FAST - WEEK 2 - TRIALS AND JOY

James 1:2  Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds

Hi all

I think we all agree this has been a week of contrasts -

TRIALS

• A very angry man confronted Liz outside the Mission House threatening violence - Liz very bravely (or as she said, foolishly) stood up to him and told him that real men don't hit women - fortunately he went away although he continues to hang around with a couple of cronies.
• 10 year old Conutz was picked up by his father in full view of us all, held up in the air, tossed to the ground and then kicked.
• Young Joseph was set upon as he was being walked home with his brother and badly beaten, Liz powerless to help.

Liz says this is one of the worst weeks she has known in her 4+ years of being here, a good lesson that we need to be kind but vigilant. When we are surrounded by this violence we cannot be surprised that the smallest disagreement inside the Mission House results in fists being used.

• Not in the same league as the above, but still a 'first' for all of us, the family next door to the mission house decided to kill their pig which consisted of the whole family sitting on it, terrible squealing then eventually, silence. Within the hour it was divided up and the villagers came with black bags to collect their portion. A way of life here which could mean eating or not, but a shock for us sheltered souls.

• And although it's under 'trials' this probably made us laugh this week more than anything -  last week the lovely men from Glasgow installed a panic button to use in situations such as the ones mentioned above. A couple of slight flaws however - we realised on testing it that no one close by takes any notice of it, and when we went to the police station to explain they were completely disinterested. Still - we have a panic button!

JOYS

• Not one child was ejected from any of the English classes this week. OK  so we finished one or two classes a little early, but even so consider this to be a great success.

• Realization that singing and dancing is the way to keep them focused - all of our  lessons have now become musical ones (amazing how many of our sentences you can fit to the tune of 'Our God is a great big God' and 'Happy Birthday', both of which they know.

• They still continue to come, and the class sizes are increasing!

• The mums class - they are amazing - picking things up so quickly.

• TGI Thursday - Tarlungeni branch - has been hugely encouraging. Lots of discussion on the topic of Hopes and Dreams, and a realization that there are things they can do to change their lives, with God's help. Seventeen of them this week eating pancakes (made by Stan) and drinking hot chocolate, brilliant.

• For 'Stan's experiment slot' in Liz and Alina's group - firing a rocket balloon to illustrate how God fills us up with His spirit - it worked!

• The Womens Group on Thursday morning - around 30 of them drinking tea and eating cake - great fellowship. Sue talked about how special we all are in God's eyes, even if we are different, and read them 'You are Special' by Max Lucado (with Ema translating). A great morning.

• And to round off the week of trials and joys a great Saturday afternoon in Brasov with Liz and Masih who gave us a guided tour in glorious sunshine, coffee at a pavement cafe and a great time of laughs and fellowship - just what was needed. (See the photos).

• And thanks that we found a small snippet of Stan doing 'Our God is a great big God' in Romanian - Celia, Susie and Johnny, this is for you.

Prayer points this week

• Please continue to pray for Daniel and Ema - Daniel still away with his father and Ema is waiting for the phone call telling her to go.

• For protection for all of us, in particular for Liz that she doesn't become despondent with the 'trials' and remembers how many 'joys' she has been instrumental in.

• For the families in the village supportive of FAST and it's work - most of them.
• For the man who threatened Liz, that God will soften his heart.

And finally - photos in the mission house, in Brasov and last but not least, Stan doing 'Our God is a great big God'

Love 

Sue and Stan

Anna, Allin and Maria

Womens group meeting

Sue talking to the womens group - Ema translating

posing!

Simon says

Stan's balloon rocket to illustrate how God fills us with His spirit.

it worked!

waiting to come in

TGI Thursday group

beautiful Brasov

Brasov

FAST - WEEK 1 - HE GOES BEFORE US, HE'S THERE BESIDE US

Hi all

First week completed and not only have we survived we have had an awesome time  and feel truly blessed. Tired, yes, challenged, yes, but so encouraged by the response we have received from the mums and children with the English classes, and the willingness to open up and talk from the teens in our discussion groups (now known as TGI Thursday - Tarlengeni).
Yes admittedly there were one or two very small moments of regret when the chairs were being thrown round the room and the fists started to fly (and boy did they fly!) that we had to stop and eject a couple of people from the English classes, but they weren't regrets that we were here but regrets that we had to eject them.
 Our challenge to ourselves for this week is to keep everyone in the room for the duration of the sessions and to try some one-to-one sessions with the most challenging (and, have to say, in need of most love).

