

At 7th floor we colored and played bubbles the entire time. Costica cracked me up. I’d strum my fingers over my lips and make a noise and then he would do it. It was hilarious. He is such a cutie…I love the kids so much.

After I got home we ate dinner. Then our entire apartment planned to go souvenir shopping. Right before we were about to leave Kenz couldn’t find her purse anywhere, and she started freaking out. We looked the house through and through and decided she must have left it in the taxi. Luckily I had the driver’s phone number on a receipt he gave to me so we called him and Kenz left a message. She was really distraught so I told her to say a prayer and to be calm until we knew for sure he didn’t have it. Right before we were about to leave the taxi driver called us back and said he had it. The Lord is so aware of our needs. She was so relieved. I was like “see the Lord is aware of us.” She just smiled and agreed….

We went to the Moldova Mall and found some interesting Romanian gifts for our family members. I got my Dad, Stepdad and three of my older brothers some pretty crazy – but fashionable ties. They are going to have to wear them to church and send me a picture J I’m excited to give them to them…then I also found a gift for my Grandma and Grandpa Alexander. It’s a Romanian wind chime. They love stuff like that…I love buying gifts for people! I’m not sure if I have the money to do it…but oh well…I’m already going to have to take out a loan when I get home.

The rest of the night Annie and I watched What Lies Beneath. She’s never seen it and all of the girls said it was good movie one night when we were chatting so we decided to watch it together. In the middle of the movie Kenz and Mary went around outside our window and started blowing a whistle that makes bird noises…However, I didn’t know what it was at the time. I ended up jumping a good foot…It was an intense part of the movie, then all of a sudden I heard a loud bird noise, then I saw something out of the corner of my eye coming through my window and boy did I jump. I had my computer on my lap, and I jumped so high I almost broke my computer. They thought they were pretty ding dang dong funny. Oh I will get them back – just wait….

P.S. The bug bites are getting ridiculous here. I counted six mosquito bites on my upper left thigh. How they get in my clothes I don’t know…but we can’t close the windows at night because it will get too hot without air conditioning…AHHH!

2008-07-29T04:33:00.000-07:00

July 28, 2008 (Monday)
The Lord’s Hand in my Life: Being able to feel Alexandra’s pain…

At the orphanage we went outside, but I’m not sure why. The kids weren’t allowed to walk on the grass because it was muddy from all the storms we’ve had – so I spent almost the entire time trying to keep Andrei from running on the grass. So frustrating. He wasn’t happy about not being able to walk around outside, and I wasn’t happy about trying to keep him from it.

We also finished making foot and handprints of all our little orphan babies. We want to have them as remembrance of our kiddos. I’m excited to put a scrapbook together when I get home. I can’t wait! It will probably take me forever, but I will love it. However I’m pretty sure my Mom Mia will love it even more that I get to scrapbook with her. It will be fun.

Since Elisa is gone Whitney S. and I noticed that the workers started talking to us more than usual. Normally they talk to Elisa because they think she understands Romanian better than us – but she’ll be the first to admit she’s about the same as the rest of us. It was kind of fun to attempt to really talk to them today. They are all harsh with the kids, but some of them really do care about them.

Soon after we went outside Florine and his friend came and said hi. They ended up chatting with us for almost the entire time we were outside. By the end of the conversation he ended up asking me for my phone number in the States, but I told him I don’t have one (because I don’t yet). So he got my email address, and I gave him mine. It could be fun to have a pen pal. I wasn’t opposed to him having my email address. He seems like a really good guy, and he’s nice. Plus he can give me updates on my little Andrei. Florine joked about coming to visit me in the States, but I’m pretty sure that’s not going to happen. He can barely speak English, and I can barely speak Romanian. His friend was translating practically the entire conversation. Then throughout the course of the conversation his friend would look at me and be like “Florine wants a kiss.” Then Florine would look awkward, and I would look awkward and I’d change the topic. It was one of those things both people pretended they didn’t understand what was going on. I’m not even going there. Whitney S. was like “What is it with boys and kissing?! It’s like a universal thing!” The girls also thought it was ironic that Sera’s last day was Thursday and Florine all of a sudden has been coming around to say hi more than he normally does. Oh boys...

Apparently in Europe most people get a month paid vacation from work. No fair! I wish they would incorporate something like that in the States. We never get breaks like that from work.

During the course of the conversation the workers and Florine started asking me about religion. Maria looked at Florine and was teasing him about how it would never work out with me - because I’m Mormon that is. Then they all started asking me questions about my faith. They were amazed when I said that I don’t drink, smoke or have relations with boys before I’m married. They couldn’t believe it. Apparently in the Greek Orthodox religion you aren’t supposed to drink, but you can smoke. I don’t know how that works - but it does.

After we went back inside Whitney S. noticed that Maria (my child) was crying really hard, and she never does that. I tried to see if something was hurting her and the cloth scarf that they had tied around her stomach to keep her in her chair was practically cutting her in half. They had it tied soooo tight. I don’t think they realized it. She had a huge red line across her stomach. When I showed Maria (the worker) how tight it was she acted like it was no big deal…She said the reason Maria was crying was because she was hungry and tired. However, Maria stopped crying profusely when I loosened the grip of the scarf…sometimes I wonder about their logic…

Alex was really sad today. I could tell he missed Elisa. Every time I looked over he had a sad face on. I would ask him what he wanted and when I said “Elisa?” he smiled real big. Then I told him that I was sorry, but Elisa went back home. However, I reminded him how much Elisa loved him. I don’t know if that helped a ton, but maybe? I keep thinking about leaving my kids and how hard it is going to be! AHHHH! I think I’m going to buy Andrei a little chain to wear from me. I just hope he knows how much I love him – even if I have only known him for a few short months.

The other day I was discussing with one of the girls how some people are flabbergasted that we can come and handle all the emotional stress that comes from working with the kids in orphanages and hospitals. After thinking about it for a while I came to this conclusion: Of course there is a lot to deal with - and a lot of sad situations to see – but at the same time there is so much joy. Every time I hold one of the children, make them smile, make them laugh, or make them feel loved – even if it is ever so small – I feel joy. It’s that feeling of joy that keeps me going. It’s knowing that I have the opportunity to make kids feel loved that wouldn’t otherwise, and I jump at it…Of course there are hard days; and of course there are days that I don’t know how to handle seeing or feeling the way I do; but the Lord will help me. I’m still not sure how I’m going to find any comfort in leaving my Andrei. I will probably never see him again, and it doesn’t help that I don’t feel like he is going to be left in the best of care; but what can I do? As much as I want to I can’t take him home with me and love him I can’t…I only pray that the Lord will watch over and protect him. He has to.

At the hospital we played with all our little bundles of joy. I am sad to report that Roxeanna (AKA laughing baby) has left. However, there were still plenty of little dolls to hold and change their diapers. I just love kids! I can’t get over how much I love them…

The low of my day was when Annie and I walked in to visit Alexandra. She looked horrible. The second we saw her we both instantly knew she didn’t feel well. She was moaning and crying – and she never does that. I felt her head, and she felt extremely hot – not to mention she was extremely pale. Then to make matters worth she had a stinky diaper, so I quickly changed it for her and the poor thing cried out in pain when we lifted her legs to wipe her. She looked so miserable. The first thing she said to us was “apa” (water). Annie went and got water, but when we tried to give it to her she couldn’t even sit up to drink it she felt so bad. Annie and I looked at each other and were like “I wonder if the nurse knows she has a bad fever?” Even though they should have known we decided we should make sure…I mean it’s Romania…

I went out and asked the nurse if she knew how hot Alexandra was. Apparently she didn’t – not a surprise…it made me extremely agitated that they had no idea. Alexandra was in their care, and since she doesn’t have any parents to watch out for her they should. Who knows how long she sat there with a fever, sitting in a stinky diaper and dying of thirst? I’m glad we came in when we did. Sometimes they worry me about how well they take care of their patients.

Right after I said something they came and took her temperature and sure enough it was extremely high. Then they came in and rubbed something that smelled like vinegar all over her body and wrapped her in a blanket. Annie and I weren’t sure what that was supposed to accomplish? I’ve never seen anyone in the states do that, but I guess it was supposed to help in someway. Hopefully they weren’t trying to break her fever by making her sweat…that’s very out of date medical practice.

As I sat and watched them “treat her” I was pretty angry at the entire situation. They weren’t soft and gentle with her at all – they kept moving her around abruptly. Then when she cried out in pain they would scold her for crying. I wanted to yell at the top of my lungs “be softer with her!” I would cry too if I were in her situation. In fact I’d cry a lot harder. She has every right to cry. She has been stuck in this hospital for months, she can’t walk – so she can’t get up and move around – and she had a fever that was neglected by the nurses for who knows how long before we got there. Not to mention she had no mom to dry her tears, no one to listen to her when she cried for water, and no stable figure to love her at all her entire life. Plus she’s six years old. How dare them scold her for crying! AHHH! As they were taking care of her and she cried it was amazing how intense I felt her pain. Each whimper and cry stung. I don’t know how parents do it when they see their children in pain. It was the worst thing ever to experience… For some reason this entire situation really bothered me today… a lot…

After the nurses bundled her up Annie and I tried to get her mind off things by either blowing bubbles or stroking her head. I sat there for a while and just brushed her hair away from her face with my hand and kissed her forehead. It made me sad that she was stuck in this horrible place – where she has been stuck for months – and she doesn’t have a mom to take care of her when she is sick. She had no one to hear her cry today when we weren’t there. It’s not fair…I kept thinking the entire time “Why wasn’t I in her situation? Why am I so blessed? Why can’t I take her pain?” I don’t know the answer to these questions – only the Lord does, but I’m going to have to trust that there is a reason for everything.

After she sat wrapped up in a bundle for a few minutes the nurses abruptly hauled her down the hall and went into a room and closed the door. That’s when I heard screaming…it was horrible. I quickly looked at Annie and was like “I have to get out of here – I can’t listen to this.” I felt ill…I heard her scream the entire walk down the hall. Her scream kept pounding into my head. Annie had to remind me that although it might hurt her in the short term, they are probably trying to do something to make her feel better in the long run. It didn’t help me feel much better, but it made me feel a little less angry at them.

After we went home we ate dinner and had Family Home Evening. FHE was fun. For our activity we did the human knot. We are really bad at that game…it took us about half an hour to get undone. Oh well… we had a fun time doing it. We laughed a lot and we were put in a lot of awkward situations. At least it got my mind off of some of the events of the day.

Moments of Enlightenment...Sundays are the best!

2008-07-29T04:28:00.000-07:00

July 27, 2008 (Sunday)
The Lord’s Hand in my Life: Moments of enlightenment which help me get closer and closer to figuring out how to find true happiness in my life.

I love Sundays, and I love church. Each Sunday there is always something I need to hear in order to better myself. It’s amazing how the Lord knows each and every one of us so well.

I taught a lesson in Sunday School today on repentance. I felt like it went well, and the other girls seemed to appreciate it. I felt the spirit really strong, and I’m grateful the Lord helped me know what to say. I even got teary eyed when I bore my testimony. I think that is the second time I’ve cried since I’ve been here. I only hope that the words that I said actually make a difference in the lives of those who were listening. I hope that when I teach people walk away saying – I can improve myself - I can be better - I want to be better. I know whenever I prepare a lesson I learn so much and find so many ways I can improve myself. I love it.

In between Sunday School and Relief Society I sat and evaluated where I am at in my life spiritually. I started thinking about how I need to make sure I put the Lord first in my life and then everything else will fall into place. From here on out I’ve decided that the first thing I will do every morning is read my scriptures and say my prayers. Too many nights I go to bed, say I’ll read them in the morning, and then I end up doing something else and the important things fall by the wayside. From now on scripture reading and prayers are going to be the first thing I do when I wake up – even if that means I go to the orphanage half ready or don’t get to work out. The Lord has always made me a priority – I need to make him one. This is going to be a goal for the rest of my life… I’ve also decided I want my future husband to have the same thoughts as I do. I need it to be blankly apparent that Christ is number one in his life. I think that’s the problem with some of the guys I’ve dated. I can’t tell the Lord is number one in their life. I will not settle for anything less.

Ironically right after that thought Relief Society began and Elyse gave an excellent lesson about sacrifice – which reaffirmed my desire to put the Lord and Christ first. Christ displayed the ultimate sacrifice – the atonement. Although I can never fully repay him, I should do everything I can to live my life to make him proud of me so someday when I die he can welcome me with open arms and tell me “well done thou good and faithful servant.”

In Relief Society Sora Stoica thanked us for the example the BYU girls are to the Branch. She also praised all of us for the lessons that we teach. She said we always teach our lessons in complete accordance with the gospel and that she learns a lot. She also said that when the BYU girls first started coming she thought “what can I learn from them – they are young.” Then she said that she realized she learned a lot, and that she appreciates all the lessons and experiences we have shared with her. It was a sincere “thank you” – which meant a lot to me, and I’m sure the rest of the girls. The interesting thing is that we feel like we have all learned so much from the branch members as well. It’s amazing how we learn so much from each other…

On the way home from church I thought more about how I can improve my life and self, and I realized something. It’s amazing how the Lord helps you realize how to improve yourself when you earnestly seek for it and ask him. What I realized was that I worry too much about justice and forget about charity or the pure love of Christ. Too many times when I feel I have been treated bad I will have often have hard feelings – I will think “they had no right to treat me that way” – “they should be punished” – “why should I be nice to them when they have wronged me?” However, it’s not my responsibility to punish someone or make sure justice happens. The Lord will take care of that. All I need to worry about is how I treat others – even if I am treated badly I still need to treat them with love and respect. If I do that how can I not be happy? I need to always live in a way that I can walk away feeling like I acted Christ like. Happiness is ours to grab – but we have to grab it. In essence, I’m going to let the Lord worry about justice, and I’m just going to do my best to exemplify Christ. Of course I fall short, but I’m sure going to try. For some reason understanding this concept felt like a huge load was lifted off my shoulders. I love moments of enlightenment.

Also on the way home I had a little incident happen with a seemingly harmless 6-year-old boy who is always on the street running around on the pathway to church. He is extremely cute – but he is a little devil. He is only six and he has managed to grab several of the BYU girls, flash the missionaries and yell words of profanity at us as we walk by. While Annie and I were walking home he started walking directly behind me – so I put my hand over my rear because I thought he might try to grab me. That’s what he usually does. Then all of a sudden he dodged down and tried to pull my skirt down. Luckily he didn’t pull hard enough, but boy what a little stinker…It’s so sad. It’s hard because I can’t necessarily be mad at him – he obviously learned to treat women like that from someone else. A six year old wouldn’t randomly participate in acts like this unless he was taught it somewhere, but boy is it sad. In America I’ve never seen a six year old do anything like that…Most Romanian men seriously have NO respect for women. It’s ridiculous – American men are looking pretty good right now.

When I got home I took a nap – I must have been really tired because I was out. I didn’t get a lot of sleep this weekend…it’s been a little busy and crazy around here. There is a ton to do before I leave….My goal is to get all my homework done before I get home so I don’t have to worry about it. I want to be able to spend time with my family and take care of all the things I need to get done in order to get ready for my last semester of school. I have a long list of things. I have to get a car, car insurance, cell phone and a job. Plus I’m going to be broke when I get home – that’s where a loan will come in…grrr…at least I’ve made it this far without having to borrow any money.

It was Annie and my turn to make our group Sunday dinner. We made stuffed French toast and it was pretty good if I say so myself. Annie and I had three pans of French toast cooking on the stove. It was quite the balancing act.

After dinner Elyse and Mindy made an interesting dessert. Hahahha…I don’t think it turned out exactly how they wanted. It was quite funny because they ranted and raved about this dessert – then they only ate what they baked because they were forced to. I cut Mindy a big slice of the cake…the expression on her face was priceless when I handed it to her.

In the kitchen while Elyse and Mindy were trying to find a way to fix their dessert so it was edible, we started talking about dating. I honestly could care less about dating when I get home. Elyse said when you don’t care you always find someone, but I really don’t think I will find someone soon. What’s great is that I’m okay with that...Is that weird? My next goal is to graduate and buy a Toy Yorkshire Terrier…I’ve wanted one since 3rd grade…

After dinner Annie and I watched Yours Mine and Ours. Love that movie! Then I participated in my fourth scabies treatment. Great end to a Sunday… haha…

P.S. I got a mosquito bite on my eye lid yesterday…this is the second time in my life this has happened. I’ve decided that one’s eye lid is the worst spot EVER to get one. My best friend Kendall will laugh hysterically when she reads this. The bug bites are getting really bad here…

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2008-07-29T04:26:00.000-07:00

July 26, 2008 (Saturday)
The Lord’s Hand in my Life: A friendship that I never thought would happen.

I know it’s a Saturday, but I woke up super early to try and get a head start on homework. I woke up at 5:30 and Annie woke up at 6:00 and made us pancakes for breakfast, and then I did the dishes. I didn’t even know you could make pancakes without pancake mix. Annie laughed at me when I told her that.

This morning was productive…I got a couple of cultural proof assignments done and wrote in my journal…I’m starting to love getting up in the morning – which is weird because I normally detest mornings. Something about Romania makes me want to get up early…? Weird.

After we did homework for a couple hours I went to the internet café. To my surprise as I was writing an email my ex-boyfriend g-chatted with me. It was good to chat for a few minutes and say hello.

For the rest of the morning I did homework. Then we all went to the hospital to have a little party for Marius before Elisa left. He is going to be leaving for the states sometime within the next week or two with his brother. Everyone is so excited for him.

We also gave Teo (worker from the orphanage) a gift from us girls – we got her a digital camera. She has done a ton for us while we have been here. She just kept saying “I can’t believe it. Wow.” Having a digital camera is a pretty big deal around here. Oh the things we take for granted.

At the hospital we took a group picture. To make fun of me the girls took a picture of the way I apparently pose in my pics. They say that in all my pictures I turn to the side and put my hands on my hips…I don’t think that’s a regular pose – but whatever.

At the hospital we had fun and played with Marion. He is soooo stinkin cute. He kept pointing down the hall and saying “acolo.” Then whoever was holding him would run down the hall back and forth and he loved it. That little boy loves attention, and he hates being in his crib. Who could blame him?

After the hospital I did homework and internet stuff for a bit. Then we all planned to go out to dinner for Elisa’s last evening. We went to a nice restaurant – we pretty much had it to ourselves. The food was okay, but not amazing. Kenz and Mary came late because they went to pick up their drawing. They had a bumb on the street sketch one of their favorite pictures with the kids. When they walked in and showed us them we all laughed. The sketch didn’t really look like the picture – Mary’s face was two times bigger than its regular size and Kenz’s photo had smudges on it, but they still liked them…they were both laughing pretty hard too.

After dinner we took some final group photos together. They were pretty random. Then I showed Elyse a dance move that I thought she would like and she did it the entire way home. I can’t wait to show her some more.

After we got home the Elders and Sisters dropped by to give Elisa a little goodbye gift. Trying to fit everyone in that little apartment was humorous – not to mention extremely hot. The apartment is so small that if you get too many bodies in there it quickly turns into a little oven. Wow.

While we were all chatting Kenz, Elyse and I started hitting the volleyball really fast and hard in a small space, and Mindy started freaking out. Hilarious. You had to be there for it to be funny, but every time we came close to breaking someone’s computer Mindy would say a reprimanding and drawn out “oh… okay.” We kept doing it just to hear her say that…

Before we left for the night and said goodbye Elisa had to conduct a final personal interview with each of us. She is responsible for evaluating us for part of our grade. I had a really nice chat with her.

For our final moments as an entire group we watched the season finale of The Office. The girls can’t get enough of the episode where Jim confesses his love for Pam. We’re such girls.

2008-07-25T23:50:00.000-07:00

July 25, 2008 (Friday)
The Lord’s Hand in my Life: Good friends to talk with about topics of importance.

Today was Elisa’s last day at the orphanage. Besides that it was a regular day with the kids. We didn’t go outside today so I was able to play with all of my kiddos. I loved it! Valentina was in a hair pulling mood though. None of the girls wanted her to come up from behind us because she would yank a chunk of our hair out if she did. Oh Valentina!

Poor Vali had a major freak out session today…When Whitney S. first walked in she noticed that he was biting his arms and hands more than usual so she could tell something was wrong. She tried to hold him. Then he freaked out so a worker put him in his crib. That wasn’t a smart idea, because he started banging his head against the wall. Then they took him out of his bed again and gave him back to Whitney S. That’s when Whitney S. was like “can I get your help?” I looked over and Vali was throwing and biting himself – kicking and hitting as hard as he could. I helped her restrain him so he wouldn’t bite himself or hurt us. I started singing I Am A Child of God; and he immediately settled down for the first verse, but when I was about to go to the second he started freaking out again. The other workers had to help hold him down as well. Then the nurse came and made him drink some type of medicine that acts as a tranquilizer. I wonder what was going through his mind…At one point he threw himself against the floor and hit his head really hard. I was afraid he had split his head open, but luckily he ended up being okay.

From his random freak out sessions it’s easy to see he has been badly badly abused at home. His session today was really intense. The last couple of days Vali has been smiling and playing and sitting in our laps quietly while we just held him. I was excited to see a change in him so quickly. I also noticed that he was biting himself less and with less intensity. He even stopped flinching when we went to touch him…I guess any recovery (if recovery is possible) will take a long time. Whatever has been done to him will have to be undone. His parents should be put in jail for they way they have treated him – and I’m sure we don’t even have the entire story. Apparently they kept him isolated for long periods of time….

After talking with Whitney S. she said that Vali’s behavior reminded her of a video she had seen in one of her psychology classes at BYU. In the video there was a nine year old boy who was completely isolated his entire life – even his food was slid under the door of the room he was locked in. When they found him his mannerisms were animal like – especially his walk and crawl. That was quite fascinating because he hadn’t been around humans or animals to learn any behavior... Vali runs like an ape…I know he was isolated…but I think his family might have downplayed the intensity of their maltreatment towards him.

Andrei was a stinker today. I personally put him in timeout three times, and the other girls put him in timeout as well. He is so cute, but he is such a pill sometimes. When I put him in timeout he acted like it was a game. He would start laughing. After I put him in timeout several times he wasn’t laughing quite so much. I think he started to figure out that timeout wasn’t fun.
Andrei picked up dolls from the toy shelf to play with again today. I was starting to get a little concerned, but my concern was alleviated when he started pulling the legs off of the Barbie doll. Not that that is good behavior, but that is the way a typical little boy acts with dolls…I’m glad he’s acting like a regular little boy.

When Kenz and I got home from the orphanage we had a nice chat about dating and relationships. We talked about awkward dating situations we have had. Then we chatted about having confidence in ourselves without having a guy or boyfriend in our lives. Luckily my dad has reminded me over and over again that I don’t need to have a boy in my life at all times to make me feel like I am of value. So many girls these days have to have a boyfriend all the time, and they don’t feel like they are of worth without one. That’s such a wrong thought process. I’m fine without a boyfriend – not that it’s not nice to have one - but my self esteem doesn’t automatically plummet if I don’t have one. That is one thing that I really appreciate from my dad. He always says that I need to learn to understand my own personal value so that when I find a guy we can be nice compliments for one another – not crutches …I don’t know if I’m making sense as I explain this – but it has helped me much throughout my life. My dad has given me lots of wise advice over the years about dating. I appreciate it all very much…

On the way to the hospital a couple of us were walking and this car full of guys yelled “Hey!” at the top of their lungs as they drove by. We all about had a heart attack. Whitney S. was like “I hate Romanian men!” I don’t know what it is about Romanian men and honking and yelling, but they love it.

At the hospital I visited laughing baby. She is sooooo cute. I could just sit and hold her for hours. The moms in the room tried talking to me in Romanian for an hour. I understood a lot of it, but some of it didn’t make sense. It was so funny…whenever I didn’t understand they would start acting out whatever question or statement they were trying to say. My conversation with Romanians largely consists of a game of charades…haha…The moms asked if I drank, smoked or went to the discotecas (clubs), and I told them “no.” They were absolutely shocked…Then they asked me if I had a husband or boyfriend. I told them “no,” and they were even more shocked. I loved their facial expressions every time I said “no.” Hilarious.

Annie went and bought a binky for laughing baby, and I tried to give it to her and she didn’t know how to suck on it. I held it in her mouth for like 15 minutes, and the poor thing just made faces the entire time while she rolled the binky around. She was having a really hard time…the nurse asked us to buy one for her…I’m not sure why?

The second we stepped out of the hospital it was raining profusely. Annie and I looked at each other and were like “well – here goes.” Within about 5 minutes we were drenched, and we had a half an hour walk home. I have never been so wet in my life…I was drenched down to the underwear several times over. We both looked like we had jumped in a lake with all our clothes on. Annie and I were laughing so hard…my contacts almost came out it was raining so hard. Then to make the situation even more amazing several cars went buy and splashed us with water. I’ve always seen that happen in movies, but I’ve never experienced it first hand. Annie and I decided that some of the drivers hit the puddles on purpose and some avoided them to be nice. Then of course we got honked and yelled at several times – we were drenched which means our clothes clung to us. Pervert Romanian men…

Because today is July 24th and Pioneer Day we had a church activity…it was a good time. Sister Padoru sang a song about the BYU girls. It was so sweet…it talked about how it seemed like yesterday that she just met us and then we leave and they are so sad…Whitney S. started crying when the elders translated it for us…

Later on the girls from the other apartment came over, and we had éclairs. They are one of Elisa’s favorite treats since she has been here. We all just sat and chatted about random things like we do when we get together. I love how random our conversations will get sometimes. It’s amazing how easy it is to jump from topic to topic when you get a group of nine girls together.

2008-07-25T23:49:00.000-07:00

July 24, 2008 (Thursday)
The Lord’s Hand in my Life: Thunder and lightning storms…

The rain carried over from last night until this morning – along with the lightning. I absolutely love thunder and lightning storms – especially when I get to fall asleep to the sound of them. I think that’s why I slept so well last night…

As Annie and I were getting ready I noticed she had Christmas music playing –which I thought was funny because it’s the middle of summer. She looked at me and laughed and said the cold and rain outside reminded her of Christmas so she wanted to listen to Christmas music. Gotta love Annie.

At the orphanage it was a pretty regular day. Nothing too out of the ordinary happened. The only thing was that we made voice recordings of all our kids so we can listen to them when we go home. Elisa’s last day at the orphanage is tomorrow, and she has to take the tape recorder with her so we tried to get as many clips as possible of our kid’s voices. Most of the kids cooperated, but my Maria would not laugh for anything. We kept attempting …after about the 4th try she finally did…oh boy…

Andrei was kind of cranky today for some reason. Every once in a while he gets like that, and I’ll have to take a break away from him and go play with another child. I still love him, but boy can his continuous little tantrums start to get to you.

The speech therapist walked in today to work with Andrei and I could tell he really likes her. It makes me happy to see that there is someone he cares about, and that she cares about him. It actually gives me a lot of comfort knowing there is at least one person who will treat him really well while I’m gone. Thank goodness.

At the apartments it was pretty sedate as well…it was just a very regular day. Nothing to report.

When I got home I called my friend Kristi to find out the details of her engagement. She told me how Todd proposed and it was adorable. He told her to get dressed up and she did. Then he took her dinner and a place where his friend sings Jazz music. Then he took her to Rock Canyon Park and they danced in the middle of the field to the song Storm by Lifehouse. She thought he was going to propose there – nope. Then they went and talked outside the Provo Temple for a while. She thought he was going to propose there – nope. By then it was about 11:00 and she said that he was like “well I don’t have anything else planned for the night – lets take you home.” She told him that she’d rather spend some more time with him before they went home – after all 11:00 is early for a college student. Then he looked at her and was like “Kristi it’s been a good night lets not drag it on.” Kristi said she was so hurt and that the car ride back to her house was so awkward. She was like “Whitney I kept thinking that comment was soo wrong.” Then he dropped her off and was like “see you later.” She said she got out of the car, and he drove off. She couldn’t believe it. She said she wanted to cry…Then she walked up the stairs and opened her door and her favorite Michael Buble called That’s All was playing. Then the lights were off and candles and rose petals were all over the floor in a trail. She said her stomach jumped because she knew it was going to happen. He totally tricked her. She followed the rose petals and it lead to a huge bouquet of roses and lilies. In the bouquet there was a card that said “go back outside beautiful.” Then she opened the door, and she said he was sprinting up the stairs with a huge grin on his face. He came upstairs, and they danced to Michael Buble and he proposed to her. She was so so excited to tell me the whole story. She said it was the perfect proposal. I can tell she is really happy, and I’m honestly so excited for her. However, I’m just not excited to have an engaged roommate in the fall…oh well… at least I will have fun shopping for wedding dresses with her. That will be fun!

It was Annie and my night to go to Outreach. We were both thrilled as usual. There were about 9 people there including ourselves. We all played a couple rounds of Uno – I’m not sure if I’m a huge fan of card games after Outreach. Anyways, Ionut was there and boy was he being a pill as usual. He isn’t a member of the church, but he is a Romanian college student who comes to Outreach to practice his English. The second we walked in I made that comment that I felt like I hadn’t been there for a while, and he quickly retorted “I know. That’s because you haven’t. I noticed.” I was like okay…I knew it was going to be a long evening.

In order to continue Ionut’s rudeness he was like “I curse you that you will marry a Romanian.” Annie and I looked at each other and busted out laughing. I didn’t think twice before I said “that is not gonna happen.” However, he insisted that whatever he curses people with comes true, and that he is never wrong. When I asked him why he cursed me he said “because I want to see it be hard for you to learn the language.” I was like okay…that’s rude…Then he wanted to make a bet, but I told him I didn’t bet with money – only food or candy. The bet is 100 pieces of candy. If I marry a Romanian man I have to send him the candy, and if I don’t he sends me the candy. I didn’t want to bet him, but he insisted. Then he said he had to have my email address so he could keep in contact with me to let him know if I marry a Romanian. I tried to avoid it…but it didn’t happen. He managed to find a piece of paper and three pens so I could write down my email. The first two pens didn’t work – he kept giving me them until he found one that worked.

