Exhaustion has set in...

Let me tell you, I barely dragged my body out of the bedroom tonight after tucking Caleb in.
The lights off, PJ's on already...I was really tempted. After implimenting the new schedule at Casa Alba this week, I am ready to sleep for about 24 hours straight.
The new schedule isn't just doubling my past schedule there, but including brand new programs which required and will continue to require a lot more planning and preparation.
And, some of these programs are focusing in on connecting Jesus with our hardest-to-reach kids...it wears on every nerve, muscle and Fruit of the Spirit : )

On my walk home today after the final activity of the new week I thought "Okay God, is this too much? Alright, let me rephrase that - You've got Your work cut out for You!"

But to think about what could happen with these kids and their journeys with Jesus...that makes it worth it.

Casa Alba may only be around for another year to 2 years. Plans are in progress to start building group foster homes for our kids. There have been such few glimmers of hope that these children will get adopted or even into a foster family that FCE has had to reconsider placement for these kids. Although these plans may change, FCE is feeling that building 3 homes with about 6 children in each, is going to be the only option. Like I said, plans change though.

I would love to see an outpouring of the Holy Spirit over these children...this week they started praying for each other and for families. I don't think they have ever been encouraged to do that before.

I can't make these kids love Jesus or make them grow in their relationships with Him. I can't heal their hearts and their abandonment wounds. I can't fix their seemingly endless behavioral problems. I can't stop them hitting each other and constantly saying hurtful things.
What I can do is open doors for them to Jesus. Jesus works out the rest with them...

I feel very strongly that praying for each other and praying for families is one of those doors that God wanted me to help the kids open this week.

A Victory with Lotion!

Okay, maybe a weird title for this post. It'll make sense to you in a minute, though. Caleb has really bad dry skin. Not like peeling dry, more like a constant, unseen, yet able to feel rash covering his arms, legs and chest/stomach. Every winter so far this has appeared. Putting lotion on him after bath time involves near blood curling screams and cries of "No lotion! No lotion!"
I try to make him laugh and get it over as quickly as possible. Also, I have tried to combat the dry skin issue by constantly having set towels over our radiators, and only having him take a bath about once every 3 days. Still though, the invisible rash remains. Therefore, lotion is still needed. I dread putting lotion on him, he really hates it. Anyway, I was reading a magazine this afternoon that my Mom sent to me. It had an article on how to get kids okay with lotion being put on them. I was pumped! Finally! God sent me help through Family Fun magazine!
All of the ideas they had were great but one especially stuck out to me. It said to give your kid a paintbrush and let them "paint" the lotion all over their body. So, when I stuck him in for his bath, I said "Caleb, when you're done you're going to get to paint lotion allll over your body!" I then showed him the paintbrush and lotion bottle. Let me tell you, I could barely get him to stay in the bath long enough to get soaped and shampood up...he was that excited about the lotion painting. And, my neighbors didn't have to consider even once calling the police over the screams for help coming from my apartment, because there were none! Yahoo! He LOVED it!
Victory!
And boy, can I just add, was my boy a trooper today or what. We did Bible program with Pink Room this morning and then headed back to Casa Alba this afternoon for Purple room's time. Not to mention walking all the way over to office to make photo copies before heading up to CA this morning, then walking back to the office area for lunch, then home, then to the shoe store then to CA then home gain. We walked our butts off today!

Wow...

People were healed today at church! No, not like the made fun of TV evangelist healing. Honest and simple and awe filling healing today.
You know what, what happened today at church...I just feel that God wasn't even doing hardly anything to do what He did today. Almost as if He was saying "oh yeah, you guys like that...just wait..just wait..."
I know God is going to turn Romania into a country that stands out among Europe as one filled and overflowing with Himself. He has spoken that, I believe it. Today was barely a taste - but, it was a taste. You go God, keep doing Your thing.

