Collet: May 2009

0 comments Posted by Ashley at 8:33 PM

I hope you are all doing well! I just wanted to send you a bit of an update on what's going on here in Romania. First, let me say that I am so glad that I chose to do this, and I am so grateful for the help and support that you all offered for this adventure.

Let me give you an idea of what life is like here: I live in NE Romania in a city called Iaşi (pronounced yash). The population is about 300,000-- it's the second-biggest city in Romania (there are several cities this size). There is so much variety in the architecture here, with tons of apartment blocs from when Romania was communist, but also lots of really beautiful, old buildings. Every morning (M-F), we go to the orphanage from 9-12, and then a few times a week we go to a children's hospital in the afternoons, where we visit the children without mothers there. Sometimes, there are infants, and we change their diapers and supply them with a few more, and other times the kids are older, and we bring a few simple toys and play with them.

There are definitely lots of emotional ups and downs with everything here, but I have learned so much already. The kids I'm working with (particularly at the orphanage) have taught me sooo much. I thought I was coming here to serve them, but I definitely think they are serving and teaching me more than I am serving/teaching them! I work with mostly infants and toddlers and a few older kids with severe disabilities who are unable to walk and talk, and they are such a wonderful group of kids! It is sometimes hard to see them struggling with their physical impairments and because they live in circumstances which would not exactly be described as ideal, but they are still so full of love, and are so happy most of the time! I am learning a lot about the commandment in Mosiah 3:19 to become as a child. There is truly a lot that I can learn from these kids.

As I have spent time with these children, I have felt so strongly that they are truly children of God, our Heavenly Father, and that He comforts them and watches over them. I have never felt God's love more strongly nor had a stronger testimony of the Plan of Salvation than when I hold one of those babies or kneel by the bed of one of the children. I know that they lived as spirits prior to coming here to earth, and they chose to come to this earth, and they will return to live with their Father in heaven. I can feel that they are so close to God's love-- closer than most other people on this earth. I am so grateful for all that they've taught me so far, and I look forward to learning even more!

I hope you are all doing wonderfully wherever you may be. I love you all!

Sara Collet

The Amazing Sara!!

0 comments Posted by Ashley at 12:04 PM

It is so amazing to see the impact that Sara is having in just the short time she has been in Romaina. She is doing such a great job and is loving every moment of it!! I'm so proud of you Sara Beara!!! Keep up the good work :) Love ya tons

Ashley

Cute Pictures from Romania!!!

0 comments Posted by Ashley at 11:53 AM

This is after we got caught in the rain for about 35-40 min on the walk home. You can't really tell, but we were pretty wet!
Love you all!
Sara

First real days in the orphanage!!!

0 comments Posted by Ashley at 10:06 AM

Hi family!

Thanks for responding to my previous emails. I just wanted to tell you a bit about my first couple of real days at the orphanage.

Yesterday and today, we tried out each of the rooms at the orphanage to get a feel for where we would like to work. There are so many cute kids there, and I learned so much from them today! They are all so eager and willing to love, even though they don't have homes and families. I am so grateful for their example of being "full of love" (Mosiah 3:19) and I'm excited to continue to learn more during this time here. We decided where we will be working at the orphanage today, and I will be in "isolation" where the babies and more medically fragile children are. It will be a little different than I imagined perhaps, but I know it will be a good experience. I'll tell you more about it when I know more!

I also went to hospital again today and got to see Cosmina and a few infants without mothers. I have a picture with one of the babies which I will send you when my friend Brittany emails it to me. He was such a cute baby, and only one month old.

Well, I hope you are all doing fabulously!

Love Sara,

Hospital and orphanage!!

0 comments Posted by Ashley at 11:42 PM

Bună famila!

Ce faceţi? (How are you?) I just wanted to update you about what's going on on this side of the globe. But before I do that, does anyone have a more up-to-date email for Chad, Kellie, or Matt? I'm not sure if the ones I have are correct.

Guess what? Yesterday and today, I got to go to the children's hospital, and today we got to tour the orphanage! Yay! THIS is why I came here-- finally!

