Thursday, June 26, 2008
gobbledigook
I think I have not spent quite as much time blogging because the writing in Romania just about wore me out. But with the special request of my family I would love to fill you all in on my life.
So far since I have been home I have just spent most of my time working and not doing much of anything. The first two weeks back I was working 35-40 hour weeks when normally I should have only been working 20 but my boss wanted to "catch me up" so thankfully I am back to my expected 20 hour weeks which is much more relaxing. I also am picking up a second job babysitting a little 6 year old boy named Cap. I got this job from a girl I work with who doesnt have time to work with them anymore. I havent started working yet but I met with the mom and the boy and he is very fun with a huge imagination. I cant wait. This week at work has been busy. I have finally started to figure out what my position is. "Customer Care" --i take care of the people who use our campus for the summer. I help them with their odds and ends. So it hasnt been so bad. But it has definitely been a huge learning experience with the boss I am under....
One recent problem we have had on campus.. Well there are about 12 of us who work for summer conferencing. We live in three apartments on a bottom floor right next to each other. There are two rooms of girls and one room of guys. So one day my friend Adam woke up with about thirty bug bites on his back and legs. Then the next day our friend Tyler woke up with some bites. Adam was lucky enough to grab his camera and snatch a picture of this little creature that turned out to be a...BED BUG. dun dun dun. Im convinced that Adam brought them back from India where he has just been on a trip for the past month. The boys had to move everything out of their rooms and do laundry for every piece of clothing they own. People came and cleaned out the rooms and did inspections and such before the boys could move back in. In the meantime, at our weekly meeting we got to watch an informational video about bed bugs that they would normally show to hotel housekeepers. So we learned that you can spot bed bugs because they hide and dark places on the bed and they can also leave blood stains on the mattress, which lead to the best line in the movie, "Check the mattress for blood stains, but note, this is not always due to bed bugs." That was really the best part... But now the situation is taken care of. The mattresses were thrown away and hopefully things are good.
What else has been going on in my life. I got a library card yesterday! I was pretty excited by that. It makes me feel pretty mature and on my own. There has also been lots of thunder and lightening, which if you dont know, is one of the worst things in the world to me and my biggest fear. I dont know if this is because I grew up without it, but everytime it rolls around (which is quite frequently in colorado) I get very anxious. My breathing gets tense and my heart feels abnormal. So the last few afternoons have been rather rough on me. I have been doing a fair share of rock climbing. I am getting better I know because I have been trying harder routes and really pushing myself. Im tired of being stuck on the same level. So that has been nice. I have also been trying to do a lot of reading in my free time. I dont really have many friends here. I have kaylan and breezy but they are pretty busy with their own lives. So then there is some of the people I live with who are nice but I dont see too often because we have different schedules. So you know how it goes. Therefore, I am having fun with some reading. This afternoon I laid In the grass and read a book in the sun. I just finished. It was called Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis and I liked it a lot. I dont know whats next on my list. Im thinking Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers, Ive heard some good things so Im rather excited. They clouds are rolling in and the thunder is in the distance so I should probably get off the grass and back inside where it is safe.
xoxoxo
So far since I have been home I have just spent most of my time working and not doing much of anything. The first two weeks back I was working 35-40 hour weeks when normally I should have only been working 20 but my boss wanted to "catch me up" so thankfully I am back to my expected 20 hour weeks which is much more relaxing. I also am picking up a second job babysitting a little 6 year old boy named Cap. I got this job from a girl I work with who doesnt have time to work with them anymore. I havent started working yet but I met with the mom and the boy and he is very fun with a huge imagination. I cant wait. This week at work has been busy. I have finally started to figure out what my position is. "Customer Care" --i take care of the people who use our campus for the summer. I help them with their odds and ends. So it hasnt been so bad. But it has definitely been a huge learning experience with the boss I am under....
