Three weeks ago, I hired an electrician to rewire the Hollands' apartment. That involves cutting into the concrete and plaster walls and removing the old wires and replacing them with better ones in plastic tubing. He is also adding light switches, outlets and another surprise or two the Hollands don't know about. Honestly, it is really a lot of work and very messy. I lost a week of work due to sickness.

However, this is not the purpose of this post. The electrician's name is Radu. He is married with a ten-month-old son. He works as an elecrician at a gas company here in Iasi. He had fixed a problem at the Hollands back in October or November last year. When he finished the work, I gave him a children's Bible storybook.

Over the course of these three weeks, I have been able to establish a pretty good relationship with him. He often borrows a truck to transport the things we need for the work. He once drive me home with some items. It was then that we gave him two or three bags of children's clothes that our own have outgrown. He was happy to receive them and we were happy to get rid of them. His wife is a nurse at a local cardiology hospital, but is on a two-year leave. (Mothers are given a maternity leave of two years here and given support of about $200 during this time to help with the raising of the child. I found that interesting.)


He told Stephanie that all of the nationalities he has worked for, and he's worked for many, we are by far the easiest and most pleasant to work for. He told me once over the phone that I was very 'simpatic', which means agreeable or pleasant.

Radu is Orthodox and observes the more usual Orthodox holidays.We have been discussing off and on religious subjects. He often asks questions such as when our children were baptized (after a discussion on the use of "godparents"), if the name "Jesus Christ" is a pleonasm (or a deliberate redundancy for rhetorical effect. That is, he thought that "Jesus" and "Christ" had the same meaning. I explained to him what they mean; he had never heard the explanation before. Some the obvious questions include of what church I am a part, whether we have a priest for services. We have these discussion on his breaks. The drill he uses is quite heavy, especially when drilling over his head; so, he takes them often.

While he works, I usually do some writing. On his break, he will often ask me what I am writing. On one occasion, I was writing an article for Apa Vie on the "Lost Tomb of Jesus". This time was probably the first that I was able to talk with him at length on a religious subject. I explain to him my answer on the subject.

I will plan to offer to study with him after the work is complete and to invite him to our home for a meal. I ask that you pray for him, especially that he will accept the offer, and for me, that I can guide him toward the study of the Scriptures and only the Scriptures.

I think all the debris and the loud drilling noise has been worth it, not to mention helping the Hollands out before they return.

Dumnezeu sa te binecuvanteze (May God bless you).
Eric