Wednesday

I'd just like to share some fun things and praises from this week so far!

Monday I took Olimpia and Cristina to a small, local lake. It's man-made and the sides are cement but it still was beautiful to go to. You should have seen their excitement!
We sat down and I talked about the time the disciples were in the boat and the storm came. How Jesus saw them as he walked down the hill and then walked on water towards them. The disciples reaction? Ghost!
When I got to that part these girls started dying laughing. They could not believe that the disciples thought that Jesus was a ghost. And, at first, they thought Jesus just walked through the water...no, he walked ON the water girls. Their faces broke out into complete awe.
The story should do the same for us, yeah? Their innocence lets them see the greatness of Jesus and react to it as it merits, I think.

Tuesday I met with my new renters. They showed me the ins and outs of the new apartment. They are FIXING the things wrong with the apartment before they leave. They are having the kitchen and living room ceilings repainted. Maybe this should be normal but let me tell you, in Marghita it's not! When you rent an apartment you *maybe* will get the renters to repaint but most times you don't get to pick the new color. And, to have the things fixed that are broken - never! As I went to leave she says "Oh, by the way, we decided to LOWER the rent."

Excuse me?
Lower the rent?
Kelsey starts crying.

We had decided on 80 Euros/month and then in the summer when I'm not using the heat I will pay extra on top of that. No, now they ONLY WANT 70 Euros/month and they don't want extra in the summer. A year from now they will raise it to 75 Euros and continue to raise it 5 Euros/month each year.

I said to them : "Why, why did you give me this apartment?" (I know it was God's favor and love but I wanted to hear their reasoning...you know?)
They replied : "It's a miracle!"

On my way to church last night I got pulled over. It was hilarious. Outside of the villages you can go 70 KM and inside the villages it's 50KM. I saw a police car ahead, at the entrance to a village, and - as usual - I began slowing down anyway. Let me say that he was OUTSIDE of the village limit. I drove past him, slowing down, and continued to slow down to 50 KM. Well in the NEXT village there is a group of 3 police cars at an intersection and they wave me over. I'm so glad it takes 3 police cars full of officers to work a speed trap. Honestly.
He says "They clocked you at 67 entering that last village."
"I reply, I'm really sorry because I always slow down. I know it's 50KM in the villages and I was slowing down to 50. You can see that I had just begun slowing down when he clocked me. I always slow down, I'm really sorry."

He says "Oh, it's no problem." He takes my info and comes back in 5 minutes and says "Just a warning today and 2 points on your license have a good evening!"

Ohhhh yeah. : )

Before Church I stopped at the European Home Depot in Oradea (called Praktiker). I bought paint because ALL of the money I need for paint has been PROVIDED! And, the paint was SO MUCH cheaper than what it is in Marghita that I will now be able to buy screens for the windows of the apartment. There are special thermopan windows so they require special screeen. I just can't go buy screen and tack it up which, is what I've always done. Each screen is about 10 Euros so I'll be able to at least get 1 in each room. Mosquitos and flies are ruthless in Marghita. They'll begin dumping white powder all over town from an airplane soon. And, they'll come and fumigate the apartments about 2-3X each. I always feel sick for some days after they do that...I don't think it's done in the safest way....
Anyway, I can get screens up - I will be thankful for that mosquito/fly free breeze this summer!

I got home safely last night in the rain and on one of the most terrible roads in our county. I don't think I even hit a pot hole at all!

This morning Caleb sneezed twice. He always has done that...when he sneezes it's always twice in a row. I love it, it's so cute. Now he's sitting on our newly donated trampoline and taking apart his "fast cars" while trying to repeat the words to "Count Your Blessings" (a song on a new kids Worship CD we got.) I love him, I love being his Mom, I love being a Mom.

So much to smile about today....