Caleb's Birthday

isn't until May 10th. Yet, he's sitting on the couch right now pretending that I surprised him with presents this morning. Last night, when he was with a friend who was babysitting him, he picked up all of his toy cars and put them in a Santa hat. This morning, I asked him to go get undressed so that we could get clothes on him. He ran into the bedroom and then ran out again clad only in his Lightening McQueen undies a, found the Santa hat and started screeching with delight that "I" had thrown him a birthday party. As he pulled out each car "for his birthday" he acted as if it was the first time he had seen any of them and kept laughing and yelling in joy over each one. Then, he decided that he was too cold and proceed to pull the Santa hat over his feet and legs. So, I have a little boy wearing a Santa hat as his socks and pants, sitting on my couch pretending it's his birthday. Wait, update, now he's collecting the pillows from the couches and piling them over the Santa's hat and repeating over and over again "I'm cold, I'm cold, I'm cold, I'm cold."
Wait, now all of the cars are going into the Santa's hat because they are too cold to be out of it...and, each of the cars has now turned into a kitty-cat. He's switching his voice back and forth from "kitty voice" to "Caleb voice." Now I'm hearing "Meows" and "It's my party" back and forth.
Oh Caleb, you are just one incredible kid...that's for sure.

Wednesday

Long day today, whew. Pretty great day though, YAY!
Other than my computer. I really need a new computer. And, no, that isn't a "I just want a new computer" comment. That's a, "my computer is going to die soon I can't believe that it's even working for me to post this blog", comment. Anyone have a used lap-top they want to pass over? I can get it in June when I come. You may be thinking "she would never wan tmy lap top, it's too old, too slow." I ASSURE you that any used lap top of yours is an olimpic athlete to my barely walking toddler.

Spent the morning at Casa Alba, ate lunch with the team (props to Natasha and Andy on the Chinese Chicken!!), got sucked into 2 Kings while Caleb had rest time. Who gets sucked into reading a book of the Bible like 2 Kings? It was fascinating - I didn't even realize what time it was and then I was like "Aaaghgh, Caleb! We're supposed to be at Casa Alba right now!"

Grabbed Caleb's friend, Dani (who I watch every Wed. afternoon) and speed walked, as much as one can with a 3 1/2 and 5 year old, to Casa Alba. Ran into the Director's office and had an hour meeting about my new role there (co-ordinating the expansion of the volunteer efforts there, especially with 'Jesus time'...yes, i coined that phrase.). Meeting ran over, then raced out to do a lesson and activity with the Pink Room (our 3 year olds) along with Caleb and Dani. We learned about Peter, how he was in jail for loving Jesus. He prayed and God sent an angel to let him out. I know, how cool is that? We ended with some worship and an impromtu game of "Rata, Rata, Pui" (Duck, Duck, Goose...we taught it to them this summer, they love it!) and started walking home at 6:21pm.

Heated up Sarmale (my 1st try all by myself and I was really exciied about how they turned out!) for Dani and Caleb - I had pancakes and cheese because I had made the Sarmale with pork and I don't eat pork. I'm definitely hoping there will be beef at the meat store tomorrow for my 2nd all by myself try at Sarmale this weekend! Sent Dani home, got Caleb in the bathtub. Read "Santa Clause is Comin' to Town", Caleb's choice. Prayed and got him to sleep. Did prep work for the team that's coming to do a Bible camp for Casa Alba and the gypsy kids in Borumlaca in August and now I am going to bed!
Gata. Enough.
Noapte Buna.

New Year

Okay, so this year of 2008 is going to be more organized. That's what I've decided. No more stressing about last minute planning, I am going to be pro-active in ministry to-do lists.
We'll see just how successful I am in this venture. All I can say is, with a bigger responsibility load at Casa Alba...I have to be. Goals have been set to try and involve each child in a more consistent spiritual environment. We wonder why our kids aren't getting homes, we wonder why we aren't seeing healing in their lives. It's because we are not being pro-active in bringing them before their Creator. When problems arise, we pray. When we hear there "might" be a family, we pray. But, hello, everyday we should be on our knees pleading for the healing and restoration of these kids. To be honest, I have not been doing this. I know - boo Kelsey. I admit that I have more often than not failed in this area. The thing is, I just finished a biography on George Mueller. Always wanted to read one, finally got my hands on one in November, got to read in January : ) Hello, his outlook on prayer and us and God would put the majority of Christians flat on their faces in repentance.
Anyway, all that to say, that this year will be different. Bring on the growth! More of Jesus, less of me.

