The Potato Patch

The potato patch

This time I'm staying in the village of Lupoaia which is a few kilometres north east of Zalau.  Mircea has been slowly developing a smallholding (about 225m x 12 m including the land on which the house sits) on which he grows vegetables (potato, aubergine, peppers, squash, sweetcorn, beans, tomatoes); some fruit (raspberries, strawberries, apples, pears and grapes) and raises two pigs, about seven turkeys (they keep moving so I didn't spend a lot of time counting) and chickens. Add to that Lexi, the German Shepherd, and three cats, and it is rarely quiet around here.

This week Mircea spent a couple of days harvesting his potato crop (by hand) and today he and some friends headed up into the hills to bring home the bee hives from which his family get delicious acacia honey.  The original plan was for me to spend the day with him, but I had a really poor night's sleep which (on top of a very short night the previous night) led me to decide to stay at the house and concentrate on being prepared and a bit more rested ahead of Sunday.  In retrospect it was a wise choice as Mircea and his friends were arriving back at the house in the pouring rain about 21:30.

So with Emi & Dina I went for a walk in the village, visiting the local Pentecostal Church (where there was preparation for a baptism tomorrow), to the spring, where they pick up their drinking water, and then back to the house via the small local store where we picked up ice creams and a soft drink each.

A little later I was taken down to the river (at which point I found out I needed to cross it - different shoes next time) and sat down on a gravel bank on the inside of a river bend and had a Bible study and chat together.

Everyone will sit under their own vine

As we finished the tour of the 'estate' yesterday, Mircea received  phone call. As I sat opposite him I noticed the grapes growing above him, and was reminded of Micah 4:4 Everyone will sit under their own vine and under their own fig tree, and no one will make them afraid.

Tomorrow I'm due to preach at two churches, Stupini in the morning and Sanpetru in the evening.  My Romanian vocabulary (which was limited to a few words anyway), has a distinct iron oxide tinge (rusty) so I'm listening to the locals converse and picking up some of the pronunciation rules again.  Thankfully there will be translators.

On Monday morning we'll head south west to the conference centre in the mountains.

Flying and Flip Charts

Yesterday I flew back to Cluj-Napoca in the Transilvania region on Northern Romania. there is only one daily flight from the south of England, so it necessitated a 4:30 am departure from home to get to Luton Airport in sufficient time to catch the  Wizz Air flight.

My previous visit was as much a discovery trip as an opportunity to speak and teach, whereas this occasion is with the specific objective of initiating a training and encouragement partnership with pastors and other leaders of small churches in villages in the area around Zalau.

Transilvania, Romania

On Monday a group of guys are joining together for a three day residential conference (finishing soon after lunch on Thursday) where a number of the leaders  of the local mission will be, with me, sharing something of our vision, and I'll be teaching on a variety of subjects to equip them with skills to nurture their own congregations and communities. The costs of the conference have been met by a generous gift from my church back in the UK, as in this very rural region the benefits of a post communist free enterprise system  (and EU funding) have not yet been as apparent as in other places. 

As a professional trainer I like to provide materials and an 'ambience' that sets the tone. (The last course I delivered, a week ago, was to staff from a big multinational in the Jeddah Hilton). So balanced with the need to 'cut the coat according to your cloth' I was a bit concerned about finding a source of flip chart paper, folders and notepads as the only stuff I'd been able to obtain last time were a mixed set of ring binders in a budget supermarket.  So this time, knowing that once I got to Zalau options would be limited, I persuaded my host (aided by his son) to find a supplier in Cluj before we headed north. Braving a cross city early afternoon rush hour, they took me to a mall,on the west of the city where we had lunch in the food court, I changed my currency, and then we went to a stationery supplier.  I was in trainer heaven!

Two flip chart pads, a ream of A3, some folders, A4 notepads and a few other items later (plus a text from our driver who thought that we'd disappeared into a black hole in the mall) we emerged equipped for the conference and comfortable in the knowledge that I don't have to carry as many bits and pieces with me next time I come out here.

But the relative wealth and availability of goods in Cluj did have the effect of driving home the variance in the economy as we headed north-west to the Zalau area.  And it made me wonder what could be done - perhaps micro businesses - in this more rural area to help people in the village communities raise their standard of living.

