A Wide Perspective

Have you ever seen a mosaic of photos like the one below? It’s made up of hundreds or even thousands of small pictures. Each is a picture of its own, but the positioning of the photos together creates a much bigger picture. (Click the photo to see a close-up of the individual pictures.)


I was just thinking the other day of what an unusual perspective I have on Romania. Often, when Westerners (Americans, British, Germans, etc.) come to Romania to work with one specific purpose and with one specific group of people (whether it’s with one age group, one ethnic group, one socio-economic group, one specific church congregation), they can become so focused on their small section of the mosaic, that it is hard to see that Romania is much broader than their limited experience.

While I certainly don't have an all-encompassing perspective on Romania, I am very thankful that my specific purpose (to coordinate lay training and discipleship for the Romania District of the Church of the Nazarene) allows me to see a wide spectrum of life in Romania. I am blessed by my interactions with people of different ethnic groups, in different regions of Romania, who have different ages and different socio-economic classes. Here are a few ways that I've been able to "gain some perspective" on life in Romania:

Student & Missionary – I’ve had the opportunity to live in Romania first as a college student and now as a missionary. As a college student, I was able to live with a Romanian family, take Romanian language courses, and learn about the history and culture of the Romanian people that I otherwise would not have had the opportunity to do. This has given me a great appreciation for the rich cultural history of Romania, as well as an understanding of Romanian traditions. Without this training, the Communist era could have easily overshadowed the whole of Romanian history for me.

Time - The first time I was in Romania was over 10 years ago. During these past 10 years, I have watched as Romania has developed at an incredible pace. Romania joined NATO in 2004 and the European Union in 2007. Now many Romanians own and drive cars, use high-speed internet in their homes, and carry fancy cell phones with them – all which was not common 10 years ago. Although I never encountered the post-Communist Romania of the 1990s, I can relate to it from my experiences in Romania in 2001 – which are very different from what I experience in Romania today.

Socio-Economic Classes – I have the opportunity to interact with people from different socio-economic classes. Many of the middle-class Romanians with whom I interact have nice homes, drive cars, and have recently fixed up their homes by installing new air-tight windows or doors and a central heating system. The poorer people with whom I interact have very basic 1- or 2-room homes for their entire family, and very little money for necessities such as food, heat, and medicine.

Ages - I consider it a blessing to know people in all age groups and to interact with them almost daily – from young children to the elderly. Each brings a different dynamic and perspective on life and ministry in Romania, and each group has their own specific needs.

Ethnicities - I get to work with people of different ethnic groups. In addition to ethnic Romanians, there are also many ethnic Hungarians where I live, as well as Germans, and Roma (Gypsies). It is fascinating to study the history of this area and of the different ethnic groups which have settled here over the centuries. I love that get to interact with all of these different ethnic groups and am not confined to just one.

Regions - It is interesting to see the differences between regions within Romania. I live in Transylvania and spend most of my time here, but there is also a Church of the Nazarene in Bucharest, so I usually get to spend a few days there each month. A big fast-paced urban center like Bucharest has become very Americanized as far as availability of conveniences and lifestyle. Sighisoara, being a small town, is much more laid back. In the villages surrounding Sighisoara, it is not uncommon for houses to have no indoor plumbing and for people to use horse-drawn carts for transportation. I also enjoy picking up on the various accents and regional vocabulary (just like people in the southern US are more likely to say howdy y’all, whereas people from Boston are pahking their cahs).

Churches - I have a wide perspective on Christianity because I work not only with Nazarenes, but with Pentecostals, Orthodox, Reformed, Baptists, etc. – all who work together in the name of Christ in our Nazarene Compassionate Ministry center (Veritas). We have the opportunity to each contribute to and to receive to a wider understanding of what it means to be called Christians.

Each of these ways that I'm able to better see life in Romania helps me to be able to connect better with the people who live in this country and learn ways to minister in the most appropriate ways.