Saturday, December 27, 2008

Christmas 2008

In Romania there is not just one day of Christmas, but two!! The 25th and the 26th are both holidays. We had two celebrations this year.


A Redskin hat and an Eagles Shirt! We are ready for at least one team to move on in the playoffs!!
On the 25th we had a more traditional Romanian Christmas with a woman from our small group from church. She made sarmale (cabbage roles) and Mămăligă (made from corn meal and a bit like grits). We ate and enjoyed time together!
Then on the 26th we had a more American dinner with Turkey and all the trimmings! We had another American family and a Romanian family over. They came in and sang a traditional Romanian carol (see video below) to us and we enjoyed a HUGE meal and games into the evening.


Monday, December 15, 2008

News in Romania

Well the new Romanian government has been formed between two old political rivals. Here is what the Eight O'Clock Online Edition had to say about this:
The Democrat-Liberals (PD-L) and the Social-Democrats (PSD) struck a deal for a joint governance, signing the protocol of collaboration called “Partnership for Romania.” The PSD leader Mircea Geoana estimated it ‘a historical moment’, when political forces apparently irreconcilable join after 20 years their efforts. “We have grown up. It was a complex process of negotiation, the formula found by PD-L was the only one able to assure the stability of Romania,” Geoana said. The Social-Democrat leader stressed that his party and the future Government will assure the protection of the minorities’ rights, referring to the discontent of UDMR (party of ethnic Hungarians) that it was not co-opted to governance.

In his turn, the PD-L leader Emil Boc declared: “We start with one objective: an efficient and stable governance in hard times. We have coalesced in this document both right and left wing measures.” Boc and Geoana announced that they will back different candidates at the presidential elections from 2009. “We are partners, but also political and electoral competitors,” Boc said.
This protocol will be valid until 2012.

Friday, December 5, 2008

Thanksgiving 2008

We were able to return to Rucar, where we had English Camp this past summer, to celebrate Thanksgiving in Romania with 4 other American families last weekend. We had good food, cold temperatures outside, snow and a good time together!

Over the years we have read the Lincoln proclamation of 1863 setting aside a day of Thanksgiving. Part of the proclamation reads, "I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens."

We do give thanks to our great God for His overflowing love and grace to us! Thanks to you too who stand beside us as we minister to staff and students in Romania!!

Here are a few photos of how 5 families celebrated Thanksgiving in Romania!



Lots of time for games and coffee, tea or hot chocolate!!




Rebekah celebrated her 14th birthday as well on Sunday! Hard to believe how the time flies!!

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Romanian News This Week

Here are some headlines from this week in Romania!

The elections are over now and the process of trying to form an alliance government is the talk of the town, since no party won an absolute majority of the vote. What 2 parties will get together to form the government? This is an important step in seeing who will be the next prime minister of Romania. Maybe next week we will know. In the elections only 34.50% of registered voters turned out.

In a move to try and improve domestic car sales the government raised the tax on imported and second hand cars in Romania. Dacia-the Romanian car manufacturer, has closed down production for a few weeks and hopes to reopen in mid-December.

On the bright side of things Romania's economy registered an economic increase for the third quarter of 2008 of 9.1% compared with the same period last year. This is the largest increase in the EU for the third quarter.