a week in Sombor, Serbia

A week after the outreach team arrived Serbia. A lot of things have happened and they were all out of our expectation. And now, as I am writing, it starts to snow! Oh, how can we expect that as it wasn’t that cold a few days ago. Anyway, I better find a way to start writing about this amazing journey…

The 26th of Oct, our team left the YWAM base at 3pm. We took the bus, a 3.5 hours ride, to Bucharest. After a sandwich dinner at the train station platform and we got on the overnight train to Belgrade, Serbia. We could see the difference between Romania and Serbia once we cross the border. And at around 9:30am, we arrived Belgrade and it was raining. I love the country once I stepped out of the station. I didn’t really understand why, maybe it was because of the streets setting, or the trams and the people. We ate a quick + big breakfast then we took the van and heading to Sombor, our first destination of the outreach, a beautiful, green, bicycle friendly city. I love it so much!!!!!!!!!

The place that we are staying is a tiny lovely house with only 1 room. So the 4 girls sleep take the room and the 3 boys sleep in the living room. Well, to be more specific, it is a living room + kitchen + meeting room + boys’ room. The host family is wonderful. Food, home-made soda water, coffee, non-stop wood for the fire…. everything!

(Continue writing my blog hours later. Staying at Vicky’s, the girl who works with the youth ministry at the church here. so, I have internet access)

Since last Wednesday, we have English Club and Cafe ministries near every night. The church that we work with has a cafe.  We have been so excited as people are so open and nice. The second day that we arrived, we spent sometime wondering around the town center. We handed out leaflets to promote about the Kid’s Club, English Club and Cafe things that would happen. People really stopped, talked to us, gave us a smile. Even they were not really interested, they just make me feel peace. This is totally out of my expectation.

More exciting is there are new people coming to the English Club + Cafe. Totally new to the church. And they keep coming after the first evening. People are open, funny, kind, direct and interesting. I really fell in love with them, not only with their city.

About kid’s club, again, amazing. All the kids are sweet. It is very interesting to see how different the kids could be when they are from different countries or culture. Even Romania is geographically next to Serbia, everything is  so different.

On Sunday, 1 Nov, it was a date that people go to clean up grave and light a candle there. After the Cafe ministry, our new friends bought us to the graveyard. It was so cold but my heart was warm by their kindness. A memorable night. Tomorrow will be our last full day in Sombor. Friends that we met at the cafe invited us to have a pizza lunch. That will be an emotional time that I could imagine.

The most unexpected thing was the softball + baseball training. Vicky told me that she help in training the teenager team in Sombor. I am so excited to hear that, same as Titus. We joined the training on weekend. As I have limited skills, basically, I was there playing with the girls and chat with them. The coach has so much passion on baseball even he is not a professional. Titus was once a baseball player so he taught the kids more skills and all the kids were grateful. That 2 mornings, I ride on Jennifer’s, another girl working at the church, bike. I have no word to describe how joyful I was. To live in a place that I could ride my bike around town is one of my dream. And when I got to the field, seeing all the teenagers running around, have so much passion on what they are doing, it touched my heart deeply. I never though that I love to work with teenagers. I wonder God is telling me something that 2 days on the big field.

One last thing, and most important thing, before I go to sleep…

Titus is sick, very sick. And he need to do a lot of test to make sure what is happening to his body. Doctor from the hospital here suggested him to go back to the state for the test and treatment as it might be very expensive for him to things here. He thinks that it will only be the last option for him to go back. And are trying to gather more information about his insurance and also find better hospital, maybe in Belgrade for him to do the test. Please pray for him and our team.

the night before

Night before we go on our Serbia outreach.

RISK at the base. Such a quiet evening.

(Where are you now, the Philippines team?)

goodbye(s)

Last Thursday, a special night of worship and celebration.

Yesterday was the last day of the lecture phase. I walked to the seaside just a block away from the base. This is the place that I usually go. I used to have quite time there during summer. Some afternoon, I just read my books or bible there. And some evening, I took a walk around there.

Goodbye Black Sea, see you in December.

The Pillippines outreach team is leaving tomorrow. Emiliya got her visa and just came back from Bucharest. Have you ever heard someone can get a visa on Saturday? A miracle, yes it is.  I am going to miss them so much.

