Romania Report (Apr. 11-26, 2005)

 

In fall/2004 I received an e-mail from Brent Forsyth inviting me to join him on a trip to Romania to preach. After a discussion with Jana I agreed to join him. It did not take me long to raise money for this trip. Below are the highlights of this trip.

 

April 11-12 (Mon-Tue)

I flew from New Orleans to Houston, then from Houston to London overnight. I did fairly well navigating around London considering it was my first time in a European city. I eventually arrived at my hotel at noon. My travel partner, Brent Forsyth from Tucson, arrived at the hotel at 3:30pm. We decide to stay up as late as possible to adjust to time difference. We visit the Tower of London, London Bridge, London Eye, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, and Buckingham Palace.

 

April 13 (Wed)

I was awake virtually all night last night since I had not yet adjusted to European time. We fly from London to Bucharest and meet Mario Otvos who preaches for church in Bucharest. Mario takes us to Cezar Nistot’s home where we will stay the evening. We meet with the saints in Bucharest for bible class and Brent preaches (Mario translates). I slept on the plane and missed dinner. I eventually got some dinner at around 10pm at a local McDonalds … not homesick yet.

 

To my knowledge the church was started in Romania in the early 1990’s shortly after their revolution. A number of men including, Buddy Payne and Frank Jamerson (and others), sent newspaper advertisements to many of the eastern bloc countries that were now “free” to practice religion. Bucharest offered the most responses to this advertisement so in 1991 Buddy and Frank made a trip to Bucharest to follow up. Since then a number of men have made the trip aimed at training Romanian’s to be local/autonomous. God has blessed the work in this country (more below). Mario and Cezar are some of the original Christians in Romania via Frank and Buddy contact.

 

The church in Bucharest meets in rented space near the American Consulate. There were 13 in attendance for bible class. Meeting the saints was encouraging but I knew that the real work was ahead of me in Constanta.

 

My first impression of Romania is that the people here have a hard life. They live in small quarters, the town is dirty, they don’t make a lot of money and prices are too high on many items. Again, this is my first impression.

 

April 14 (Thu)

I did not sleep well, again. We take a three hour train ride from Bucharest to Constanta and meet with James Hamilton at the train station. James and his family (wife, 2 kids) have lived in Romania for the past 11 years. They moved here from Florida after growing up in Arkansas. They have been in Constanta for the past few years. Their daughter attends Florida College and is getting married which is why they are going back to the U.S. for 6 weeks. Brent and my objective is to fill in for James while he is away. Others will follow when we leave.

 

I taught Thu bible class. The church meets in James’ house as they have a room designated exclusive to the meeting place. I meet Doru, Iulian, George and Rodica, and Ron, all are members of the church in Constanta. We also have a visitor, Adrian. I taught class and James’ translated for me. After class Doru and Iulian visited with us for 2 hours. These two young men (mid-20’s) grew up as orphans. Their parents dropped them off at a local government agency when they were young which is common in this region. They were lumped together with other children of similar circumstances. They currently live in an apartment house they share with their “brothers” which is truly their family (See entry for Sat, Apr. 16 for more information).

 

We stay up until 2am playing table (Backgammon) which is a Romanian favorite.

 

April 15 (Fri)

After we woke up at noon we eventually took a 3 hour walk around Constanta. Walking is the main method of transportation. This is a beautiful city located on the Black Sea. In the summer this city becomes a tourist town with the pretty beaches being the main attraction. Having studied history in college I was impressed with the number of ruins dating back to the Roman empire. Along our walk we come across an archeological dig and begin talking with the leader of this dig. He asks me to send him American coins to add to his coin collection. He then takes us around Constanta and shows us other digs. James has lived here for several years and admitted to learning more on this trip around town than he has by living here. We saw remnants of a Roman courthouse and the first church building erected in this city after Constantine legalized Christianity in 333AD. We also saw gravestones dating to the 2nd century AD with a cross signifying “Christian”.  We came across the “Paris Casino” built in 1875 which is on most websites if you do a websearch on Constanta.

 

Tradition in this region tells that the apostle Andrew traveled here to help spread Christianity, much like the tradition that Peter traveled to Rome at the end of his life. Hence, Andrew is considered the founder of the Orthodox Church just like Peter is to the Roman Catholic Church.  Romania statistics cite that over 90% of the country list Orthodox as their religion. It is my opinion that the Orthodox Church is very similar to the Roman Catholic Church minus the Papacy. The most beautiful and ornate buildings you will see in this country are Orthodox churches with Andrew as a centerpiece. I noticed that some Orthodox buildings were larger than apartment houses (communist block style housing) nearby where people struggled to get by day to day.

 

Vali Dancila and Doru stopped by the house in the evening for a visit and Bible study. Doru stayed until 9pm. We then played table until 2am, again.

 

April 16 (Sat)

We woke up at noon again. We aren’t doing ourselves any favors in adjusting to this 8 hour time difference by staying up late and sleeping in.

 

We eventually began our day by walking to the train station to secure our return tickets in a week. We also played some basketball with Ronnie (James’ son) and one of his friends, Edy.

