Santa and his ladder

In Romanian Santa is called "Mos Craciun." When we first moved here I remember being very confused why Santa was always pictured climbing a ladder. But of course with all the very tall block buildings and no chimneys-Santa has to climb up the buildings somehow!!!

100 Sheep, 2 shepherds, and 1 donkey

Living in Bucharest is never dull. As Eric and I were driving home from the grocery store, we looked up at this little grassy area (in the middle of a city of 2 million plus people) and there were over 100 sheep, 2 shepherds (dressed just like you would imagine out of the Bible) and 1 donkey. Eric and I just looked at each other and started laughing and then looking for the camera. Of course it was sitting at home. We also both said "OIR"-its our code for "Only in Romania" Romania is such a country of contrasts. I had just exited a very modern day supermarket, hypermarket as we call them here, and then was confronted by a scene that seemed centuries old. I also thought that it was God's Christmas Gift to me because both Samuel and Hannah have seemed very interested in the whole shepherd/angel idea. What a great reminder of the simplicity of Christmas!

Happy Birthday Hannah!!

Hannah is 2!!!! How is it that it has been 2 whole years since she was born here in Bucharest???? We celebrated with her favorite character-Elmo and some of her friends. Half of her party was at a little bounce house place and the other half was at our apartment. She smiled so much-she truly is a joy!!

Luau Cookout

This year I have the opportunity to be the co-adviser for Student Council at BCA. Its a lot of fun and I get to help the students plan fun events and also get to know some of them better in a different setting than the classroom. They planned this Luau with Hula Lessons, Limbo, and the annual rock, scissors, paper game which is always a hit!! It was a lot of fun!

Homeschool Preschool Fun

Since I am home in the mornings now and teaching in the afternoon I feel that I have more quality time with the kids. We've been doing little preschool activities each morning-nothing fancy, just learning letters and reading fun books and coloring. It is really more of a way to organize their time and give them various experiences. When we did the letter B-we had Bob the Builder's Birthday Party with their friends and when we did the letter D-we went to the park and fed ducks. While online searching for fun activities, I am amazed at all the fabulous homeschooling parents there are out in the world. Me? I am just trying to stay sane while enjoying my 2 and 3 year old!!

Woman and her Cow

I took this picture while driving just outside the city. We were actually stuck in traffic and I just looked at my window and there they were. I don't know if you can see it in the picture but she is walking her cow with a little leash. I love Romania!

Secondary Retreat-Bran, Romania

We had the priveledge again of atteding BCA's Secondary Retreat. All of the students in grades 7-12 and most of the teachers (and their small ones like Samuel and Hannah) spend 3 days up near the mountains in Transylvania. It is such a beautiful place to be and so different than Bucharest.

The students have many meetings with a speaker and a spiritual emphasis and also have the opportunity to get to know each other while playing games and hanging out. Eric and a lot of the students played tackle football during free time. I participated in a staff vs. students volleyball game that the staff actually won!!! And everyone always looks forward to the bonfire and smores!! Samuel and Hannah had a great time and were spoiled by all the students!!!

We so enjoy these times of being able to pour into the students' lives. Praise God for his goodness to us!!

Our Summer Furlough Adventure

We were in the United States for a total of ten weeks and had so many wonderful experiences. We had the opportunity to share with many groups and individuals about our ministry at Bucharest Christian Academy. Also, we were so blessed be people's genuine interest and generosity to us.
But for me what tops the list was watching my kids interacting with their grandparents-it is what we miss and grieve the most when we are gone so it was such a special time.

Back to Blogging in Bucharest

I'm not exactly sure why I had such trouble finding time to blog while on furlough in the U.S. I mean I had so many blog worthy adventures this summer but could not quite get it together. Well, now we've been back in Bucharest about a month and school is in full swing and have once again decided start blogging.

Graduation

Bucharest Christian Academy had 6 graduates this year. The graduation ceremony was so -wonderful-I think mostly because with that small number of graduates-everything is so personal and meaningful. The students in the class of 2008 were from very diverse backgrounds but they all bonded because they were here together in Romania. They are each special individuals who I know will make their mark on the world for the glory of God. Congratulations Christina, Sean, Kyle N., Kyle R., Rachael, and Lauren!!!!

BCA Field Day

It has been a tradition for several years now that on the second to last day of school, all students participate in a Field Day. Field Day consists of teams, games, relays, and lots of fun. After the team events, the whole school played "Capture the Flag". Eric was in charge this year because he is the P.E. teacher. I got to help out by being a team leader and I am proud to say that my team who named themselves the "Pink Power Puffs" won two events!!The students had a great time and rewarded Eric by drenching him with their water guns and frozen water bottles!!!

P.E. Final Exam

For the 7-12th graders final exam in P.E. Eric rented a soccer field and they had to demonstrate what they learned during the unit on soccer. Each student had to demonstrate different kicks and then they had the opporunity to play a game. Since they only get to play at school in a very small concrete square, the students were thrilled to play at a "real" soccer field. I think Eric has done such a great job this year teaching all grade levels and especially with all the space constraints!!! I am always in awe how much the elementary students bonded with him! (I get to brag on him a little since he's my fabulous husband!)

BCA Talent Show

The students at BCA put on a wonderful talent show-students from K-12 all participated! There were the normal piano pieces, guitar solos, singing, and of course skits. Some of the high school students decided to perform a skit entitled "BCA Survivor". They asked Eric to be the host. Eric was very excited for his acting debut, but unfortuately a small car accident prevented him from participating (He was at the police station for several hours and he was not injured Praise God!!) So I had to fill in for him at the last moment. The "punchline" of the skit is that I, Mrs. Kooiman get voted out of BCA Survivor. It was a lot of fun and I love being part of the school life here!!

Easter in Romania

Although most of you celebrated Easter almost six weeks ago, Romania follows the Orthodox calendar and so we just had easter last Sunday, April 27th. Unlike the States, where Christmas is by far the biggest holiday, in Romania, Easter is much bigger. Everyone at stores, and even the journalists on TV all say "Christ is Risen" in Romanian. This is the greeting on the street (Now keep in mind, that for many, it is simply a ritual). We had a wonderful time at church and had a big meal with several friends as well as an American Easter Egg hunt for the kids.

Another tradition in Romania is decorating eggs--which can be quite intricate. Families often dye eggs and try to crack one another's eggs saying "Hristos a inviat" (Christ is Risen), while the other person holding his/her egg replies "Adevarat a inviat" (He is risen indeed). Whoever's egg doesn't crack is the winner.

Pie in the Face!

Eric, (known as Mr. Kooiman to all the kids) was one of three teachers asked to participate in a pie in the face "contest." The juniors at BCA were sponsoring the event as a fundraiser for their Junior/Senior Banquet. For two weeks, there were jars which the kids put money into for the teacher they wanted to see get the pie in the face. I'm pretty sure they chose Eric because he teaches the entire school except kindergarten and he makes all the kids run (which they hate!). In fact, just before the announcement most of the elementary kids were chanting "Mr. Kooiman, Mr. Kooiman." But in the end, it came down to just 1 Lei (romanian money), and Mr. Perkins, the Bible teacher was "the winner."