Romania

When finished this will be a home for a Gypsy king - really.

I really love the varieties of haystacks across the land

Creative parking at a petrol station exit in Cluj

Caramel Machiattos at...... Starbuck's in Cluj

and yet another road trip

This time to Gherla, Romania. Gherla is located in the Transylvania area of Romania about an hour north of Cluj or Kolozsvar as we say in Hungary.

I once thought my first mission assignment after Scotland would be Romania. I really enjoy the Romanian people I have met, they are so loving and hospitable. I have been fortunate to have traveled quite a bit in Romania and especially love the central and northern areas as they are so beautiful.

Tammy has meetings and training sessions with her INSTE ministry partners. We will also meet a missionary friend and may visit Starbucks in Cluj. Did you know there is NO Starbucks in Budapest?? How can this be? I suspect the taxes for new businesses in Romania are less expensive than in Hungary.

Well, time to go. Have a blessed day!

A wonderful visit to Diosjeno

The "apple picker" gadget nailed to a branch worked prett well
The stocked lake and yes they were fishing this weekend.
The beauty of a fall day. Photos by Tammy - or click on her blog under
"Certain Friends" for more of the story

We even had time to pick apples and hunt for walnuts among the fallen leaves. We moved some boxes in and made some plans for being comfortable for the winter and still do some needed renovation. We will return next weekend with more boxes. The neighbors were so welcoming and glad to meet Tammy. Looking forward to the return trip.

Nothing like a road trip to Diosjeno

Today Tammy and I head out to the country house, 50km north of Budapest. Something about this beautiful fall weather has always prompted a trip there. I usually would collect walnuts and pick apples but this year I go to show Tammy the house, move some boxes I packed today and see what preparations are needed for living there by the end of November.My neighbors are happy to have me headed there but are really sad to see the family that has lived there for 2 years go. The 3 kids were like their grandkids and the ladies prayed and encouraged each other in the Lord sometimes daily.

I look forward to staying for an extended time in this very special country house. What wonderful times of retreat, prayer and fellowship have taken place there..... with much more to come!

Back "Home" in Debrecen

A beautiful fall day on the "piac" with the Nagy Templom in the background

MJ & Tammy - my roomate who commutes 17 hrs to live in Debrecen

Open Bible Missionaries and friends, Tammy and Mike & Nancy J

Nancy enjoying her almas leves (apple soup). A friend works here and the meal was good.

The road ahead

Heading back to Hungary and moving from Debrecen in the east to 50km north of Budapest

This is the country house in Diosjeno where I will be living by end of November. Please pray with me about the logistics of the move and the help to complete it.

On December 8, I will be part of a team traveling to Krakow, Poland on an exploratory mission. I believe God spoke to me this spring about this nation opening up and about His desire for me to travel there. Within a few days, I received a call from Paul Berube asking me to pray about accompanying him on his first trip to .......Krakow, Poland! Thank you Lord for preparing ahead of time my answer. Interestingly enough, the country house in Diosjeno is positioned on the road to Poland .....just drive north and travel some hours through Slovakia. Thank you God for my future with hope!!

Happy Birthday, Mom - 88

Mom really enjoyed her cake. Family arrived at three different times and mom had cake every time and still ate dinner. Here she and I are with Rhonda and Jim.

Pray for Jim as he runs for Fulton County Treasurer in November. Kathi too, as she is campaigning as a write in vote for city Councilwoman.

Mom is doing so much better - physically, emotionally and mentally. She has settled in and is enjoying the staff and other patients. We are blessed about that! The entire family thanks you for all your prayers especially over this last year.

Visiting White Plains

Jonathan and Alex - grown men with Alex's precious daughter

She's a twirler!

Alex and Jenny

Jon and Amanda

Carolyn and Jerry

Together again in the office - Ilene, Lynn & MJ

In late 1980 Michael and I and a team of people moved to White Plains, New York to start a church. By early 1981, I found a job as a personal assistant to Carolyn, the president of a manufacturing company called Scale-Tronix. We were the sales and marketing office and the factory was in Chicago. We created and manufactured precision medical scales. Check it out at http://www.scaletronix.com/

Even from the beginning, Carolyn and I had a wonderful connection and great working relationship. Of course, we have lots of stories especially of how I interviewed for bookkeeper and found the math errors on spreadsheet but was hired for her personal assistant. Somehow in the transition, I never took the mandatory typing test as typing in those early days was the biggest portion of the assistant's job. To this day, Carolyn talks about hearing the - tap...tap tap...tap of my 2 fingered typing method.

Then we worked in the attic of her house and her first son, Jonathan was just over a year old when I began and Alex came along a couple of years later. We have another story about me "entertaining" the boys by "securing" them in a swivel typing chair and spinning them around. (I still don't get why mom was so upset - the boys loved it! ) Both boys were "models" for our scale photo shoots. As the family grew, the business grew and we soon moved into a great office building downtown. We looked more professional then but family and relationship was still important. I worked in White Plains with Scale-Tronix and Carolyn for 12 years. We have kept in touch sporadically by e-mail but this year I was able to visit the office, have dinner with the whole family and stay overnight. What a great time we had together.

Jon, Amanda and Lynn are talking of a trip to Budapest next year. Yeah!

In Poughkeepsie for Mikhaila's 12th Birthday

Mikhaila wanted sticky buns instead of cake and they were great! In the top photo with Mikhaila are her cousins Christopher and Veronica and her brothers Austine and Bryce. Here she is with Grandma Jilly and Nana Marie.

A refreshing time in New Hampshire

Margot and Sarah shopping at the Build a Bear Store

Almost every year I have been able to attend the GOIAM conference in Nashua, New Hampshire, hosted by my friends (Dr)! Paul and Sandy Berube. This year's was very special with over 15 nations and 14 states represented. The main speaker was Dr. R.T. Kendall who spoke to the church on Sunday - "Total Forgiveness", Tuesday - "Count it all Joy", and on Wednesday,"Wisdom". We had a great surprise when Dr A.J. Gill and his wife Joyce joined us for a day. He has written a book on the "Supernatural Healing Power of the Holy Spirit" and sees incredible miracles when he and Joyce pray for people. Paul asked him to impart that annointing to each of us and he did. We had a report the next session of a healing that took place! We were so encouraged by all the ministry and worship times. Listen for yourself at http://www.gracefellowship.org/ and click on podcasts.

Other blessings were spending time with old friends, international friends and making new connections. Margot and Sarah Ross were able to attend this year with Alan as Sarah's school vacation was the same week as the conference. I always love my Berube family time, and this year welcoming Chrissy and Jeff's new daughter Selah - where are those pictures?? Maybe I was too busy holding her :-) to take any.

The Ackerbauer's in Johnstown

Bryce 13, Mikhaila 12, Austin almost 11 Came to visit recently. (Mom & Dad,too). They had a wonderful time searching mom's house from attic to cellar, garage and all in between to see what "treasure" they could find. What interesting items and what different tastes everyone has. I was delighted that Raelene treasured a lot of the items I had rescued from the attic. She is head of the drama department so she can use the gowns, dresses, hats and costume jewelry. Michael took some old 78 rpm records and I packed a few for myself. Austin and Mikhaila each found a watch and Bryce a baseball bat probably made locally. The best thing was we got to spend such good time together including a visit with great grandma.

The line up above was to prove that Bryce is taller than I am and it seems to me that Austin is about to overtake Mikhaila.

I have been working at clearing out the house, packing, sorting and the family has been taking things away. We expect to close on the house very soon and on Monday morning everything that remains will be picked up for an auction on Wednesday. In the end, the season here has moved pretty quickly and I will travel back to Hungary soon.

Visiting with mom

Doesn't mom look good? She had just had her hair done and Kathi polished her nails. Mom was so glad to see me yesterday. We have had a great 2 days together. I had really missed her. The latest round of antibiotics seemed to have worked. She is much more like herself. Praise God! I will be cherishing this month with her.