TUESDAY, JANUARY 06, 2004
The scare with Ryan really shook us up. A couple of things I didn’t write about at first. About a week before this happened Fedi told me he had a dream that Ryan had died. I had a dream the same night also that Ryan had died. Normally I wouldn’t pay dreams any attention but I still watched Ryan pretty close that day. Before Ryan went to sleep that night (right before he woke up with croup) he said he wanted to have a prayer (New Years Eve). When he was done he said he felt much better. I know during the whole crisis the church people kept praying for us. There didn’t seem to be anything else we could do.
Well on a different subject, Lehel came to church again. There was a prayer time after when we divided up into groups. I asked him if there was anything he wanted us to pray about and he said that he would find his way to the Lord and that his girlfriend and he could stay together.
Fedi went to town yesterday for some errands and ended up staying at the hospital with a man who is a house guest of Leventa’s. He is a little strange and the Doctor concluded he was faking it. There is no “benefit of the doubt” here. She yelled at him to get up and walk across the room. Fedi was pretty mad because he made Fedi practically carry him up and after he couldn’t get away with it he walked just fine. Fedi got home about 10:00 p.m.
This morning Fedi needed to go in to take Lehel’s father to the hospital. He is not faking it. While in town Leventa’s funnel cake business had run out of propane so Fedi went to get more. Unfortunately he said it was not close by. I only mention these details because Fedi is busy since we arrived but it’s with a bunch of little things.
I love having kitchen cabinets. It’s great to have a place to store things and a counter top. It makes the cabin look charming.
SUNDAY, JANUARY 11, 2004
On Friday, we again did a fast school, really just a ½ day. Then we met Fedi down in Certa (Jozsef picked us up) and helped pass out the Christmas packages to every school child there – about 400. There were shoeboxes full of nice things. It was really cool to be on this end of the charity that organizations send to Romania and see the kids enjoy the presents. It was heart warming to think of the generosity of the people who made up the presents. Most of these came from England. It also helped Fedi and I get a better reputation and get better known in Certa. We told them probably 20 times it wasn’t from us but we got thanked over and over anyway. A teacher who teaches English asked if I would come and help her. So Tuesday the girls and I will spend one hour there.
Speaking of reputation, we keep hearing these ominous rumors from some of our friends that some people don’t like us being here. Yesterday evening, (It is Monday morning now 1/12,) Attilla (the cow rancher’s son) told Fedi that if anything should happen he could count on Lehel and him to help us. What?! What would happen? He told Fedi to just stay away from the taverns when the guys get drunk. Not hard – Fedi never goes by them. But the great news is Attila wants to come to church with us next week. He said his girlfriend Erika will come also. Lehel is coming steady. We are praying – praying – praying. Attilla & Lehel are both serious-minded young men.
Saturday – We went into the kids program. 21 kids not from church came. They played games, then sang songs and heard a Bible message. This time only 3 were gypsies. It seems to be going well. Heidi is really putting her heart into it. I am not sure how I can be of help except moral support, but Fedi is helpful with organizing things.
In the afternoon we dropped the kids off at Csillas and went shopping. In the middle of the city there was a man drunk, sitting in the snow. Two policemen were trying to talk to him. Fedi looked closer; it was his uncle. So he helped him up. The policemen said the store owners said he was sleeping in the snow. We had a time driving him home because he couldn’t give us good directions.
Csilla and family spent the night Saturday.
Sunday morning Fedi spent the whole morning trying to thaw out a frozen water pipe. He finally succeeded about noon. The rest of us did a little skiing here (walking up – sliding down) and then we went to church.
Donation money. Fedi gave Leventa and family $100.00 for January. $15 to a couple in church who had a sick baby. If you bribe the nurses they will let the mother stay in the hospital, otherwise not, and we will give the old man his $35.00.
Today Fedi is meeting with John (the old man) at the prison to turn in all the paper work to start a program of Bible studies. Hopefully it will be approved.
I want to write about Leventa and his family since a bulk of the donation money has gone to him. Leventa fits the role of who-ever wants to be a leader let him be a servant. He runs around helping whomever. His wife stays at home with their 5 kids. He has a meek personality and tends to let people take advantage of him. He used to be a teacher, is highly educated but education tends to get you nowhere in this country and he is not especially proud of it. His sermons are good and teaching is right on track but not delivered in a tremendously powerful way. The pastor before Leventa had a powerful, charismatic personality and the church missed that, I heard. My opinion though, is that it is better not to depend on a person. I think Leventa is right for this church.
FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 2004
The guy with the horse stopped by after new Years. He said he couldn’t afford to feed his horse and might have to sell him. So tomorrow Fedi is paying him $140 to bring in 2 loads of firewood. He will go and buy the hay directly with this money because Attila (the guy with the horse) goes to the Taverns and can’t be trusted with the money. We could have gotten the firewood much cheaper, but this man has two small kids and is a hard worker.
We also, boy do I feel funny writing about this, hired a girl to help with the housework and cooking 2 days a week. I know I’ve let the schoolwork slip trying to wash the dishes by hand and cooking from scratch. I also have to keep the fire going. Anyway I’ve told Fedi a lot of times if he could help about ½ a day it would do the trick, but it’s just too weird to have him trying to do housework. And he has stayed busy. Boy does it go against the culture too. Now, in winter, a lot of the men are out of work. You see them all the time talking on the street or hanging around at the tavern. At the same time I see the women washing clothes in the stream going by their house in the village. I’m sorry, but the longer I am here the more I respect the women and the less I respect the men.
Anyway, this girl is Attila, the cow rancher’s son’s girl friend. They are both planning to come to church on Sunday. I hope we can also be a light to Erika as she helps me out. It will cost us about $60.00 per month. Half of me regrets it already, but the other half really enjoyed being able to concentrate on the kid’s school and do a good job on it.
Oh yeah, on Tuesday afternoon we went to the English class in Certa. They gave us the floor. Many of the kids were Anni and Rebekah’s age. After class they surround the girls. It will be nice if they can make some friends.
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