We will soon start our 3rd month here in Romania. It has been a wonderful, crazy, clueless, joyful, getting lost and finding our way kind of month or two! To give you a snapshot of our time here...these are a few of our fondest memories of the past 8 weeks...
5 birthday parties, 3 road trips, 6 soccer games, 13 meals at McDonalds (with the kids of course), 17 language lessons, 1 trip to the zoo, 7 park visits, 14 walks into town, 33 trips to the grocery store or home depot type stores, 22 kids to our house on seperate visits, 2 slumber parties, 3 trips to a doctor, 9 post office visits, 2 baby gates built, and 1 Fall party!
We are thrilled to finally be here. Many days we look at each other and find ourselves saying "we live here!" It is still shocking. As our presence at the houses becomes more permenant and it sinks in with the kids that we aren't just here for a short visit, we feel God's clarity in why we are here even more so than before we left. We are learning how to both be stay at home parents, yet both be full time employed! We are thankful the kids have adjusted so well to living life alongside of us as a family. They have openly embraced Jack and he absolutely loves having 24 older siblings who adore him, in addition to the 17 adults who love to make him laugh and see him walk. What a blessing it is to be apart of the Livada family.
Balance and prayer are the two most common words spoken in our home...as key reminders of how to life life here in Romania. We are learning that the American way of doing things is not always right, nor does it apply here in this foreign land! As we focus on learning the city, the culture, the language, and the kids, as well as raise our own, we pray that at the end of each day we have done something that propels us forward...whether it be giving the kids extra hugs and high-fives, not getting lost:), helping out one of the other staff, and of course taking on those divine moments and be intentional with our conversations to share about God's abundant love. As we are transitioning into our positions here as Directors of Ministry and trying to find our way around, we are just blown away at God's grace and and thankful that He chose us to be a part of these children's lives. Everyday is a gift here.
We pray that all of our kids come to know who they are in Christ and that they are confident in that identity, no matter what the world and their culture tells them. We pray that they let their walls down for us quickly so that we can be effective in walking with them. We pray that we learn the language well and soon so we can communicate one on one with them. We pray that we can build strong relationships with the children, the educators, the house moms and the staff of Livada. We pray that our time with the kids is intentional and that opportunities are not missed to dig deeper. We pray that the kids will be eager to learn more about their heavenly father. We pray for Jack's health, his safety and his heart for the Lord as he grows into toddlerhood. We pray that as a family we can help shephard and guide them into what a life filled of Him looks like. We pray that through us they will see how a family operates with Him at the center and most of all how to love....Him, each other, and others.
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