15: The number of kids who came to the cantina on Friday to eat potato soup and be loved on for an hour or two. Discipline and politeness continue to be problems, and yet seeing these kids is still one of the highlights of my week.
14: The number of hours traveled back from Tusnad after a meeting last week. Jack was there for a full week of camp, but I was there only for two days of meetings. Tusnad's the smallest actual city in Romania (1500 people -- there are lots of smaller villages of course), and it's tucked away in the mountains halfway across the country. From our remote mountains to their remote mountains by train takes a loooong time. Like, 2:30am night train to Bucuresti, followed by an 8:30am bus to Petrosani, followed by a 4:00pm maxi taxi to Lupeni. It was a long trip.
13: The number of nationalities represented at a wilderness education training Jack recently attended in Georgia. Sometimes living in this part of the world is really, really cool.
12: The number of currencies I found in our desk drawer as I cleaned it out this weekend. This included the expected (US dollars, euros, and Romanian lei) and the more interesting (Hungarian forints, Nicaraguan cordoba, Cambodian riel, Armenian dram, Georgian lari, Swiss francs, Turkish lira, Moldovan lei, and -- weirdly, since we've never been to the UK -- British pounds?!). As I think back over the past 2-and-a-half years, it has included seeing much more of the world than I ever dreamed of, thanks to IMPACT international trainings, CRWM European retreats, and the chance to live on a continent where a long trip brings you into an entirely different country and culture, instead of just across state lines.
11: The number of kids from our IMPACT club who came to our apartment on Wednesday night for a beginning-of-the-school-year planning meeting and kick-off. It was really fun to see them again, though we've got our work cut out for us this year: most of them are entering 7th grade, and the drama and giggles of puberty are already in full swing. You can pray for us...
10: The number of counselors at the last week of VIATA camp, held last week in Tusnad. This week of camp was for 60 ninth grade students from the American International School in Bucharest -- a lot of children of diplomats and businesspeople who are often in transition and move frequently, as well as wealthy Romanian children who can afford this private school. It's a very different group than our typical clientele, but provides a really cool chance to help this group of often-disconnected youth bond with each other, talk about difficult feelings, and find a safe place to be themselves.
9: The number of jars of zacusca I made with our friends Alina and Flavius a few weekends ago. We spent a whole Saturday sweating in the hot sun, stirring a delicious concoction of roasted eggplant, roasted red peppers, caramelized onions, tomato paste, and spices over an open fire. Needless to say, they're really beloved friends for being willing to help!
8: The number of beds in our friend's hospital room. One of our friend's sons was hospitalized for a couple of days this past week, and his room in the surgical ward had 8 beds in it -- each occupied by a patient, and each surrounded by friends and relatives. I was grateful that there was so much energy in the room and that there was always someone for them to talk to, but it certainly didn't seem like it would be a good place to rest and recover... there's not even the privacy of curtains to pull around your bed. The Romanian medical system, at least its Jiu Valley manifestation, leaves much to be desired. Please pray for the good doctors and nurses who are doing their best to slowly change a messed-up system from the inside.
7: The number of miles we hiked on Saturday, on the (possibly) last hot, sunny day until autumn really starts!
6: The number of mosquitoes I killed in our closet today. There's a mysterious vent in the back of the closet that leads, apparently, to their breeding grounds. I think we've found the epicenter, folks.
5: The number of types of berries we collected yesterday on a hike up the mountain with some friends: blackberries, blueberries, bittersweets, red currants, and elderberries. Yummmmm.
4: The number of nights we spent in a tent in Retezat National Park a couple of weeks ago. We got to accompany the semester abroad students on their annual backpacking trip, getting to know them and helping support them through 5 days of beautiful but challenging hiking. We're hopeful that the bonds that started during this trip will pay off in good relationships throughout the semester.
3: The number of very loud men yelling across the street to each other right now. Usually the number's a lot higher, but it's only 4pm, so we should be on target for maximum volume by 9pm or so. (We love where we live...)
2: The number of weeks until Kelly's parents come to visit Romania for the first time! We're really excited to have them here.
1: The number of wedding parties we've seen this weekend -- and this one's for a wedding at the Pentecostal church right across the street from our apartment! Lupeni weddings (which are usually at least 1 per weekend in the summertime) are marked by a long procession of streamer-and-flower-strewn cars, which weave their way up and down the main street of the town, honking loudly all the way to the ceremony and the reception. Recently we've seen a trend of giant veils and top hats to mark the cars in which the bride and groom are riding... but today's procession was more demure, with simple white tulle and red roses adorning the shining black car now parked in front of the church, awaiting the newlyweds.
So... snippets of life. It's a good one.
