Day 3 Review! Some Beautiful Sights!

One of the best things about Romania in mid-October is the beautiful fall colors and yesterday did not disappoint! The team woke up to some fresh mountain air along with a crisp blue sky and the day got only better from there. The team enjoyed a nice European breakfast that included some fresh tomatoes, bread, salami, cheese, and other goodies. We were then asked if we would enjoy an egg omelet prepared by the kitchen and a few of us took advantage of that also. After some good conversation and a prayer for travel safety the team was off to our first sight-seeing stop at Bran Castle. This year I saw the castle in a different way. After 7 years of coming to this historic country and reading many books about Romania I am finally beginning to see the significance of these castles to their rich history. The castle once again did not disappoint. As always the castle provided a very real picture of what must have been like in the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries. After the hour tour the team took some time to do a little shopping for some souvenirs. Then it was back on the road for a couple hours heading North through the Carpathian mountains towards our final destination of the Point of Hope Development Center we the real ministry will happen.

But before we get to enjoy the ministry of helping some of God's most precious children we had the chance to eat some fresh fish at lunch. A couple of the team members took advantage of some fresh fish while the others took the safer route of chicken or some delicious Romanian soups. Once again the team was really enjoying the beautiful 70 degree weather God had blessed us with this day. The team then drove another hour towards the Rupea Fortress. This would be the first time a team that I was leading would stop at this majestic looking fortress. The government had received a large grant to renovate this ancient fortress and over the past few years a lot of work had been done to make this a sight-seeing stop. While the fortress still has some more work to do to make it a "must see" it was very nice and the view from the top of the tallest tower was breathtaking.

Finally, the team was off to Tarneveni where the Point of Hope is located. After another hour or so the team finally arrived. The team saw many of the children we will be ministering to right away as the children are never too far from the school. Gabi Szabo gave the team a quick tour of the school and gave them a good background of the neighborhood and the people who live there. After sorting through some of the humanitarian aid and VBS supplies the team toted over the ocean we were ready to head towards Targu-Mures where we would be staying for the night. After some pictures with some local children the team was off to the hotel where we would have dinner and settle in for the night. The team will be staying at the Hotel Continental for 2 nights before relocating to Hotel Iris in Tarneveni.

A big thank you to Dennis Lofton who safely transported us the past couple days. Also, a thank you to Gabi Szabo who was always ready to answer any questions the team had about Romania and always gave us some of the history of the places we were traveling through. Day 4 is a Sunday and the team will be helping Fundatia Buckner with a bike rally they are hosting to promote road safety for bikers in the city. The team will also be visiting the Buckner Group Home for the first time. Keep the team in your prayers. Getting the proper nutrition and sleep is always a big challenge the first few days of a trip like this. Jet lag is a very real thing for the human body to adjust to. Hopefully, I will be able to add some pictures of some of the sights tonight. Thanks for reading this blog and praying for the team!