REMM Journal--#2

(A recap of my recent trip to Romania.)

Day 2

After spending over 24 hours traveling, I didn't need much encouragement to go to bed--even with the eight hour time difference. I woke up on Saturday feeling much better and ready to get started with the work we came to do.

Nicole and me, unpacking and organizing.

Linda checking the inventory in the clinic's pharmacy.

I, along with the team, took my time in the morning getting ready for the day. After a late breakfast, we gathered up our suitcases that were loaded with medications and headed to the clinic to take inventory. We unpacked medicines, clothes, and other supplies--sorting them into piles. Pills were organized by their function--multi-vitamins in one pile, blood pressure medications in another, and etc. I particularly enjoyed the tubes of diaper ointment appropriately labeled, "Butt Paste." All would eventually be placed back into suitcases so that we could transport them from town to town when we started the clinics.

After that, it was lunch time. The food is hearty and good. Truly meat and potatoes country. I don't think that there was a meal that didn't have some form of potato included with it. Lunch usually consists of two courses. First, we were served a brothy soup of one kind of another--sometimes chicken stock based, other times tomato based. After the soup, we received the main dish of some kind of meat and potatoes. Meat was usually beef, with some pork and chicken. I really like the salad that they occasionally serve. Usually salad is a shredded, slaw-style cabbage, with carrots, a sweet vinegar dressing, and seasoned with a little bit of dill. Refreshing. Also, I can't forget the ever present tub of "Delma" margarine, peach jam, and bread.


Today was the first opportunity for me to walk to "The Bridge," a coffee shop run by REMM in Beius. Built to provide a non-alcoholic, non-smoking, Christian environment to the people in Beius, The Bridge serves restaurant quality desserts along with frozen ice cream treats, espresso/coffee, and soft drinks. I was amazed that a dessert and espresso that would have cost me at least $6 or $7 in the States only cost me on average 4 lei (Romanian currency) or roughly, $2 (U.S.). Needless to say, I will head back there many times.

I met a recent high school graduate from Tulsa, OK, name Jackson Siebert. Jackson is working for REMM and the Lucaciu's this summer, doing some landscaping work and whatever else needs to be done on the properties. I've enjoyed talking with him so far.

So much for today. Pretty laid-back. Tomorrow promises to be much busier. We have two church services and I have sermons to finish.

REMM Journal--#1

(Over the next few days I am going to include excerpts and reflections

from the journal I kept in Romania)

Friday, June 6, 2008

Well, I am safe in Beius, RO. We arrived about 11 PM Romanian time, or about 3 PM, Iowa time. The trip, including my drive from Hull to Des Moines, took about 29 hours.

Everything went pretty smoothly with the exception of the a delay of our flight from Detroit to Amsterdam. There was a broken lavatory in the front of the plane, of all things. This caused us to miss our connecting flight from Amsterdam to Budapest, but they had us re-scheduled by the time we landed at the Schiphol airport. I guess that's one advantage of a 7.5 hour flight. (With our Dutch last names, and apparent Dutch features, it was strange to walk through Schiphol airport as an American. I didn't even try the limited Dutch phrases I do know. I think the natives would have been offended on how I would abuse the mother tongue.)

Ferihegy Airport, Budapest

The airport museum of old planes that I was going
to tell Leah was our mode of transportation into Hungary.

We arrived without incident at Budapest. Our driver was waiting for us, and we packed up and left the city. It was a five hour drive from Budapest to Beius, including our border crossing from Hungary to Romania. I've been told that in recent years, the border crossing has been much less stressful. In the early days of the REMM trips, my mother speaks of the border crossing as being a tense time with the guards looking for bribes and abusing their authority. She said she remembers it being, "little boys with big guns, trying to be tough." I'm glad those days appear to be over, but we were glad to be across the border with passports in hand, nonetheless.

The countryside is beautiful. Hungary is flat, at least the part I drove through, with many large fields of corn and sunflowers. Romania has rolling hills with small fields and large pastures. Mountains sit on the edge of the horizon. On that first day, since we arrived so late, I didn't have the chance to see Beius by light. I am looking forward to the new day to investigate.

Hungary by highway.

On the road in Romania.

