Comings and Goings

This has been, as most weeks are, very eventful.  We are so very busy with our missionary work and the running of our little branch. We were so disappointed to find out that our one and only family with small children is  leaving.  The father got a better job in Italy and so they are moving.  It is a wonderful opportunity for the family so we are so excited for them, this job is an answer to their prayers and they are so excited.  One of the problems Romania faces is that since becoming a part of the European Union they can move about from country to country like we do from state to state in the United States.  They can also get work easier in other more developed and economically sound countries, like Italy.  The overall result has been the mass migration from Romania.  Their population has consistently  declined for the past few years.  Good for some families but overall bad for Romania. The real tragedy is that it often splits families as one or both parents seek work in other parts of Europe leaving behind children with relatives or sometimes on their own at a very young age. 

We have had so many requests from people reading the blog to post more pictures so  they can get a better feel for what we experience daily.  So here we go with our version of a picture packed blog with some explanations as we go.

Ginny and I were invited to participate in a medical course that was sponsored  by the humanitarian arm of our church.  The physicians  were from Utah and travel around the world giving badly needed training in neonatal resuscitation.  There are so many babies lost early on due to inadequate training in this  fairly easy to perform yet technique sensitive procedure.  The response from local doctors and critical care medical support staff was just outstanding.  The training was much appreciated  and the turnout larger than expected. We were so happy to be invited to attend.  Below is a picture of the farewell dinner attended by the local physicians and the training doctors from the U.S.  It was really fun for us and a break from our routines.  It was so good to meet these wonderful people who give so freely of their time.  They volunteer their time and are paid absolutely nothing for all they do.  We are so amazed that there are so many people who volunteer and give so much and expect nothing in return. anyway here is the conclusion of several days of hard work and training. As you can see from the photo and interesting to note that many if not most of the physicians are  female. Very dedicated and talented health professionals.

Now, as requested, some everyday things we see as we go about our day, random but part of our lives here in this wonderful part of the world.  Our observation, people are people where ever you are, delightful and almost always helpful.

This is a very popular form of transportation in the city. This track is just down the road a ways from where we live and we cross over these tracks several times a day.  Cars also drive on the road/train track. The other day I was leisurely driving down the track when I heard a loud noise behind me, it was an impatient train driver letting me know I needed to get going.  Kinda scary looking in the rear view mirror and seeing a train on your bumper.  I made the next right turn.

This is a picture of the sidewalk between our house and the train track above.  We have to keep our heads down and watch all the time because if you don't, you can easily sprain an ankle or literally fall into a hole.  there are actually potholes in some sidewalks here.  No one seems to mind - just an everyday stroll about town.

Springtime here is quite spectacular.  This is a typical sight almost anywhere in town.  It seems everyone plants flowers everywhere and they grow prolifically. This one caught my eye because of the bright purple color.  Quite different than prickly pear at home.

Ginny and I try to walk 2 to 3 miles a day several days a week.  This is the view we have as we walk to Centru, the town center.  As we walk we cross a bridge over this river.  The boat in the foreground is actually a restaurant and the structure in the distance is a beautiful Orthodox Cathedral.  We are sure we will never tire of this view on our daily walks.

The above two pictures are pictures of the end of the line when we return from our traipsing about town on our various errands. Home sweet home.  The top picture is of our approach from our trips to the center of town or from our return from the church building.  The second picture is from the side of the building showing our garage on the bottom, yes we have a car though we prefer walking, and our apartment on the top.  If you look closely you can see Ginny waving from our balcony window on the 4th floor.  There is no elevator so we get additional exercise climbing the stairs.  We love where we live.