Tasty Tuesday ~ Reflections on Romania

My suitcase is half unpacked and laying on the floor at the end of our bed, looking forlorn and ignored after accompanying me over many miles. Sorry, suitcase. Jet lag. :)

I'm blaming a lot on jet lag the past couple days, including being slow to re-engage the blogging part of my mind. When I try to think "blog," all I get is: fog, slog, bog. There's a theme here ....

And really, my mind is full and digesting our time in Romania. I was even awake at 5 am mentally chewing on the week past and fighting the urge to take myself for an early farmer's platter at Cracker Barrel. So ... I fought the pancake urge and came up with a "first step" to re-engaging my blogging self and beginning to put words to the experience of our ministry time in Romania. You'll understand, then, that I decided to start with ..... FOOD. :) After all, I often do a "food theme" for Tasty Tuesday!

While waiting under a large umbrella at a small table teetering on the wide cobblestones of Sibiu, Romania, we caught glimpses of children and adults of all varieties, swinging a loop of rough twine from fingers on one hand, while pinching off pieces of warm pretzel with the other. The twisted rings were sprinkled with sesame seeds or poppy seeds and had a distinctly salty taste when they melted in your mouth. Our sweet hostess Mihaela bought a twine of pretzels for us to try, and we were giddy with the pleasure of experiencing a local treat, the fresh from the window taste, and the fun of eating from a string. But the string was only the beginning ...

While enjoying our food and visual parade of Romanian people, European tourists (I recognized 2 who had flown on our plane!), and occassional gypsy families who whirled by in a blaze of color, we noticed large sugary dough discs leaving the same window, but wrapped in think paper that was translucent when hot oil soaked in. Two days later, we found ourselves loose in the same street, without our Romanian hosts. The smell of the "Langousche" (totally guessing at the spelling) wafted out of the window and called our names. Jeff was finishing up a purchase, so Pastor S and I counted up our Lei and mustered our courage to approach the window, knowing only the word for the doughnut we longed for. It worked! As Jeff caught up to us, Pastor S and I turned around, triumphant with two of the heavenly pastries, his filled with local cheese and raisins, and mine filled with chocolate (this was the best of all worlds). Once Jeff tasted the local treat he joined in our joy of discovery.

Food defines a place and lodges in my memory as a sort of "bookmark" for an experience. Food flows from the people and life. While in Romania we ate lots of potatoes, bread, cheese, tomatoes, and pickles. We drank a lot of dark coffee. But one of my favorite flavors will be the Langousche filled with chocolate, warm from the oven, just inside the window, above the cobblestones, along the ancient medievel street, filled with people, in Sibiu. I close my eyes and see the beautiful scene, and I am amazed at the creativity of our Maker, who created all cultures and will one day be served by them... all. I think the Romanians will bring Langousche. :)

"He (Jesus) came to the Ancient of Days and they brought Him near before Him. Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away," Daniel 7.

More to share as the slog/fog/bog lifts ....