Meanwhile, my fellow Marghita - ns, are already disappointed at my start of 2008. How, you might ask? Well, I was at the Market this morning buying some cabbage from "my usual" vendor. I've been buying from them for about 2 years now so they know who I am and what I'm doing here. She, the wife, says to me - "Haven't you found a boyfriend yet here?"
Good gracious - here we go again - that is what I was thinking.
"No", I responded, "Not yet."
"Not yet?" she said - with a look of "what the heck are you doing with your life?" on her face.
"It's okay, God knows" I told her and her daughter as I got into my car. They started smiling and laughing when I said that.
Thing is, I really believe that, God does know. I'm slowly moving towards the "you are doomed for life" in the marriage department as I hit 26 1/2 in December. Or, that's the way Romanians see it.
So anyway, apparently Kelsey's 2008 should have started off differently in the eyes of my fruit and vegetable supplier. And I love the way she said it - have you FOUND a boyfriend yet.
Ha.
Ha. Ha.
I'm so glad that God is so much bigger and awesome and loving than "me" having to "find" someone. I should have told her that my man, whoever he is, is just a little too busy right now doing crazy and radical things out of his love for Jesus to come and "be found" at the moment. : )
It's okay, Caleb and I can wait.
That makes me smile.

New Year's Photos...At Last!

As you look at this photo you need to be having a techno version of "Joyful Joyful We Adore Thee" playing in your head. As I mentioned before, that was not a joke.My boy at 12:30am...and smiling!!
It took about an hour but he finally figured out how to use the snap things. You know, those ones that are tiny pieces of paper that you throw on the ground and they explode?
On New Year's Day we roasted marshmallows over the 1 unscented candle that I own. Caleb loved it! Next year I will have to do the tradition that my siblings and I grew up with...making home-made pinatas. After they were dry, my parents would stuff them and then we would baseball bat them open on new Year's Day!

Caleb Quotes

Earlier today I went into the bathroom and thought there was a bee flying around. Turned out to be a huge fly. We had a REALLY warm day today so it must have woken up from somewhere and decided to take a tour of our apartment. Anyway I just went and started the water for Caleb's bath. When I smooshed the fly it fell and I couldn't find out where it had gone. Well, there it was in the bathtub underneath a toy.
So I said to Caleb as I was getting rid of it "Caleb, where did this fly come from?"
He immediately answered, "From Romania!"

La Multi Ani!

Pictures coming soon. I have 1 question though. Did you have a fireworks display to a techno version of "Joyful, Joyful we adore Thee?"
Yeah, I didn't think so. You should've been in Sinmartin, Romania where I was last night.
This was the first year that I stayed up to watch fireworks since I've come. I know, I know I'm lame. The thing is that I am not a night person. 9:30pm and I'm usually asleep. What was crazy about last night was that not only did I stay up until 12:30am but CALEB stayed up as well! No tantrums, tears or signs of tiredness. Can you believe that? My 3 1/2 year old gets the gold star for sure.
A friend of mine lives about 5 minutes outside of Oradea the opposite way than Marghita. So it's about an 1 1/2 drive, give or take 15 minutes, with traffic. She invited a bunch of people to come to her place for the night since her balcony overlooks the park where the fireworks are displayed. And, since her balcony spans the length of 4 rooms it definitely is the place for a group of people to hang out and pelt the crowds of people below with confetti. : )
I also got a lesson in American culture at her apartment last night. This friend of mine got one of those "wii" things for Christmas. I had never heard of it before but I guess most of you know what it is? I kicked some major butt baseball style - brought back memories of the 5 and 6th grade softball team. I think my 94mph fastballs on the wii last night helped bring some healing over my miserable failure memories from my "Mrs. Smith's" Team yellow jersey days!
I need to take my Christmas tree down. It's starting to have a funny smell to it. There's still tons of candy hanging all over it...my "Bomboane de Pom" (Tree Candy). Any of you want to come and help me eat it? There's still some of the Milka brand ones left - they are the best. Especially the gingerbread flavored ones!
http://www.milka.ro/milka/page?siteid=milka-prd&locale=roro1&PagecRef=297
I just don't like chocolate enough to eat it fast enough. Poftiti Everyone, come and help yourselves!