MI First Day

Last night, we arrived at the REMM clinic in Beius. This small town of little more than 10,000 gives the word "beautiful" a whole new meaning: it isn't picturesque or quaint around every turn but it has a certain depth to it that is appealing to almost every sense. The difference between Hungary and Romania was a surprise to me. While there are certainly parts of Romania that are stunning, it is more rural and its poverty is more evident. After a welcome dinner of soup and bread (low-carb diets, beware-bread is everywhere), we took a walk around the clinic. We visited the Casa Josef orphanage, a place that is of significant importance to three of the members of the team. Casa Josef is the home to eight Romanian girls, three of whom (Gabi, Geta, and Pami) have been adopted by Elliot Forsyth (our team leader) and the Seibert family. However, in 2001, the Romanian government banned all foreign adoptions, meaning that the Forsyths and the Seiberts must travel to Romania to visit their daughters. It was breathtaking to see Gabi and Pami reunited with Mrs. Seibert and Bradley; when we each went around the circle to say our names, the two girls introduced Mrs. Seibert as "Mommy" and Bradley as "our brother." Elliot was not able to go that evening, but Geta expressed her excitement to see him, too. We didn't have much time to stay, but we played soccer and jumped on the trampoline with the girls. They are so joyful and so loving to one another-please keep them in your prayers. 

Pami

The following morning (this morning), we began with breakfast (more bread!) and a devotion. Shortly after, we travelled to Oradea, a larger city on the northwest border. There, we attended a church service at Universitatea Emanuel. My translator, a Romanian student named Paula, was eager to share her faith with me during my time there. While eating lunch, another member of my team asked her what she was studying and what she planned to do after graduating. She replied that she was studying management, but as for a vocation, she was not sure. She said that she wanted first and foremost to "be a Godly woman." Mid-way through taking a bite, I dropped my fork and simply stared at her. She went on to say that eventually, she wished to be married, have a family, and perhaps work so long as it was at home and she could spend time with her children.
This was my 'ah ha!' moment for the trip (thus far). For the past two years, I have been trying to answer and listening to others answer those very same questions but never had I heard an answer quite like hers. It was so simple and yet so inspiring at the same time. At that moment, I realized that I had been trying too hard to get my life figured out. Honestly, I have no idea what I want to study or what in the world I want to do with my life. I've heard of trying to make each decision as it comes, the "do not worry about tomorrow/cross that bridge when you get to it" lifestyle. But Paula had come to her bridge and realized that crossing it was a lot easier than others made it appear. I know I still haven't fully realized what this lesson is going to mean for my life, but it has made me think at the very least. 
By the time we returned back to the clinic, we were all pretty exhausted. After a dinner of cheesy potatoes and (you guessed it) bread, we had a quiet evening of sorting goods for Agape runs (short ministry time) and a group debrief. Tomorrow morning, we will head into the school systems and return to Casa Josef. 

Nati (the sassy one)