Reflections from Romania: This is the Start of Something Good

So this is slightly delayed, but I'm trying to catch you up bit by bit. This is my journal from May 29th...

This is the start of something good

After a very busy and tiring first day in Romania, I must admit that I was not looking forward to an early morning, followed by a three hour drive. What I was initially dreading turned out to be a fabulous day.

Today we worked with Travis, a missionary currently working with Jan, and helped run a Junior Bible Quiz tournament in Constanta. This is a city right on the Black Sea, East of Bucharest. Chelsea and I rode in a van with three Romanian volunteers who spoke little English. It was quite an adventure trying to communicate, but we tried to pick up a few words to add to our Romanian vocabulary. I also tried to keep my eyes peeled during the drive to admire the Romanian countryside, but after about an hour, I fell fast asleep. I fully believe that this nap was important preparation for the long day.

When we arrived at the church in Constanta, we unpacked our equipment and began preparing for the event. Since I don’t speak any Romanian, I didn’t figure I would be of much use, but Travis and Jan had jobs for us to do. Each girl was assigned to a Romanian Quiz Master to keep time in their room. All I had to do was count seconds on my watch, but I was simply glad to be useful. I was also paired with a fantastic quiz master, Adrianna, whom I quickly befriended.

Instead of electronic buzzers, the kids used flyswatters with an X in the middle of the table. The flyswatters actually seemed more fun, not to mention, a lot more cost effective! So clever! I was amazed at the knowledge that the kids had about the Bible. Though I did not speak their language, it was apparent that they had studied the Word and spent much time in preparation. The JBQ program is really taking off here, so it was neat to be a part of the action.

After the tournament, our team drove through the city to the coast of the Black Sea! It was incredibly beautiful! We were all so excited to roll up our pants, take off our shoes, and feel the sand between our toes. We spent several hours searching for sea shells and watching fisherman reel in their catches on the pier. We explored as much of the area as we could before being dragged off to find something to eat. I could have been content to camp out on the beach all evening, but home required a three hour drive, so we packed up and hit the road.

I spent an afternoon at the Black Sea, and it was well worth the drive…

JBQ: