Timișoara

 The final part of the project with Ronald McDonald House was in Timișoara, on the western border with Hungary. We needed to purchase supplies for 250 welcome kits and then deliver them in town.

On Sunday morning we received word that President Russell M. Nelson had passed away. It was midnight in Utah. We were just one hour from sacrament meeting. He is still included in our little branch building.

We spent Sunday enjoying the members and Taylee Baril who is on her way home on Tuesday. We have enjoyed her musicality and missionary spirit. A couple of races were happening while we walked to Church. Many volunteers were out cheering them on, but in a strange way--by whistling. It because a bit annoying after awhile.

Liberty Square and Union Plaza are just two of the large plazas where people congregate and enjoy the weather. Restaurants line the roadways instead of cars. It's such a delightful walk.

During our stay we enjoyed Korean BBQ, Italian pizza, and Mexican tacos.

Our hotel looks out onto the square where the 1989 Revolution began. There are some artifacts in the lobby to show its place in history. This is our hotel on the left.

Revolutionaries cut out the Communist coat of arms from the center of the official flag of the Socialist Republic of Romania, transforming a symbol of oppression into one of hope and freedom. This simple act of removing the emblem created a distinct, unofficial flag that became iconic of the popular uprising and resistance against the dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu.

Appreciation Event

 On September 25th we had an appreciation event for our NGOs in Romania. We invited everyone around the country and welcomed the Frankfurt staff to come.

Paul and I presented a PowerPoint showcasing the great work that these NGOs have accomplished in the last few years. Some, like Monica Boseff, have been working on supporting domestic violence victims for 17 years.

ADRA has been working to help in every emergency flooding incident for years, but we have only worked with them recently. Here is Walter with the area humanitarian director, Christian Ottiker.

Dr. Toma talked to Elder Frost for a while about the work we have done with hospitals surrounding Bucharest. Elder Frost speaks fluent Romanian, which was a big hit at the event.

I enjoyed seeing the Albus from JRS. They are under incredible pressure due to reduced funds from USAID and UNHCR.

After working toward this event for a month, we were relieved when it was over. The Robinsons in the office were life-savers in helping serve dessert and getting image releases. The communication team from Frankfurt published an article quickly in the Church News and submitted articles to local news agencies.

And of course we loved having the Fowlers attend. They are both so friendly and inviting, and their Romanian is engaging for those who were afraid of entering an LDS Chapel. One of our NGO directors said off-handedly that they hated to leave because it felt so calm and pleasant in the church.

I had put together 30 gift bags and included 30 of these little treats. Sister Fowler loved hers and made me take a picture showing it off.

Danube Delta

 We decided to go with 4 other senior missionary couples to explore the Danube Delta. There are small villages that are very remote that require a boat to access. 

It was nice to stop at a tiny little town and see sewing going on.

What a cute quilt top! It looks like its use is purely decorative, which I endorse.

Hauling wood on a river is tough work.

Pelicans were in big swarms on the delta. 

There were plenty of other boats on the delta. Some just for tourists, some for fishermen, and some huge tankers.

The couples with us are Gibsons, Wards, Fowlers, and Robinsons.

An Olympic canoeist was featured in the tower memorial. Each floor was decorated with his awards, medals, and artifacts. What a great idea for a monument. We climbed to the top and got a great view.

The collection of sticks that looks like a bird nest is a balcony with a handmade railing. Here is that view.

The beautiful weather was hinting at autumn. Without a restaurant on the island, we stopped by a little grocery store for food. A few hours later and we were headed back to Constanta for a housing inspection.

Senior Missionary Conference

 We all got together in Constanta for a senior missionary conference. There is a sudden growth in the number of missionaries here. Twenty-one adults is impressive.

We enjoyed eating together, visiting the Casino, and boating on the Danube Delta.

We also met to receive training and encouragement. We've also been assigned to do some housing inspections. That was one our favorite parts of the Quito Mission.

The Casino was recently remodeled and it is absolutely gorgeous.

While we were there, a couple came to warm up for an evening concert. She was on the piano and he had a violin.

Iași Eclipse

 The views from our hotel are mostly of vineyards. The weather is so nice that I just want to be outside all day.

Later that day the moon began to disappear. I wish I had a better camera because it was gorgeous.

Project in Iași

 We travelled to Iași (yash, rhymes with posh) to complete a donation to Ronald McDonald House. We needed to purchase products for 150 welcome kits and get them assembled. We met after church and enjoyed putting everything together. One thing we noticed while assembly is that people get faster and faster. It's like a race. We constantly had to tell people to slow down.

Back in September of last year we were in the MTC with the Leavitts. We met them on a Sunday that we happened to be having lunch with the Harpers. Since the Harpers had been mission leaders in Mongolia, and that's where the Leavitts were headed, I asked Kim if she wanted to meet them.

So before lunch, we wandered to the classroom and I introduced them to each other. Of course the Harpers have wonderful things to say about Mongolia and were excited that the Leavitts were heading there. Six months later their visas couldn't be renewed and they were asked if they would go to Romania. So here we are again, almost a year to the day we met in Provo. Of course the Harpers are the MTC directors in Thailand, or they would probably be here, too.

The next day we delivered all the bags in our two cars. This cute nurse knew no English but she was delightful to work with. Thank goodness for Google translate.

The architecture around Iasi is lovely.

But look at this texture!

Just down the street is this gorgeous church.

And to top it off: