Happy Halloween!!

Today we celebrated our first Halloween in Romania. It was weird walking down the street today. We actually saw quite a few Romanian teenagers in costumes walking to and from school. All the missionaries were amazed because they had not seen anyone dress up in the past. A couple of the kids wanted to dress up so we set up a few trick or treating stations around the foundation. Then we carved our pumpkins. It was fun all around.

Adina, Alex, Antal, Dani & Adi showing off our pumpkins

Kiki doing a great job cleaning out the pumpkin.

Alex dressed up as a USC football player, of course.

OUR HEROS: Spiderman (Dani), Super Caleb (Caleb), and Batman (Adi)

Happy Meals, Happy Faces

It's so fun to have Ron and Jamie here! Ron and Jamie decided they wanted to do something special with Pink Room at Casa Alba. We packed up a car and took three of the kids into Oradea to visit McDonald's. I can't explain to you the joy brought to the kids, especially Diana (it was her first time). Ron and Jamie bought happy meals all around and made soon we had five really happy kids (Todd and I included). What a treat!
After they enjoyed the food, the kids went to play in the outside playground. Soon we ran into a problem. Cerasela, the youngest one, was too small and unable to climb the levels into the playground. So in I went and helped her up each level. The Romanians looked at me like I had lost my mind, but Cerasela had a blast so it didn't matter. Enjoy some pictures below!

Alex & Diana enjoying the slide.

Helping Cerasela Out

Cerasela & Diana chomping down their happy meals.

Alex wondering what's inside?

Pumpkin Picking

One of the things Todd & I have done since we started dating is gone to the pumpkin patch every October and picked out  a pumpkin.  This year we were a little worried we would not be able to continue our tradition.  You see, Romanians aren't really into pumpkins.  In fact, they only grow them to feed the pigs.  And the pumpkins they grow are usually white.   We thought maybe we would have to settle for a white pumpkin, but it's just not the same.  

Then one of our Romanian friends told us his neighbor was growing orange pumpkins and would be willing to give us a few.  We were so excited.  So another missionary and I trekked out to the village of Poiana to visit this man's farm.  I loved it!  It was so neat to be on a Romanian farm.  I've always grown up in a big city so I was amazed by all I saw.  Below are some pictures of my visit.  And by the way, this man had pumpkins even bigger than the ones we got!  We can't wait to have the kids here carve their first pumpkins!

Our pumpkins

Moo Cows!

Cute little piglets

Some of the pumpkins were HUGE!

Jamie & Ron are here!!!!

We are just so excited.  This past week Ron and Jamie (Todd's parents) arrived to visit us in Marghita, Romania.  It is so great to have family here.  We are having a blast showing them our different projects and just enjoying their company.  They were so sweet and brought us some great treats from the US.  Since Ron and Jamie have been here before many of our fellow missionaries are also happy to see them here again.  They have also kept busy helping out throughout the foundation.  Ron even found some "helping hands" in the donation depot that he enjoyed wearing throughout town.

Ron & Jamie with Adi

(notice Ron's hands)

Where did it go?

Last night when we went to sleep our new welcome mat was resting comfortably in front of our door. This morning...it was gone! Todd got up to go to work and could not believe that someone had stolen our brand new welcome mat. He searched up and down the building thinking maybe it was a prank by one of our neighbors, but could not find it anywhere. So sad! It was so nice, clean, and new. We miss it dearly.

Todd said that the next mat we buy will have low jack on it. Only in Romania do you need to secure down your mat to avoid the bandits! I mean, seriously, who steals a welcome mat?!?

Where did it go?

Humbled

This week I (Rocio) went to Cadea after not going for a week or two.  People on our team had been sick so we didn't go for two weeks.  This week I was really tired and didn't really want to go, but thank goodness for Todd and his reminding me how much I truly love my ministry there.  It's true that if I had to pick a favorite Cadea would probably be the one.  It's the ministry that struck me the most during my first trip and what really made me want to come back trip after trip.

