walking next to you...

once we arrived in cluj, we had a day to do laundry and off to camp! aura and i were invited to participate in a camp for romanian youth while i was in romania...it was fantastic. the term "youth" is different in romania...they consider you youth for a very long time. i am not certain as to why but that is just how it works. so, the age ranged from 14 to 30, which made for a very interesting time:) aura and i were given the task of translating! it was quite the challenge, a good one:) the camp was held in sucevita, a mountain community in romania.

it was a fantastic week. we were encouraged to build community and that worked wonderfully. we spent time together everyday, reading scripture, doing music, visiting monasteries, eating, praying, it was wonderful. i was reminded of why i love community so much! because we are called to love and to build relationship and it is so necessary. being up there, away from everything, my vision was very clear...brilliant. i mind was consumed with thoughts about tradition. i love it, but not when it is empty and as we went to the different monasteries, i witnessed a great deal of emptiness. i love the different church traditions we participate in as followers. but i want to participate in these things as a result of the beckoning love of our Father, not unmotivated ritualism. that is something i saw throughout the country... a lack of spiritual motivation. so anywho, here are a few photos from our time at camp:)

group photo:)
these photos are from sucevita monastery. it was built between 1583 and 1601 and it is just beautiful. it has been wonderfully preserved...the coloring is just beautiful. restoration is currently taking place on the walls inside...




more photos of monasteries and other neat happenings soon...