I loved Germany. We all loved Germany. But Romania was a time that was, and still is, a very special time for us three. Our time there was marked with laughter, games, and a barely organized chaos of kids. It was a time where us three 17 (and newly turned 18 year old!) made time to PLAY.
First things first though...after arriving in Romania we went to a town called Timisoara (once again...spelling?) to a church family's house for lunch. It was delicious, of course. Two of the guys from the family took us around to see the city. It was VERY different from Germany. While Germany is very well kept, or at least all the parts we saw, Romania had a run down feel to it. We walked around until it was time to go to the second service at church (we flew into Romania on a Sunday).
The Timisoara church
Everyone at the church was very kind and welcoming to us. We had dinner at the church, and shortly after dinner we left for Vladimirescu and Antioch. Antioch is the real reason for the trip. My Opa is involved with it, and has been for years. It is a food and clothes distribution center for those in the church and community who are in need. While we were there, it was more like a loud, wild and crazy playground!
When we pulled into the compound, it was during the late evening. Some of the kids had come to welcome us, but we met the whole crew the next night. Everyday we killed time until after dinner when all the kids were there. We taught them Dutch Blitz, played Mafia, tag, hide and seek, and one evening we surprised them with a water balloon fight! Jo packed the balloons along in her suitcase. All in all, it was AMAZING.
Killing time until after dinner...
Dutch Blitz!
"Please don't make me be it!!!" hehe...perfect timing on this pic...
You may be thinking that someone is a terrible photographer...in truth, this is actually among my favorite pics because it shows how it actually felt. Kids running, screaming, laughing...my goodness, it was crazy.
Explaining a game...
Hmm...think we have enough water balloons?
After the water balloon fight!! I somehow managed to stay mostly dry, but most everyone else was SOAKED!
Hide and seek...a little cramped?
At the end of our time in Romania, all three of us were sad to leave. We really connected with the kids, especially the older girls. We have been keeping in touch, and will hopefully remain friends for a long time. Leaving Romania also meant that our time in Europe was drawing to a close, also a terrible thought. However, we armed ourselves with the beautiful memories and the wonderful friendships that had been made, and we went to enjoy the next part of our adventure.