Cadea is a really interesting place.  It's a state-run institution for "kids" (young adults 18 and over) who have been institutionalized all their lives and are unable to live under any other circumstances.  Most of these individuals were born normal, but due to being institutionalized all their lives they have the mentality of a 10-14 year old.  Heartbreaking, I know.  Yet in this dark and sad place I find so much love and joy it overwhelms me at times.

It's been really neat working there since we have moved here.  The kids are really starting to open up to me and I am truly able to start disciplining.    I think they feel as if they can let their guard down now since I will stick around for a while.  During past trips there has been a girl, Liu, who never really gave me the time of day.  In fact, if I tried to make an effort she would push me away or ignore me.  Lately, however, things are very different.  It seems she has become attached at the hip.  She loves to tell me about her day and wants me to just be around her.  I am so thrilled!  She is one of the higher level ones and it's great to finally be able to talk to her about the Lord.  During the last few weeks I have noticed a change in her prayer.  When we pray as a group her prayers usually consisted of things she wanted/needed.  Lately, most of her prayer has been of thanksgiving and just glorifying Him for who He is.  So awesome!  

This week when she came to greet me she looked so sad.  I immediately asked her what was wrong.  She told me she had a picture of the two of us posted next to her bed since last December.  She loves the picture and is so proud to have it.  However, this past week one of the other kids during a fit ripped down everything from the walls including her picture.  She was in tears when she told me.  She kept telling me how happy that picture made her since it reminded her someone loved her.  Oh, when she said that my heart broke!  How humbling is it to know that my simply being there brings her hope and love!  In that moment God confirmed once again the importance of our coming to Romania and loving on these precious children.  It humbles me how He can use us in the simplest ways.    

It's a Small World After All

Today we went to church in Oradea.  It was so great to worship there and hear the Word.  We hadn't been able to attend the last few weeks so we were really excited to go today.  There was a team of about sixteen people visiting from the US at church today.  The team from New Albany, Indiana, is here helping our friend Rachel's foundation.  As we were talking to them Todd mentioned that his family is from the same town.  They thought it was neat and started talking about their favorite haunts in New Albany.  Then something really funny happened.  The lady we were talking to told us that her old neighbors' nephew had also recently moved to Romania with his wife to work with orphans.  We thought it was mere coincidence.  Then see said her neighbors were the Meyers, Carl and Rosie Meyer.  We just started laughing because we realized the neighbors were Todd's great-aunt and uncle.  It was so neat!  The team was also excited to go back and tell Carl and Rosie that they had seen their nephew and wife.  We sent hugs their way of course.

The message today was also very encouraging.  First of all, Todd and I were able to piece it together without an interpreter (woo-hoo way to go us!).  It really encouraged us to see that our language acquisition is progressing.  Todd even helped some of the people visiting understand a bit of what was going on!  Anyways, the message was on fears and how we should not have them because God has the victory over everything.  I know it's a message that we hear often, but the speaker made a point that blew me away.  He said that instead of talking or focusing on what scares us or why it scares us we should focus and spend our time thinking about how God will change our situation and make it a victory.  This was so encouraging!  Just wanted to share it with you in case it might encourage you today.

Fall is Here

One of the really fun things about living in Romania is that we finally get to experience Fall. Not that we didn't enjoy the 70 degree weather nearly year round, but there is something really neat about watching the seasons change.

The really cold weather has become milder and all the trees are starting to change colors and shed their leaves. Today some of the kids from Casa Alba really enjoyed playing in the leaves! And it was just so fun to watch them enjoy it.

Look at all the different colors!

Joni raking up the leaves.

Caleb enjoying our new pile of leaves.

Making It a Home

This past week we have been busy doing some much needed work to our apartment. Any free time we have had has been dedicated to fixing, painting, etc. We were almost done last night...and the paint ran out!!! So one more day and we will officially be done. Here are a few pictures to give you an idea of the work we have done.

Before

After

So pretty...and the greatest part is we found 90% of these things in the donation depot!

If you want to see the rest, guess you'll have to come for a visit ;)

See the room is already waiting for you!!