5 Things I’ve Learned from Living in Romania for a Month

Yes, I know I’ve been here longer than a month. 6 weeks to be exact. But it seems like just yesterday we pulled up to the Mission House, unpacked our bags, and climbed into our bunks for the first time. I’ve learned a lot, more than I could write in a blog, but let’s try to narrow them down. 

1. Things aren’t “cheap” here. Romania’s currency is “lei” (RON) which is roughly equivalent to .25 USD. To Americans, this means you can buy most everything at a fourth of the price you can in the States. However, the reason their economy is different is because minimum wage is 8.63 RON/ hr, which is about $2.01. Through our lens of privilege, our selfish glances dance over all the “cheap goods” that locals work 12-hour days to be able to afford. All I’m saying is that before you call something “cheap” because of how much it costs you, think about how much it might be costing someone else. 
2. They take recycling seriously here. This is one of my favorite things about Romania. If you know me, you know that I am a huge advocate for keeping the planet as clean as possible. Still, being American, it’s hard to train my brain not to throw away trash in the green dumpster, which is meant for glass, the yellow is for plastic, and the blue or black one is for regular trash. I think.
3. Just because people speak English doesn’t mean they understand everything you are trying to say. Most young people in Romania speak English, which was a blessing for the World Racers. They learn in school and from movies, books, and video games. Most of them speak extremely well, and I am always impressed when I have long conversations with high schoolers about anything under the sun. It’s easy to forget our cultural differences even though we can communicate in the same language. One thing to keep in mind is to keep an open mind– manners, phrases, and abruptness have all thrown me off, but the important thing is to keep trying to communicate grace and gentleness in your speech, because love is a universal language. 
4. Three things taste better over here. The coffee. The bread. And the chocolate. The preservatives that Americans are used to are graciously left out of a lot of Romanian foods. And the coffee could give you a caffeine rush for days. It’s just better here, but you would really have to taste for yourself to get the full picture. 
5. I always thought I would miss driving everywhere, but I don’t. The fifteen minute walk to ministry every morning includes passing street animals, sprinting across the highway, strolling through the square intensely covered in Christmas propaganda, and if you have time, stopping in for a quick coffee. On a good day, it’s sunny and frigid, on a bad one, the rain and wind hurry us along. I don’t mind that my boots are almost worn through, just because of the intentional time I get to spend with whoever I’m walking with. 

Well, there it is. I have about 3 more weeks in this City before Gap G heads off to debrief in Brasov. Hopefully there we will see some snow, but here in Craiova, it is stubbornly absent. Please continue to pray hard for this country and these people that I meet daily. Pray for Hope Church and their ongoing ministry. Pray for Gap G and our final weeks here. And finally, pray for snow!