Spangles

Not Blogging Blog

2011-10-24T17:49:00.001-04:00

If you've been following my blog for any length of time and with any regularity you may have noticed a change. Namely that I have not posted anything in five weeks. Given that I usually post 2-3 times week, this is a long time with no Spangles. I have been meaning to write THIS entry for about 3 weeks, as I realized shortly after starting grad school that this would be a different kind of season of life. One where I would have to streamline and focus on a few things (namely school, church, and friends) and set aside many other activities (namely reading and writing blogs, letter writing, reading for pleasure, and little odds and ends of the like). The fact that it has taken me 3 weeks to even write this little sucker is indicative of the craze of life right now. Not bad craze, just full and focused.

Now that midterms AND my brother's wedding are behind me, I have a brief moment to write before settling into paper-writing mode for the next 6 weeks, in which I get to (notice, not "have to") write three 10-15 page research papers. Though much is going on, and there is much I would enjoy writing about (say, my brother getting married, living in Harlem, and being a grad student. Just for instance), I am learning that I don't get to do everything I would like to do in every season of life, and sometimes we have have to cut out good things to make room for the great things in a given season. So, while I may post here and there, I am setting the expectation for myself and my few die-hard readers that I will in general be taking a sabbatical from (blog) writing. I can't imagine I'll be done with blogging, but for the time being it will most definitely be a back-burner item.

If you'd like some good reads to fill the huge gap in your life that will certainly ensue, check out Yellow Dress for Love, dooce, CCC in CLT, A Song in the Dessert, or The Boomerang Kid.

Until we meet again,
Spangles

Book Review: No Longer at Ease by Chinua Achebe

2011-09-16T09:00:00.000-04:00

Havingread and really enjoyed ThingsFall Apart, when I saw that my cousin had this book, I thought I would giveit a read. I am very glad I did so! What a fascinating and challenging book!This is a novel about Obi Okonkwo, a Nigerian who goes to England for collegeand then returns to work in Nigeria. He is enabled to do so with funding froman organization in his tribe. When he returns, he is given a position in the civilservice in Lagos. Though he has a good job, a brand new car, and is paidextremely well, he finds himself very uncomfortable with much of what goes onaround him and has difficulty understanding and dealing with what is expectedof him from his employer, the tribal organization, his family, and his friends.Obi has changed, gained new views, and he is not always sure how to live thoseout back in his homeland. This novel tells of the personal, moral, and ethicaldilemmas he faces- both the obvious and subtle challenges. I don’t know if I recognizedthe subtle yet profound nature of many of his struggles because I know a bitabout Nigerian culture, but I even felt myself wrestling with what would beRIGHT or WRONG for him to do. Andnot just what is theoretically right but living that out when (and even if)everyone around you is living in a way that you understand to be wrong. It’snot always so clear. And certainly not easy.

This is an easy read,though a deep book, and I recommend it, particularly if you enjoyed Things FallApart or have an interest in Nigerian culture.

Book Review: Half the Sky by Kristof and WuDunn

2011-09-12T09:00:00.000-04:00

Thisis a super intense book. As you might expect from a book about abuses againstand desperately sad situations faced by women around the world. A friend of mine who works forInternational Justice Mission in the Philippines told me I HAD to read it,considering what I would like to do with my life, so I gave it a go. Wow. Idon’t even quite know where to begin.

Thefirst third of the book is particularly heavy because it looks at themodern-day slavery of sex trafficking from a variety of angles. Though I knew abit about sex trafficking, I didn’t know a lot of what I read in this book. AndI didn’t understand quite how much nuance there is even within the world of sextrafficking. As in, it’s not so black and white as one would imagine.

Othertopics covered in the book include honor killings, maternal mortality, femalegenital mutilation, education for women, microfinance, and a discussion aboutwhether a grassroots or “treetops” approach is better to tackle these problems.I appreciate that Kristof and WuDunn give both overarching issues andstatistics but also zoom in to the individual. Each chapter starts with abroader idea or picture and ends with a “case study” of sorts of one person orone organization doing something related to the idea. They share “successes”and “failures” regarding each topic, so I didn’t feel like the book was overlyoptimistic or pessimistic.

Ilearned a lot from this book. And it spurred LOADS of thoughts, questions, ideas,and visions about my big dream of starting a maternity and children’s hospitalin Africa. One of the case studies in one of the chapters about maternalmortality is called Edna’s Hospital. It is about a Somali woman who started a maternityhospital in Somaliland. It talks about why she wanted to start thehospital, the challenges she faced, and how she went about doing it. So.Fascinating. So. Inspiring.

Ifeel that I will look back to this book and that chapter often as I walk down(hopefully) a similar road! There is much to be done, and certainly many economic,cultural, and political obstacles in the way, but bit by bit we can work toimprove health, life, and education for women around the world. If only we willtry.

Living in Harlem is the Best

2011-09-08T09:00:00.101-04:00

I know, I know, you hear "Harlem" and all kinds of words and ideas come to mind, and "really great place to live" probably isn't among them.

But.

Let me just share a little bit about why I love my apartment and my neighborhood, and perhaps it will change your ideas just a smidge.

First of all, my apartment. It's huge. For New York. AND even for any normal sane place where people have space. Not only is it huge, it's not expensive. For New York. Not for normal sane places. You could rent a house in most places for what I alone pay for my "cheap" rent in NYC. Add that to what all THREE of us pay to live in this apartment, and you can rent a mansion in North Carolina. Right. We will ignore that, because this is New York City. And for here, it's cheap.

Not only is it big and cheap, I have a normal-sized stove (not like the mini ones in many apartments), a normal fridge (again, not like the little hotel-room-size ones in many apartments), great water pressure in the shower (ahhhhhhh), massive windows all along our living room that is about 30 feet long, and more counter space than I can shake a stick at. And I'm on the first floor. It pays to live in Harlem. Especially if you have a heart for hospitality and welcoming people into your home and enabling them to spread out rather than squish like sardines. I am truly thankful for this provision, not so that I can have a large apartment all to myself, but so I can share my space. Which happens to be in a lovely neighborhood.

On that note, here's a little bit about my neighborhood of Harlem, which is called Sugar Hill:
~Across the street from my house is a park. In which there is an Olympic-sized outdoor swimming pool. There are 5 Olympic-sized outdoor swimming pools in all of Manhattan, and 4 of them are in Harlem. The other is in Washington Heights. Also in this park is a cool little bandshell where there are fun concerts. That I definitely hear in my apartment, whether or not I want to. :) There are also benches. Lots and lots of benches. Where I can sit and read all day long if I so desire.
~It's diverse. Young and old. Families and singles. Black, white, brown, and every shade in between.
~It's friendly. I've never lived in a more friendly place. Nowhere. Not my childhood town of 300 people. Not Philly. Not Brooklyn. Not Romania. People here smile and say hi, they stop and chat, they're really delightful (Incidentally, the group of people that isn't as friendly? The whiteys.).
~I'm a 2-minute walk to the subway, where I can get the A, B, C and D trains. I can be in Times Square (not that I would ever WANT to be in Times Square) in 15 minutes on the express train. It's fab.
~The food is so much fun. Jamaican food. Dominican restaurants. Puerto Rican taco stands. African markets. Caribbean markets. BBQ. Yum.
~Did I mention it's way cheaper to eat and shop up here?
~There is a Pathmark a 3 minute walk away. Now. Grocery stores in NYC are notoriously small. And notoriously overpriced. A "grocery store" may be little more than a few tiny aisles. A sad joke, really. Yes, there are a few stores around the city that are reasonably large and reasonably inexpensive. But, to live near one of those is another thing altogether. I now live near a normal suburban-sized grocery story. Oh man, it's delightful.
~There is an awesome riverside park a half mile away, with a large picnic area, ice skating rink, indoor pool ($2 to enter!), gym, and track. The track is free. All the time. Every day. I don't know if there are other outdoor tracks in the city (though I'm sure there must be one somewhere), but dang, this is a blessing.

Personally it's a great location for me, as it's 15 minutes door-to-door to school and it's about 20-25 door-to-door to church. My bank has a branch at the corner of my street. My cousin lives a 6 minute walk away. And the neighborhood is just generally a good fit for my personality.

Now, of course I know there are parts of Harlem that aren't-so-great. But. As I explore Harlem more and more, I am finding that most of it IS this great. So. The next time you think of Harlem, hopefully some of what I have said will come to mind. And perhaps if you're looking to move, you'll even come join the neighborhood.

Post coming soon with pics of my new apartment!

Travel Log: Visit to Washington D.C.

2011-09-06T09:00:00.000-04:00

I've been to D.C. loads of times. And I really enjoy it each time, probably because several dear friends live there and I get to hang out with them. I like visiting D.C., but I never ever feel like I would want to live there. I was particularly excited to visit this time simply to see people I hadn't seen in a long time. And what a wonderful combination of people from various chapters of my life I was able to see!

As I didn't have a car, and the cost of a car rental PLUS gas would cost more than this grad student can fork over, I decided to take the bus from central PA to D.C. Which I was of course a bit skeptical about, because I am always skeptical about buses in America. But thankfully I'm starting to get over it, as I've had several very normal and in fact reasonably enjoyable bus trips. Yes it took 5.5 hours to get there instead of the 4 it would take to drive, but hey, I could sleep and listen to music, so it was just dandy.

My first day I had the distinct privilege of hanging out with a Nigerian friend from our church in Romania who came to the U.S. for part of her summer break to visit a cousin who lives in Maryland near D.C. I was SO excited to see her, as it had been nearly a month since I had left Romania and I was craving ANYTHING related to my life there. As it was her first time in the U.S., we did the touristy awesomeness starting at the Natural History Museum and making our way down to the Lincoln Memorial, taking lots of pictures along the way at the various monuments.

We had a lot of fun in the Africa section of the Natural History Museum:

And of course enjoyed the beautiful monuments:

We ate dinner at T.G.I.Fridays, which was so fun, because it was all so new and novel to her. She was really confused why we had to leave 20% EXTRA for the waitress, so we explained the way tipping works in America. Really interesting to "see" my country through totally fresh eyes. It was GREAT to spend an entire day with her and to get to know her cousin and cousin's friend. And- let's be honest- to speak a little pidgin English and look super white in all the pictures because of how dark they are.

Then I was able to see a dear friend from college who lives and works in D.C. I hadn't seen him since before I left for Romania, so it was truly a delight! His mom was in town for the weekend, which was an extra special bonus. Because she was in town, we did a bit of the touristy thing as well, but we mostly just chillaxed and caught up.

My next stop was visiting one of my aunts who also lives in Maryland near D.C. I really enjoy spending time with her and her daughter, and as it was rainy and cloudy for my day there, we had a really relaxing time chillaxing at her house and going to a movie. I didn't actually take any pictures with her or my cousin, but I did take plenty of pictures of their adorable new dog Lilly. As she is quite literally constantly moving, I didn't get a single shot that wasn't blurry, but here is one where you can at least see her whole body...

One super exciting surprise was the Africa Fest that was taking place in the town where my aunt lives, and it happened to be right next to the movie theatre. My first thought was, "I need to look for suya!" This is a food- essentially meat kebabs, often served by street vendors- that my Nigerian friends talk about all. the. time. But one which I haven't really tried because the beef isn't great for it in Romania, and no one has a grill. Here is a link with a reasonable recipe (though americanized and fancy) and pictures to give you an idea (though I made with beef, not chicken). I was not disappointed and REALLY enjoyed my first true suya experience. I also met quite a few Africans just simply by being a white person eating suya. Apparently white people don't eat it? Or not with so much hot pepper on it? I don't really know, but it was delicious!

My last stop was visiting the family farm of my teammate Erin, as she and the kiddos were still in the U.S. for their furlough. I have met Erin's entire family and heard SO much about the farm, so it was a treat to spend some time there. And so delightful to spend time with Erin and the darling kiddos. Oh how I have missed them! Sweet Levi is getting so big!

To top it all off, our Nigerian friend was able to come visit us at the farm for one of the days! So it was a mini Iasi-reunion in Maryland! We even managed to have a little wilderness adventure at Great Falls Park.

It's so peaceful at the farm, and this was a wonderful way to end a wonderful trip. It was so hard to say goodbye to them, knowing I may not see them for quite a long time. But I am very thankful for this time, and the memories will certainly live on in my heart.

Book Review: The Help by Kathryn Stockett

2011-09-02T09:00:00.001-04:00

I hadn’t heard of this book (or the movie) and the craze about it before moving back to America. Or even really once I had moved back. Except that my cousin and aunt read it and loved it, so they told me about it and let me borrow the copy my grandma had loaned them. And then my grandma just said I could keep it because she found an extra. Sweet. So. I had the distinct pleasure of reading this well-written and engaging book.

In case you haven’t heard about this book, the general idea is that it’s a novel about white middle and upper-class women in Jackson, Mississippi and their black maids/nannies/’help’. In the 1960s. It is written from three viewpoints, alternating between the voices of two of the black women and one of the white women. It’s a great and interesting story, one that keeps your attention and keeps you wanting to know what comes next. The characters are written so well, you almost feel like you “know” them. Though there is one overarching story (which I won’t give away), there are so many characters and situations that you just get a huge spectrum of ideas and character types. Stockett’s writing is fantastic, and even though the book is 522 pages it clips right along.

I’m not sure about how accurately it represents situations between black and white women during that period (and I know there has been a fair amount of criticism as well as acclaim surrounding the book and movie. Alas, anything dealing with race relations in our country is SO messy), but at the very least it’s a great story and read. It’s funny, sad, scary, sincere, ridiculous, angering, and hope-inducing. I have yet to meet someone who hasn’t enjoyed reading it, and I too give it a strong and recommendation. Let me know what you think about it!

Book Review: Re-Entry by Peter Jordan

2011-08-26T09:00:00.048-04:00

Rather than write a review of this book, which is written for missionaries returning to their home country after short or long-term trips, I will just share some of the quotes/lessons that impacted me the most and I have found the most helpful in readjusting. Or rereading and repeating to myself as I struggle with something and I just force myself to say, "This is NORMAL. You are NOT crazy. It will be ok. Just be patient." When I first got back I felt ok (though physically I was really confused and my body was reacting in all kinds of crazy ways), but then over time I have had a few days where I have felt completely overwhelmed, frustrated, out of place in my own country, and like I'm reacting in strange ways. So, again, I keep going back to these notes and reminding myself that eventually it will all be ok.

The whole book is reasonably good (though some of the references are outdated and/or a bit cheesy), but these were some of the highlights for me:

~ Prepare for reverse culture shock- Some of the difficulties experienced by returning missionaries during re-entry is a result of their success on the mission field. Unfortunately that success must be reversed when they return home. And what is their success? Cross-cultural adaptation. They have adapted so well to the culture in which they have been serving that they must undergo a reverse cultural adaptation back to their home culture (p77). Never presume that no changes have occurred, even if you have only been away on a one-month outreach. Nothing stays the same, neither you nor the people you left at home. Humans exist in a state of constant change in which they are seeing and learning new things and adjusting to them (p42).

~ Social changes- One change you will probably notice is a much greater understanding and acceptance of people from other races and ethnic groups. You have become less “ethnocentric.” This means that the dogmas and practices of your culture are not as central or absolute to you as they used to be; now you can easily embrace other culture perspectives and ways of doing things (p45). This may cause conflict with others, so watch out for it. Or you could be ridiculed for your openness and acceptance, but it's important to respond with grace and kindness.

~ Emotional changes- Your emotional attachments will have changed, and so will those of the people with whom you were once close. You may be close to them still, but maybe not. This is perfectly normal, but many people aren’t prepared for these changes when returning home. As a result, misunderstandings and hurts can occur. People may think you are snubbing or ignoring them. It may take some time for them to realize that both of you have changed and to adjust into a new routine and relationship, so be patient (p46).

~ Many returning missionaries fail to make a clear distinction between the function of the mission organization and the function of the local church. The mission org takes a small number of committed Christians and trains them to focus on a specific goal of sharing the Gospel. In contrast, the local church is a broad, diverse, multifaceted entity, with many tasks it is called to undertake. There are weak and mature Christians in churches, and the church must respond to all kinds of needs, etc. So don’t get upset that the church isn’t focusing “enough” on missions or evangelism or something YOU think it needs to be (though the church certainly should be missional).

~ Don’t be critical- Come home humble, not haughty. Resist the urge to compare and criticize, especially when you feel people don’t understand you or what you have been through. Mature people are patient with immature people. If your experience on the mission field has matured you, it should work itself out in your life through more patience and less criticism. If that is not the case, as yourself if you are as mature as you think you are (p87).

~ On understanding apathy- People's perceived apathy can be a result of information overload, or compassion burnout. If you don’t get asked a lot of questions about what it was like serving on the mission field, it can also be because many people already think they know; they’ve seen it on TV. It can also be from difficulty relating to missionaries- few Christians, must less non-Christians, really understand what motivates missionaries or how to relate to them. So don't be offended, just work to share how and when appropriate.

~ A Return on God’s Investment- For the rest of your life, you will carry with you the sights, sounds, and impressions you experienced on the mission field. While there, you will also have developed an awareness of the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of other missionaries, and of the people you were seeking to reach with the Gospel. When you arrive home you become a link between two unknowns in a very real sense: the people group among whom you served and your church congregation (p126). Be an advocate, be informed, continue to take an interest in the people with whom you worked among on the mission field. Be an intercessor, be a giver, be supportive, be part of a missions board, be a recruiter, stay linked to your missions agency. Let the experiences of the mission field change the way you live now back at home in positive and God-honoring ways.

My 5 Year Anniversary

2011-08-24T17:00:00.015-04:00

My 5 year anniversary of WHAT you may be asking? Of my blog. Five years ago today I wrote my first blog entry about moving to New York City. A very brief one, but my launch into the blogosphere nonetheless.
Today I write my 5-year anniversary blog, as I've just moved BACK to New York City. It is my 695th post. I was hoping to get to 700, but with all that has been going on throughout my transition, that hasn't been possible. Alas.

It's interesting to reread some of the posts from those first months, and even the first year of living in NYC; I see how different the Spangles is that is moving to NYC now. Certainly then I was fresh out of college and just trying to figure out how to survive as an adult in the real world, and now I'm a "seasoned" (ha!) adult person (ish) who is continuing the journey of adulthood. But. More than that, the first time I came to the city I think in a big way I was seeking to GET from the city. Build my resume, meet interesting and talented people, go to lots of Broadway shows and concerts, eat all kinds of fancy food, etc etc etc. I don't think I would have said this explicitly, but I definitely was here to GET things/connections/experiences from my time in the city. And honestly, most people are here to do that, so, in a way, it works out just fine for everyone.

But now I'm here to GIVE. Yes I'm here to "get" an education, but outside of that I want nothing more than to have people into my home for dinners, lunches, afternoon teas, Bible studies, and to simply share life together. I want to have time to help and serve my friends when they need it. I want to live simply. I want to get to know people in my neighborhood. I want to go to the same shops and restaurants so much that people know me by name. I want to babysit for people and love on their kids. I want to eat in more than I eat out (and I have an AMAZING kitchen to be able to do so... pics coming later). I want to go to shows and museums, but just to enjoy them, not to keep up with the rat race. I want to serve in the community and not avoid regular commitments because I might be "missing out" on something "better."

And I'm glad for this change, thankful for this attitude, and prayerful that I can sustain it during my time here. So, 5 years after the start of my blog, here I am starting a new chapter, back in an old familiar place. Though this time I'm living in Harlem instead of Brooklyn, and I'm a student instead of a consultant. I'm excited to explore the city through these new "lenses."

If you'd like to read, here are a few funny/interesting posts from August 2006... Take a Bite; Just Say No; User (un)friendly.

So here we go. Again. :)

Kitchen Creations of Lizinda- Mexican and Nigerian

2011-08-19T14:00:00.001-04:00

"Lizinda" is the name I will be giving to the cooking team of Liz and Linda, my great and fabulous godmother. Who happens to be one of the most crafty and creative people I've ever had the pleasure of knowing. And she is just all-around wonderful. I've been very privileged over the years to eat many of her delicious international creations; it's always an adventure to have dinner with her and her husband Jim!

Now that I've collected a few international recipes of my own, we've started what I hope will be a continuing tradition of teaching one another recipes from different cultures. Our first adventure back at Christmas was me teaching her a Malaysian curry and her teaching me how to make bread (it's not international, but I have a HUGE mental barrier for bread-making). This time around I taught her Nigerian red sauce and she taught me a Mexican mole. Quite a crazy combination of flavors to eat at the same meal, but really fun to make together.

I hadn't the slightest clue about how moles are made, but she taught me lots of good stuff. Turns out they're pretty much a whole bunch of ingredients toasted, blended together, and fried. Not so hard, but you have to have the ingredients, which for this one included tomatoes, corn tortillas, (homemade!), toasted day-old bread (who would've thought?), garlic, dried guajillo chiles, ancho chiles, toasted sesame and cumin seeds, cinnamon sticks, and cloves. Here are a few of the ingredients:

We toasted most of it on the comal, which is a round cast iron plate that Mexicans use for a lot of their cooking. Jim made this one, because he does cool blacksmithing stuff like that!