Goodbye my dearest, see you all in December.

alone in Bucharest | 5 more days

4:30 am, 19th October 2009. I climbed out from my bed, try to find my clothes in the dark. Went into the kitchen, made coffee, jump into the bathroom to wash my face. About 4:45am, my dear friend came into the kitchen and pray for me as I was going to Bucharest for the Serbia visa. 5:20 am, streets of Constanta were cold and empty. Took a taxi to the bus station. 5:45am, on the bus to the capital.

This was my 4th time set my foot at Bucharest. I have been there on the first day that I arrived Romania. And I also passed by this city on our way to and back from the second small outreach. This time is totally different. I really have a chance to explore the city.Get off the bus, wait for the base leader and the rest of the student, who travel by base’s van, to pick me to the embassy. But as the traffic was so busy, I called them and say that I better went there by myself. Jump on a taxi, get to the embassy. Get the visa without any problem. Back on the streets, cold, a little bit of rain. I just felt, life is wonderful. The grey sky, the cold weather, people with big coat running on the street, busy traffic… All perfectly went together.

Without a map, I tried to find the way to the bus station. Walking and walking. Around an hour, I found my bus back to Constanta. Just a simple trip but I love it so much.

5 mo re days, I will be heading to Serbia. I don’t feel that I am leaving Romania soon. And I don’t feel like I will be leaving the other half of the students, the Philippines team, in a couple of days. Three months in Constanta, it already like my home. What will it looks like when I am back in December? Maybe I should focus on the Serbia outreach now. The school is not finish yet. It is just another phase, another way for me to learn.

cheese~

break time, on the table of our living room

Thank you Rune & Irene for the Norwegian brown cheese!
With the Norwegian pancake… just super!

(Joyce, it’s just wonderful! Oh my cheese~~)

put the Black Sea in my backpack

Sunday, sunny day.

Still remember last Saturday was so cloudy and I took a walk with my good friend in the rain.We walked pass the football field and saw a huge pool of water in front of us. I wonder, the sea should be on the right side of the direction that we were going… so what was that in front of us? Oh yes, that’s the lake! Because of the wind and rain, the lake was so different from usual. Under the cloudy sky was just surreal.

Then yesterday, students and a few staff visited the DTS leaders, Mela & Calin, at their home. On our way to the bus station, we walked past the lake again. It was so peaceful.

My days in Constanţa. Take a walk, go to the lake, go to the sea, enjoy the nature, in love with God’s creation. Two more weeks and I will leave this city. It will be wonderful if I could put the Black Sea in my backpack. Or maybe just put the joy this city has given me in my heart is more than enough.

La multi ani

Thank you so much!

2 weeks after

I didn’t realise that I haven’t update my blog for more that 2 weeks. I guess these days are just too busy. Let me think… what had happened in the past 14 days?

After the week with teachers Don and Cheryl, the lovely couple from the State, there were Grace and Nick from England. The teaching was about the Holy Spirit. It wasn’t a familiar topic for me. And I really amazed by what I learnt. On the 3rd day of teaching, Grace talked about healing. I knew that something is changing when I pray for Titus and Emiliya, the students, and Nick. Yes, something is changing inside of me. And I wonder if I have the gift of healing. Well, will see. What I know is, I would love to pray more on healing.

Then last monday morning I need to share a devotional message after breakfast. And I talked about Cinema and God. I would love to put my devotional here cos this is not from me but from my beloved God:

I am always amazed by God creation, the sky, the ocean, the trees, the mountains. And for sure also the animals, fish and birds around us. I am amazed by how He put all things together, how He arrange them.

When I was preparing my devotion, I look into Genesis as I want to see more about how He create this world. The first thing He bought into the world is LIGHT. “And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.” (Genesis 1:3) As most of you know that I’m from a film background. So I always wonder, how I could relate what I learnt about film to God? And the biggest connection is LIGHT. When making a movie, when you are shooting, you want to put images onto the film, and you need to light up the characters, the setting, the objects, the environment. Without light, you hardly see a thing. I am talking about film film, not digital here as I am an old-school girl. God bought LIGHT into this world so that we can see His creation. The other important use of light in film is the projection. When you enter the movie theatre, it is dark. But when the projector turn on, you see the beautiful image on the screening. Cos there is light.

In the past 2 months, I learnt about the “reality” in relation to God’s kingdom. And also the distorted reality in the world nowadays. REALITY. Another big word in film and it really excites me. When I was studying film, I was very much interested in the idea of the “projected reality”. A film is like a world created by the filmmaker/ director. When you see a film, you enter into the world on the screen and forget about the real reality. Most of you guys know that Hazel has a kind of strange taste of film. I never really stick to certain genre. My choice seems to be very random. I could love a very stupid commercial film and at the same time I could love a ‘confusing’ art house film. Maybe I could explain a little bit here. It is all because I am more interested to the filmmakers. How he/she made it? How he/she creates that world? What is the director trying to tell me by the creation and by the way it is made? God put things together in an amazing way. He want us to see the wonderful creation. But He also want us to know Him. To know the director of the film. There is a film theory named Auteur Theory. We need to study all the films, most of the films, from the same director in order to analyse the works. What He trying to show us? How He is showing us? What is in His mind? Why He put these things together? Find out the answers of all these questions might give you another perspective to see the film, to look at God’s kingdom.

Back to the Bible, Jesus said that we are the light of the world (Matthew 5:14). So we can actually be the light bulb to light on anything in the world and let people see! And we also could be the light bulb in the projector as well. We can project the reality, His kingdom, to the world. Remember how much you fell into the world on the screen last time you went to the cinema. It is all powerful.

I am a very slow reader and it makes me need to finish 2 book reports in 2 weeks. I really need to finish the book report today. Cos there will be the last report that need to be done before 25th of October. So, the last 2 weeks I was keep reading. With all those teaching from class sticking in my head, my brain just couldn’t stop. I guess what in my mind was making me busy. Then I need to work on the video. I volunteer to make the video for the base and for the DTS. Quite a lot of shooting going on. I need to follow all the ministries and film interviews and stuff. And yes, deadline, 25th again. Shooting deadline.

Serbia Outreach Team

Why the 25th of October? Cos I am going to Serbia with the team for the big outreach! Yes! Only 3 more weeks in the lecture phase. A lot of preparation getting started. Next week will be a team building and preparation week. And there will be meeting every afternoon! Woo~Prayer… some of the students and staff don’t have enough money for he outreach. And I know this is to show God’s glory. And I believe there will be wonderful testimonies!

After all these business, I could tell you that I am grateful to be here. I love every single day here in Constanţa. The weather was wonderful in the past 2 weeks. I had wonderful time by the sea and great after dinner walk with friend. Last Friday was the second Love Feast. This time, we serve the food and staff prepare the entertainment. That’s the night before the full moon. I was totally filled by love.

border crossing

Yesterday, me and 8 other students went to Bulgaria with Rune, our base leader. We could only stay in Romania for 90 days, so we drive to Bulgaria and renew the stamps on our passports.

The few hours at Bulgaria was great. We went to Cape Kaliakra (Нос Калиакра). The ruin, the cliff, the sea, the dolphins, the fishermen, the windmills. Beautiful.

Uploaded a few video taken during my stay in Romania. Enjoy!

back home, Constanţa

ok, time to update…

Last week outreach at Dragonesti, Otl was amazing. Half of the team did kids club, half of the team, the team that I was in,  did street evangelism nearly everyday. We talked to people on the street, went to small villages in Otl and handed out Bible or praying with people there. I never though that I could do this. Even though I didn’t talk a lot as I couldn’t speak Romanian, I felt totally comfortable to meet with strangers and prepared to be rejected. I guess it is because I didn’t take it personal… it is not my ministry but God’s ministry.

During outreach, I got to share a message with the whole team. I though about the corn fields that we passed by when we were traveling on the train. I found it interesting that Jesus told a lot of parables about planting. When I looked into them, I found Mark 4:26-29, The Parable of the Growing Seed, very special. People usually remember the parable of the Sower or the parable of the Mustard Seed but not this short one: And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground; And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come. We plant the seed, we know nothing about growing stuff but still, the soil will produce grain by itself. How encouraging.

Time with all the students and staff were special. I could see the weakness and strength in each one of us but not in a negative sense. I just amazed that how God put people together. For me, that’s perfect.

Back home, back to Constanţa. 5 more weeks and it will be the big outreach to Serbia. And by the way, my work duty have changed. No more dinner cooking on weekdays. And me, the students from US and Canada will travel to Bulgaria tomorrow after lunch… for the stamp on our passports… as simply as that.