But that's a secondary thought.  Not at this stage what I'm here for, but something to ponder. 

Summary

On way way down to Cluj-Napoca airport (about an hour and a half away, although we took a longer and more circuitous route) I did a quick count of the past fortnight. I had one day off, and over the remaining 13 days spoke at 24 meetings (for an average of 75 minutes each time) and had meals in numerous homes. In each case I was speaking though an interpreter, which reduces the effective teaching content by 50%, but I suggest doesn't reduce the teaching demands because every pause awaiting translation one feels like a coiled spring shaping the next set of words, ready for release once the interpreter has finished the previous sentence. Everything one says has to be considered because many figures of speech and idioms in the English language may not be understood by the interpreter, so a simpler version needs to be used, or the idiom needs to be explained as it is used.

At the end of the trip I feel that it has been enormously worthwhile, exhausting (the latter enhanced by the cold I picked up a week ago), a fascinating and enjoyable learning experience. I've been invited back and can't wait to go again.

Some things I've learned:

1. The garlic sauce is much stronger than it looks
2. Transilvania IS beautiful.
3. The people are welcoming and extremely hospitable.
4. The best way to remove the taste of garlic sauce is to eat raw onion.
5. Solid white lines in the middle of roads are purely for decorative purposes.
6. We all carry the burden of our history and culture and need to recognise that.
7. I'd like to see Transilvania again once the leaves come out.
8. The best way to remove the taste of raw onion is to eat some garlic sauce.
9. Wizz Air, the only airline flying from the UK to Cluj Napoca is a very efficient and friendly airline (but don't exceed your baggage allowance).
10. You'll spend a lot of time laughing with Transilvanians.
11. You ought to like meat.
12. Some things are extraordinarily cheap, but still expensive compared to the wages.
13. To learn Romanian, it's important to know the changes that various accents make to the sounds of letters.  For example, ș is a 'sh' sound.
14. Especially pork (see 11).
15. Some of those sounds are difficult to make because they are not in a normal Englishman's repertoire.
16. Many homes or apartments have a one or two bedrooms, but most sofas convert into a bed, and living rooms are frequently used as a bedroom.
17. Singing hymns (which process at about a quarter of the speed of normal conversation) is a great way to practice the pronunciation.
18. I want to return.

Special Thanks to:

• Mike Davis for introducing me to Mircea & Dan last Summer
• Joan and the team from the Ron Hellyer Foundation for letting me join them for the first week, and for providing really helpful advice before travelling and once on the ground.
• The Board of Maranatha Missions for their invitation.
• Mircea, Maria, Emil & Dina Peaștean who endured 3 adult guests at great inconvenience to their normal sleeping arrangements
• Mircea, who tirelessly organised, drove, interpreted and kept things organised.
• Lucien, Dina & Emil who also interpreted for us and did some translation work as well.
• Jon MacMorland of ProCopy Printing in Chichester who turned around some Romanian translation work and produced a great glossy manual at short notice.
• You, if you've read this far in the blog.
• God, who arranged the whole thing.

Lost Something?

The inevitable happened. Following the cold that I picked up last week, the subsequent drainage into my throat started threatening my voice. By the end of Monday evening I could barely speak, but with the prospect of a 2.5 hour meeting on Tuesday afternoon, followed by two 50 minute teaching sessions to a group of about 30, was a little worrying. Serious prayer ensued (thanks to those friends in the UK who participated). My voice recovered enough for ALL of the Tuesday meetings (just) and finally gave up completely about 21:30, and 20 hours later remains missing in action, which I'm sure will attract some positive comments from family & friends.

Further Opportunities

On my last day, Tuesday, I met with three of the board members of Marantha Missions to review the fortnight and to discuss further needs and a strategic approach to them.

We had a thoroughly constructive meeting, very much in agreement, and have some very specific ideas about what we can do next to help develop the leadership of the current generation and the next. As a list of training 'needs' grew longer it became apparent that in addition to addressing the short term planning (this year and next) there is also a vision as to what might be achieved over say the next 10 years. A lot of ideas buzzing around, so we'll now work on prioritising and quantifying some of these in order that, God willing, we can take a couple more steps in 2014.

