A Week in the Life of Me!

I know I haven't posted in awhile.  Sorry about that, y'all.  I get so exhausted at the end of every day.  I just don't have the energy for it.  This work is harder than I ever expected.  I tried to tell myself over and over again that it would be hard but I wasn't at all prepared.  I am physically exhausted from the walking, the heat, and working with the kids.  I am mentally exhausted from trying to speak/understand Romanian.  I am emotionally exhausted from the general strain of the experience.  Does that make sense?  It's been a hard week.  From getting yelled at to getting my hair yanked from my head, I am ready for the weekend.  Most of you that know me pretty well probably have noticed that I lack patience in life.  I am fully aware that this is one of my weakness in life. But don't y'all worry because my patience has been tried here more than the rest of my life combined (This might be a slight exaggeration but it sure doesn't feel like it)!  God is trying to teach me something!  Also, I have gotten used to being laughed at during the past week.  People laugh at us when we try to speak to them.  I tried to give one of my workers a gift and she had zero idea what I was trying to say... People laugh at us when we sing to the kids.  This especially happens in the hospital or when the workers command us to sing.  People laugh at us when we just are walking down the street because we are American.  I no longer get embarrassed by it! :)

Since I have had one full week of working with my assignment, I thought I would share how my typical week goes. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays I don't get home until nearly seven.  I get done working at 6 p.m. but then have a 20 minute bus ride and then a 20 minute walk. It makes for really long days.  Here is how a typical week goes for me:

Sunday: Church from 10 to 1.  We usually don't get home until 2ish because we fill up water bottles at the Church.  They have filtered water that's free! Then I usually take a nap.  I don't think I would survive the week without a nap.  We have group dinner at 6:30 and then we have a meeting every week about the internship.

 Roommates: Chelsea, Leigh, Aislynn, Camille, and Me :)

Rylie, Chelsea, Leigh, Aislynn, Camille, Me, and Aimee

Monday: Orphanage from 9 to 12, lunch, then a kid's apartment from 3-7 (really I work at the apartments from 4 to 6 but with travel time it ends up being longer).  We have FHE at seven at the Church and we, the BYU girls, are in charge of it. Then home at like 8:30ish.  Camille and I tried Shoarma for the first time.  It was so good!!

 Me and Camille

Old men playing chess in the park!  Love it!

Tuesday: Orphanage from 9 to 12, lunch, then hospital from 2-5,  I get to come home on these days to eat dinner before rushing off to the Church.  We have Institute on Tuesday nights, which I really enjoy.  For those of you who don't know, Institute is kind of like Sunday School but during the week and we focus on one general topic for a couple of months.  Right now we are studying leadership.  The lesson, however, is given in Romanian so we have to have a translator.  Sometimes I get a little lost trying while something is translated from Romanian to English, then someone answers in Romanian and that has to be translated, then we answer in English and that has to be translated back.  (I bet y'all just got lost trying to follow that sentence!  Now imagine how I feel when it actually happens!)  Half the time I have forgotten the question because so much has happened since it was asked.  This Tuesday, Camille and I attempted to make brownies but we have yet to figure out the Romanian ingredients.  They were interesting...You would think that flour, sugar, vanilla, etc would be the same but not according to how our brownies tasted.  Oh well.

Wednesday:  Orphanage from 9 to 12, lunch, then a kids apartment from 3-7.

Thursday: Orphanage from 9 to 12, lunch, then hospital from 2-5.  This Thursday, we went to a festival just right down the road.  It was a lot of fun and just might be my favorite night so far in Romania!  This festival was the Beer Fest but it was basically a fair.  There were tons of families there and activities for children.  We ate the food which consisted of a chicken kebab and french fries.  I was super nervous about eating something off the street but I didn't get sick so I guess it was okay...We dance to the Romanian music for awhile.  One thing I learned: Romanians don't really dance until they are pretty drunk.  Don't worry, we danced anyway and people laughed at us and stared at us.  Oh well, I had fun.

 Cotton Candy!

 Super delicious bread!

 Chelsea just sword fighting the little boy

This took a lot of work but Camille finally got on Chelsea's shoulders!

Friday: Orphanage from 9 to 12, lunch, then a kids apartment from 3-7.  We usually go out for dinner as a group on Friday nights or do something fun. Yesterday, we went to the mall.  I had KFC in the food court but the ketchup was so spicy!  I almost died.  Michelle and I shared the mean and both of our mouths were on fire...Most of the girls found something cute to by but my dad should be very proud of me!  I didn't buy a single thing!!

Saturday:  A day OFF!!  We get to do whatever we want on these days!  I can't wait to explore the city some more.  Today, we have a branch activity at a lake.  It should be fun.  The branch wants to get to know us a little better which makes me a little nervous...Oh well...

I having been feeling like I don't really have a purpose here this week.  I go to the orphanage, the apartments, and the hospital asking myself if I am really making a difference.  I have zero idea how to relate to these kids and I just feel like I get in the way sometimes.  I know it will get better with time...patience.....geez.....I just have to say that I have been relying on my Savior, Jesus Christ this week to help me and to guide me.  Prayer brings about miracles.  I know this because it has happened in my life.  Sorry for writing so much today.  I just had so much to share.  I love all of you and miss all of you!!  La revedere!