Team Craiova: August 2008

Monday, August 11, 2008

I haven't time to write to you about all that is going on. Ani died last night. She is the Romanian mom I wrote you about earlier who had cancer. Pray for the church here. Pray that we can be a help not a burden as they go thru this difficult week.

We will write more later.

Sherryl

I am forwording Rich's email:
nday morning, 11 August

Last night at around 11:30 p.m., Anisoara's struggle came to an end. We will miss her. Thank you for your prayers for her boys, and her parents. It is a difficult situation, but we have a big God. Pray for Rich, as he prepares for the funeral. It will be the first funeral for a member of the church here, and we know that there will be many non-believers attending. Ani had a large circle of friends, and so many of them say, "She was there for me when I needed help." Rich plans to share her testimony at the funeral. Pray that people would have ears to hear that Ani's hope was in Jesus.

* * * * * * * * * *
The team from Columbia, Missouri, led by Sherryl and Keith Laws, arrived in Craiova at 2:30 a.m. Sunday, after flight and baggage problems. We are waiting for five of their bags to be delivered by courier. They will work on the building, do a Vacation Bible Club, and share scrapbooking talents with us. Pray for them, and for us, as our schedule remains flexible, and now will include a memorial service for Ani.

The teenagers also arrived back from a week at camp early Sunday morning. Our David went, for the first time, and had a great time. The team from Blackhawk, Wisconsin spent a week in Craiova before the camp, and then traveled with them about 8 hours north of here to a beautiful area in the Carpathian mountains, for an incredible camp experience. I hope to receive some stories and pictures to share with you.

Last Monday, five men from our partner church in Trexlertown, PA came to help on the building for one day. (They came to work in another city in Romania, but wanted to share one day of their talents with us.) One of them, Rick Shoemaker, fell off of a ladder, and cracked a couple of ribs. Please pray for him, for a full recovery from this painful injury. We are thankful that it wasn't worse.

Please pray for the safety and efficiency of the team we have here now. Several of them are professionals, but some of their tools and equipment are in the lost bags, which is frustrating. Doors and windows for the sanctuary have been ordered, and they are supposed to be installed Friday. Our present goal is that the plumbing, water, and electric will be completed by the building permit deadline of October 6th. This would allow us to begin using the building, as we complete the rest as funds and manpower permit.

We're so thankful that we are not alone. Our God is so big, so strong and so mighty, there's nothing He can't do. Thank you for your encouragement, your participation with us in this Vision project, and for your prayers, especially now for Ani's family.

