Hey all! Sorry it's been awhile since I lasted posted anything, but school has been crazy. It's my last quarter but it's proving to be just as busy as all of the others.

The autumn season, with the changing colors and cool, crisp weather always marks the beginning of a new football year for my family. We watch every game, following the scores and stats. Sports have always been important in my family and we all enjoy a little healthy, fun competition. The other day, I was thinking about how much of our own lives resemble sports games. We get out there on the field as players, psyched and ready to play, but we only see a small portion of everything that is going on. God, as the head coach, is the only one that really understands and sees every aspect of the game. He knows the strategy…He came up with it! He knows every player, their strengths and weaknesses.

Isn’t it funny how God always seems to pull you out of the game when it finally feels like you’ve got everything under control? He often pulls me out of the “action” and forces me to sit on the sidelines and observe. This is not my favorite position and I grumble all the way to the bench. But He always teaches me the most amazing things when I am forced to slow down and contemplate. When I am listening to Him, watching what He is doing, I always seem to learn more than I do out on the field.

This summer, at the children’s camp in Marga, I was put in just such a situation with my Bible Buddy. You see, my Bible Buddy was Cristina of Casa lui Steven. Cristina is a very special girl and I have loved watching her grow in the love of Jesus and her new family. I remember when I first met Cristina four years ago. She was very little and wore big glasses. Her eyes were crossed, but she had the biggest, brightest smile. She was very affectionate from the beginning and would run to anyone, even a total stranger, and jump right into their arms. Now she demonstrates more restraint and even shyness because now she receives human love and affection from the best possible source: her own family.

At Marga, every adult was assigned to one child for the duration of the camp. Every day, in the afternoon, two hours were set aside for Bible Buddies. This is a special time for an adult to spend one-on-one time with a child, building a special bond. Activities would range from swimming to riding bicycles, to hiking into the nearby village for ice cream and soda. Well, on my first day with Cristina, I realized that our time would be special indeed.

On our first afternoon together, we spent a very relaxing afternoon walking around the camp and talking. I say talking and not conversing because we would only understand each other about 25% of the time. She would blurt out something in Romanian and I would try to respond, stumbling along in as much Romanian as I could muster. This language barrier would prove to be both a challenge and a blessing as I learned to communicate with Cristina in other ways, sometimes through song and sometimes just through silence and enjoying each other’s company.

I thought the first afternoon would be rather quiet and relaxing. Man, was I wrong! It turned out to be very amusing as Cristina found great joy and entertainment from throwing rocks into the stream near the camp. Well, the rocks started out as small pebbles, making tiny splashes and ripples in the stream. But as time went by, the pebbles got bigger and bigger, and before I knew it Cristina was digging up large rocks and heaving them with all of her strength (and body weight…I often had to physically restrain her from tumbling down the river bank into the water right along with the rock she was trying to throw).

I also remember one specific afternoon when we sat and watched some of the other kids with their Bible Buddies. They were swimming and riding bicycles, and I was little frustrated that I couldn’t do the same kinds of activities with my Bible Buddy because Cristina was not allowed to swim, or have ice cream, or soda, etc., etc. Well, through this experience, the Lord taught me some wonderful things. First, He showed me what a wonderful, talented, and smart little girl Cristina really is! It takes her a little longer to learn new things and she can be quite stubborn when she knows what she wants, but she is also very affectionate, loving, and is always quick to share (especially with her brother Marian).

On another day, Cristina and I went for a walk. At first she wanted to know where we were going and I told her we were just walking for fun. Well along the way, Cristina started singing Christmas carols in Romanian...in the middle of July!!!

Well, I was game for this so I jumped in and started singing in English. So away we walked singing "Silent Night" in two different languages! Then I switched and started singing the English worship songs we had been teaching them in VBS. Well, this was funny because we sorta sang together. I sang the entire song...verses and chorus...and Cristina would chime in at the very end for the best part...when you would pump both elbows into your sides at the same time while loudly grunting, "huh".

God loves Cristina and He has a special plan for her. He has given her a family who lovingly accept her as she is and patiently encourage her to try new things and think before she acts. Gabi and Dorel have patiently worked with her.

Showing us how far she has come, one night we were playing UNO Attack...you know, the one where the machine spits the cards out at you. Well Cristina sat on Laurie's lap for a long time and knew when to put down a red card or a card with a 7 on it. For anyone who has spent time with Cristina, this was truly a miracle! Pam and I stood back in complete amazement, realizing that a year ago Cristina would have just screamed and thrown the Attack machine across the room.

Thank you so much Lord for Roni, Rodi, Visu, Anelory, Dorel, and Gabi (the Global Hope house parents); and for all of the house helpers! Thank you for their obedience and their loving hearts. Please continue to bless them and their families!


Cristina, my Bible Buddy!