Catching Up

When I think about how to describe the past 3 months, the phrase “catching up” comes to mind.

2015 was an incredibly busy year for me: teaching 4 courses for European Nazarene College (EuNC) in 4 countries, finishing the Manual translation while overseeing the translation of Nazarene Essentials, attending 4 conferences in neighboring countries, keeping up with child sponsorship, and leading lay training seminars (just to name a few highlights). It was a bit overwhelming.

At one point I calculated that for every day I was gone from Sighisoara in 2015, I was here for fewer than 3 days. (In other words, I was gone over ¼ of the year.) It got to the point that it was hard to go to the grocery store because I wouldn't be home long enough to eat the groceries before they spoiled.

Picnic with other the missionary/volunteer team

working in Sighișoara

There were several things that didn’t get done last year that should have– things that fell through the cracks, so to speak. I decided that in 2016 I would focus on finishing the things I started in 2015 instead of starting any new projects.

And that’s what I’ve been doing: financial reports, organizing and backing up computer files (I was able to delete hundreds of files I no longer needed), and uploading translated documents to the Wesleyan-Holiness Digital Library (Check them out here). I got all the necessary paperwork for my visa renewal (without any major problems, I might add!), and I’ve trained a Romanian at Veritas who has now assumed most of my responsibilities regarding Nazarene Child Sponsorship.

EuNC library in Sighișoara

The largest chunk of time has been spent in EuNC-related activities – faculty assembly in January, teaching the first part of a worship class in February, and setting up a library for EuNC’s Romania Learning Center. (In fact, I wrote a blog post about those activities. Click here to read more.)

In addition to these official activities, I’ve finally entered the smart phone world (for the simple fact that my old phone’s battery wouldn’t keep a charge for more than 2 minutes.) I was able to participate in the Romanian custom of spring cleaning (and let me tell you…some parts hadn’t been cleaned in a LONG time!). And I finished painting a room in my apartment that I started over 2 years ago!

I’ve finally had time to write a few blog posts. You can check out them out here:

• How to say “Romanian” in Romanian - (it's not as easy as it sounds!)  
• You can't pay here - (Apparently, not all banks will accept my money.)
• Help Me Identify These Hymns - (Hymns my grandma and great aunt played that I don't recognize.)

Even though I’m still busy, I feel that it’s a healthier sort of busy. (I can actually buy groceries and stay long enough to eat them!) There are still several important projects that I need to finish before the end of August when I leave for home assignment. I ask for your prayers as I work to complete them, including prayers for wisdom to know what must be done now and what can wait until later.