Then we stuck it in a blender with some chicken broth and made it into a sauce!

Finally we fried it a bit, and then we had our mole! There are a few other steps involved- like taking the seeds out of the chiles, which I did, but then forgot about and rubbed my eyes. Oh. My. Word.- but this was the basic idea.

Since we were having chicken with the Nigerian red sauce, we ate the mole over chilacayote squash, though Linda said it's great over pork or chicken as well.

Then we were onto Nigerian red sauce, which is soooo tasty. It's essentially tomatoes, onions, and red peppers (I used bell) chopped up and fried with some Maggi (chicken bouillon powder) and Nigeria pepper (pronounced peh-peh).

I boiled some chicken, cooked some rice, and we had our red sauce!

What a delicious meal, and a fun culinary adventure!! Hopefully many more Lizinda Creations to come!

Book Review: Becoming a Woman of Beauty and Strength by Elizabeth George

2011-08-12T09:00:00.009-04:00

This is a great little 25 lesson study/devotional through the Old Testament book of Esther. It’s very manageable to do one a day, and because I had quite a bit of time when I was reading this book, I often did two a day. It goes bit by bit through the 10 chapters of Esther, and George focuses primarily on lessons that can be drawn out of the text relating to the characteristics of a godly woman. A woman of true beauty and strength, in fact. Which is easy enough to do, as Esther was pretty much oozing with godly beauty and strength.

Even though the word "God" never appears in the book of Esther, it is an incredible story of God’s faithfulness, sovereignty, and the goodness of His plans and timing. It’s one of my favorite books in the Bible, and each time I read it I am in awe of how God works all things (even bad things) together for good for his people. There are also plenty of figures in the book with which to contrast Esther’s character, making her beauty shine all the more. I learned a lot more about this gem of an Old Testament book, and I took away many practical applications. It’s a simple yet to-the-point study that is great for a daily study. I took plenty of notes, but here are some of the top tidbits George highlighted from Esther’s character that in particular are areas in which I would like to grow:

1) Seeking only to be recognized as a person who knows God, not for worldly accomplishments.

2) Being patient and joyful in waiting, knowing that God has a plan and is in control.

3) Faithfully submitting to and serving those placed in authority over me, whether or not I’m recognized for it.

4) Choosing to give kind responses to those who try to aggravate me.

5) Not letting emotions dictate my timing and delivery of what I say to people (in essence- be calm in all situations).

6) Being more alert for “tiny miracles” and looking for God’s providence in my life and thanking Him for it.

Foreign Moment of the Day #2

2011-08-10T09:00:00.000-04:00

Continuing in my little mini-series about snafus (have you ever seen that word written out?? I haven't) I'm making as I'm readjusting to life in the U.S. of A...

Me: Can we rent a movie from Blockbuster tonight?

Mom: It's not there anymore.

Me: What do you mean?

Mom: Blockbuster went out of business awhile ago...

Me: Ah yes, good to know.

Introducing My Sister

2011-08-08T21:05:00.000-04:00

I have one brother who is 17 months younger than me. And he's a great brother, but he's 100% guy, and 100% little brother. I also grew up with 2 guy neighbors my age, and 2 guy cousins my age. So, I'm kind of used to needing to be not-so-girly to be able to survive with them. And I really don't know what it's like to have a sister and do all the girly things that sisters do together. Alas.

Thus, I was pretty excited that my brother found a great gal to marry, not just for his sake, but for mine as well. Their dating/engagement was during my time in Romania, so I've not had much of a chance to get to know Kara in person. But I certainly liked what I knew of her from email and Skype and was excited to get to know her better. Now that I'm stateside and the wedding is fast approaching (October 22!!), I have been in touch with her more, and I was able to spend an entire weekend with her while she was here for a shower that my family threw.

Good times.

The shower was a lot of fun, with both of my grandmas, several each of aunts, cousins, and family friends in attendance. One of my aunts MADE UP HER OWN GAME. She's a first grade teacher, and does cutesy stuff like that all the time. It was Wedding Trivial Pursuit. Awesome. We also had the usual gift opening and food, plus I tried on my bridesmaid dress for everyone, and it was a fun little afternoon.

Kara and my brother stayed for the weekend, and she and I spent most of Sunday together out shopping and running various errands. We had a lovely time and chatted away the whole time. She also happens to have a great eye for clothing that looks great on ME, which was fun. Here are some pics from the weekend:

Kara and I, out to dinner with the fam

The happy couple!

With the kid brother

Introducing Kara to Carvel ice cream!

I am really excited to have a sister, and really excited that Kara is that sister.

Foreign Moment of the Day #1

2011-08-03T09:00:00.000-04:00

Now that I'm back and settling into life in the U.S. of A once again, I'm having some funny "foreign" moments. As in, I've been away long enough that there are just things I don't know about, or my frame of reference has changed in such a way that I make silly mistakes, as if I were a foreigner. Rather than get upset or frustrated, I have decided to LAUGH at these little mishaps. We'll see how long that lasts.

I now present you with my foreign moment of the day...

While looking at a Google map of the neighborhood where I'll be living in NYC...
Me: This is so awesome! They have a Jesus (pronounced Gee-zuhs) Tacos right in my neighborhood!
Friend: Um Liz, I think it's probably Jesus (pronounced Hay-soos) Tacos.
Me: Ah yea, you're probably right.

Apparently this is what happens when you haven't seen anything written in Spanish in years.

Times They Are A-Changin'

2011-08-01T09:00:00.056-04:00

As it turns out, when you don't live in your country for 2.5 years, things change quite a bit. Small and big. In my first few weeks home I have taken note of various additions, deletions, and changes to life and culture in the U.S. Some of these I've known about and seen as I've come home and visited over the years, but just for perspective about how much can change in 2.5 years, I'll put them all together.

Things that did not exist or were just barely around before I left:
~iPad
~Groupon
~BluRay
~President Barack Obama
~The Tea Party
~Verizon as an option on the iPhone
~NetFlix on demand (you could watch a few movies online, but not many)
~Lady Gaga (her first album had just come out)
~American Pickers
~Coconut and pretzel M&Ms
~Commercials included in "previews" before movies at the theatre
~Glee
~Redbox (it existed but wasn't nearly as popular or widespread as it is now)
~Bruno Mars

Things that did exist but no longer do:
~Blockbuster
~Circuit City
~Borders (going out of business at time of writing)
~24 and Lost

Things that have changed:
~The branding and look of Bath and Body works products
~The packaging of Powerade and Gatorade
~Gap going from plastic to wooden hangers and definitely changing their target market
~Jamba Juice going from pretty much having just smoothies to oatmeal and other offerings
~The size of ice cream containers has shrunk
~Gluten free products everywhere (seriously, how did our entire country get Celiac's Disease in the past 2.5 years??)
~Nearly everyone in NYC has an iPhone or Blackberry, and "smart phones" are ubiquitous in the country

These are just some that I've noticed in my first two week home, but surely there are others. Plenty of new food products and technologies, that's for sure. Anyone have some additions/deletions/changes in the US that you have thought of as you were reading? Please leave a comment!
It's strange to come home to my home culture and see so much change that I wasn't here for, and it therefore in a way feels "foreign" to me. I sometimes feel overwhelmed at the amount of new information I need to take in and assimilate, but surely over time I will adjust and then be back "in the loop" in my own country.

Until then I'll just be really entertained by coconut M&Ms and American Pickers.

Big 10 of the First 10

2011-07-29T09:00:00.013-04:00

My first 10 days back in America were restful and relaxing, and I was able to see many dear friends whom I hadn't seen since before I left for Romania. I ate loads of yummy food, slept a lot, and generally just tried to adjust to the idea that I'm not just back here for 2 weeks on vacation but am going to LIVE in the U.S. again.

Here are my Top 10 moments from my First 10 days back... and yes, most of them are food.

Fish tacos with my second family in Seattle:

Date with Jordan and Anca that included treats from The French Bakery and sitting by Lake Washington:

Panera panini and frozen strawberry lemonade:

Homemade strawberry shortcake:

The beautiful hills of the Yakima valley:

Date with Kristin for a latte (with Stumptown coffee!) and cake at Northtown:

Fajitas (yes I was soaking up the Mexican food while in Washington!) at El Porton:

BBQ with many of my beloved Great Commandments Ministry family:

Adventures with Asher and Eden:

My first Philly Cheesesteak in 4 years, at Genos:

I am thankful for so much wonderful rest and relaxation. Food and friends. Love and laughter. Good sweet times.

The Long Way Home

2011-07-23T09:00:00.000-04:00

My original flight situation back to the States was not excellent, but bearable. Bacau (a city 2 hours from my city with a small airport) to Dublin, stay overnight with a friend, then the next day fly Dublin to Charlotte to Chicago to Seattle. I'm so used to going to the east coast, that it just seemed to far and long, but alas.

It's a long story, but due to a mistake that U.S. Airways website made that they refused to acknowledge as their fault and thereby restore my original itinerary, I ended up having to fly Dublin to Charlotte to Chicago to Phoenix to Seattle. Read that again and visualize the itinerary on a map in your mind.

Definitely the long way home.

But I decided to have a cheerful attitude about it, and see it as an opportunity from the Lord. If God is sovereign in all things (which he is!), he had allowed it for a reason, and so I just needed to open my eyes (tired and jetlagged as they might be!) and look around to see why I needed to be on those flights. In particular I prayed for an opportunity to share the good news of Jesus with someone.

My trip to Dublin was actually harder because I didn't expect it to be... but then it was. I had to take a 2 hour maxi-taxi to Bacau, which I have done before, and my roommate even came with me (thus the thinking that it wouldn't be so bad). However, it was about 95 degrees that day, and they don't so much have AC in the maxi taxis, which are small buses that seat 18 people. I anticipated this, but I did not anticipate what it would be like with 22 people in an 18 seat van in 95 degree heat and the only open window being that of the driver... waaay up front. You see, many Romanians believe in the "curent", aka WIND. I believe in wind as well, but I believe it's refreshing and helpful when it's hot and stuffy. They believe it causes headaches and illnesses. Thus, no open windows to create deadly cross breezes. *sigh* Needless to say, when we got OUT of the maxi taxi dripping with sweat into the 95 degree heat in Bacau, it felt incredibly refreshing.

Then we had a taxi driver who was trying to be sneaky and scam-y, and then I had an argument with the airline people about their stupid baggage policies and fees. So. I wasn't in the greatest of spirits. But in the end I made it to Dublin and had a wonderfully easy time getting into the city and back out to the airport the next morning.

Then began my U.S. Airways Insane Itinerary. The check-in lady kindly informed me that she could only check my bag through three flights, so I would have to go out and retrieve my bag before the fourth flight and re-check it. I kindly informed her that was not a possibility, as that last connection was only an hour, and just... no. She was actually really helpful (sad that I say "actually" because I have dealt with so many unhelpful airline people), and made a call to see if there was a way to check my bag all the way through. Turns out (surprise surprise!) there is, it just needs to be done manually. Excellent. This kind lady also helped me get Exit Row seats on 3 of my 4 flights. Score! So Long-Legged Lizzy wouldn't be so cramped in her 19 hours of flying. What a blessing!

The first flight was the long one, and then it was just on and off and on and off for the last three. I have to give credit where credit is due- all of my flights were on time, and my bags got through. This is nothing short of a miracle, as far as I'm concerned. By Chicago I was really tired, by Phoenix I was exhausted, and by Seattle I was delirious. But I made it. On time. In one piece. With my luggage. AND I got to share Jesus with a guy on the way to Phoenix. Which I wouldn't have if my itinerary hadn't been changed. So. It was worth it.

I decided to take photos along my journey to keep things interesting. And to keep me awake. The first one is my gangsta ticket collection:

This one represents my trip well... lots of standing around and waiting in crowded airports. Every plane I was on was completely full. It was crazy.

When I arrived in Charlotte I was pretty tired, as 9 hour flights tend to make one rather tired. I had also been nauseous for 4 hours of the flight and developed a headache at the end. So. I was not too thrilled about having 3 more flights. So what did I get for myself to help with my tiredness and headache and give myself a little Welcome to America present? Starbucks Vanilla Latte. Lovely.

My dear friend Carrie lives in Charlotte, and being the wonderful gal she is, she came to visit me at the airport on my layover and brought me Chik-Fil-A (!!!!!!). I hadn't seen her in more than 2 years, so it was a treat to see her, a boost to my morale, and deliciously filling.

At some point in some airport I got hungry because, oh right, you now have to pay for food on airplanes. So after Starbucks and Chik-Fil-A I added Auntie Anne's to my list of Welcome Home foods.

At long last, 26 hours after leaving Dublin, I arrived in Seattle at the house of dear friends. And this was what greeted me when I walked in the door:

I was indeed truly HOME.

Book Review: A Place of Healing by Joni Eareckson Tada

2011-07-22T09:00:00.005-04:00

This is a recent book by Tada, a Christian woman who was paralyzed in a diving accident when she was a child, resulting in quadriplegia. I now know that she is active as a speaker on disability and faith and has written dozens of books over the 40 intervening years on the subject of disability and Christianity, but this was the first I’d heard of her. She wrote this book as a reflection on her struggles not with quadriplegia (she’d been in a wheelchair for more than 40 years at the time of writing) but with chronic pain.

Apparently intense and debilitating chronic pain had developed in recent years, and it has caused her again to fight through questions of suffering, trials, and tribulations, and how we should face them as Christians.

As the Lord would work out His timing, I “happened” to start listening to this book as I was going through treatment for back pain. Lower back pain is nothing compared to quadriplegia or chronic pain, but it is a trial nonetheless. Regardless of the degree, with any kind of suffering there is always the temptation to let it consume our thoughts, to ask God “WHY?” and to complain and grumble. There is the need to wrestle with God over our tough questions, to go to Scripture for strength, and to cling to God in our darkest hours.

These are the kinds of issues with which Tada grapples in this book. The audiobook is great because it’s actually read by her, so you get the full effect of her intended tone and inflection. The book is raw and candid, because she (self-admittedly) wrote it in the midst of her trial. I don’t know whether it would have been better or worse if she had written it after she was through the trial and looking back, but I think it’s incredibly helpful for what it is.

I appreciated her theology of suffering. For instance, she states that yes, God sometimes heals people miraculously and it is good to pray for this, but no He doesn’t always do so, and it’s not because you (the sufferer) don’t have enough “faith”. In His sovereignty God allows some suffering, and we must trust that what He allows He does for His glory and His good and wise purposes. This is certainly not easy, and it takes knowing (and repeating to ourselves) the truth that God IS good, wise, and loving to be able to rejoice in our sufferings and seek to glorify Him in them.

I was convicted by several points she made about how we should deal with suffering. One was regarding how when we’re in pain or are suffering physically we tend to talk about it. A lot. To everyone. All the time. And while it’s certainly fine to talk about our problems/pain/trials/sufferings, we should be very mindful HOW we do so and HOW OFTEN we do so. Though it may consume much of our time and energy, we should spend far more time talking about GOD and what He’s doing in and through us than the actual suffering itself. I realized as I was going through physical therapy for my back that because it took up so much of my time it was so easy to talk about it all the time with others. “Oh today at physical therapy X happened.” Which is not bad, but it just needs to be more about God and less about me, as with all things in life.

Another point that she made that has been a theme for me lately is to be thankful in all things. Which we’re told to do in the Bible. I have increasingly realized how easy it is for me to justify complaining about legitimately bad things. Because, after all, they’re legitimately and objectively bad. Having a cockroach infestation for a year is genuinely not fun. Having a back injury is objectively difficult. But we’re not called to be thankful in all things except those that are legitimately difficult. No, we’re called to be thankful in ALL things. Including in cockroaches and back injuries and quadriplegia and chronic pain. Again, this is not an easy thing to do, but it is incredibly glorifying to God. Thus, I have been working to turn my “legitimate” complaints into praise and thanks to the Lord, knowing that He works all things together for good for those whom love Him and are called according to His purposes (Romans 8:28). If you’re wondering, I’m thankful for the cockroaches, because it may be preparation for living in a country where there are lots of bugs and critters and I need to get used to it.

I really liked this book, and it was a great encouragement to me as I was going through physical therapy. Whether you are currently struggling with some kind of physical ailment (big or small) or are just going through an intense trial, I believe this book will help you think about your suffering in a Biblical way and better enable you to wrestle with the tough questions of suffering and trials.

Favorite Moments in My Last Weeks

2011-07-18T09:00:00.001-04:00

My last 6 weeks in Iasi were sweet and lovely. They were filled with friends, meals, adventures, and love. Here are a few photos to recap some of the highlights.

Triple birthday celebration of Lil, Anna, and Tomi at Little Texas

The first high school play I've ever seen in Romania- The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. Was really very cute!

The 8th grade graduation party at the school where I teach English.

The university graduation of two dear Romanian friends.

The rose display at the Botanic Garden. The most massive rose garden I've ever seen, so beautiful!

Bracelet making party with my Bible study group

Dinner out with friends after the med school graduation.

Above and below are from a rooftop BBQ with some Israeli and Malaysian friends. More meat than I could possibly eat. It was amazing.

Together with my family after eating papanasi, my favorite Romanian dessert.

What a wonderful and memorable last 6 weeks, and certainly what a wonderful and memorable 2.5 years!

Book Review: Hudson Taylor: Deep in the Heart of China by Janet and Geoff Benge

2011-07-15T09:00:00.007-04:00

I have often heard of Taylor, as he started the now massive China Inland Mission (now called OMF International) and it’s hard to be a missionary and not know about him/this organization. So it was great to read this biography and learn more about his life. He had a heart for China and persevered to bring the good news of Jesus to the heart of China.

As I’ve been reading lots of missionary biographies lately I have seen a few trends that are of interest to me. First, pretty much every one of the missionaries about whom I have read experienced some intense physical sickness. Yes ok, a lot of these guys were missionaries in the 1800s when they didn’t have the medicines and healthcare that we have today. But still. Many of them had to leave the mission field and go home for months or years to recover from all kinds of crazy maladies. In Taylor’s case, he had to return from China because of a severe case of tuberculosis, and on top of that he got dysentery on the ship-ride home. Like ya do.

I point this out because it has actually been an encouragement to me. Since I’ve been in Romania, I’ve been sick absurdly often. In the past year alone I had 3 colds, the flu, a chronic 9 month cough, bronchitis, and scoliosis. Which is not tuberculosis or dysentery or malaria or dengue. But it’s annoying and frustrating to so often be slowed down and “out of commission.” But. I have come to see that maybe in some ways it’s just part of the package of living in foreign places in general and missionary life in particular. When I know that HUDSON TAYLOR had to leave his ministry for several YEARS because of illness, I don’t feel so frustrated that time’s a wastin as I’m laying sick in bed for a few days. And yet he had an incredibly thriving ministry and impact for Christ. God is sovereign, and He will accomplish what He has to accomplish. And perhaps it is for the best that I am weaker physically, as God’s strength can shine all the more brightly!

Furthermore, all these missionaries faced intense trials and tribulations of alllll sorts. Again, there is no comparison between a four month journey on a boat and 20 hours of plane rides (even if you have 4 connections!), but it’s still hard and tiring in its own way. And that’s not even the least of it. Taylor’s wife and several of his children died, and Mueller actually lost both his first and second wives (whom he married after the first died, to be clear haha). Many of these missionaries faced intense rejection from family and friends, were sharply criticized for what they were doing (even by other Christians!), or were told they were wasting their time and gifts. It’s incredibly encouraging for me to persevere in trials I face; if I am walking with the Lord and following His leading, I can rest confidently in His approval.

I also appreciated the fact that Taylor made a huge effort to assimilate into the Chinese culture in every way possible, so as to remove barriers to the Gospel. He didn’t compromise on his beliefs, but he did his utmost to connect and build bridges. He dressed like the Chinese, cut his hair like them, learned the language, and ate like them. And this wasn’t a globalized 2011; imagine the difference between 19^th century BRITISH and CHINESE clothing/food/ways of life! He was pretty severely criticized and looked down upon by other missionaries and expats for doing this, but he was firm in his conviction. I really appreciate this and aspire to this!

This brings an end to my missionary biography bonanza, for now at least. I would highly recommend reading a few missionary biographies at some point; they will undoubtedly encourage and challenge you!

What I Will Miss (and Not Miss) About Romania

2011-07-14T09:00:00.052-04:00

Today I leave Romania to move back to America. It's a little crazy, a little sad, a little overwhelming, a little exciting. And a whole lot of change will be coming my way.

Just wanted to share a few of the things I will and won't miss about Romania as I'm heading off. This is a totally separate idea from what I will miss about ministry here, which is totally separate and other from Romanian culture. But since this is my host country and people, I will share on this first.

