So I haven't been feeling well all week. I am getting over this cold. But I think the Lord has been using my time at home for good. I feel like I have had lots of time to process everything the Lord placed on my heart last weekend at the retreat. So I feel blessed for the time I have had to spend with the Lord. 

Things are going well. Helping out with a wedding tomorrow. Well if you call doing the dishes all day tomorrow helping with the wedding then yep thats what I'm gonna be doing. Looking forward to church on Sunday and spending time with some friends.

The sun is out today and its beautiful outside. The windows are open and the wind is blowing!! I love this weather!

Here are some pics of Sibiu when we were there for the retreat! Anna and me at the fountain in Sibui

I was walking to class and listening to The Elms song Lifeboat. It was a great reminder to me how the Lord is always with us, good times and bad.

When I am scared, You are my Father.
When I can’t breathe, You are the air.
When I can’t swim, You are my lifeboat.
When I’m tired and weary, You are there.

Well my times get high, my times get low,
You always let me in on all that You know.
I could give You time alone and then
You’d only come and ask me, “Where have you been?"

When I am weak, You are my shoulders.
When I’m poor, You give me a hand.
When I can’t swim, You are my lifeboat.
You carry me to dry land.

Well my times get high, my times get low,
You always let me in on all that You know.
I could give You time alone and then
You’d only come and ask me, “Where have you been?”

When I'm not sure, You are my maker,
Speaking words that keep me aware.
When I can’t swim, You are my lifeboat.
When I’m tired and weary, You are there.

Well my times get high, my times get low,
You always let me in on all that You know.
I could give You time alone and then
You’d only come and ask me, “Where have you been?”

Birthday!

So I wasn't really looking forward to my birthday. My friends were all busy and it looked like no one was going to be able to celebrate it with me. So I was trying to motivate myself to walk to the store to buy ingredients to make my own cake. Pretty sad huh!! Well I received a call from my friend Kristi and she told me that she had already made my cake and they were coming over tonight. It turned out to be a really great day. We ordered pizza and had some American cake and ice cream. I now have a handful of my favorite candy bar that they no longer sell in Romania. So that was exciting!!

Later after Steve and Kristi left I called home; talked with my mom and grandparents. Then I skyped with Jennnifer and the kids. It was the first time that I've seen them since being here. It was such a great conversation too. I also chatted with a few other friends.

It was a perfect day!!

Tonight I am heading to youth group for the first time and tomorrow I have bball and am hanging out with Ellie (a Romanian girl) at the mall. Then Sunday, my director comes and I will be able to show him around Timisoara!!

The past few days have been crazy!!! Thursday and Friday I was at the day center helping paint. They are painting the whole inside and outside. After two days of work, it already looks better. Thursday I was told that Iosif, a friend of Andy's, needed someone to come and sit with his son who is in the hospital so that his wife could come home and shower and sleep. So Friday night I stayed with Beni for 3 hours. It was a bit difficult trying to figure out how to get him to stop crying and dealing with nurses and such when I can' t communicate. But knowing that I was helping out a family made it well worth it. I helped out again on Saturday for about 5 hours. It was much better. Time flew by! The girl next to Beni's bed was testing my Romanian. It was an experience.

I have spent the day relaxing and gaining strength for the upcoming week. I have lots of things to do but am excited for Thursday, my birthday!!! Not sure yet what we are going to do but I am looking forward to spending time with friends.

I have been back in Romania now for over a month. It is crazy how fast time flies. Anyway, I am back in language classes and am moving forward, thankfully. I feel like I have pretty much caught up with what I had lost when I was home and now I am working on some grammar that I never understood last year. But I am enjoying my classes and spending time with my friends.

Saturday we had basketball and soccer with the girls from the girls home. Afterwards we went out to where they are building a boys home to eat. Lets just say I felt kinda weird eating with donkeys, horses and cows coming up to me the whole time. But it was good to spend time with the girls.

Basically what I really wanted to say is that life is good and I am so glad to be back!!