One recent problem we have had on campus.. Well there are about 12 of us who work for summer conferencing. We live in three apartments on a bottom floor right next to each other. There are two rooms of girls and one room of guys. So one day my friend Adam woke up with about thirty bug bites on his back and legs. Then the next day our friend Tyler woke up with some bites. Adam was lucky enough to grab his camera and snatch a picture of this little creature that turned out to be a...BED BUG. dun dun dun. Im convinced that Adam brought them back from India where he has just been on a trip for the past month. The boys had to move everything out of their rooms and do laundry for every piece of clothing they own. People came and cleaned out the rooms and did inspections and such before the boys could move back in. In the meantime, at our weekly meeting we got to watch an informational video about bed bugs that they would normally show to hotel housekeepers. So we learned that you can spot bed bugs because they hide and dark places on the bed and they can also leave blood stains on the mattress, which lead to the best line in the movie, "Check the mattress for blood stains, but note, this is not always due to bed bugs." That was really the best part... But now the situation is taken care of. The mattresses were thrown away and hopefully things are good.
What else has been going on in my life. I got a library card yesterday! I was pretty excited by that. It makes me feel pretty mature and on my own. There has also been lots of thunder and lightening, which if you dont know, is one of the worst things in the world to me and my biggest fear. I dont know if this is because I grew up without it, but everytime it rolls around (which is quite frequently in colorado) I get very anxious. My breathing gets tense and my heart feels abnormal. So the last few afternoons have been rather rough on me. I have been doing a fair share of rock climbing. I am getting better I know because I have been trying harder routes and really pushing myself. Im tired of being stuck on the same level. So that has been nice. I have also been trying to do a lot of reading in my free time. I dont really have many friends here. I have kaylan and breezy but they are pretty busy with their own lives. So then there is some of the people I live with who are nice but I dont see too often because we have different schedules. So you know how it goes. Therefore, I am having fun with some reading. This afternoon I laid In the grass and read a book in the sun. I just finished. It was called Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis and I liked it a lot. I dont know whats next on my list. Im thinking Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers, Ive heard some good things so Im rather excited. They clouds are rolling in and the thunder is in the distance so I should probably get off the grass and back inside where it is safe.
xoxoxo
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
summer
i made it home alive. it was a long trip (a day and a half i think) with lots of delays but we finally made it to denver. the last few days have been crazy. ive been jet lagged, so im only sleeping 4-5 hours a night, and i am also having stomach problems. I cant eat anything without getting a sharp pain. today i went to the doctor and they gave me some medication and so hopefully that will start to cure me and i can eat again soon. i am craving certain foods so badly.
i started working yesterday also for summer conferencing. it has been, lets see, thrilling........ i sit, yesterday i played cards and dominoes, and that was pretty exciting. i guess some days are more busy than others, but it varies. thats about it for now. i really want to eat and thats all i can say.
i started working yesterday also for summer conferencing. it has been, lets see, thrilling........ i sit, yesterday i played cards and dominoes, and that was pretty exciting. i guess some days are more busy than others, but it varies. thats about it for now. i really want to eat and thats all i can say.
Friday, June 6, 2008
last night in bucuresti
after a long month this is it. my last day spent with the staff and in the orphanages. i wrote my letters, gave my devotion, and said my goodbyes. leaving one orphanage was so hard because there was a girl there who i became close with who just clung to me and would not let me go. she gave me a handkerchief we had made together so that i would "never forget her" she looked like she was about to cry and she kept asking for just one more hug and one more kiss over and over. i knew i had to be strong and not cry so that she wouldnt. i left her with one kiss and shut the gate behind me. she watched me walk away....
we had out final debriefing with some of the psychologists here. weve have been through a lot and have seen a lot and it can be a dramatic thing. i am fearful of going home and what it will be like. what my life will be like. how i will view things differently. they told us that when we go home we will want to judge the people around us on things we never observed before. we cant do that though. im so fearful of my mental state when returning home. i cant even imagine what it will be like after only a month in this foreign land.
saying goodbye to the staff was so hard. usually they never get attached to teams because people usually only come for a week. we are the longest group they have had stay. so saying goodbye today was not only hard for us but for them as well. a few of them stayed till late tonight just helping us clean and hanging out. saying bye they cried and we cried. i am going to be a deep emotional mess for the next twenty four hours of flying not counting how crazy my life will be for at least the next week. i really feel that i will just want to lock myself in my room and not talk to anyone and not come out and face reality again.
