I’m in Oradea again. I just spent four days in Budapest, Hungary. It was pretty cool. I once saw a Hungarian movie that took place completely in the Hungarian subway. Well, I got to ride all over the Budapest subway where they made the movie. That was awesome.
Budapest is so beautiful. The palace was tremendous. Wow. My dad has to come here now. Can’t pass off this oppurtunity. If we would have had more warning, we could have at in the Royale palace for 12,000 forint at the royal table. That is about $84. Sounds like a lot, but look at the palace first that stretches high above the danube with a statue of an eagle, a huge fountain built into the palace wall with a king with a sword standing on rocks.
I liked Hungary, but I missed Romania. Now I’m happy to be in Romania again. I don’t know what else to say about Budapest because I can’t describe it in words. However, I do have tons of pictures! Pray a gyspy or someone doesn’t steal my camera this time in Romania!
I’m happy. Pray for things unmentioned. Those who know me well know what’s on my heart. Pray for protection on this trip.
Ok, I made it to Hungary and I’m coming back to Romania on Monday. Hungary is pretty cool. Wow, I didn’t realize how much Romanian I understand. I come to Hungary and only understand a little. I only had 20 days of Hungarian. I miss Romania already. Yep, I do. Hungary is fun. Tonight we bought spaghetti and boiled it so we ate like less than $2 a person. It’s awesome. We are going to see some Royale palaces, go to one of the oldest zoos in the world, and go into a labrynth. I hope we get to go to the circus. All the girls are afraid of clowns.
So $80 is almost 14,000 forint haha. We were short some money to make it to Austria. Teen mania decided we couldn’t even pitch in. Well I’m happy with Hungary. I think we are going to see the Danube tomorrow. I’m just so thankful for our break.
So the first time of people are leaving Romania today. We, the c trip, are going to Budapesti Hungary (Magyar) for about 5 days. I’ve technically been to Hungary three times in my life due to the airport, but now I actually get to spend time there. I just found out that there is a multiple of ways I could serve the church here in Oradea and stay here for up to a year or maybe more. This church basically has ajoined dormitories with 4 beds per room and 4 stories. There’s probably at least one hundred rooms. Each room has its own shower too. The church has an internet cafe. I was told I could bring a church team here, or I could do an internship. I found out from a person in the park that IBM is in this city. I just talk to a friend in Bucharesti, and I found out that she works for imigrant services for Romania. The possible job opportunity with my friends uncle is like 20km from here I think.
I’ve done so much. I don’t remember what to talk about. God has changed me so much. I’m loosing my fear of man. I don’t really care what people think of me, ’cause I know they are wrong. I get to talk to strangers in the parks. They aren’t always friendly, although I’m making a lot of Romanian friends. I’m using Romanian more and more and I use German everyday at the restaurant we eat at. My brain is becoming more and more like a sponge for Romanian. The team leaders and the Project director told me that they are confident that I could lead a team next year. They said I have strong leadership skills and that they are going to recommend me as a Team Leader next year. I’m not sure I want to be a team leader next year. I’m thinking about taking a team from Saddleback here or from my friends youth group if possible, or both!
I’m coming out of my shell and acting pretty weird at times. God is chaning me and stretching me in so many ways. You won’t recognize me at times anymore! Now, I get to use Hungarian for a week!
I realized this week that I”m pretty fluent in German. Everyday conversations I can have very easily. And this whole time I felt my German wasn’t that good. It was only because in school we had to talk about Politics where I lack vocabulary.
I hope I get to talk to our translators again. I want to stay friends with them as well. We have all girl translators. We had 5 guys on the trip and 23 girls. Where are the guys in the mission field? We have 7 guys coming for the B trip out of 30 something girls.
I had a great birthday. I got to go to a really cool tuning show. They had Christian rap and Rock in Romanian amongst cars from all over the world. They had motor cycle stunts at mid night. Its awesome a church would pull off an event like this.
I heard that Christian night clubs exist in the US. Everyone tells me to be a DJ so maybe I’ll look into this. This would be so awesome. I feel that I’m supposed to be in Romania, do something with business, and with music + marry a Romanian woman hehe. Perfect combination of all of them would be a Christian club in Romania? who knows, I’ll need to wait for God’s guidance.
