Sunday, October 4, 2009

Tanti Maria’s









Yesterday I awoke to find Maria chasing a pig around the yard…today I opened the door to find 3 turkeys gobbling away! I’m definitely not in Phoenix anymore!

While staying here in Sancraiu I am living with Maria, a neighbor of Nicu and Silvana’s. It is typical to call an older person “Tanti”, sort of a form of endearment. Maria is a kind, hard-working widow who primarily lives off her land. She raises pigs, turkeys and chickens for food, plus milks her cow 2 times a day and also finds time to tend to her garden.

Tanti Maria lives in traditional village home. As you walk up the steps and enter the home, there are 3 rooms. My room is a nice size, with 2 couches that both turn into beds, a table with 4 chairs and a “soba” (wood-burning heater). The only down-side is living out of my suitcases as she doesn’t have any closets. But yesterday I bought a few baskets and am feeling much more organized. The kitchen and bathroom are detached, which means I have to go down the stairs and outside. I am also adjusting to not having hot water and limited showers (I shower at Nicu and Silvana’s on the days they heat water). However, compared with all the blessings I have received, these are only small sacrifices!

Please pray that I will be a blessing to Tanti Maria and that she would clearly see traces of Christ in my life.

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