Planting Season

I had looked at the weather shortly before I travelled! listened to the experience of those who had gone before before, and prepared with clothes suitable for the end of winter, including some thermal layers just in case the snow was serious.

The reality was that I saw no snow, we had clear sunny days most of the time, with temperatures generally 9 to 19 degrees. The air temperature in the evenings was quite low, so I was glad of a warm jacket, but most of the buildings were so warm (due to the wood burning stoves) inside that after peeling off jacket and sweater, a layer of perspiration soaked though the remaining clothes. I haven't used many of the bulkier clothes I took with me.

One of the villages

These signs of spring have brought people in the county side out to their gardens, allotments and fields to clear the ground, trim the vines, and sow the seeds. everywhere there are small bonfires as the cuttings and waste is burned. Looking over the valleys (which is what the roads mainly follow) it's often possible to see a dozen little fires burning.

I've been told that some villages take a real pride in their fields (for those of you old enough to remember, some these fields resemble the long narrow strips of land of feudal England). There is a sense of competition, wanting to be really early to have their land prepared and seed sown.  Mircea assures me that Simpetru (where he is the pastor) is consistently one of the earliest of the villages, and of course he is completely objective in his opinions of his special village.

It didn't belong to Noah

On a couple of days I've been chauffeured between speaking engagements in Lucien's car. it's a 1972 Dacia (effectively a Renault 12 built in Romania). Unsubstantiated rumour is that the first owner was the (communist) Romanian ambassador to Iraq. Built two years before I was eligible for a driving licence.

Lucien is proud and fond of his ancient vehicle, a gift to him, which has gone through many repairs over its life. The passenger seat wobbles a little, there is a gap between the boot lid and the body, but in my opinion the highlight is the alloy door handles which have been added at some point prior to Lucien assuming ownership. They are drilled with holes as if the weight saving will contribute to a marginal performance increase!  He's also got a good sense of humour about his ancient vehicle.

The vehicle does what he asks of it - it gets him and his small family – and visitors – around.

Emptying Villages

On my second Sunday I spent the morning with a small congregation about an hour west of Zalau. About 30 people of all ages crowded into this small chapel. it was encouraging to see the four teenagers take part by singing a prepared song to the congregation.  I had been primed to teach on a subject relevant to some of the needs within the congregation.

Later we ( the visiting pastor and I) had lunch with a lovely older couple whose meal for us was 'ecological'. Everything we ate or drank was produced in their farm. They have 1200 vines and produce a local non-alcoholic grape juice which people travel over 100 miles to purchase. These farmers use no chemicals on the vines, so although I couldn't establish whether they had formal recognition as organic producers, they certainly seem to qualify. Hence their use and meaning of the word 'ecological'.

In common with many homes, the wood burning stove is a tall ceramic stove (see one in the background in the accompanying picture), which is relatively efficient as the bricks radiate an enormous amount of heat with very little wood. Many houses have several of these, which is their only heating system.

About one third of the litter

Their own children have flown the nest.  One lives with his family in Florida, another in Vancouver, and the third is a GP in a large town near the Hungarian border. They told me that there were 50 empty houses in their village, because the young people move away in search of work and careers, and that in another 25 years there will be a further 50 houses vacant as people like them die.

Footnote: after a nice (large) 3 course meal - and a quick tour to see the 3 week old piglets - we crossed the road to another church family for coffee (and the mandatory one and half large slices of cake!).  This family gave me 2 litres of the pressed grape juice to bring home (any soft drink bottle suffices) and I'm pleased to say that it arrived safely back in the UK without leaking inside my suitcase.

The Remaining Schedule

The last three days of my fortnight in Transilvania my hosts had maintained the pace of the schedule for me.

Claudia & Dan

Sunday saw me in two different churches one morning, at three homes during the afternoon, and then in Șimleu at Bethany Baptist Church in the evening.  The Pastor, Dan Mogos, was one of the two people I've met last Summer in Chichester, and he'd invited me to speak to his congregation on three days on the subject of forgiveness.  I introduced the subject with an example from the Old Testament on that occasion (about 100 attending), and then we returned to Dan &his wife Claudia's home where we we were served dinner by Claudia and Dan's lovely Mother-in-Law.