– Peter
Wow, today will be my first free day in Oradea! We finished our first week a ministry. Yesterday there was a lot of spirtual warfare so we ended up just playing with the children and not doing VBS. We just finished 4 days at an Orphanage. At the second park yesterday something like parcul nufarului, I ended up talking to an 87 year old man for an hour. A man came up to talk to us afterwards and I talked to him about my desires to study in Cluj-Napoca. He mentioned all the setbacks ,but somehow I told him that we were staying at Salem church. I mentioned if he wanted to talk to us again that we can come to church. He said he would come. Wow, the Holy Spirit works through us even when we don’t know what to do. It was very interesting to talk to the 87 year old man. He and his wife were married for 63 years before she passed away. They didn’t have kids of their own, but they adopted two boys. One boy is very important in the city of Arad now, and the other boy was the colleague of Traian Basescu the President of Romania. Now the boy works in France and all over the world for the Romanian government. It is amazing how God truly doesn’t desert the orphans!
Yesterday at the restaurant I got to translate for my project director. It was cool. I was translating and speaking in German. I’m happy to finally be able to use German for something important. I didn’t realize how advance my comprehension can be in a real environment outside of class. It was weird she would switch from Romanian to German to English, so we had a tri-lingual conversation. My Romanian comprehension is very good for print materials. I almost understand everything worship song in Romanian, and I understand advertisements very easily. My ears are opening up more and more each day for spoken Romanian. Yesterday I got to each McDonalds. Romania has a Royale Delux sandwich. It is like a quarter pounder with tomatoes lettuce and cucumbers and two slices of cheese, and a second slice of lettuce with ketchup. Maybe I can eat at a pizza place today since I’m tired of pb & j everyday. I’m thankful its not sardines or chicken heart though.
–Peter
So it has been two days since I’ve written anything. I did not have internet access. Yesterday, we went to the park and played with all the kids. We played soccer with them or fotbal. After the games, we gathered the kids into a VBS in the park and we told the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. After that, someone taught their testimony followed some games. It was a great day for the most part. There have been some conflicts arising amongst the men. There are only 5 of us. One is the team leader, I’m the MA so I have three others under me. It is a little frustrating to deal with a person that is so stubborn and prideful. I’ve been praying for him.
Today was exhausting. I played soccer in the heat a long time. By the end, I had no more water. The children kept asking me to chase them so I chased them a little. Then I decided I could do no more, but all my fellow team members around me told me to keep doing it. I pleaded to them for them to have a turn, since there were not breaking a sweat like me. I decided to chase a kid one more time, but in the process I got lactic acid in my legs. I rolled into the ground. When I tried to get up again, I fell down, and lastly I feel down again. I wore my self out so much that I couldn’t stand. I just went into heat exhaustion. The project director pulled me aside and gave me water since I had none left. I sat in shade. Before all this, I was help carry a 70lbs sound box. It was supposed to be 50lbs but I heard it went over the weight limit. So I’m recovering now, but I wish I could rest a little. They allowed us to have a ciesta, but we are not aloud to sleep or lay in our bed. I just collapsed from dehydration, why can’t I rest a little? After lunch, I carried a 19 liter bottle of water back to the chruch dorms.
I feel exhausted and I’m a little upset that the team leaders seem to be “sleep nazis”. Those were not my words. I’m quoting one of them. I respect them and I’m laying down, but I feel my body needs it. I’ll just have to pray. I’m sore all the time because I play Jesus in the drama.
Besides that, this little boy grabbed my hand in the orphanage and put his head on my chest and hugged my arm. These children are in such need of love. I had some kids fighting over me. It makes me really look forward to being a father. I was so touched that this orphanage was special. There 200 children in it. There are 16 orphans per house, and each house has a mom and dad for the kids. The children are allowed to stay until they are married. This is a Christian orphanage in Oradea. I see God is slowly molding me into leader with all this stuff that is happening.
Dorel, Iubesc Romania mai mult fiecare!
Emy, mi-e dor de tine. Imi doresc ca esti aici!
–Petru
Today was an awesome day in Romania. Today we went to our Romanian church. All the songs were sung in Romanian and practically understood all the songs. I did some translation for the people from our team. I’m seeing that I’m able to understand much more Romanian than I though.
