I’m home! This is weird. Naturally I went straight to Chick Fil A from the airport, because waffle fries and crushed ice. I’ve been warned about reverse culture shock, but I was doubtful. I’ve lived in the states for 20 years, how could I possibly just forget after a short 3 months? Well, I’ve already been proven wrong. First, I had to order in English. And then I had to figure out what she meant when she asked if I wanted any sauce (What is sauce? Does it cost extra? What kind of sauce exists here?). It was ridiculous.
I had anticipated leaving Romania to be extremely difficult. I had prepared myself for the worst. Turns out it was harder than what I thought the worst could be. But it was also easy. It went something like this:
I gave each baby a kiss in their crib and told them I loved them. As usual, they each started crying, wanting to be held. So I gave another round of kisses. Surprisingly, this calmed them down (which was a bit of a miracle).
I moved to the older kids eating lunch. We did our usual routine- a kiss (“pup”), a handshake (“salud”), and a high five- three times each. I was about to leave the table but was stopped by one of my favorite little boys, who had just turned 3. He had turned his head in my direction, eyes closed, and lips puckered waiting for a kiss. I hope that picture never fades from my memory.
The last goodbye, with a sweet 4 year old girl, was the hardest. Despite the fact that she didn’t know it was my last day, she wouldn’t let me leave. I gave her a kiss and told her that I had to leave. Ouch. I told each child one more time that I loved them, and then walked out the door. I made the mistake of looking back and saw that little girl watch me walk away, probably assuming she would see me tomorrow. That was when I lost it. It’s hard to comprehend that I probably won’t see them again in this life. I love those children. They taught me that love is enough.
While I was preparing to come to Romania, I had this fear. The fear that my testimony of God’s love would be shaken. The fear of wondering how a God of love could allow so much bad in the world.
And it’s true that often times, these past 3 months, my heart was sad. Sad to see so many children without a family who should have been there to love them most. Sad to see children who are so developmentally behind. Sad to see children sick in the hospital, some even near death, with no one to calm their fears and share their burden.
And even though I did feel sadness, I found a better understanding and developed a stronger testimony of Heavenly Father’s love. I gained an eternal perspective. And having that eternal perspective is what supplied me with so much joy this summer.
It’s beautiful to know that they do have someone to share their burden. They are not alone. They have a Savior, who knows their every pain, every suffering, and every sadness. I believe that through Jesus Christ these children will one day be resurrected and perfected. And I believe that they will be blessed throughout the eternities.
These children, as well as you and I, have a Heavenly Father whose love is greater than I could ever comprehend. I have faith that this God of love will take care of these children in his own way, and in his own time. Without that faith this summer would have been unbearable. But instead it was the happiest I have ever been. I believe that Heavenly Father’s plan is the Plan of Happiness. I believe that because he loves us with the most perfect love, he has prepared a way for us to be happy.
There is just one more thing that I haven’t stressed enough on this blog. I shared this summer with 11 other interns that I absolutely adore. They are some of the strongest, most faithful, and most Christ-like people I have ever met. They continually teach me to love, to work, and to have faith. Together we have shared some of the greatest joys and sorrows. 3 months ago I hardly knew their names, but today we are a family.
Love More: In Memory of Ashleigh Cox
This last picture is the branch president that we have all come to love so much. I wasn't expecting it to be so hard to say goodbye to the branch. We were so welcomed and felt so much love at that branch. The church is true all around the world!
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