Then to make the conversation more awkward he said “How is that guy you were dating?” I looked at him and said “I’m not dating anyone, and I haven’t dated anyone all summer.” Then he said that he was referring to the guy that was at the picnic at me. I quickly told him that Elisa talked to Sera, that he has left me alone and that it is for the best. Then he started asking me all these personal questions. He was like “Did he kiss you? Hug you? Touch you?” Finally I looked at him and was like “Why are you asking me such personal questions – my dating life is none of your business.” In between our bickering he asked me what I was wearing on my lips. I told him it was lip gloss, and he asked me again what the name of it was. I said “There is no name I got it when I worked at Nu Skin.” Then he jumped topics again and was like “Do you believe in fate?” I told him I didn’t believe in fate, but I believe the Lord guides our lives if we’re living righteously. Then he went off about how the Lord is all powerful and can make people do whatever he wants. I told him that I disagreed, and that the Lord is not allowed to make us do anything. I explained to him that we were sent to this earth and given our free agency to make decisions for our self. Although the Lord can guide us down paths he wants us to take he cannot make us take any of them. It is only by our choice. Then he just tried to start an argument and said “Do you follow the Lord’s will?” I said “Yes – I try.” Then he said my statements were contradicting…I finally told him that I wouldn’t argue with him and that we were going to have to agree to disagree. People that only want to argue drive me crazy…

Then to top off the night there were two girls at Outreach that were really sweet that Annie and I were talking to. We were chatting with them about how amazing the Twilight book series is and about their lives. Both of their moms are working in Italy and have been working there for several years. It’s crazy…but not a story I haven’t heard over and over again in Romania. Then as they left to go home I said goodbye and said to Annie and Ionut “they’re cute girls!” Ionut gave me a dirty look and said “you think they’re cute.” I said “yes,” and then I said “you don’t? Then he simply replied “no I think they’re disgusting.” Annie looked at him and was like “we are not talking with you anymore.” I couldn’t have agreed more. Both of our jaws dropped when he said that. He is so brutal it’s ridiculous. Thank goodness the girls didn’t hear him. That would have been cruel. He told Elyse she was ugly one night – then he said something to Iulian (a Romanian young adult who comes to Outreach) who will not come back because of something that Ionut said. I don’t know how someone could deliberately be so mean. The thing is that he doesn’t even feel bad about it. He has this mentality that if your feelings are hurt by something he says it’s your fault. I don’t know about him…

On the way home it rained and thundered – like it has been the past couple of days. I love it though! It helps cool everything down. The only problem is that my hair doesn’t love it- it has been a huge poof ball…oh well there is no one to impress.

P.S. I found scabies on my face – not okay. I put cream all over it…AHHHH I WANT THEM TO GO AWAY!

2008-07-24T04:29:00.000-07:00

July 23, 2008 (Wednesday)
The Lord’s Hand in my Life: Good guys are in this world.

The day started off with putting forms together for Mario in order to take care of our Visas. Apparently we are only allowed to stay in Romania for three months without a Visa, and we are here a few weeks longer than that – so we had to fill out some papers for Mario so our time in Romania could be extended. Hopefully that all goes through properly. That would be a major bummer if we had to leave immediately.

Whitney S. and Elisa went to visit Mihai (a little boy Elisa worked with when she was here two years ago who is now adopted). So that left me with all the kiddos. It was a little hectic to try and get around to all of them, but I managed to play with the majority of them – even if it wasn’t for a really long time.

The most exciting event of the day was when Maria got poop all down my pants. It was lovely. I was playing with her and all of a sudden I looked down and her pants were completely soaked through. Then I looked at my pants and they had poop all over them as well – not to mention I had some on my hand. Remind you she is 9 years old – so it wasn’t little baby poop. The joys. I’m becoming so prepared to be a mom haha…Then I tried to get her not to move so she wouldn’t get it everywhere before a worker changed her, but of course there were no workers to be found. Luckily Deanna walked by and she ran and got a worker. Thank goodness.

Later Florine came in and chatted for a while I was in the room playing with the kids. Although he’s soft spoken he is still a tease. Andrei picked out two dolls to play with and I was like “those are not for boys – those are for girls.” Of course I still let him play with them, but Florine started laughing at me and mimicking what I said to Andrei. Andrei really liked Florine. He went and crawled into his lap and played dolls. So cute.

A few minutes later Andrea was walking around and she fell and started crying. I immediately went to pick her up to comfort her, but one of the workers stopped me and said to leave her alone. I was a little annoyed because when babies hurt themselves you are supposed to pick them up and kiss and hug their “boo boo.” Regardless, I listened to her. I think Florine could tell I was bothered and two seconds later he gave the worker kind of a dirty look and picked Andrea up and bounced her for a second until she quieted. For some reason it was really attractive to me the way he handled the entire situation. He’s going to be a good dad. It’s nice to see that there are still good guys in this world. For a girl who loves kids there is nothing sexier than when a guy is good with them. So adorable…I love it. On the way home Mary and I were chatting about how important it is for guys we date to love kids…and if he doesn’t he’s out of there. It is sooooo true.

At the hospital there were a ton of babies today…I went and visited “laughing baby girl” today. I wanted to get a video of her laughing the other day, but I couldn’t because my camera was broken. Elisa was nice enough to let me borrow hers today, but “laughing baby” wouldn’t laugh. I was so sad. So basically there is about five minutes on video of me attempting to make her laugh. She only laughed twice for a second…I swear kids know when the video tape is on…no fair!

I also found the baby that has the longest eye lashes ever. He is soooo cute. I played with him for a while. He is a little chunker, but boy does he giggle easy. I would bury my head into his neck and kiss it, and he would just laugh and laugh and laugh. It was sooo cute. I LOVE babies…I want many kids.

I have a funny story about the sanitation of the hospital from an experience today. Here goes. In one of the rooms there are two babies about the same age so Annie and I were each holding one. A few minutes after holding them the nurse came in and gave us each a bottle to feed them. Annie’s baby got done first and mine was taking a long time. The nurse came in and saw that my baby was still drinking so she had me take the bottle out of the baby’s mouth to see if the slit in the top was allowing enough milk to come out. There wasn’t – so the nurse simply switched the nipple with the other baby’s bottle (which was the one the other baby had just drank her entire bottle from). It didn’t matter that germs would be passed…maybe they figure they are both sick so it’s no big deal? Annie and I just started laughing when she switched them. Oh Romania. Good times…

After the hospital Annie went with me to look at scarves that were on sale. A bunch of the girls bought them because they were such a good deal, and I didn’t go with them the other day…so I went and bought some. I wanted to give them away as gifts, but I kind of like them all a lot. Not Good. I’m going to have to sort through them to see which ones I can handle giving away…I bought one in particular with my Mom Bonnie in mind that I think she will like. Nothing too fancy, but I think it is a sophisticated scarf just like she is.

After dinner Annie needed to use the internet so I went with her to the girls’ apartment. While I was sitting there working on some homework Elyse walked in and was like “Did you know your friend Kristi is engaged? Todd’s really excited about it.” Immediately my stomach dropped. I just looked at her for a second – then I asked her how she knew. She replied “Facebook.” Talk about an immediate rush of mixed feelings. I’m happy for her, but sad for a friendship that is going to go goodbye pretty soon. It happens whenever people get married. What’s even more amazing about the situation is that I was informed by a friend who found out by Facebook. Classic. As Mary and I like to say “another one bites the dust.”

Mindy was sitting in the room when Elyse told me the news and was like “she’s your roommate in the fall right?” I replied that she was…Then Mindy said “it’s okay Whitney we can visit each other every day.” Then she started laughing and went off about how when we go back to school she’s going to be “the weird girl” who has pictures of her kids footprints plastered all over the wall with a voice recording of her kids playing over and over. (We are taking foot and hand prints and voice recordings of all our kids.) We were all rolling with laughter…we’re all going to go home alone and broke missing our kids – but it’s worth it because we are all better people and more fulfilled from the experiences we have been so blessed to have here in Romania.

2008-07-24T04:26:00.000-07:00

July 22, 2008 (Tuesday)
The Lord’s Hand in my Life: Moment of enlightenment.

I woke up early and wrote in my journal about the events of yesterday. As I wrote in my journal and typed up quotes from The Odyssey of a Street Child I thought in depth about what they meant. For some reason something clicked in my mind this morning about the concept of not judging a person for face value. I’ve heard it my entire life - that we should love everyone and not judge others, but it finally made sense to me. It’s always interesting when moments of enlightenment come. Whenever it makes sense I always wonder why I didn’t understand the concept earlier. I think the Lord just has to guide us gradually to understand certain concepts because we are so thick headed sometimes. At least I know I can be.

At the orphanage nothing too terribly interesting happened. Andrei was his usual monkey self. He kept climbing on this rope ladder they have on the swing set. He makes me so nervous, because he doesn’t think about anything he does – he just does. He kept climbing up and hanging from it and he’s only three. He could get hurt if no one was watching him. That’d be a long fall. He is such a stinker.

While I was pushing Andrei on the swing there was a truck on the other side of the fence doing something that made a loud noise. Right when the noise happened Andrei wheeled around in the direction the sound was coming from and looked around to see what the commotion was about. I was so excited. I think the hearing aids are starting to work. He still can’t hear well, but it appears that he can hear loud noises. Hooray!

Florine came outside today, and I chatted with him for a few minutes. Apparently he is going to Greece on vacation for 10 days sometime next week. I’m soooo jealous! It sounds amazing. He was excited about it. Then we just made small talk about our family and little things like that. Florine is an awesome guy. I wish I could find someone with his temperament who was Mormon in the United States. He’s mellow and sweet but still has a personality.

When we got done at the orphanage Doamna Doina came and gave each of us girls a picture she had colored. It was so sweet – especially since she doesn’t know all of us real well. I love sweet little thoughts like that – they make all the difference.

Whitney S., Elyse and I went to the apartments today. On the way it started pouring rain. We ended up getting soaked through and through, but it was kind of fun. I love playing in the rain. Whitney kept jumping in the puddles like she always does. Then I bought Elyse a gogosi that I owed her. She was able to make it 24 hours without being sarcastic…I was very impressed that she could do it.

At the apartment the kids were all pretty grumpy for some reason. Maybe it was because the rain? We don’t know. After Alina got out of her grumpy mood I had a lot of fun with her today. I was showing her little dance moves and she followed along. It was pretty adorable. Then we chassed down the hall and I twirled her. She absolutely loved it!I tried to teach Catalina and Laura some dance moves, but they lost focus real fast.

The rest of the night I organized pictures I got from the Black Sea. Pictures are great, but boy do they take a lot of time to keep straight. Then right before I went to bed I talked to my mom…she is so funny.

2008-07-22T04:57:00.000-07:00

July 21, 2008 (Monday)
The Lord’s Hand in my Life: Giving a gift to the people of Andrieseni from our hearts.

I missed my kids while I was at the Black Sea! It was so good to see them today. When we arrived they were all outside playing so we automatically ventured outside. Andrei came outside a little bit later, and he saw me from across the playground. One of the workers was holding his hand as she walked him through the door leading to outside, and he started jumping up and down and waving at me. Then the second she let go of his hand he came running at me full throttle and hugged me and jumped into my arms. I love it love it love it. It makes me feel so good – especially to know that he enjoys my company. Whitney S. said he saw me before I had seen him and that he started getting all excited and was trying to get my attention. So dang cute!

As I was hugging him I just kept thinking about I have to leave him in a few weeks. I wonder how he’s going to feel when I just disappear…I mean he’s three – he won’t understand why I’ve gone. I’m praying he won’t think I just abandoned him or don’t love him anymore. I’m having a hard time with this leaving thing, and I still have three weeks left. I try not to think about leaving, but all us girls are…it’s impossible not to. Plus we need to prepare ourselves for leaving. Our professor said it’s much harder on the girls to adjust when they leave than when they come to Romania. Apparently sometimes girls will go into deep depression because they miss their kids. I sure hope I don’t have that hard of a time. But I feel really guilty leaving Andrei and the rest of my kids. I feel like I’m leaving my children behind…and even though more girls are coming next semester I’m afraid they won’t love them like I do.

I did talk to Teo today about Andrei’s situation. Once again it was reiterated that he cannot be adopted or fostered out until he has implants put in. However, once again they have moved his surgery back. When I first came they said July, then they said September, and now they said they want to wait a few more months to see how much he can hear with his hearing aid. I’m a bit frustrated! I want them to do the surgery soon so he can be fostered to a good family.

On the other hand I did find out some good news today in regards to Andrei’s situation. I asked Teo if they have any deaf schools in Romania and she said they did. Then I asked her what needed to be done to get him into the school, and she said they just have to fill out some paperwork and have it approved. She said they are going to try and put him in a school in September. That made me SOOO happy to hear! If he goes to an all deaf school he will be able to learn how to sign and communicate, and he needs to so badly. The orphanage isn’t doing him any good here. After I leave I’m going to email Teo about his progress and make sure he is put into a deaf school.

There were a ton of little babies at the hospital today. I loved holding each and every one of them. There is something so satisfying in holding a baby and being able to transform their crying into expressions of smile and laughter. I love it.

There was one baby in particular that caught my eye. It was a little baby girl about 1 ½ to 2 months old. Right when I picked her up and looked at her I looked over at Annie and said “She has a special light in her eye – a special twinkle.” She just had a little sparkle of goodness that I sensed. Ironically a few seconds after I started holding her I laughed and she immediately started laughing. Then I laughed again and she immediately copied me. It was the cutest thing ever and highly unexpected. She was so little – she didn’t look like she was old enough to be able to smile. Annie and I both looked at each other like “is she really laughing?” She continued to laugh whenever I would laugh for about five minutes. It seriously made my year! I only wish I could have gotten it on video, but my camera is officially broken again…that’s a whole other story.

The second we got home I started taking my laundry down from the line outside, and we got a phone call. Apparently Teo (the Priest’s daughter from Andrieseni) was coming to play and stay with us for the night, and she was coming in 15 minutes. I love having no notice – oh well – Annie and I made it work. We cleaned and ran around like mad for about 15 minutes. It was amazing…

When the girls arrived we all decided to take her out to eat for Pizza at a little place outside. We ordered a ton of food and had fun chatting. We found out that Teo isn’t going to spend the night tonight – so we were glad we cleaned furiously right before she came…oh well…

After we ate Teo came with us to FHE. The activity part of FHE was quite humorous. The missionaries were in charge of the activity, but they were having an extremely hard time keeping control of the situation. They wanted to play Mafia, and they were trying to explain the rules in Romanian and English. Boy was that funny to watch. It took forever for them to explain in both languages, and therefore everyone got bored and was talking and chatting. After about one round they gave up and started a new game. This time we played Water in the Face. The game is just like it sounds. What happens is one person stands in the middle and picks a category – for example cars. Then everyone else is sitting in a circle and each person has to say a type of car. If the person guesses the car the person in the middle is thinking then you get a cup of water thrown in your face. I was lucky enough to get water in my face twice, but we all had a good time – including Teo. Then after FHE was done the water game led to a water fight. Normally I’m the person that starts water fights, but I didn’t feel like joining for some reason. I just went outside and looked at the clouds. A thunderstorm was coming and I LOVE thunderstorms. They are so powerful and strong. Plus I love the way the air smells when a storm is coming…

After FHE we went and finished putting together a gift we had for Teo and her family and gifts for the people of Andrieseni. We wrote cards and printed out photos of the people we took pictures with for them to have. We thought they’d enjoy them, and it’s an inexpensive way for us to show our appreciation. Teo was so excited. She kept saying “thank you” over and over again. It was so cute how she got so excited about something so simple. I loved it.

After FHE I tried calling Sony about my camera that is not functioning. I was sooooo annoyed because this is the second problem I have had with that camera in less than three months, and it is the same problem I had with the first one. When I called I basically got the run around about calling another place yadda yadda…then I couldn’t call the Europe line because my phone card is from Romania to the U.S. In desperation I called my Mom Mia and asked her if she could call them and see if I could return it. I told her I DON’T want to exchange it, but that I want my money back. In Europe they don’t really return things – just exchange – but maybe they will if I put up a fight…I’m going to talk to her tomorrow night to see what they say. Hopefully there is something they can do. I can’t afford to lose several hundred dollars for another camera…I already don’t know how I’m going to make it when I go home…I’ll have to take out a loan for school I guess… no good…my goal has been to get out of school debt free. So far so good – until my last semester. Stinks…oh well at least I was blessed to get this far without debt. I need to focus on the positive, but it’s so hard sometimes!

Lessons Learned...

2008-07-22T04:51:00.000-07:00

July 20, 2008 (Sunday)
The Lord’s Hand in my Life: A gentle reminder not to judge a person or their situation by their outward appearance.

This morning we rolled out of bed and made French toast and fruit salad for breakfast for Deanna to thank her again for guiding us on our Black Sea adventure. We had a lot of fun the past couple of days lying on the beach having fun.

Whitney S. got an email from her mom this morning. Whitney told me that her mom had seen on my blog that Andrea has tuberculosis and that we need to be careful because it is more serious than we think. After looking it up on Wikipedia we found out it is highly contagious and if not properly treated 50 percent of people die if they are not treated. We all laughed when we listed all the things we need to have checked out by the doctor. When we get back…Oh the joys. We’ll all hope for the best, but I guess that is the price that comes with working with sick kids all day. Hopefully the Lord will keep me healthy throughout the remainder of my time here.

Right after breakfast we headed for the train station and prepared ourselves for a ten hour train ride back to Iasi. When we walked into the train I don’t think I have ever been hit with a stronger stench/feeling of stuffiness/heat in my life. I felt like I was suffocating and unable to breathe. Everyone that was already on the train was drenched in sweat. The men had their shirts off and women were wearing as little clothing as possible. Then to top off the experience Whitney S. and I were seated directly across from a family that had a huge suitcase planted at out feet. We had about an inch of leg room. Then there was a blanket they had tagged up in the window to block the sun, but it kept falling on me and I was so so hot. Needless to say I was cranky – really cranky. Romanians aren’t real considerate all the time.

The first hour of the train ride was miserable. Whitney and I threw our layers off in an attempt to cool down – then eventually they turned the air conditioning on. I don’t know why they hadn’t done that before. I don’t understand! We are blessed to have air conditioning in America everywhere we go – so blessed!

The rest of the train ride was really long. Whitney S. and I finished the book we had been reading for classes. Boy were we glad…it was starting to get boring. In between our readings the family across from us were about as obnoxious as they could possibly be. Not only did they end up drinking 6 – 2L bottles of liquor, but they even gave some to their two year old to drink. We couldn’t believe it. Drugs and alcohol go at any age here. No big deal…I kept looking across at the family and they looked so miserable. The poor mom was trying to take care of the kids and her husband and her husband’s brother and wife would step off at every stop for a smoke break or to buy more liquor. I sat there and wondered how much of their income went to alcohol. Then I just sat there and contemplated how grateful I was for the gospel and for being a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It’s hard for me to see people that have such sad lives when I feel like mine is so amazing because of my faith. Of course I have hard times, but I can handle them because I understand who I am, where I’m going and why I’m here on this earth. It makes all the difference in the world to understand your purpose. The family that sat across from me had no clue…

After Whitney and I finished our book, I decided to read Odyssey of a Romanian Street Child by Catalin Dobrisan and John Kachelmyer. I wanted to finish my 1000 pages of reading we have to do while we’re out here. The book was actually really good and a really easy read. I finished it on the remainder of the ride. There were several points throughout the book that made me really analyze how I look at people and their situations. It helped remind me to never judge a person’s situation by their outward appearance. Here are some of my favorite parts – they are great points to contemplate. If anyone gets a chance they should read the book. So many of us are so blessed and we complain so much about our lives (me included) and we fail to see how much we have in comparison to so many.
• “Others, knowing that many street kids exist as parasites and do not want rehabilitation, have criticized those who have persisted in carrying food to them without expecting a positive response in return. It is much like the Christian evangelists who will not preach unless they are guaranteed some converts. But the kindness of continuing to feed the children, even without apparent results, must continue. Jesus never told his followers that the hungry should be fed only if they respond. The act of kindness itself has its effects.”(p.141)
• “Most children nowadays no longer know the Ten Commandments, and their concept of God is obscure. Workers with whom I am in contact in the United States are reporting that they come in contact increasingly with children who have never heard of Jesus except as a curse word. They have never been in church and have no idea of what goes on in one.” (p.149)
• “So, looking at him sprawled on the sidewalk with his bag of aurolac or sitting against the wall in the train station, one might see only a grime-covered, drugged, revolting figure. How he got in that condition is not obvious. A thieving street kid? He had his family, affection and childhood stolen from him! A drugged disgrace? How could he help but seek solace in any form available that would help him forget his circumstances? Imagine passing the ages of six, seven, eight or nine all alone out on the streets. The public may view him with distaste, but there are those walking around in plain daylight who should be incarcerated for putting him there.
‘Thus, I never told a child he was a sinner who ought to repent for stealing, for immorality, for prostitution, for drugs or whatever other unpalatable activity he was engaged in. I have watched several well-meaning workers grabbing the bags of aurolac from children or setting their bags of aurolac on fire. I have watched them snatch the cigarettes out of children’s mouths, saying, ‘You don’t want that anymore!’ I never did that! The crime committed against that child must be atoned for first. How can that child understand the love of Jesus if I don’t love him first? The grime and condition these children are in never repelled me, and I have been closer to their lice than I indicated in the preface. But after all public opinion has been expressed, the fact remains that the children are the victims, not the guilty. Whether or not they want religion depends on how we live it before them.” (p.155)
• “Young prostitutes, whether girl or boy, are not going to be rehabilitated by telling them that what they are doing is sinful and they need to be saved – to get right with God…When the women caught in the act of adultery was brought to Jesus, she did not need to be told that what she was doing was wrong. The value system of her day taught her that.” (p.149)
• “When I brought new children into our home I never confronted them directly with religion. Regligion was a very natural and especially practical part of our lives; it was not a theological concept but something the child could comprehend and say, ‘Hey, I need that.’ So, we ate, we worked, we slept and we believed. It was all a natural part of living and not a forced ‘now we are going to pray; king of thing.” ((p.151)
• “I see the wasted life of a very intelligent man – a life that at this point is going nowhere and has no purpose. If he had never been beaten, raped mistreated and abandoned, he would today be a normal boy just finishing high school. As it is, Robert has only completed fourth grade.” (p.165)
• “There are many Christians who would cluck their tongues over this young man’s escapades: a boy prostitute? Horrible! Porn film star? My God! And I didn’t mention he had used heroin and was once hospitalized for alcohol intoxication. Robert was also the best pickpocket in Bucharest and a master thief. So there is quite a list against him. Yet, something nags at me. It is that verse in John 9:2. ‘Who sinned? This [young] man or his parents?
‘I ask: Who will answer for all this mess in the Day of Judgment? A boy is cruelly thrust out of his family at age six. When he is supposed to be enjoying his childhood – those years when he is supposed to be developing social skills, receiving love and guidance from his parents and gaining a conscience to tell him right from wrong – during those years he is learning other things: dark, unsavory things. Someone is going to pay. And I can tell you this: Robert is not going to foot the entire bill alone.
‘What will happen to Robert in the judgment? Here is where I am so pleased that God did not make us judges. In fact, His express word to me when I came to Romania was, ‘Do not judge any of these children. Just help them!’” (p. 165)
• “One thing that was hard to comprehend was that Daddy actually respected us boys. It was not hard to understand that he was friendly; it was a little more difficult to realize he had affection for us; but respect? People had always looked down on us as trash – the lowest dregs of society. Daddy wanted us to feel that we were someone special. It made no difference what we had done; he had the same respect for all of us – even the boy prostitutes and the one who had committed murder.” (p.128)
• “I asked myself many times. ‘Did I really have to go through all I went through? Was it really necessary to fulfill some mystical purpose – the abuse, the beatings, the hunger, the misery? Why wasn’t I born into a normal family?’ Only God has the answer to all of this.
‘Then the companion question comes, ‘Why was it only I who was chosen to escape from my gang?’ IT would seem to be divine favor. Many others had the same chance, but many threw it away. I had the chance, and I grasped it.’” (p.139)
• “As I had already known when living in the streets, it was senseless to attempt to understand the meaning of life while in that condition. Life under those circumstances had no meaning. The greatest artistic masterpiece in the world has no meaning in a dark room.
‘In regard to that, I must clarify that the painting may have ‘value’ in the dark, but it has no ‘meaning’ without light. In the same way, the street children are not without value as many might think. It is just that there is no meaning to their existence while they are living in the darkness. Because they have value, a few are willing to sacrifice their lives to help them.’” (p.127)

2008-07-22T04:48:00.000-07:00

July 19, 2008 (Saturday)
The Lord’s Hand in my Life: Not getting burned by the sun as bad as I could have.

We thought we were sleeping in this morning. Apparently we were not…Elyse came in at 7:15 and woke us up. I have to admit I was a bit cranky about it, but Whitney and I dragged ourselves out of bed. I guess Deanna wanted to get to the beach bright and early. Deanna is a Romanian worker from the orphanage who is our age. She and her 11-year-old cousin are the ones who invited us to come in the first place. They are both very sweet girls.

Right as we were all putting SPF 50 sunscreen and multiple layers of clothing to protect us from the sun Elyse passed out…She did that once before when we were at Brashov. It gives us a heart attack every time. I guess she passes out from pain. Let’s just say we all have really bad sunburns and touch is very sensitive. Luckily she ended up being okay, but Deanna made her carry the huge umbrella over her head to block the sun as we walked to the beach. She also gave her a lovely foofy hat to wear. Elyse was very excited about it. Then she made her sit under the umbrella while we were there. It was awesome.

When we got to the beach Saturn we played volleyball in the water for a few hours. Luckily it was a lot less crowded than the beach from yesterday. I liked it much better. There was actually room to play and run around. A lady in a thong came up to us and asked if she could play volleyball – we figured why not…It ended up being a lot of fun except we kind of sucked at playing today. Not that any of us are really good at volleyball, but we couldn’t even make it to 15 hits without dropping it…oh well we had fun.

The rest of the time on the beach consisted of reading, sporadically taking pictures and reapplying sun block every five seconds. We were already hurting and another full day out in the sun could be quite miserable if we weren’t careful. I had a shirt or shorts on the majority of the time we were outside. I didn’t want to get burned anymore than needed.

I also painted my toenails. That was a dumb idea. I painted them and I thought they were dry. Then I turned over to lay down, and when I looked down I had sand stuck in the toenail polish of my feet. It actually ended up looking kind of cool. It looks like I put a layer of sparkles over my pink toenail polish. I’m going to get to take some Black Sea home with me after all.

Besides eating and laying out we did find time to bury Mindy and MacKenzie in the sand. It was great. Mindy kept trying to get out of it…she was a bit apprehensive, but in the end she did it. Mindy said she wanted to have a size DD chest so we made it happen for her. Then we buried MacKenzie in the sand. She wanted us to make her a pregnant lady. We did…Mindy’s and MacKenzie’s dreams came true – even if it was only for a day.

Later in the afternoon it started to rain all of a sudden so we all huddled under the umbrella and shivered. After it calmed we decided it was time to get dinner. We treated Deanna to dinner for her hospitality and then we headed home to get all that sand out of our hair.

For the rest of the night we relaxed, packed and watched the movie She’s The Man. Although that movie is the cheesiest ever I love it! There are so many good quotes that can be taken from that movie it’s ridiculous. My favorite part is when Duke smacks Malcom in the back of the head with the towel in the bathroom. I laugh hysterically every time without fail.

2008-07-22T04:47:00.000-07:00

July 18, 2008 (Friday)
The Lord’s Hand in my Life: Throwing the schedule out the door and being able to handle it.

It was such an amazing feeling to leisurely wake up this morning and say to myself “my friends and I are going to lay on the beach all day long without a care in the world.” I haven’t had feelings of relaxation for a long time. Although the trips I’ve been on this summer have been a lot of fun, they haven’t been relaxing. We pretty much just ran from place to place. I smiled as I daydreamed about the activities that would more than likely take place for the day. The wind will be blowing through my hair, the sun’s rays will bronze my skin and us girls will chat, laugh and eat ice cream. The perfect day.

I loved playing at the beach all day. There was no scheduled place we had to be at any certain time, which is definitely not the way my life usually runs. Normally everything is scheduled, but I have to admit I liked having the schedule thrown out the window for once.

We went to a different beach than the one we visited yesterday. It was extremely extremely crowded…we all decided that yesterday’s beach was more of a leisure/family beach and today’s was a party beach. It took us forever to find a place to sit, and when we finally did it was quite a ways away from the water. It was CRAZY! I’ve decided I’m not a huge fan of ridiculously crowded beaches.

When we first arrived I was a little shocked with how many topless girls in thongs and men in Speedos there were. I’ve never seen so many undressed people in my life, and it wasn’t even a nude beach. It was so weird. Girls were walking around with their tops off and chest hanging every which way. What was even stranger to me was that it wasn’t a big deal to anyone there. Everyone just walked around like normal. No one stared strangely at their revealing attire. Everywhere you looked was walking pornography. To be honest I don’t know why they would need pornography when they could get the real thing at the beach. Definitely a different culture to say the least. Not a big fan of seeing people naked that should NEVER be seen like that. We were all talking about the lack of clothes and we tried to figure out why it wasn’t a big deal to any of them. In a book we are reading about the Gypsies it talked about how Gypsies don’t view a women’s chest as a sexual thing, but as a tool for feeding their babies. Maybe that’s what Europeans think? I don’t know. The sad thing was that after a few hours the shock of seeing topless women was gone. I still didn’t like it in the least bit, but it made me wonder if people even think twice about the fact that they treat their bodies like an object - not like something that should be prized and respected. I was wearing a one piece swim suit and out of thousands of people at the beach I only saw one person the entire day that wore a one piece. In fact I noticed that the women who actually wore more modest clothing stood out more because EVERYONE was dressed so scantily. I bet everyone was looking at us like “what is wrong with you why do you have bathing suits on that cover up so much?” We may not have felt sexy, but we were modest and that was perfect for us.