What I Will Not Miss About Romania:
~Staring. People here stare. It's just an accepted part of life. It is not rude to stare at someone, not even after they realize you're staring at them. It doesn't bother me as much as it used to, but man, I still sometimes get really annoyed by it.
~Hard water. The water is drinkable but very very mineraly and hard. My scalp is a dandruff fest, and my hair gets dry and brittle.
~Street dogs. I really love dogs. I really don't love nasty ugly smelly street dogs. I am thankful I have had only 2 issues with dogs in my time here, but I will not be sad to be rid of street dogs.
~Garbage. It's totally acceptable to throw trash... anywhere. Unwrap a piece of gum? Throw the wrapper on the ground. Finish a bottle of soda? Throw the bottle on the ground. It's gotten a bit better in my time here, but the amount of garbage (particularly in my neighborhood) on the ground is gross.
~Bureaucracy and corruption. The amount of papers for even the simplest of transactions is absurd. And the amount of corruption and bribery that goes on in almost every sector of the economy and government is frustrating and saddening. I will not miss the 15 steps/papers/stamps/fees I needed to get my visa each year nor the endless stories I hear from friends who regularly meet with barriers, lines, and mountains of red tape.

What I Will Miss About Romania:
~Hospitality. Romanians are incredibly hospitable. Friends warmly welcome you into their home, give you their bed and the best food they have. They take care of you, feed you until you think you might burst, then give you some more, and just are so... hospitable.
~Selflessness. I think partly because Romanians are raised to understand that life is often hard and isn't often fair, and because many grow up in small apartments with lots of people, they just have learned to not be selfish with their possessions and space and time. Which is in stark contrast to the culture in which I was raised, which seeks comfort, independence, and "my" good above almost everything else. Both of my roommates while here (and many other Romanian friends) have taught me so much about selflessness, putting other's needs and preferences first, and just being flexible when things don't go as planned.
~Fresh produce. The fruit in the summer is incredible. Strawberries, cherries, watermelon, cantaloupe, plums, peaches. It's so fresh and wonderful. And while I do appreciate in America that I can get most any fruit or vegetable anytime of the year, I really almost prefer being able to get REALLY GOOD produce during it's season and then not much the rest of the year.
~Simpler life. When I was first here I couldn't stand the slower pace of life. I felt like I needed to BE and DO and ACCOMPLISH more than the system of life here allowed. But wow, I love it now. Fewer options, fewer choices, fewer activities, fewer stores, fewer demands, fewer distractions- it all makes for a much less cluttered mind, heart, home, and life.
~Spring and fall. I love the spring and fall here! They make the bitter cold of winter and the brutal heat of summer worth it. The beautiful flowers and sunny clear warm days of spring are lovely. And the wonderful true fall is also enjoyable.
~Quirky quirky quirks. This place is so wonderfully quirky, I just love it. Always a new adventure or fun find. From the very fact that people keep chickens in the city to men wearing capris to tuna on pizza, there is just much that is different from my culture and keeps me amused and on my toes.

There are of course plenty of other things I'll miss and not miss, but these are just a few of the big ones. Off I go, and while I can only take 25 kilos back in my suitcases, I will certainly take away much more than that in my heart. La revedere Romania! Hope to see you again someday!

Book Review: George Muller: The Guardian of Bristol's Orphans by Janet and Geoff Benge

2011-07-12T09:00:00.005-04:00

For some reason I thought Muller was a missionary that helped orphans in India. I think meshed him and Amy Carmichael (who was a missionary who started an orphanage in India) in my brain. So it was good for me to read this biography and learn that he actually opened orphanages for children in England in the 1800s.

I had often heard people talk about how Muller relied only on prayer alone to meet his needs. As in, he only told God his needs, not anyone else. He never asked anyone for money, he never sent out a support letter, he just prayed. Saying “just” makes it sound so simple. But this man had great faith and trust in his heavenly Father to provide for not only the needs of him and his family, but those of nearly 10,000 orphans over the years. Through prayer alone he saw the Lord faithfully provide for the funds, supplies, buildings and personnel to care for thousands and thousands of orphans.

The specific examples are so encouraging, and they challenge me to place greater faith in my God to provide! For instance, when he initially felt he was supposed to start an orphanage, though he felt so led, nothing was really working to get started. So one day he prayed that if he was supposed to start an orphanage, that the Lord would provide twenty pounds, and with it he would buy Bibles. That night while he was eating dinner, a woman from his church knocked on the door and handed him an envelope with money in it. She said that she just felt led to bring it to him. He asked her what she wanted the money to be used for, and she said that it should be used for Bibles. In the envelope were twenty pounds. Wow.

Once the orphanage had been established for some time and they had expanded and were housing 300 children, there was a morning when there was no food. The tables were set for breakfast, they had prayed for provision, but there was simply nothing in the kitchen. Muller believed the Lord would provide just as He always had, and he said a prayer of thanks for the meal that wasn’t yet there, and the staff and 300 children sat down to empty plates. A minute later the doorbell rang and the town baker was there with bread enough for the whole orphanage, saying that he woke up in the middle of the night feeling like he was supposed to make bread for them. And as he left a man with a milk cart came by asking if they could use bottles of milk. Why? Because the cart had broken and in order to get it back into town he would have to take the milk off, and it could either go to waste or be given to them. So. The Lord had provided yet again.

These are just two examples; the book is filled with dozens of equally inspiring stories from Muller’s life and ministry. I really appreciated this biography, and I was inspired by Muller’s example of humility, trust in the Lord, hospitality, and faithfulness in prayer.

Medical School Graduation

2011-07-11T09:00:00.059-04:00

I feel like a regular Romanian Graduation afficionado, what with the number I have attended this spring. But. The last was the most meaningful for me, as it was the UMF graduation, where 3 dear brothers and several other friends graduated medical school. It's kind of a big deal to graduate medical school. And for a few of these guys, it is a particularly big deal because of how long they've been in school. Unlike in the US, both here and in Nigeria people start medical school straight out of high school, and it's a 6 year program. Two of my friends started school in Nigeria and went through four years there before coming to Romania because the school was having all kinds of troubles. Here in Romania they were forced to start back in the SECOND year, even though they should have been in the FIFTH. So. I know it was very frustrating at the time, but I also know that they now see God's hand in it all and how He works all things together for good for His children. So now, after NINE years of medical school, they have graduated. And that is just two of the guys that I know. Other people have similar stories (several actually have the same story), but surely all have had setbacks, frustrations, successes, and failures along the way.

But. By God's grace, they did it! What a great reason to celebrate and rejoice!

The actual ceremony was a big load of absurdity, as it took place in a space that was about 300 people too small and therefore even with air conditioning it was brutally hot. Not to mention that several hundred people had to stand outside the room (a small expo hall, really), where there were no screen or anything to watch the ceremony. So it goes. Here is half of the room...

The English program (40 students) and the Romanian program (350 students) were together for the graduation, so it was just really overwhelmingly Romanian in its format and length and language. So it goes. But ah man, most all the Africans came to support their brothers and sisters, and when it FINALLY came turn for the English program people to be called you can bet we all pushed to the front and hooted and hollered and made sure they knew we were present. Like ya do.

I managed to craftily make my way to the very front and sit on the floor out of the way of official cameras and peoples so I could get some good shots. And since I'm white, no one tells me to move. Here is a picture of a group of the English program receiving their diplomas and another while they were saying the Hippocratic Oath...

Afterwards there were pictures pictures and more pictures! We stayed for nearly an hour chatting and snapping every combination of people together. It was great. Smiles abounded, and we were happy to rejoice with new Doctor friends. I'm so very proud of my friends and excited to see where the Lord will take them in their medical careers!

Book Review: Jim Elliot: One Great Purpose by Janet and Geoff Benge

2011-07-08T09:00:00.005-04:00

As a missionary, it’s hard not to know about Jim Elliot, because his story is so famous, and so intense. And of course there is the oft-cited Jim Elliot quote, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” This man had a heart to share Christ with the Auca tribe of Ecuador. They were a tribe that no one knew much about, because they were incredibly isolated. Also they pretty much killed anyone who they saw. But Elliot truly believed the calling on Christians to bring the good news of Jesus to all tribes, and he wanted to share with the Aucas.

He lived in Ecuador for a time, ministering to the Waodani Indians in the jungle, and bit by bit the pieces came together to be able to go into Auca territory and try to make contact with them. He learned some phrases from their language from a woman who had left the tribe, they were able to find an Auca settlement from the air, and the Lord brought other men who had a heart to share Christ with the Aucas as well. The missionaries initiated contact from the air via a loudspeaker and dropped regular gifts to the tribe. After several months, Elliot and four others decided to build a base near the Indian village. But just a few days after arriving in Auca territory, Elliot and the others were speared to death by warriors from the tribe, even though they had first had a few friendly encounters with the curious Aucas. Not included in this biography is the reason why they were killed- one of the Aucas that initially came to visit lied to the others in the tribe about the missionaries’ intentions.

This story made international headlines in the 50s, as the men were quite young (Elliot was 28) and American. So, many people vaguely know of the story. But wow, reading all the details surrounding it was just incredible. I have always wanted to read “Through the Gates of Splendor”, an account of his life and death written by Elliot’s wife Elisabeth, but this account is quite good, and hard to put down! If you want to be inspired by someone who believed that missions work was more important than his life, read this book.

Travel Log: 36 Hours in Moldova

2011-07-07T10:00:00.000-04:00

I live 20 kilometers from Moldova, the tiny country east of Romania that is about the same size as Maryland. Yes, I am THAT FAR EAST. I thought it would be quite a shame to leave Romania having never visited Moldova. I have intended to go several times, but for one reason or another it always fell through. But at long last I made it, just weeks before leaving Romania. I went with my darling roommate Anna, and we had quite an adventure in our 36 hours there. We mostly ate lots of food and saw lots of old communist buildings. It was great.

So first of all, the country IS as poor as everyone says it is. The roads are the worst I've ever seen. And yet people still drive 60mph or faster on them. The buildings are mostly in shambles. The villages look poor poor poor. And it kind of feels like time stopped in 1992. The cars, the clothing, the decor, it all just kind of froze in 1992. It's truly a forgotten country. Chisinau (the capital) is nicer and there you certainly are blasted in the face with the sharp dichotomy of rich and poor. There is so so so much poverty, but there are also so so so many black Mercedes on the road. I'm not even joking, probably 1 in 10 cars was a black Mercedes or BMW. I have some thoughts and know some of the reasons for this, but alas, I will save that for another day.

We took a rutiera ('maxi taxi' if you are from Romania, or basically a small bus) from Iasi over to Balti, the second largest city in the country (pop. 148,000). Crossing the border was pretty funny. Because I would bet it's among the first times they saw an American cross the border in a ghetto rutiera. I try to keep a low profile, and I am usually able to do so since I don't look foreign, but alas, not possible to do so when you all have to get out of the bus and show your passports and go through the stamping process. I received plenty of curious looks. Our driver smoked pretty much the entire time. And while he at first played traditional folk ("populara"... I don't know a good way to translate it) music, he then switched to American Classic Rock. Like straight up Eagles and Springsteen. I wonder if it was because of me? Hm.

Once we arrived in Balti our friend Raluca met us, and we saw the church where she works, and then headed off on our road trip south to Chisinau. With a random Christian German dude in tow who had come to visit Moldova and see if it was really like what people say it is, and who was in need of a ride to a place along our way. As ya do. About 10 minutes into our trip we got pulled over by the police. As ya do. Ralu had indeed been speeding (as everyone does), but once he realized she was foreign (she's been a missionary there for several years and speaks fluently, but of course with an accent) he was trying to find all kinds of other things to add to the fine, and just generally was being a jerkface. As he was doing so another car went FLYING by and he didn't bother to stop it. Ralu was happy to pay the fine she owed, but not happy to be taken advantage of as a foreigner or to see other people passing freely who were speeding. So she asked him why he didn't pull THAT guy over, maybe cause it was one of his friends? To which the police officer responded, "Do you talk to policemen in America like this?" And she said, "Yes, because we have LAWS and RIGHTS and JUSTICE." Go Ralu!! After that he didn't make her pay. Here is a picture of her in his police car (soooo gangsta!) because he wanted to show her Just How Fast she was going.

We arrived in Chisinau safe and sound, without any tickets or accidents. So- Food. We went to a place called La Placinte for lunch. Which does not mean placenta. Placinte are filled pastries, that can either be doughy or flakey, and they're filled with potatoes or cabbage, and (as in the photo below) cheese and dill, among other things. They're one of the most common foods in Moldova, and this place has loads of them:

We ate so much food. So much. Just endless amounts of Moldovan goodies. Potatoes, meat, heavy, hearty food. Mmmm. We were joined by one of Anna and Ralu's friends. Great place. Check out the wall!!

I also tried Cvas, a non-alcoholic fermented wheat drink that they sell everywhere on the streets. You can tell by my face that I wasn't quite sure what I thought about it:

And RASPBERRIES!! Oh how I miss raspberries! And while you can occasionally find them here, they are expensive. But in Moldova (oddly enough, as it's RIGHT NEXT DOOR) they have raspberries in abundance. So excited.

We also splurged on Thai food for dinner. Yes. Thai food. There is a really cool fancy schmancy hotel/spa in an obscure location, and the food is THAI. It was really quite good, and though I assume it was expensive for Moldova, four of us ate an appetizer and main dish, plus a beverage for $50. Total. They had super cute individual huts outside where you could sit and enjoy dinner in peace and quite.

Oh yes, but there's more. They have excellent ice cream in Moldova. And I definitely had 2 ice creams and a milkshake in my 36 hours there. Yum.

When we weren't eating (and sometimes when we were), we walked around Chisinau a lot. And of course we drove from Balti to Chisinau (3 hours I think) and then from Chisinau back to the border via Ungheni (another 3 or 4 hours), so we got to see a fair amount of the country. We saw cool old communist buildings, went to a fun crafts market where they had amazing old communist pins and hats from the war, saw some parks, spent the night in a Moldovan block apartment with some friends, and just generally looked around. Here are a few pictures:

Supposedly this is the President's house. But I don't really understand how it's a house and not say... a Mormon temple?

One of the many amazing (and amazingly old) buses.

BABUSHKAS!!!

Me in front of some old Communist-era building. People may or may not have stopped and stared at me.

Anna and I being silly at the city sign for Ungheni. I intentionally left out the photos we took with the cows nearby. Right.

Crossing back into Romania was also an adventure. Ralu took us to the little town right before the border, and we hitched a ride back over (Mom, don't worry- this is super common, not scary or sketchy). The key is to find someone who is Romanian, since Romanians and Moldovans wait in separate lines, and of course since Romanians and Moldovans LOOOOVE each other, the Romanians take extra special care to look through the Moldovan's cars and possessions when coming into Romania.

The first car that came by was an old Dacia. Like old old. I'd guess 20 years old. But it not only had a Romanian license plate but was from our county, increasingly the likelihood they would be going in the same direction. So Anna flagged them down. Inside was a couple about our age in the front and a grandma (bunica) in the back who had her arm in a cast and a bunica scarf connecting her arm to her neck. And lots of metal in her teeth. Awesome. They were happy to take us. So we squeezed our small bags in the trunk and squeezed ourselves in the back seat with the bunica. The back door could not be opened except by pulling the outside and inside handles at the same time. Awesome.

Again an interesting border crossing. Thankfully we came at a time when it wasn't so crowded and we didn't have to wait that long. It's two check points- leaving Moldova... and entering Romania. So it takes at least a half hour even if there aren't many people ahead of you. And again the customs guys were very curious as to why an American was riding in a 20 year old Dacia with a bunch of Romanians and Moldovans. He said, "Ah, so you went shopping in Chisinau in your Dacia eh?" Right.

So the deal is as with any border crossing you can't bring certain items across, and with others you can only bring a certain amount. And it's not like on an airplane where you fill out your Customs form and it's an honor system to declare what you have. Oh no, they straight up look through all your stuff. I've never crossed a border with a car, but man, it was interesting. They checked the car and our possessions thoroughly. I mean, they pushed down all the seats to see if anything was hidden inside, knocked on various places in the car to search for potentially hollowed out places where we could be storing something illegal, opened the hood, looked underneath, made us take everything out of the trunk, searched all the bags by hand. Yea. Thankfully it wasn't so hot, and we just chilled while they did their thing. About 10 minutes after it was our turn, we were able to go.

Here's the funny part. With cigarettes you're allowed to bring 2 packs per person. And our hosts had 6 packs that they showed to the guards. All well and good. But once in Romania as we were driving towards Iasi, I looked over and watched as the bunica reached into her shirt and pulled out a pack of cigarettes from her bra strap. She smiled a copper-toothy grin and put the pack in her purse. Awesome.

They took us to our neighborhood in Iasi, we each paid 10 RON ($3) and off we went. But not before I took a picture with the car....

A great end to a great 36 hours.

Book Review: John Newton: The Liberator by John Pollock

2011-07-05T09:00:00.007-04:00

This is the first of several reviews I will write in the following weeks on missionary biographies. I suppose I’ll keep them shorter, because if I tell you all about their lives then you won’t need to read the biographies. Maybe I’m the only person who had no idea that this writer of “Amazing Grace” was a slave trader before coming to Christ, writing incredible songs, and working to help end the slave trade. But wow, what an amazing story of God’s transforming power!

Newton was totally a bad dude, though he had been raised to know the truths of Christianity and live in them. But working on various ships and then entering the slave trade took its toll, and by all means he was the basest of base men. I appreciated this particular biography because it highlighted the miraculous ways the Lord worked to preserve Newton’s life. I mean, literally there were multiple times when he unquestionably should have died. But yet. The Lord lavished His grace and mercy, having other plans and uses for Newton.

Pollock focuses mainly on Newton’s years as a slave trader, with only about a fourth devoted to his life and ministry after he began living for Christ. I would be interested to read more about how he helped in the fight against the slave trade. I didn’t think the book was written terribly well, and this distracted me a bit, but it was an easy and quick read. I enjoyed learning about Newton’s life, and I was struck by the incredible mercy of the Lord in rescuing Newton from his life as a slave trader. What amazing grace we have been extended!

Book Review: The Next Story: Life and Faith After the Digital Explosion by Tim Challies

2011-07-01T09:00:00.006-04:00

With the pervasiveness and ever-expanding nature of digital technology, it’s hard to know what to DO with it all. Even just at a basic level, there is just SO MUCH out there, it’s easy to be overwhelmed by the tide of new phones, apps, blogs, “time-saving” devices, extra features, and gadgets. And it’s even trickier to figure out how to view it all through the lens of Christianity. Challies attempts to evaluate technology and its impact on our lives, sort through the good and bad aspects of it, and offer guidance regarding how to use it wisely. And he tries to do so from a biblical worldview.

In some ways I appreciated this book, and in other ways it annoyed me. I appreciated his chapter on distraction and how our digital technologies tend to constantly be pulling our attention from one thing to the next. He argues (and my personal experience and that of friends would agree) that because we have now trained our brains to be constantly moving from thing to thing to thing, it actually makes us less able to focus on ONE thing at a time, leaving us in a constant state of hyperactivity. We think we’re “multi-tasking,” but we’re not, we’re just doing a many things half-heartedly and disjointedly. Phones beeping, Skype calling, music playing, Facebook open, Email coming in, and writing a paper. We try to do it all at once, and we just fail to do much of it well. And when we try to do just one thing, our brains are whirling thinking about the other 7 things we have intentionally stopped doing in order to focus on one activity. I appreciated this, as well as his suggestions about how to “un”learn these habits.

I also appreciated the chapter on how digital technology has provided an excess of information that is simply available and “out there”. In some ways this is great and helpful and useful, but he argues that this also has tended to make people value mere information instead of application/understanding/wisdom. We don’t actually need to truly use our brains and memories, because with a simple Google search we can find anything we want to “know.” We have come to think that simply knowing lots and lots of little tidbits is valuable in and of itself, and we are increasingly becoming mile-wide and inch-deep thinkers. It is definitely a challenge to think critically, have your own opinion, and think deeply about a subject when you feel like you need to be keeping up with 20 blogs, 4 news sites, and are skimming while moving from item to item.

However, I didn’t think he did a good job of giving a Biblical explanation for what he was saying, both overall and in specific chapters, and the theological points he used to underlie his arguments didn’t really make sense. And while he stated that he wanted to give a balanced view, it often came across as wholly negative towards technology, not least of all because he started the book with the illustration of a nuclear bomb and used that as his parallel to how digital technology has exploded into our world. Not really so much thinking that a nuclear bomb illustration offers a positive side.

My other issue was that because I was listening to an audiobook, I didn’t know whether he was citing anything or just stating conclusions he thought up. For instance, he said that as we grow up looking at screens more and more instead of print/books, our brains actually change physiologically. And maybe he cited something, but I just can’t imagine how that has been proven at this point in time. These kinds of statements made me wonder from where they were coming, of if he was just making them up (but again, I didn't have the actual book to see whether and what he was citing).