On Monday, I caught up with emails in the morning, then heeded over to Șimleu again for two 50 minute workshops on the same subject, building the themes from the Epistle to Philemon.  About 40 people attended this one, and 30 were able to attend the final two on the Tuesday evening, which was real encouraging as it was the third consecutive evening for these people to be meeting with other members of the church.

Wednesday-Friday

Each morning I spoke to the pastors for two 90 minute sessions, spending about 60% of the time traveling through the very short letter of Paul (Pavel) to Philemon (Filimon). In addition to being a masterful argument for forgiveness, it provides a bedrock for the argument against slavery which has plagued mankind for centuries.

Talk the Word

I was also able to introduce them to a publication called Talk the Word, only published in the UK a couple of months ago. A combined project of Walk Through the Bible, Scripture Union Scotland, The Scottish Bible Society, and Counties, I had been able to get it translated into Romanian, had 25 copies printed in Chichester just before I flew out here. Each of the pastors took two copies, with a commitment to train one of their congregation to use it.

British Graphics
Romanian Text

Finally, a lot of conversation revolved around ideas and change. Like people the world over, on day two most of the men sat in the same place as on the first day. I asked them all to move to another seat, just to get them used to the idea that change isn't always bad. This was accomplished with a mixture of surprise and amusement, and I think that they got the point!

In the evenings I spoke to the church in Simpetru once (for the last time on this visit, where again there were 13 visitors), and then for two nights to the Baptist church in Zalau, where there was a very warm response to a difficult subject I had been asked to address.

Juxtaposition

I mentioned in an earlier blog the differences between the communist and post-communist Romanians.  One of the other noticeable features (especially in the countryside) is the juxtaposition of technologies.  Everywhere there are horses pulling carts, while modern cars, including BMWs and Audis - can also be seen.  In locations where many of the houses are small and plumbing is primitive, the wireless modem and mobile phone still have a place.  In churches with wood burners there are often quite small but adequate sound systems.

A classic example of this I spotted today as a speaker and mixer desk were borrowed from the church.  Look for the washing machine in the video.  The horse is in housed in the small stable to the left.

Generosity

The generosity of my hosts has extended to sharing their Romanian cold with me. It came on on Thursday, so I've been dosing myself with Theraflu (a bit like lemsip). but by last night I was really tired, after 10 days here and 12 in all without a break.

Today (Saturday) is a rest day, but also Mothers' Day in Romania. in addition, Tuesday is D's birthday, so Mirchir, Maria & family and I have travelled down to Simpetru for a double celebration. Perhaps indicative of my tiredness, I managed to set my phone alarm last night for 08:15 - on Tuesday! So I overslept (the family kindly letting me do so) and got up shortly after 10:00. As we were bringing the meat for the BBQ, lunch is a couple of hours later than first planned.

The meal itself consisted of four different meats (chicken, pork, a minced meat and smokey sausages), all cooked on the BBQ, a potato dish a bit like Potato au gratin, with a garlic sauce quite strong. Strong enough that I learned my lesson last Saturday, and took less of it. I've been told that the only remedy for removing the garlic flavour is to eat an onion! And vice versa...

After the meal D was absolutely surprised by the birthday cake which arrived to the accompaniment of 'many years', the Romanian equivalent of Happy Birthday to You.

The Conference

One of the main reasons for me traveling out to Transilvania was to speak at a conference of a number of the rural pastors. These men have real hearts of compassion for the people in the villages, and for the congregations of the small churches which they have been instrumental in planting and growing over the years. Most of them hold down other jobs as well, because the churches can't afford to pay them, and they have had limited opportunity for training in their roles.

On this occasion Dan, Mircea and I had discussed what we would try to accomplish. First of all, I needed to get to know the men and the work that they do among the churches. Thus an additional benefit of visiting and speaking in a number of the churches over the previous week was to appreciate the circumstances in which they serve. Second, as it was the first time for us to meet, I needed them to gain confidence in me, and that I could, in my teaching, provide training in biblical studies, in practical pastoral advice, and provoke some thinking among them regarding the often fairly traditional way that their churches function.

There is an apparent gap in Romanian culture. It is, of course, only 24 years since the fall of communism, and of the dictator Ceausescu. So many of the older generation have grown up accustomed to following instructions and doing things in a set way. The churches that did exist in that time had to be very careful as the secret police sat in on every service, and pastors were regularly imprisoned. many of the Christians, including people like Mircea, were part of an underground church movement that risked imprisonment for some of their activities. (Not unlike countries such as Iran and North Korea today.)

