Peter’s Romania Blog

Wow, Today was a hectic day. I started the day out needing my passport. I had it with me when I went to Texas about a month or so ago. I remember taking it out of my travel case before I went to tutor my cousin. So I searched high and low for it. I went through everything I have! It showed up no where. I became convinced that it was in my glove box. Well, for those of you who don’t know, my car broke down, and when my friends came to help me the key broke off. I finally found the key, but my friend had the new fresh keys. My glove box is locked! I don’t have the keys.

During my time of wanting to work for the CIA, I taught myself lock picking, so I went at it to pick the lock box. After awhile, I got the tumbler to turn completely in one way(this lock has double sided pins). It didn’t open, since I chose to turn the tumbler the way that locks it! I couldn’t get it to neutral again. Out of frustration, I thought to myself, a glove box is going to keep me from Romania? Something came over me. I’m not going to let some plastic keep me from my purpose! I ripped the handle of the glove box and turned a switch, and got the lock box open. Hooray! Downside, it wasn’t in there. I didn’t understand. I looked everywhere. I decided to check things again and take everything out, not just rummage through it.

I found my passport in my school bag. What? It was the oddest place.

Also, I put a pair of pants through the washer, which so happens to have my cellphone in it. I lost all my contacts. My grandma just so happens to have a spare phone she doesn’t use, so I switched the sim cards. Now I can use my phone and call people, but the phone numbers are lost. I lost my clients number! Oh no, the is one of the worst ones to lose. I called his office and left a message. Just by luck, he called me before his assistant could contact him. What a blessing, that I could switch sim cards before he called! Now, I just realized I don’t have any of my small group numbers. Well hopefully my cell will dry. I read to clean it with rubbing alcohol to dehydrate it.

My client really liked the front end category navigation I designed for him. You can view it here. I designed it in Photoshop, and imported the layers into Flash and did motion tweens. Then I added actionscript code.

I’ve been learning New Testament Greek. It’s pretty easy for me especially since I have a 4.0 in all my Linguistic required classes. Actually, it should be higher than a 4.0 since I got an A+ in two of them. They don’t give extra gpa for an A+ though.

I plan on reading another letter of Paul tonight.

It seems that everything is coming together slowly.

Wow, did anyone watch the season 4 finale of Lost? Whoa!

–Peter

Wow, It seems like just yesterday I had 9 days left to go to Romania. Oh, wait, it was yesterday! Well time goes fast. I felt I should do some research about my base city. I thought it would be nice to memorize some of the important streets and locations in Oradea. I didn’t find very detailed maps, but I found something amazing. How blessed I’m to find it!

I found a virtual 3D environment of Oradea. You can explore the city with real 360 panarama images! You can check it out for yourself Here - Awesome 3D tour of Oradea. I remembered that back in 2004 I found a virtual map of Cluj-Napoca–my favorite city(I dream to live there). I tried searching for something similiar for Oradea, and found something better! I need more time to study the streets. I feel that I’m fullfilling my purpose by being in Romania, it gives me utter joy! Oh Yes! The 3D real pictures just strengthens my excitement!

Today, I read the book of Philippians. I really found insight from Philippians 4. All of us, including myself, at times don’t like to step outside our comfort zone. How scary of a thought is that! As I’m excited to be in Romania, at times I felt a little scared to be out of my comfort zone again. I may have to eat food like Pig brain (I did last time in Romania 1999). I may have to take ice cold showers (all the hot water is gone, since the women use the shower hall first). I may need to prepare in advance for toilet paper, as we found out the dormitories didn’t provide any (it was a common bathroom). Common room of 6 men or more, common shower rooms, common bathrooms = no privacy. We, Americans, like our privacy. You know what? I have courage. These are trivial problems in the grand scheme of things. In fact, I’m feeling over joyed to go through it! I’ll come out of it with more character.

Now to get to the point. Paul writes in Phillipians 4 that he is content in any circumstance. He is content with much, and he is content with little. Whatever he has, he is happy with. He doesn’t need anymore than he has. I see such peace and a calm heart in Paul. Paul learned to be content with what he had. Being content means we are not worrying. Many of us have heard, if not all, not to worry. “Don’ be worried”, really can mean “Be content!” Paul also writes in Philippians 4:6-7 “Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense or God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.”(the message –remix).

How wonderful is that? Turn worry into prayers, and God will calm your spirit. Basically, semantically it can be said, turn worry into prayer. Prayer begets being content. When God calms our spirit, we become content.

Bottom line, Pray about everything, and God will help you be content with every situation. He will provide. Realize, that at the time Paul wrote that he is content in all situations, he was currently in Prison! Banish worry and stress through pray. No stress reducing drugs needed. Prayer is the stress reducer or extinguisher rather without side effects, only benefits! Oh how joyful I feel. Writing down what I read, helps it sink into my mind.

–Peter

I’m so excited to be leaving for the missionary trip in Romania! I have nine more days to prepare. More information about the trip can be seen Here. June 7, I’m flying to Texas for 2 days of Advisor training since I’ll be a missionary advisor for the teenagers going on the trip with us. After the two days, I will have three days training with the missionaries. So I’ll actually be in Romania around June 13 or 14.

I read the whole book of Galatians today. What a blessing it was! I feel so free. Paul wrote in Galatians that we believers are called to not be legalistic. We are freed from rigorous regulations. Paul didn’t say the law code was not important, but rather we simply ought not to focus on it. Instead, Paul writes that we should have faith that God will work through us, and change us from the inside out. Galatians shows how rules only beget more rules. Jesus came to die for us because we couldn’t even keep our own rules! Jesus set us free from legalism. Jesus said to Love God will all your heart and to love your neighbor as yourself. If we love God and all of mankind, and put our faith in God to changes for the better, we will be changed. At the same time, Paul wrote that we shouldn’t use our freedom from the law code as an excuse to do whatever we want. That would lead to destruction. Since we can’t save ourselves through works as written in Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in union with the Messiah Jesus our Lord.(NIV)”, it is through Jesus Christ alone that we are saved. I’m relieved that I don’t have to rely on my own will power. That would be frustrating, just as Paul wrote in Ephesians that he strives to be one way, but acts another. Our humanly will power is weak, but God’s power is infinitely strong! The Holy Spirit will change us through our willing heart and faith in him! I recommend the book of Galatians. It seems that Galatians doesnt come up in church very often.

–Peter