After we laid out for a bit we saw this huge banana boat float that was being pulled by boats out far away from shore. Whitney S., Kenz and I decided that it looked like fun so we convinced everyone to go on it with us. It was a blast. We strapped on our helmets and life vests and climbed on. The best part was when the guy started explaining the instructions in Romanian. All of us looked at each other like “well I hope he’s not saying anything too important and if he is there isn’t anything we can do about it.”

With that said we started being pulled away far from shore. We were all giggling and bouncing up and down as we held on to the handle that was in front of us. Then I gazed out over the ocean – It was absolutely gorgeous. About halfway through we were sitting there enjoying the ride and all of a sudden the driver made a sharp turn and without any notice we all went tumbling into the water. All of our bodies fell on top of each other and became completely intermingled. When we arrived at the top for air all of us had been fallen on, kicked, or jabbed somewhere in our body from the sudden turn. Other riders didn’t seem as surprised as us about suddenly being flung into the sea – probably because they actually understood the directions. Nice.

For the next couple of hours Whitney S. and I read our book for class…then we went and grabbed a schwarma and some fruit for lunch…they equally tasted amazing. Soon after that Kenz and I got hot and jumped in the water. Throughout the afternoon we would jump in the freezing cold water periodically when we couldn’t stand the stark heat waves of the sun anymore. One time Kenz and I jumped in and we were standing in water up to our shoulders and chatting when all of a sudden a guy popped up next to us out of no where. He had big goggles on and wore a surprised look on his face. Then he quickly excused himself and did a graceful little dive from where he was standing in the water like a whale. We saw his large speedo bumb pop quickly into the air then disappear just as fast as it came. For some reason the situation was hilarious. Kenz and I laughed as hard as we could for at least five minutes. Oh the joys….

After we laid out for a while longer and got ice cream, Kenz and I decided to go buy a volleyball so all of us girls could play with it in the water. That ended up being a lot of fun, except I definitely bruised my heel in the process. We all got in a circle in the water and hit they ball around for a while. The game was ended once Whitney S. hit a lady directly on top of the head with the ball. Bad aim Whitney haha…bad aim.

Right before we left we got the most amazing donuts with white chocolate sauce drizzled on them. Whitney S. and I shared one and we were absolutely in heaven eating them – especially since we’ve been staying away from sweets during the week days. It made having them a million times better.

When we got home we all showered. That is except for my roommate Whitney S. Haha…she grew up on the beach, and she doesn’t see the need to shower while we are here because you just get up and go to the beach again. I understand her point, but I can’t stand the feeling of sand in my hair and bed. When she came out I was like “you don’t look showered?” She replied “I washed my armpits?” I just looked at her and smiled and laughed. Oh Whitney.

After most of us were showered we ate some bread with an interesting pork paste slathered on it. Then somehow once dinner was done we started listening to music and we ended up having a dance party/dance off. The first team was Whitney S., Kenz and I, and the second team was Mindy, Annie and Elyse. We had a dance off and boy did we have a lot of fun doing it. I like to think that we won…however, I’m sure they would like to refute that.

By the time we went to bed we were all feeling the affect of being out in the sun all day. I had a stark contrast of red and white which easily revealed what part of my body was and was not covered by my bathing suit. I even had little circles on my stomach sunburned because of the small circular patterns from my bathing suit…my rear was also burned enough that it hurt to sit down. I put sun screen on all day – I guess I should have started with a higher SPF. Oh well…I will be wearing clothes tomorrow.

2008-07-22T04:44:00.000-07:00

July 17, 2008 (Thursday)
The Lord’s Hand in my Life: Laying on the beach and looking up at the clouds.

The train that we had tickets for was definitely not a sleeper train. That means there was no place to lay down for the train ride that lasted the entire night. We were forced to sleep upright in a chair that did not lean back in the slightest. The train left at 10:00 p.m. last night and arrived at 8:30 a.m. this morning at the Black Sea. Needless to say none of us got any sleep. They didn’t even turn the lights off in the train. Then at about 2:00 in the morning a group of high school kids got on and they were SOOOO LOUD the rest of the night. They were talking none stop at the top of their lungs – not to mention I’m positive they were a bit drunk. If I knew how to say something rude to them in Romanian I think I would have. They were so inconsiderate of every other person on the train it was ridiculous.

When we arrived we had someone pick us up and take us to our hostel/hotel. There are two people to a room where we are staying. Whitney S. is my partner in crime for the next couple of days. I’m glad though, because we have a lot of fun together.

Once we got situated we all decided we desperately needed a nap. Plus it was a bit chilly outside to go to the beach immediately. We were only going to sleep for about an hour, but before we knew it the time was 2:00 p.m. in the afternoon. I woke up and turned over to find Whitney with a great big grin on her face. Then she exclaimed “good morning!” I guess she had already been up for a little bit….I couldn’t believe what time it was.

Because we wanted to leave and go to the beach Whitney S. and I took upon ourselves the duty of waking everyone up. I ran and jumped on each of the girl’s beds whether or not they were happy about it. Then we all headed to the beach.

The beach wasn’t the most gorgeous in the world, but it was still pretty. The beach was really crowded, but we still managed to find a spot. Most of the women didn’t have tops or wore thongs. Then almost all the men wore speedos, and children ran naked. Welcome to beaches in Europe. I don’t think I’ve ever seen more nudity in my entire life. It wasn’t the most pleasant experience, but I wasn’t as shocked as I thought I would be in a situation like that. I don’t know how half of those people felt so comfortable with being so exposed. Not only did they not have the body to be exposing themselves, but it is purely gross for everyone else around. P.S. I will never ever find a speedo attractive on a guy. DISGUSTING.

At the beach we all laid around and Whitney S. and I read a book we have to read for one of our classes. We just took turns reading. We’re reading a book called Bury Me Standing that is about the gypsy way of life. It’s quite interesting. It makes me understand why they do the things they do a little better.

In between reading we took sporadic breaks. At one point we all decided to get into the water, and I am proud to say I was the first one to get everyone wet. I started profusely splashing everyone, and the water was oh so cold. There were a bunch of shrieks and shrills with each splash. It was great. Then I dunked MacKenzie pretty good, and Elyse and I had a tumble out as well. I don’t know why but I love pushing people in or splashing them. I get great satisfaction out of it…weird I know. Last summer I would ask people if I could push them in the pool. They usually said “no,” but then I’d get them when they least expected it. Oh summer fun.

On the way back from the beach Whitney S. and I chatted about life. We talked about how crazy it’s going to be when we get home. We are all going to be so busy, and I hope we will still find time to play with each other. We also came to the consensus that I was definitely supposed to be in Romania for a reason. To be honest I think I haven’t met anyone special because I was supposed to come here, serve and change my perspective about certain things…

2008-07-22T04:43:00.000-07:00

July 16, 2008 (Wednesday)
The Lord’s Hand in my Life: Well behaved children.

My life was filled with well behaved children today. It was awesome…Andrei was almost a perfect angel. He was being so cute and helpful. It’s amazing how much he understands even though he can’t hear. He is so so smart. Today Maria was yelling at Vlad to get Whitney’s shoe out of his mouth, and Andrei saw the situation taking going on. Without thinking twice he took the shoe from Vlad and placed it on Whitney’s foot. Even though he can’t hear and Maria wasn’t talking to Andrei he still understood. We all clapped our hands and smiled to show our approval of his help. Then he clapped for himself and smiled. It was so cute. He is such a big helper. He is always trying to help with the other kids. He is constantly giving them toys and helping them get whatever they need. Today he kept giving the other kids hugs and loves. Then he kept winking at all of us. It was so adorable…When he was sitting there smiling and winking at me I almost started crying, because the thought that I’m leaving him soon entered my mind. I’m going to be a wreck the last time I see him. I just know it…I love that little boy so much. I’m going to have to remind myself over and over and over again that Heavenly Father will take care of him.

Another cute thing Andrei did today was when Ana Maria ran into the little toy horse he was on. He quickly rubbed her head and then pointed for her to go play with a toy. She was quite content after that. He is such a little person, and he really is obedient when he can express himself. He says “please” in sign language all the time now…it’s nice to see some of my hard work with him pay off, but I’m still trying to teach him to say “finished,” “sorry,” “thank you” and “more.” I’m going to have to work fast, because after this week I only have three more weeks. Today is my last day at the orphanage for this week because we are leaving for a four day trip to the Black Sea tonight.

Today we found out Vali’s story. He is the new little boy we just received at the orphanage who bites and hits himself. Apparently he has six brothers and sisters and his mom is pregnant with another. When he first came to the orphanage they said he didn’t like wearing clothes because his parents let him run around naked all day. The poor thing is really disturbed. As I said yesterday he cringes every time you come near him. His parents must have been extremely abusive to him. Then today while he was playing with a toy telephone and other hard plastic objects he started throwing them across the room all of a sudden. While I watched him I just kept wondering what was running through his head right then. Every one responds certain ways for a reason. I wonder what experiences he has had that have helped mold his behavior. You can tell he has had a hard life. It makes me sad, because it seems like there is little we can do to change what has been engrained into his head. He’s already five years old…maybe something can be done, but he has learned bad behavior for several years now. It’s so important for little children to have good parents to love and teach them what is right. It’s so sad that so many lack the essential teachings they need in order to grow up and become a well rounded adult.

Iulia was loving her life today. We were listening to music in the room, and I started tapping both my hands on her leg to the beat and she laughed harder than I’ve ever seen her. She thought that was the best thing ever for some reason. I’m trying to get her to hear the beat in music. She loves music. If we’re listening to music and someone suddenly turns it off she will usually start crying. It’s so interesting that all the kids are disabled, but you can still see their personality shine through. Some days the girls and I will go around and guess what profession each child would be in if they didn’t have any disabilities. They each have the most adorable and unique personality and characteristics. I love it!

At the hospital there weren’t too many kids today. Annie and I ended up splitting up and we each spent time with one baby. The little baby I held was new in the hospital. It was a little boy named Mihai who was about 5 months old…he had the most beautiful dark eyelashes I’ve ever seen. The poor thing must have felt really bad, because immediately after I picked him up he just clung to me and then he fell asleep as I rocked him. He was completely drenched in sweat because it was so hot in the room. Then when I got up to leave he screamed as most of them do. While I was in the room about four to five moms came in and they all attempted to speak to me while I was holding him. I held a conversation for a little bit, but they talk so fast and I don’t understand all the words they say…grrr….

The rest of the night we all packed and got ready for our train that left for the Black Sea around 10:00 p.m.…

2008-07-16T10:16:00.000-07:00

July 15, 2008 (Tuesday)
The Lord’s Hand in my Life: Insight into what it’s like to be a mother.

It was quite the rainy morning. When we walked into the orphanage we figured we would all be staying inside for the day. The kids are never allowed outside when it’s raining. However, today was a different day for some reason. Dr. Pantezescu came in and asked us to take the kids outside, and whatever she says goes even if it doesn’t make sense to anyone else. When she left we looked at the worker in the room like “is she serious?’ She shook her head “yes” and started laughing. It’s so interesting the way things work around here. There is absolutely no rhyme and reason for the logic they have. Oh well.

So we all headed outside to the rain. The BYU girls, workers and kids were all squashed under a plastic pavilion. We sat outside there for a few hours. Maria was being really grabby today. Every time I turned away from her to talk to someone or say hello to another kid she would grab my arm, hair, etc. to get my attention. She was really wanting attention. Then she started trying to grab everyone that walked by. I ended up having to scoot her away from me while I played with the other kids.

I played with Vali for a while outside. Today he randomly started freaking out, and he started to hit and bite himself. I guess he does that on a regular basis. You have to hold his hands down so he doesn’t hurt himself. As I said yesterday you can definitely tell he has been abused. To calm him down I sang primary songs to him for a while and rocked him. He was really well behaved. He just sat on my lap and listened.

The little baby girl that I adore named Andrea has tuberculosis. After talking with the girls about it, it sounds like it is a pretty serious thing. I guess it never completely goes away. I’m going to have to do some more research on what it is and the effects it has…

At the orphanage we had an extremely awkward situation happen. Almost worst than the puberty talk we got the week before. Today the workers in our room had a pile of clothes they were going through and on the top there was a lacy thong. I don’t know if someone gave them the pile of clothes or what, but the workers went in the kid’s room while the kids were in another room playing and tried on all the items – including the thong. Whitney S. and I asked Maria if it was for her and all the workers started laughing. Then we were like “you’re husband would like it.” That’s when the situation turned awkward. We should have kept our mouths shut. She quickly said that she was finished with sex and that her husband’s equipment no longer worked in that department. She gave us a lovely visual with her finger. We all about died….wow wow wow is all any of us could say. I think Maria just loves making things awkward, and she pulls it off very well.

I think it was misbehave day for all the kids at the apartments. Sergiu and Alina were on one. Sergiu got a hold of this little book I have that all the kids at the hospital love. He tore the front page off. I knew he liked to tear things, but this book is really thick. I didn’t think he’d be able to get a hold of it without me noticing and have the strength to rip it. Oh he did. Then Alina went and got the same book off the high shelf we put it on and ripped it some more. She laughed when we got upset with her. Elyse held her in time out for a few minutes on the couch. They were such stinkers.

Then at the 7th floor Elyse and I tried to teach them to play Memory with a deck of cards. That was a bust. The second I turned them all in an orderly fashion face down and was about to start playing with them Mirel started turning each one right side up, Costica started flinging his arms across the floor so the cards went everywhere, Viorel was trying to get my attention my blowing bubbles in my face, Catalina was getting bored and Laura kept anxiously telling me she wanted to color. I just looked at Elyse helplessly and smiled. I was like “gata cu cart” (finished with cards). We just laughed. What else can you do…I felt like I was in the middle of complete chaos. Moms must feel like that all the time. Oh what I have to look forward to…

For the rest of the night I did homework and wrote in my journal. Boring.

2008-07-15T04:32:00.000-07:00

July 14, 2008 (Monday)
The Lord’s Hand in my Life: My conviction in my faith.

Today I got to see my kiddos! I especially missed them because I hadn’t seen them since Thursday. When I walked into the orphanage most of the kids were outside so we headed out there. Sadly Andrei wasn’t out there – he was upstairs sleeping once again. Later in the morning he stumbled out. It made me kind of sad, because he didn’t seem as excited to see me as usual. I don’t know if he was upset that I hadn’t been there for a few days or what. After a few minutes he warmed up to me and immediately grabbed my hand to play with him.

Outside my pink streak in my hair was immediately noticed. Sera called me over and looked at me and was like “why?” I told him that I felt like it. Obviously it wasn’t a good enough answer because he just shook his head and said “There is a reason you’ve done that. You aren’t telling me something. It is symbolism for something.” Whitney S. and I were cracking up. I kept telling him there was no symbolism, but he didn’t believe me. Then Whitney S. and I decided to play with him and ask him to guess why we did it. He never stated he didn’t like it, but he pretty much did with his facial language. Then when Florine saw my hair he was like “wow – rosi” (wow pink). I was loving the reactions. Dr. Pantezescu also came over and said it was beautiful and started playing with my hair. I couldn’t tell if she was being serious or just mocking me.

As were were playing outside Sera was being kind of a jerk. He started saying something to Florine and looked at me and started laughing. When I asked him what he said all he said was “men.” Then he kept talking to him in Romanian. I told him he was being rude. Romanians are so annoying sometimes.

When we went inside with the kids Andrei started throwing a fit and once again they put him in his crib. I was like “not again!” Every time he has cried in the past week they throw him in there for the rest of the morning. After he was in there a few minutes I asked Maria if he could get out. Luckily she said yes. I was so glad.

We got a new child in our room today. His name is Vali. It’s sad because you can tell he has been badly abused. Every time you raise your hand he cringes and cowers like you are going to hit him. Even when you are just going to touch him softly…it’s so sad. I cuddled him for a while. He just laid in my arms quite content. Later on though he got upset and flung a toy across the room. It seems like he is extremely passive aggressive. Sad.

In the room Andrei got a little annoyed this new little boy was taking my attention. He gets so protective of me. He was trying to hit the other little boy, and I kept telling him “nu” (no). He is so funny, because he gets this mean look on his face if he doesn’t like what another little kid is doing. If looks could kill man…wow.

Maria was so cute today. I just adore her. She has not wanted to play lately. She just wants to cuddle. Today once again she just flopped herself into my lap, and I cuddled her. She got the cutest little grin of satisfaction when I held her in my arms. She just needs love - like they all do.

When we left the orphanage Mindy and MacKenzie came in fuming. Sera is often in their room working with the babies and apparently he started going off about the church. He told them he has read The Book of Mormon, and he doesn’t believe it is true. I guess he had a bunch of stuff underlined that he didn’t agree with, but he wouldn’t even let them explain the reasoning behind certain things. The girls said he wouldn’t listen to one word they had to say, and at one point they said he said he shook The Book of Mormon and exclaimed “it’s bull s***.” The girls were both upset. I don’t blame them. Our religion is important to us, and when someone disrespects that it is huge. Sera can be a total jerk sometimes. I asked them if they told him to talk to the missionaries because they would best be able to answer any questions he had, and they said they had but he didn’t want to. It’s one thing to disagree, but when you are disrespectful that’s a whole new ball game. I told them it sounds like he just wants to Bible bash. Then I told them not to play into his game. In high school if my friends started saying rude things about my religion or started asking questions in a disrespectful way I would simply say “My religion is too important for me to argue about it. I know what is true. If you want to have a discussion about the church I am more than happy to talk to you, but if you are just going to be disrespectful I will not talk to you.” They usually shut up after I said that.

Outside we waited for Annie. She said Melissa and her can’t leave any earlier. We’re trying to find a solution so our time isn’t wasted and she can get home…we are going to brainstorm. While we were sitting out there waiting these Romanian guys started yelling from their window at us. They were like “What language do you speak? Where are you from?” We all ignored them, but of course they continued. Then they were like “I like your eyes. I like your smile,” and then they continued with a list of simple phrases they knew in English. Soooo obnoxious.

At the hospital Annie and I had a funny situation happen. The nurse showed us to a room that had two little disabled kids, and we went in and started holding them. Then Annie turned on some Michael Buble music and we started dancing with them. After playing with them for almost an hour all of a sudden a lady walked into the room and looked very confused. Apparently it was the mother for both of them. We told her we were sorry and left. She didn’t seemed bothered. She actually said “merci” (thank you). After all we had played with her kids and changed their diapers. Haha…Annie and I were cracking up. How random would that be if you left the hospital room for a few minutes, walk back into the room and see two girls that don’t speak your language holding and dancing with them – not to mention have their backpacks on your bed. Oh Romania.

After those kids I played with a little boy named Mihai. He is absolutely adorable. He is sooo ticklish, and he has the cutest laugh. He has bright blue eyes and blonde hair. He definitely doesn’t look like he is Romanian. It’s so cute because he absolutely loves it when we come. He hates when we leave. The second we go near his crib he freaks out because he knows we are going to leave soon. I just played with him for a while and swang him around. He loved it.

When we got home I cooked dinner because I didn’t get to last week. I made stuffed French toast and fruit salad. Annie showed me how to make the stuffed French toast and boy oh boy it was delicious. I’m so excited to make food when I get home. I’m learning so many cooking skills it’s great.

For FHE Mary was in charge of the activity, and we played a quick game of charades. We were laughing because every time we thought a word would be hard to act out it was guessed immediately. It was fun though. Everyone had a good time.

The rest of the evening I cleaned dishes from dinner, wrote in my journal and organized pictures. Oh there are never enough hours in the day for everything.

2008-07-15T04:29:00.000-07:00

July 13, 2008 (Sunday)
The Lord’s Hand in my Life: My Grandma and Grandpa Alexander who I look up to so much. They are amazing.

Kenz and Elisa ended up staying home from church. They were both still feeling really sick from the weekend of food at Andreiseni. I felt soo bad for them both…As for me I started feeling a little sick from the smell of my scabies cream. I put my second dose on for my third cleansing. I hate scabies! I hate them. I hate them.

Church was great. The mission president and his wife were there. His wife spoke in Romanian. She was so nervous – she is still learning the language, but we were all impressed that she had the guts to give a talk in Romanian. None of us did. Sadly I don’t think any of our Romanian has really improved all that much. I just think we are starting to understand what people are saying to us better….My goal is to be able to bare my testimony in Romanian for the last Fast Sunday I’m here. At least it’s better than nothing.

After church I wrote in my journal for three and a half hours about our day in Andreiseni. All the girls think it’s funny I write so much. Some of the girls said they are going to copy my journals so they can remember the details and just cut out my personal commentary. I’m an all or nothing kind of girl. I either don’t write at all or I write every detail of every day and thought. That’s just the way I am - all or nothing - Zero or 100%. I think that’s why I drive myself crazy though because 99% of the time I try to give a 100%. I despise feeling like I didn’t do my best in whatever I try to accomplish. Sometimes I think I might be a bit of a perfectionist.

Later we had dinner at the other girls’ apartment, and I downloaded about a thousand pictures from Andreiseni while we ate. They made a curry dish with vegetables. To be honest I really don’t like curry, but this particular dish wasn’t bad. It had peanut butter mixed with it. That probably sounds gross – I know it did to me, but it was surprisingly really good. Can’t knock it until you try it.

To make the evening exciting Annie, Melissa, Whitney S. and I decided to dye a streak of our hair in the back of our head bright pink. One may ask why. There is no reason except that we wanted to. Out of the four of us I’m the only one with blonde hair – needless to say the glowing pink stood out on my head the most. Elisa’s eyes bugged out when she saw my hair – she was like “wow.” That pretty much sums up what everyone in the room was thinking. Normally I would freak out about doing something like that, but I just don’t care. It was fun to do, and it will fade. I’m really starting to care little about my appearance. Maybe because I’m being spit up on by kids 24/7, in apartments and hospitals that aren’t air conditioned in summer weather, and on top of it I don’t have any normal hair supplies to do my hair. Plus I can’t date here. I’m still eating healthy and working out, but I just don’t care as much as I normally do. I can’t wait until I get to get ready when I go home. I will be able to feel attractive again! Yes!

Before I went to bed I got to talk to my grandparents and then my good friend Miquel. First I talked to my Grandma and Grandpa Alexander. It was so great to talk to them. I told them both about my adventures in Romania and about a couple of experiences I have had. Then I brought up some dating situations and my grandma is so cute. She is protective of me, and I love it. She was like “Whitney you need to make sure you marry a guy that is a strong church member who has his stuff together.” She is a little spitfire, but I love it! I wouldn’t wish for anything else. I love having family members that watch out for me. She is so cute.

Then I talked to my grandpa. Oh how I love him! I started telling him how I missed the boat rides to Paradise (my favorite restaurant on the lake that my family and I always go to and we drink the most divine pina coladas). Trips there were regular family occurrences when I would stay with them during the summers. He replied “I know. I read your blog.” It made me feel so good to know that he cares enough to read about my adventures here. It means a lot to me. Then he said that sometimes he has to stop reading my blog because it makes him sad reading about the kids. I’ve always thought of my grandpa as a very manly man – which he is, but he does have a soft heart - especially when it comes to animals and children. I adore him. He is a good, good man, and lucky for me one of his favorite pass times is to tease me. Haha. I remember when I would stay with my grandparents on my summer breaks from college every morning my grandpa would peek his head around the corner right after I woke up, look at me with a huge grin, and say “Good morning sunshine. How’s my sunshine?” It would make me so grouchy. I’m not a morning person, and he knew that – which is why he did it. He thought it was hilarious to get a reaction out of me. He’s such a stinker, but he loves me! I’ve always felt like he understands me a lot better than most people. He’s great. I’ve decided his teasing nature is a way he shows his love. What’s even better is when my dad and my grandpa get together. I am the target of about every joke…It’s okay though – I get them back. I do miss him dearly though as I do my parents and family in Missouri. Hopefully I will get to come visit them soon. Maybe a miracle will happen with finances…it has for my funds to come to Romania.

After I talked to my grandparents I called my good friend Miquel. She was excited to talk to me, and I felt the same way! I missed her so much! She was so cute – she was like “you told me that you would be calling and to answer if it was a number you didn’t recognize, so I was hoping it was you when your number showed up!” I called right in the middle of Sunday School without knowing it, and she left to talk to me. I felt so special. It was so good to talk to her! I have missed her! She told me about some of her latest dating adventures – blind dates gone bad. Apparently she was recently set up on a blind date and when she walked into the room to meet him she instantly knew it would be a long night, and it was. Those are the worst. I have to admit not dating has been really nice. Dating drama is usually where all my stress comes from, but for the most part I’ve been pretty free of it. I’m not looking forward to dating when I get back home. Maybe I’ll just avoid it all together. The only problem is that I always say that, but I never do it. It’s okay though because Miquel and I decided we are going to have some awesome girl’s nights when I get home. I’m glad that I will have a single girlfriend to play with. The rest of my roommates are going to be gone all the time with their serious boyfriends. Stinks.

After I got done talking to my grandparents and Miquel I was in the best mood ever. I love talking to people that I care about!

Back to Reality

2008-07-15T04:27:00.000-07:00

July 12, 2008 (Saturday)
The Lord’s Hand in my Life: Some alone time.

Last night was a rough night’s sleep. Even though we were under the stars in Andreiseni the ground was still pretty hard, and we were sleeping about an inch away from the person next to us. Sometimes not even an inch. At one point during the night someone ended up spooning with me. Whitney S. confessed it was her. Haha. Besides hitting each other and tossing and turning all night it was fine. However, I did wake up in the middle of the night all of a sudden, because I felt someone pull off every blanket I had on top of me and it was pretty chilly. In the morning I discovered it had been Elyse. She wasn’t a happy camper about the night either. She was on the end of the sleeping row and apparently she ended up getting pushed off the blankets into the grass. She said she woke up in the middle of the night face down in the grass without any padding under her or any blankets over her and she saw that Mindy, Whitney S. and I had “five blankets” on top of us. So she sassily/joking/not joking admitted she pulled them off of us. We were all laughing about the night’s rest. I ended up just sharing blanket with Whit. It’s amazing how close we are all getting to each other. Ha.

Right after we woke up we noticed that some people were walking into the church. We woke up at about 8:00, and we all remembered that the priest told us that there was a service at 8:30 we were supposed to go to. All of a sudden we all started panicking. We were like “an entire congregation is going to walk up and we are all laying in blankets in front of the church with the best bed hair we’ve ever had. That will look great!” We all started laughing and as fast as we could we picked up our blankets and belongings and went upstairs to quickly get changed and ready for the day. Luckily a few minutes later we found out that the service wasn’t at the church that we slept outside. It must have been workers walking into it? Who knows…but boy did it get our blood pumping.

Immediately after we changed our clothes the priest’s wife had a horse and wagon ready for us to take us to the service. We ended up arriving at a house with a long table that stretched out for an extended period. Apparently the service was for the lady of the houses dead husband. He had died four years before. We all took a seat and they prayed, lit candles and served us food. None of us were very hungry. After all we had been fed so many times yesterday. I don’t think we could have eaten anymore, but somehow we managed to. Every time we said we couldn’t eat anymore we somehow found another way to stuff it down our throat. I’ve never thought of eating as quite the miserable experience until Andreiseni.

For the meal we were fed an entire plate of cold cuts, vegetables, cheese and bread. Then we were served soup, sarmale, chicken and cognac bread. It was a lot of food. I tried to concentrate my thoughts on anything but the food. There was the cutest old man across from me who didn’t have any teeth who was eating. I attempted to talk to him in my battered Romanian…he seemed pleased to have the conversation. Later Whitney S. and I got a picture with him, and he was so excited. So cute. So cute.

Just as all the houses we visited before they were more than enthusiastic to guide us through their house and show us their belongings. One of the girls spoke English so she attempted to translate for us when she could which was nice. Then we left them with our final song before we left to go back home.

Five of us decided to leave at 11:00 a.m. and four decided to stay for a few more hours and come back in the evening. The five of us gathered our luggage and walked to the bus stop. On the way we were stopped by the librarian whose house we had been to the day before. She greeted us with a smile and summoned us to come see the library. We all tried to tell her that we were afraid we were going to miss the bus, but she insisted we would be fine. So we quickly looked around. The library only made up about three small rooms, and each room was filled with old books, but at least they had one. She seemed very proud of her quaint sanctuary. As we were about to leave she pulled out a huge basket and started pulling out items to show us what was in it. We quickly found out that they were more gifts for us. I couldn’t believe it! We kept telling her we didn’t need anything, but as always she insisted. She had put some books, milk, wine and cakes in there for us. So sweet….

On the way home we had quite the dusty ride. Although we were in a bus the air conditioning was blowing dust on us for some reason. Whitney S. about died and when we arrived back in Iasi I could barely open my eyes. Then the bus tried driving off right as I was about to step off. We had to yell at the bus driver to get his attention so he would let the rest of us off. Oh how we love transportation here…

When I got back to my apartment I took a shower and cleaned off. Three of the four people that decided to stay for a couple more hours were my roommates – so I had the entire apartment to myself. Not that I don’t love my roommates, but having some alone time was absolutely heavenly. I don’t think I’ve had more than half an hour of alone time since I’ve been here…I took a nice long shower, did all my laundry and watched a movie and cleaned. It was so relaxing and soothing…

Later in the afternoon I got to talk to my dad and my family from Missouri. It was great to hear his voice. I told him about all my adventures and chatted with him about how amazing America was. He said it was true and agreed that the only way to understand how great America is to visit another country and see the standard of living they are subjected to. America is pretty ding dang dong great.