The younger generation know little of this past, and exposed as they are to the internet, with both it's distractions and global culture, are restless for something different. Helping the church to bridge this gap, without rocking the boat sufficiently violently to throw out the older generation for whom the older ways provide security, is a great challenge.

An oversight on my part - I forgot to take any photos.

A change of pace (for me)

Monday and Tuesday saw several team members head out to take meetings. Denise, Peter & Jess led some kindergarden classes, while Joan spoke to and met with a number of the ladies in distant churches.

I was conscious that my notes for a conference I was due to address Wednesday and Friday needed to be re-arranged before they could be translated into Romanian and prepared for printing. I made considerable progress during the day on Monday and Tuesday, and was supported in a supreme effort by Dina, Mircea & Maria's daughter, who worked quite late doing the translation work for me.

Monday evening we returned to Simpetru for another teaching opportunity that was arranged with the congregation at short notice on Sunday evening. About 25 people came, and I continued my series teaching through the early part of the Pentateuch. 

On Tuesday evening it was down to Tomasu, another village south of Zalau, where we kicked off a special week of mission, and I had the main speaking slot.

Normally after each evening meeting we are then invited to the home of one of the church members for dinner (our third cooked meal of the day) and enjoy warm hospitality. there is always an abundance of meat, usually pork, occasionally chicken.

After the service at Tomasu we went to the house of Olympis, whose wife provided some delicious pork chops. They have five sons and one daughter and he proudly showed us his barn where he keeps his 16 milking cows, some lambs and pigs, which together form the bulk of his income.  Definitely a need for caution walking across the muddy farmyard in the dark!

After a blogging gap of 6 days, there is a lot to review.

I mentioned Sunday afternoon plans changed. it was originally intended that the whole team would travel to a couple of churches west of here in the mountains, but Mircea felt that my teaching had been well received by the congregation at Simpetru (which continued to have about 40% of the congregation made up of new visitors) that he asked me to remain in Simpetru after lunch to be the speaker for his own evening congregation.

The Church building in Simpetru
- a converted house (forgive the pun)

In this little church there are three families whose serving is contributing to the teamwork and growth. One of these families is D & M, who together with their teenage son, recently started traveling 90 minutes each way to the church in order to provide and lead the music. What a difference the three of them make in the quality of the services!

D's work involves traveling to inspect mobile phone masts, so where they live is of little importance to his job. So they are looking to move into the village of Simpetru, if possible. They think that they can sell their small ground floor apartment for £3,000, but a small house that they have found for sale in the village would cost £6,000. It is symptomatic of the rural Romanian economy that these amounts, which combined are what we paid in stamp duty on our UK house purchase six years ago, are enormous sums and the gap between the sale and purchase price very difficult for them to cross.

The Team

I’ve mentioned ‘The Team' in my earlier blogs, so now a bit more about them.

Back in 1999, Ron Hellyer, from the Bognor Regis area of West Sussex started visiting this part of Transilvania and along the way met Mircea Pestean.  At that time there was great need in the very poor rural villages, but little in the way of help.  Along with another visitor from the USA, Ron encouraged Mircea to start Maranatha Missions using the town of Zalau as a base to reach out.  Ron himself, who Mircea describes to me as a gifted evangelist, was involved in the establishment of a couple of churches in the villages.  Ron would bring other friends with his to help in the work.

L to R: Gilbert, Peter,
Denise, Jess, Joan, me

Joan, Ron’s wife, joined Ron in visiting Romania a few years later.  After Ron’s death a few years ago, Joan and other team members continued visiting the churches of Maranatha Mission, and a couple of years ago, at the prompting of some of the long standing team members, The Ron Hellyer Foundation was established and registered as a UK Charity to enable gifts to support the work of the Mission to be channelled through the trust, to provide opportunities for folk form the UK to experience short term mission opportunities, and to provide funds for the relief of financial needs among some of the villages that the churches serve in this part of Romania.

The team (members vary from visit to visit) generally visit Romania twice a year, in the Autumn & Spring, timing arranged to avoid the busier summer season when many people in the villages are farming their small plots of land.

