Work work work work work.

Last year, I (Jack) was a little worried that I would get bored working for FNO. My job is very seasonal, as most camp jobs are. Work from 8 til 11 or 12 in the summer, and perhaps not really have much to do in January or February. I'm the assistant director from America at a Romanian camp, so I'm not so good at going out to look for kids or writing the big reports. A common question for me when we were in the States was, "So, Jack....what are you going to do when you go back? What are you gonna work on?"

Well. Let me answer your question, to all of you who were so kind to be worried about me getting bored.

Right when we got back, I was given a large part of the work on FNO's relationship with European Volunteer Service (a lot like American Peace Corps). We usually have 4 or so European volunteers in the summer at VIATA, and I have to write a lengthy application to ask for the funds from the EU to host these folks for this summer.

I'm looking for American interns for this summer as well. There are two lovely people who have already shown interest, and we're looking for three more to come learn and work at VIATA from mid-June to mid-August. If you know anyone who likes camps in the mountains and doesn't have summer plans, let us know! Love those plugs.

I'm looking for money for VIATA and for other FNO projects. Kelly and I want to start crowdfunding campaigns for putting gas heat in the other FNO apartments (since having it in ours has been SO WONDERFUL already!!), and we'll start one for bringing the kids in Lupeni's residential center to VIATA soon. We're also raising a bit of money for equipment to replace our old ropes course safety devices.

Speaking of that gas heating, the installation was mercifully short (only three days of work), but it was taxing to get up early those mornings when the guys would come and then one of us to stay home for half the day and switch at lunchtime. There was a lot of dust, a lot of noise, and a lot of displaced items. But now we're back to order in the home, and it's warmer and dryer. Thank you for giving us enough money so that we could do this, and thank you Lord for your goodness of provision!

The other day, our chief operations officer asked if I had any time to translate some documents for our website, and I said that I would start slow and see how much I could do.

And then on Monday, during a staff meeting (which I was skyping into from home while the worker guys drilled the heck out of our walls), it was mentioned that one of our buildings needed a paint job in the main room. I volunteered, since I'm the resident painter here, and my boss Ilie actually got worried for me that I was taking on too many projects. What a change from telling folks that I was planning on looking for interns, making a few portable ropes course elements, and experimenting with modeling clay for this summer!

I thank God for giving us work to do, and for a good place to rest. When we first arrived in Romania and all we did all day was learn Romanian and try to buy and cook food, I slept very poorly. I didn't have enough work to do to get me tired, and I actually dreaded going to bed some nights. These days, I'm very happy to fall into bed. It's nice.