Christmas 2008

Sunday, December 28, 2008 at 9:38 pm (BBEO, Choir, Family, Friends, My Life, My thoughts)

We let people feel the scent of Christmas by singing carols several Sunday afternoons in a row -with the youth choir. I looove 
praising my Lord through singing far more than just listening to songs, so it was a great time for me. I don’t know about the people who listened to the same songs over and over again..

  Then we had a concert -for the first time. Last year we only sang during the youth meeting and had a smaller audience. There were dramas again, but without me this time..so they turned out great.

The next day, on Sunday, we celebrated 10 years of youth choir.  We sang together with all the former choir members who were able to come, from Romania and Europe. (I only have 4 years in the choir.)

 

This is how the church looked like before we all entered with candles in our hands.

Monday, Dec 22nd, some of the young people at Emanuel went caroling at the county hospital. It was touching to see the joy on the faces of sick people, nurses and doctors. They were hoping we would come again..

But we couldn’t, because we all went in other places. With my group, on Christmas Eve, I went in Tasnad, a town 2 hours away and sang in the small church there. Then, together with some of the young people and children there, we went caroling. The people wanted to thank us by giving us money, because that is the Orthodox habit. But we told them that we only wanted to bring them the good news. Got home at 4 am.

On 25 all the children attending Sunday School groups held a programme in the church. It was magnificent. Even us, the teachers, sang a song, but the children’s songs sounded a lot better. )

 Afterwards, we went caroling at our families and 2 old ladies too. The most interesting thing was when an old lady came out of her house, in the street, at 3 in the morning to give us candies, because she heard us carol near her neighbour. The people in the next house woke up and asked us to sing one more song, listening to us from their windows.
 

On 26 at noon I was invited to go to a village. We sang and listened to a student at Management preaching. I always said I like listening to non-theologian better. Then we went to one of us, sang in the street for the neighbours and then spent the night eating, talking and playing an interactive game called..oh, well, it doesn’t matter. ;p

I don’t know if American people keep the habit of caroling at Christmas, but Hannah told me that Swedish people have only seen it in movies..

Anamaria, Andrea, Feri & Tibi also went caroling these days with their Sunday School classmates. They also came to us.

Of course, we decorated our house too, again. I love our blue & silver Christmas tree!  

 

 The stars are pretty cool too.

 

 

 

But no design is more beautiful than the one made by the Original Designer! This tree in front of our house was decorated by Him again and again in the last days. Snow? Neah.. not yet.. Only hoarfrost. But it’s magnificent!

Don’t you agree?

New Year’s Eve is celebrated in Romania  as follows: families spend the evening together eating various fancy foods, playing games, talking OR with friends at different locations: restaurants, bungalows. But just sitting home and watching TV or talking on instant messenger is also a renowned way of wasting the last night of an year -as I’ve heard.. Then, at 12, people go outside, on a hill or in the city centre and watch the fireworks or launch some noise-making-stuff which I have no idea how to call..[heeelp -we call them "petarde"] Some people also make a “birthday cake” in honour of the new born year.

I celebrated it in a way I never did before: went 2 days before at a chalet at one of the girls in my study group, played games, had an intense debate, watched a classic movie.. ;p 

Then, on 31st I went to church and afterwards at what the youth leaders had organised for the young people in my church. From 10 to 5 am we sang, ate, watched slideshows and videos with photos from this year’s activities and camps, played a few games, talked.

At 12 o’clock I went in the centre of the city for the first time ever, to watch the fireworks.

Oh, yeah, we  also have  the habit of making resolutions for the following year. I didn’t do it last year, because I realised I hadn’t accomplished everything I had planned for 2006 and thought it’d be useless to try again. But now I realise that if you don’t try to do anything you will not accomplish anything.. or not much, anyhow. I decided to set some realistic goals that can be measured in a shorter amount of time, like spending at least an evening a week talking with my siblings. Actually, this isn’t only an example, it’s one of the things I intend to do this year.

Why? I used to spend all my evening talking with them in their rooms about everything in this world, from their dreadful childhood memories to the cartoon they saw lastSaturday. Some of the talks were not so interesting as others, but they mattered to them. It was an evening ritual they loved and cherished. They even envied one another, even if I tried to spend an equal amount of time with each of them. This pushed me away a litlle bit, as I was hurt to see them squabble in spite of my good intentions. I also started to be busier because of school and I started spendingless and less time with them. I’m really ashamed to admit it and if mommy reads this she will ask me to delete it, because she cares more about my good name than I do. But I have to admit it and not only to myself.. This confession will motivate me to change and try harder. The fact that I told you what I intend feels like a vow and I feel more compelled to do it now. People sometimes need pressure from the outside if the inner motivation fails to give enough fruits, I guess..  

Will you pray for me for this matter?.. Thanks!

Have a stunning 2009, daring more and more with God and walking in His will!  –I found this to be the greatest happiness for me.