If I calculated correctly, this is the 14th summer I’ve spent in Romania. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, though, this summer has been unlike any other. I didn't travel to nearby countries or even within Romania. We hosted no visitors or Work & Witness teams from the US, and there were no summer camps for children and youth like in other years. During the spring and early summer, there weren’t even regular weekly church services.
After Romania's State of Emergency was lifted in mid-May, restrictions began to lift. However, as the summer vacation season went on and many people stopped taking precautions against the virus spreading, the number of cases nationwide began to increase dramatically. Personally, I've found it challenging to navigate between those who refuse to wear a mask or don't respect my personal space, on one hand, and, on the other, those who are terrified of the virus and hardly ever leave their homes. For my part, I've tried to not put myself or others at risk while also maintaining some degree of social interaction.
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| Statistics from worldometers.info |
EuNC-Romania
Although this summer did not resemble a “normal” summer, I am grateful that most of my activities relating to EuNC were able to continue as planned, or with only minor adjustments. This summer we had 7 students in the course “World Religions.” Since the teacher couldn’t travel to Romania, the course was taught entirely through Zoom. Only the translator and a couple students met in the classroom.
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| Social distancing in the classroom |
While this class was going on, I taught the course “Introduction to Academic Skills” for one of our newer students. This is intended to be one of the first courses that students take at EuNC, covering basic skills like time management, developing reading and note-taking skills, learning how to write and revise a paper, and how to study for exams. Since these skills aren't taught in high school here, I invited a high school student to participate in the course as well (not for EuNC credit). One of the highlights of my summer was watching him improve his study and writing skills.
In addition to these 2 courses being offered, 3 students completed their ministry practicum this summer – with each setting needing to be adapted to the present circumstances, of course. I'm also happy to report that two students just completed the requirements for EuNC's Spiritual Formation programme.
Meanwhile, I was able to spend some time this summer cataloging the hundreds of books that were transferred to our EuNC Learning Center library from the Veritas library at the House on the Rock. (At present, I'm probably only about half way through this cataloging process!) There were so many new books, we needed to have 3 new bookshelves made.
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| New bookshelves and new books for our library |
I am now preparing to teach “History and Polity of the Church of the Nazarene,” a 10-week course which will begin September 1. I am looking forward to helping students gain both a better understanding of our identity as Nazarenes, and also an appreciation of how we relate to 2000 years of Christian tradition and to other denominations.
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| Some of the books I'm using to prepare for "History & Polity of the Church of the Nazarene" |
In preparation for the course, we were able to (finally!) complete the translation of the changes to the Nazarene Manual made at the 2017 General Assembly, and should have the new edition printed in time to be used for the course. (The 2021 General Assembly has been pushed back to 2023, so we still have 3 years to use the current edition.)
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| Update: Printed copies of the new edition of the Nazarene Manual in Romanian were delivered on August 28. |
Please pray for our EuNC students. We have 9 students enrolled in courses this fall. For 6 of them, the upcoming academic year (2020-2021) marks their final year of studies at EuNC. Five of them are completing the educational requirements for ordination and the sixth will complete the Bachelor’s level. Due to multiple factors, their part-time studies have been stretched out for a decade or longer. Pray for perseverance during this final year. Pray also that God will lead others to take courses through EuNC-Romania to be prepared for both lay and ordained ministry.
Farewell to Roberta
In July, Roberta Bustin returned to the US after serving for over 23 years in Sighișoara, Romania -- the longest serving volunteer missionary in the Church of the Nazarene. A former college chemistry professor and NASA researcher, Roberta led ecology club, taught science to children, and environmental science to college students (including me back in 2001!). She became an ordained minister, pastored 2 churches (one of which she planted), taught courses for EuNC, and later served as district superintendent. But most importantly, Roberta invested in people; countless lives have been changed because of her obedience to serve in Romania.
Farewell to Roberta
In July, Roberta Bustin returned to the US after serving for over 23 years in Sighișoara, Romania -- the longest serving volunteer missionary in the Church of the Nazarene. A former college chemistry professor and NASA researcher, Roberta led ecology club, taught science to children, and environmental science to college students (including me back in 2001!). She became an ordained minister, pastored 2 churches (one of which she planted), taught courses for EuNC, and later served as district superintendent. But most importantly, Roberta invested in people; countless lives have been changed because of her obedience to serve in Romania.
Last week 2 articles were published about her tenure in Romania: "Science Teacher-Turned-Missionary Looks Back on Ministry in Romania" in the Eurasia Region's Where Worlds Meet newsletter and Volunteer Missionary Celebrates Over Two Decades of Ministry in Nazarene News. I encourage you to check them out.
Please pray for Roberta as she settles back into life in the US and finds her ministry for this new chapter of life.
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| Roberta Bustin served in Romania since 1997 |
Home Assignment 2021
I am still tentatively planning my next home assignment for the spring of 2021. I don’t yet have the dates finalized, but if you are interested in having me speak at your church or organizing a district deputation tour, please let me know. Of course, all plans at this point are subject to change, depending on travel restrictions. I will post my schedule at this link.
A Few Pictures
Although it's been an unusual summer, and I haven't gotten to enjoy many of my normal summertime activities (like attending weekly organ concerts in one of Sighișoara's pre-Reformation churches, or exploring medieval fortifications near Sighișoara) I've tried to make the most of this summer. I've read several good books this spring and summer and have especially enjoyed taking walks, often away from the crowded parts of the town. Here are a few pictures I've taken this summer.
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| A bright full rainbow appeared early in the summer. |
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| Taking a summer walk through Sighișoara's medieval citadel |
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| The Breite, a nature reserve just outside of Sighișoara, with oak trees hundreds of years old |
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| Taking a hike through the woods |
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Thank you for your prayers as I continue to minister in Romania.
Jonathan
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