April 2006

A Trip to Transylvania and a Car Accident

Brasov (known as the “Prague of Romania”) and Sibiu were also great places to visit. We went to several museums and churches and got into some nice, healthy debate with Cornel about the importance and relevance of the Old Testament to the Christian faith (I could feel the spirit of one Marv Wilson stirring inside me as I emphasized the importance of 80% of the historical Scriptures). This is not to say, of course, that the Orthodox don’t place importance on the Old Testament…they (at least Cornel) just think that the New Testament is the most important. I, of course, begged to differ. But I wouldn’t be surprised if good portions of both of our arguments got lost in translation, which happens often here.

On our way back from Brasov to Sighisoara, we were riding through the middle of town and had to swerve out of the way of some insanely slow pedestrian walking across the street. As we did, our car fishtailed a bit and we side-swiped an on-coming car. Fortunately we weren’t going too fast and the other car was barely damaged, but the Dacia wasn’t looking too great when we inspected it further. Nothing happened internally, but the entire side bumper on the driver’s side had been bent outwards and one of the headlights was broken. After 3 hours of lovely Romanian police bureaucracy, we took the car to a mechanic and got a taxi ride back to Dorothy’s place. No real harm done and the mechanic cost hardly anything at all.

My Final Letter from Romania

Dragut si dragas,
As I write this, I have only two nights left in Romania, only one of those left in Lupeni. It literally seems like ages since Bethany and I first got here. We can hardly believe that there was a time when we hadn't heard the Romanian language, when we hadn't met Dana and Brandi, when we hadn't seen the beautiful mountains of Romanian. It's experiences like these that can feel so short yet so rich and fulfilling. Three months usually go by in a flash, but when each day of those three months is filled with newness, each week passes like a year. But now looking back, I realize that this time is a drop in the sea compared to my 22 years on earth. How amazing that we can learn more and experience more in those tiny moments than we can in a decade! Einstein was right when he stated that time is relative.

I spent time yesterday staring out the window of the maxi-taxi as we cruised from Lupeni to Cheile Butti (30 minutes away) and my friend Diana asked, "What are you doing?." I said "Trying to commit Romania to memory." I'm trying to memorize this place, the shape of the mountains, the smell of the air, the taste of zacusca, the rolling r's of the Romanian language, the forlorn whistle of the coal train that lumbers through town each night, the peasant women in head scarves shuffling slowly across the street, the cold air against my face when I sleep at night, the clip-clop of horse-hooves, the laughter of my friends.

I was reading my Myers-Briggs profile the other day, and apparently, ENFPs see the world in very symbolic terms. And I can vouch that my typology is accurate, because I tend to view all moments as "pregnant with meaning" in the words of Henri Nouwen. I'm not sure how exactly I ended up in Romania, how I met the people I did and experienced the things I experienced. That is up to God to know and to orchestrate. But I can say that there is purpose and meaning behind all these things, though I can't necessarily specify them. Maybe it's just enough to know that these things are meaningful, these friendships, these conversations, these challenges, these steps on once-foreign sidewalks -- that these things have purpose and meaning and fit into some greater, unimaginable whole. Maybe we don't need to toil over what these meanings are but just let the experiences speak for themselves. If we let them, they do speak quite loudly.

I am excited about going home, though overwhelmed by the many more transitions and responsibilities that await me. Graduation. Summer plans. Future jobs. Where to live. What to do. Saying good bye to friends. Lots of open-endedness, lots of loose ends. But, like countless times before, I can only assume that things will sort themselves out and that no amount of my bood, sweat, and tears are going to radically alter the course of my life. I just need to be faithful with the small decisions and be faithful to what I know, however limited. And then, all will be fine.

I return to the States on Good Friday in the afternoon. I hope to be back up at Gordon on Tuesday, maybe Wednesday. Then I'll be there until graduation. This summer is still a mystery, though I'm hoping to spend some time in Portland, Oregon, with my sister and her boyfriend. Then, after that...Virginia? Massachusetts? Oregon? Romania? Time will tell.
I want to thank all of you for your support and encouragement and friendship that I have felt this many miles away during my time here in Romania. These experiences would mean nothing to me if I didn't have people to share them with, so I am glad to know that you all are there receiving these written processings.

You all are great! Much peace...pace mult.
Heather