In between our sessions we have helped Liz and Alina with the games, songs and feeding programme which has included peeling and mashing potatoes for 84 - and seconds - and thirds, playing pass the parcel and musical chairs and my particular favourite, watching Stan lead 'Our God is a Great Big God' in Romanian. (And yes Susie and Celia, he did do all the actions!).
Today at the FAST church it was a 'Churches Together' followed by a bring and share lunch. Sue was in the kitchen and Stan was putting out chairs - some things never change wherever you are :) And to Stan's delight - not a quiche in sight.

We've put some photos on which we hope will help you to see what we are seeing.

Highlights this week

• Getting cuddles
• As we were leaving Friday hearing one of the boys shouting 'Stan - stand up, sit down, look, listen, quiet' (that afternoons lesson)
• Scouring the second hand shops for a sofa - and getting two (due to Stan's persistence for a discount)
• Walking round the village Saturday afternoon and seeing the 'Non-stop funeral parlour' - see photo
• The meal at La Fortuna with the 14 Glaswegian men - Sue has never been so spoilt
• Watching Stan doing his caveman bit with the log-burners in the Mission House - he is in charge of lighting them when we arrive and is getting very protective of his log pile
• Seeing the horse and cart with a car wreck on top of the cart, horse power!
• The advise to Stan when walking in the forest (a) - the bears aren't a problem this time of year, it's the wolves, and (b) - just run faster than your wife

Prayers this week - please

• Continue to pray for Daniel and Ema - Daniel's sister-in-law died this week and his father is very poorly so at present Daniel is away. They are torn between their family and the work at FAST so please pray for peace for them both.
• The Women's group on Thursday (postponed from last week)
• That the children, teens and mums continue to come
• For Liz and Alina who manage the Mission House programme usually on their own
• For the group of young people from Outlook Expedition arriving on Wednesday that they will be prepared to 'muck in'
• That God will continue to bless the work of FAST and protect those working in Tarlungeni and Zizin

With love and thanks for your prayers
Sue and Stan xx

Sacele village

Sacele forest

View from the Mission House window - Tarlungeni

View from the window - Mission House Tarlungeni

Training a new horse

Cheeky Beni ''Stan - look, listen, stand up, sit down, quiet''

Horse power carrying broken horse power!

Ion's 'small' lunch sandwich

Dinner with the  lovely men from Glasgow

Waiting for seconds

Alina serving lunch

One of the new sofas coming up the stairs

Trying out the new sofas - plasterwork courtesy of St Andrew's boys - and Jay

Liz approves!

Stan, Alina, Sue and Liz

One for Johnny - non-stop funeral parlour

Ramona with her 'Smile Jesus Loves You' sticker

The second sofa coming!

Mission House

Andrei bringing the sofa up the stairs - on his head!

FIRST THOUGHTS FROM SACELE

Hi all
Thanks for all the encouraging messages via email and Facebook. We arrive here at 
8 pm on Saturday evening and are settled into our little room. Brief updates under the three F's - Familiar, Forgotten and Firsts........

Familiar

• Great to see the team again - Daniel, Ema, Liz, Avram, Alina, George, Simona and Ion - they all send their love to St Andrew's
• We visited the Roma villages Tarlungeni and Zizin on Sunday and saw many of the children we had met in the past - many of whom would be in our English classes
• The Mission House - seeing the great paint job our girls did downstairs and the plaster boarding upstairs reminded Sue of the visit in March with Jay and the youth
• Road signs warning of horses and carts

Forgotten

• How great the dual language church service is, here at FAST
• Just how beautiful the forests and mountains look as a backdrop to the journey to Sacele in the sunshine (yes it's sunny and warm, so no need of the thermals just yet!)
• Horse and carts loaded with hay and turnips
• Young boys riding bareback
• That there is now a coffee shop in the centre serving cappuccino - Stan happy :)
• How humbling it is to see how proud the families are of their new homes - two rooms and a wood burner, no electrics or loo

Firsts

• There is a team of 14 electricians and builders here from a church in Scotland - hearing testimonies from strapping Glaswegians was something else
• And because there are 15 men here and no women Sue doesn't have to queue for the loo or the showers :)
• Seeing the (one) cowman bringing all the village cattle down from the pastures on the hill - and on reaching the village he leaves them, they all start running and all find their way to their own homes. We were amazed - homing cows! 
• Taught our first English lessons today - two groups of 8 to 11 year olds  back to back - interesting, challenging, exhausting - but awesome!

Prayer please

• The new youth centre is up and running, but as a 'joint project' with City Hall Ema and Daniel are finding that dealing with the bureaucracy is a real challenge. Please pray that any problems will be easily resolved.
• Our first session of conversational English with the mothers tomorrow - without a translator!
• Our first 'self-esteem' session on Thursday with the teenagers - Stan with the boys and Sue with the girls
• Sue is speaking at the Women's Group on Thursday
• That the Lord continues to go before us every day

With love Sue and Stan xx