I also didn’t care for his chapter on “mediation”, which he defines as anything that stand between. For example, a screen is between a creator and receiver of information/images/sounds, a phone is between two callers, etc. While I agree that it is generally better to be face-to-face for communication, and I see that in many ways we are increasingly using less personal means of communicating (I mean, come on, people break up with one another via text message!), I just thought he took the argument too far, and his rationale didn’t make sense. Mediation isn’t all bad. Yes in some ways it hinders our communication, but it also ENABLES a lot of communication that we previously would have been unable to have, and this is a good thing. As a missionary, I can tell you I am VERY thankful for Skype and email. He didn’t balance out his argument with the good stuff, he just made it seem as if all “mediation” is bad. So it goes.

On the whole I thought the book was ok. After I sorted through the parts that bothered me, I was able to take away a number of helpful points and applications. And certainly there aren’t a bajillion books out there on the topic, so it was useful to think in a focused way about digital technology from a Biblical worldview. So, I would say it’s worth reading, but (as with anything) don’t swallow it whole and thoughtlessly.

Book Review: Little Bee by Chris Cleave

2011-06-28T09:00:00.004-04:00

This is the first novel I have read in awhile, and certainly the first in a looong time that isn’t a “classic” novel. A former teacher sent this to me, thinking I might like it. I am so glad she did! As she said in her letter to me, “I don’t want to write much about this book, because I don’t want to give away any of the story. But it’s great.” And that is about what I will say. It is the story of two women- a Nigerian refugee and a successful editor of a London fashion magazine editor in London- whose lives intersect briefly in a rather traumatic and life-altering way. The story starts as they meet again two years after that fateful day.

I rarely have difficulty putting down a book, but I just could not stop reading this story! It gripped me in a particular way, and I simply needed to know what would happen next! I will say that it is hard and rather disturbing to read in some parts, and even though it is fiction, it is sadly a very plausible story. Perhaps that makes it all the more absorbing. It’s not a “light” read in that sense, but it is well-written and easy to read in the traditional sense. It is a rich story of identity, betrayal, devotion, friendship and good and evil. Reading this makes me want to check out Cleave’s other book “Incendiary.” Perhaps I shall give it a read!

Book Review: Think: The Life of the Mind and the Love of God by John Piper

2011-06-24T09:00:00.005-04:00

If I were to make a list of the Christian teachers/writers/pastors who have been most helpful and influential in my walk as a Christian, John Piper would unquestionably be high on that list. From my first reading of Desiring God and The Pleasures of God many years ago to Let the Nations be Glad and The Passion of Christ more recently, plus countless sermons and articles on DesiringGod.com, I have been profoundly impacted by Piper’s work and ministry.

Piper states that “the aim of this book is to encourage serious, faithful, humble thinking that leads to the true knowledge of God, which leads to loving him, which overflows in loving others” (p. 20). Fair enough. I’m on board with that aim. He later fleshes this out more by saying that “Thinking is indispensable on the path to passion for God. Thinking is not an end in itself. Nothing but God himself is finally an end in itself. Thinking is not the goal of life. Thinking, like non-thinking, can be the ground for boasting. Thinking, without prayer, without the Holy Spirit, without obedience, without love, will puff up and destroy (1 Cor. 8:1). But thinking under the mighty hand of God, thinking soaked in prayer, thinking carried by the Holy Spirit, thinking tethered to the Bible, thinking in pursuit of more reasons to praise and proclaim the glories of God, thinking in the service of love- such thinking is indispensable in a life of fullest praise to God” (p. 27). I couldn’t agree more!

It’s amazing to me how many times someone has said to me, “Wait, you’re intelligent… and you’re a Christian. How is that possible?” as if Christianity is a religion for the vast dull-minded masses. Certainly if you were actually SMART and INTELLIGENT you would realize that this Jesus silliness is a just a load of mythical absurdity! I could not disagree more, though I certainly understand that unfortunately there are plenty of Christians who miss the thinking train altogether. Intelligence is not an end in and of itself, but to come to faith in Christ (and to continue on the journey), we must read, think, weigh Christ’s claims, understand, and ponder why and how it could be that salvation can be by grace alone through faith alone. Our minds alone aren’t enough to grasp these deep and weighty issues, but we must in fact use our minds; Piper spends a few chapters presenting this idea.

He then writes of the challenges of relativism; he explains what it is and how Jesus dealt with it, as well as shows how relativism is an intellectually dishonest, prideful, and enslaving “belief”. Piper then turns to the issue of anti-intellectualism in church history (particularly in America), and spends several chapters showing that the two scriptures individuals point to when trying to defend as Biblical anti-intellectual tendencies are actually not saying that. I really appreciated this thoughtful and lengthy section, as in addition to those who tell me it’s strange that I’m smart and a Christian, I also have a fair amount of people telling me that I shouldn’t think so much, and just have faith (again, as if they’re mutually exclusive). Maybe well meaning, but alas, unhelpful.

I really appreciate this book, because I believe Piper has written a balanced and nuanced work on the topic of how to rightly use our minds to glorify God. He says that “loving God with the mind means that our thinking is wholly engaged to do all it can to awaken and express the heartfelt fullness of treasuring God above all things” (p.19). He encourages wholehearted study and reflection, but he also encourages humility and looking to God as the source of all wisdom and understanding. “It is a plea to reject either-or thinking when it comes to head and heart, thinking and feeling, reason and faith, theology and doxology, mental labor and the ministry of love” (p. 179). This resonates with me in a profound way, and I appreciate that he spent 184 pages expounding upon this topic. I would recommend this book to any who want to better understand how to rightly use their minds to love God and other people.

Book Review: Eternity in Their Hearts by Don Richardson

2011-06-21T09:00:00.000-04:00

Did you know that the concept or idea of one supreme God has existed for centuries in hundreds of cultures? Because it has. This is a fascinatingly encouraging book that gives a variety of accounts of cultures and peoples around the world whom the Lord has prepared to bring to Himself. For instance, the Karen tribe of Burma had passed down an understanding that one day a ‘white brother’ would bring them a book that their forefathers lost long ago that would set them free from oppression. The knew the author of the book was Y’wa (remarkably similar to Yahweh, God’s personal name), the Supreme God. They had an incredible belief in a true God, an understanding of basic spiritual facts, and even songs about this Y’wa. These traditions can’t be traced to an influence of Judaism or Christianity, and there was no mention of an incarnation or a Redeemer dying for man’s sin in their traditions. In fact, one of the most striking aspects of their monotheism was their acknowledgment that their knowledge was incomplete and would finally be understood in full when foreigners brought this book.

These people (and several other isolated Burmese tribes with different but equally amazing stories that all ended up weaving together) indeed had eternity in their hearts, and were simply waiting for a messenger to bring the good news of Jesus so their hearts and minds could be enlightened! The Bible says that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. This is a crucial point- In order to be saved, we need to actually hear the truth of who Jesus is and what He did… and then believe it! The Lord had prepared these people in a very significant way!

Richardson shares many equally true and equally incredible stories of cultures prepared for the gospel; yet how resistant we often are to GO and tell people of Christ! Richardson shows that there are many who are longing to know the truth, the truth that will set them free, the truth that enlightens and brings peace. Through visions and dreams as well as ancient traditions and redemptive analogies embedded in cultures that could not possibly have come from the outside, many have been prepared to receive the gospel. We just need to go and share with them about this good news! What an encouragement and testimony to the goodness and faithfulness of the Lord!

The Incredible Awesomeness of Romanian Phone Plans

2011-06-20T09:00:00.068-04:00

Whenever I tell people in America what I pay for my monthly phone bill and what I get for it, they think I'm joking. It's "too good to be true." But indeed, it's true.

For the longest time I paid 4 euros a month and with that got 400 minutes, 400 texts, and 40 'national' minutes. Here the normal minutes are to those using the same service provider. The two main providers are Orange and Vodafone. You can even tell which provider people use by the first 3 digits of their phone number. SO EFFICIENT. I use Orange because most everyone I know uses Orange, and minutes to other Orange users are way cheaper than to Vodafone or other users. So, in essence I got 400 Orange minutes, 400 Orange texts, and then 40 minutes to landlines, other networks, and even (some) international phones. Yes, I can call the U.S. with those minutes. It's amazing. As with many plans here, it is month to month, so you can start and stop it as you wish and not get locked into a 2 year contract (though they do have those, too). What's more- you only use minutes for outgoing calls. If someone calls you, you don't use your own minutes.

This. is. amazing.

So I thought I had the best deal ever, and I've had that literally since I got here in January of 2009. All kinds of other offers have come along, but they either were more expensive or had no texts or had no national minutes. I had the greatest combination for my needs. FOR FOUR EURO A MONTH.

But then.

Orange recently started an offer for 1000 Orange minutes, 1000 Orange texts, 70 national minutes, and 70 national texts a month. For 5 euro. In this case I was the one who thought my friend was joking when she told me. I thought there must be some catch. Oh but no. It's true. Oh so very wonderfully true. And no catch.
So you bet your bottom dollar I signed up for the offer! I mean COME ON!

The thing is- my one issue with my 400 plan was that I often would run out of text messages before the end of the month. People text way more than call here, so I have shifted my habits in that direction, which often meant that I would have loads of extra minutes but need to spend an extra euro to buy 100 extra text messages. Which is fine. But just to say that I would actually end up spending 5 euro per month anyhow. But now with this new plan I can spend that and have more minutes and texts than I could possibly use (or could I? mwahaha).

I really love the phone plans here. Did I mention that I can go most anywhere in Europe and use my phone (it costs more, but hey)? Also, I can't recall the last time I had a dropped call. The coverage is just excellent. Thus, I'm a little less than excited to go back to the U.S. cell phone plans with absurdly high costs and where you pay for incoming and outgoing calls. And calls drop often. But alas, there are worse things in life, and this too shall pass. But I will appreciatively remember the incredible awesomeness of Romanian phone plans with fondness.

Book Review: Fanny Crosby: The Hymn Writer by Bernard Ruffin

2011-06-17T09:00:00.002-04:00

I have become such a fan of missionary biographies. They’re so inspiring! A friend gave me this one about the blind hymn writer Fanny Crosby. I honestly had never heard of her before reading this book, but I am glad I was enlightened, because her story is amazing! Born in 1820 in New York, she was blind from an early age thanks to the incompetency of a quack doctor whose “treatment” rendered her sightless. This did not stop her from doing… most anything. She never wanted to pitied or treated as an invalid, and she sought to do as much as possible on her own. Her grandmother took special interest in encouraging her, and taught her much about the world from a young age. Fanny had a sharp mind, a joyful spirit, and a great gift for music and poetry. She was one of the first students at the New York Institute for the Blind, and became their “star student” because of her incredible poetry.

Over the course of her life she wrote thousands of poems, hymns, patriotic and popular songs, and impacted countless millions through them. She served in a variety of rescue missions and spoke in hundreds of churches. It was so interesting to read about this time period (1820-1915 was when she lived) through the lens of the life of a blind hymn writer. Really fascinating to see how her life interwove with various presidents, life in NYC (including a variety of rescue missions, Carnegie Hall, developments in Brooklyn, etc), pop culture, cholera, faith revivals, and news/literature/poetry of her day. Some of her most famous hymns include “Blessed Assurance,” “Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross,” “Safe in the Arms of Jesus,” and “Close to Thee.” This book is not very well written, but the story of her life is so interesting that it’s worth reading, particularly if you are at all interested in Christian music, as her writing has greatly influenced the history of Christian hymnody.

Christian Persecution Under Ceausescu

2011-06-15T09:00:00.000-04:00

Just wanted to share this video entitled Prisoners of Light, about the persecution of Christians under Ceausescu's communist Romania. I often will hear people say things like, "During communism we had to meet secretly..." or "During communism we only had one Bible for the ENTIRE church." But certainly many faced quite intense persecution for their faith under his brutal rule. Informative and eye-opening, for sure.

If for some reason the video doesn't work, you can go to the original link here.

Book Review: The Fever: How Malaria Has Ruled Humankind for 500,000 Years by Sonia Shah

2011-06-14T09:00:00.001-04:00

For some time I have been interested in learning more about malaria. Of course I hear plenty about it because it’s the “hot” disease in recent years with all kinds of big names in philanthropy spewing money at the disease in hopes of bringing it to an end. But then I also have lots of African friends who seem not so urgently bothered by it. In some ways it seems as much a routine part of life for them as a cold is for Americans. So, I wanted to learn more about the history of the disease and find out what the dealio is. Which this book definitely did for me.

Shah gives a history of malaria, from a variety of angles. She writes a bit about the disease cycle, which happens to be insanely complicated. I knew a little, but my mind blew up a little bit when I read about the ways in which the parasite manipulates its mosquito host as well as how there are 4 “strains” of malaria caused by 4 different parasite species that occur in different locations, have different life cycles and are more or less deadly. She gives accounts of malaria’s impact in various centuries in America, Panama, Malawi, Cameroon, India, and Rome. Through wars and conquests, settlements and expansions, malaria was there making its mark. So fascinating. She also talks about the progression of drugs and technologies (including an entire chapter on DDT) to treat the disease, what has gone well, and what has not gone so well. Bed nets, sprays, pills, vaccines, prophylactics, treatment side effects, initiatives, research, politics. It’s all there.

I learned a lot from this book, and found it to be approachable and readable, informative yet not overwhelmingly packed. If you want to know more about malaria and get a great overview as well as some reasonable depth, this is the book for you.

The Early Days of Summer

2011-06-13T09:00:00.046-04:00

I will miss the early summer days of Iasi.

The hot days and cool nights.

The clear blue skies.

The intense early-evening thunderstorms.

The (comparative) lack of humidity.

I will miss the simplicity of these days.

Students studying for exams, leaving me with much less to do.

Catching up on all that gets back-burnered in ordinarily busy days.

Reading for hours at a time on our balcony.

Indulging in a guilt-freed afternoon nap.

I will miss the freshness of these days.

Cherry blossoms. Lilacs. Linden trees. All abloom and smelling sweet.

Strawberries ripe and in season here, red all the way through.

Sweet and sour cherries shortly following, more than I could ever possibly eat.

Smoothies and salads, refreshing and cool.

I will indeed miss the early summer days of Iasi.

Book Review: The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom

2011-06-10T09:00:00.005-04:00

This is an incredible memoir of the daughter of a Dutch watchmaker who hid Jewish refugees during World War II. If you picked up this book not knowing who she was, you would perhaps be shocked to watch her story unfold from such simple and humble beginnings. She starts by recounting her childhood and talks about her family- honest, law-abiding Christians, who lived a simple life selling watches. She talks at length about her rich relationship with her sister Betsie, as well as her family’s faith, the people they knew, their relationships, hopes and dreams.

As the persecution of Jews began, their family almost could not help but take in refugees, as the Ten Booms were known for their kindness, hospitality, and love. Over time Corrie and her family became the center of a massive operation to hide Jews in their city and around the country. Their home was indeed a Hiding Place. They were eventually betrayed, arrested and taken to a concentration camp. Even there Corrie and her sister Betsie’s faith was a bright light in a dark world. They shared with many of the hope offered by Jesus. She recounts incredible hardships and trials and how their faith in Christ kept them through it all, how the Lord provided for them and protected them, and how they ministered to many in the camps.

I have read many books about the Holocaust over the years, but this was different than any of them, and I was gripped by Corrie’s story. It’s encouraging, convicting and inspiring. I highly recommend this memoir!

Bridgette's Wedding!

2011-06-08T09:00:00.053-04:00

A few weeks ago I had the distinct privilege of flying home for my dear friend Bridgette's wedding. I left on a Wednesday and flew out the following Monday- this for a voyage that takes about 15-20 hours. Most people thought I was crazy to do so, but I honestly think it was nice to stay for only a short time, as my body didn't fully have time to adjust to the U.S. timezone, and I wasn't so jetlagged returning to Romania. Plus, I was just home in January, and I'm moving back to the States in July, so it's not like I'm desperately in need of a few more days.

In my 2+ years in Romania I have missed several weddings of friends; it would certainly have been nice to go to them all, but it's a necessary sacrifice of living in a foreign land without a private jet. However, I reaaaaally wanted to be there for this one! I did my best to hold it loosely, not wanting to claim a RIGHT to have it, particularly knowing that all the money I use here is from friends who support me financially in order to enable me to be in ministry full-time. But I also lifted up my sincere and heartfelt desire to go to this wedding before the Lord and prayed he'd provide the extra money! Thankfully he did!

The wedding was near Princeton, N.J., so I got a nice dose of green space and fresh air. The ceremony and reception were at the beautiful and wonderful house of close family friends who were so gracious and generous to offer up their home and property for Bridgette and Jeff's special day!

Though it rained the entire week before and the two days after, the actual day of the wedding was sunny and warm, with clear blue skies. What a sweet gift from God! Everything about it was so... THEM. They weren't trying to please others or do things "a certain way"; they just wanted their wedding to reflect their values and lifestyle choices. It was great. Great great great. Simple yet elegant. Christ-centered. And definitely a whole lotta fun! It was a bi-coastal bridal party, with 7 of the 8 bridesmaids coming from the NYC gang, and 7 of the 8 groomsmen flying in from Cali. The 'other' ones on each side were from Colorado. Good stuff. We took SUCH fun photos! Here is just one of all of us from the 'official' post-wedding photo-shoot that someone took on my camera, plus shots of all the bridesmaids with Bridgette and one of a few of us in our lovely dresses.

Like I said, the wedding was a ton of FUN. There was a trampoline, crochet, bocce ball, and pleeeenty of dancing, both on and off the dance floor...

I'm so thankful that I could go home to be there for this special day, and I look forward to a lifetime of memories with these dear friends!

Book Review: All of Grace by Charles Spurgeon

2011-06-07T09:00:00.028-04:00

This is another book that has been on my to-read list for quite some time. It’s a short book of less than 100 pages that gives a clear explanation of the Christian faith. Crystal clear. I have read and heard plenty of explanations of the Christian faith and what it means to become a Christian, but wow, this was excellent. I have never read anything by Spurgeon, but this makes me want to read everything by him. In short, he explains what it means that “it is God that justifies” and that “by grace you are saved through faith.” He spends a great deal of time explaining what faith is (that it is made up of knowledge, belief, and trust, and what each of those actually mean) and then uses many images to further illustrate faith. He then spends a few chapters explaining why repentance and forgiveness are inextricably intertwined and how repentance is given. He closes by expounding upon the fact that once a person has trusted in Christ for their salvation they cannot lose it. If they have truly believed, the Lord is faithful to keep His own, and they are secure and confirmed in Him.

This book is simply excellent. If you are a Christian, it will serve you well to remember and reflect upon your redemption, and it will hopefully provide you with many new images and illustrations to help explain your faith. If you are not a Christian, this is book has the best balance of thoroughness and clarity and simplicity of any explanation of the Christian faith I have come across, and it would serve you well to read it. Even if you think you already know what Christianity is all about. Because I’m a Christian, and I’m still learning what it’s all about! I am thankful for the many godly men and women who have written down their thoughts over the years in order to help others grow in their understanding of this good (great!) news.

There's No Place Like Home

2011-06-06T09:00:00.049-04:00

It's amazing how one comes to feel at home somewhere. What makes "home" home anyway? Is it a building? A feeling? A situation? A contentment? Is it the duration of stay or the people or the environment?
As a Christian, in a very real way I know that my ultimate home is in heaven, and while I am here on the earth for a time to live my life for God's glory and to share the love and truth of Jesus with others, I look forward to eternity in my true home. In another sense, I am "home" wherever I am because my home is in God, and He is always with me.

And yet there is still some aspect of the earthly meaning of "home" that I'm talking about. What makes a house a home? What makes a place you live a place that you love? Oh I'm getting cheesy.

Whatever the answer.
I feel so at home here.
And I can't quite believe I will be leaving in 6 weeks.

Though I am daily reminded in one way or another that this is a foreign place, the majority of the time I feel decidedly not foreign. I understand the language for a good portion of interactions, and sometimes even manage to speak it passably well. I have "my" florist and tailor, and the lady at the photo shop knows my name (and spells it correctly!) to write it on my order form. The lady at the post office no longer scowls but smiles at me and even glues on my stamps FOR me sometimes. I run into friends at the grocery store, bank, and tailor. In fact, pretty much any time I walk out of my house. I know where to buy what and not get ripped off. I have even grown to appreciate (Eastern) Euro techno pop. I am indeed at home here.

I often find myself chuckling that I say "I'm going home" and I could be referring to several different places. More than once I have been talking with a friend and said something that included the word "home" but was not specific enough for them to know where I meant and they will say, "PA? New York? Romania?" Well, they will only say "PA" if they are from the state. Everyone else calls my state Pennsylvania. But it's just too long to be saying the name in full your whole life, so we Pennsylvanians have taken to calling the state PA. I know the rest of my fellow Americans find this strange. But alas. I digress.

