Last thought (and pictures) of Oradea, RO.

Bela (I found that you pronounce it Bay-la) is a preacher, Jozsef is a preacher, Gregory works for a religious publishing house, Attila is a preacher who drove from Hungary (2 hours) ever day for the class. David and Gabor are both students right now, Agnes is the wife of Jozsef, Endy (Andy) was an audit student and is working with physical handicapped people, and Adina teaches Kindergarten there where the church is. They use it as an outreach opportunity towards the community. She told me that there are several children who are in Kindergarten who have parents who do not go to any church.

I may have pushed my students just a little to far. It seemed like some of them finally cracked under the pressure of having to write too many notes.

I went and did some walking on Friday afternoon. Here is a gypsy family dressed in their traditional garb.

A Jewish synagogue

Working on a class project. They were planing a worship service.

A little explanation is needed here. Every morning when i enter the building that my classroom was in there was a gentleman sitting in this chair. And every morning I said "good morning" to him in Hungarian, "Jo regelt". He never said anything back to me all week long. I'm not sure, I think I said "Good morning." At least I hope I did. Here he is outside doing a little yard work.

Adina studying her class notes (Just let me live my fantasy)

Jozsef Kovacs doing some translating/interpreting for me. He was excellent.

A class picture.

He even got my little Italian gestures down!!

Oradea, was a little different then some of my other classes. Even though I was in Romania I was teaching a class being translated into Hungarian.

The city itself is also steeped in the tradition of Polish, Hungarian and Romanian. There is architecture of all those influences throughout the city. When I taught the class I was in Hungry. When I took a walk and looked at some of the buildings I was in Poland. When I spoke to the people in Oradea, I was in Romania.

But no matter what.... God is needed there.

John