Hello from Romania.

The green grass of Bucharest

Got milk?

Hello there...

Honesty does exist in Romania

We've shared several times about the corruption that is ever present within Romanian society.  Much of this is due to the pain of living with constant inflation while salaries remain enormously below the poverty level.  Even a physician may only make around $600/month, while the average salary is more like $300/month. With such a struggle to provide even the most basic of needs, it is no wonder that people are looking for any way to survive. 

 

Today, however, I met an honest Romanian and I'm not referring to the one I married!  Naomi and I walked to the market like we often do buy some fruit and veggies.  This is an open market where different people come with their assortment of produce and each hopes you will buy from his stand.  As I went to pay for some apples I handed the man behind the stand what I thought was a 50,000 lei note.  Now this would be equivalent to about $1.75.  He handed me some change which I tucked in my purse, placed the apples in Naomi's stroller and started to walk away.  He called me back and was asking his co-worker for more money.  You see I had actually given him a 500,000 lei note by mistake. It would be like handing someone a $20 bill when you thought you had only given a dollar.  He could have easily kept the change and I wouldn't have noticed until I got home.  So thank God with me for the honest fruit stand man and pray that he is rewarded in some way for not taking advantage of a naive American mommy.

 

S.

Spring is in the air

Spring is definitely in the air in Romania, actually over the past three weeks weather has been absolutely gorgeous. This given, we've been able to go to the park and enjoy some nice strolls. Truth is that the grayness of winter has been replaced by the multicolored blossoming spring and the city has a more appealing face.

Next week, I (Catalin) will attend the yearly Romanian Christian Medical Association conference and will sponsor two Ukrainian medical students receiving their education in Romania. The medical student group that I try to meet with on a weekly basis presented the case of these two students who wish to attend but don't have the financial means to do so. It is important for Christian medical students to stay in contact with professional role models, even if only a few days per year, to be reminded that there are many good doctors throughout the country that have not succumbed to the level of corruption present in medicine. As God provides for us, we're happy to be able to help others.

Last week, I was in Greece visiting a private hospital. Three weeks ago, I was able to sign a consulting contract with the first private hospital in Romania to help with operational issues, particularly in the pre-opening phase. Because of the ties between the Romanian and the Greek model, I was asked to go to Greece to learn their system with the idea of implementing in the hospital in Romania. This consulting work has given me much exposure to the medical community, as well as to the Minister of Health of Romania. Above all, it has helped fill in some significant gaps in our monthly financial support.

As you keep us in your prayers, please pray for our next English language meetup group in two weeks. This is a group we'd like to develop further relationships with and even invite to church soon.

A second prayer request would be a week-long medical outreach to be done at the Open Door Medical Clinic by a group of American doctors and nurses. This venture will require much planning and leg work to spread the word so people from the surrounding neighborhoods will come to the clinic.

- C