Confession

Thanks for coming on this brief journey. Even if no-one actually read this they say confession is good for the soul and it helped me to write it.
I love this country's young people and I love the pace of life here. I hate the rudeness and I hate the food. I love the sense of community. And I hate leaving again. But I'll be glad to get home.

I think the best we can hope for is that we gave these kids a little glimpse of God's kingdom for a couple of days. Thanks everyone for your messages and support. Until the next time.

Wednesday 7.33pm

The third group have now left. It never seems to get much easier saying goodbye. Right on cue almost as soon as they left a huge storm looks like engulfing the place. The sky has darkened big time and the thunder is rumbling.

Nature seems to speak much louder of Gods power over here or maybe it’s just that we’re more receptive in this environment.

As usual I now have to square the circle of going off to America on holiday next month – moving from one Universe to the other. It always leaves me feeling guilty.

We’ve made new friends this time as always, a lot of little ones who have lit up our lives. But we’ve also consolidated a lot of older friendships, friendships which are now five years old. We’ve earner the right to speak into lives. But I think in many ways they speak into our lives almost as much.

In the early days we are tempted to think that in bringing our wealth we are doing all the favours – actually we have so much to learn from them about community. I will miss them dearly.

Lightning

2.55am. Boy those beef fajitas go through you like lightning!

Because of the delay in a shutter firing I had to take 120 hopeful photos to get this one. Hope you like it. And so to bed.

Only in Romania

It’s 1.45am. Today’s been one of those “only in Romania days”. We booked Norman to bring the group to Brasov in his bus at 11.00am. 10.30 he calls to say it’s his birthday and he’ll send someone else (he only just remembered?). At 10.50 he calls and says the police are in a crackdown on mini-buses and now no-one can do it, but he’s trying to find someone. At 11.15 he says he’ll be here in ten minutes, he promised us someone so doesn’t want to let us down. It’s good of him. He misses most of his birthday and risks losing his license if they catch him apparently.

First stop the chair lifts in Brasov. We’re all excited. They close all day Tuesday. Shoot. Ah well, we’ll go to the market. When we get there, they’ve bull dozed it. Remember it’s over 30 degrees here in a hot car and packed mini-bus.

From there it improves. We get the cable car up Brasov – they all walk to the big sign which is only five minutes but my hip wouldn’t allow me to go.

Then on to bowling – where I beat the ever competitive Nico on my last bowl J.

Then the highlight of the day – the Bella Musica for dinner – the famous Mexican restaurant. Amazing Beef Fajitas as always. It’s great to catch up with Nico and Flori. And great to get a good meal.

And everyone LOVES their food.

Back to the villa via Zizin for the NI team. But we don’t get out of the car as we can’t locate any friendly faces. But they get a little taste of Gypsy life as we drive through.

Back at the villa I have deep chats with four of the Valenii girls and realize in a new way just how deeply they love and care for us (and need us). Some have sent me letters with sisters and friends. They move me to tears. They so need us to keep loving them back.

As I sit here sweating as I type, a huge storm is coming over the mountains. The lightning flashes are lighting up the sky at a frantic pace but in total silence as they are still in the distance The air is turning cooler. God is in this place, this country, these kids. In me. In our community here. And although I now yearn for home after eight days, already I long to come back.

(And Norman got a twenty quid tip. He was stunned!!!!!)

Bears

About a week before we arrived a bear killed a US back packer in the mountains above Sinaia. The bear approached the girl's camp, where she was with her boyfriend, and apparently the flash's of them trying to photograph the bear agitated it. It killed her and badly injured her boyfriend.
Well tonight, it visited us. There it was about 30 feet outside the conservatory window. An absolutely HUGE grizzly. I don't think Hanna will sleep tonight. No photos I'm afraid, but what a sight. The bear I mean, not Hanna!
We've all gotten very tired now. Tonight I saw Erika lose it with a group for the first time ever - nothing major went wrong, they just wouldn't listen and she exploded. Didn't do them any harm! I was quite proud of her.
Tomorrow off to Brasov, up the seated mountain chair lift, then bowling then hopefully the Mexican restaurant. Boy do we need a good meal.
A few things to bring back memories for those who have been here - Danny de Vito, Midge bites, Joes, Cappucino, fried eggs, Norman, Maxi-taxis with 40 people, bad breath, smelly feet, too warm to sleep, lay lady lay, Santal, beautiful water melons , nectarines, fresh bread, dogs barking, starry skies, mountain dew, pizza americana, cheese triangles, rough toilet paper, come on, you know you miss it!!!!!

Pleasure and privelege

So, soon it will be group 3. This has been a very sweet little group, big beautiful smiles that hide so much pain underneath.

We have several incest victims, rape victims, children of murderers, physically handicapped, mentally challenged and some kids who were just too poor for their parents to look after them. But as I was reminded last week, God doesn’t see the labels. He just sees the people and he loves them.

It’s been a privilege to share time with them and I’ll miss group two. But then I already miss group one as well.

As going home starts to loom on the horizon there are always mixed feelings. Family and good food beckon us home, needy and empty little lives plead with us to stay, or at least to come back soon.

If only we could raise up some young people here in Romania who have this heart for these kids, who would be here and accessible. Maybe one day soon.

Oh and continuing in the Herron tradition of bad pictures while sleeping, here’s one of Laura. Sorry Bo.

One thing we are very proud of is introducing major water fights to these deprived children!?! There's nothing quite like it. We have initiated firing sqauds where the leaders (mainly me!) volunteer to stand against the wall beside the container and anyone under 14 gets a free shot. Just look at the mischief in that face....(never mind the size of the bomb)

pictures

For those parents watching this here's a wee picture of your babies! Hanna has had a bit of sunburn - but nothing major so don't worry.