PA. New York City. Romania. And even, I dare say, Yakima (Washington). They are all home to me. I hate cheesy sayings, but they say "home is where the heart is." Usually not actually said but embroidered on a pillow or painted on an antique looking piece of wood with little red apples surrounding the text. In a very deep way, my heart is here in Iasi. With the quirky Romanian people. With our quirky international church. With the grey concrete blocks and the 1970s German street trolleys. With the sarmale and mamaliga and the Romanian "populara" (traditional folk music). With the endless mountains of paperwork and the equally endless fields of sunflowers. There is indeed no place like home.

You will likely get a good dose of sappy reflectiony entries in the coming 6 weeks as I process these past two and a half years and what it means to be finishing my time here. God is so gracious and His plans are so wise and satisfying! I am beyond thankful He brought me here, and I pray I will treasure and keep the memories, lessons, and experiences vividly in my mind and heart.

Book Review: The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan

2011-06-03T09:00:00.013-04:00

This is arguably the most famous Christian allegory ever written. One of those “classics” that you’re supposed read. And so I did. It took me SO LONG to read, it was a little bit ridiculous. It was hard for me because of the old-school English, and it just felt like a lot of work to actually understand. I liked the story and thought it was a great allegory of the Christian walk, but man it was not the most enjoyable of reads for me. It was good for me to read though. I want to share an excerpt from the book to give you a flavor of the writing. The main character is Christian, and he is on a journey from his homeland of the City of Destruction to the Celestial City. Along the way he meets various people and encounters a variety of challenges. Each of the character’s names is their chief attribute, and the book is written almost like a play. Here is one encounter with a man named Ignorance.

Christian: How dost thou believe?
Ignorance: I believe that Christ died for sinners; and that I shall be justified before God from the curse, through His gracious acceptance of my obedience to His law. Or thus, Christ makes my duties, that are religious, acceptable to His Father by virtue of His merits, and so shall I be justified.

Christian: Let me give an answer to this confession of thy faith: 1. Thou believest with a fantastical faith; for this faith is nowhere described in the word. 2. Thou believest with a false faith; because it taketh justification from the personal righteousness of Christ, and applies it to thy own. 3. This faith maketh not Christ a justifier of thy person, but of thy actions; and of thy person for thy actions’ sake, which is false. 4. Therefore this faith is deceitful, even such as will leave thee under the wrath in the day of God Almighty: for true justifying faith puts the soul, as sensible of its lost condition by the law, upon flying for refuge unto Christ’s righteousness (which righteousness of His personal obedience to the law, in doing and suffering for us what that required at our hands); this righteousness, I say, true faith accepteth; under the skirt of which the soul being shrouded, and by it presented as spotless before God, it is accepted, and acquit from condemnation.

Ignorance: What! Would you have us trust to what Christ in His own person has done without us? This conceit would loosen the reins of our lust, and tolerate us to live as we list: for what matter how we live, if we may be justified by Christ’s personal righteousness from all, when we believe it?

Christian: Ignorance is thy name, and as thy name is, so art thou: even this thy answer demonstrateth what I say. Ignorant thou art of what justifying righteousness is, and as ignorant how to secure thy soul through the faith of it, from the heavy wrath of God. Yea, thou also art ignorant of the true effects of saving faith in this righteousness of Christ, which is to bow and win over the heart to God in Christ, to love His name, His word, ways, and people, and not as thou ignorantly imaginest.

So, as you can hopefully see, it’s packed full of really quality material, but definitely a bit harder to read. This is just one page; the whole book is equally jam-packed. I will say that since reading it I “see” this book everywhere, referenced in an incredible array of Christian writing and sermons. So even at that level it’s worth having read. Give it a read and see what you think!

Not-So-Light Summer Reading

2011-06-01T09:00:00.005-04:00

If mid-March through mid-May was an intense extravaganza of activity, mid-May through mid-July will likely be an intense dearth of activity. With students in exams, no intense travel plans (at least not outside Romania), most of the post-Romania plans made that can be made at this point, and summer heat bringing a bit of lethargy, I pretty much will be taking a deep breath. And reading. I have great hopes to read a book every three days for the remainder of my time here, partly because I have a bunch of books to read that I likely won't have the time for once I start grad school. And partly to get myself in the mode of reading a lot. Why? Well for that we need a tangent.

I visited Columbia when I was home in the States for Bridgette's wedding, and I met with my advisor. Who is great. One of the questions I asked him was what kind of work we'll have- projects, papers, tests, group work, individual etc. To which he responded, "All of them. There's a huge variety. But I will say that compared to other professional degrees, the reading is extremely light. Not more than 400 pages a week."

Ok, did you catch that? Or did you read right over it?
Extremely light.
400 pages a week.

Those two are not synonymous in my mind. I literally had to refrain from getting big googly eyes at him when he said that. FOUR HUNDRED PAGES a week? And that is EXTREMELY light? Thank you for telling me now, because I would have had a major expectation explosion all up in my face if I hadn't been told that. I know a Masters is more intense than an undergrad degree, but hellllloooo reality. I kind of thought he must be joking about that being light compared to other degrees. But then I was telling this to a friend who is doing her PhD in Business at Harvard who told me that during her first semester for ONE of her courses, which met three times a week, she was expected to read 250 pages. That's 750 pages a week FOR ONE COURSE. So she had to learn how to read afresh. As in, learn how to pick up a 300 page book and in 2 hours figure out what it's about. Which you can't do if you're reading every word on every page. So. Looks like I'll be learning how to read again. Even for my "extremely light" Masters.

Right.
Back on track.
So I'll be reading a lot this summer. So get ready for a whole bunch of book reviews. And less crazy Spangles adventures. Unless you consider reading an adventure. Which I kind of do. So it's still kind of a Spangles adventure. In a way.

These reviews are helpful for me to (somewhat) concisely summarize books and what I think about them. They're by no means The Best Reviews Ever, nor is that my goal, but just my way of sharing a bit about what I'm reading and learning. Hope they're helpful for you!

Book Review: The Holiness of God by R.C. Sproul

2011-05-27T09:00:00.007-04:00

This was the free download of the month on Christianaudio.com, which has got to be one of my favorite free resources ever. The books are consistently quality. This one is was no exception. I had just read Sproul’s The Mystery of the Holy Spirit, and so it was quite nice to “read” another of his books. This is a meaty book, so I think I would have benefitted more from reading it than listening to it, but I still really enjoyed it. Sproul helped me more deeply understand what the holiness of God actually IS and how it is the essence of who He is. Among all the titles and attributes of God, this is the only one that is repeated 3-fold in the Bible, emphasizing its importance and centrality to His character- “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” (Isaiah 6:3). So obviously understanding the holiness of God is critical to understanding who God is and how we should relate to Him.

By looking at a variety of Old and New Testament scriptures, Sproul clearly explains the justice and wrath of God and why and how they are intimately intertwined with his mercy and love. He goes through some of the “difficult” passage of the Old Testament that illustrate God’s holiness. He also talks about the trials and tribulations of Martin Luther, which was a great chapter. Sproul writes clearly and concisely, and so it was easy to follow, even though he was dealing with weighty material. If you’re interested in deeply understanding the holiness of God, this book should certainly be on your list.

Window Wonderland

2011-05-24T09:00:00.118-04:00

We have needed new windows ever since the beginning of time. Our old-school windows leak heat in winter like they're paid to do so. But the reality is that I just end up paying for them to do so. Thankfully, our windows were high on the priority list for repairs to the building for this spring/summer! Take a look at these before and after shots of our living room and kitchen windows (the bathroom, entryway, and bedroom windows were replaced as well!):

Living room: Before

Living room: After

Kitchen: Before

Kitchen: After

And just to keep things interesting, here are some pictures of the process in between. Which is the more interesting part, right? First of all, I didn't really think through what kind of mess the window removal and installation would involve. Just totally oblivious to that realm of thinking. But when the workers arrived and started in with their drills and saws and bangings, I just, wow. Total mess. My roommate and I hurriedly cut up a bunch of garbage bags and spread them all over the floors. It was helpful, but there was still a massive coating of dust on EV-ER-Y-THING afterwards.

Secondly, we didn't really know how long it would take. Again, in my la-la-land of Never-Having-Construction-in-My-Home-As-An-Adult I didn't really think about the fact that it would be an ongoing process. And this did not give my O.C.D. order-and-cleanliness any time to prepare for the total chaos that was our apartment for almost two weeks. You see, in Romania it seems that companies do one thing. Just one. So, we hired a company to put in our windows. Well, after they did so, there was not only a massive mess to clean up but also entirely exposed walls. Neither of which they dealt with.

So then we had to get someone else to come in and finish all that. Well, not the cleaning up part, my roommate and I did that. So the following week another dude from another company came to finish the windows. Starting at 750am on a Monday morning. Yeehaw! Another thing I did not know- that this would involve styrofoam. If you are a regular reader of my blog you will know that I have a MASSIVE PROBLEM WITH STYROFOAM. Not of the ethical/environment sort. But of the textures-that-make-my-skin-crawl sort. Or if you just know me and have had to deal with unpacking my new electronic gadget from its styrofoam encasing for me because it's an impossibility for me to touch it and not immediately fall to the floor in writhing discomfort. For instance. So this window finishing involved a lot of styrofoam. A lot of styrofoam that was cut and scraped and pushed and OH MY WORD I CAN'T EVEN WRITE THIS BECAUSE IT MAKES ME UNCOMFORTABLE. No joke, I had to change my plans for those days and be out of my house entirely. I honestly thought I might have a panic attack, it was sincerely unlike anything I have ever experienced. Just imagine the most irritating noise you can think of and imagine waking up to that very noise on a cold rainy Monday morning. And then having it constantly be a part of your life for 3 days IN YOUR HOME. Now crazy Spangles seems a touch less crazy, no?

So eventually he finished with the styrofoam and got to the spackling (or whatever it would actually be called here), and life was livable in my house again.

After this point I left to go to Ireland, so I didn't get anymore pictures of the process. But I did come home to find it all done and finished and restored to order (BIG THANKS to my dear roommate!), including a fresh coat of paint on the entire wall with windows in the living room. Nevermind that it is a yellow that is similar to the old yellow but not exactly, so it looks slightly strange. It's NEW PAINT! You can kind of see in the before/after shots above that the after has a different color. And in the kitchen it's particularly noticeable because the wall actually wasn't finished, so the new paint is just on part of the wall. And no, it doesn't bother me at all that my kitchen wall has two different colors of yellow on it. Ever. Ahem.

But in all honestly, despite my ridiculousness, I am SO THANKFUL to have new windows! Complete with mosquito screens so we won't be eaten alive this summer! They have already proved to be a huge blessing in keeping the outside sounds actually outside while letting more sunlight in, so I am sure they will continue to be a blessing for many years to come.

Book Review: Quest for Love by Elisabeth Elliot

2011-05-20T09:00:00.011-04:00

When I read Elliot’s Passion and Purity back in 2008, I was lukewarm on it, appreciating some aspects of it but really not caring for others. When I read A Chance to Die in 2010 I loved pretty much everything about it. So, when a friend recommended this to me recently I figured it couldn’t hurt. And I’m so glad I read it, because it was so incredibly helpful for me, I can’t even tell you. In a way, this is a follow-up to Passion and Purity. I guess after she wrote P&P letters poured in from readers sharing their relationship stories and asking questions about all the ups and downs, frustrations and fears, emotions and trials. She uses many of these letters in the book, and interweaves her responses to the letters, general advice, and personal stories that illustrate her points. It’s wise Biblical counsel- much needed in world where confusion and unhealthy and destructive habits abound in the dating realm.

There is a huge range of counsel on topics such as waiting on the Lord for a spouse, submitting our emotions and feelings and desires to the Lord, emotional and sexual purity before marriage, trusting God with our love life, and maintaining Biblical roles for men and women. It’s great. I had borrowed this book from a friend, so I took notes on it in my journal, and I filled many pages with quotes such as “A life lived in God is not lived on the plane of the feelings, but of the will”; “Trusting God with your love life is a rigorous daily exercise of faith”; “You marry her because you love her. Then from the wedding day forward, you learn to love her because you married her”. I loved reading the letters, because I could identify with so many of the scenarios described, as if it were in fact me who had written to Elliot at various stages of my life. I was encouraged to know that others face the same struggles and have the same questions, and I was thankful for her answers. For instance, one reader asked if it is possible to trust God so much that she wouldn’t be lonely in her singleness. To which Elliot responded, “Probably not.” She believes that (at least for most of us) the loneliness is there to sanctify us and teach us, to try our faith and force us to depend more on God. As I have a tendency in many areas of my life to be incredibly self-critical, these kinds of responses were so helpful. I don’t need to beat myself up over X or Y, because I am by and large heading in the right direction, submitting my will to God (be that for my love life, or something else), and desiring to walk in obedience to him.

I will finish with a Hannah Whitall Smith quote that Elliot uses to explain how when we submit our will to God, often our “wants” don’t always immediately change, and so we still have emotional ups and downs… and that’s ok. “Do not be troubled by it. It is only in your emotions, and it not worth a moment’s thought. Only see to it that your will is in God’s hands, that your inward self is abandoned to his working, that your choice, your decision, is on His side, and there leave it. Your surging emotions, like a tossing vessel at anchor, which by degrees yields to the steady pull of the cable, finding themselves attached to the mighty power of God by the choice of your will, must inevitably come into captivity and give their allegiance to Him.” Amen!

Spangles Spectacular Fiesta

2011-05-18T09:00:00.041-04:00

That is what my roommate entitled my birthday party. She's awesome like that. Again, another "3rd annual". It's really insane to me that I've been here for THREE springs. That's three Easters, three church camps, and three birthdays in Iasi, Romania! Woh.

I was really hoping for an outdoor spring BBQ like last year, but alas, when it's only 50 degrees and raining, a BBQ is less than ideal. Thankfully though, we were able to grill meat and bring it INSIDE. I wasn't sure how many would come or how it would go, knowing that many students are getting into intense study mode. And nothing makes for a good party like a bunch of people who are anxious about their upcoming exams all together in one room trying to pretend they're not stressed! But it turned out that people emerged from the depths of studying to come out for one last hurrah before the big final exam push. There was lots of meat and lots of desserts, and not too much in between. So, basically an ideal meal. We ate until we burst. And oh. my. word. Everyone was so hyper. It was hilarious. There was a lot of singing and a lot of ridiculousness. And I thoroughly appreciated and enjoyed it. A delightful birthday party and one I will not soon forget!

A new staple at any international gathering- SNORTA. It basically involves animal noises and a lot of laughter. Did you know that the words people use for animal sounds are different in different countries? Yea, because that makes this game 10 times more hilarious. I think at one point there were 8 people playing from 6 different countries, and ohhhhh my, the hilarity!

Sweet Israeli friends

The requisite Spangles Smorgasbord

My darling roommate, teammate, friend, and sister Anna

Everyone gathered for what turned out to be quite a rambunctious game of charades

Happy birthday to ME! ;)

Church Camp Take Three

2011-05-16T09:00:00.089-04:00

Our church camp came early this year, as we decided to go over the student's spring break rather than in the summer. You can read about our previous two camps here and here. Because the place we have gone to before isn't open until the summer, we went to a new place this year. Oh I do love new adventures! So we set off from Iasi the day after Easter and made our way towards Targu Mures and ended at this beautiful place:

A big part of what we do at camp is have a time of concentrated teaching from the Bible. This year we had the great honor of being taught by Michael Turay from Sierra Leone. We learned about 10 "soul protectors", his name for a variety of skills that Christians can develop to more ably and effectively live the Christian life. It was incredibly helpful and practical, and I know that everyone learned a ton and will hopefully put much of that into practice!

The other big part of what we do at camp is fellowship. We hang out, we play games, and we do all kinds of crazy outdoor activities; through all this we get to know one another much better. Living together 4-to-a-room and being together 24/7 for an entire week DEFINITELY helps you get to know a bit more of the good, the bad, and the ugly. This camp had some similarities to the previous camp, both in what they had and what we brought. So, there was of course a good deal of foosball and Monopoly-playing.

But there were also significant differences, namely in the vast amount of outdoor activities this camp had. Some of them were excellent to promote team-building, and we did trust falls, built a "bridge" from our sinking "ship" to a rescue boat with 2 planks that were each too short to make it across, and sent our entire team through a "spider web." Some of these activities definitely stretched comfort zones, and it was awesome to see people working together and encouraging one another!

This camp also had a zip line and a high ropes course. Though I have tons of video from the zip line, I don't really have any pictures. But I do have some from the high ropes. It was actually pretty intense and physically challenging, and I am so proud that so many did it!

We also went on a hike, played volleyball and basketball, tie-dyed shirts, had a bonfire, and sang plenty of songs. A jam-packed week for sure. As with so many things as my time here is winding down, I took extra special notice of all the little details and tried to relish every last bit of it. With every "last" this or that, I just keep trying to absorb everything and soak up the wonderfulness of what I do here. What a joy to have been a part of this work for so long!

At the top of our hike

We aren't stooping or bending, we are literally each a head taller than the other. Or we are an Oreo cookie, depending on how you view life.

Zekey lost one of his top center teeth at camp! Soooo cute!

What a great week!!

Book Review: The Passion of Christ: 50 Reasons He Came To Die by John Piper

2011-05-13T09:00:00.004-04:00

We read this book as a church for the 50 days leading up to Easter. The subtitle is “50 Reasons Why He Came to Die,” and it consists of 50 one-page “devotionals” looking at the death of Christ from all kinds of angles. All straight from Scripture. I believe Jesus came to die for my sins, and I believe His death on the cross paid for my sins, but I had never thought so deeply about His death and all the aspects of what it means. Some of the reasons I knew- to reconcile us to God; to show His own love for us; to become a ransom for many; for the forgiveness of our sins; to take away our condemnation. But I just hadn’t quite thought about them so clearly or in the depth with which Piper explains them. Others weren’t necessarily new, but I had just never really thought about them or looked at them as such- to heal us from moral and physical sickness; to make His cross the ground of all our boasting; to give marriage its deepest meaning; to free us from bondage to the fear of death.

Before reading this book if you had asked me to list reasons Jesus came to die, I definitely would have come far short of 50, and so I am thankful to have gained a much richer understanding of the cross of Calvary through Piper’s writing. I highly recommend this book. It’s simple yet profound, and it will undoubtedly increase your understanding of and appreciation for the death of Jesus. Oh how much more I see my need for Him now! I found it a wonderful way to prepare my heart for Easter, and I think I might start a tradition of reading this each year during the weeks leading up to Easter. What better way to prepare our hearts than to fix our eyes on the cross?

Easter Excellence

2011-05-11T09:00:00.053-04:00

I have loved each and every Easter I have spent in Iasi, and this year was no exception. We started our day off as we have in years past with a "sunrise" prayer service that we started well after the sun was actually risen. 7am is early enough, I do believe. We gathered in front of the medical school and had a simple time of singing and praying. Afterwards we had breakfast together.

Then I took a little nap (hey, I was up at 6am, that's early for me!) and set to cooking for the Feast that afternoon before church. And what a Feast it was!!

The Easter service was lovely and wonderful. It is such a privilege to gather together as brothers and sisters in Christ and celebrate the saving work of Jesus on the cross. We were also privileged to have with us a guest preacher from Sierra Leone, from whom I learn a tremendous amount each time I hear him speak.

The goodness continued with two baptisms of two Nigerian women. They had been Christians for some time but had never been baptized and wanted to walk in obedience to the command to be baptized. So we celebrated with them.

It was a day of festive spring attire, and plenty of color!

All in all a memorable and joyous Easter. I'll leave you with a video a quartet singing In Christ Alone. What an incredible song, and a true joy to us to be able to share with the congregation.

Travel Log: Dublin: Guinness Storehouse

2011-05-09T09:00:00.041-04:00

On my last day in Dublin I finally made it to tour the Guinness Storehouse. You can't actually tour the brewery, but they have a self-guided tour through a building that is shaped like a massive pint glass. That would hold 14 million pints of Guinness if it were filled. Pretty cool. I actually hadn't had ANY Guinness up until that point. Absurd, I know. Especially considering how many people had asked me to have a Guinness FOR them. But I did see Guinness everywhere I went, and loved all the pub signs that invariably mentioned GUINNESS:

The massive Guinness complex is pretty intense, with lots of buildings, and massive gates and tanks...

The storehouse entrance is amidst all this...

The tour was pretty cool, and I learned way more about Guinness than I ever could have wanted to know, from intricacies about the brewing process to how the wooden casks that it was racked in were made. I learned that the largest Guinness brewery in the world is in Lagos, Nigeria (yet another reason I clearly need to go there) and that the original strain of yeast (yea, like from the 1750s) is still used in all the Guinness that is made everywhere in the world. Intense. I also learned a bit about how Guinness has been advertised over the years, and in particular liked these two ads:

Indeed :)

I'm not sure my waistline would agree, but maybe somehow this works out??