Along the way, I met some interesting people. On the flight from Des Moines to Detroit, I met Arnold Gordon. He is the president of a scale manufacturing company out east. He is an observant Jew, who ironically makes equipment that will be used weighing hogs. During the flight, we talked about the importance of putting our faith in action in the world around us. I had a chance to throw in some good Kuyperian/Calvinist perspective. Other than our perspective on the Messiah, we had a lot in common. He was kind enough to give me his card and offer an invitation to his home on Long Island, if I found myself in the area.

On the long flight overseas, I met Nasrin (sp?), a Turkish woman who was returning home to Istanbul to visit her parents. She had been living in the States as a student, did some social work, but basically was making money to support her travel habit. She had aspirations to be a full-time world traveler.

Anyhow, we made it safe and sound to Beius. I will be anxious to stretch my legs tomorrow. Tomorrow will essentially be a rest and organizational day. Everyone else on the trip seems to be holding up well--my folks, as well as Dr. Vande Zande and his daughter, Nicole. I am looking forward to the next two weeks.

I am going to put a few notes together for some preaching I have to do out here, and then turn in.

(Next post: June 7, Rest, Recuperation, & Reconnoitering)

Grateful...

Well, I'm back from spending two weeks in Romania. I was serving with the Romanian Evangelistic Medical Mission (REMM) based in Beius, RO. I was part of a medical mission consisting of my parents (my Mom is a nurse), Dr. Galyn Vande Zande, a physician from Pella, and his daughter, Nicole. We were also aided by a young woman, Carina Dudas, a Romanian by birth, but has been living in the States for the past 13 years. She has hopes to attend medical school. She came along to assist us with translation.

Over the next few days, I hope to review the journal I kept in Romania and share it with you. Along the way, hopefully, you can learn a little about REMM, as well as get a sense of privilege I felt being allowed to come along on this trip. Thanks to my wife and kids for letting me leave them for two weeks. I thank my parents and the Vande Zande's, who were gracious enough to let me tag along. I am also thankful for the friends I made along the way, the Lucaciu's (Peter, Ana, Anca, Andrea, and A.J.), and the members of the other teams (W00t, Jackson S.). I am thankful for the wonderful hospitality and kindness of the Romanians I met along the way. Most of all I am thankful to God for making this possible, and keeping me safe. God is at work in this world. Most definitely. I am thankful that He gave me a peek into that work on the other side of the world. Grateful isn't the prettiest of words off the tongue, especially in light of the emotion it is supposed to represent. Yet, that is what I am. Very grateful.

From Romania, with Love

Hello all. Greetings from Beius, Romania. All is well here as we have completed our ninth day in Romania. It's hard to believe that the time has passed so quickly.

In time, I have plans to flood you with pictures, but for now, just words. To be honest, I don't think a camera can completely capture all that I've experienced so far.

If you haven't heard, I've been part of a ministry called Romanian Evangelistic Medical Mission for the past week and a half. What am I doing on a medical mission, you might ask? Well, let me tell you, I am quite the expert at taking a person's blood pressure right now. Anytime you need to know how the systolic and diastolic are doing in your life, you get me a BP cuff and I will give you all the info. you need to know. I have heard irregular heartbeats, been given strange medical complaints like, "lazy gallbladder," and I have handed more lollipops to kids than I can count.

I have traveled to small town churches and gypsy villages. I have been preaching and singing when needed as well. I've also had the opportunity to see some of the sights around and about.

A Romanian open air market is a sight to behold. I have been invited for espresso in a gypsy (Roma) home. I have made friends with a young man who aspires to be a mountain climber.

God has been good. He has given us safety, a clear task, and many opportunities to observe and bear witness to his goodness.

All that said, I miss my family, too. I am looking forward to that first hug from my wife and daughters. The regular routine of home sounds appealing as well.

So, if you're reading this as a family member or friend, greetings to you from Romania, a country a world away and not often on the radar of American minds. Yet, this is a vibrant place, where graduates from the local schools travel two by two, arm in arm, to serenade their teachers at the end of the year. This is a place where fireworks rat a tat tat at midnight, signaling the end of a politcal rally for a local mayoral race. This is a place where the town goes silent during a match of the national soccer team but where cheers of a scored goal echo over backyard fences.

Noapte buna (Good night.)