Martha and Rich

Taste of Romania Menu and Recipes

Taste of Romania Menu and Recipes
I am not a expert on Romania food. But this is a typical menu of what we have been served and we will try to use for our menu. But please try other recipes. When we were in someone's home, the meal was always served in courses.First course: A plate of cheese (white cheese) and Salam (salami to us) and eggplant spread and cheese spread. This is served with bread -homemade/Panera type, not sliced bread.Second: soupThird: Sarmale (this is a stuffed cabbage roll) and Mamaliga. (to me this is a cross between cornbread and mush)Also I might add they we were often served fried pork.A plate of tomatoes and cucumbers lightly sprinkled with feta cheese.Fresh cooked green beans, pretty much how we cook them.Fourth: WatermelonI know they have a lot of desserts. None really stand out in my mind. I just remember having watermelon almost after every meal. Of course we were there in the summers.I hope some one will try making one of the desserts from the cookbook.If you would like to try a Romania Recipe there are a lot online and I will post some. There are copies here. The try of meat and cheese or tomatoes and cucumbers would be easy.Eggplant Salad (Spread) Adela Herth5 eggplants (app. 2 kg/4.5 lbs)200 ml (app. 1 cup) oil or moresalt1 medium onionBake the eggplants in a pan at 400 F for 45 minutes (they have to be joicy inside). Peel. Put them on a plate and wait 15 minutes to drain. Chop the eggplants (traditionally with a wooden spoon/chopper--stainless sleet knife works, too, or a food processor). Put the eggplants in a bowl. Chop the onions finely and add. Mix well and season with salt to taste. Gradually add the oil and continue to mix until a creamy mixture is obtained. Instead of oil, you can also use mayonnaise (1 cup).Mix everything and keep in the fridge. Best served cold.The Supa de Galusti from Beatrice GhitiouIngredients:1 chicken1 onion1potato3 carrots5 celery sticks2 turnips500g semolina3 eggSalt & PepperPre prep: The chicken must be cut in peaces. All the vegetables must be washed and cut in half except the potato and onion.Take a pretty big pot and fill it 2/3 with cold water (5l). Place all the chicken pieces in the water with some salt. Put on stove and bring to boil at max temperature. There should be some sort of dark foam forming on the top of the water, just remove it with a spoon.As soon as the chick and the water have come to boil, put the temperature at ｼ of the max possible on your stove and add all the vegetables except the potato. You will have to boil the chicken with the vegetables for at least 30 minutes. Slow cook with a lid half way over the pot. E.g. (If the max on your stove is 8, then put the temperatureat 3.).After the 30 minutes of slow cooking, place the potato in the soup and let it cook for another 25 to 30 minutes.At the end of the the 55-60 minutes of slow cooking, you will take the supa off the stove and take out all the ingredients.The end: You will take the 3 eggs and beat them with a fork till they are mixed. Then you will start adding the semolina (to the beaten eggs) till it has a relatively solid consistency. On a scale of 1 as the running consistency and 10 as the absolute solid and hard consistency, you will aim toward 6.5 – 7. Once you have this semolina and eggs mixed together you will take a spoon and add spoon fulls to a boiling soup that has now gone back on the stove for the final addition of the ‘galusti’. You will add all the semolina with spoon fulls and boil for about 5 minutes.As a really nice thing to do, you will take some fresh parsley and chop it and throw into the soup as you take it off the fire. (for 6 people)Ciorba with Meatballs Pusa CiobanuPrepare 300 g. ground meat (pork or beef) by adding 1 finely chopped onion, pepper, salt or chicken bouillon, and 1 egg.In 5 liter stock pot, boil 1 chopped onion, grated carrot, 2 Tbsp. rice. Make ping pong ball sized meatballs, roll in flour and add to soup, on med. heat. When meatballs have cooked, add chopped tomatoes, salt or bouillon to taste. “Sour” to taste with lemon salt. Sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley and serve with sour cream or yogurt.Mamaliga Four servings of You'll need:1-1/2 cups cornmeal2-1/8 cups water1 Tbsp. saltSour creamYour choice of cheese (Iuliana uses fresh cheese she makes from milk given by her dairy cows)Kitchen stringBoil water in a heavy pot.Add salt.When water boils, pour the cornmeal gradually into the pot, mixing it continually with a spoon.Stir until the mamaliga thickens.When mamaliga becomes difficult to stir, remove from heat.Turn mamaliga out onto a working surface.Cut into thin layers using string.Alternate layers of mamaliga with cheese and sour cream, repeating as desired.Enjoy!Sarmale Lidia Popa1 kg. ground pork and beef mixture2 large onion2 Tbsp. ricesalt and pepper1 grated carrottomato saucebouillon cubes or granules and/or a little baconChoose a large cabbage or 2 smaller ones.Separate the leaves and group by size. Place a couple of leaves or the center cores from the leaves in the bottom of a 5 liter baking pan, with a little bacon or salt pork, 2 bay leaves, a little tomato sauce, peppercornsMix the ground meat with the other ingredients, onions and grated carrots can be sautéed a bit, then mixed with the other ingredients. Make cabbage rolls. Fill each cabbage leaf with a little meat mixture and roll up, tucking ends in. Place in pan on end, tightly packed, one next to the other, and cover with another cabbage leaf. Add a cup or so of water and boil on top of the stove, then 1/2 hour in oven.

Biserica Evanghelica Libera din Craiova

Monday, August 11, 2008

Donations for the Completion of the Criaova Church to:

TEAM MEMBERS

Chillicothe Faction

Scott's battle with cancer

Romania Trip 2006

Laws Family - July 14, 2007

Tim and Beatrice in the Rain

Blog Archive

Millhouse Family

Taste of Romania Menu and Recipes

Romania Trip 2006

Scott with Millhouse Kids

Brothers

Matthew 28:19-20

Matthew 5:14,16