Later I called over to Whitney S. and asked her to run with me to get more scabies cream for our apartment. When I was getting dressed I found a bunch more in random spots on my body. I even found some spots on my toes! AHHH! I just did a treatment not too long ago. I just will have to do it again - scabies cleansing #3. So she went with me and it took five pharmacies until we found the cream we needed. After that we decided to take a random way back. We ended up going the wrong way, but we had fun chatting and enjoying the walk. The rest of the conversation was random. Whitney S. decided that the combination of the two of us would be the perfect combination of a girl. She said that I was too nice to boys and that she was too standoffish. I never thought of myself as nice to boys? That was new news to me…I’ve always thought that I was kind of mean…hmmm….

When I got back from my scabie cream excursion my roommates were home and unpacking. After I put scabie cream all over my body – in very large amounts - Mary, Kenz and I watched A Walk to Romember on my bed. Everyone knows that move is not a comedy – but somehow my roommates made it out to be. We were laughing so hard. Kenz and Mary kept making dumb comments throughout the entire thing. I don’t know why we all watched it – movies like that just make you want to have someone special. Haha…then when it was over Mary repeated one of the lines in the movie that states “We are through – we are through forever!” She ended up saying it in a weird voice, but what was awesome was that she didn’t mean to…It’s one of those moments that you have to be there to appreciate it, but it was hilarious at the time. We were all laughing so hard our stomach ached. I’ve decided that my most treasured moments are when you are with your friends and laughing so hard that you can’t breathe and your ab muscles are burning from contracting so much. They are the best…I wish life were like that all the time.

I asked my roommates how the rest of the day in Andreiseni went. They said it was awesome, but they all felt sick because they were fed several more times. I wouldn’t have been able to handle eating more food. The thought of food disgusted me. I don’t know how they did it. They were all running to the bathroom most of the night…poor things. They said it was worth staying even though they were sick. I guess a house that consisted of six sisters and their husbands waited to leave on a trip they had planned so they could meet and welcome the “American girls” to come visit their home. Once again the people of Andreiseni are amazing…

Our Visit to Andreiseni - A Little Bit of Heaven on Earth

2008-07-15T04:23:00.000-07:00

July 11, 2008 (Friday)
The Lord’s Hand in my Life:
Having the perfect example of complete selflessness and hospitality shown to me by the people of Andreiseni.

Andreiseni – the most friendly and giving town on earth was where we went today. We were invited to come back and visit when we attended Marion’s funeral by the priest and his family a month ago – except this time all nine of us girls came.

I woke up bright and early because we had to meet at 8:00 a.m. for the mini bus. I worked out, got ready and packed. Then as an apartment we got all the necessary chores done – sprayed our apartment for fleas and roaches, took out the trash and made sure no dishes were sitting out while we were gone. Last time our landlord visited our apartment while we were on vacation he almost had a heart attack – let’s just say we left in a rush.

When we arrived in Andreiseni, Teo (the priest’s daughter who speaks English) was waiting for us with a warm welcome. We immediately walked to her house where we were quickly fed – of course (1st feeding). Apparently on Wednesday and Fridays they don’t eat meat – so we had a meal with flat bread and a vegetable spread. Then we had apple gogosi with homemade jam. Before we left for Andreiseni Mary was worried about being fed and was like “Should we bring some food?” I quickly told her that I don’t think we will have a problem being fed…if we only knew how much of a problem it wouldn’t be.

After we ate Teo had a list of adventures and places for us to visit for the day. Our first stop was a little mill where they make flour and oil. It was fascinating to me how all the little towns in the area make everything they need to eat or cook with – down to the flour and oil. I never think twice about the process of making either – I just buy a bottle of oil or a bag of flour at Wal-mart when I need it…oh the luxuries we have that we don’t realize.

As we walked around everyone stared at us – which makes sense considering the town is so small and we are nine American girls that are foreign to them dressed in our clean clothes and new tennis shoes. As we walked down the dirt roads we all commented on how we felt like we went back in time. People don’t have cars in Andreiseni – they get around by a horse and wagon. We were cracking up when we noticed that at the back of each wagon there was something similar to a license plate – I’m not sure why? I wonder if you can get pulled over for speeding…haha…that’s hilarious to think about. To add to the sensation that we were in a different era every person we walked by had dust infested shirts and pants along with a sun dried face from years of the sun’s bright rays shining down on it. The older women had colorful scarves that hid their head and the little children wore mismatched clothes. It was quite the scene.

When we exited the mill there was a baby horse next to its mom. We all wanted to pet it, but it was scared of us – with good reason. Then one of the men in the town thought we should pet it so he tackled it as best he could to hold it still…it only worked for about two seconds. It was a strong little bugger. We all quickly decided it wasn’t worth petting – none of us felt like getting trampled, bucked or breaking any bones. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Elisa jump so fast as she did when it started backing up into her path…

We returned to Teo’s house with her, and she called for a horse and wagon for us to ride around for the rest of the day. We were all excited about it. The poor horses that had to pull all of us weren’t, but we had a good time singing in the wagon as we slowly passed townspeople by. Every single one of us almost fell off the wagon at one point, but we ended up being just fine – we laughed, giggled and enjoyed the gentle breeze that tugged at our face. I kept thinking how I wished we could ride horses to wherever we needed to go if it were short distances. How fun would that be to gallop over to your neighbor’s house and ask for a cup of sugar?! Too bad it probably isn’t allowed…

Our second stop for the day was the child’s center. All the children were gone for the day, but the workers showed us around. The center is a place for children to go who can’t be adequately and properly taken care of by their parents. The director of the center happily showed us the art work of all the children displaying on the walls. I’ve decided that Romanians start their children out young with fine craftsmanship. I was quite impressed – especially with some of the needlework projects that were displayed. There was no way I could make the crafts that they made at such a young age.

Our third stop was to a foster family who had taken in a little boy named Andrei. It was just a mom that took care of the little boy, but it was amazing to see how much they enjoyed one another’s company. Andrei was a handsome 7-year-old boy, and he had lived with her for five years. They lived together in a humble house that consisted of two rooms – a bedroom and kitchen, but they were noticeably happy. Even though we couldn’t understand what the mom said we could all tell that the mom had a good sense of humor and that the little boy adored her. Both their eyes lit up when they looked each other’s way. They weren’t putting on a show – it was genuine. It is a rare find these days. It goes to show that money doesn’t bring happiness.
On top of enjoying being around them, I think it was a relief for all of us to see a happy ending for an orphan. At least it gave me hope that orphans can be adopted out to good families who love and care for them. The only problem I thought about with the kids I work with is that they are less likely to be adopted because they have disabilities. The little boy in this situation was normal. However, the Lord is aware of all of his children.

The fourth stop was a friend of the priests. As you walked up to the little house the overpass that shaded our head from sunlight was covered with grape vines intermingled between pieces of crisscrossed wood…It definitely added a countryside feel to the house. The women enthusiastically greeted us and waved us to come in. She took us through each room in her house that was perfectly tidy and decorated in traditional Romanian style. Nothing matched in the house, but everything in it was bright and handmade. Hand sewn rugs, table cloths and doilies made up most of the decorations. Then there were several areas with pictures of Mary and Jesus Christ which is where they pray. Then after the tour she insisted on feeding us (2nd feeding). She brought out bottles of juice and apple gogosi with homemade jelly. The jelly was absolutely amazing. We all agreed it was the best we had ever tasted. I was so amazed that people who have so little give so much. There were nine of us, and they didn’t think twice about giving all the food they had to us. Teo said that’s just the way Romanian people are. However we decided that it’s not a regular characteristic for people in the city – just people in the countryside…but they treated us divinely. The way a guest should be treated. I’m definitely going to incorporate their hospitality into my future home.

In order to thank the couple for their hospitality we asked if we could sing them a song. We ended up singing a couple of hymns. Then the priest and the Romanian’s sang us a song in Romanian. It was really neat. We just took turns singing songs until we were all finished. The spirit was strong.

On the way to our next stop we passed a bar that was full of men drinking. One of the girls asked Teo if there were any “bad guys” in town. Teo responded very simply “yes, the drunkards.” We all started cracking up. I guess there are certain men in the town that get drunk all the time. At one point we were driving down the road and a man coming the opposite way was driving with his head down. He looked like he was asleep. What was funny was that he had the reins in his hand and his horse was moseying down the road, but he was so drunk he was completely out of it. Maybe the horse knew how to get home without his guidance? Who knows.

The fifth stop was at the beekeeper’s house. His house was swarming with bees. I just kept praying that I didn’t get bit – of course I happen to be the only one out of the group wearing a bright orange shirt. I kept thinking “please don’t think I’m a flower – please, please!” Luckily I didn’t get bit, but I did freeze several times when a bee came humming around. There were hundreds of thousands of bees. The beekeeper ended up putting on his hat gear, and he showed us the inside of the homes where the bees make the honey. Then he sat us down and poured us each a cup of honey and handed us a spoon (3rd feeding). We all stared at the cup blankly at first. He didn’t seriously want us to eat it raw? Oh yes he did…I took a big spoonful of it. That was a bad, bad idea. It made me feel sooo sick. I almost gagged right there. I could of managed to eat it if it were with bread, but there was no way I was going to eat an entire cup by itself. Needless to say I didn’t touch any more of it. Annie just kept telling me “don’t think about what you’re eating!” I couldn’t do it though…then the bee keeper brought us out some honey comb. He signaled for us to put it in our mouth and chew it. We did, and it was really neat. When I chewed it it collapsed in my mouth into a ball of wax. Then I spit the wax out. It felt really cool on my teeth when I chewed it.

In order to thank the beekeeper we sang him a song as well. We decided that since we didn’t have anything to give people we would just sing them all a song. We did and he loved it. He said we sang like angels. Then we all decided to leave. We were lucky that we all got out of there without getting stung. However, the priest wasn’t so lucky. The poor guy got stung in his eye. Within an hour his entire eye was swollen… really swollen.

Our sixth stop was the lake. It was absolutely beautiful and peaceful. There was a little boy who kept riding his bicycle through the lake and a couple of locals that were fishing, but besides that it was pretty still. Elisa, Melissa and I decided to attempt to walk around it. We figured out that wasn’t such a good idea when we couldn’t walk all the way around it. I was glad we went though because we had a nice chat between us three. Elisa asked me how I think I have changed the most since I’ve been here. After contemplating the question for a few minutes I came up with two areas I think I have changed the most. The first area being my relationship with my Heavenly Father. I don’t think my prayers have ever been more meaningful than they have here in Romania. When I kneel down I talk to Heavenly Father like he is a close friend or parent who is eager to listen to me. I love it.

The other change is the way I look at people. Thinking about it I realized that too often I emphasize the outward appearance – instead of taking time to look at the inner spirit of someone. I remember when I first started working with Irina (one of my orphans) I was a bit scared of her because she was unattractive and she made loud grinding noises with her teeth. However, I’ve gotten to know her sweet personality over the past couple of months, and I absolutely adore her. She is one of the most beautiful children to me because she is such a loving, well behaved girl. It’s amazing how much we lack to see at first glance. It makes me sad to think how many people (including myself) have missed out on getting to know amazing people because they only take them for face value. I’m glad I’m learning to look deeper while I’m here. That will be a good quality to carry with me in the future.

The seventh stop was the family that grows vegetables and flowers. When we arrived they immediately cut down over half of their beautiful flowers and gave them to us. We kept telling them we didn’t need any more, but they insisted. They looked like tulips, but I’m not sure. I’m definitely not a flower expert. The wife handed everyone white flowers except me. I received some vibrant bright orange ones. I was excited because they matched my shirt….I wasn’t sure if she did that on purpose or not?

Their family was absolutely lovely. The wife was pregnant, and she had two other younger girls. The little girls were halfway dressed and barefoot, but that was the attire of most young children running around. Then they showed us their garden and all the vegetables they grow. Life is so simple in Andreiseni – so different than my world.

The eighth stop was at the librarian’s house. Teo told us that her house was one of the most rich – and I was surprised because of the way it looked. Teo explained to us that those who are rich try not to show off their money and those who are poor often try to make their houses look as extravagant as possible to avoid looking poor. I thought that was an interesting…
Just as all the other houses the librarian was more than enthusiastic to have us at her house. When we walked into the entrance of their land there were a bunch of baby ducks. All us girls started chasing them and tried to pick them up. Those little guys are fast. After several attempts I finally caught one. It was sooo cute. Then Mindy caught one and it pooped all down her shirt. We were all laughing. That would only happen to Mindy. Haha…I only wish I would of gotten a picture of her face when it happened. The hostess was so nice though. She had Mindy take off her shirt, and she hand washed it immediately for her. It was quite the chore because they don’t have running water in most of the houses. The librarian had to get water from the well…but she did it gladly.

After we had our fun with the ducks the librarian showed us into her house. By that time we figured out that if we enter the home of someone we should expect to be fed something, and fed we were (4th feeding). We were fed gogosi (similar to a scone), but this time they had sugar on them instead of being filled with apples. They were good, as all the previous ones, but we had been fed so many times we were all trying not to groan. When she walked out of the room we all started laughing at the irony of the situation. I looked at Mary and was like “and you were worried about getting fed….haha.” She just shook her head back at me. It wouldn’t be so bad if they only let you have one item of whatever they made, but they make you eat several…Teo just sat back and laughed.

After we were done some of the girls lingered inside for a while longer and talked with the librarian. I sat outside with the rest of the girls and talked with Teo and played with the ducks. Then as the girls exited the house from talking with the librarian their arms were full of items. I asked what was going on and they said that while they were in there the librarian started pulling random things off her shelves and handing it to them. She gave us a doll, picture and a bunch of handmade doilies and table cloths – enough items for all nine of us to walk away with at least two gifts. I couldn’t believe it! I was like – “you have got to be kidding me!” What person in America would ever start grabbing random things from their house and giving it to their guest? Sadly, I think no one. Then the librarian took us to her garden and started grabbing fresh carrots, cucumbers and other vegetables. Then she handed us a bottle of wine…we told her we couldn’t drink it, but she gave it to us anyway. We decided we would just give it to the Priest. Finally she stopped handing us items, and we told her thank you profusely. I was shocked at the hospitality that every person had shown us throughout the day. Although American’s can be great, it was easy to see how selfish we are at times with out belongings. They have so little and they give so much, and we on the other hand have so much and give so little. That kind of goes against the scripture “where much is given much is required.”
As we went through the items we divided them up. I had my eyes set on the doll, and the girls said I could have it. I was so excited – it’s going to be one of my most treasured items from Romania. Apparently in Romania each region has a traditional “suit” or outfit that is native to their area. The doll that she had given to us, that was now mine, was wearing a traditional outfit native to Andreiseni. I will always love that doll…

Finally we were done with visiting people, and we decided to head back to the Priest’s house. It was about dinner time and we were all praying that the priest wouldn’t feed us dinner. None of us could take eating anything else. Plus we were sunburned, thirsty (because we didn’t want to drink any of the water people gave us because it was from the well and we could easily get sick) and our stomachs were not happy campers. We begged Teo to see if we could skip dinner….wrong again.

When we arrived back at the house dinner was ready for us. Not only did we eat dinner, but we had several courses (5th feeding). We had stuffed peppers, bread, sarmale, soup and fruit salad with chocolate pieces in it. We were dying. I don’t think my stomach has ever in my lifetime stretched as far as it had within the past couple of hours. Within about a seven hour period we had been fed five times, and some of those feeding were multiple courses….wow…I kept thinking to myself “I’m glad I worked out this morning. A lot of good that did.”

After dinner we gave the priest and his wife some gifts that we had brought for them for letting us stay with them. They kindly accepted them. Then we sang them a song. We first attempted to do a round, and we ended up completely butchering it. Talk about embarrassing. However, we did redeem ourself by singing Nearer My God to Thee. Throughout the day we found out that we were best at singing that song. I was happy about it – it is my absolute favorite hymn!
After we got done the priest told us that if we would sing another song he would give us a gift. We told him we didn’t want a gift, but that we would be more than happy to sing him a song. We sang him The Spirit of God and A Child’s Prayer. He ended up giving us each a painted egg. They were each beautiful and unique. I couldn’t believe someone would be talented enough to make something so beautiful.

After dinner we set blankets on the grass outside the church and priests house to sleep. We all insisted that we sleep outside…plus we thought it would be fun to sleep under the stars next to a church in the quaint town of Andreiseni. As we got ready for bed we kept talking about how amazing the day had been. Every time we thought the day couldn’t get better it did. We were all amazed at the hospitality and warm welcome we received from every house we entered. Even if they had nothing they offered us whatever they did have.

We all finally got settled and were just chatting and gazing at the stars under a thousand blankets that we had been given when the beekeeper showed up. He brought us five liters of honey which is equivalent to about five quarts. We couldn’t believe it. That was worth a ton of money – especially for him! Once again we accepted it, but I was really starting to feel bad for all the gifts people kept giving us…we didn’t have anything to give them all in return. However, Elisa and I did come up with an idea. We decided earlier in the day that we would take pictures of each of the people we visited. Then when we go home we will get them printed out and send them in a package for Teo to distribute accordingly. Pictures are rare and treasured by the people. Hopefully it will be a small but good way to repay them for their generosity.

2008-07-15T04:22:00.000-07:00

July 10, 2008 (Thursday)
The Lord’s Hand in my Life: Helping me make my weaknesses strengths.

Everything at the orphanage was pretty normal until Iulian had a seizure for eight minutes (that is a really long time for a seizure). He is one of the kids in our room. The poor thing. I hate seeing the kids when they have a seizure. Their eyes roll back in their head and their body shakes profusely. They gave him a shot to help stop it. He was really lethargic after it, and they put him in his bed. I guess he is okay, but apparently that is why Iulian isn’t really there mentally. All the seizures have gradually destroyed what little mental abilities he had.

As for Andrei – I’m in a bit of a dilemma. Andrei throws tantrums all the time – so the last couple of days when he throws his tantrums I have been trying to ignore him in an attempt to get him to stop - instead of giving him whatever he wants so I don’t have to listen to him scream. However, it’s going to take some time for him to understand screaming doesn’t get attention. The only problem is that when he throws a tantrum the workers put him in his bed for the rest of the time I’m there. Then I don’t get to see him at all. Maybe I won’t be able to teach him discipline at all…frustrating.

In the afternoon we went to the apartments. Everything was pretty much the same. However I was pleasantly surprised because Alina was unusually happy. It was really cute – normally when I play with her she likes for me to raise her up on my feet and fly her in the air like she is an airplane. Well today she was lying on the ground, and I pretended that she was flying me in the air, and she thought that was the funniest thing. I love what amuses kids.

At the 7th floor apartments I put together a puzzle with Mirel. Mirel is adorable. Every time he gets excited about something he will flap his hands. He is such a sweet boy, and he is very smart. If you do something he doesn’t like though he will definitely let you know it. He has the cutest way of saying “nu, nu, nu, nu.” What’s funny is that he can’t say it once – he has to say it multiple times.

In the evening us girls and the elders decided to go see Nicoli (he is in the bishopric at church) sing at a restaurant. He sings for a living, and he has a very nice voice. It was so nice. We sat outside, listened to him sing, ate and chatted. The food was delicious. Annie and I split a nice meal.

2008-07-10T04:31:00.000-07:00

July 9, 2008 (Wednesday)
The Lord’s Hand in my Life: Worthy priesthood members who are able to give blessings of peace and comfort.

We had our day trip with Dave today. We went and visited a bunch of monasteries in the countryside of Romania. They were all gorgeous. Most of them were out in the middle of nowhere surrounded by trees and greenery. The monasteries were very peaceful and tranquil. Monks dressed in long black robes were found walking about. I asked Mario what they did all day. She said they had to earn their keep to stay by cleaning, farming, etc. I kept thinking how I’d probably go crazy if I had to live the life of a monk. Who would willingly consign their life to solitude and be celibate their entire lives? I admire their determination and their attempt to get as close to God as possible, but that would be a hard life. I guess it’s simply their way of getting as close as possible to what they believe to be true. Our church believes in other ways of doing that…

On the way to and from the monasteries I rode in the taxi with Mary, Annie and Dave. We all talked about random events in our lives. Dave gave us some advice on dating and relationships. After all he is an MFHD major. He said that marriage requires a lot of work and effort on both sides. He also found a quote that talked about if you aren’t perfectly pleased with your spouse right now – that if you live righteously you will be in the eternities when you see your spouse exalted. I’ve always had a hard time with believing that if your relationship with your spouse is rocky now that it would be better when you die. I asked Dave about it, and he said that it’s like the atonement – you do your absolute best and he will make up the rest. So in essence you have to try your hardest and live righteously, and then when you die your relationship will essentially be perfected. The Lord knows we aren’t perfect. Luckily he doesn’t expect us to be either.

We also discussed how women will often get into groups and rant and rave about their husbands. It can be so damaging to the relationship between a husband and wife. That’s one thing I’m going to have to be really careful about. I’m sure it’s really easy to go off about the little annoyances of your husband when your friends are all in a group venting their frustrations, but it’s not appropriate. I’m going to have to find some way to overcome that when the time comes.

On the way home from the monasteries it rained…as everyone already knows I LOVE the rain. So I slept a bit on the way home which felt nice. Then when I got home I slept for two hours. My body was so exhausted I felt like I had been drugged. It was strange. My entire body felt heavy - like it weighed a thousand pounds, and when I laid on my bed I could feel it sink ever so slightly into the stiff mattress below me. Boy did it feel nice to sleep.

Later on while we ate dinner we all watched the season finale of season two of The Office. Jim confessed his love to Pam. We were all shocked. They are so cute together. The director did an excellent job at filling the role of each character. Who would of ever thought a show about an office would be so entertaining?

Dave came over later to say goodbye and to have a chat with us in order to evaluate the program. We gave him suggestions on what could be improved and what was surprisingly good about our experience here. Both of those areas took a while. Then he asked if any of us would like a blessing. It took us all a minute, but then we quickly decided that we could all use one as the time we are going to be here shortens and we are all starting to become concerned with going back home.

In my blessing he talked about how the Lord knows the concerns of my heart, and that if I pray to him the desires of my heart and prayers will be quickly answered. In all our blessings he mentioned that we were “hand picked” by the Lord to come and work with the children in Romania at this particular time in our lives. It’s so fascinating how the Lord works. He also said that the knowledge I gain here will help prepare me for upcoming choices I will have to make in the near future. It’s been such a privilege to come and work with Heavenly Father’s choicest spirits. I feel so blessed. At times I wonder why he blesses me so much, but I think trying to do what is right has something to do with it. All I know is the church is true, and Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are well aware of the needs of their people.

2008-07-10T04:30:00.000-07:00

July 8, 2008 (Tuesday)

The Lord’s Hand in my Life:
A simple compliment.

I went to take a shower this morning – the warm water was still turned off. It was off last night as well. So I decided that I would wait to take a shower until I got home from the orphanage. I figured it would be working by then. Nope – I was wrong. The warm water was still not working so I had to hack it and take an ice cold shower. It took my breath away every time I sprayed myself with the removable nasal. I’m pretty sure it was the most miserable shower I’ve ever taken. It was great.

At the orphanage it was Alex’s 10th birthday! Us girls blew up a bunch of balloons and got him a stuffed horse animal. He loved it! When we walked into the room they had him dressed in a really fancy outfit – he looked like he was wearing a tux without the jacket, and he had his hair done all fancy. He looked pretty spiffy! Then later in the morning they had a birthday party for him. He got a little upset when some of his friends in attendance tried blowing out his birthday candles – even though they were just trying to help, but regardless he was a very happy boy. He also got new shoes for his birthday. He was stoked about them!

Dave dropped by the orphanage for a few minutes with Mario. He came and said hi to Alex and the rest of our kids. Right after he left Elisa and Whitney S. paid me a compliment. They said that I was very good at dealing with people in a business like manner, and that they liked how I was able to be professional, but friendly at the same time. They said I will do very well in my career in the future. I appreciated their compliment. I owe it all to my dad. I’ve watched him over the years interact with many people in a business like manner. He is very good at speaking with people and gaining their trust and respect…

Andrei was throwing tantrums a ton today. The workers eventually ended up putting him in his crib. I need to figure out how to get him to stop, but I know he is frustrated because he can’t communicate what he wants to because he is deaf. It worries me thought because if he doesn’t learn to communicate soon he is going to have major behavioral problems when he is older…

Urika was a huge pain today. I was so frustrated with her. She is the worker that all the girls dislike. She makes all of us feel so cranky when we are around her. Feeding the kids with her in the room was horrible – I left feeling sick to my stomach. She completely gagged Christina and forced food down her throat - all I could hear was her choking, then Ana Maria had a seizure while Urika was feeding her, and then Urika made me feed Constantine with a spoon. He doesn’t know how to eat like that, and until she came he has ALWAYS been fed with a bottle. She insisted I feed Constantine with a spoon because she said “he was a big boy.” Yes he is six years old, but he only has the capabilities of a six month old. It ended up taking him about 45 minutes for him to eat a little cup of food. Each spoonful I put in his mouth he spit out of his mouth between 5 to 10 times. Then he gagged a lot on it even though I tried to be as gentle as I could. I was stressed out though because I knew if he didn’t eat it with me she would make him choke it down. Then I felt bad because he was miserable eating it, and I was miserable feeding him it! Lets say I left very agitated! I refuse to feed him again if she doesn’t put it in a bottle.

Mindy went with me to the apartments today in place of Elyse. One of Elyse’s kids was at the hospital, and she wanted to get a picture with them. Mindy and I had a fun time chatting. We both chatted about how anxious we are becoming since time to arrive home is drawing nearer and nearer. It’s weird that in a few days we will only be here for four more weeks. The time has absolutely flown by. It’s even more weird to think that things have still been happening at home while I’ve been gone. I was looking at my Facebook today at some of my friend’s pictures, and I kept thinking things are going to be different when I get home. I know whenever I leave a place I return thinking things are the same as they always are – which is not going to be the case.

We had dinner with Dave this evening at Little Texas. It was so nice and relaxing to sit, eat and enjoy one another’s company. We were all excited because he was paying – so we were allowed to pretty much get anything we wanted to eat. Some of the girls went all out haha…but we had a good time. We all made small talk with him, and he talked about some of his adventures with traveling. He went on his mission to Greece – which is ironic because it’s my dream place to visit. I asked him all kinds of questions about it. He told me all the spots to see, and he confirmed that Greece was an amazing and beautiful place to visit. Greece is my next target…I hope I don’t get the travel bug.

2008-07-08T04:27:00.000-07:00

July 7, 2008 (Monday)
The Lord’s Hand in my Life: The ability to dance and have lots of fun while doing it!

I woke up at 6:oo this morning so I could work out, eat breakfast and read my scriptures. I wanted to get a head start on the week. It was awesome! I love being able to take my time getting ready in the mornings. I despise feeling rushed. I’ve decided to start reading my scriptures in the morning as well. It’s much more effective. I’m always so tired by the time I go to bed, and then I don’t get much out of them.

At the orphanage we were outside most of the day. Andrei was inside sleeping the entire time we were outside – I’m not sure why, but he was. When I went upstairs to check on him he was sitting up and attempting to put his suspenders on. They were completely twisted, and the poor thing was trying so hard to get them straightened out. I love it when they don’t know you are watching them. They are so cute!

Later the workers let me get Andrei out of his crib, but we were all done with playing outside. I was amazed at how bored I was without him out there to chase around. The rest of my kids can’t run around – so I held them on the bench or pushed them in their wheel chair. Valentina kept me the busiest out of all my kiddos. She got a hold of my hair and pulled as hard as she could. She also managed to run her nose down my outfit which left a trail of snot. Then Valentina rubbed it on Whitney S. one second before she started moving away from Valentina exclaiming “I can’t handle snot!” It was pretty funny and disgusting all at the same time.

As we left the orphanage Elisa and Whitney S. were like “I don’t know how you handle Andrei’s tantrums – they make me antsy.” To be honest I don’t know how I handle them either, but for some reason I just look past them and ignore them. Maybe it’s because I have some weird connection to him. I don’t know. All I know is that I love him tantrums and all – and he throws a lot of them. It’s weird that they don’t bother me because Iulia will start screaming for no reason sometimes and her screaming really gets to me. Who knows?

In between the orphanage I got Annie a chocolate croissant because I know she loves them. I wanted to get her one for her birthday yesterday, but it was fast Sunday so she couldn’t eat it – so I decided to give it to her today. She was excited when I gave it to her. I love getting people gifts! Too bad I don’t have a ton of money to do it all the time.

The hospital was pretty hot as usual. One of the kids from our room in the orphanage (the Mickey Mouse Room) named Kristen was there to receive some medication and treatment. He is such a sweetheart. He has cerebral palsy, but all the workers adore him because he is so cute. He has the most beautiful blue eyes and lengthy dark eyelashes. He looked so scared when the nurses were shooting medicine into his IV. When he saw our faces he looked so happy and relieved to see a familiar face. Whitney S. and I were excited because we got to take a picture with him. We aren’t allowed to take pictures of our kids in the orphanage, but we are if they end up going to the hospital. Weird huh?

We visited the regular kids in the hospital like Alexandra and Marion. Us girls were cracking up when we went to see Marion because the nurse had a blanket wrapped around his entire body so all you could see was his head. She was feeding him and I guess it is their way of keeping him from grabbing the food. He looked like a little mummy…haha…

Then there was a new baby today. He was crying when I walked into the room, and he immediately stopped when I picked him up. I think I’m starting to get the special touch with children. He was definitely a different looking baby. He looked like he had a fully developed man’s face trapped in a baby’s body, but he was still cute. I rocked and cuddled him, and he was happy as a peach. However like most children the second I put him down he screamed bloody murder. I hate that part.