According to Schedule

Yesterday the flexibility kicked in as plans changed mid-afternoon.  But the morning went according to the schedule.

Our whole team paid a visit to a small village called Stupini.  About a kilometre past Simpetru, the road becomes a gravel road for about 3 km before running out.  2km up this gravel road is the little chapel in Stupini where a visiting pastor and Florin, (see his photo with the heater at Simpetru in an earlier blog) helps provide leadership and encouragement to the small, elderly congregation.

Jess (L) and Dina (R)

Each of our team spoke for a few minutes using Emil & Dina, son & daughter of Mircea & Maria as interpreters.  It's no small thing to provide almost simultaneous translation, and most of us can come up with english words or expressions that they are not yet familiar with, which results in a short intermission and a little mirth while the combined English-Romanian language skills of those present establish a route forward and an explanation of the meaning.

Joan asked me to take the last slot (which was expected to be longer) in the service, which like most Romanian services lasts longer than those in the UK.  I needed to finish my noon, but didn't know what time I would be starting.  I think that I got up to speak at about 11:15, and Joan as requested, gave me a nod at 11:58 which gave me a couple of minutes to wrap up.

It's quite interesting attending a service with little idea of what one is going to speak about.  Because each community is so different, and this is my first time visiting, there is a need to look, listen, and pray for guidance!  As the service proceeded, prompted by something said earlier in the service, my thoughts focussed on Psalm 105.  I borrowed a Romanian Bible, scribbled some notes using the key verbs (imperatives) from the Romanian translation alongside my English notes.

Romanian is a latin language (similarities to French, Spanish, etc) with bits of slavic influence.  (Romania is described as an island of Latin in a sea of Slavs.)  With the notes in front of me, and Dina translating, I attempted some Romanian pronunciation, which drew a combination of sympathy, amusement, correction and (I like to think) appreciation for the effort, from the congregation, while Dina, interpreting, corrected me and made what I said in English make sense for the listeners.

Speaking at Stupini
while Dina interpreted

I remember an experienced pastor comment to me (years ago) that most people know about their problems and difficulties.  They don't need to be reminded of them, but need encouragement to work through them.  Yesterday I tried to apply his advice.

Another small village

After lunch we split into three teams, two going visiting needy families, and three of us (Jess, Peter & I heading to Another small village, about 20 minutes away, to a small church where we were to conduct children's & youth meetings.

This church building is more purpose built that the one at Simpetru, and large enough to warrant two wood burning stoves.

The invitation that had been issued was different from our expectations, as they had invited 'youth' from 11-15 years.  So after a rapid team conference, we agreed that Jess & Peter would run some activities (see video) and I would teach something of the storyline from the gospels.

In the end we had about 26 'youth' from about 8 to 15, a great number from a small village. In 2010 there were no children at this church, so there has been some great work by the local leaders who were thoroughly supportive in our session today.  This group - typical of the village itself, had a mixture of Romanian, Hungarian and Gypsy children in place.

I had a great time delivering the teaching and controlling – at least some of the time – the children while speaking through Mircea's interpretation.  Not sure that it is my primary calling though!  But it took me back to the early days of BX when we called it 'Junior Walk'

Birthday BBQ

BBQ & Washing Machine both at work

Today's timetable eased a little as our hosts took time to plan a (surprise) lunchtime birthday BBQ for Gilbert, who celebrated a post retirement birthday a couple of days ago without telling any of us.  The weather - sunny, mid-teens temperature – was ideal, so half of us set out early for Simpetru, via the supermarket to pick up the supplies, while the others went shopping for some small gifts for Gilbert.

Used for ploughing & pulling cart

It was great to enjoy the home/smallholding and company of one of the church families as about a dozen of us joined together.

Many of the families keep a few animals, and here Florin, Rodi and their family keep 3 pigs, several rabbits, numerous chickens, bees, two dogs, and a horse.  As you can imagine, some are for eating, others valued for their productivity, and the dogs advise of any visitors.

 While the food was being prepared, Florin took me over to the village school to look at a board I may borrow when I'm teaching pastors next week.  In his schooldays there were 300 students; now only 16, with two teachers.  Most younger families have migrated to the cities or overseas in search of work.

