Romania 2003

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Newsletter Twelve

Date: Saturday 4 October 2003.

To conclude this series of newsletters, in the time I was in Romania I saw a few changes with the kids. Some were physical - for example, this kid at the Day Centre in early June:

And the same kid with a friend (Steve) in late September: Note that he's not on tip-toe any more. (I mean the kid, not Steve.) Sadly, he's starting to cut himself now.

More positively, there were also examples of the kids emotionally maturing - such as the kid who had a habit of bursting into tears yelling and screaming when he couldn't get his own way (not too uncommon anywhere, actually). When I first met him he was doing that at least once a day. Over the following weeks, coming regularly to the Day Centre, that reduced to the point that he never did... and then he went home. We haven't seen him since. Evidence, I think, of the wonderful work the people at the Day Centre are doing.

It's not easy though, and they need our continued prayers and encouragement.

After leaving Romania I stayed a night in Budapest near the airport and Steve and Deb arranged a really big fireworks show next to my hotel to celebrate me leaving. Naturally I stuck my head out the skylight of my room and took photos. (Chimney and roof in foreground.) Thanks guys, it was really nice.

I really am grateful to Steve and Deb for all they did for me while I was there, for putting up with everything, for utilising some of my better skills and overlooking my not-so-good, and even remembering I love pineapple juice. God bless them.

Also thanks to the Timisoara Smiths for keeping things really interesting (while they were there, anyway) coping with the extra person using the Internet and for at least trying to fatten me up before I came home again.

Thanks too to my long-suffering parents, keeping things under control back here in my absence.

After flying west from Budapest for a while I looked out the window and had the thought "We're not in Kansas any more, Toto." The plane was approaching London and I could see cars driving on the left. How strange. (Just this evening my brother was driving us to the movies and I wondered why on Earth he was driving on the wrong side of the road.)

For those in Romania, during the day after I got back to New Zealand we had wind, rain, sunshine, hail, more wind, then more sunshine, and the day ended really overcast. To finish off the week, 120km/hr winds are forecast for the weekend. Good old Auckland - there's no place like home.

--

Ian.
8 )
http://www.boyshome.ro/

Talking to the same neighbourhood kid again (see the tagline of newsletter three) in my last week in Romania, I asked him once again in Romanian:

Ian: How many years have you?
Kid: Eight years and a half.

And he didn't even pause this time. :-)

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