Yesterday at the hospital, my friend Jena and I got to play with two cute girls whose moms weren't there at the hospital with them. One of the girls, Ioana, is five years old, and she is a little ball of energy! She kept bringing all of her friends-- as far as I could tell, everyone on the floor-- into the room and telling them that we spoke English. She spoke pretty much non-stop in Romanian, and it was fun to try to keep up with her. It was a fun, non-threatening way to practice speaking Romanian! When we went back today, she was going home, so I met her mom and her grandma and said goodbye to her. She was a cutie, but I was sure tired by the time I left yesterday!

The other girl in the room is named Cosmina, and we got to play with her again today. She has quite a bit of energy as well, and I think her favorite phrase is "mai altceva?" (basically asking, "what else do you have?") She loves bubbles and balloons and my red pen. She's six years old, and I think that she said that her mom is a professor/teacher and that she's coming to visit her tomorrow.

I also met a perfect, beautiful baby yesterday. The nurse came into the room with Ioana and Cosmina and asked for diapers, then took me to see the baby that they were for. She is five months old, and when I asked the nurse what her name was, I think she told me that she doesn't have one-- I think she said that she was left at a church. I just stood there and watched her sleep for a while, and thought about how beautiful and perfect she is and how I want to take her home with me! I don't understand why everyone comes to this world in different circumstances-- it really doesn't seem fair sometimes. But I know that Heavenly Father loves ALL of His children, and I love that little baby even though I don't really know her. I got to see her again today-- I wish I could hold her, but I'm not sure if I'm allowed today... maybe I'll try on another day.

We also got to tour the orphanage today, and that was so cool! The kids were adorable, and I'm excited to get to go there starting on Monday! I can tell I'm going to fall in love with them this summer.

I'd love to hear about what you all have been up to! Dad, how did your interview go? Pink, do you have another job now? Mom, how was your trip? Matt, are you getting these emails? How are the plans for Colorado coming? Chad and Kellie, how's California; how's Nelson? Ashley-- thanks for making the cute blog! Adam, are you feeling better?

Vă iubesc!

Sara

P.S. I can feel my English skills degenerating-- not that I don't speak English a lot more than I speak Romanian... I'm just saying, if there are grammatical/spelling errors in the above email, I'm sorry! And that feels weird for me to say, but yeah...

Pictures from {RoMaNiA}

0 comments Posted by Ashley at 10:00 PM

Sara's first [SuNdAy]

0 comments Posted by Ashley at 9:58 PM

Bună familia!

Today I had my first experience with church in Romania. I enjoyed it a lot, but it would have been better if I'd been feeling better! I left after Sunday school because I had a runny nose, watery eyes, and a headache. I came home and took a four-hour nap! So I feel much better now. I'm not sure whether I have a cold or allergies. Any pointers on how to tell? I took some benedryl, and I think it helped a lot. I'm just wondering because if it's allergies, then I might need to ask Mom/Dad to send benedryl because I'll need to take it a lot. But if it's a cold, hopefully it will go away. Anyway, enough about that.

It was definitely difficult to understand what was being said at church, but I did understand a few small things. And I bore my testimony in Romanian, which was a good experience. I got brave enough because a couple of the other girls in my group did before me, and I'd written down something to say, but then I decided not to use my notes, and I just said what I knew how to say. I know that the Lord is helping me in everything I've done so far here, and I know that He will continue to help me when I start working at the orphanage and children's hospital. With Him, I know that I am able to do things I otherwise would not be able to do.

My roommates and I have decided to learn 14 new words a day and to speak lots of Romanian. We still don't speak as much as we could, but it's been cool to realize that we really can say a lot of what we want to say if we stop and think about it. I'm excited to continue learning!

I love you all and I'm excited to hear from you!

Love, Sara

Sara's blog---Ashley writing

0 comments Posted by Ashley at 9:42 PM

Hey everyone,

I wanted to start a blog for my little sis Sara while she is away in Romania. I am so proud of her and what she is going to accomplish there. She is the best sis a girl could ask for so this is just something I can do for her since she doesn't have the time to. I am going to be updating this as often as I can. I hope you will all save this blog address and follow along for the 4 month adventure!! I love my Sara!!

Thanks Ashley Collet

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