This will probably be my last blog entry for the summer. Next week the interns and I will start taking down camp and packing it away until next year. I have been thinking about the things that I will miss about Romania. Many of you know that this will be my and Lee Ann's last summer in Romania - at least for a little while. As I have been thinking about the things I will miss, I have also been thinking about the things that I will not miss. Here is a list (in no particular order) of the Things I Will and Will Not Miss About Romania. The Things I Will Miss Relationships with the Children. One of the girls, Ghizi from Sincrai, that our family is close to always cries when we leave but this year her tears where more painful because I knew that by trusting the LORD, there would be a great chance that I would not get to see her again for awhile, but Ghizi is a follower of Jesus and I will definitely get to see her in heaven. Small Town Feel. In Targu Mures, you can go anywhere at anytime of the day or night and feel safe. It really is a sweet small town and this is funny to say because it has the same amount of people as Greenville, SC (my hometown). Less Pressure on my Children for Western Things. My children are away from the "lure" of commercialism and possessions and have a definite purpose while they are here. There have been no fights over the PS2 or the constant ringing of a sell phone - So Good! Things I Will Not Miss Sleeping in Bunk Beds. I look forward to sleeping in the same bed with my wife. Lee Ann and I have been in the same room but in bunk beds on opposite sides of the room - about 3 feet apart. Didn't see that one coming! The Roads. Although the roads are getting much better, you still find yourself driving on roads straight from a war zone. Bread. Every year I have to go on a Bread Fast. I love hard crusted bread but in moderation. I am ready for some Mexican food even Taco Bell is starting to sound really good. Food Poisoning. Enough said! Low Doorsways and 2x4's at Every Threshold. I can't begin to tell you how many times I have banged my head on a low doorway. One day we took the kids to the gym instead of the swimming pool because it was raining and as we were entering the gym, I hit my head so hard that my teeth began to hurt. The other problem is that in every doorway there is a piece of wood that you have to step over to enter the room. I am not sure what they are there for and others are equally baffled about their presence, but once a week, as I get up in the night to use the bathroom, I inevitably stump my toe! My toes and my head are rejoicing over our departure. All and all it has been a really great summer and the LORD deserves all the glory. At one time we had 21 people in our house all living together and not one bump in the road. We saw many young people say that they would like to follow Jesus. We presented a very simple gospel and many children responded. The LORD took their citizenship from hell and placed it in heaven. I would sit week-by-week and be amazed as the children, who had limited attention spans, would sit and listen to the messages each week. I have come to understand that I do not understand everything there is to know about Jesus, and never will - it is a huge learning curve - and how much do you have to understand to follow Jesus? He came and died in our place so that we would not have to and we are called to listen, watch and follow after Him with all of our hearts. I will definitely miss this summer! Until my next blog - Love and Peace! | 
