Where in the World is Romania?

So, if I were to ask you what you know about Romania, what would you answer?

Maybe you know about their amazing women's gymnastics teams and coaches in the Olympic games. Or perhaps, you've heard of other people taking trips to work with abandoned children in orphanages. You probably know it is in Europe. I bet most of you would be hard-pressed to point it out on an unlabeled map though.

Don't feel bad about your lack of geography skills or ignorance about European affairs. I was in the same position until about a week ago as well. That's because one week ago I thought I was going on a trip to Greece and Macedonia in May. That had been the plan for the past 4-5 months. But as with everything else in missions, the best quality you can possess when it comes to international service trips is flexibility.

So, last week my focus was shifted from Muslim refugees to learning about Romanian geography, culture, history, and spiritual influences. Ready to learn some basics? Here goes.

• Located in Eastern Europe. The size of  Romania (92,043 sq miles) is a little larger than Idaho and little smaller than Oregon. It is surrounded by 5 countries (Bulgaria, Ukraine, Hungary, Serbia, Moldova) and the Black Sea. The Danube River runs along its southern border. The mountain chain called the Carpathian Mountains runs from the north to the southwest of the country. 

• Population approximately 19 to 20 million and expected to gradually decline due to having less children and migration rate. Romanians account for ~89% of the population followed by Hungarians (6.5%) and the Roma people (3.3%).

• Has Latin/Roman roots with Slavic influences. Official language is Romanian, a romance language (along with Spanish, Italian, and French). Majority identify with Eastern Orthodox Christianity.

• Recent political history: Romania was part of the ally forces during World War I. Served on the side of Nazi Germany during World War II until captured by the USSR and then became part of the ally forces. After WWII, Romania became a socialist republic. The 1989 Revolution allowed the country's transition back toward democracy and a capitalist market economy. Member of NATO since 2004 and the European Union since 2007. 

• Governance: multi-party democratic system and separation of powers between legislative, executive, and judicial branches. Executive functions are held by both government and the president (semi-presidential republic). The president is elected by popular vote and is limited to two terms of five years. President appoints the prime minister, who appoints the Council of Ministers. Parliament (legislative branch) consists of two chambers (Senate and Chamber of Deputies) whose members are elected every four years by simple plurality. (Plurality: a voting system in which each voter is allowed to vote for only one candidate, and the candidate who polls more votes than any other candidate (a plurality) is elected.)

Palace of the Parliament

• Economy: Primarily based on services. The country is a producer and net exporter of machines and electric energy. Farming and tourism play a prominent role in their economy as well. 

• Climate: Four seasons. Temperature ranges from approximately 19 F to 86 F. 

• Education: Becomes compulsory at age 6 with "preparatory school year" and is compulsory until tenth grade. Primary and secondary education is divided into 12 or 13 grades. 

• Healthcare: universal health care system. Cardiovascular disease and cancer are the leading causes of death. Compared to the rest of Europe, tuberculosis, syphilis, and viral hepatitis are quite common. 

And know you know a little more about Romania than you did!

Fun with Flags

When a was a little girl attending church in Topeka, Kansas, I remember seeing the walls hung with many flags. It was always intriguing to me to see all the colorful shapes and patterns. Japan was especially memorable as one of my friend's little brothers called it "the ball." Every year, our church would host Missions Sunday. Even once we left that church and attended several others in other states, I would always get excited for Missions Sunday when the nation flags would reappear on the walls. Sometimes we would have international foods prepared by missionaries or other people in the church to have a taste of other cultures.

In fact, when I was 10, we had a missions dinner on a Sunday night during Missions week that was particularly special. It was the first time I used chopsticks. There was a sweet, single gal serving as a missionary in Thailand who taught all the young kids how to hold and use chopsticks. I remember her being one of the coolest people I knew at that time. In fact, to this day I remember her name.

As my sister and I grew older, we became interested in re-creating flags from other countries - mostly Africa. She was more dedicated and ambitious than I was; however, we both spent the majority of one of our summers in junior high creating miniature paper flags, which we still have in our possession.

One of the notable hangings on my wall is a map of the world with the countries' flags underneath. Many a friend has sat at our kitchen table staring at that map and commenting on the flags. You would think with that amount of scrutiny and attention I would have all the flags memorized, but alas, it is still a goal.

All that to say, flags have played at least a minor part in my life and love for other cultures and peoples. It's just one aspect that shaped my life into what it is today.

What is CompasionLink?

I bet some of you are wondering what CompassionLink is and why you should care.

Here's the gist. CompassionLink is a ministry founded in 2015, which combined several divisions of services within the Assemblies of God to better serve their international communities. Here's the description from their web page:

"CompassionLink, developed to serve a hurting world, is a Christ-centered, development-based approach to helping people help themselves. Our ministry philosophy is that every person has value, dignity, and potential, no matter his or her life situation. Our workers are committed to “walking with” rather than “doing for” a needy person or community. During that journey together, our team members take every opportunity to share the good news of Jesus Christ.

Our team enters into relationships with needy persons, communities, and national churches by invitation of missionaries in all regions of the world. Depending upon an assessment that determines assets, needs, and the best means of serving the targeted area, we offer training in community health evangelism, health education, medical seminars, medical/dental/optical services, disaster relief training, post-crisis pastoral care, training in community development and appropriate technology, and training and services for ministry to those with disabilities."

HealthCare Ministries (HCM) is the international health outreach of the Assemblies of God World Missions (AGWM). HCM provides unique opportunities for health professionals to partner with AG missionaries to impact people's lives physically and spiritually.

Every year for many years, HCM partners with Evangel University nursing and pre-medical students (physician, physician assistant, ophthalmology, pharmacy, etc) for a medical trip during Spring break or after graduation in May. I served on a trip to Calcutta, India during my last Spring break in college, March 2010, and it drastically made an impact on my life then and my future life plans. But that's a story for another post. I've always wanted to "pay it forward" so to speak and return on this student trip, this time as a health professional. And now this goal is becoming a reality!

Where the [blog] Story Begins

Hey friends! Glad you found this blog.

The initial reason for creating this particular blog is to keep you updated on my upcoming trip with CompassionLink: Healthcare Ministries and Evangel University to Bucharest, Romania this coming May 2017. This site is where you will find prayer needs, ways to donate, and stories leading up to and (hopefully) through the trip.

My plans are to include other stories about former trips, travel dreams, and how my love for international cultures began and continues. Hope you enjoy what you read. Feel free to share this blog with anyone else you think might be interested in reading about these adventures.

You can also sign up for email notice when a blog post is published without having to check the blog frequently. Just enter your email in the submission area in the right upper corner of the blog under the "follow by email" section.