On the way home Annie and I stopped and grabbed a treat for Mary. She has been having a rough week this week, and we all know chocolate cake is a perfect pick me up. She has been missing her family which is completely understandable. We gave it to her and told her we loved her and we were sorry she was having a bad week. She seemed very appreciative of our thought. I was really glad we could make her feel at least a little bit better! I’ve really grown to love all the girls I’ve worked with here, and it makes me happy when we can help lift each other up. We have all had hard days and weeks since we’ve been here, and since we don’t really have our normal support system around we are all each other’s. Annie was so cute she was like “Whitney, I don’t know what I’m going to do when I go home and you’re not everywhere I go.” We both started cracking up! I was like “Oh Annie you can still call me anytime you want!” I will never forget any of the girls I’ve met here…they will always hold a very special place in my heart.

For dinner we had a random assortment of foods but it was soo good. We had grilled cheese, tomato soup, fresh corn on the cob and stuffed mushrooms. I adore stuffed mushrooms, and they tasted divine. Good job Annie. Good job.

Family Home Evening was really fun tonight. Annie and Melissa taught us American Triple Set Swing Dancing. Dave (our professor) for one of our internship classes came to visit for a couple of days to observe our work here. He decided to attend FHE regardless of his horrible jet lag. He ended up being really nice and friendly. I was afraid he was going to be stuffy, but he wasn’t at all. He joined in learning triple step with us and had a grand time. He is a very tall man though. WOW. Talk about towering over us…We all had a great time…Mindy was one of my best partners. She threw in a couple of her “awkward and absurd” dance moves during our triple step haha…I hope she reads this.

After FHE we talked with Dave about our plans for the week. Apparently tomorrow night we are going out to eat with him. Then Wednesday we are taking a day and visiting all the local monasteries. It should be fun, but boy am I busy. I have so many assignments to get done before I leave, and there is absolutely no time to do them! GRRR!

2008-07-08T04:20:00.000-07:00

July 6, 2008 (Sunday)
The Lord’s Hand in my Life:
Simple pleasures…like a picnic in the park and a kite in the sky.
Having the means to buy a friend a gift.

Today was Annie’s birthday! I was so excited for her. I love other people’s birthdays. Sadly we were going to make Annie stuffed French toast for breakfast, but it was fast Sunday today so we couldn’t. She understood though – we’ll have to surprise her with it some other time.

At church they decided to watch General Conference again. So we had two hours to read our scriptures and write in our journals because we couldn’t understand it in Romanian. It’s was nice, relaxing and uplifting, but BOY I get so tired. When church was done the sisters gave Annie flowers and a card, and the entire branch sang Happy Birthday to her. I loved it, and I’m pretty sure she did too!

After church and a nice nap we all went to celebrate Annie’s birthday. She wanted a picnic so that’s exactly what we did. A few days ago she drew a picture of what the picnic would look like on her birthday. She carefully drew each of us in a scene in the park eating food on a blanket. We tried to reenact the drawing as much as possible for her. We ended up taking a tram to a local park. To our dismay we weren’t allowed to sit on the grass. We were all a little irritated about that. What park doesn’t let you sit on the grass!? Come on now! Only in Romania…Every time we stepped foot on the grass people gave us dirty looks…so we ended up improvising and we put our blankets on the floor in the middle of the pavilion in the park. We chatted, took our shoes off and ate sandwiches, chips and fruit salad. Then we gave Annie our gifts. Some of the other girls got her hair clips, and I got her this necklace in Krakow that I noticed she had been eyeing. It was so cute because when she opened it she was like “how did you know! I secretly wanted that!” I was so glad she liked it…it made me happy! I was hoping to get her something she really liked.

As we were leaving the park we ran into the most disturbing display of goats I have ever seen. We were all disgusted. Who in their right mind would put those up?! There were a couple of real - now dead - goats with red outfits on them. Their ears were falling off and their eyes were decomposing. It was gross! We took a picture with them, but it didn't do justice to the disgust we felt.

In Annie’s drawing she had some of us flying a kite – so we bought a kite. There ended up being too many trees and no where in that particular park to fly it so we decided to go back to the other girls apartment for caramel ice cream and Better than Sex brownies and then go to the local field so we could fly it. When we went back to the apartment we sang Happy Birthday, and each went around and said something we loved about Annie. There were so many good things. The predominant theme of the comments was how everyone loved how selfless she was. Her parents did a great job at raising such a sweet girl.

To finalize Annie’s Birthday and make it complete we decided to physically reenact her drawing. So we went and put on the outfits, jewelry and shoes we were wearing in the drawing and grabbed all the rest of the elements we needed in order to make the drawing become a reality. After several attempts we finally got the perfect picture. Then to continue the picture streak we had a blast trying to get pictures of us all jumping. At one point Whitney S. and I both jumped and our legs hit together and we fell to the floor. We also tried doing a pyramid – that was interesting. Mindy kept falling on me. Regardless, I love these girls!

P.S. Whitney S. and I have been doing pretty good on our eating healthy, and I think Elisa isn’t doing it with us anymore…

2008-07-08T04:19:00.000-07:00

July 5, 2008 (Saturday)
The Lord’s Hand in my Life: Being able to relax and spend time with the girls!

There is nothing better than getting to sleep in on a rainy Saturday. I love it! It felt so nice and relaxing to just lay in bed until I felt like getting up. They are a very, very rare occurrence in my life.

For the rest of the day I accomplished a lot of homework which is always good. Then in the middle of the day Annie and I traveled to a local university for a school assignment. The fact that it was pouring outside made our little adventure even more fun. We both huddled under a little umbrella and attempted to dodge puddles.

Once we go to the university we went and looked for a long corridor of paintings. The paintings were very different. I wasn’t a huge fan of any of them – they had a robotic and stifling feel to them. However, looking at the art was quite interesting because you could physically see the communistic influence on the artist’s style. All the figures looked very similar, they were often all looking the exact same way and the figures in the pictures had a alien/robot look.
We asked some local students about the background of the art. They didn’t know too much about it – but we did ask them what they thought about communism and the downfall of Ceausescu. It was interesting to hear that they felt their country’s well being had declined since he was taken out of office. They also said Romania isn’t as civilized as it was when communism reigned. When one grows up in the United States you are taught to think communism is bad. I still think it is – but I don’t think the concept of communism is bad. Communism would be great if everyone were perfect, but we aren’t. So that ends that thought.

After we chatted with them for a while they left and then all of a sudden they came back and asked if they could take a picture with us. It was so cute. I love how people always ask to take a photo with us. Then they asked if we could exchange email addresses. People here are always looking for ways to better their English…

When I got home I had a list of things I could have done, but I decided to have some “me time.” I don’t know why that is so hard for me…I decided to watch an episode of The Office which always makes me happy and then take a nap. I need to have time for myself more often. There is always a list of things to do in my mind. I have a hard time relaxing at all when I know there are things I could be doing. However, there is ALWAYS something I could do – so I have to tell myself it’s okay to take a break sometimes.

Later on our apartment ate dinner – then Whitney S. came over and spent the night. Then we made treats and decided to watch a movie together called Stranger Than Fiction. It was very interesting. I’m not quite sure how I felt about it. It was okay. After the movie we all just laid around and talked. Then somehow we started playing all these sappy, country love songs. It was really late so we were all really tired, and when girls get tired that means they get slap happy. If someone would of video taped us it would have been hilarious. We were all singing country songs as loud as we could without being too much of a disturbance to our neighbors. Then Whitney S. and MacKenzie were complaining because hearing the songs made them miss their boys. I was like “well stop complaining at least you have someone to miss!” Haha…it was fun having girl time…

Let FREEDOM Ring!

2008-07-05T03:30:00.003-07:00

July 4, 2008 (Friday) The Lord’s Hand In My Life: I’m an American…

July 4th isn’t the same when you’re not in America. There aren’t fireworks going off everywhere, parties going on or people exclaiming “Happy 4th of July!” That would make sense considering I’m in Romania. Whitney S. and I were talking about how we were a little sad that we aren’t able to join all the festivities…but it’s okay we are going to have a celebration tonight of our own.

For the first time in a long time I honestly felt proud to be an American. I don't think one is able to fully appreciate how great America is unless you visit other countries. America truly is an elite nation - we are blessed in every way by being an American. If you don't believe me take a trip to an underdeveloped country and visit their hospitals. You will change your mind real fast.

To start my July 4th off I woke up with bites on my lower back/side…there were about six in a cluster. I thought it was flea bites, but I think they are scabies! AHHH! I’m going to have to do another treatment of cream tonight. Sick. I feel violated – how dare bugs be under my skin…DISGUSTING!

When we arrived at the orphanage the kids were all outside. The second I walked outside Andrei sprinted at me and ran into my arms. I love it when he does that – I don’t think it will ever get old. Andrei played like he normally does. He swang in the swing, and did his normal routine of running to every possible toy. Then one of the workers brought a live turtle in a box outside. Andrei was absolutely fascinated. He was afraid to touch it. It was hilarious. He would put his finger where the head was and its head would jump back. Then he would jump back. Then he would try again. At one point I got him to stroke its back, but he was still very hesitant.

I also played with Alex for a while outside. Yesterday he threw up so the workers wouldn’t let him do much but sit on the bench with me. He has cerebral palsy, but he is very alert. I just chatted and laughed with him on a bench under the tree. He’s such a smart little guy. When it was time for Andrei to go inside he threw a nice little tantrum. He was kicking and screaming at the top of his lungs right as we walked by Dr. Ciobano’s office (Director of the Orphanage). Dr. Ciobano walked out to see what the commotion was. I just smiled at her and said “nu mai mult afara – nu fericit” (no more outside – not happy). Then she laughed and went on her way. The way he acted you would think I was killing him. Embarrassing! Kids sometimes…

Inside the orphanage I played with Maria for a while. I was sitting there playing with her, and she was lying on her back on the mat and all of a suddent she jumped and did a 360 degree turn. I was like “Wow! Where’d that come from?” She is so funny. Then if I would move away from her she would scoot over and flop herself on my leg. Whenever she does that she wants a little love and a little cuddle time. It’s so cute!

We ended up leaving the hospital early today so we could get everything ready for the party. It was so hot today. All of us were completely drained of any energy because of the heat. At the hospital we played with all the kids as normal. Nothing too exciting to report – except I love them! Marion was so cute today. I love the way his mouth drops open out of excitement when we walk into the room. Then when we leave he screams bloody murder….at least it means he enjoys it when we come.

Our July 4th party went amazing! We invited everyone from the branch and a ton of people came. There were probably about 30 people. We had sandwiches that tasted amazing - along with chips, cornbread, cookies, peach cobbler, and Kool-Aid. We all sat on blankets underneath a grove of shady trees and chatted and had a good time. We also sang the Star Spangled Banner and waved our American flags around. Then we had a water balloon toss game with blankets. Everyone including the sisters had a absolute blast! After all the balloons were gone we all got in a water fight. We started throwing water – then we started putting ice down each others shirts and pants. Everyone had a blast! Elder Armstrong came up from behind me and dumped a bucket of water on me. It’s okay though because Elisa dumped a bag of ice water on him later. She got him back for me. Then all us girls were throwing ice down each others shirts and pants. It wasn’t bad down the shirt, but if they got it down your pants it made you dance. I got Annie, MacKenzie and Mindy pretty good…it was so fun! I honestly don’t think it could of gone better. It was the perfect July 4th – minus the fireworks.

2008-07-05T03:30:00.002-07:00

July 3, 2008 (Thursday)
The Lord’s Hand In My Life: Talking with a good friend.

We celebrated Andrea’s birthday. She turned one. They had her in the most adorable little pink outfit with a little white hat. She looked so cute. I love birthdays because the workers are more nice to the kids. It was a great morning. Five of us BYU girls sat outside on a blanket with our kids, and the workers sat close by and talked. Then we sang happy birthday in Romanian and English.

The apartments were quite interesting. At the 3rd floor we were able to take them outside to play. That was the first time I had been to the playground located outside their apartment. It was horrible. There was trash everywhere – in and outside the garbage bins. Weeds were growing in the cracks of the ground, swings were missing the part you sit on, and they squeaked so bad that I could barely swing because I couldn’t stand the high pitched squeal with every rock. It was ridiculous. Apparently we are doing a service project with church for that little park in a week…I’m glad because it desperately needs it.

While we were playing outside Sergio went around tearing up pieces of trash he found everywhere. Then he kept reaching into the trash can to find more than what was on the ground. It was soooo gross. He loves tearing things up. Then Alina kept trying to escape the playground. There is a wire fence that surrounds it, but apparently there are holes throughout it. I turned around for a second and all of a sudden Alina was stepping through the hole and attempting to run into the street. I had to do a hundred yard dash to reach her. It got my blood running. Then for the rest of the time she went around pulling wrappers off of old bottles. I know I’ve already said it but there really is a ton of trash. I couldn’t believe kids played there. Then Cosmina was her usual sedate self, but the poor thing is so heavy it took her about 15 minutes to get up the stairs. I could try carrying her, but she needs the exercise – so I slowly and patiently walked be her side up the stairs. She made it to the top and that’s all that matters. Then Madalin kept coming up to me to swing him around. He also loved looking underneath this toy on the playground that you stand on and it goes round and round. He is fascinated by something about it. He’s such a cutie.

At 7th floor apartment the kids were really well behaved today. I brought a game of Go Fish that had “My Little Petshop” characters on it. I tried explaining the rules in my best Romanian. I think the girls (Catalina and Laura) got the jist of the game, but I don’t know if they really understood the concept. Oh well. We had fun playing it anyways. Costica was acting really strange today. Normally he is really cuddly, but today he didn’t want anyone to touch him, and he would randomly burst into tears. It was really strange. I hope he is okay. Maybe he was just having an off day?

Right before we were about to leave Catalina and Laura started doing our hair and Laura ended up getting a rubber band tangled in Elyse’s hair. I couldn’t get it out at the apartment – it was too snarled there was nothing I could do. She had to wear it in her hair until we got back to the apartment where we cut the rubberband out. Then we tried to wash and put conditioner on the knot to untangle it. That didn’t work either. As a last resort one of the girls had to cut it out of her hair. I felt bad for Elyse. She fell down the steps earlier in the afternoon then she got a rubber band stuck in her hair. Poor thing.

When we got back to Elyse’s apartment Mario was over cooking. She told us she would make a treat for us. It was fried cucumbers – very good. I like Mario. She is a good woman. The only thing is that sometimes she jokes a little harshly.

I got to talk to my friend Kristi tonight. It was soo great! I loved it! When she answered the phone I was like “Kristi” and she was like “who is this?” Then I said “Whitney,” and she got so excited. It made me feel good. I love it when friends are excited to hear from me. I told her I missed her, and she said she missed me. I love that girl. Then she caught me up on her relationship with her boyfriend Todd. Apparently it is getting pretty serious because they went ring shopping. Mary and I decided our theme song is going to be “Another One Bites the Dust” whenever we hear another one of our friends are getting married. It’s a vicious circle haha…

2008-07-03T04:25:00.000-07:00

July 2, 2008 (Wednesday)
The Lord’s Hand In My Life: Marius is going to the United States, and Andrei heard a squeaky toy with the help of his hearing aid!

It was such a great day today. Marius is going to be able to go to the states for plastic surgery! We found out that his brother got custody of him – we were worried because if he didn’t he wouldn’t be able to go to America. Then to add to the great day Andrei was able to hear a loud noise that came from a squeaky toy with the help of his hearing aid. It was so amazing. He was playing with the toy then all of a sudden he held still and put it up to his ear. His eyes looked like he was concentrating so hard. Then he squeaked the toy and went back and forth putting the toy up to each of his ears. Then he was so excited he put the toy up to my ear and squeaked it so I could hear. Then he went around to a bunch of the kids in the room so they could hear it. It absolutely melted me…I’m so excited for him!

Today we were outside with the kids for a while – it was the perfect weather! It felt so nice…I did find out some news I wasn’t happy about. One of the workers told me that Andrei isn’t having surgery until September…I’m sad because I won’t be able to stay with him and visit him in the hospital. As for more sad news, when I was playing with Andrei outside Maria (one of the workers) told me “Andrei is a bad boy. He is naughty.” I was like “nu rau” (not bad). Thank goodness he didn’t understand what they were saying. It made me sad. He does throw little tantrums, but he is a little boy (kids throw tantrums sometimes). That doesn’t mean he is bad. That must be why the workers aren’t as nice to him as they are some of the other kids, and to be honest sometimes I don’t blame him for his tantrums. Today he was outside, and when I wasn’t playing with him they would make him sit on a bench. What three year old would ever sit on a bench while being outside for a couple of hours? Then if he moved they would yell at him. At one point he kept looking at me with the hand motion “come to me” and the worker hit his hand down. So I put one of the kids I had been playing with in their chair because they can’t run around and went over to play with him. I think they don’t like chasing him around the playground…it does take energy, but come on?!

When we were playing outside all the workers were chatting and laughing. Florine walked by and smiled and winked at me. He’s a good guy. Then I was sitting in the swing with Irena a few feet away from the conversation, and all of a sudden all the workers, including Sera, all looked at me. Sera smiled and I just smiled at them all back. I didn’t know what was going on, but I just assumed they were talking about me. Later on I asked him why they all looked at me at one point in the conversation. He said that they told him not to worry about his life because he was surrounded by girls. Then he said that they said “you would look good with her, and she would look good with you.” I was like “oh.” Then I had to go…I don’t need any drama in that department.

When we went inside all the workers and us had fun. We turned on some music and danced with the kids. Andrei is the cutest little dancer. I know he can’t hear well, but he will move and dance as long as we are. Then Lumie (a worker) decided to french braid my hair. Everyone likes to do my hair, but it always hurts when they do. Then she told me that I need to bring two rubber bands tomorrow so she can put my hair in two braids…Yes!

The hospital was great as usual. There is a new little girl named Marchika. She is probably four years old, and she is such a happy little girl. I’m amazed at some of the children’s attitude…They are happy regardless of their circumstances…they set an amazing example to follow.

I saw Alexandra today. The sides of her crib wouldn’t go all the way down so after much debate I hopped in there with her. Annie and I were cracking up. I just sat in her cribs, and we counted cards. It’s amazing how easily children are entertained…It was so fun. I felt like I was having girl chat with her…haha…

It was my night to cook dinner. I made alfredo sauce from a recipe and had broccoli, mushroom pasta. I was so afraid it would turn out terrible. It ended up turning out better than I thought. I’m gaining more confidence about my cooking skills slowly but surely.

Tonight I talked to my best friend Kendall! I was so excited to hear her voice and hear about her wedding! I can’t believe she is married. I just hope our friendship doesn’t change. All the girls here say that when all of their friends get married it’s a whole new ball park…we shallsee... Kendall and I chatted about her new marriage. I asked her if her marriage was what she expected. She said she loves it but that it is a lot of work and quite the learning experience. That’s what most people say. Then I started telling her that I want to find a full/part time job in event planning when I get home. She said that there was a position available on the church Web site…I’m also going to see if Nu Skin has any job openings when I get home as well. I’m sure everything will work out though. Kendall was laughing because she said I’ve planned things my entire life. She was like “do you remember when we were 13 years old and I spent the night at your house for the first time and you had the party completely planned out? You had it planned what time we were going to watch a movie. What time we were going to sing karaoke.” I just laughed. That’s just the way I am – I like to have things planned and organized. When I get home Kendall and I are going to plan a girls’ weekend. I’m excited about that.

2008-07-03T04:23:00.000-07:00

July 1, 2008 (Tuesday)
The Lord’s Hand In My Life: My phone card finally worked!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Time zoomed by at the orphanage today. Our day started off with a chat with Mario. I love Mario! She does so much for us. She is our Romanian liason over here. She gives us language lessons and helps us out if we ever get in trouble. She’s so amazing. All us girls love chatting with her. We told her about our trip and the trip we are planning to the Black Sea in a few weekends. Then we reaffirmed to her that none of us had gotten pregnant while on our week break. Before we left she jokingly said “don’t come back pregnant!” Obviously she doesn’t have to worry about that… Then through the course of the conversation I found out Mario lived in Greece for six months. That is my dream place to visit! After talking with her I am more anxious to visit Greece someday. She said it is absolutely gorgeous and that she loved the culture and people. I wish we had time to go there…oh well I can’t win them all.

I got to play with Irina for a while today. She has the cutest giggle. I loved just sitting there holding her. She seemed so happy and content to be with me. One of the workers made the comment that they could tell she liked me a lot. It always feels good to be liked and wanted.

I practiced jumping again with Valentina today. I was afraid she would forget how to while I was gone, but she still remembered. She understands the motion of jumping, but she still has a hard time doing it by herself. However she did push off the floor with her legs today. She is starting to understand the more force she puts into the jump the higher she will go…we’re making progress!

Something exciting happened today. Elisa, Whitney S. and I got to go see the pool. Sera came in and told us to come swimming with the kids, but none of us brought our suits or water clothes. He said we could swim next week when he swims with the kids. Then he said that the kids can’t play in the pool if they have skin problems, colds or are on medication. That practically eliminates every child in the orphanage, but I asked him if I could take Andrei and he said yes…so I’m excited! Andrei will love it. The pool is an indoor pool that they let the kids swim in during the summer. When we walked in we were all expecting a real pool – it was more like a baby pool that was about two feet deep, but the kids were having fun playing around. Only a couple can go in at a time, because they need to be watched closely.

Alex was in the pool. He was having the time of his life. Sera was really good with all the kids as well. He was splashing around, playing with them and challenging them to do various exercises in the pool. Sera is a really good guy – I wish everything between him and I could have been solved less awkwardly. Oh well. Too late.

After watching them all play for a while Teo waved for us to come in – so we hiked up our scrub pants and got in the pool and played with the kids. Needless to say we were all soaked by the end, and we definitely didn’t have a change of clothes – not to mention we still had a couple hours left at the orphanage…so we ended up air drying. The workers thought it was hilarious that we were all wet.

The topper of the day was when Maria (one of the middle aged workers) attempted to give us a lesson in Romanian on going through puberty. I thought it was awkward when my mom gave me that talk…this was way worse. We all just looked at each other unsure of how to respond. Thank goodness we don’t understand half the things people say to us…haha…it can turn out to be quite the blessing sometimes.

I found out that I am going to get to start going to the apartments on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons with Elyse. So now I go to the orphanage every morning; the hospital Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoon; then I will go to the apartments with the orphan kids Tuesday and Thursday afternoon. I don’t know Elyse real well because she lives in the other apartment, but I went with her to visit the kids in the apartment today, and I had a blast talking with her. We actually had a lot in common. I’m excited that we are going to be able to go to the apartments together for the next several weeks.

Apartments were excellent. Mateline is adorable. He has autism and he loves to be swung around in circles. I think I’m starting to get old because I can’t do that for long anymore or I start feeling sick. Not to mention he is an extremely tall and lengthy little boy. It’s easy to get worn out. Then poor Sergio was woken up from his nap when he arrived and he just layed on the couch trying to sleep for half the time we were there. I kept trying to get him up, and then he would lay back down and sleep.

At the 7th floor apartments Laura decided to do my hair. Every time they do my hair I don’t know how I have any left. They are a little rough…but they mean no harm. Costica was really cuddly with me today. He has Downs syndrome, and he is so sedate. Boy is he flexible. He was sitting on my lap, and he would sit in what looked like the most uncomfortable positions ever, but he was happily content.

For the rest of the evening the girls and I did internet stuff…it’s a lot of work to keep everything updated. I hope people take time to read it…Right after I updated my blog I got a note from Elyse on my Facebook. Apparently I accidentally gave Elisa credit for the interpretive dancing on our street performance and I meant to say Elyse. I was cracking up. I quickly fixed it on my blog. Then Mindy blurted out “Oh and you called my dance moves absurd and awkward!” (they were but that’s what made the street performance so popular). I have video proof…haha… It was nice to know that people read it though. I love getting comments.

Then Mindy and Elyse threatened to put an entire album of awkward pictures of everyone up on the Facebook. I could so see them doing that. The entire time we’ve been in Romania those two have been trying to get bad pictures of everyone. Finally I started to fight back on our mid semester retreat. I got some AMAZING photos of Mindy on the trip. I could see this turning into a picture war…it could be dangerous…haha

OH AND THE BEST NEWS EVER…Mary figured out why none of our phone cards have worked. It’s because of the type of phone we have. Mary and I went and tried our phone card at the other apartment and it worked with ease. I was jumping up and down for joy! I left my best friend Kendall a message, but she didn’t answer. I’m going to call all my close friends very soon... I’ve missed hearing their voice. I can’t believe I’ve been trying for two months and that was the reason…GRRR! But at least it’s fixed now.

P.S. I’m excited for Annie’s birthday…we chatted today and made assignments. It should be great!

P.S.S. Bug bites are starting to get atrociously bad here. I have a mosquito bite on four of my toes on my left foot…can you say painful? Whitney S. had a bunch on her thighs too…Nu distractiv! (No fun!)

2008-07-01T04:16:00.000-07:00

June 30, 2008 (Monday)
The Lord’s Hand in my Life: Finding someone I can relate to…

Oh how I missed my kids while I was on vacation! I was soooo excited to see them today…I walked into the orphanage and the first little kid I saw was my Andrei. He was riding on a little pony horse, and he didn’t hear me enter the room because he can’t hear. He was looking down so I stood there for a second until he saw me. When he saw me his eyes lit up and he started jumping up and down. Then he raised his arms to hold him, and I gave him a big hug and kiss. Once I put him down he quickly handed me the little string connected to his horse so I could pull him around the room. I missed his big brown eyes and his little smile so much. It kind of scared me how much I missed him. I was only gone for a week. In six weeks I’m leaving him forever. I don’t know how I’m going to handle leaving him. I don’t feel comfortable leaving him here…some of the workers are great, but some of them aren’t. It makes me want to cry when I think about it…I kept thinking about leaving him today, and once again I had to remind myself to live in the present. I was sitting there holding Andrei right now – I didn’t need to worry about what tomorrow would bring because that would just distract my full attention away from him. As I was in this state of contemplation, I decided that I want to get married to someone rich right when I get home just so I will have the money to immediately adopt Andrei. That is a completely unrealistic thought considering the fact A) I’m not dating anyone B) Most college students aren’t wealthy C) Andrei’s parents haven’t given up adoption rights and D) International adoption isn’t available in Romania…but the Lord can make miracles right? I will pray very hard that if it’s the Lord’s will it will happen.

Today I found out that Andrei is half gypsy and half Romanian. I wonder if that has anything to do with the way he is treated sometimes? Romanians treat gypsies very bad. Most of the workers seem less kind to him than the other kids. Maybe I’m just imagining it, but I don’t think so…

After I said hi to Andrei I went and said hi to all my other kids. There reaction wasn’t as extravagant as Andrei’s because most of them aren’t in a state to react much, but I like to think they were glad to see me. Constantine and Irina got huge smiles on their face when I started talking to them. Irina was in a really good mood – much more alert than normal, and boy did she giggle when I talked to her.

I had a neat and unusual experience happen to me today. I was sitting next to Constantine stroking his face and singing a song to him while we were waiting for them to bring his bottle so I could feed him. Then all of a sudden I thought about my Grandpa Rich that passed away two years ago. It was really random because I don’t think about him too often since he has been gone for so long. Then I had an image of him pass through my mind – he was dressed in all white and he was smiling at me. Then he said he was proud of me. That might sound strange, but for some reason it didn’t feel strange… I felt really calm and peaceful.

The saddest part of the day was when we discovered that it was Doamna Maria’s last day at the orphanage. She is the most amazing and kind worker the orphanage has ever seen. She has worked there for over 30 years, and she has a special touch with every child. To be honest I’m surprised the kids listen to her because she’s so nice, but they do. I need to learn her secret. Here is a story to illustrate Doamna Maria. Today I went to feed Valentina “my little vampire” and every time I stuck the spoon of food in her mouth she would bite down on the spoon and then blow her food everywhere – including on me. By the end of my attempt to feed her I had food sprayed all over the top and bottom of my scrubs. Valentina thought it was hilarious. The other workers did too…but that’s beside the point. After I told Doamna David that she wouldn’t eat she came over took the spoon and gently said to Valentina “gura mare” (referencing her to open her mouth wide). Instantly Valentina ate with no qualms…I was like “are you serious!” The workers just laughed and Whitney S. did too…the kids know I’m a push over. Dang.

Whitney S., Elisa and I decided we wanted to get something for Doamna Maria before she left – so they booked it to a store while I stayed with the kids. They bought her a pretty necklace. Apparently all the other workers were jealous, and they wanted to know why we didn’t buy them anything. Elisa was like “when you retire we can talk about it.”

Right when we were about to leave Andrei came walking in with two teddy bears and a snow globe. I made a mental picture of him at that moment. He looked so stinkin cute it was ridiculous. He kept dropping one of the items in his hand, then picking it up and then dropping another item with every step. I love that kid.

In between the orphanage and hospital we went grocery shopping and to the piata. I was so proud of myself because I bartered. I got them to give me some apples I bought for 6 lei instead of 6.5 lei. I was like “Why am I so excited that I got them to go down about 25 cents?!” Mary replied “because for once you are getting money from them!” I smiled and agreed.

Mindy was my partner at the hospital today. It was really nice to talk to her. I had been feeling a little sad that she and I haven’t gotten to know each other real well because she lives in the other apartment, but oh well. Her and I chatted about life at home while we walked in between hospital rooms. Apparently she has a best friend that is getting married soon and that is the story of my life this summer. It’s so nice when someone else can relate to what you’re going through. I’ve been a little stressed out because my best friend Kendall will be married when I get home, one of my other good friends Kristi will be getting married, my friend Bobbi is getting married a week before I get home, my friend Brandon got married a few days before I left to come to Romania, and my friend Sandra moved to California a few weeks ago. I consider every single one of those people among my best friends. I’m a little worried about being completely alone when I get home. I think I am extra sensitive about everything because also because all the girls are talking about boys from home. Whitney S. had a good talk with a boy she has been dating - then Kenz got a good email from her missionary…I think I’m just feeling alone right now, but I’ll be fine. I ended a realtionship right before I came which was my choice. I came to Romania to get away from all of that…I just have to remind myself that it’s what I wanted. It’s what is best. Once again I need to not worry and live in the present. When am I going to get that through my head?