god has used me here. he has used all of us. i have seen images that will forever be burned into my mind and i have heard stories that have already changed my life. i havent yet begun to process any of these thoughts or else i would have been home a long time ago. people say that you wait till you go home to process everything and thats when it will be the hardest.
the images i have seen. the painful crying faces. the sounds of children screaming and the sounds of children laughing. the smell of the orphanage and the kids. the touch of them as they run and jump into their arms. the one little boy begging you to stay and kick the soccer ball with him just one time. these images will never leave me. never.
nuapte buna
we had out final debriefing with some of the psychologists here. weve have been through a lot and have seen a lot and it can be a dramatic thing. i am fearful of going home and what it will be like. what my life will be like. how i will view things differently. they told us that when we go home we will want to judge the people around us on things we never observed before. we cant do that though. im so fearful of my mental state when returning home. i cant even imagine what it will be like after only a month in this foreign land.
saying goodbye to the staff was so hard. usually they never get attached to teams because people usually only come for a week. we are the longest group they have had stay. so saying goodbye today was not only hard for us but for them as well. a few of them stayed till late tonight just helping us clean and hanging out. saying bye they cried and we cried. i am going to be a deep emotional mess for the next twenty four hours of flying not counting how crazy my life will be for at least the next week. i really feel that i will just want to lock myself in my room and not talk to anyone and not come out and face reality again.
god has used me here. he has used all of us. i have seen images that will forever be burned into my mind and i have heard stories that have already changed my life. i havent yet begun to process any of these thoughts or else i would have been home a long time ago. people say that you wait till you go home to process everything and thats when it will be the hardest.
the images i have seen. the painful crying faces. the sounds of children screaming and the sounds of children laughing. the smell of the orphanage and the kids. the touch of them as they run and jump into their arms. the one little boy begging you to stay and kick the soccer ball with him just one time. these images will never leave me. never.
nuapte buna
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
multumesc
I will be home in four days. And to close out my fourth to last day here I am sitting at home inside on this beautiful bucharest day sick. just a cold. my throat is swollen and my head hurts and my ears and i have a runny nose. a lot of people here have it so its no surprise i do too. i tried to push it the last few days and go out anyway but this morning i was dying and decided to stay home in bed. and this is a hard thing to do here since there is one person in the house, i have a book, and pen and paper. so ive just been trying to sleep the day away.
mama maria is taking care of me. the most precious woman in the world who doesnt speak a lick of english. she didnt even know i was home till i went down to get some lunch. she grabbed pretty much any left overs we had and more and placed them in front of me and then just started making tea and going off in romanian though i never have any idea what shes saying. so she made me some lunch and some lemon and fruit tea. then she wouldnt let me go back to bed without giving me a back rub first so i sat down and she rubbed my back which was amazing. she had me rub something on my neck and then sent me off to bed. this was the most at home i could possibly feel while sick and it was amazing.
The last few days were difficult besides being sick. i found out something about romanian orphanages which is probably true for all orphanage across the world. i dont want to discuss it on here because it just isnt appropriate and i would probably burst into tears again. so when i get home well talk.
i will be back saturday night at ten. im looking forward to it though i am in no way ready to leave here yet. im going to go and try to nap for another five hours until everyone finally gets home....
mama maria is taking care of me. the most precious woman in the world who doesnt speak a lick of english. she didnt even know i was home till i went down to get some lunch. she grabbed pretty much any left overs we had and more and placed them in front of me and then just started making tea and going off in romanian though i never have any idea what shes saying. so she made me some lunch and some lemon and fruit tea. then she wouldnt let me go back to bed without giving me a back rub first so i sat down and she rubbed my back which was amazing. she had me rub something on my neck and then sent me off to bed. this was the most at home i could possibly feel while sick and it was amazing.
The last few days were difficult besides being sick. i found out something about romanian orphanages which is probably true for all orphanage across the world. i dont want to discuss it on here because it just isnt appropriate and i would probably burst into tears again. so when i get home well talk.
i will be back saturday night at ten. im looking forward to it though i am in no way ready to leave here yet. im going to go and try to nap for another five hours until everyone finally gets home....
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