Teens take over for a day at Bucharest Blessings

Bucharest, Romania – While most adults from the leadership team of the Bucharest Blessings church took a weekend away to concentrate on building healthy marriages, the Sunday service did not miss a beat. In fact, it took on a decidedly teen rhythm.

The teens of the church, many of whom share leadership roles in worship, children’s Sunday school and the youth group, took responsibility for the entire service. When the adults returned home, they were greeted with encouraging news: “It’s good you guys weren’t here today. Church was so full, there wouldn’t have been anywhere for you to sit!”

First-time visitors to a Blessings service quickly notice the teens play a vital role in what happens in the life of the church. Not only do they carry visible responsibilities, they are also the energy source for outreach. This group is dedicated to bringing their friends into a real experience with God’s kingdom on earth.

They have also been very intentional in finding ways to cross borders and interact with the Nazarene youth in Razgrad, Bulgaria. Monica Boseff leads the youth group. Her husband, Cristi, pastors the church and their two teenage children, Cris and Lisa, are a part of the committed core youth group.

Click here to read more about the Marriage Retreat.

By Teanna Sunberg and Monica Boseff
Where Worlds Meet, Year 7, Issue 3, May 2010

Marriage Retreat

Three dozen couples planning to attend marriage retreats in the Southeast Europe Field refused to let a little volcanic ash stop them. While retreat leaders David and Lisa Frisbie were stranded in an airport following Iceland’s volcano eruption, 24 couples from Romania and Bulgaria met April 16-19 in Veliko Turnavo, Bulgaria, and 12 couples from Albania and Kosovo met in Gjilan, Kosovo April 22-25. The sudden change in plans allowed for additional times of rest and relaxation, which the participants appreciated, said Jay Sunberg, the field strategy coordinator.
For the Bulgaria retreat, Klaus and Martina Arnold, who had planned to co-lead, took over the activities.

Attendees Svilen and Elena Simeonovi, of Razgrad, Bulgaria, were particularly struck by an object lesson the Arnolds presented. They tied themselves together with a rope, which symbolized that a husband and wife are climbing partners in the mountain of life.

“There should be a good balance and tension so the distance from your partner and God is neither too distant nor too far, nor you get so close together that you actually suffocate,” Elena said. The demonstration showed how each partner in a marriage has a different personality and different interests. A healthy marriage allows each person to explore different interests while the partner supports the other in those interests, the couple added.

At the retreat, each couple was randomly paired with another couple so they could pray for one another and have married friends with whom to share joys and struggles over the next two years. “Sometimes it’s better to share things with people you haven’t known before,” said Elena. “It’s also good to be able to talk on a deeper spiritual basis with new people and couples.” The couples exchanged e-mail addresses so they can share prayer requests and answers to prayer.

With the Frisbies still stranded in London, the second marriage retreat in Kosovo was led by Jens and Sabine Haberkorn, Youth With a Mission volunteers in Bulgaria. Klaus Arnold is rector of European Nazarene College (EuNC) and Martina is also on staff at EuNC.
By Gina Grate Pottenger
Eurasia Region Communications
Where Worlds Meet, Year 7, Issue 3, May 2010

My Field Placement in Transylvania, Romania

by Heather Conroy, MSW Student
Published in the University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work Bridges Magazine, Spring 2010

“Why Romania?” This question, which had been posed countless times while I wprepared for my trip to Eastern Europe over the summer, echoed in my head as my plane traveled down the runway. My well-thought-out decision to be the first student in the Master of Social Work program at the University of Pittsburgh to earn field education credits abroad – as well as the first person in my family to obtain a passport and leave the East Coast – kept thoughts of this question from getting me down.

I was off to Sighisoara, Romania, (or “Sighi” as the townspeople called it) in the Transylvania region to work with the faith-based organization Veritas. Headed by Dorothy Tarrant, Veritas – which means “truth” – serves many groups of people in the area and is well known for both its service and religious affiliation with the Church of the Nazarene. My work involved attending regular group meetings and assisting Roma (gypsy) teenagers and community members suffering from disabilities, all while learning the language through the organization’s classes and a personal translator. To further my knowledge of Romanian and my assimilation to the culture, Dorothy suggested I stay with a host family.

Throughout my trip, my host family was a constant source of support. Everyone in the family spoke at least some English, and my host sisters were fluent in English, German, Romanian, and Hungarian. Dorothy was also very supportive. She was open to my suggestions and proactive in making things happen so that I left the experience feeling like I truly made an impact on those with whom I worked for such a short, yet intensive, period of time.

With help from Dorothy and other members of the organization, I was able to directly impact the life of a 21-year-old man by providing him with a wheelchair. I met with him two to three times each week at the Impreuna, or “Together,” Group for people with disabilities, and I visited him at his home. He was so full of life and humor in spite of his severe physical impairments from birth complications. I noticed the deteriorating physical condition of his device and the limitations it caused him; within minutes, Dorothy was on the phone to find a donated upright wheelchair.

My position with the Together Group led me to take on another unlikely role: working with a 25-year-old man with severe autism who had had no consistent schooling. My experience working in the field of autism had been with children up to this point, but, after meeting with him and seeing his severe state, I was intrigued. I worked with him to help him gain some communication skills in the form of more functional vocal noises and signing. His mother told me near the end of my work that she noticed him trying to make words, something he had not done since he was 3 years old. Although I was sad to leave knowing that he would likely receive little or no additional help, my experience working with this young man as well as presenting on working with Romanian children diagnosed with autism showed me that I am destined to remain in the field.

It was during home visits with Roma children and their families that I experienced the most emotional times of my trip. Some neighborhoods were better than others, but nearly all of the homes were infested with flies and lacked indoor bathrooms. Those who had running water were considered lucky. From what I could see, some of the Roma were making an effort to work and bring money in for their families, but those stigmas that had led them to receive a poor education also led to less-than-equal job opportunities when compared to the ethnic Romanian population.

After seeing their homes, I was proud that the youth were still so vibrant and happy. They showed so much promise despite their backgrounds, which is a testament to the work that Veritas is doing. Most of these children expected to continue living as their parents had, but some will break free of this cycle thanks to the opportunities and support this organization provides them.

For those who wonder whether my trip was worth the efforts in planning and funding; leaving the security of my friends, family, and Western Pennsylvania home; and taking a chance on an agency I knew little about, it was. My Romanian experience was unforgettable, and I hope it is only the beginning of more world adventures to come that will allow me to explore different cultures and utilize the social work training I have received at the University of Pittsburgh.