At the top of the storehouse is the 360 degree "gravity" bar, from which you could see incredible views of the city:

You could also get your "complimentary" (free with your 14 euro entry fee) pint of Guinness to drink while enjoying the views:

Truth be told, I didn't finish my pint. Guinness is tasty, but I somehow think it needs to be enjoyed with food and/or friends, neither of which I had there. So, I got my fill and took in the view and said farewell to the hops and barley. So now whenever someone talks about Guinness I can casually chime in, "Oh yea, one time I drank Guinness... in Dublin... at the Guinness storehouse." Shazam.

Travel Log: Dublin: Food

2011-05-06T09:00:00.000-04:00

Of course I had to take pictures of food. Of course. I didn't take photos of everything I ate, just the best stuff. So here they are.

Fish and Chips (obvi a must-eat in Ireland) at The Bleeding Horse pub

Sponge cake with jam and cream plus a mint lemonade at The Cake Cafe

Cheeseburger and rosemary fries at Bobos Burgers

Irish Stew at The Porterhouse, a great microbrewery

Gosh I love food!

Travel Log: Newgrange and Monasterboice

2011-05-05T09:00:00.000-04:00

Before I went to Dublin I actually did a little research (shocking, I know) about potential day-trips from the city. I was going to be there for 5 days, and I wanted to make sure I saw a least a little bit of the beautiful Irish countryside. I came across this day trip to Newgrange and Monasterboice, and I thought that would hit the spot. I had actually been told that Newgrange was incredible, so this seemed like a good plan. I booked myself a spot on a tour, and showed up at the Dublin Visitor Center at 10am as required. We had 7 people in our group, plus the tour guide, a jolly older Irishman named Colin. Other than myself, there were 4 older people, and a Canadian couple about my age, whom I befriended and we chatted throughout the day.

Newgrange is a Neolithic (New Stone Age) tomb that dates from 3000 B.C. Yes, you read that correctly. To put it in perspective, that's 500 years before the Pyramids in Egypt were built. It is a "passage burial tomb," with only one small entry and passage that is just wide enough for a person to pass through (at its narrowest point I had to turn sideways), even though the tomb covers nearly an acre of land. The entire story and history is really fascinating, and you can read it here if you're interested. But in short, it's incredibly well preserved because after its initial use it was sealed, was grown over and simply looked like part of the landscape, and remained closed until the early 1700s (AD). At that point a local farmer was looking to find stone to build something, and happened upon the entrance while digging for stone. So, obviously it's remarkably well preserved, despite its age. It was pretty fascinating to see in the distance as we approached:

Once up closer the full size was even more stunning:

For a little perspective on the height, here is a picture of me next to it. This wall was rebuilt in (I think) 1975 using only stones found on the site. The massive rocks that are at the base have an interesting story. Apparently the nearest place this type of rock is found is something like 60 kilometers away from the site. And they believe it would have taken 80 men 4 days to get ONE of them to the tomb site. Pretty intense.

This is the entrance. You can see some megalithic art on the side of the large rock- fascinating! Above the entrance is a window box, through which, on the Winter Solstice (December 21) the sun shines at sunrise up the passageway. Farming was life to the people who built this, and so they needed a way to measure time. What better way than to know the exact day of the Winter Solstice?? Can you even imagine the process they would have used to measure and figure out how to do that?! Wow.

It was really incredible to see this ancient site!

Then we were off to Monasterboice, the ruins of a monastery/cemetery. This isn't a site that is monitored or under any specific care, so we just showed up and walked around. We were the only people there. At this site are two incredible Celtic crosses that are 1100 years old and stand at 18 and 22 feet tall! Our awesome tour guide Colin taught us so much about these crosses and all the Biblical stories depicted on them; it was wonderful.

Here I am next to the smaller of the two. It is made of 3 pieces of stone- the base that I am sitting on is one piece of stone, the cross is one piece of stone, and the little piece on top (that is designed like an old church) is the final piece.

Each panel depicts a scene from the Bible, and they were used to teach people. On this one below is Adam and Even on the with the fruit tree between them and the serpent wrapped around it. On the right is Cain killing Abel. One fascinating aspect of these scenes is how the Celts wove their traditions and customs into them. For instance, the sword Cain is using is a traditional Celtic design, as are their clothes.

Here is a close up of one side of one of the crosses, which depicts the crucifixion of Christ:

And here is the larger of the two crosses, standing at 22 feet:

The cemetery was also fascinating, with gravestones dating as far back as 1746 and as recent as 2010! This struck me as an interesting juxtaposition of old and new:

It was SUCH a great tour and well worth it. I learned a ton, and it was unlike anything I've ever seen. What a great combination, too! I highly recommend visiting these places if you get the chance!

Travel Log: Dublin Highlights

2011-05-04T11:19:00.000-04:00

And we're back. I'm going on a writing splurge today and catching up on all the happenings of the past whirlwind of a 3 weeks. So look forward to a smorgasbord of Spangles-style adventures.

Once upon some ancient-time-ago I went to Ireland. Though I rock out with my German name, my mom's maiden name is straight-up Irish, so I've always been a bit curious to see the land of "my" ancestors. Turns out it is every bit as lovely and wonderful as people say. It's a cute city with a lot of history and a lot of culture. The people are almost too friendly for words. I would walk down the street in the morning and older people would say, "Goodmornin mis!" Or I would ask at a bus stop which buses could take me to X location, and I would not only get that information but the person would accompany me on the bus and tell me all about everything we passed on the way. I mean, really? I've grown so accustomed to the ice of NYC and Romania that I didn't quite know what to do with this kind of warmth. Except soak it up and enjoy it while it lasted.

True to Spangles-Travel-Style I walked and walked and walked and walked. And then I walked some more. I saw pretty much all of the tourist sites, and walked a good portion of the streets in the center of the city. I napped and read in St. Stephen's Green and Merrion Square (beautiful parks!). I saw Christ Church, St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin Castle, Trinity College, and the Spire. I walked through the Temple Bar area. I visited the National Gallery and the Chester Beatty Library, which has an incredible collection of Biblical Papyri (as in, straight-up original Bible texts) and Qur'an manuscripts and scrolls, as well as loads of interesting illustrated books and scrolls and artifacts from various religions (this was definitely a highlight of my trip!). I toured the Guinness storehouse and ate lots of great food throughout my trip (separate posts coming for those!) I journeyed out of the city and went to Newgrange and Monasterboice (separate post coming) and I did a 6km walk between the coastal towns of Bray and Greystones with a church group. It was so lovely. Full but relaxing. Adventurous but remarkably easy and comfortable given that everything was in English.

Here are a few photo highlights:

Trinity College, home to the Book of Kells, which I didn't go see because I didn't want to pay the 8 euros or whatever it cost. In retrospect, this is the one thing I wish I had paid to do. But alas. The campus was really pretty, and one day I sat writing along on a bench along one of their green spaces.

The Temple Bar area, basically a bunch of cobblestone streets with restaurants and pubs. Pretty fun and funky, and I'm sure waaaaay spunkier at night.

Christ Church, a sweet old medieval church.

St. Patrick's cathedral and the really lovely park next to it.

Dublin Castle

In St. Stephen's Green, an incredible park that was simply bursting with beautiful spring flowers.

Merrion Square park, another incredible park, smaller and less congested than St. Stephen's, and with fantastic flower displays.

On the 6km walk from Bray to Greystones- great coastal walk with wonderful views!

One of many stunning views with beautiful yellow flowers (gorse) that were EVERYWHERE.

The cutest house with the cutest door with the cutest fence with the cutest ivy with the cutest everything I maybe have ever seen.

There is certainly much more I could write about, but those are the highlights so I'll leave it at that. I'll write a few more posts in the coming days about a few other adventures, as obviously I need to devote an entire post to food. And another to Guinness. It's only appropriate. If you're ever headed to Dublin and want more details about anything, be sure to let me know!

Hitting Pause.

2011-04-21T11:19:00.000-04:00

I need to hit pause on my writing right now. Even though I have MUCH to write from my Ireland adventures and surely will have much with Easter weekend and our church camp, BECAUSE of preparing for Easter weekend and church camp, I have approximately negative time to write. SO, a brief pause, and surely a return to writing in May.

Travel Log: Travel Turbulence

2011-04-15T16:25:00.002-04:00

I am off to the land of lamb and Guinness. I anticipate nothing short of adventure, and look forward to finding out if the Irish are as friendly as everyone says.

I am flying on BlueAir from Bacau, about 2 hours from Iasi. I get to Bacau with ease; the driver of the maxitaxi is friendly and I befriend a college student who tells me her dad is a taxi driver in Bacau and will take me to the airport. First potential problem of taxi-driver-in-a-strange-city-gyping-me averted. Not only that, she comes WITH ME to the airport, we chat on the way, I find out she’s a 4^th year in the Dentistry program in Iasi. Good stuff.

I arrive at the airport- a small one- and I get myself through security. It’s funny how particular they can be at small airports. Maybe they have more time to make each person actually take out their bag of liquids and take off their watch and do a cartwheel before they go through security, I dunno. I find myself a bit confused with all their little rules.

The “terminal” has one waiting room, a bathroom, and a vending machine. This is not exactly a high volume airport. I read a bit, chillaxed. At the time when our flight is supposed to be leaving, a lady comes on the intercom (for the first time) and informs us that our flight is delayed. For FIVE hours. She says it in Romanian first, so I of course assume I simply misunderstood (which is stretch, because I understand reasonably well). Oh but no, actually five hours. How is this even possible? There is ONE FLIGHT a day. And only one. Can they not get that ONE FLIGHT right? And what kind of delay time is five hours? I mean, who even TELLS YOU five hours? They often tell you in manageable intervals to hopefully assuage passenger frustration. Like, “We’re sorry folks, but it’s gonna be about a two hour delay.” Then towards the end of that they tack on another 2 hours. And so on. I figure it cannot possibly be good if they ACTUALLY TELL US it’s 5 hours. That is grounds for passenger mutiny. Which is indeed not far from what happens.

We can’t go anywhere, cause there’s only one room. I preemptively get a sandwich out of the vending machine, knowing I haven’t brought food to last me that long, and knowing that this budget airline isn’t serving anything on the plane that doesn’t cost extra. And I am not about to fight a bunica for the last ham sandwich 4 hours from now. Thankfully they open the doors out the back of the airport where we would leave to board the plane. Many people, myself included, take advantage of the “freedom” and the warm spring afternoon. I sit outside from 430 to 800, reading and praying, watching the dozen or so children running around, and sighing at the intense anger of many of my fellow travelers. The plane leaves, apparently to go to Bucharest (no joke) to get fixed, and then come back. Maybe. Sometime. It is still unclear. And no one seems to know.

I chat with this woman for a good long while (no really, click on the link), who informs me that this route to Dublin is new last week (which I vaguely remember hearing) and they’ve had major problems every day. Excellent. She talks something about politics and corruption and the mafia and how salaries have gone down, but I can’t quite connect that to the fact that our airplane is delayed for 5 hours because of a mechanical problem. She’s friendly, and our chat helps pass the time. The Lord gives me a great peace that does indeed surpass understanding as we wait it out.

A bit before 8pm we all have to go back inside, and then the real fun begins. There are easily a dozen kids under the age of 10 on this flight that has maybe 120 people on it. And while they could play outside that was all well and good. But now that they’re cooped up in a small room, it’s not so well nor good. They and their parents seem to think it’s appropriate to continue their outdoor games indoors, so there is a fair amount of running, screaming, climbing, and crawling going on. You can imagine the chaos, I’m sure.

Our flight leaves around 9pm, and from then on it’s pretty standard. We arrive in Dublin at 11pm local time, 1am my-body time. I do the passport thang and walk out to the arrivals area. Since I am 5 hours delayed, the person at whose apartment I will be staying is no longer able to meet me, so he has sent a friend to pick me up. I half expect to see someone with a little sign with my name, since neither he nor I will have any clue of what the other looks like. But I don’t see anyone, so I call him. He is surprised to be hearing from me, as he had come to the airport a bit before 11 and the flight board said my flight would be delayed until after 12. So he went back to the city. So it goes. And so here I am, at 130am my-body-time writing this little travel log in the arrivals area of the Dublin airport. As I am sitting, I see that the World Irish Dancing Championships are April 17-23. Tis a shame I will miss that by just a few days. That would be awesome.

A group of about 40 high school students comes through, all in BRIGHT RED sweatshirts that say PARIS 2011 on the back. I can’t quite hear what language they’re speaking to figure out where they’re from, but man, 40 high school students traveling in BRIGHT RED sweatshirts can’t be fun for anyone involved.

And now the kind gentleman who will give me a ride is calling, so I best be going. I will arrive at my destination well after 2am on my body’s time, tired but thankful to have a lovely and free place to stay while here.

And so the adventure begins.

Book Review: Street Children by Andy Butcher

2011-04-08T09:00:00.010-04:00

I was having a conversation with a friend one day about how we should think about mercy ministry, what it means to give generously (in this particular context, of our money, though it certainly includes time and energy as well), and how we should walk this out day-to-day. We were talking about beggars and street kids, how situations are different in Romania, the US, and Nigeria, and what we think about such practical situations as giving money to a person vs buying them food. There is certainly poverty everywhere in the world, but I tend to be particularly tuned into it here because there are so many street kids, so many children beggars, so many sad situations involving children, and it just breaks my heart. And so I have oft wrestled with what MY particular role is (or should be) in helping and reaching out.

Interestingly enough the very next day I was looking through some books that a couple left here when they moved to England, and I saw this book, Street Children. So I picked it up, started reading it, and finished it within the week. Butcher does an excellent job of making a massive worldwide epidemic tangible at the individual level. Yes, he gives the overwhelming and massively saddening statistics and paints broad strokes of street children worldwide. But mixed in with that he tells the stories of individual street children, as well as stories of individuals reaching out to them.

The book begins with an overview of poor/abandoned/street children in various time periods in history, and Butcher defines and characterizes the different types of street children, why they’re on the street, and what they do. Which varies greatly from the developing to the developed world, from Manila to Rio de Janeiro. He also devotes a few chapters to the life of street kids. I was a bit shocked to read the chapter entitled “The Killing Fields,” in which Butcher describes how and why street children are killed. I knew to some extent the violence amongst street children (which he talks about), but I didn’t know about how some governments and peoples commit atrocious acts of violence against street children. His chapter on the worldwide child sex industry was saddening and sobering.

The second half of the book beings by bringing the situation under lens of Christianity, and explains the rationale for why in particular we as Christians should care for street children (not least of all that Jesus said that true religion is caring for orphans and widows…). A few chapters detail a variety of stories about individuals and organizations that are working with street children from India to Guatemala to Colorado. It closes with a chapter on how individuals can reach out to street children. I really appreciated the fluid mix of macro and micro in this book. Butcher moves from general trends and statistics directly to specific individuals. Names of children are in bold font, visually emphasizing the individuals and their stories. Yes there are 18 million children on the streets of India, and one of them is named Pradip, a boy who spent 6 years in the Calcutta train station until he was rescued by a Christian orphanage.

I found the book to be sobering yet encouraging, overwhelming yet motivational. I left more aware of the massively enormous (is that big enough?) complexity and sadness and depth and breadth of the issue of street children. But I also left believing even more that I as an individual can and should have an impact where I am and how I can. A section of the lyrics of the song Who Will Save the Children (which appears in full in the book) aptly bring together these two ideas, and I will leave you with these words:

As we observe them through our TV screens

They seem so distant an unreal

But they bleed like we bleed

And they feel what we feel

Oh, save the children

Save the children

Now we decide that nothing can change

And throw up our hands in numb despair

And we lose a piece of our souls

By teaching ourselves just how not to care

But Christ would have gone to the Cross

Just to save one child from being lost

And we are His hands

We are His voice

We are the ones who must make the choice

And it must be now

There’s no time to lose

It must be you

No one can take your place

Can’t you see that only we can

Save the children

Alpha and Omega

2011-04-06T09:00:00.001-04:00

Just a little video from our church choir, singing Alpha and Omega. Enjoy!

Kid Konvos #6

2011-04-04T09:00:00.019-04:00

While coloring with Marit the other day...
Me: What do you want to be when you grow up?
Marit: A teacher.
Me: What do you want to teach?
Marit: I want to teach kids how to speak Chinese and French because I'm going to learn lots of languages and then I can teach them to kids and they can go to countries to speak them.
Me: Wow! Where will you teach?
Marit: In many countries.

While playing a game with Marit...
Marit: Sometimes I give people presents
Me: Yea, that's one of the best things about you!
Marit: But the BEST thing about me is that I love God.

While Marit was drawing a flower bouquet for me...
Me: I bet it will be so beautiful! I can't wait to see it!
*pause*
Marit: Oh silly, yes you can!
5 minutes later after she gave me the drawing....
Marit: See, you could.
Me: Yes, yes I could.

And one I was not present for but is one of my all-time favorite Marit quotes... While in the car on the way to school...
Marit: Mommy, why are all these Romanians taking over Iasi?

*LOVE*

Book Review: Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

2011-04-01T09:00:00.006-04:00

Back in middle school when I went to a summer camp (of the Nerd Camp variety) people were always talking about some book called The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. Which of course I had never heard of because even though I was the nerdiest of nerds in my little town, I had come to the Big Leagues of middle school nerds and had much to learn. Every Thursday these people (and anyone they could convince to join them) wore bathrobes all day (as in- to meals, to class, to hang out… all in the middle of the summer) because in this book the world ends on a Thursday morning and everyone is caught in their bathrobes. So I guess they wanted to reenact that each week? Or something. The rationale and logic grow shaky if I think about it for more than a few seconds. Hey, it was middle school.

That’s all I knew about this book. It came up every now and again in various places in the intervening years, and I always vaguely thought I should read it sometime, but never really got around to it. Then the other day I was in a second-hand store in Iasi that had oodles and boodles of books in English. I’m talking towards the thousands mark. Which is not a lot compared to say, your local Barnes & Noble, but compared to the almost-zilch English-language books that are findable here, it’s a jackpot.

I browsed all of them. Literally. Because there was no order or rhyme or reason- just books on shelves. So I had to make sure I looked at them all, lest I miss a good one. And considering the price was $1.50 per pound (as in, they weighed the books and established the price from that), it was clearly worth the time. All that to say. I found this book. And given that it had just come up the previous week in some random conversation, I decided I finally needed to read it.

And that was the longest introduction to a book review ever. But the story is really important because the journey to reading a book can be as awesome as the book itself. But it just so happens to be a way hilarious and awesome book in and of itself. And even if I hadn’t started with that big long story, it would still be hilarious and awesome.

It is indeed a book about the end of the world, and the world does indeed end on a Thursday, but nowhere does it mention bathrobes. So now I’m quite confused about the bathrobes-on-Thursday-at-Nerd-Camp thing. Maybe something from the movie or one of the many adaptations of the original radio broadcast? But then again, like I said, it was middle school, so there may be a good dose of randomness involved.

The story starts at the home of an Englishman named Arthur Dent, just a normal average guy who wakes up one morning to find workers outside his house ready to bulldoze it to make way for an expressway. Then comes his friend Ford Prefect, who is actually an alien from a small planet near the star Betelgeuse and a researcher for the intergalactic guide book from which the book derives its title. He knows the Earth is about to be destroyed, and he’s not so happy about it. Before the Earth is destroyed the people of Earth are informed that it is because “the plans for the development of the outlying regions of the Galaxy require the building of a hyperspatial express route through your star system, and regrettably your planet is one of those scheduled for demolition.” For reasons that I won’t reveal to you, Ford is able to get off planet Earth as it is being demolished, and Arthur is brought along for the ride. Their continuing adventures and mishaps in the Galaxy constitute the majority of the book.

HHGTTG is hilarious. The writing style is incredibly witty, and I’ve never laughed out loud so much while reading. For instance, this short interchange between Arthur and Ford:
Ford: You’d better be prepared for the jump into hyperspace. It’s unpleasantly like being drunk.

Arthur: What’s so unpleasant about being drunk?
Ford: You ask a glass of water.

It’s just a great and fun book. Reads fast, really witty, and really dry deadpan humor. This is the first in a “trilogy of five books,” so maybe I’ll have to check the others and see how Arthur and Ford’s adventures continue. And in case you were wondering, I never wore a bathrobe on Thursday at Nerd Camp. Which wasn’t actually called Nerd Camp, but rather Center for Talented Youth. So, basically it might have as well have been called Nerd Camp. The end.

A Model For a Day

2011-03-29T09:00:00.040-04:00

A friend of mine is a design student, and she sees the world through a camera lens. And does a beautiful job of capturing the world through her camera lens. I love her photography; you can see some of it here and here.