Claudio was on the 7th floor today! Some of the girls said he had gone home, but he is still there. When I walked in and picked him up his stomach was normal size. When I left for our little vacation it was abnormally huge. Later I found out that Mindy had seen his stomach, and he had stitches on his stomach. He must have had surgery on it. I’m still so curious as to what was wrong with him…I’ll probably never know. He has the cutest little face. I just sat and played with him. Sadly I did notice little red dots all over his body. Claudio too has scabies. When will the madness end?! I was really glad too see him though and I could tell he was really happy to see me…he cried the second I started packing my stuff up. The kids are smart. They know that means we’re about to leave…and they are not happy when we do. I don’t blame them.

I got to see Marius for a few minutes today. I put a washable tattoo on his stomach. He loved it…that boy looks amazing every time I see him. That blessing the elders gave to him earlier is really coming true…

For Family Home Evening we played twister. That was interesting…everyone was cheating because they didn’t really understand the rules so I eventually fell down so the game wouldn’t last forever – do did MacKenzie.

Right after FHE we went to the internet café down the road so we could get some things done. I had soo much to do on there and a very limited amount of time, but I did update my blog a little bit and send off a couple of emails. I sent my Mom Bonnie an email. I felt bad because I feel like I have neglected telling her that I love her. I shouldn’t do that to people I care about. She is really an amazing lady. She is more patient than anyone I’ve ever met in my life, and she has a good heart. Those we love should know we love them, and we should tell them on a regular basis…Being in Romania I have realized I will NEVER make my kids second guess whether or not I love them. They will know that I love and adore them, and there will be no doubt in their mind about that.

As Mary, MacKenzie and I left the café Annie was out sitting on a bench waiting for us (she didn’t need to use the internet). As were were walking home we found out that some guy went up to Annie while she was drawing in her journal and he talked to her for about an hour. We were all teasing Annie…go Annie!

The rest of the evening I talked to my mom and aunt. I love hearing familiar voices! I love it! I love it! My mom told me the cutest thing – apparently she went to the church distribution center and bought all my little brothers and sisters CTR (Choose the Right) rings in Romanian. I was cracking up. That is so cute and so her…

P.S. Day #1 of eating healthy went well…the chocolate cravings haven’t hit quite yet…but I’m sure they will come with a vengeance.

P.S.S. BLOG CORRECTION: I just updated my blog and after reading it my mom was like “Whitney – my friends read your blog.” I was like “okay? Was there something inappropriate in it?” Apparently I didn’t phrase one of my stories correctly…so here it is…

On Day 3 of Vacation it said: “At one point while they were performing he looked up and stared at this group chatting in the back of the room with complete hatred in his eyes and was like ‘why don’t you shut the f*** up.’ Let’s just say it was an awkward moment for everyone.”

I wasn’t being crude (I needed to clarify)– that’s actually what the performer said to the audience…my mom thought I was just saying his look said that particular phrase – oh no he clearly said it to the audience. I was like “mom I can’t believe you thought I’d say something like that!” Oh the little misunderstandings.

My blog will now read: “At one point while they were performing he looked up and stared at this group chatting in the back of the room with complete hatred in his eyes and vocally stated to the audience ‘why don’t you shut the f*** up.’ Let’s just say it was an awkward moment for everyone.”

Sorry for any misunderstandings…I have to write all my journal entries fast….

2008-07-01T04:14:00.000-07:00

June 29, 2008 (Sunday)
The Lord’s Hand in my Life: Being able to feel peace while reading my scriptures.

I woke up bright and early to go over my lesson before church started. To my surprise I didn’t end up having to teach. I guess they decided to have another Sunday where we just have sacrament meeting and watch conference on video. However, they didn’t inform me…oh well at least I learned a lot as I prepared for it. I’m still going to give the lesson, but I just don’t know when. Hmmm?

For most of conference I read my scriptures because it was voiced over in Romanian. I love reading the scriptures – it provides a peaceful feel to my life. I also read over my patriarchal blessing, and I read over my Mom Mia’s blessing as well. She gave me a copy and I keep both in my scriptures. I love patriarchal blessings, but sometimes they are frustrating because I know I’m interpreting everything wrong. I never seem to understand what my blessing means until after certain events happen in my life…maybe one day it will all make sense?

After church I wrote in my journal for a couple hours about all the adventures that happened over the week. Then we headed over for dinner at the girls apartment. We decided to make our video today that we have been planning to make for a while. In our video we went around to each girl and guessed the type of guy each was going to marry. Then we are each going to get a copy that we can show at our bridal shower if we want to…it was pretty amusing some of the things we came up with. I wonder what guesses are going to be right.

Our Mid Semester Break to Budapest, Hungary and Krakow Poland!

2008-06-30T10:52:00.000-07:00

Our Trip Schedule:
Friday – Departure
Saturday and Sunday – Budapest
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday – Krakow
Friday – Budapest
Saturday – Home

DEPARTURE TO BUDAPEST
June 20, 2008 (Friday)
The Lord’s Hand in My Life: Understanding of the word of wisdom…the effects of drugs can easily ruin a person’s life.

This morning we all put our second and hopefully final dosage of the antibiotic cream all over our body. Hopefully it works. Apparently the medication is pretty toxic….it definitely burns when you apply it to certain areas.

The workers were a lot nicer today, but sometimes I wonder whether or not they have much common sense. While the kids were sleeping Christina was cleaning the kids’ rooms and wiping all the walls down with bleach. It is a pretty small and confined room, and I know they don’t like to open windows. Those toxins can’t be too healthy for them.

As for new developments with the kids there weren’t too many today. All the kids faces are looking a lot better. I guess they have been treating them with medicine which is excellent. If the kids get rid of the scabies then we will be able to get rid of them as well. Elisa said that Sera lectured her on how “we need to be careful about giving scabies to the kids.” She replied with “ummm….we got them from the kids – we didn’t have them before we came.” That is definitely true. Romanians reasoning is a bit off and somewhat funny at times.

Most of us weren’t able to go to the hospital in the afternoon because we were all running around like crazy people trying to get ready for our trip to Budapest and Krakow. Annie and I stocked up on lots of chocolate along with the other girls. That is never a good idea, but you can’t go on a long train ride without treats. It’d be no fun!

On the way to the train station we had some random events happen…the first being that we found soft served ice cream. We were stoked about it! It’s almost impossible to find soft served around these parts in Romania. All nine of us ate our chocolate and vanilla twist cone like it was the first time we had ever seen ice cream before. It’s amazing how you miss the small and simple things from home.

The other random event was a guy who was high on paint standing in the middle of a very busy street. He was completely out of it and staggering around. I wouldn’t be surprised if he ended up getting hit by a car. It’s amazing what drugs do to people. According to some of the videos I’ve watched on street kids in Romania it is a popular drug. They put paint in a bag and sniff it. Apparently it takes away hunger pains. Kids on the street will often use it because they don’t have enough money for food, but they don’t want to feel hungry. Admittedly that was the first person I’ve seen high on it here, but I’ve heard you see kids using it in Bucharest a lot more because it is a more populated and prominent city.

On the way to the train we also saw a drunk guy who had no shirt on and his pants were halfway off. He was showing some major crack. There is nothing more disgusting than a halfway naked, fat, hairy, sweaty, drunk guy staggering around. I think Mary got a picture of him…haha…sick…
The train was a good time until it was time to sleep. We took a sleeper train so the chairs converted to bunk beds. I didn’t sleep real well, but I’m a light sleeper and I rarely sleep well when I’m not laying in a familiar bed with a consistent noise like a fan lulling me to sleep. The bunks were small, but they could have been worse. Sleeping was manageable until a mother, father and child came and took two of the lower bunks, and they demanded that the window be closed. We had the window open when they came in – it was sooooo hot. Needless to say we were all dying of heat for the rest of the night. I kept waking up drenched in sweat. Those cabins are small and with six sleeping bodies and no air circulation it is quite the miserable night’s rest. We couldn’t figure out exactly why they demanded the windows be shut. However, we have heard that you are supposed to keep the windows shut and your luggage close by because otherwise people will try and steal your stuff by jumping in or grabbing through an open window. Only in Europe would you have to worry about that. It’s amazing how prevalent dishonesty is here. The mentality is definitely “survival of the fittest.”

DAY 1 ON VACATION
June 21, 2008 (Saturday)
The Lord’s Hand in My Life:
Not getting kicked off a bus in Budapest.
Overlooking the city of Budapest and intertwining the magnificence of the city with my personal thoughts.

We had to wake up bright and early at 4:15 a.m. so we could switch trains. I was dead tired – I didn’t sleep well the night before. The next train was about a six hour ride so I slept on it for a bit. For the rest of the ride we had fun girl chat. We also did a little singing and dancing. I was dared to do a cartwheel down the middle isle of the train, and I did it without injuring myself or someone else too bad. Elyse tried, but she hurt herself. Why do we do the crazy things we do sometimes? I have no idea. I also had to get ready for the day in their small and quite disgusting bathroom they had to offer. Train bathrooms are absolutely horrid. They are just as bad if not worse as the local port potty one uses in desperation if they are at a local fair. The train restrooms are about the size of an airplane restroom except they are a thousand times dirtier and the often don’t have toilet paper in there. If you go to the restroom and there is toilet paper you’ve hit the jack pot. We quickly learned we have to haul our own around.

When we arrived in Budapest Elisa and Annie had to pick up some more train tickets so the rest of us girls sat in the train station and picked out each other’s future husbands. We all tried to find the grossest men possible. I found a big guy with tattoos and spikes for Mindy. Then the girls picked a tall, lurpy and quite padded guy for me…it’s amazing what we find to amuse ourselves. We were quite content for at least half an hour picking out spouses for each other. We even got a few pics of them as they were walking by.

The first thing we did after we stepped out of the train station was attempt to get to our hostel. We ended up getting on a bus, but apparently you can’t buy tickets when you get on them like you can in Romania. We had looked and looked for a ticket place, but we couldn’t find one - so all nine of us were on the bus without tickets. We were all praying that we didn’t get caught. We weren’t trying to be dishonest, but there wasn’t a lot we could do…we didn’t realize we couldn’t buy them on there until the bus closed its doors and started traveling. Luckily the Lord helped us out. The last thing we needed was to get a ridiculous fine or worse taken to the authorities. We didn’t even know how to say “hello” in Hungarian…Needless to say we quickly jumped off the bus and started walking as soon as we could.

After getting lost several times over to our hostel we went and got out some money. We all agreed that Hungarian money is absolutely ridiculous! $6.25 American dollars is equal to about 1000 Huff, and $31.25 American dollars was equal to 5,000 Huff. Their money had so many zeros it took us a few hours to get used to it. We had no idea what we were spending on things. Then every time we spent money on something we felt like we were spending a ton of money. We grabbed a bite to eat from McDonalds and the meal was about 1000 Huff…I had to keep reminding myself I wasn’t spending American dollars…Another annoyance was that in order to go to the bathroom in McDonald’s we had to show our receipt. Public restrooms in Europe are ridiculous. Not only are they hard to find, but in order to use them you have to buy something for validation or pay for them. I kept laughing at the thought of my Mom Mia surviving in Europe. She wouldn’t last for a second. She has to go to the restroom at least once an hour. She always has her radar up for the closest bathroom…haha…she would be spending a lot of money in Europe if she ever visits.

The Hungarian language is quite interesting. It sounds like someone is mumbling the entire time. I feel bad for missionaries here who have to learn it! Not to mention that the words are ridiculously long…every word looks like it is five American words put together. It’s crazy….
As for Budapest…let’s just say the city of Budapest is gorgeous. I absolutely love Budapest! They have the Danube River that runs down the middle of the city with tons of ornate bridges linking the land masses together. I felt like I was visiting a dream land. Although I haven’t visited too many places in Europe, if I had to live anywhere it would be Budapest. We’ll see if I change my mind by the end of my traveling adventures. While we were walking around the city it was the weirdest feeling, because I had major dejavue. I felt like I had been there before or had a dream about it. The city was strangely familiar to me, and I had no idea why – kind of a weird sensation. I wonder where those feelings come from? Who knows…

During our walk one of the bridges over the Danube River was closed to traffic because a festival that was going on. The bridge was lined with individual vendors selling trinkets, vases, jewelry, purses, etc. It was soo much fun to look at everything. Europeans are very creative and very fashionable people. Each station had a completely unique style of jewelry or craft – which was great because I love jewelry! I ended up buying a couple of necklaces. Two for myself and one for my Mom Mia. She will absolutely love it. Then we ate in a little square with people walking around, and watched a silent theatre show outside. It was so much fun and very relaxing. It was a great way to start our little mid-semester break. I’ve had some concerns on my mind lately that I need to get rid of. Relaxing and running around Budapest was perfect. I’ve realized that I worry too much about the future and don’t live in the present enough. I’m going to try harder to enjoy the events that are happening right then.

To end the day we went and walked along the Danube River at night. Talk about beautiful! The bridges, building and huge castle on the hill were all lit up. For a while us girls just looked at the view and sat in quiet contemplation. I love having moments like that – moments that are peaceful, calm and you have times to gather your thoughts. It’s times like those that everything in life seems perfect and manageable – even if it is just for a few subtle moments… at least we have them every once in a while. Heavenly Father always seems to allow me to have moments like those when I desperately need them. For me it’s the only way I keep my sanity, and he knows me well enough to know that…haha… Then we dipped our feet in the river and chatted. Some of the girls had fun catching minnows….it was a marvelous end to one exhausting day.

DAY 2 ON VACATION
June 22, 2008 (Sunday)
The Lord’s Hand in My Life: Good memories of family members that I love and cherish.

This morning we went and saw the largest Jewish synagogue in Europe – 2nd largest in the world besides the one in New York. The synagogue was beautifully decorated and ornate. What was even more beautiful was the large monument directly outside of the synagogue dedicated to the memorial of all the Hungarian Jews who died in the Holocaust. The memorial was a giant weeping willow tree with the name of someone that died engraved on each leaf. They also had an area that listed the name of all the people who helped save or hide a Jewish family or multiple Jewish families during the Holocaust. It’s insane to think of how many lives were taken for no reason. It’s even more insane to think that an event like that would be allowed to take place. Seeing this memorial was only a portion of what I would see at Auschwitz in a few days…
Poor Kenz had a rough day today. Not only was she not feeling well, but while we were walking around she noticed that her camera screen was broken from when she dropped it the other day. Plus her Mac computer decided to stop working properly. She doesn’t know what’s wrong with it…bad days like that are never ever fun.

After the synagogue we decided to drop by a local LDS church in the area for sacrament meeting. It’s amazing what a small world it is…Whitney Scott ended up running into her friend who was serving a mission there, and I ended up running into a couple of executives from Nu Skin. I saw Scott Schwerdt (President of Americas and Europe) and Truman Hunt (CEO) in sacrament meeting. I definitely didn’t expect to see them at church in Budapest. I didn’t know Truman well – I’ve seen him from a distance, but I went and said hi to Scott who immediately recognized me. He used to be a high council man in my old ward, and he has been very nice and helpful to me as an employee at Nu Skin. We laughed about how ironic it was that I ran into them in Budapest. I got a picture with Truman and Scott because I thought it would be funny to send to Jodi Durrant and Steve Rich (my old bosses at Nu Skin). Apparently Truman and Scott were in Budapest on business, and they decided to drop in for church. Then they asked me about how Romania was going and I told them about some of my latest adventures in Romania and the work that I was doing there. It was great to see someone from Provo. They were both very nice and pleasant to me…and I must admit that I was impressed to see that even on business adventures across the world it is still important for them to make time for church. They are good guys…

After church we went and looked around the main castle that can be seen on every Budapest post card. It was divinely gorgeous. I love the castles in Europe. They look just like the ones I’ve seen in movies. There have beautiful ivory sculptures surrounding the castle along with magnificent waterfalls and fountains. One of the waterfalls was absolutely gorgeous. I got a good video of it on my camera. It was so hot outside though we were all dying. I really wanted to jump in, but I refrained. People might stare. Not that that would matter too much.

After we checked out the castle we found a nice pizza and pasta place for lunch…it felt soooo incredibly good to sit in the air conditioning. To make the situation even better the restaurant had Pina Coladas…I LOVE virgin pina coladas! It was good, but not as good as the pina coladas I get with my Grandma and Grandpa Alexander. One of my favorite memories is going on the boat with my Grandma and Grandpa Alexander to eat at Paradise Cove – then getting the best Strawberry Daqueris and Pina Coladas to drink in the world. Then we will just sit and chat. My grandpa will usually tease me with a twinkle in his eye and my grandma will just laugh at his teasing. I miss and love them The pina colada I got at the restaurant was good, but it didn’t compare with the one I get with them. For some reason drinks in Europe don’t have ice. You couldn’t find a slushy if your life depended on it, and they never put ice in your drinks. It’s weird. The pina colada was more of a drink than an icy drink which was quite disappointing. Oh well….

During the course of lunch we each went around answered the question “If you could do anything you wanted for a day - that was realistic - back at your home (which is now Provo for me) what would you do? I said my ideal day in Utah would be waking up, having all my aunts get baby sitters for the entire day and going four wheeling in the mountains with them. We would all laugh and have a good time playing around. Then we would have a picnic in the mountains and finish the day off with a Café Rio salad and Cake Batter ice cream from Coldstone. I love being with all the girls. We have a blast together…

Right after we ate dinner, we bought a chocolate crepe next door that was amazing and oh soooo good…then we RAN to catch our train to Krakow. When I say ran I mean we ran. We were all sweaty and panting by the time we reached our train. It felt good to run, but I didn’t enjoy the feelings of panic that come from possibly missing our train ride. When we arrived at our cabin all the t-shirts came off and tank tops were thrown in place for the remainder of the ride. It’s bad news if you miss a train in Europe…really bad news…

DAY 3 ON VACATION
June 23, 2008 (Monday)
The Lord’s Hand in My Life: The ability to move on from the past and look towards the future.

This morning we arrived in Krakow…it is also a beautiful city – in small ways the buildings are similar to those in Budapest, but I still like Budapest better. All the other girls like Krakow better because they say it feels quainter. Budapest is still my favorite though – Annie says its probably because I’m a city girl – except I’ve never thought of myself as a city girl. I lived in Houston, but I was raised in the suburbs. Who knows? There is just something about Budapest that I like... On a random note my hair is starting to return to its original color. It has been a little too reddish-orange for my liking ever since it was dyed. Thank goodness the dye is fading…I’m starting to look more like an American instead of a European. Europeans thrive on awkward and outlandish hair styles and colors.

After we arrived in Krakow we went and looked at Wawel Castle and saw the king’s tombs. They were magnificent. Each tomb had a different color, sculpture and design to the tombstone and casket. They were all each very extravagant – it seemed like each attempted to outdo the previous. When we were walking threw there was the prettiest orange marble color on one of the tomb stones. The girls started laughing when I told them I wanted my future kitchen to be in that color. I was being serious though….

Outside Whitney S. decided that we should each have a little photo shoot against the castle wall – so a few of us girls had fun making weird faces and posing in awkward positions. Let’s just say some great photos came from it, and I’m sure anyone around that was watching was quite amused.

After we wandered around the castle we went and looked at this market place in Medieval Square. They had tons of jewelry and amber at good prices. It was like a flea market. We looked at booth after booth. I didn’t end up getting anything, but I will come back. Amber is the stone that pretty much symbolizes Europe. It is very popular here. I think I might get a necklace or ring or something, but I can’t but it unless I find the perfect one. I have a hard time spending money unless it’s exactly what I’m looking for.

Later on we found a Hungarian restaurant. I was kind of agitated because I couldn’t figure out what anything on the menu was. I felt like throwing a dart at the menu and saying “I want that.” The language is ridiculous! I ended up getting something that I can’t pronounce. It wasn’t the most amazing food in the world…but it was okay. Then to add to the irritation Kenz and I ran to the bathroom at the restaurant (which we had to pay for) and while we were in there some guy started banging on the door loud. I thought he was going to break it down! It was so rude. Then I opened the door – Kenz was still in the toilet stall and I was washing my hands in the sink area – and he practically pushed the door down. Then Kenz had to hurry out because he started yelling at us. I don’t know what his problem was. Maybe he had to go really really bad? Whatever it was he was not happy, and he was extremely rude. I did not like him one bit. I hope he ran out of toilet paper.

In the afternoon we laid around the hostel and relaxed. The Moldova boys met us up here for a few days and hung out with us in Krakow. Jaron played his guitar for a while and serenaded us while we all did our own little thing. Some of us played card games, read, etc. I worked on my lesson for church next Sunday. It’s on repentance – I’m amazed with how much I learn when preparing to teach a lesson to others. Whenever I think about repentance I always think about how we all have our favorite sins that we don’t want to give up. When I say that I mean that there is a characteristic or trait that we each have that we know we shouldn’t possess. However, we don’t want to work on it because in some ways it brings satisfaction. For me it has been holding grudges. I know I shouldn’t, but when someone hurts me bad I have a hard time forgiving them…I’ve come a long way, but I still need to be better.

In the middle of preparing my lesson a huge hail storm passed through Krakow. It was crazy! I’ve never seen hail so big in my life. It was the size of an ice cube! We were all quite grateful we weren’t outside when it happened…it would of hurt pretty ding dang dong bad.

Later on in the evening we decided to eat kebabs for dinner (that were amazing) and do something relaxing so we went to a live Blue’s Club. It was really fun to just sit and relax. The guy that played the saxophone was a little weird though. He kept looking up if anyone talked at all – which people usually do when it is a restaurtant/bar….at one point while they were performing he looked up and stared at this group chatting in the back of the room with complete hatred in his eyes and vocally stated “why don’t you shut the f*** up.” Let’s just say it was an awkward moment for everyone. No one really knew how to respond to the situation. Needless to say we did end up leaving a little early. To entertain ourselves during the break a couple of us girls played “never have I ever.” I was cracking up at some of the ones the girls came up with. In order to get me out Elisa looked at me and was like “never have I ever had scheduled shower times in my apartment.” We have them in our apartment in order to help things run more smooth in the morning. I get teased relentless for my desire to have things planned and organized. Oh well…that’s just the way I am.

DAY 4 ON VACATION
June 24, 2008 (Tuesday)
The Lord’s Hand in My Life: Living a day full of laughter….

I slept amazing with the help of Benadryll. I brought it on the trip because I knew I would have a hard time falling asleep. I hate that I am a picky and light sleeper. It’s so inconvenient when I have to share a room with someone.

Partners was the theme of the day. Instead of Elisa taking us to every historical site she had each of us pick a partner and do whatever we wanted for the day. We all loved it! Freedom is a great thing…My partner was Whitney Scott for the day. The first thing we decided to do was go shopping at H&M. We ended up being there for two and a half hours. It’s an amazing store – good quality, average prices and cute stuff. I think the only one they have in the states is in New York. Mary and MacKenzie decided to come with us as well. We had a blast trying on clothes. We’d try them on, show each other and then the outfit would receive approval or the boot. I was cracking up because Whitney S. found these Aladdin looking pants that she really wanted, but none of us liked them. She kept making excuses like “they’re really comfortable” and “I won’t wear them out.” Finally I was like “Whitney we don’t like them, but if you really want them then buy them.” She made a joking pout face and finally gave up in trying to gain our approval. Those pants weren’t going to get it from us.

In the midst of trying things on Whitney S. and I decided that we needed to eat healthier when we get back from vacation and get in tip top shape before we get home. I want to look as good as possible and so does she…Why is it that whenever it’s vacation we automatically justify our immense consumption of sugar, sweets and fried foods. It’s not so good for our figure. It’s okay though. I will have six weeks before I go home to eat better and workout. We are going to triumph in losing a few pounds and toning up!

Elyse, Mindy and Annie shopped with us in H&M for a few minutes until Elyse said she hates shopping and she gets anxiety when she goes into a store with so many things – so they left. She is a hoot…the rest of us were like “we wish we hated shopping.” As we were trying on clothes all of us girls kept saying “we shouldn’t buy anything, but we’re only in Europe once.” I didn’t spend too much, and I don’t feel bad because I haven’t bought any clothes all summer – plus some of the other girls spent more than me. Should that make me feel better? Probably not. By the end I ended up with a classy yet simple black dress, comfy skirt and two shirts. I was quite proud of myself. After this trip I have a feeling I’m not going to have much left for school in the fall…We haven’t been living in luxury by any means – I mean we’re staying in a hostel that costs about $15 a night – but it’s still expensive to travel. I’ll figure it out somehow though. I hate worrying about money. Mark my word one of these days I will be well off so I don’t have to stress out about it on a regular basis. I’m not trying to sound like I am a lover of money, but I want to have enough money that I don’t have to worry about going out to eat every once in a while, putting my kids in activities or taking a weekend trip with my future husband. Plus I want to be able to help friends and family members out if they ever need anything. My Grandma Rich helped fund over half the amount I needed for Romania which was a great blessing. Then my Grandma and Grandpa Alexander gave me my graduation money to me early. I wouldn’t be here without my grandparents helping me out. It’s amazing how the Lord has cleared up any physical, spiritual, monetary and emotional issues that have been in my life so I could come to Romania in the best shape possible. I’ve experienced so many amazing things, and I still have a month and a half to experience even more.

The four of us girls grabbed a bite to eat at the mall…I got a calzone which was good, but it would have been better with ranch. I asked the lady if she had any and she looked at me blankly. I quickly dismissed the idea. Ranch and peanut butter aren’t popular like they are in the United States…maybe that’s a good thing because they are both fattening, but oh how I love and miss them so!

At 2:00 in the afternoon all us girls met up and seven of us decided that we wanted to go rent bikes and ride around Krakow. That was the best time I’ve had on the vacation by far. We all had a fabulous time. To start the adventure off on a humorous note I haven’t ridden a bicycle in over 10 years, and to finish I got the only bike that was blue with a big horn on it. No one wanted it – so I proudly claimed it. The guy said the leader usually rides the bike with the horn so he/she can honk it to warn people to get out of my way. I figured I could handle that...When we first exited the bike shop and started riding our bikes on narrow sidewalks with mass amounts of people everywhere it was quite interesting. I was wobbling from side to side, and I (along with several other girls – no I was not the only one) almost ran into multiple innocent bystanders. I was in the front so all the girls were laughing at the sight of my biking skills. I’m sure I got a thousand bad looks from locals, but I was laughing so hard at my inability to stabilize myself I didn’t even notice. My excuse for my inability to ride straight for the first couple of minutes was that the bike was high and my feet could barely reach the ground. Then to add to the situation I used my horn quite often at the beginning. The girls eventually told me to only honk it in emergency situations because it was so loud it was scaring people…there was a lot of laughter on that bike ride.

Within a few minutes of riding I was able to balance and ride just fine. I just needed a minute to get comfortable with riding the bike. I forgot how fun riding a bike is…maybe I’ll get one when I go home. After a few minutes I quickly called Whitney S. to lead the way because she is great at navigating. Then I told her that I would stay and honk the horn if we needed it…once again with a smile it was reiterated that I should only use it in emergency situations.

The bike ride was so relaxing…the wind whipped through our hair and once we got off the main streets we were able to ride through the park and along the river. It felt soo good. I don’t think any of us could have been any happier. At one point we all started singing “Do, Re, Mi” from Sound of Music upon Annie’s request. I felt like we were a scene from the movie. We were riding our bikes in a row, around Poland, singing “Do a deer a female deer.” We probably got more weird looks…but we had a great time.

Throughout the two hour biking adventure I had two embarrassing moments. Admittedly the second I got on the bike I knew there was no way to avoid them. It’s okay though – my life is rarely dull. Through the course of the bike ride we went by a restaurant in Medieval Square (which has a ton of people) and someone in front of me stopped suddenly. I put on the breaks so hard that I flew onto the horn. Lucky for me the majority of the people at the restaurant were seated outside and a huge table of guys laughed and applauded at my accidental horn usage. I turned red and all the my girls laughed as hard as ever. It would only happen to me.

Then when I was riding threw the middle of the square there were hundreds of birds on the ground. As I was riding through them the thought came to me “I have a horn” – so you probably can guess…I blew it! It was embarrassing, but quite the amazing site. Hundreds of birds flew up all around me and little kids who had been feeding them started laughing. Poor Whitney S. hates birds…but even she thought it was a cool scene. Sooooo fun! I felt like such a mischievous little kid.

The bike ride soon came to an end, and we were all sad, but quite hungry. We ended up finding a quaint pizza shop to dine at. Our server ended up spilling a drink on Elyse, but besides that it was a great… food is wonderful.

We soon ran to meet Elisa and Melissa at a classical concert at St. Peter and Paul’s Cathedral. It was really neat…there were a few performers playing at the center of the church and the audience sat in the booths. The church was beautiful and when it was combined with beautiful musical it paved the way for a great atmosphere. Elyse scratched MacKenzie and my back. I almost fell asleep…but I didn’t.

With the concert done seven of us decided to get ice cream...that was a bad idea. The ice cream made us quite hyper (or at least that’s our excuse)…but boy did we have fun. The adventure of the night started with us watching a performance in the square by some break dancers. When they were finished the girls decided to dare me to go up to them and just start doing break dancing moves. I was like “I don’t know how to break dance! I tried once and I’m terrible!” They were like “that’s the point.” After I denied the first dare they posed another one. I had to run up to one of the dancers and obnoxiously and excitedly ask him to autograph somewhere on my body. I decided that I could do that, and I practically skipped up to him and asked him to autograph my upper arm. I was being so cheesy I had to keep myself from laughing. I couldn’t believe he bought it. Somehow he ended up inviting me to a party that was going on afterwards instead of thinking I was some crazed and obsessed fan. The girls watched from a far. They had a good time watching. I ended up getting his autograph on a piece of paper – the pen didn’t work when he tried to autograph my arm.