 

Tonight we went to Doru and Iulian’s house, the orphans I mentioned above. Doru and Iulian live in a single story/row apartment complex overlooking a valley that doubles up as the city sewer. Each has one small room that some share. They all share a bathroom with one toilet and one shower. Doru and Iulian have been living with this group of guys for 20+ years who were also abandoned by their parents. It was great to visit and be with Doru and Iulian’s “family.” Their family came over to greet us and began to fire off numerous bible questions:

  • If I had my head cut off before I was baptized, and yet I was being persecuted because of Christ, would I be saved?
  • What is the difference between blood and water baptism?
  • Can we pray to Saints?
  • Does God here our prayer always?
  • Do I think that Hillary Clinton will ever be president?
  • How come people from New York and Los Angeles sound smarter than people from Alabama and Mississippi?

 

I DID NOT make up any of those questions. I obviously focused on certain questions more than others. I was just delighted that they welcomed us into their home and felt comfortable asking us so many questions. The conclusion by some was that I looked like a black movie star from some Arnold Swarzenegger movie.

 

April 17 (Sunday)

We woke up a bit earlier today, 930am. I feel like I am back in college with these hours. There was no hot water today which is common. That will wake you up! We had lunch at Pizza Hut prior to services beginning at 3pm and lasting for three hours. Doru came over at 2pm for some Bible related questions. He made general inquires as to how many preachers are at Northshore and who fills in for me while I am away.

 

I taught the Bible class on selected passages from James. After my lesson we had about an hour of questions including “what is the difference between a religious person and a righteous person”? 

 

After services Iulian makes fun of my name by lumping my first and last name together by calling me “jeffcarr”. The word for car in Romania is “machina” and I soon become “jeffmachina”, a black movie star from an obscure Arnold Swarzenegger movie. We play more basketball. Later we had dinner at McDonalds.

 

April 18 (Monday)

James and his son Ronnie leave for the States to join his wife who left a couple of weeks ago. Iulian stops by in the morning to tell us that he has been robbed and can’t go to work since he is missing papers, etc. I was not in charge of how this was resolved but I was not happy with the outcome. I did speak with those in charge of the resolution and let them know of my concerns. Sadly, we did not see Iulian the rest of the week with the exception of a few minutes our last Sunday. I know this was due in large part to how he was treated during this ordeal.

 

Brent and I walked to the beach where I saw the Black Sea and the local resorts for the first time. The weather hardly be better! Doru stopped by later that evening for a Bible study.

 

April 19 (Tuesday)

I am beginning to adjust as I wake up at 7am and go for a walk. I am comfortable enough to buy some pastries for our breakfast and cat food at the local super market. Today we have only hot water, again this type of thing is common.

 

Today was a down day as we went for a two hour walk along the beach, spent one hour trying to get the internet to work (another common occurance). At 7pm George & Rodica, and Doru, come over for a Bible study. We end our evening by playing table and watching the movie “Miracle”.

 

April 20 (Wednesday)

Doru drove us around to some flea-type markets where I buy some scarfs for Jana and a sweater for myself. Doru took us to one of his friends house, Bogdan, where I chat with him for over an hour on bible topics. We also stop by Rodica’s house and visit with her and their three children.

 

Since the internet at the house is not working Brent and I visit an internet café. Later that night we play more table and watch the movie “Seabiscuit”.

 

April 21 (Thursday)

Today I found out how the church is able to stay in existence in spite of the powerful presence of the Orthodox church. If you are not part of the Orthodox church you must pay money to an “Association”. Members of the Orthodox Church are also in the government. I have no idea how much is paid but this is something foreign to us in the U.S.

 

I taught the mid-week Bible class tonight and afterwards we had 45 minutes of questions. We had three visitors tonight. One was a contact that Brent and I made since our stay here.

 

We end our evening by playing table and finishing the movie “Seabiscuit”. I am doing all I can to stay busy and keep my mind off of home and yet we watch American friendly movies and eat at places like McDonalds, KFC, and Pizza Hut.

 

April 22 (Friday)

It is much colder today. All week it has been near 20c (near 70f) but today it is 8c (near 40f). We visit the local Archeological museum and see some great artifacts dating back to 2,500 years ago.

 

Marcella came by for a Bible study that lasted near 2 hours. Many of the questions were similar to what I hear in every church I have been a member of. It is a reminder that people are people no matter where you go, and we all struggle with the same type of problems and issues.  There was a problem with the church last summer that has lingered ever since. It is virtually impossible for Brent and/or I to solve these issues in the short time we are here. Our prayer is that we encourage all to do what is right.

 

Ronnie’s friend Edy stopped by to take me to the local electronics store, a Romanian version of BestBuy or Circuit City. I noticed that the Archeological museum spoke at length about the this region being a Greek colony, then a district of the Roman Empire, then part of the Ottomon Empire, then independence in 1870 from the Ottoman’s (Turk’s) up to WW1. But there the museum stopped. Many are still upset about WW2 and beyond. I ask Edy what he learned in school about this period. Edy’s words: “Ceausescu (leader from 1965 to 1989) overestimated the wealth of the country. There were enough resources but limits were placed on what to buy. Today it is the reverse … many resources but not enough money”. That is a perceptive statement from a 16 year old born after the revolution.