Lauras wisdom teeth are giving her truble, but she seems well able to cope with it.


Here's a picture of Antonia if the Carson clan are looking in - she's growing up so fast.



Here's a self portrait by Rita for Elaine...



And here are the little angels that we have during week 2.



They are the cutest, sweetest kids. So today, Sunday, we are headed for the zoo. But more inportantly for my team, to McDONALDS!!!! Boy did that make them smile.

Given away

Catarina is ten. She has an older sister and three younger siblings, but she is the only one in the Placement centre (a placement centre is somewhere for orphans, bad kids whose parents can’t handle them and extremely poor kids). And she doesn’t know why. It’s certainly not bad behaviour because from what we have seen she doesn’t have a bad bone in her body. She’s an adorable child and every one here has fallen in love with her.

But she has a deep sadness. She openly admits that she has no idea why her family “gave her away”. I can’t imagine why either. When she was gently questioned about it last night at dinner her beautiful big eyes just filled up with tears. She hardly spoke the rest of the evening. In fact, she hardly speaks at all. She has obviously withdrawn into her own little world where she thinks she can’t get hurt so much. But she hungers for touch, a hug, to hold your hand, or just for a smile. She longs to be loved.

As always you can’t help but think of your own kids. What damage would it do to Daniel, my nine year old, if we simply chose to give him away? It would completely devastate him and emotionally scar him for life. That’s the reality for thousands of kids in Romania. EU membership wont heal these scars. It will take generations.

But that is the problem with the institutions here. They provide the basics, but from our years of observing here, they rarely love the kids. That’s why we, as followers of Jesus, are magnetic. We should radiate love. And thankfully out here we do.

I watched Linzi as she held Catarina last night. It did almost as much good for Linzi to be able to give love, real unselfish love, as for Catarina to receive it. If we could only personalize this experience for people at home, Romanian children would cease to be just a request for money. They would become Catarina. And our hearts would break.

First group arrives

So the first group arrived. Too many young ones for my liking but that’s how it is.

Every one’s a character and we need to show them as much love as we can. It’s been good fr our three young volunteers to have the little ones to look after. Very proud of how they have done so far.

The weather has been pretty good so volleyball has featured large (and I have been TOTALLY non-competitive!!). Large water balloons have also been a prominent feature from my office window. What would you expect.

I called home to speak to Pete today and felt for him – I remember the days after my hip-op and they were miserable, not being able to turn over in bed, restless and in pain. For Pete it must be much worse. So I feel for him. And miss him being here.

We’ve played a few games and just generally hung about, but I think everyone’s having a good time. After reading Shane Claiborne’s thoughts on community, this place feels a little bit like the kingdom. Everyone being loved and respected for who they are. I guess that’s always been what’s special about it, but only now have I realized. We can be slow learners.

We had 30 people in the house last night so it was busy. I bought a deep fat fryer for chips and a microwave. So that made the kitchen a little easier. But the food has been a challenge.

The Romanians made a corn porridge and smantana (sour cream) dish last night – our three young ladies bravely sat down to it, but couldn’t come close to eating it. They felt so bad, but it was funny. Out came the pot noodles….

So that’s it for now. Miss you all at home.

Wish I was in Carrickfergus? NEVER!

So it was Elena’s birthday and we thought we would g somewhere special – so we went to the Irish house – beside Bucegi where we usually go. It’s more expensive than Bucegi so we hoped it would be better – we were wrong. Terrible service, cold food, just the usual. But we made the best of it and I honed my origami skills with the table mats.

(Why is it we feel we have to make complete prats of ourselves when away from home?)

To top it off, about halfway through dinner music started to drone over us – “I wish I was in Carrickfergus!”. Well I didn’t and I was thankful that I wasn’t.

But Elena is 21 now

and later today the first group of kids arrive from Valenii. The real work begins…

Water bombs and empty tables

Well, water bombs are part of life again! I’m back in Romania and truth be told, I’ve missed those bombs, well, missed throwing them anyway.
As always, its strange coming back to the house we have here which has so many memories. The house hasn’t really changed much in these years. I vividly remember looking at this place when it was only a building site and the hopes and dreams that I had for it then. Some of them have been realized, some have been shattered. Some still live on…..

This morning some of the older girls that we know started drifting in, Elena, Lori-lay, Raluka. This afternoon Claudia will come and tonight we will all go out to celebrate Elena’s 21st birthday, which is tomorrow. I can’t believe she’s 21!

Last night local taxi legend Danny de Vito picked us up at the airport in his new car. It has “conditioned air and windows electronique” as he told us, after greeting me with the usual little bow and the “Mister Trevor” spiel.


He was so proud of the car that when we stopped at McDonald’s on the way to the villa he had his food brought out to him so that he could “stand guard” at the car.

The one thing I always forget about this place is the natural beauty. Sitting outside on the deck is so relaxing at night (way too warm during the day, 32 at the moment). So hopefully I’ll get rid of a couple of tons of stress (that’s just leave about three more to deal with at home!)

It’s been strange not having the usual suspects here this time round. We’ve three new ladies with us (who have settled in really well),


but I miss the old guard. Just wasn’t the same without Pete standing in the kitchen this morning when I got up, and the table wasn’t set…….

It’s the fourth of July today and we have a FF team in Connswater. Seems like a parallel universe. And at the moment makes me glad to be in this one……..