Gilbert (& Jess)

Nelu, Rodi, Maria & Joan

 Gilbert was suitably surprised when he we sat down to eat and was informed that the occasion was in honour of him.

Simpetru

During much of the 1990s we led a small church with a  congregation of between 20 and 50.  One of my abiding memories are the two occasions when churches from some distance away sent teams to visit and work with us, each for a week.  The energy and enthusiasm they brought with them lifted us,  brought new opportunities for contact with other local people, and gave us a sense of shared load.

Simpetru village

As followers of Jesus Christ, much is made of the Greek word 'koinonia' found in the New Testament, and carrying the ideas of 'partnership, fellowship, belonging'.  I'm not sure that many of us (certainly not me) bring with  the energy levels of the teams that visited us 20 years ago, but it is a privilege to be able to partner with and serve these small churches and bring some experience and teaching, working alongside the pastors.

Simpetru, looking west

Our host, Mircea, started working with the people of Simpetru a number of years ago.  Yesterday Joan (our team leader) and Denise visited here and met some of the ladies to encourage, teach, and pray with them, and to work with some of the children.  (Sweets and snacks are well appreciated as there isn't a lot of money here).

Today Denise returned with Gilbert & I, Denise to take another children's meeting, Gilbert and I to speak to the adult congregation in the evening.

The building that now houses the Church

Mircea asked me to lead some teaching, so starting with the first 3 named individuals in the NT, I focused on lessons from the life of Abraham, particularly the message that getting right with God is unearned, but a credit from God for those who confidently trust him.

Last Sunday this room held over 100!

Because on Wednesday I'd mentioned the three kings of Israel, I then taught the 3 Chairs Principle.  There have been a number of 'explorers' visiting over the past few days – 9 tonight – so given the interest, Mircea is considering increasing the number of meetings we have here over the next couple of weeks.  As we were advised before we arrived, everything, especially the schedule, is flexible.  Watch this space.

Serious space management

Would you replumb your entire church heating system just to create more space for a special event? And then return it to the original a few days later?

Like many churches, the Baptist Church at Sinpatru Simpetru is heated by a single wood burning stove in the main auditorium, which comfortably will hold 35.  Last Sunday they had there first baptism service in a very long time, and invited many of the village.  Expecting a larger than usual number, the space occupied by the heater was precious, so they moved it by hand to the room next door (the warmth permeated the wall), re-routing the flue.  So I discovered that the space in which I sat on Wednesday afternoon was today re-occupied by the stove, the temporary hole created for the flue on the other side of the wall had been filled in, and the heater was back to its rightful place.

Here's a picture of Florin, who did the work, with his close friend, back in its place of honour.  Tonight, the door had to be opened at regular intervals as the dangers of hyperthermia reducing the size of the congregation became all too real.

Last Sunday over 100 people crowded into this small church to witness the baptism.

Third culture

Yesterday four of our team accompanied Mircea about an hour west to support the local pastor at a small church in a gypsy community.  Peter & Jess (the younger members of our team) led a children’s activity session.  While this was happening, it was noticeable that a number of teenage girls were hovering on the edge but not joining in.  So Mircea (our host & mission organiser) asked me if I could speak to them.  It’s been a long while since I’ve spoken to a group of 12 teenage girls through an interpreter in a culture neither of us share…  Some of the time I spent asking them to teach me Romanian pronunciation.  It confirmed in my own mind that not a lot has changed in my linguistic ability since I dropped French a the age of 15.

After this a number of adult members of the congregation arrived and two of us were invited to speak to them.  In this part of the world it's quite normal for there to be two or three speakers in a church service so they do last longer than back home.  I spoke from Paul's letter to Philemon on a culture of forgiveness in an unforgiving world.

By the time we arrived back in Zalau (about 19:30) the lack of sleep at the beginning of the week, plus the multicultural shift – UK-Romania-Gypsy (they refer to themselves as Gypsy rather than Roma) plus adapting to speaking through an interpreter left me feeling a bit flat.  But I understand that that is normal for the first day or two, and I'm anticipating that it will become easier.

A little knowledge...