 

We ended our day playing table and watching “Miracle” again, this time with the commentary from directors. 

 

For the record Romania was forced to join the Germans in WW2. In 1944 they finally kicked the Germans out of their country and joined USSR and the allies. Some say that Romania simply changes sides but it wasn’t that easy. After the war Russia had an influence in Romania and other Eastern European countries at establishing communism. In the 1960’s the Romanian communist party kicked the Russians out. In 1965 Nicolae Ceausescu took office where he reigned until 1989. I did not argue with Edy at all, but I don’t think that Ceausescu over estimated anything as I think he knew all along what he was doing. He was all too happy to take money from the people for his houses, work programs, friends, family, etc. Of course Ceausescu controlled the media and a well financed propaganda machine. His house, located in the middle of Bucharest, is larger than the Pentagon! He made a visit to China in the mid 1970’s and took a liking to the way the Chinese people idolized their leader, Chairman Mao. Interestingly our country had friendly relations with Ceausescu’s government until the middle 1980’s.  You might recall that while the entire Eastern Bloc countries boycotted the 1984 summer Olympics in Los Angeles but Romania sent a team. Even though they were communists, they were not taking orders from USSR. In the mid 1980’s Ceausescu wanted more money for more programs and he then made a terrible mistake. He forced farmers to sell their food to the government and a reduced price, and then took that same food and sold it abroad for personal profit. When the Romanian people began to go hungry they woke up and revolution was born. In late December of 1989 Ceausescu wanted a morale boost and walked out to his perch and began speaking to the people in the square. Instead of being praised as usual he was booed for the first time by the multitudes. Ceausescu, visibly shaken, had to escape via helicopter. Confusion at this point led to over 1000 people being shot dead and police/military across the country not sure who to take orders from. Ceausescu landed about 30 miles north of Bucharest and went on the run. He and his wife were eventually caught. A quick kangaroo court found them guilty and they were killed by firing squad. Since then elections have taken place every four years. The older generation seems to like the communistic ways whereas the younger generation is not ready to give up their fast cars, jeans, DVD’s, video games, McDonalds, etc. Hence, the country has been stagnant economically since 1989. They are poised to join the European Union within the next year. (Pictures and some video of most these events can be found on any search engine on the Web).

 

April 23 (Saturday)

Doru came over at 1130am for some Bible and other questions. He explained more of his background to us. He got to know his mom when he was a teenager as she visited him in the orphanage approximately once a month. He went on to describe a tough life that he has, his current salary which isn’t very much. He says that he forgives his mom even though she now only comes around for money. He ended the conversation by saying, “I am Happy(!) because I am a Christian” with a huge smile on his face.

 

We later visited the Naval History museum.

 

We have a bible class at the house tonight. Some of the questions were:

  • What needs to take place prior to baptism? (This was from one of the contacts we made since we have been here)
  • What if a person is baptized in a Baptist church and later dies, are they saved?
  • What are the consequences for a marriage if one person commits adultery?
  • How to stay faithful?
  • What if we sin after being baptized?
  • Can you define repentance?

(Do any of these sound familiar? God’s children have similar needs no matter where they live)

 

Vali took us to his house and then to dinner. He described to us his version of the revolution and life under communism. He asked me my opinion about the war in Iraq. All was a great discussion. Vali has been a Christian for over 10 years and I felt comfortable talking with him about such topics. He was also our primary translator.

 

April 24 (Sunday)

As we walk to Pizza Hut for lunch I get pick-pocketed by some gypsies. I should have seen it coming. Two strangers come up on me ask me what time it is (to see if I am wearing a watch). They then ask me what I do for a living and they act interested. They then ask me how much jeans cost in America, how much are belts, etc. The next thing I know the cash in my pocket is missing but the two guys are still in sight. I chase them down and demand my money back. Guns and knives are illegal so there is virtually no violent crime, just petty theft as this. These two guys are each about 5’6 and 130 and I think my size scared them once they realized I was serious about getting my money back. In the end no one was hurt and I got all of my money back. I learned that it is OK to chat with people but when they start placing their hands on you, you must be firm. A good eye opener for me.

 

I preached and Brent taught, Vali translated. When services were over 3 hours later we invited everyone to stick around. I went and bought some food at the grocery store and we all enjoyed dinner and conversation for another three hours.

 

April 25 (Monday)

Long travel day today. Three hour train ride to Bucharest. Three hours in a car seeing some of the sights in Bucharest. Three hour plane ride to London. It took us 14 hours to ultimately get to our hotel room in London. I am scheduled to stay until Saturday but am ready to leave sooner than that. I call the airlines and I have to either fly out tomorrow (Tues) or Saturday, no other option. I opt for Tuesday. I missed out on many of the London sights that I had planned but I don’t regret that too much. It was good to get home and be with Jana.