That dare led the pathway for what we did next. Somehow between the group of us we got the bright idea that we would do a street performance and put out a can so people could drop money in it. There are beggars and street performers all over Europe that look ridiculous. We figured we would blend in. For the act Mindy and Elyse did interpretive dance which looked amazing, then MacKenzie sang “Stand By Me” and Whitney S. and I stood on opposite sides of her and sang the “bum, bum, bum” part with coordinated swaying. We were laughing so hard we all almost peed our pants. Annie and Mary were in the distance watching people’s reactions and video taping the performance. My favorite part was this little move that Mindy did on one leg. She hopped across our imaginary stage we made for our self on one foot with her head down. It looked absurd and awkward, but boy was it a good laugh. At first we were all really embarrassed and awkward, but after a few minutes of performing we were used to making fools of ourselves. At one point we ended up drawing a crowd, but our laughter ended up getting the best of us and people would leave once we dropped our character. We were only out for about ten minutes and two guys dropped some change in our water bottle. I have to be honest though – the first guy probably just put money in because he accidentally kicked over our jar and he felt bad– then the second guy gave us money with a bribe. We each had to kiss him. We said we would as long as it was on the cheek. He agreed and all his friends cheered when we were each done kissing him on the cheek. Whitney S. jokingly laughed and was like “Guys! That’s like prostitution! We’re selling our kisses!” Of course we didn’t mean for our act to turn into that…so we decided to quit for the night. Mindy was like “I hope this was not one of those things that I do that I will regret in the morning.” We all laughed the entire way home about the events of the day and night. I couldn’t believe that we were street performers on the streets of Poland for the night and that we actually made a profit doing it. Who ever thought interpretive dance and an unrehearsed song would draw so much attention. Talk about a great story and a good time.

On the way home an old homeless man gave MacKenzie a lingering hung. We were all so confused because MacKenzie opened her arms in almost a welcoming manner. Then he wouldn’t let go of her. I stepped in and yelled at him to go away. I’m very protective of my friends, and for some reason I always feel like it’s my duty to take charge and protect the rest of the group. I didn’t think twice about saying something. That could be bad because I might end up getting hurt in the process…oh well…Maybe it’s because I’m the oldest child? Who knows…the old man didn’t listen to anything we had to stay – plus he couldn’t understand because it was in English so we ended up running away from him. We were like “MacKenzie what were you thinking!” She innocently replied “I thought he was just an old man that needed a hug. I didn’t know he wouldn’t let go of me!” We are all so naïve sometimes. I think I’m a lot less naïve than I used to be because of some experiences that have happened to me, but boy we need to be more careful about being so naïve that we put our self in obvious bad situations…

On the way home I noticed that we are all starting to pick up each other’s phrases and mannerism. Because of Mindy everyone sings half of the words they say, and because of Whitney S. everyone says words twice like “snacky snack.” Then Elisa always says “that’s rude” and “see ya.” We have all been around each other way too much and it’s starting to show….

DAY 5 ON VACATION
June 25, 2008 (Wednesday)
The Lord’s Hand in My Life: Being able to understand how lucky I am that I wasn’t one of millions of victims that lived and died in the Holocaust.

Today was one of the most depressing and eye opening days of my life. We went to Auschwitz and Birkenau all day– which were some of the largest and most famous concentration camps during the Holocaust. I don’t think I can capture in words the feelings that came from walking through the various buildings and museums where so many people lived and died. Hundreds of people’s pictures lined the walls of every building. The picture then had the date they arrived and the date they died. Most of them died within three to four months of arriving at the camp. I guess when the people arrived they took mug shots of everyone. Even standing in the middle of Auschwitz it was still hard to believe an event that horrifying took place. About six million people died in the Holocaust total – men, women and children. Between Auschwitz and Birkenau about 1.5 million people were killed – the majority of them being Jews. It felt unreal. How could the Nazi’s rationalize their actions? How could they honestly think what they were doing at that time was okay? I don’t think there is any good answer, but I’m sure Hitler used persuasion, manipulation and keen tactics to get those under his control to believe they were justified in killing so many people. Furthermore, how did the rest of the world not know what was going on until after so many people were killed?! HOW?! So many things ran through my mind as I walked around. Ironically a large cross was displayed at the top of the main entrance to Birkenau. I couldn’t believe the irony. Elisa said they believed what they were doing was sanctified by God. I hate it when people use that as an excuse to start wars and participate in acts of genocide. I mean really? Everything that God stands for is love and kindness. How could anyone think that was okay….

There were several scenes from the day that stuck out in my mind. The first most traumatizing, sickening and startling scene for me was the room filled with thousands of bundles of human hair from victims that had died. The lady told us that the hair was from about 40,000 heads – barely a fraction of the amount of people that were killed. All the hair was behind a glass wall…but it was an entire room full and it was in heaps and heaps… It made me sick to think that all those bundles of hair once belonged to a person. Seeing how much hair filled the room made the number of people that died more realistic. Apparently they sold the human hair and used it in the German textile industry. It’s unbelievable….

The rest of the buildings had rooms filled with graphic pictures, a history of the events that happened in each building and rooms filled with people’s belongings that were taken: shoes, suitcases, glasses, toothbrushes, etc. It was crazy…I found out that most of the people came under the impression that they were being given new land to live and thrive on. Quite the contrary. Immediately after they arrived (if they didn’t die on the train ride over ) they were put through a selection process. Men and women were separated and doctors would evaluate the new arrivals. If they weren’t healthy they were immediately sent to the gas chambers to be killed. In order to avoid panic they didn’t tell them that though…they told them that they had to take off their clothes and stand in the shower chamber so they could become disinfected. They soon found out that they were being killed – then they would burn their bodies and dump their ashes in ponds or use their ashes as fertilizer. Disgusting…

Another horrifying thing I learned and read about while walking through the museum was about the painful experiments doctors would perform on live men, women and children. Many people died because of them. Some of them consisted of placing live humans in frozen water for hours until they died, injecting people with different poisons and bacteria to see how they reacted, performing surgeries without any pain medication, experimenting with different ways to sterilize women and other torturous methods for the sake of “research.” I was sick to my stomach after hearing all the stories and seeing all the pictures. I just can’t comprehend how one human being could do that to another…I don’t understand, and I don’t think I ever will.

After Auschwitz we went to Birkenau that is located a few miles down the street from Auschwitz. Sadly most people only visit Auschwitz, but I was really glad we visited Birkenau. It helped put into perspective how many people were involved. When we arrived it was quite desolate, but the scene was unreal. We went and walked up to the top of the main tower that overlooked everything. All you could see in the distance was barbed wire fence with row after row after row of housing units. I couldn’t believe how many there were. Many of the houses had been blown away, but there were still quite a few left in their original form. At Birkenau the atmosphere was much more relaxed. There weren’t any museums – just the barracks and sites of the blown up crematoriums. Towards the end of World War II the Nazis tried to blow up everything in an effort to cover up all the horrifying acts they participated in – they succeeded to a certain extent…but they definitely had a lot of evidence left….

The barracks had row after row of big wooden shelves where 4 to 5 people were forced to sleep. Then there was a room that had what looked like troughs where people were supposed to go to the restroom… It was no wonder that people died quickly after they arrived.
There was one building at Birkenau that particularly caught my interst...it was the building that those who passed the selection process were taken to first in order to get initiated into the camp. When they arrived they were forced to hand over their belongings, they were then stripped, shaved of all body hair (which was quite humiliating to everyone – especially women because they were usually men that performed the task) then they were showered, disinfected, given a jumpsuit and number. They were no longer to be known by their name – only be their number. It was amazing to see how quickly the Nazis were able to take any sense of dignity away from the people that arrived – which was obviously done on purpose. I kept thinking of how I would react if I was promised land for my family and then I had everything taken away from me – my family, friends, dignity and self respect. As you walked from room to room each had a plaque that would tell what part of the initiation process that had taken place there….living through one of those camps would be worse than any nightmare I could conjure up in my mind….horrifying
By the end of the day we were all exhausted from the events of the day…it was a life changing experience – but definitely emotionally draining.

DAY 6 ON VACATION
June 26, 2008 (Thursday)
The Lord’s Hand in My Life: Being able to see beautiful works of art…

We went and saw an original painting done by Leonardo Da Vinci at a museum this morning. It was beautiful. It was the one with a young girl holding a ferret. That was the only painting in the museum had an entire wall to itself. There were several levels and they all led up to that particular painting. Besides that particular piece my next favorite room was one full of sculptures and ivory. When I walked into the room I instantly loved it. All the sculptures were white and elegant. Some of the sculptures dated back to B.C. and A.D. I didn’t know art that old was still around. The museum also had mummies and mummified animals. The process of mummification is quite fascinating.

I’ve decided that Europeans are really really fashionable. All of us girls were talking about it while we were walking around. We were feeling unattractive and unfashionable with all the skinny and fashionable Europeans walking around. We only had enough room to bring one backpack for a week. We were very limited in what we were allowed to bring…I wore the same jean shorts everyday for a week…gross….but I didn’t have a choice…When I go home I’m going to get ready and straighten my hair…it’s not fun to feel dumpy while on vacation…

In order to make ourselves feel a little more beautiful and feminine we decided to drop by Sephora and give ourselves a make over. We had a blast using their makeup. Mary went all out and did a complete makeover – so did Whitney S. I was a little concerned about the germs…but I put some eye shadow on. We all played with a variety of colors. Whitney S. said whenever she feels like doing something new with her makeup she will go to the mall back home and give herself a makeover. I was cracking up…I asked one of the Sephora ladies what color of eye shadow would look best with my hazel eyes – she said purple…so I went ahead and bought it.

Once we were done with our makeovers we did a little shopping for Amber. I was so excited. I’ve been looking for some amber jewelry everywhere. After looking through over 30 booths I found the perfect amber necklace and an amber ring. I got my best friend Kendall and I matching rings that are really cute…I think she’ll really like it. I love buying gifts for people. I wish I could buy more…maybe in the future. I’ve given up on trying to buy my little brothers and sisters gifts because there are too many. Maybe I should find gifts that are inexpensive for them…at least they will know that I thought about them. Then I bought my roommate Annie a necklace…she never buys anything for herself, and she said she can’t get herself to buy jewelry unless someone buys it for her. I can’t wait to give it to her on her birthday that is coming up in a little over a week. She has no idea I bought it. Keep it a secret...The last thing I bought was a shot glass. I have collected them since I was younger. I remember the first time I saw them I was at a garage sale and I bought them because I thought they were little kid cups for a tea set or something. I’ve liked them ever since. It’s kind of ironic that I collect them and I don’t drink, but I think they are adorable. I’m trying to get one from each country…

For dinner we ate Indian food. It was the first time I’ve ever had it before…I can’t say that it is my favorite, but it was decent. I’m always up for trying something new. During dinner Elyse, Mindy and Annie came up with various awards to give us. I received “most likely to have an extravagant wedding,” “most likely to live the longest,” and “most likely to be the crazy mom that all the kids love.” I’m not sure what to think about any of those awards….

Before we left for the train to go back to Budapest for the day we went and fed the birds in Medieval Square. I bought some bread and it was disgusting so I decided to give it to the birds…while we fed the birds Elisa decided that she is going to join Whitney S. and my attempt to eat healthier when we get home. We made up rules: no eating after dinner, no sweets Monday through Thursday and we are only allowed to have one treat on each weekend day. We thought and thought about a punishment if we break it – Elisa found one that will make all of us stick to it…if we break the rules we have to get a European mullet…I will not be breaking that one…haha…I’m excited to start eating healthier, and I definitely have the motivation to do it. It starts next Monday and ends whenever we leave Romania.

We then swiftly moved to the train station for another over night train ride…I’m starting to get used to them…

DAY 7 ON VACATION
June 27, 2008 (Friday)
The Lord’s Hand in My Life: We had to switch trains in the middle of the night and we barely made our second train. As the last girl jumped on the train it started to move…we were very blessed that we didn’t miss it.

We woke up in Budapest for our last day of vacation. The first agenda was the Turkish baths…The Turkish baths felt amazing. There were three pools with ivory sculptures decorating each one. Each pool had a different level of heat…Jumping into the water was completely refreshing. All of us had major farmer and flip flop tans because there aren’t pools anywhere in Romania, but we still felt decently attractive because the only people that were there were ancient – so we all felt pretty good about ourselves. Most of the old guys were wearing speedos…not the prettiest sight, but at least they weren’t nude like some of the baths. We made sure the bath we went to people were completely clothed.

After the Turkish baths Whitney S. and I signed up for pedicures so we went to get them done, and the girls told us we had missed them. When we bought them the lady didn’t say a word to us about there being an assigned time to get them done. Then we asked for a refund because we didn’t have time to wait for them to find someone to do a pedicure for us. They seemed a little annoyed, but they never told us…we were pretty sad about it. It’s amazing how beat up your feet can get walking around in flip flops 24 hours. I want to get a pedicure with my Mom Mia when I get home…that was the last request I had before I left and it will be the first thing I’d like to do when I get home…besides fixing my hair…

It felt good to get sun at the Turkish baths. It felt like it was summer for the first time this summer. Whitney S. and I usually spend summer time in our swimsuits at the pool or in my case on a boat with my grandparents. However, Romania is pretty void of swimming pools. That is so sad that they go through the summer time without water fun. So weird…I used to live at the pool with my friends. We’d lay out and tan with music playing.

Swimming made us hungry so we stopped and ate a light lunch at a café outside of the Parliament building. While we were eating I started talking about all the things I had to do when we got back and Whitney S. quickly spouted out “Whitney where are you right now?” (Her and I had had a conversation earlier in the trip about how I need to live in the present instead of always looking to the future.) It was good to have a reminder. I replied “in Hungary, eating at a café and enjoying lunch.” Then she looked at me and smiled and continued to eat. I don’t know why I am always making to do lists. It’s so hard for me to relax when I know I have something I have to do…My goal is to start appreciating where I am and what I am doing at that moment in time. I worry too much about the future when the future always takes care of itself. I need to have more trust and faith in the Lord. He always takes care of me. I was talking to my mom about it a few weeks ago and she made the comment “a lady once told me that worrying works because everything she worries about never happens.” I thought that was clever – but it’s easier said than done.

Once we finished our lunch we took our sunburned selves over to the Parliament building. We were going to take a tour of it…the outside was absolutely gorgeous so I was pretty excited to see the inside. To my dismay we had missed the last tour by half an hour. I was pretty sad about it – oh well…I can’t win them all…I was just a bit sad because I don’t think I’m going to be coming to Budapest very often. It’s a bit expensive for a flight…not to mention I rarely – if ever – have spare time to fly to foreign countries. That’s why I’m taking advantage of it now while I can. Once I head home I am going to be in my last semester of school and working full time. No fun…

The last order of business was getting a huge crepe at the shop before we left Budapest for good….it was pretty good…not as good as it could have been – but it involved chocolate and lots of it so I was satisfied.

When we arrived at the train station and got situated we were all exhausted. It had been a fun but crazy week. We had been running around everywhere and sleeping in hostels and on trains…so our lack of sleep was starting to catch up with us. We all crashed until we had to switch trains at 1:00 a.m. Oh and don’t worry we ran to our train…if we would have been 5 seconds late we would of missed it completely, and the idea of sitting at a desolate train stop for the rest of the night would have been quite miserable. Thank goodness the Lord is watching out for us in small and simple ways.

ARRIVAL HOME – IASI, ROMANIA
June 28, 2008 (Saturday)
The Lord’s Hand in My Life: Coming home to a familiar place…

The train came to an abrupt halt in Iasi. At least I slept good last night…that was the first time I felt like I had slept well on a train all week. When we stepped off the train we could tell we were home. Trash was everywhere, it smelled funny, and dogs were running wild, but it was home. It’s amazing how a place can become your home even if you aren’t fond of the way it looks. I thought about it for a while and decided that even though Iasi is an ugly city, I love it because it is where I learned to love the kids I work with. Kind of funny… I’ve also decided that stray dogs everywhere is just a Romanian thing – not a European thing. Budapest and Hungary had very few stray dogs. They cover Romania…I wish they’d do something about it.

The rest of the day consisted of cleaning myself up, taking a shower, unpacking writing in my journal and working on my lesson for tomorrow. Our water was turned off again when we got home. It’s really annoying…I was about to cook some pasta, but there was no water. Oh well…it’s not a surprise anymore we just have to learn to roll with the punches.

Later on we went over to the girls’ apartment to check our email. Whitney Scott found out she didn’t make it into the nursing program at BYU. Apparently it’s really competitive. I felt bad for her, but I reassured her that everything happens for a reason – even if we don’t see it at the moment. The Lord always knows the better way for us…I’m confident it will work out for her. I had a guy friend in college who didn’t make it into the advertising program the first time he applied and so he went home for a semester and ended up meeting his wife. Then there was one time I didn’t get an internship I wanted, and a few weeks later I got an even better internship that has led me to meet amazing people and develop great friendships. It didn’t make sense to me at the time, but I soon found out that the Lord was guiding my path the entire time. I hope the Lord is guiding my path towards my future husband…if he cares enough about my internship then I’m pretty sure he’ll care about my eternal spouse. I just pray and pray that my marriage isn’t going to be a huge trial in my life. For some it is and for others its not…I wonder what the secret is? Maybe there isn’t one.

To ease Whitney’s distress some of us girls decided to do pedicures to our self since we weren’t able to get them done at the Turkish baths. In between the pedicures we played a silly game with whip cream. I had never played it before, but we had a lot of fun. You spray whipped cream on your wrist, then you hit your arm with your other hand so the whip cream flies up and you have to catch it in your mouth. For some reason I’m good at catching things in my mouth so I made it in there the first time. Some of the girls weren’t so successful. It ended up going up some of the girls noses and splattering on the walls and floor…oh well – we had fun. The things we do to amuse ourselves…I love it.

We HAVE SCABIES!

2008-06-20T05:50:00.000-07:00

June 19, 2008 (Thursday)

The Lord’s Hand in My Life: The rain…

It was a lovely rainy day. I actually love the rain – everything slows down, and I feel like I can breathe for at least a few minutes…I started my morning off with doing the new workout tape my mom sent to me. It was great. I was sweating by the time I was done which means I got a pretty good workout...I needed something different than TaeBo. I was getting really bored.

The orphanage was extremely frustrating today. Christina (one of the workers) was in her usual cranky mood. Andrei was sitting in my lap in the lunch room; and we were waiting for them to bring his snack; and she came and very abruptly pulled him out of my arms and slang him over to a chair at a table a few over from where we were sitting. Then she made him sit at a table all by himself, and he hadn’t done anything wrong. She yelled at him to stay there, and he started crying. He kept reaching for me, and there was nothing I could do about it. I was soooooo frustrated with her and confused why she was acting like that. That was the first time I’ve wanted to slap one of the workers. It was so rude and unneeded. Then when we walked them back to their room she looked at me and said “nu in bratz” which means “not in your arms.” I had to keep myself from getting really, really irritated. What’s the problem with loving them?! Christina can be such a jerk sometimes…….AHHH!

Today we found out that some of the girls have scabies which are little red dots on the skin that are caused because bugs crawl under it. It’s quite disgusting to think about. You get them from holding the kids if they have them. I don’t think I have them, but some of the girls in my room do. I guess you have to take antibiotics to get rid of them. If we all end up having them that’s going to stink really bad. It’s not a funny situation, but we were all laughing about it. We come to help and we get scabies. I guess that’s the price we might have to pay. After seeing the red dots that Whitney Scott and Elisa have I think Andrei might have scabies. I don’t know how to tell the difference between scabies and flea bites, but if Andrei has them then I am definitely going to get them.

I saw Marius today, and I haven’t seen him for a while. His skin looked so much better than the last time I saw him. He is healing so fast. He had a t-shirt on which is amazing since his skin was burned so badly. He was so cute today. He wanted to arm wrestle me – so we did…He’s a pretty strong little guy, and boy is he a little tease. He kept telling MacKenzie to tickle me. Then I tried tickling him, and the little stinker wouldn’t let me.

At the hospital Alexandra was kind of cranky. She took a hand full of crayons and decked them across the room. We told her that was not nice…Annie and I were talking about how it was the perfect time for our break. We are leaving tomorrow night to go for our mid semester retreat to Budapest and Auschwitz. All of us girls are stoked! Not that we don’t love what we’re doing – of course we do…but it is quite draining after a while….a short break is needed.

Later in the evening…..

So we found out that even if we don’t think we have scabies we probably do. Apparently it takes two to three weeks to show up even after you have it. Elisa and Whitney Scott went and got us ALL cream. All nine of us had to cover our body from head to toe in a strong antibiotic cream… We had to hit every nook and cranny. What stinks is that even with the medicine we are going to keep getting them until we leave. All the kids have them – so we are going to too unless we don’t touch them and obviously that’s not going to happen because that’s the reason we are here….lovely Romania…

2008-06-20T05:49:00.000-07:00

June 18, 2008 (Wednesday)

The Lord’s Hand in My Life: One of my kids learned something I have been trying to teach them for the past couple of months!

At the orphanage several of the kids in my room had little red dots all over their face. They looked like little pimples. I asked the worker what they were, and she said they were flea bites. The must have been in the room where Andrei and Maria and Andrea slept because they had them on the sides of their face and ears. I felt so bad for them. Poor Andrei’s ears were all red from so many bites. I guess fleas are pretty normal here. That was a nice reminder for us to spray our apartment before they have a chance to invade.

There were some new developments today. Valentina jumped with me holding her. Normally she keeps her legs stick straight. I have been trying to get her to understand how to bend her legs and jump for the past month, and she finally understands the motion of jumping! I was ecstatic! She definitely can’t jump on her own, but with a little more practice she will be able to soon. I kept hugging her and telling her how proud I was of her. It was amazing to see her attempt to do something that I have been teaching her.

Andrei was really clingy today – more so than usual. He would barely wander more than a foot away from me, and I had to hold him as tight as possible in my arms at all times. I don’t know why he was so clingy. Every once in a while he will get that way. I’m positive he has attachment disorders. Poor thing – he cares about me and just like all the other people in his life I’m going to leave him in a month and a half. I’m going to feel like the worst person in the world when I do. It’s going to be really hard – really, really hard.

We had a visitor at the orphanage today. His name is Mihai, and he was adopted by Doamna Maria’s daughter. Doamna Maria is a worker at the orphanage, and she is usually in the Mickey Mouse room with us. She is the nicest worker in the world. She is our little grandma who loves each child and is so patient and gentle with everyone. I’ve never once seen her raise her voice or treat the children unkindly. All the BYU girls adore her. Anyways back to the story, Mihai is about 15-years-old, and he has fetal alcohol syndrome and was adopted by Doamna Maria’s daughter. Mihai lived in the orphanage until a year ago. It’s nice to see a happy ending. They don’t happen very often around here. When Mihai came into the room it was the cutest thing ever, because he started kissing Irina’s hand and stroking her face. Apparently they were friends when he was at the orphanage. I was fascinated that they remembered one another even though it’s been a while since they’ve seen one another – not to mention the fact that Irina can’t talk and Mihai is only able to mumble a few phrases. Friendship is an amazing thing – it doesn’t even require words.

Nothing too exciting happened at the hospital today. Poor Claudio looked horrible when we walked into his room. He had snot pouring down his nose so bad that it was running into his mouth. Then when I picked him up to clean him off he spit up what looked like a mixture of snot and vomit. It was lovely…

2008-06-18T10:19:00.002-07:00

June 17, 2008 (Tuesday)

The Lord’s Hand In My Life: I have been praying that any feelings of tension between girls in our group would somehow be alleviated…today everyone was happy and peaceful…Plus I received a package in the mail that my mom sent – that’s a miracle in itself.

We were outside all morning which means I had ample amounts of time to spend with my Andrei. He participated in his usual routine of running around the playground to every toy. He will point at an object on the playground, look at me for approval and then run over to it. He’s a cutie. Today something interesting happened with Andrei. A sister and brother about 4 and 2 years old were playing on the playground. It was the first time I had seen them before. Andrei was climbing up the ladder when they first came outside, and the second he saw them playing he stopped and stared. He stood there watching them from across the playground in mid-climb for at least a minute. I don’t know what he was thinking about, but he looked like he was in deep thought – like he was remembering something. While he was thinking he was calm and had a serious and almost sad look on his face. I wanted to know what he was thinking about so badly. I wanted to grab him and kiss him and tell him everything would be okay. What frustrated me with that thought was that I couldn’t promise everything was going to be okay. I couldn’t promise that he would go to a family that loved and adored him the way he should be. It made me really, really sad. After he got done pondering he looked at them and pointed. I could tell he wanted to go over and say “hi” to this little boy and girl so he held my hand, and we walked over to them. When we got over to them he pointed and grunted at them as if he was trying to invite them to play. I could tell he wanted to play with them desperately. The little boy and girl just stood there, looked at him, and pretty much ignored him. It absolutely broke my heart. They just stared at him like “you’re weird.” He can’t speak because he can’t hear and because he can’t hear he makes grunting noises which can sound strange at times. The whole situation made me really upset. If children act this way towards him now I can’t imagine how they are going to act towards him in the future. Kids can be so cruel to children who have disabilities. He is such a bright and intelligent little boy. All he wanted to do was to play with them. It killed me to see them brush Andrei off the way they did. I wanted to yell at them and say “be friends with him!” That must be how a parent feels when their children has been rejected or hurt by someone else. I wanted to take the hurt he felt and any future hurt he would experience because of his inability to hear away from him. It’s so frustrating that I can’t. It makes me sad that there is nothing else I can do but sit there and love him. AHHHH! I guess all I can do is pray that the Lord will find a way to take care of him. I just wish I could adopt him…at least then I’d know he would be loved. Please add Andrei to your prayers. He is a beautiful little boy who needs to go to a loving family that will appreciate his sweet spirit, and help him reach his potential.

After the orphanage I got my package from my mom. I was so excited to get a new workout tape. TaeBo is getting really old. Hopefully it will give me a good workout. It says that it guarantees visible results after 10 workouts….we’ll see about that.

At the hospital I saw Claudio. I think his stomach is getting bigger every day. I tried asking one of the nurses what was wrong with him. She didn’t know…Mary and I found a boy on the 8th floor. He is probably about 4 years-old, and he was severely handicapped. He was the skinniest thing I’ve ever seen that was alive. The poor thing looked like a skeleton with a thin layer of skin over his bones. His legs were probably the width of two of my fingers combined. I couldn’t tell if he had been neglected or if he was simply sick. When I picked him up he seemed scared instead of comforted by the concept of touch which is unusual for children. He kept shaking at first until he realized he was safe. Then Mary and I started singing primary songs to him. He immediately calmed down. The other moms and kids in the room smiled and listened while we sang. I don’t know why – neither of our voices are amazing and we kept messing up on the words…haha…maybe it’s because they are songs that bring the spirit. Whatever it was he really liked our singing. Then the second we stopped singing the boy started crying and freaking out. We had to leave and so I quickly patted his back and “shhhed” him. He calmed down and we left without him crying…

I didn’t get to visit Florine for long today, but we found out the diapers we’ve been giving him he has been selling….that kid is such a stinker. It was hard not to laugh about it, but none of us are going to give pampers directly to him anymore. We’re going to give them to the nurses. What are we going to do with that boy?

On the way out of the hospital we found Annie talking with a student who is studying to be a nurse. We were all about to leave and so the girls participated in the regular routine of pulling their scrub top off displaying their cotton t-shirts underneath. (We aren’t allowed to walk around with them on outside the hospital because it draws too much attention.) As Annie was pulling hers off the nurse guy tried to help her, and she quickly pulled away and said “nu” (no). Then he asked if anyone else needed help. The men here are such perverts. A few seconds later he looked at me and shook his head, because I had already taken my scrub top off before I had walked outside and he wasn’t going to get to watch me. As we were walking away Annie said he told her that he watches us change. Elisa added to the comment with “I don’t get it. Why do they get such a thrill of watching us take off a baggy t-shirt to display another baggy t-shirt underneath?” Maybe it’s just the concept that we are taking something off… Who knows. That’s the question of the day.

The last adventure of the day happened on our way to use the internet at the other apartment. MacKenzie and Mary needed to send a quick email and they wanted me to go with them. I grabbed my stuff and we headed out the door. On the way to the apartment these two dogs in front of us were wrestling and playing with each other aggressively. We all started freaking out and you can probably guess – they followed us….MacKenzie, Mary and I tried to remain calm, but boy were we frightened. They would stop and wrestle and then run and catch up with us. They’d walk right next to us just to intimidate us. I think they could sense we were scared. Out of everyone to follow…the irony. At one point I decided to run across the street hoping they wouldn’t follow. That was a dumb idea. They chased after me. MacKenzie and Mary were like “I thought they were going to bite you!” Then by the time we got to the other girls apartment MacKenzie, Mary and I were laughing so hard we were crying. The laughter was out of fear and irony…. Once we arrived at their building we thought the dogs would go away. Wrong again. The dogs ended up following us up more than four flights of stairs to their apartment door. When we arrived at the door I shooed them and they finally went back down. After knocking for several minutes we discovered no one was home, so we decided to head back. When we walked out of the building we looked around cautiously for the dogs and didn’t see them. Within five seconds they had found us again and they walked by us the entire way home. We had to run into our building and shut the door. We were freaking out….we were so afraid they were going to end up biting one of us. One of the sister missionaries got bit by a dog around here a few weeks ago, and she had to fly to Germany to get her shots. Not fun. Dogs are EVERYWHERE here…I wonder if they have a Humane Society?

2008-06-18T10:19:00.001-07:00

June 16, 2008 (Monday)

The Lord’s Hand In My Life: I was reminded of how precious each and every child is when we took hand and foot prints of our orphan kids today. It was the Lord’s way of reminding me how lucky I am to be working with some of his most beloved sons and daughters.