A good part of these two weeks in Romania is learning time for me.  Seeing what is going on, getting used to speaking through an interpreter, learning some of the culture.  The locals will proudly tell you that Transilvania, here in the north, is different from Bucharest, in the south.  (Is there any country without a north-south difference?)  Mind you, at the beginning of the week even one of my friends in Bucharest emailed me to say "Transilvania is one of the most beautiful areas in Romania with kind people and great food :) even better than Bucharest.  People are very welcoming and really enjoy having guests."

So in an effort to accelerate the learning, I picked up a guide book last weekend.  A little history, a little culture, a little language.  Who was it that said "a little knowledge is a dangerous thing?"  Here's hoping that I'm equipping myself to become too dangerous.

We stopped in Simpetru on our way to Zalau.  Pausing in the home of one of the church members, I became increasingly aware that initial success from my weight gain programme was to be observed in my eyelids.  The cool weather outside is more than compensated for in rural homes and churches by the presence of wood burning stove which generate a lot of warmth (most churches have the large stove in the main meeting room).  A cup of tea was quite reviving.

We then all spoke briefly at a meeting of the church congregation and about eleven other members of the community.  Those who know me best know that I don't do 'briefly', but Mircea, our organiser and the pastor of the church in Simpetru, had asked if I would speak for longer.  So I took a lesson from the teaching and life of King Solomon, about the need to deal with the weeds that crop up in our own lives and spoil our relationship with God. Solomon as King progressively didn't follow the rules for Kings of Israel (see Deuteronomy Chapter 17) and allowed the weeds to take over his own life.

From Proverbs Chapter 24 in the Bible (NIV)
30 I passed by the field of a sluggard,
    by the vineyard of a man lacking sense,
31 and behold, it was all overgrown with thorns;
    the ground was covered with nettles,
    and its stone wall was broken down.
32 Then I saw and considered it;
    I looked and received instruction.
33 A little sleep, a little slumber,
    a little folding of the hands to rest,
34 and poverty will come upon you like a robber,
    and want like an armed man.

And of course, after that we returned to the same home for our second cooked meal - chicken, rice, cold meats, cheese, salads, cake & fruit.  And then we drove on to Zalau, our home for the the two weeks, and the welcoming apartment of Mircea and Maria.

A Weight Gain Programme?

I've already got the impression that weight loss will not be an issue during this trip.  Half way to Zalau from Cluj-Napoca Airport yesterday we stopped at a restaurant for lunch at what turns out to be 3 cooked meals  day (plus snacks).  I had chicken Schnitzel and rice with mushrooms.  (Amazing how much hungrier sleep deprivation seems to make me.)

So, why Romania?

Yesterday I left home at 04:00 for the drive to Luton Airport and to meet up with a team of 5 others for a flight to Cluj Napoca in north west Romania, better know as Transilvania (that's the the local spelling).  We're working with the local Maranatha Mission, an informal network of pastors who have established church communities in the rural villages around Zalau.

So, why Romania?

16 months ago I was made redundant.  Apart from the initial shock and the nervousness associated with 'what's next', my wife and regarded this the first step in an answer to prayers we had been praying for the past couple of years.  Apart from the change in responsibilities that happened after the boys left home, there was a real desire to have more opportunity to use my training and experience and God-given gifts in teaching the Bible - a life transforming book.

So rather than looking for employment, I set up my own business and looked for clients.  Designed for greater flexibility, the first half of 2013 was a shaky start, but since the end of the summer work has been about as much as I can handle.

So, why Romania?
I recognise that I haven't answered the question yet.  In three further steps I felt a clear leading here in ways I didn't engineer.

1. On April 2nd I had a phone call from a colleague asking if I cold fly to Bucharest 5 days later to train some church leaders to deliver the Walk Through the Bible's New Testament seminar. I went, had a great time, and have been invited back.
2. A few weeks later in an after church conversation, I met Mike who had been part of this the team I'm now travelling with. He mentioned introducing me to some Romanian pastors who were visiting soon.  I expressed some interest, but didn't think much more of it at the time.
3. In June I had an email from Mike inviting me to that meeting later that week.  There I met Mircea and Dan, who quizzed me on what I did and had done - and told me more about Maranatha Mission.  Much to my surprise, they invited me to visit them as a key need they have is helping to provide Bible training for the (mainly) lay pastors.

So, eight months later, here I am in Zalau. Romania.