Today we sang a song… “Doar tu, esti viata mea, speranta mea, esti tot ce vreau!” “Only you, you are my life, my hope, you are all I want.”
Today, I got to eat Sarmale! This is the first time I’m tried Sarmale in Romania! Mmm mmm mmm. Tomorrow we are going to start our first day of ministry. So I’m going to be Jesus falling onto the cobblestone in the drama.
Oh, I made a new Romanian friend today. He is cool. It be cool to hang some more. Dorel dude, I’m positive I want to live in Romania now. I met a man named Calin that told me to go with God’s will. He thinks that perhaps I’m met to live here. I never felt so close to the region. All the nagging feelings “you aren’t supposed to live here” are gone since I left the usa.
I’m learning Romanian more each day its cool! We’ll I’m going to have to leave soon….
– Peter Viteaza
Sunt foarte dar foarte fericit sa fiu in Romania acum! I’m so happy to be in Romania right now.
The feeling that I’ve had about “I don’t feel I’m supposed to be in the United States.” It is a real feeling. I feel completely at home here! I love it. Now, I just need my family to move here hehe.
We are staying at a church that has been blessed with dormitory buildings. Each room has its own shower.
I was in Paris last night, and the French don’t know what they are doing. We missed our flight because of it haha. I hope to contact my Romanian friends here. It would so cool to run into them. Well, today we got to eat at a brand new Romanian restaurant. We were the first customers. It was really good food. I’m excited we are going to be doing dramas, and I got casted as Jesus. This means I have to fall onto the cobblestone a lot though.
Well, I hope to be able to write more e-mails in the future. I’m just super-stoked. I know I definately want to live in Romania. I feel that it is my home. Dorel, ce mai faci frate? Hai sa traiem in Romania!
Emy, Miss you! Hope everything is good for you in England. Silviu, maybe I’ll end up in Moldavia for a bit who knows. And of course I miss my parents.
– Peter
Oh I’m so tired. It took me forever to pack last night. I’m allowed two bags one as a carry-on at the airport, but I have to bring a sleeping bag. There is a weight limit for the bags but I’m suppossed to bring two bottles of peanut butter and Jelly.
So 5 days from now, my training in Texas will be over and I’ll be flying to Paris, France. I’ll be there for about 2 hours, and then I’ll get on another flight to Budapest, Hungary. From there, I assume we are driving into Romania. I should be back in California early August 2.
I’m excited and scared at the same time for many different reasons. We’ll pray for me as I embark on this adventure. I’m not sure when I’ll have another chance to write.
So, I made it to Monterrey last night, and we went down to Cannery row. We ate at a place called Ballwackers. It was an English style restaurant with the “bangers and mash” names and all. It was pretty good. I ordered fish and chips. I’m not much of a seafood lover besides fish sticks and tuna fish sandwiches. I was suprised that the fish was just one big battered fillet. I was expecting multiple pieces. At any rate, It was good.
Today, I get to see my lovely Penguins at the Monterrey aquarium, and they got new otter pups too! I love this aquarium. I’ve been there two times in my life and today will be the third. I remember last time that they had wonderful Tuna sandwiches there. Isn’t it a little ironic that they serve fish at an aquarium? Ha, oh well.
I hope to see the jellyfish again too. They are much better to see behind glass than for them to appear as you are snorkeling! It’s so cold up here. I have a soar throat. Any of you reading this, please pray for my health and that I won’t be sick in Romania. I think I’m just having an allergy issue here, something in the air.
So I guess, we’ll be leaving Monterrey tonight. I don’t know where we’ll be next, but we should be driving towards home.
–Peter
Well I can’t write much today, but I’m in Solvang. Hopefully, I’ll make it to Monterray. I tried something uniquely Danish, and I got to eat Hakkeboef. The “oe” is an “o” with a line through like a null value.
I’ll write more as I have a chance. I saw some Falcon’s or Hawks. I don’t know the difference.
Dorel, Sunt foarte dar foarte fericit! Nu pot aștepta să fiu în România curând. Hai să mergem la România! Încerc să mă găsesc cum pot sta… haha Să aibă grije de tine, frate!