It was definitely a Monday today. I don’t think I’ve ever liked Mondays…but that’s okay. I got to play with all my kids except Andrei today. That always makes me sad if I don’t get to see him, but I did get to see him sleeping which was adorable. Today we started a new little project. We are going to be taking hand and foot prints of all the kids so we can remember them when we leave. It was so cute. They all have such small little hands and feet. It reminded me of how precious each child is in the eyes of the Lord – whether or not they have handicaps. I am so blessed to be able to work with them everyday.

There weren’t too many new developments with any of the kids today. I’m still trying to get Valentina to jump. I took her to the physical therapy room again…she still doesn’t understand…It’s frustrating because it would only take one time for her to jump on her own and she would understand the concept. However, I can’t make her do it. Maybe that’s the way the Lord feels about our weaknesses - if we would only try and overcome them then we would understand how…that thought may not make sense to anyone else, but it does to me…

No one said too much about my hair. It’s different, but it’s still light. Some of the workers asked if I dyed my hair. That’s about it. Then Sera walked in and said “hi.” He did a double take at my hair, but I tried to ignore any reaction. If people don’t like it…I don’t want to hear about. Not to mention I don’t care. It’s going to have to stay this way for the next two months. I’m not going to try and do anything else with it until I get home.

MacKenzie stayed home today. She has been feeling miserable. She got the cold I’ve had. Then Annie said she was starting to feel sick. I hope she doesn’t get it as well….it was not a fun sickness…The only problem is that since we all live together – we all tend to catch each other’s sicknesses. No good.

I went with Mary to the apartments since MacKenzie stayed home, and she can’t go by herself. It was a lot of fun. I’m sad I rarely get to go there anymore. The first apartment I brought this Egyptian mummy book that has pop-up pictures for the kids to play with. It’s really neat…however, Sergio loves to rip up anything he can get his hands on. So the entire time we were there Illena was trying to look at the book, and Sergio was trying to get to the book so he could rip it up. That boy would not give up…he tried for about 20 minutes straight. Illena thought it was so funny that he was trying to get the book. Then Cosmina is a little chubbster, but she is so cute. She will just flop into your arms and cuddle with you, but boy is she a solid little girl. She weighs a ton…

At the second apartment Catalina and Laura decided to do our hair. It was a little painful at times, but at least they had fun. By the end I had three ponytails on my head and every butterfly clip they could find. The worker there thought it was hilarious – so did Mary. I don’t know why little kids love doing hair so much – but they do.

Right after the apartments we met Sister Padoru at her apartment. She decided to show us how to make chocolate gogosi. It was quite the process, but we had a fun time making and eating them. She is such a sweet lady and so is her husband. Apparently he was baptized along with her, but he doesn’t go anymore because he has problems with the word of wisdom. That’s not a surprise considering it’s Romania. He’s such a sweet man though. He was such a jokster. Sister Padoru met us and showed us where her apartment was and on the way up her husband jumped out of the stairwell and scared us. Then while we were eating he had his grandson wrap up this little toy that jumps out when you open it. He thought it was hilarious. I hope I marry someone who has a good sense of humor…

Throughout the evening I kept thinking how impressed I was with Sister Padoru. Her and her husband live in a dumpy, one bedroom apartment, and she was still more than willing to invite us over to her house and make food for us. It’s amazing how often people who have so little are so willing to give, and people who have so much aren’t. That’s not always the case, but I’ve seen many situations where that is true. By the end of the night we ended up sneaking her some money, but she didn’t want us to. The fact that she didn’t want anything in return amazed me….
As we were leaving Sister Padoru offered us a skirt that she had made. It was quite homely. Luckily the only person it would have possibly fit was MacKenzie. It ended up being too small for MacKenzie so we told her we would give it to Mindy to try. She is tiny as well. We all knew Mindy would love that surprise…muhahaha…On the way home we ran into Mindy and showed her the dress. We told Mindy that we told Sister Padoru she would wear it on Sunday. Mindy just laughed…I don’t know how she’s going to get out of this one.

To end the evening I talked to my mom for over an hour. It’s always good to hear a familiar voice. She told me about how much fun she had on her vacation last week with all her sisters (who are like my sisters). Then she told me the funny stories that happened while they went about on their various adventures. I was kind of sad I didn’t get to join in the fun, but I’m really glad they all had such a fun time…I miss and love them all very much!

P.S. I’ve decided I don’t like my hair very much…It’s a little bright and a little too red looking for my comfort...I’ll just have to fix it when I get home I guess…

2008-06-18T10:17:00.000-07:00

June 15, 2008 (Sunday)

The Lord’s Hand In My Life: I dyed my hair from a box and it doesn’t look bad enough that I have to wear a bag over my head when I go outside….

This morning Annie and I attempted to go to a Greek Orthodox service for the third time. Once again we got there bright and early – there was no service. I wanted to cry. So we walked down the street to another church – no service. Then we walked to another church – there was finally a service going on…I was about to give up on this assignment. The church service was interesting. The men stood on the right and the women on the left. All the women had their heads covered with some type of scarf or handkerchief to show their respect. Then a man read out of a book and random spurts of singing would occur. I didn’t understand one thing that was said, but it was still amusing. During the service people in attendance would go up and cross themselves and kiss the paintings of the saint or get blessed by the priest. That was about all that happened.

Church was a little long at first. In the first hour we listened to talks in Romanian, but for some reason the elders didn’t translate for us like they usually do. We were all struggling to stay awake. That’s when President Popovici publicly asked the elders to translate for us. They looked a little embarrassed and quickly jumped up and started translating. We were cracking up. He just stopped in the middle of his talk…good times.

After church Annie and I ended up cooking dinner for everyone. It was our apartments turn but MacKenzie got sick and Mary decided to go to the hospital last minute. So we were the only two left to do the dirty work. We were a bit frustrated because we didn’t know we would be cooking all afternoon, but we made it work. We made homemake lasagna and homemade bread (without a breadmaker) and had veggies to go with it. It ended up turning out okay luckily. We ran into a few problems with the bread…like not having a pan to cook it in. We only had one pan and it was the pan with the lasagna. We do a lot of improvising over here.

After dinner the attention was turned to me…the girls started chanting my name. I was confused for a second, and then I remembered – I was going to dye my hair. I was really, really nervous, and I kept praying that it wouldn’t turn out bad enough that I would never go outside. My worst nightmare is coloring my hair out of a box – I’ve never done it before…so my nightmare was becoming a reality. The color I picked was a carmel blonde. I went over and they did it. It’s not my favorite, but it didn’t turn out bad enough that I’ll have to hide my face. Plus it’s still pretty light, so when I go back home I can just have my hair dresser fix it back to the normal blonde color I’m used to…at least my roots are gone and the cover went over evenly…it will do until I come back home.

The rest of the evening we all relaxed and swapped pictures. Mindy was hysterically laughing at the video of Kenz and I making faces. Mindy was supposed to be taking pictures of us making faces, and instead she did a video….nice…then I emailed my dad.

Today I decided that at the top of every journal entry I’m going to write something that happened in the day that showed the Lord’s hand in my life…whether it’s small or big things.

2008-06-18T10:15:00.000-07:00

June 14, 2008 (Saturday)

Annie and I woke up at 6:20 a.m. on a Saturday morning. We were planning on attending a Greek Orthodox church service at 7:30 a.m. for one of our cultural proof assignments. We made some French toast, got ready, ran to the church and there was no service. I was a little agitated. After all that is our only day to sleep in. Apparently we read the schedule wrong again…I guess the church was open for people to come worship, but there was no service going on. Annie and I just smiled at each other and walked home. I’ve noticed we do that a lot. Just smile at crappy situations without saying a word. I attempted to look at the bright side of the situation. At least I was ready early on so I could get a lot accomplished? No, honestly I would have rather slept in….I need to get rid of this sickness.

Soon after we came home and worked on a little homework. It did feel good to get that done with. Then we ran to the church for our Relief Society activity. The sisters were showing us how to make traditional sarmale. We ended up having a lot of fun, and luckily it didn’t taste too bad. Sarmale has beef, rice, tomato paste, sarmale flavoring, etc. Then you wrap it in cabbage and grape leaves or put it in peppers and eat it. Poor Annie got sick after eating sarmales one day and tried to hide when they were done so she didn’t have to eat them. Oh the sisters still found her. Poor thing. Later she was like “I don’t think I’m going to be able to survive for another two months of eating them.” The workers like to serve her and Melissa them when they go to the apartments. I told her to tell them she was feeling sick. She was like “I don’t think that’s going to work everyday.” Then we laughed…that’s all you can do in situations like those.

The most amusing part of the cooking experience was while everything was cooking. We decided to have fun with our cameras. We would all decided on a theme and each make that face. Our first theme was to make your face as small as possible…we had lots of laughs. Mindy won that one. Her picture looked like she only had one tooth in her mouth. I don’t know how she managed that. We were dying. Then Mindy told MacKenzie and I to start doing a ton of silly faces so she could randomly take silly photos. Right after I was done I found out she did a video! Mindy thought she was soooo funny….so there is now a video in existence that has MacKenzie and I stupidly making faces for a couple of minutes. It’s lovely.

The cooking lasted most of the day. After that our apartment did a little homework and internet fun. I emailed my dad for Father’s Day. I hope he gets it. Then I bought another phone card in an attempt to call him tomorrow, but that one doesn’t work either. I was so frustrated. I kept trying it over and over. I don’t understand why it’s so difficult to call someone. AHHH! I want to call and talk to a few family members and close friends! Then the girls kept bugging me about dying my hair. We’ve decided to do it tomorrow. I’m freaking out…I keep praying that it won’t look horrible. Maybe that’s a dumb thing to pray about, but a girl’s hair is important to her. If it looks bad I’ll just have to fix it later.

To end the day right a couple of us girls decided that we needed to find a pastry shop. We started roaming around…to our immense sadness all the pastry shops were closed. Everything closes early around here. So we were forced to get some candy at the G-Market. Once again we just smiled and laughed…then we all sat outside and ate our goodies.

The second we walked in from our failed pastry adventure we got a call from the other apartment saying that we needed to come pick up MacKenzie from their apartment. MacKenzie had gone to an activity earlier, and she couldn’t walk home by herself. It had been a really, really long day and the last thing the three of us wanted to do was to go walk and get her …However, Annie found a way to make it fun – even humorous. We were about to walk out the door and Annie suddenly stopped and said “Guys we NEED to find something really cool to put on our heads when we pick up MacKenzie” and ran inside without a pause. Mary and I looked at each other really confused and laughed. Within seconds Annie came pouncing out with a package of glow sticks. She was like “if we have to do something we don’t want to do we mine as well make it fun!” We were cracking up. We wore the glow sticks proud on our way to pick up Kenz. Annie wore hers on her head, and Mary and I wore ours around our neck. People looked at us like we were crazy….oh well…maybe we are, but at least we are having fun doing it! It made for a nice story and great pictures. Best of all it made a dreaded activity fun.

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

2008-06-14T07:28:00.001-07:00

I LOVE YOU DAD! Happy Father's Day!

2008-06-14T07:24:00.000-07:00

June 13, 2008 (Friday)

I got to see my kids today! I have dearly missed them – even though it has only been two days since I’ve played with them. I wish I were back to feeling like myself, but I still didn’t feel well so my energy was low. The situation with me being sick and still taking care of kids made me think about mothers. Even when they are sick they still have to take care of things and chase kids around. They never get a break. That’s exactly what happened to me today. I felt terrible, but I still chased Andrei around for the majority of the time outside. He was a ball of energy. He kept going down the slide the wrong way. He went head first on his stomach, head first on his back. He tried to stand and go down the slide, but I definitely wouldn’t let him do that. He is mister monkey/adventure boy. Nothing fazes him. He is always attempting to do things that could easily hurt him. Sometimes he succeeds. Today he probably fell over himself five times today. At one point he fell and scraped his knee. I kissed it better so he was quickly okay. Then he repeated please in sign language several times when he wanted something. I was so proud of him.

After chasing Andrei around for a while I sat on a blanket where the other girls were sitting under a tree and held Maria. She just chilled with us. She would randomly flail her legs and kick the other kids so I’d have to switch the position she was in at times. She’s such a sweetheart though. We had a lot of fun outside. All the BYU girls sat on a blanket and held the children that couldn’t run around. Even though some of the kids couldn’t frolic and play they still loved being outside. There is something about being outside with nature that makes everyone happy and content. Maybe it’s because we are so close to God’s creations.

I saw Sera outside today. Once again awkward. We did manage to say “hi” to one another though. That’s an improvement. Then Florine came outside after everyone went inside and made small talk with me. He asked me about how I was doing and told me his plans for the weekend. Apparently there is a huge “football” (soccer) game he is watching with a bunch of his friends tonight. It’s apparently a big deal. He’s a sweet guy. I can tell he loves the kids, and he is genuinely nice and respectful to everyone around him.

I’m still trying to figure out my Iulia. Iulia is extremely emotional. Every day I will run her around in circles in her wheel chair because she loves it. However, the second I stop she cries and cries. I’m trying to figure out how to handle her…It’s harder for me to figure her out than my other kids.

At the hospital there weren’t as many kids to visit as normal. However, I did see my Claudio. His stomach is still huge and swollen. His diapers even fall off because his stomach is so large. I’m really curious about what he has. I want to ask the nurse, but even if I could figure out how to ask the question I wouldn’t understand the response. When I walked in he got a huge smile on his face. There is nothing better than when their face light up when you walk into the room. It’s some proof that you are improving their life and doing some good. Even if it is only something as simple as a smile. It means the world to me…and to be honest it’s nice to know my efforts aren’t completely in vain.

After Claudio we visited this little five-year-old boy names Sebby. We brought him some Legos to play with. He really enjoyed them. Then Annie and I played the game “Where is Sebby hiding?” It’s amazing how fascinated little kids are with that game. Obviously we knew exactly where he was, but for some reason pretending that we don’t was a complete riot to him. I don’t understand. Maybe it’s because I haven’t been a kid for such a long time…I can’t believe I’m turning 22 soon. I feel so old.

Before we left we went and said hi to Marion and Florine. On our way we saw the Elders. They came to the hospital to give Marius and his aunt a blessing. Even though neither of them are members of our church they were extremely open to being blessed. I spoke with Elder Armstrong later, and he said he said he taught Marius a lesson on God and Christ and how he will have a perfect body when the resurrection comes. This especially appealed to Marius because his entire body and face were burned in a fire. The elder also said that it was amazing because in the blessing he felt inspired to say that Marius would heal quicker than anyone. He said some would say his rate of recovery would be a miracle. I have no doubt in my mind that that won’t happen. I’ve seen the Lords hand in my life too many times. The blessings that have been given to friends and family members by worthy priesthood holders have happened. Elder Armstrong also said that our little Florine wants the elders to bring a Book of Mormon for him to read. I’m amazed that he is interested at such a young age. It’s awesome. The Book of Mormon has truly been a light in a dark tunnel for me in my life. It’s amazing the strength, insight and additional help and guidance I receive by reading it daily and applying the principles to my life.

Annie, Mindy and I had to leave the hospital a few minutes early because we had to meet one of the sisters from church at the piata. We needed to go shopping with her because she is going to show us how to make some traditional Romanian dishes for an activity tomorrow. We had a lot of fun shopping, but boy did we walk a lot. It ended up taking us several hours and the majority of that was spent walking to different stores. Romanians walk almost everywhere they go. It’s crazy. I was excited about one of the stores we went to. It was a special American grocery store that was huge. I felt like I was home. It was amazing. It was air conditioned and everything. It felt so cool, so refreshing after running around all day.

After walking around and being in Romania for over a month I’ve realized that Romanian men love their liquor. At the piata men would be standing behind their food stand holding a bottle of liquor upside down in an effort to get every last drop. I kept thinking how any sales they made from the day probably totaled how much the one bottle of liquor cost. How selfish would that be if the family wasn’t able to have anything to eat because the husband had to maintain his liquor habits? It’s so sad what alcohol can do to people. There are so many drunks around here. It’s ridiculous.

By the time we got home all the other girls had gone out to see a movie. The only movie that was playing was Bratz. I wasn’t real sad I missed it. Then before we went back to our apartment we ran to the G-Market. I decided to get hair dye – my dark blonde roots are growing out. I’m scared to death how the color is going to turn out, but there isn’t a lot I can do out here. I’m going to have to suck it up or have really bad roots. I decided to go with a carmel blonde color. I’m just praying that it won’t turn out horribly ugly. There isn’t a lot I can do to fix it if it does. If it ends up looking bad I’ll just have to fix it when I get back home. I’m probably going to dye it sometime this weekend…yikes! Then Annie, Mindy and I ended up watching Patch Adams at our apartment. I forgot how amazing that movie was. There are a ton of amazing messages. I really liked when they talked about how in order to fix a problem you have to look past the problem and focus on the solution. That’s a really interesting concept. That makes sense when you think about it though. Too many times we waste time worrying about the problem when we should be spending our time on what we can do to fix it. Talk about a bunch of energy wasted.

P.S. Our water was randomly turned off again for the 3rd time since being here. I love it…

The Most Intriguing Day In Romania By Far

2008-06-14T07:15:00.002-07:00

June 12, 2008 (Thursday)

Elisa, MacKenzie, Mindy, Melissa and I had the opportunity to attend a funeral in the countryside for one of our orphans - Marian Cojocariu. He has been in a catatonic state his entire life and at 11-years-old he finally passed away. He has been in the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital for 6 months. He is in a much better place now – no longer limited by his physical body. Five BYU girls were asked to attend. We were grateful to be a part of the service. We helped fund part of the funeral with some of the money that was raised by various girls in our group.

The plan for the day was to meet at the orphanage and take a two hour car ride to Marian’s hometown named Andrieseni for the funeral. All the BYU girls wore black, except me of course. For some reason I didn’t think about that. I wore a dark green shirt.. I was afraid I was going to offend someone. Luckily, no one else wore black in attendance besides the other girls in my group. Phew!

The countryside on the way to Andrieseni was gorgeous. Romania is absolutely beautiful outside the city. It’s so fascinating to see farmers working the land and people driving buggies with horses. I felt like I was in a car driving through another time zone to a far off land. It was amazing. The only thing that wasn’t real pleasant was Doamna Silvia’s chain smoking habits. We were wondering how she was going to make the car ride without smoking – oh she still smoked. She was sitting in the front seat of the van and it all came back and hit us in the face. We were laughing so hard at the situation. Crazy Doamna Silvia.

When we first arrived at the cemetery we started unloading all the items for the funeral. Doamna Silvia from the orphanage had it all planned out, and she did an excellent job. The funeral service was very different from one in America. Sadly the only family that showed up for Marian’s funeral was his little brother, two uncles and his bunica (grandmother). Apparently the mother and father didn’t care – so they didn’t show up….Even if you had a child that was in a catatonic state I would think that you would at least want to attend your child’s funeral. Once again I don’t understand, but I guess they have their reasons. What was amazing about the funeral was that even though there were only a few family members in attendance, a class of children, neighbors and random people passing by stopped to pay respect at the service. You could tell that it was a very close knit town. We were afraid that it was only going to be us at the service. We were happy when a decent amount of people showed up.

The service was performed by a large priest, outside, next to a beautiful wooden pavilion that stood at the entrance of the cemetery. The priest’s appearance fit the stereotype. He was dressed in a long, thick, black cloak, and he held a wooden cross in his hand. His daughter Teo was there as well – she did the majority of the singing at the funeral. She was very helpful and friendly towards us. She spoke a little bit of English and happily explained the symbolism for the various decorations that were present. The first items we noticed were three cakes that were beautifully decorated with various colorful candies. Each cake carefully had a cross decorated on the top of the cake. The three cakes represented each person in the Godhead.
During the service a few younger boys stood and held large poles that had painted crosses at the top while the priest read out of the “Evanghelia.” Attached to the poles were covrigs and a towel. Covrigs are braided bread in the shape of a circle. They are very popular here. When I asked Teo what they were for she said that they were gifts to Marian. At a funeral the people attending will give something they like to the person that is dead to represent their friendship and love. As for the towel, they believe he will need it in the afterlife. They said it will provide a clean place for him to sleep. In between the priest reading scriptures his daughter and another man would sing songs from the book. Then throughout the entire ceremony people would cross themselves when it was appropriate. This was their way of praying for Marian’s soul. In the Greek Orthodox religion they believe that you travel for 40 days after you die. Within that time you are shown everything you do throughout your life. Then on the 40th day you are judged on whether you go to heaven or hell. In the Greek Orthodox religion you can help the dead obtain a better chance at going to heaven if you pray for them which is why people in attendance were constantly crossing themselves. I occasionally would participate in praying for his soul to show my respect as well. It was a fascinating scene to behold.

Towards the middle of the service they handed out thin, malleable candles to everyone. The candle represented Marian’s soul. All the candles were lit from the same flame. Then the priest went around with incense (represented the Holy Spirit) and shook it towards the crowd while people crossed themselves. While everyone held the lighted candles some of the children and family closest to Marian went and kissed a picture of Christ that was placed on top of his coffin.
After everyone paid their respects we were soon whisked away in an orderly fashion to the grave spot. On the way the priest would randomly stop, the men holding the casket would put the casket down and he would sing. Kenz and I thought they were going to stop every couple of feet, which would of taken quite a while, but they only ended up doing it two or three times. At the site there was a neatly dug grave spot that was fairly shallow. They lowered the casket in and at one point everyone placed one hand on a person located around them and shook their other hand in a continuous circular motion. We didn’t know what it meant, but we followed their lead. We found out later that this act symbolizes that we are all connected in the continuous cycle of life. Then they opened the casket while it was in the ground. It wasn’t the most pretty sight. Marian’s body was mangled, and his eyes and mouth were jolted open. They simply put his body in the casket. They didn’t embalm him, put makeup on him or sew his eyes and mouth shut like they do in funerals in America. He was left as is… that’s just the way they do things here. Death is a natural part of life and it isn’t shocking to see the gruesome decaying details All I have to say is that I never want an open casket at my funeral – even if they do put makeup on me and make me look nice. I don’t want people to remember me like that. I want them to remember me with a huge smile across my face.

Before they closed the casket the priest threw wine on his body. Then after the service they gave away Marian’s belonging to other children in attendance as a gift from Marian. Once again it was a representation that we are all connected and that the cycle of life is a continuous round. Even our belongings are passed on to others. In essence we all help each other fulfill one another’s needs both physical, temporal and spiritual. There was also a huge cart of braided homemade bread and fruit. The priest gave it away to family members and other people in attendance. Then he gave some to each of us. I felt bad – I think we got more food than anyone else there and we needed it the least. However, we didn’t want to offend anyone so we kept it. The mayor of the town and priest talked to us for a while after the funeral. They both seemed fascinated and excited to have “American girls” in their town. We all felt like royalty. The mayor even wanted a picture with us. It was so cute. I’ve never felt so welcomed and loved by random strangers. It was a pretty amazing feeling.

We were about to leave and head home when the priest asked us to come see his house and church. We agreed and he led us to a magical little church that was hidden between cherry and peach trees. I felt like I was in a movie. They showed us into their quaint church. The construction of the building was a little beat up, but it was still beautiful inside. They had pictures of Saints and shrines all over that could be worshipped. Then to remember that we came there the priest’s daughter Teo let us each pick a bracelet that held a cross on it. They were all beautiful.

After we looked at the church we went outside and all of a sudden they pulled a random bench out and told us to sit on the bench under the cherry tree. We thought they just pulled it out so we could look at the scenery. Nope. Then they pulled out two tables and another bench. Then they brought out a tablecloth and course after course of food. We had no idea we were going to be fed but it was so nice of them. Us girls were laughing in amazement at the situation. We were in Romania; sitting under a cherry tree; outside a traditional Greek Orthodox church; in perfect weather; and eating traditional Romanian food with a Greek Orthodox Priest, his family and the mayor of the town. We were treated like royalty. The mayor even asked us to pose in a picture with him.

Once we were situated at the table the first thing they brought out was wine. The priest poured wine in a cup and motioned that we were each supposed to take a sip of it. MacKenzie was the one sitting closest to him, and she had panic written all over her face. Obviously we don’t drink, but I could tell she had no idea how to tell him that we don’t drink alcohol. Plus we didn’t want to offend anyone in the process. We quickly motioned for his daughter Teo to translate for us that in our religion we don’t drink alcohol, but we wanted to thank him for his generosity. He teased us about it for a minute and then he respected our wishes. Shortly after that they brought out whiskey. The priest kept pouring Doamna Silvia more and more. She probably had about 5 glasses. We were all laughing. We kept thinking “this is going to be a fun car ride home – she is going to be so drunk.” In Romania everyone drinks, even young kids…in fact I don’t even know if there are any laws or regulations for drinking.

The food they served us was really good with a few exceptions. The first thing they brought out was fresh cucumbers, tomatoes, bread and goat cheese made from their goats. I’ve decided that the only type of cheese I like is normal cheese. I never knew so many cheeses existed until I came to Romania. Then they brought out fried eggs and lamb. I was a little nervous about the lamb, but it was delicious. Very flavorful and tender – I just had to remind myself not to think about eating a poor, innocent lamb. Then they brought out yogurt. Right before they pulled it out Doamna Silvia was like “They don’t have anything like this in America.” After one taste of it I realized she was right, and I was glad she was right. It tasted like sour milk. I was so grateful that Elisa only gave me a small amount. It made me want to hurl after one taste. The meal was finished with cherries and some type of cake. All of the sweets look so good, but they never taste very good. Almost all the sweets in Romania are very bland….

Through the course of conversation the mayor said Mindy looked like the local mail ladies sister. Ironically the mail lady walked up right after he said that to deliver the mail and Mindy got a picture with her. It was one funny thing after another. However, I must admit that I was sincerely impressed when the priest invited the mail lady to eat with us. He was so friendly, warm and inviting to a stranger. I wonder what it would be like in America if everyone were so inviting. Needless to say we were having the time of our lives. The conversation quickly evolved into the Priest talking about how people “could come and find a friend at the church always.” Then the mayor started talking about how we were going to go back to America and tell people of the good experience we had in Romania. I wonder if that was their motives to being so nice to us. Regardless, we had an amazing time. It was sincerely one of the best days of my life. A fantasy to say the least. Completely far away from the normal activities of my life.

After a couple hours of relaxing outside and leisurely eating our party was starting to get antsy. They had to get back to work at the orphanage and we had been gone all day. After a few minutes of attempting to get out the door the priest finally decided to let us leave, but he wouldn’t let us leave without inviting us back to visit again. He kept asking if we could come on specific dates…We finally told him we would check our schedule and get back to him. We are going to plan a trip in a month. The mayor said that we could come back and help with his horses and sheep. Then we are going to see if we can camp outside in one of the fields. It would be a lot of fun….

As we left the priest blessed us and gave us little cross key chains. Then the priest, his wife and the mayor all kissed us on each cheek to tell us goodbye. MacKenzie and I were laughing because we both almost kissed the mayor right on the lips. It’s hard to figure out which side they are going to kiss first. That could have been very embarrassing if we actually missed. Then we took a few more pictures and we were out the door. In the car all of us couldn’t stop talking about how nice everyone had been and how we wanted to plan a trip back so all the girls could meet him. I genuinely had the time of my life today…and I’ve never felt more treated like royalty than I did this afternoon. I want to make all the guests I have enter my home feel as special as they made me feel…I left feeling completely exhilarated and high on life.

After the event happened I was so grateful I was able to go. The experience was a once in a lifetime opportunity.

When they dropped us back off at the orphanage Elisa and I peaked our heads in at our kids. I hadn’t seen them in about two days since I was sick yesterday. I missed them a ton. Sadly they were all sleeping, but it was the cutest thing ever. They were all in their cribs, and they looked like little angels. Alex and Andrei were absolutely adorable….I don’t think I’ve ever seen Andrei so calm.

In the evening we had Outreach and while we were all playing Skip-Bo Ionut decided to tell us what animal we each looked like. He started saying we looked like random animals to make us laugh. He told MacKenzie she looked like a rat/mouse, Mary she looked like a Lion, then he kept changing his mind about me. He said I looked like a beaver, giraffe, rhino. He was full of it. Then he said Annie looked like a buffalo and a bird. We were all laughing hysterically…oh brother…the things that amuse us.

Then Ionut said I seem like I am harsh on guys. He said my expectations are too high. He thinks I should give Sera a chance because he is “a very handsome Romanian man.” I can’t believe another man would be comfortable with saying that about another man. Anyways the answer was “no.” I told him my expectations are just where I want them to be. If I don’t find anyone so be it, but I’m not going to be with someone for eternity unless I know it’s right.

After Outreach the four of us went and ate Pizza at a little shop outside on the side of the street. It was so nice and relaxing. We sat and chatted about the time era we would like to live in if we could live in any. Annie and I said the 1930s. I’m not sure why, but it stuck out to me. Then we talked about boys and relationships… that topic always seems to come up. For some reason there is always something to talk about in that department. We also randomly talked about where we were on September 11th. I remember I was in my 9th grade biology class when I first saw the plane crash into the Twin Towers. When I saw it on television I didn’t understand the severity of the situation or the history that would be made as a result of the events. However, it was definitely one of those memories that everyone will remember exactly where they were and what they’re doing when they first heard the news. To continue the random topics of conversation we talked about the second coming and if we would want to be alive when it happened. I really want to be alive. I want to be able to help with any situations that arise. Obviously it won’t be the most pleasant time, but I think it would be amazing to be a part of the events that take place.

When we got home it was time for bed. Poor Kenz slept on the couch because she is worried Mary has pink eye. If she does that would be really bad for all of us…

2008-06-14T07:15:00.001-07:00

June 11, 2008 (Wednesday)

Today I woke up feeling really sick…so my day consisted of laying in bed, sleeping, relaxing, taking lots of Benadryll and shooting nasal spray up my nose….that’s it….the end.