She invited me over to her apartment for coffee one day and said she could take some photos of me as well. She said it so casually that I didn't think anything of it, but what she meant was a full-out photo shoot. Fun. I started in what I wore, and then explored the realms of her wonderfully eclectic clothing (we're the same size!) to "play" a bit. We had a lot of fun, and she did a great job. Here are a few of my favorites from the afternoon. Some have the watermark for the website she has with her boyfriend (the second link above)- go visit!

This last one is definitely my mostest favoritest. So fun!

Book Review: The Holy Spirit by R.C. Sproul

2011-03-25T09:00:00.006-04:00

It seems that one of the big themes in my life lately is holiness and (thereby) the Holy Spirit. I’m learning a ton about Who the Holy Spirit is and how He works in our lives. I think for many Christians (myself included), it’s much easier to understand God the Father and Jesus the Son than the Holy Spirit- both who they are and what they do. But the fact of the matter is that God is three in one- Father, Son, AND Spirit. The Trinity is a difficult idea, but so so vital to properly understand. This book helped me in that, and I found it both accessible and challenging. The first few chapters give a detailed account of Who the Holy Spirit is, what the Trinity is, and an explanation and defense of the underlying truth of the Trinity- that God is one in essence and three in person. At some level it’s a mystery for sure, and I don’t pretend to fully understand it. But I believe it and trust that if God is really an infinite God, then my finite brain isn’t going to be able to fully grasp every aspect of His being. And that is ok. In fact, God wouldn’t be a God worthy of my worship if I- a finite human- could understand every single thing about Him. He is knowable and personal, but He is also infinite. Pretty awesome.

I particularly liked the chapter entitled Safe and Sound in which Sproul expands upon how the Spirit is “the One who applies the work of Christ to our lives by working in us to bring us to full conformity and the image of Christ.” The Christianese term for this idea is “sanctification”, and it is an ongoing process that lasts our whole life. The chapters on the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and Fruit of the Spirit were helpful as well. This is a solid book if you’re looking for an overview of the person and work of the Holy Spirit. Each chapter certainly could be its own book, but it definitely covers the essential points. I think the W.A. Criswell quote that Sproul uses best sums up the book and the work of the Spirit, “ Without the presence of the Spirit there is no conviction, no regeneration, no sanctification, no cleansing, no acceptable works…Life is in the quickening Spirit.” Amen.

I Love This Family

2011-03-23T09:00:00.129-04:00

Though you will never see the phrase "church membership" in the Bible, it's clearly a Biblical concept.
Unlike today, in the early church, when you became a Christian it inherently meant you went to church. It is simply assumed in the way the New Testament and early church documents are written. You became a Christian... you went to church. It followed naturally. There was no "me and my private relationship with God over here in my little corner" that we see today. It just didn't happen like that.

The church is sometimes called a flock, and the elders (leaders) shepherd the flock. And the shepherd needs a way to know which sheep are in his flock in order to care for them. He's responsible before God for the flock that has been entrusted to his care, and so he needs to be very clear which sheep belong to him. Hebrews 13:17 says "Obey your leaders and submit to them." What leader is going to claim any kind of authority over random people, and what random people will submit to that? There is assumed some kind of clear understanding and knowledge of who is submitting to whom. In one letter it says "when the whole church comes together...". How would you know if the whole church was together unless you knew in some clear way who was supposed to be there?

There are so many examples of exhortations that include the phrase "one another", most notably Hebrews 10:24-25, "And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching." It is clear this isn't just some loose affiliated bunch of floaters that are uncommitted to one another. They are described as a body, a family, a flock, and a household, knit together as one unit.
If you'd like more justification for the necessity of church membership, you can go here for a Biblical basis of church membership, here for an article entitled "Is Church Membership Optional?", or here for an article from my church in the US on the topic.

And so, wanting to be in line with Scripture, last fall we started down the road towards Church Membership. We had several weeks of teaching on the subject to help everyone clearly understand various aspects of The Church and the importance of membership, and then we accepted applications and spoke with each individual who applied. A few weeks ago we welcomed the first members of Eclesia International Church, and it was a joyous night indeed. A total of 35 people were inducted this time around, we expect that another 5-10 will apply for another round in April. Elders from our sister church asked us a few basic questions that we publicly answered together, and then they prayed for us. No "magical" formula or anything, just a simple step of obedience as a congregation and as individuals.

At the end of every choir rehearsal we sing a little song together that has become so very dear to me and comes to mind now as I write:

I love this family of God

So closely knitted into one

They've taken me into their hearts

And I'm so glad to be

A part of this great family

I am indeed so glad to be a part of the family of God, thankful to be a daughter of the the King of heaven, and united in fellowship with all those who accept the free gift of salvation offered by Jesus. And while we've certainly been a family and a church for a long time, it's such a wonderful step to be officially committing to church membership together. I am most grateful to be a part of this piece of the family of God for this season of life.

From All Corners of the World

2011-03-21T08:46:00.008-04:00

A few weeks ago we took a picture together immediately following the church service with EVERYONE who was there that night. Regular attenders, first-timers, everyone. We've never actually done that, so it was nice to have a picture all together. And pretty amazing to tangibly see the Lord's faithfulness in building a church from the ground up in merely 3 years. About 60 people representing 10 countries were there that particular night, and oh what a beautiful picture it was of the rich diversity we get to experience in this community. Romania. United States. Nigeria. Zimbabwe. Malaysia. South Africa. Somalia. Holland. India. Cameroon. What makes it possible to be so diverse culturally, racially, and ethnically (and probably a few other "ly"s) and yet be unified? Christ. Who died for the sins of the whole world. For young and old. Black and white. Jew and Gentile. He died so that we may live. And so now we live to bring Him glory. It is a beautiful picture, indeed.

Book Review: Crazy Love by Francis Chan

2011-03-18T09:00:00.004-04:00

Several people I love and respect highly recommended this book to me. And I understand why they did, but I just didn’t care for this book. This book is written as an in-your-face exhortation to get comfy cozy American Christians to break free from the status quo of lukewarm faith. Which I get. And I’m sure is needed. But as someone who has been outside the edgy, sarcastic, in-your-face style of pretty much EVERYTHING in America for quite some time now, I just kind of found it way over-the-top. Which again, maybe is needed to get people’s attention, but I just wasn’t so much connecting with it. For instance, some of the chapter titles include “Stop Praying,” “You Might Not Finish This Chapter,” and “Serving Leftovers to a Holy God.” I get it, I do. But I don’t really like it.

I believe wholeheartedly that Chan is right when he says things like, “On the average day, we live caught up in ourselves. On the average day, we don’t consider God very much. On the average day, we forget that our life truly is a vapor.” He’s right that in light of the infinite goodness of the free gift of salvation much of how many people live as comfy cozy American Christians is selfish and prideful and lazy. I think he’s right in saying that “the goals of American Christianity are often a nice marriage, children who don’t swear, and good church attendance. Taking the words of Christ literally and seriously is rarely considered. That’s for the “radicals” who are “unbalanced” and who go “overboard.” Most of us want a balanced life that we can control, that is safe, and that does not involve suffering.” I appreciate how he ties it all back to love and a loving relationship with our Creator and Savior. I appreciate (some of) the message, but I dislike the method. And that’s fine. I don’t know that as a missionary I’m particularly the intended audience for this kind of book, but a few particular points did bring conviction and elicit some thought. So, take that for what it’s worth, and if you read it, let me know what you think.

Afro-Albino-American

2011-03-15T09:00:00.047-04:00

Well I've done it again. Braided my hair again, that is. And by "I", I mean my Nigerian friend. It's kind of become a tradition- each February for 3 years now I've had my hair made in full braids. Even though I've done it two other times and liked it, for some reason this time it looked the best it ever has. I think partly because she made a bit smaller braids than before, and maybe because I used a slightly red-brown extension color that worked on me. I don't know, but man, I loved it, and many a Nigerian told me that it suited me. It's a long process- this time it took NINE hours. Yes, nine hours of sitting still and having someone make your hair. I'm thankful for my friend, because I know it's NOT easy to braid white people's hair. Here is my friend Mary who did the beautiful work:

Here is one with my friend Beulah who was visiting Iasi from America. We happened to see an I <3 NY sticker on a car, and since we both love NY (she lives there), we obvi needed to take a silly picture. As if a Chinese person and a white-person-with-black-person hair don't already get enough stares here.

And another one after church with my friend Pam and her husband Deji, whose wedding reception I wrote about recently.

But sadly, I had to take the braids out. Much as I enjoyed them and would have kept them much longer, after two weeks they didn't look as great. My hair was poking out in various places, and they were much looser from my skull. So it goes when you're white. But as it turns out, when you undo 130 braids, my oh my does that produce an afro! About which more than one person commented with "Hello lioness." Hello indeed.

And of course washing my hair the next day meant goodbye Afro and hello normal boring white person hair.

At least for a little while.

Book Review: Call the Midwife by Jennifer Worth

2011-03-11T09:00:00.008-05:00

This is a memoir written by a woman who was a midwife in the poor East End of London in the 1950s. And what an enthralling and exceptional memoir it is! Midwifery really fascinates me, and I’ve been trying to learn more about it, so this was just the right book for me. Though there are a few overarching story lines and individuals that appear throughout the book, each chapter stands relatively on its own as a story of an individual woman’s birthing process, and the whole situation and culture surrounding it. The East End was a very poor area, and the conditions in which women gave birth were often what we would today call primitive. As I read, I was struck by the fact that this was ONLY fifty years ago. Yes, in one sense 50 years is a lot of time, but I suppose from my age and culture and situation in life it’s easy for me to completely forget that most of the world’s women for most of time have given birth at home, without “modern” conveniences, medicines, and procedures. From the greatest of successes to the worst of tragedies, this book covers shows it all. Worth wrote this book nearly 40 years after the fact, and I think the subtlety and maturity of age comes through in her writing. The characters and descriptions are vivid, and so many times I thought, “Gosh, I wish I could have met that woman.” It’s a fascinating memoir, and well worth the read.

A Nigerian Wedding Reception

2011-03-09T09:00:00.088-05:00

Over the winter break a Nigerian woman in our church got married. Back in Nigeria. But she wanted to have the reception here in Romania with the church and her classmates. Good stuff.

Someday I hope to go a Nigerian wedding IN Nigeria, because from the way all my Nigerian friends talk, they sound amazingly fun and festive. Of course I would expect nothing less from a people who have such passion for food, dancing, singing, and looking sharp sharp like it's no one's business.

It was a fun and festive night indeed and included plenty of food, dancing, singing, and LOTS of people looking sharp sharp. I brought out a little (ok, a LOT) more of the NYC-glam corner of my wardrobe than usually gets brought out here. And a Nigerian friend made my hair into beautiful braids that I loved so much. About 80 people gathered together for the celebration, and it was great to meet many from the medical school whom I wouldn't otherwise have had the chance to meet. Some highlights include eating REALLY good food, doing (and watching people do) the Virgina Reel with a room full of people who had never done any kind of country line dance, and watching some stellar dancing from some pretty stellar guys. What a fabulous evening celebrating the union of a godly couple!

With my roommate

Jollof rice (orange), fried rice (yellow), salad, chicken curry, beef, and chicken. All made by friends of the bride. The dessert isn't pictured, but the cake was FANTASTIC

With the fabulous Hari

You may be confused and think I am slipping in a photo from a GQ photo shoot. Oh no, this is just Nigerians doin it right

And a little more fab fashion

Fun game where the bride was blindfolded and had to figure out which face was her husband's. She got it right ;)

With the newlyweds!

An International Decor

2011-03-07T10:00:00.003-05:00

Working with and international church has broadened my scope of thinking, understanding, seeing, hearing, and viewing the world. And this has transfered over into my decor. We have these two cool little alcoves in our apartment, and I wanted to put some kind of maps in them. A friend of mine is really into maps and let us have some. They're from an atlas from the 1960s, and it's really incredible to look back at the countries and borders that existed then. And as friends FROM these places look at them, we often get a history lesson about how and why those borders changed! Other friends have about 10 years worth of National Geographics from the 80s and 90s, amongst which I found an awesome "Peoples of South Asia" map from 1984. Here is the wall, as well as individual photos of the maps (you can click on them to see them larger):

Southeast Asia:

Europe:

Peoples of Southeast Asia:

Southern Africa (MASSIVE differences from today!):

Northern Africa:

Way back when I first got to Romania I purchased some cool prints of Big Ben, the Colosseum, and Arc de Triumph. Two year later Europe feels way more "local" than "foreign", but I still think the prints are fun:

And then of course my postcard wall, at least those that I've collected or been sent since February 2010. It has doubled in size since my Postcard Palooza post last summer!

We have other little international flair around our apartment, including a tablecloth from Kenya and a little wooden cat figurine from Malaysia. And don't even get me started on our spice cabinet! It's so fun to be a part of this international community, and I am thankful for the opportunity to have friends from all corners of the globe who have impacted my life in countless ways!

Book Review: The Pursuit of Holiness by Jeff Bridges

2011-03-04T09:00:00.008-05:00

I love that the first chapter of this book is called “Holiness is For You,” because in today’s world the word “holiness” seems to carry a negative stench of puritanical prudery. But that is so far from the truth. To be holy is to be set apart, to be morally blameless. God is holy, and calls us to be holy as He is. It’s an interesting situation- We will never actually attain holiness, but we can (and should) pursue it. This book explains just what holiness is (and isn’t), why we’re called to holiness as Christians, and how to daily live out the battle for holiness in body, spirit, will, habits, and faith. I appreciate how he clarifies that the called to holiness is a call to walk in obedience, not victory. So often I feel like I look at my sins as ‘failure’ and try to find ways to be victorious over it, rather than what it actually is- an offense that grieves my good and loving and perfect Lord. Out of appreciation for what God has done for me, I want to live my life in accordance with His will and plan.

I also appreciate the balanced view Bridges gives of the role of God and the role of the individual in the pursuit of holiness. Even the desire to pursue holiness is from God. No progress in holiness comes apart from Him, but yet we must individually make choices and decisions for holiness. This takes practice and it takes discipline and it takes a plan to develop habits of holiness; we must continually work against the deeply ingrained habits of sin in our lives. I have been learning a lot about the Holy Spirit recently, and this book helped me understand the role of the Holy Spirit in conforming us to God’s will, and how the Spirit enables us to attain holiness by “revealing our sin, creating a desire for holiness, and giving us the strength to respond to Him in obedience.” I found this book to have lots of practical and Scripturally-rooted tidbits for increasingly living a life of holiness, and I pray I will be able to apply this more and more to my Christian walk.

Photos Around Iasi: Krispy Kangaroo?

2011-03-02T09:00:00.001-05:00

I was walking through the center of town and saw this billboard. It caught my eye because I don't often see massive pictures of kangaroos and bison around here. I stopped to read it and just stared... equal parts confused, intrigued, and surprised. My roommate had continued walking but eventually realized I was no longer with her and returned to see me mouth-agape staring at something. She looked at it and started laughing hysterically. It's an advertisement that says Lady Chef Cornelia Ghisoi presents preparations of antelope, kangaroo, and bison caramelized with sugar. Not just any sugar- Margaritar brand sugar. Oh my word, there are just no words. You can bet I will be there, camera and stomach ready to be filled.

Slow and Steady Wins the Race

2011-02-28T09:00:00.010-05:00

During the month of January one of the large superstores in the city had a 50% off sale on a variety of appliances. I think it was mostly items that are new to Romania and perhaps people don't quite know what they're for or don't see the need to spend a lot of money for them. For instance- rice cookers, vegetable steamers, and sandwich presser-maker-thingamabobs. AND. Crock pots. They had crock pots on sale for 52 lei, down from 104 lei. 52 lei = $16. For a real, genuine, not-ghetto crock pot. Even 104 lei isn't outrageous when translated to dollars, but I just never really looked into it. But when I heard about 52 lei I jumped all over it. And got myself my very own crock pot.

I have been using it multiple times a week, and I don't even know how I lived without one. It's just SO EASY. Stick in some meat and veggies in the morning, put the heat on low, and set the timer for however many hours you want. And BOOM, you have a meal ready for you at dinnertime. I'm delving into the realm of beef and pork roasts- hitherto uncharted territory, as meat here can often be quite tough. Oh but no amount of toughness stands up to 8 hours in a slow cooker. No sir-ee!

In the past two weeks I have made:
Garlic Rosemary Pork with Carrots and Potatoes
Chili (my dad's most excellent recipe, made on the stove but simmered in the crock pot all day)
Teriyaki Chicken
Pork and Sauerkraut (with mashed potatoes)- a central PA favorite

Let the culinary adventures continue.

Book Review: Son of Hamas by Mosab Hassan Youssef

2011-02-25T09:00:00.001-05:00

What an intense and interesting book this was! It is the true account of author Youssef’s life as the eldest son of one of the 7 men who founded Hamas. I was intrigued about this book because I love memoirs, and I am always looking to gain a more well-rounded perspective of the situation in the Middle East, particularly from the Palestinian point of view. And this certainly challenged some of my traditionally-held views and understandings about it all. It totally reads like a spy thriller, starting with Youssef’s childhood as a devout Muslim who deeply admires his Sheikh father, then continuing on with his imprisonment for purchasing guns, his experiences in prison, disillusionment with much of the workings of Hamas, decision to become a spy for the Israeli secret service, and journey of faith. I found it to be quite the page-turner, and richly captivating. I learned a lot of new information, or maybe just digested it all a little better because of the format. It’s a fascinating account that will undoubtedly challenge your views, no matter where you fall on the political or religious spectrum.

What a Difference a Vowel Makes

2011-02-21T09:00:00.070-05:00

I've been in Romania for a little over two years now, and while my Romanian is passable, it's by no means excellent. I make a lot of mistakes. Like when intending to say summer (vara), I once mashed up winter (iarna) and vara and said Varna. Which is a city in Poland. I can understand how that might be confusing to my listener. I had a really funny situation the other day when a Romanian taught me an expression that I thought was "forma fara fund"- 'form without essence.' The idea of the expression is having an external appearance of something but no substance to back it up. For instance, when people want to SEEM like they have a lot of money, so they have really fancy clothing and a nice car, but they're actually super poor. And I thought it made sense as 'forma fara fund', because even though I knew 'fund' means 'butt,' I thought maybe it also could metaphorically mean base or foundation or something along the lines of the expression. Oh but no. It just means butt. The actual expression is 'forma fara fond.' Oh the blessed difference between fund and fond. 'Butt' vs. 'essence.' Yep, 'fond' definitely is what I want. Thankfully I shared my new "learning" with my roommate before anyone else, so I was less embarrassed than I potentially could have been.

Then one night at dinner another American and two Romanians somehow this idea about a "one vowel difference" came up. And the American said, "Yeah, it's like placinta and placenta. They sound so much the same to me, but they're SO NOT." Placinta means pie, and placenta means placenta. And see, it's actually more than one vowel difference, because both of the A's in 'placinta' have the little smiley face over them and are thereby pronounced differently than a regular smiley-face-free 'A'. But even though I KNOW there is a difference, it's still hard for me to HEAR the difference, much less SAY the difference. So while Placinta and Placenta sound VERY different to Romanians because there are THREE vowels of difference, they kind of sound the same to an American. But that is indeed a tragic mistake to make.

And so while I tend to brush it off as "not a big deal" when I make these mistakes, thinking "Oh obvi this is totally an honest mistake," when Romanians do the same thing, I'm all, "Ohhhh come on now, those are TOTALLY different words." Of course.
The other day a friend was talking about the second-hand stores in Iasi and how they were once all shut down because everything was like rugs. And I could not for the life of me figure out what she meant. I asked her to explain what she meant, and she said, "You know, they were all thin and kind of old..." Oh- RAGS!! Yes, yes indeed.

And recently another friend confused seminar and seminary. Just one small letter can make a world of difference. I've come to appreciate the difference a vowel makes and try to be less judgey in my heart of hearts when others make "silly" mistakes in English, considering how often I do it in Romanian. Oh the joys of living in an international community!

Book Review: Lords of the Earth by Don Richardson

2011-02-18T09:00:00.007-05:00

This is a biography of Stan Dale, a missionary to the cannibalistic Yali tribe of Papua. This tribe believes in a variety of spirits who control every aspect of life and require the strictest obedience. To the point that even children are killed in the tribe if they break certain rules of the spirits. And yes, they eat the flesh of opposing warriors they have killed. Into this world went Dale to share the good news of Jesus Christ, the one true God who offers salvation and true freedom.

To say this is a page-turner would be an understatement. It’s fascinating to read about Dale’s initial contact with this tribe up through multiple years living amongst them learning their language, religion, and customs, and the eventual turning to Christ of some. But not without great risk and cost to his family and companions, as well as fierce opposition from other tribes. I didn’t know anything about Dale’s story, so I was on the edge of my seat the entire time I was reading, particularly as Richardson’s writing style is especially vivid. What an incredible story of God’s faithfulness! I’ve surely said in previous reviews of missionary biographies, but I appreciate reading about God’s work throughout the whole world, how He does so. God truly desires for every tribe, tongue, and nation to hear of the good news of Jesus, and it is inspiring to read of men and women who have taken up this call.

