25 June 2007

WEI

Next week we will begin to study from the World English Institute material. So far, we have about 12 people who are enrolled, 4 just today. One lady wanted to come by to see where we are. She was very kind, but was scared to go inside our house when we arrived. We conversed on the front porch. She was taken aback that we would not accept money, not even for the material we will give her. I told her that we are a non-profit association and cannot accept money for it. Her reaction is not surprising because of the way money-hungry people are in the world. Some can even be suspicious even if it is free. "Perhaps there is a catch" is what people will often think. This lady works as an zoological engineer at a meat packing plant and offered to bring us a frozen chicken or something. Stephanie told that would be fine if that will make her feel at ease.

I had one person to want to enroll, but as soon as he found out that we were teaching from the Bible, he decided not to. Because people are so prejudice against anything non-Orthodox, I have just taken the study of the Bible out of the announement so that the net we catch more fish. I think after people get to know us and after we have attempted first to study the grammar, then we will introduce them to study of the Bible. In this way, they can decide then if they want to think for themselves religiously and to study the Bible on their own. If not, we'll just have to throw the catch back and let it be.

Please pray for this effort in July and following months.

Nathaniel's last school day

Today was Nathaniel's last school day. His class put on a few skits, one being the Wizard of Oz in English. Nathaniel was Uncle Henry. A later skit has Nathaniel citing something in Romanian, but was not able to capture it on video. Below are a few pictures.




19 June 2007

Last school day

Last Friday was Ethan's last day of school. He recited an English poem and a Romanian poem without assistance from his teacher. Saturday he went to get his diploma and awards. We treated him to a meal at a Chinese restaurant. Here are a few pictures of the ceremony. Each first grader was awarded with a crown of flowers as you will see.





ABR meeting in Constanta

Last Thursday, leaders from churches of Christ throughout Romania met in the port city of Constanta, Romania. We discuss the future of the Romanian Bible Academy there. Here are some pictures taken by Larry Little of Arad.
















































05 June 2007

Ethan's class trip

Ethan's school class made a quick, over-night trip to Brasov and Sinaia, Romania. The other nine children, the teacher and her husband and I drove 16 hours in two days. We saw the first royal school in Romania, an Orthodox and Lutheran cathedral. The next day we visited Peles castle, the summer retreat for the first king of Greater Romania (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pele%C5%9F_Castle) during the last half of the 19th century and reaching into the 20th. We stayed overnight in a youth hostel of which I wasn't expecting much. We also went 1400 meters up a mountain by cable car.

I was amazed at how differently things are done here on class trips. None of the other parents came and the teacher was responsible for all the others. There are eight boys and two girls in his class, so you can imagine how rowdy things were. Ethan really enjoys playing with them and building his Romanian. Discipline is different too; ask me about it some time.

I was glad to spend time getting to know Ethan's classmates and teachers a little better, but especially some good father-son time together. I believe short year-end class trips such as this at younger ages would be good for some American schools and families.