September Update

It's hard to believe that September is here already. Somewhere between planning courses, grading papers, and trying to resolve banking problems and accounting software issues, this summer passed by. Before I know it, the leaves will be turning colors.

Top photo: printed Academic
Catalogues in Romanian
Middle: Intercultural
Missions course
Bottom: preparing for
EuNC Orientation
online course

EuNC: Romania Learning Centre
The vast amount of my time this summer has been dedicated to theological education. This has been a full summer for EuNC's Romania Learning Centre. During the first half of the summer, students were finishing assignments for the course "Christian Doctrines 2" that took place at the beginning of May with Olga Druzhinina. In July, eight students took the course "Intercultural Missions" with Teanna Sunberg. Additionally, four students had ministry practicums throughout the summer, in which they focused on improving their skills in specific local church ministries. (As I write this, I still have 42 student assignments to grade from these last 2 courses.)

In addition to grading assignments, I have been busy for most of the summer, along with my trusty translator Oana Cristurean, working to translate various documents. First, we printed the first full translation the EuNC Academic Catalogue in Romanian. Then we completed the translation of a couple dozen documents required for EuNC's orientation course for new students.

I recently wrote about all that we've accomplished this past year in the Romania Learning Centre. Click here to read that post.

Prayer for Home Assignment
Three weeks from today, I will be starting my home assignment. I will spend 5 weeks in North America sharing about Romania. For the first two weekends, I'll be in York, PA. Then I'll be in New England for my 15-year class reunion at ENC's Homecoming. While there, we are planning a special gathering for former students and friends of the Romanian Studies Program, celebrating 25 years since the first semester group of students, led by Dorothy Tarrant, came to Romania. (Click here for more information on this event.) The RSP paved the way for Nazarene ministries and Veritas programs in Sighisoara. The last part of my home assignment will be a tour of the Canada Central District in Ontario, which has been my LINKS district the past 2 years. I'll fly back to Romania at the end of October. Click here to view my complete schedule.

As much as I am looking forward to each of the individual components listed above, I am not looking forward to home assignment as a whole. That's because my last home assignment (2 years ago) was completely exhausting -- between all the travel and trying to keep up with deadlines and responsibilities in Romania via email during the 3 months I was gone. This time, I've attempted to lessen the pressure by shortening my home assignment to only 5 weeks and speaking in fewer churches. I'm also trying to wrap up as many projects as possible before I leave so I won't have to deal with them while I'm gone. (However, this is creating a different type of stress, as I race against the clock before I leave. I'm already tired, and home assignment hasn't even started yet!) I know home assignment isn't meant to be a time of relaxation, but please pray that it won't be nearly as stressful as the last one and that I'll find moments of refreshment and encouragement in the chaos of home assignment. Pray that the message I share will encourage and motivate listeners to support missions and that I will raise the financial support needed.

Looking for more?
In case you haven't visited the Romania Nazarene blog for a while, check it out to see 3 new short videos about Veritas, an article about the new youth group in Bucharest, and a surprise video that was created to honor missionary Casey Bloom.