Retreat in Voroneti: Take 4.

2011-02-16T09:00:00.003-05:00

It's been almost a year since we have been to Voroneti, but we trekked out again for a little retreat, this time with wonderful additions to the team, going with all the Great Commandments Ministries (my sending agency) peeps who are here, including the ministry directors who are in Romania for 3 months! It is now my fourth time there, and I have written about 2 of the first 3 adventures here and here. Since we always stay at the same place, it feels very much like "our" place. It's beautiful and pristine and quiet and quaint.

I love the little kiosks near the Voroneti Monastery selling all kinds of traditional Romanian housewares and clothing. I took some pictures of the traditional "bunica scarves" as we call them. Bunica is the Romanian word for grandmother, but we tend to use it for any old woman, especially if they look really old and really traditionally Romanian. One element of traditional Romanian-ness is a headscarf. And at this kiosk you could make yourself a real bunica scarf collection!

I also really enjoy some of the traditional clothing, and kind of think I should buy a shirt for myself after all my time here. The white shirts with embroidery are so beautiful and detailed!

We often like to explore around the area where we stay, sledding and hiking as weather permits. While walking I saw this AMAZING old-school tractor. I wanted to take a picture with me at the wheel, but as I walked closer I realized the owner of the tractor was behind it. So I refrained from hopping inside.

While sledding I saw a massive dog about 200 yards away, and I started barking at it (as ya do). I didn't even remotely think it would bark back, let alone run across the 200 yards (up hill) to come visit. He didn't get any closer than this, but oh my word he was ENORMOUS.

Our retreat this time was more of a time to relax and have fun, and less of a working retreat than we've had before. One activity we did was look back at the Lord's faithfulness in this ministry by making a timeline of events leading up to the formation of the church, and all of our individual journeys to get here as well. It was so incredible to look back and see how the Lord has so beautifully orchestrated everything about the work we're doing here!

This time I was in a room with a soba, aka wood stove. It's made of some kind of earth that is formed into bricks to make various sizes and shapes of stoves. You make a fire in it and the tiles heat up and keep the place nice and toasty for a VERY long time. According to the proprietor it's a great heat to help with the kidneys (if you put your back on the stove) and other injuries. Pretty cool. Man, we stayed nice and warm in our cozy little room!

We forgot about getting a picture in front of the monastery doors as we've done every trip, but we did manage to get one of all the GCMers (except Hollie, who we miss!) at a restaurant, so that will have to do. What a lovely time together away from the city, resting, thinking, reflecting, praying, and sharing fellowship together!

Book Review: Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell

2011-02-11T09:00:00.007-05:00

I had been meaning to read this book for quite some time, as I thoroughly enjoyed Tipping Point and was reasonably interested in Blink. I finally received it as a Christmas present, and devoured it shortly thereafter. The question at the root of this book is “Why do some people succeed far more than others?” We individualistic Westerners tend to think it has way more to do with hard work, intelligence, ambition, and perseverance than luck or situation, but in Outliers Gladwell challenges this fundamental assumption. He argues that the story behind success is far more complicated, and often involves unseen advantages as well as situational and cultural circumstances in the individual’s favor.

For instance, if you look at top hockey players, nearly all of them were born in January through March. Furthermore, if you look at almost any sport where people are segmented into ability groups and differentially coached and trained at a young age and look at the cutoff date for age groups, you will find that most all of the “best” players that rise to the top come are disproportionately born in the three months after the cutoff date. Gladwell of course explains all this in much greater detail and goes into all the reasons and behind-the-scenes contributing factors that facilitate the making of outliers. He does goes through similar exercises with NYC lawyers, successful musicians, pilots, and Asian math students in order to show that generation, family, culture, class, and circumstance have a far greater impact than we traditionally like to believe. We so often like to paint the picture of success to be one of straightforward hard-working picking-up-by-the-bootstraps triumph. And it is, to some degree. But it is, as Gladwell shows, so much more. If you’ve read his other works, you will find this one to be written in a similar style. If you liked his other works, you will probably like this one, but if not, I wouldn’t bother. I found it interesting and compelling, and a nice easy read.

The Difference Between Men and Women

2011-02-09T09:00:00.010-05:00

This says it all.

Me: So, how'd you propose?
My brother: In the kitchen.

Me: So how'd he propose?
My brother's fiance: Well, I was washing dishes after dinner and he was drying and he was kind of standing a little behind me so I didn't really see him. And then he said, "Do you need this?" and I thought he meant like a dish or something that he had. But I turned around and he had a ring and I said, "YES! I need that!"

Indeed.

Photos Around Iasi: Winter in Gray With a Splash of Color

2011-02-07T09:00:00.017-05:00

Though my first few days back in Iasi were pleasantly mild, winter is definitely back and likely here to stay for another 4-6 weeks. Thankfully there have been more sunny days than the usual none, so I really can't complain. Here's a view from my friend's window. They live up the hill from me, so this shot is overlooking my neighborhood. I live behind the yellow and brown house along the right edge about halfway up (you can click the picture to see it bigger). Like the title says, winter here is mostly gray with a splash of color. And our neighbors made a pretty rockin snow-family. Even snowmen need hats and scarves to stay warm here.

Book Review: One Heart Full of Love by Mother Teresa

2011-02-04T09:00:00.004-05:00

This is a short collection of addresses, interviews, and comments given by Mother Teresa during her life. It provides an insight into her core beliefs, motivations, and works over the years. Certainly most people are familiar with the life and work of Mother Teresa, in particular her work with the poorest of the poor in Calcutta, India. She believed that her work was “nothing more than a means of transforming our love for Christ into something more concrete” and that a call to the Mission of Charity meant “being wholeheartedly given over to serving the poorest of the poor.”

It was interesting for me to see a collection of her speeches, as I could more clearly see the recurring themes in her life and work, most notably a deep desire for everyone to serve the poor amongst themselves (ie, you don’t need to go to Calcutta to serve the poor), a fierce defense of and respect for the sanctity of life (in particular unborn children), and desire to treat each person with the dignity they deserve as an individual created in the image of God. I found this book to be helpful in further understanding what she did and why she did it, and though I don’t agree with all of her beliefs, I do fundamentally appreciate what she did during her life and truly respect her work amongst the poor.

Student Exam Care Packages

2011-02-02T09:00:00.043-05:00

Ever since my first months in Iasi I have wanted to make care packages for students during exam time. It's such a stressful and busy time (I mean, it's MEDICAL SCHOOL), and I have thought it would be a great way to serve our dear friends. This year I finally had the right combination of time and people available to help. So, my roommate and I went to Selgros (basically like Costco) and bought lots of goodies. The next morning two friends came to help assemble the care packages, which consisted of a juice box, bag of chips, Sugus (like starburst but way better), hot chocolate, Post-Its, a snack cake, an orange, and an assortment of homemade cookies.

We then divided up the bags amongst the team and spent the afternoon and evening delivering the care packages. Even though it was cold cold cold, Anna and I had a great time trekking around the city with bags overflowing with goodies. What a joy to be able to love on friends in this way, get to visit lots of students in their own homes, and pray for them while we were there. I was going to take some cheese-ball pics of us delivering them, but I thought better of it. But just trust me when I say, it was great. It's such a great honor to be a part of this work serving and loving the international community here in Iasi.

The Intricacies of the Romanian Postal System

2011-01-31T09:00:00.099-05:00

Even after living here for two years I still am learning new information about the Romanian postal system. And yes, I'm usually learning because I'm doing something wrong.

Here's the deal.
My "local" post office is about a 7 minute walk up a hill. It's not the closest one to me, but it's the one to which I receive mail. Some kinds of mail. I receive regular letters at my house as we would in the US. But if I would receive any kind of domestic packages or large envelope from anywhere (like, say a padded envelope from the US in which someone sends me some candy), or if I receive a box from anywhere that has BOOKS in it, that is what's different. All those things go to my "local" post office. But those are not actually things I often receive. So I had no idea about any of that for the longest time. Or that that post office even was "mine".

Because.

When I receive a package (as I've blogged about before) I get a little paper notification in my mailbox at home. On which is invariably scribbled something indecipherable, telling me that I have a package and where I should get it, which was for the longest time always at the customs post office across town, so I assumed that was the only option. Over time I learned all of the aforementioned differences as I received envelopes vs boxes, books vs not-books, domestic vs international, and all the combinations thereabouts which would determine whether I should go to the "local" post office or the "customs" post office. Which are on opposite sides of the city, so it's preferable to go to the right one the first time around. So I think (but am not entirely SURE) I understand the processes for receiving mail.

Until the other day, however, the only itemss I've sent from here are individual letters and large envelopes filled with letters. Little did I know that the world of SENDING is as complex as RECEIVING. However, I naively assumed that because I have sent envelopes that it would all be the same. Silly rabbit, Trix are for kids. Firstly, because I had always been able to send padded envelopes from any post office, I assumed the same was true for boxes. Oh but no. You can only send boxes internationally from ONE post office, the customs one, the one on the other side of the city. When I tried to send the box from the post office at the mall near my house (which I always go to when sending mail) a woman was helping me in my confused state, but the man who works there was ALSO speaking to me. All I could make out from what he said as I tried to simultaneously understand both of their Romanian was "You're old. Why don't you understand?" And I was all, what does he even mean that I'm old? I'm not old.

Then it hit me- I'm "old" in the sense that I've been in Romania for a long time. Which of course they know because I'm the ridiculous person who goes in there all the time invariably causing a bit of ruckus with my kindergarten-level Romanian and wanting them to do things like fax 3 pieces of paper to America. So why do I not know how to send a box? Noted, sir. I probably should know that envelopes and boxes have different sending protocol. And that if I want to send a box it must be covered in white paper. Except I don't.

And even though the customs post office is open until 6, if you show up at 4:50, having taken a cab across town in order to get there in time in case they actually close at 5, you can't send your package. Why? I don't know. And I didn't try to figure that out, because I found out something NEW and more urgently requiring my attention. Namely that there is a new rule that says you can only send packages to America that are under 1 pound. Including the weight of the box, stamps, and paperwork. Nothing more. No exceptions. Seriously? Seriously. Apparently it's because the Romanian postal system doesn't have something sufficient to scan the box contents, and since America is not so much interested in the possibility of drugs and bombs entering its borders, they make rules like this.

But you see, I've already purchased 12 small Valentine's Day gifts for a little exchange with some friends back home, and written 25 letters to various individuals, all of which I want to send in a box together. Too bad Lizo, cause all that weighs 1.3 pounds. So now I need to send the letters in a large padded envelope, which has an unlimited weight allowance, but is only supposed to contain papers, and then send the V-Day gifts in a smaller box. But not now, because the customs office is closed before they're closed. Which is apparently written somewhere in Romanian in small print on the door. Again, I probably should know these things. But I don't.

The next day I find out that while the 25 letters in a padded envelope plus a few of the gifts (totaling .8 pounds) cost 16 lei to send, the box with the remaining gifts (totaling a half pound) costs 56 lei. Yes, yes indeed. Why you may ask did I not just send it all in the padded envelope, if it is indeed cheaper and doesn't have a weight limit? Good question. Because some of the items would not fit in an envelope. And I was concerned they would send it back, since I was told envelopes could only contain letters. It may yet be returned, since I did stick in a few extras. We shall see. In the end, I just won't know until I know. Which seems to be the way things work around here. And ya know what? That's ok.

Book Review: Did I Kiss Marriage Goodbye? by Carolyn McCulley

2011-01-28T09:00:00.003-05:00

I have to say, I was a bit skeptical about this book. Not just the title (I’m sorry, but CHEESE-BALL) but the fact that the cover has a massive picture of an engagement ring on it (Again, CHEESEY). But because I trust the taste of the person who sent it, I decided to give it a read. And oh how glad I am that I did, because this is a stellar book about what it means to be a godly woman. It is written by a 40-year-old Christian woman who is single and thus geared towards single women (the subtitle is “Trusting God with a Hope Deferred”), but particularly those who are a bit older. However, the principles apply to any woman.

The first Chapter is entitled “You’re Still Single?, and in it she breaks down a lot of the ridiculous statements and questions and ideas that people have about singleness. She challenges her readers to ask not “Why am I STILL single?” but “What is God doing with and through my singleness?” McCulley then argues that singleness is a gift from God, just as much as marriage is; singleness is not a “lesser” state or a sub-par situation. She writes, “Ultimately we are single right now because that’s God’s will for us right now.” It is not because we’re too old, fat, skinny, loud, smart, demanding, or “too” ANYTHING ELSE. And so if singleness is indeed a gift and is indeed God’s will for us single folk right now (even if we might prefer to be married), what do we do with that? How do we live that out in a way that glorifies God and develops godly womanhood?

That is what she spends the remainder of the book laying out in great detail. In examining the “Proverbs 31 woman”, McCulley provides a guide for relationships as well as a guide for daily life- everything from developing hospitality, investing in children, and helping the needy to how we use our womanly charms and our speech. It is practical. It is candid. It is funny. It is encouraging. It is convicting. And most of all it is deeply rooted in Scripture. I can say quite honestly that the chapter on Wise Speech alone is worth the price of the book. Truly excellent. I plan to read this book again in full, because there is so much packed into it. This book has taught me that the old saying, “Don’t judge a book by its cover” is oh so true. For Christian single and married women alike, this is a great read if you are looking to develop the character of a godly woman.

Book Review: Tried by Fire by Anna Lee Stangl

2011-01-21T09:00:00.002-05:00

The subtitle of this book is “Testimonies of Courage and Hope from Peru’s Christians Prisoners.” It’s a short book with seven stories about Christian individuals who were unjustly imprisoned by the Peruvian government, who was fighting against the Shining Path guerrillas in the 80s and 90s. The individuals share candidly about what they experienced in the prisons, how their faith kept them going and was strengthened by the ordeal, and how God provided for them in so many ways even as they were imprisoned. It’s not as graphic as I thought it would be, but it definitely does not skirt around the reality of unjust violence, torture, and brutality on the part of the government. I learned more about the Shining Path and situation in Peru than I had previously known, and obviously from a little different perspective than many historical articles might give. I also found it interesting and encouraging to read of individuals who faith was strengthened under such great trial, and man, it makes never want to complain about anything. Ever again.

Overwhelmingly Thankful

2011-01-19T09:00:00.000-05:00

While home in the US for a month, I found myself overwhelmingly thankful. Thankful for the silliest things, thankful for things for which I had never thought to be thankful, thankful for really big things. I didn't feel the sense of entitlement about these things that I've often felt as an American, just thankful to have what I was able to have for that time. But neither did I take these things for granted anymore. They actually are blessings; they are not rights, they are not guaranteed for every chapter of life. And so I should be thankful for them. And content without them. I do think this was a first for me in my two years of back-and-forth between Romania and the US (yes TWO YEARS as of January 9). Here is my list of Thanksgiving.

Ginger Ale

English muffins

Trader Joe's

Heated seats in cars

My childhood bed

Target

Broadway

Sourdough bagels

Root beer

Delivery

Roast beef

Lebanon bologna

The ease of doing everything in your native language

The ability to pay for NYC taxis with a debit card

The ability to get anything you could conceivably want within a 5 block radius of your NYC apartment

The ability to get any fruit I want... in December

Unlimited free water in restaurants

College football

Customer service

Crazy goofy silly family members

Guitar Hero

The high level of trust, vulnerability and transparency of most Americans

Redeemer Presbyterian Church

Massive massive bookstores, all in English (e.g., Barnes and Noble)

Alice's Tea Cup

The hustle and bustle of New York City

The peace and quiet of central PA

Awesome college roommates

Awesome childhood friends

Awesome Christian community in NYC

Thai food

Mexican food

Lot of shoes available in my size (10- monstrous in Romania)

Water fountains

Brunch

Now that I'm back in Romania I can honestly say that I am truly thankful to be here as well. I am truly thankful for the quirky little international community here in this quirky little place. And I am thankful for the opportunity to continue serving and working here for a little while longer.

Homeland Highlights

2011-01-17T09:00:00.001-05:00

Now that I'm back in Romania and have had time to upload my photos and get my life a bit back in order, I thought I would take a minute to write a quick blog with highlights from my time at home. First was Christmas with the fam. I wasn't home for Christmas last year, so it was particularly lovely to be together! Pretty much everyone on both sides of my family was in town, so it was just great to BE together in one place. However, in taking pictures with my cousins, I realized that I'm the shortest adult cousin, at 5'8" on both sides. How crazy is that? Oh well, I'm still taller than my mom.

Dad's side

Mom's side (not all the cousins were actually present at this moment, but their presence would only accentuate how "short' I am)

Mom, dad, and bro

Then it was off to New York City, where I was greeted with the two feet of snow that had been dumped on the city a few days earlier and with which the Powers That Remove Such Things seemed completely unable to deal. It made Brooklyn look very lovely, even if lots of cars had to be dug out. Yes, you better believe I schlepped down to my old neighborhood to get my hair cut.

Moving on to New Year's Eve and a fun and festive party with friends. None of the crazy Times Square or Out-at-a-crowded-bar business. Just friends, food, drinks, and dancing. Lots of dancing. Will just share one of the many fun pics of the evening.

While in town I obviously had to see a Broadway show. I went with a fellow theatre fanatic to see American Idiot, a show consisting entirely of Green Day songs. I was a little unsure about it, as I'm not particularly interested in Green Day. But my friend highly recommended it, so I thought it would probably be just fine. You guys, it was so incredible. One of my favorite Broadway people was the lead- Jonathan Gallagher Jr. He's just excellent. And Billie Joe Armstrong, real-life lead singer of Green Day happened to be in the show for a few weeks. So that kicked an already intense show up a notch. It was intense and fast-paced and insane and crazy and super-high-stimulus. They encored with this. So great.

I happened to need to walk through Times Square one evening. And I can say quite honestly that Times Square is my least favorite place in NYC and I don't walk through it except out of necessity. It's total insanity. The bad, overwhelming, touristy kind. But I had heard that they built "red stairs" at the top of Times Square, which you can climb up and look out over the mayhem. So since I was there, I thought I'd give it a whirl, go fully Tourist myself (I mean, come on, I took a picture in front of a Broadway poster- what has become of me?!?). Turns out, it was actually pretty cool.

Apparently I picked a great time to go back home, because so many friends either happened to be in town then or were able to specifically come in to see me. It was great to reconnect with so many friends from so many chapters of life.

Drew and Nathan. These guys go all the way back to the beginning. We grew up as neighbors in a podunk PA town of 300 people. Then we all ended up living in NYC after college for two years. Drew is still there, and Nathan is in San Fran

Sally and Meesh. These ladies are two of my three wonderful college roommates. My third, Meg, was also in town while I was home, though not at the same time. Sal and Meesh came for a full weekend, and we ate our way around Greenwich Village. It was fabulous

Emily, Alexandria, and Bridgette. These are dear friends from my NYC crew. Truly beloved to my heart and soul, they have been incredible blessings to me over the past five years, and I think I can reasonably say will be so for many years to come

All in all it was a wonderful, refreshing, encouraging, and restful time back in the homeland. I saw, I ate, I listened, I shared, I slept, I shopped, I hugged, I played, I danced, I reflected, I rested. Mission accomplished.

Book Review: Keeping Body and Soul Together by Denis Lane

2011-01-07T09:00:00.000-05:00

This is a book written by the Overseas Director of the Overseas Missionary Fellowship, about which I knew nothing before reading this book. I was interested in it because it talks of how this organization has practically balanced meeting the physical and spiritual needs of individuals and populations. Yes, as Christians we should ultimately hope and pray for people to come to know Jesus as their Savior, but we also are called to social justice, mercy, and caring for the physical and emotional needs of others. So what is the balance between these two in a ministry situation? This is an account of one organization’s attempts to find the balance between spiritual and social ministry.

The book starts with the principles they use for ministry: social and spiritual needs do not necessarily conflict; changing the structures of society does not meet the needs of the Whole Man; the Gospel does have and must have social effects; money is a dangerous commodity; as missionaries we are guests in the countries in which we work. The remainder of the (short) book gives various accounts of these principles in action, mainly in locations in southeast Asia- a Cambodian refugee camp, a Korean tuberculosis hospital, a hospital in Thailand, a program for recovering alcoholics in Japan, etc. It’s a short read and I thought it provided a reasonable and thoughtful perspective on this issue. Interesting to read, for sure.

Obviously the balance between social and spiritual needs is a massive and multi-faceted issue, one that cannot be adequately addressed in a short book. But like I said, an interesting look at how one organization has done so. This is also an issue that I will surely be increasingly considering as I delve into the world of global public health, so definitely a good read for me to get the wheels spinnin.