Texas, is that you?

Friday we landed in Dallas, I stepped off that plane and was hit with the heat. I definitely didn’t miss that. Since being back I have told my story 100+ times, I haven’t let the fire of my excitement die down, and I have been looking in to ways that I can get involved here in my community in Denton. I can say that I still am not acclimated back to Texas, or this time zone. I still find myself sleeping at 8 PM, and awake at 3 AM. Lord help me. 

This trip was incredibly life changing for me. It brought to light so many new opportunities for myself and those around me. I gained a family that I feel will last a lifetime. Going to Romania I was terrified, I was anxious. Coming home, I am determined, I am burning with a new passion. It took a while for me to process everything, and I think even as I write this I am still processing. 

I have decided that at some point in the near future I want to return to Romania and hopefully work with some of the organizations we worked with. I want to make a difference, I know I can’t change the world. But if I can change just one persons bad day to good that is enough for me. 

Thank you to everybody who supported me on my journey, and for all of the uplifting prayers and words of advice, strength and courage. You all will never know how dear I hold it to my heart. 

Final days

As we have entered this week, we are also entering our last few days out of the states, today is also our last day in Romania. Tomorrow we will be going to Budapest, Hungary for our final 2.5 days. 

I have been so truly blessed for the family I have acquired from this trip. Yesterday was my birthday and I had no clue that they had made me a card or gotten me anything. These people that started as strangers are now people I hold dearly to my heart. But also, as we enter our final days in country, we are all exhausted and ready for some relaxation. If I’m being honest, I’m ready to see my dog. 

So as these days come to an end, I would just like to take a moment and thank everybody who made this trip possible for all of us. Especially our leaders, Julie and Hope. We would all have fallen apart without the mentoring and teaching of these two wonderful ladies. 

Hiking, or death?

Today we went hiking up the Turda Gorge. It was a rough trek going up AND coming down. The top was definitely my favorite part. I have discovered that anytime somebody is at the top of the mountain (figuratively and literally) giving encouragement or saying “come on you can do it” really just made me want to punch them or yell. The climb up was rough, but once we were at the top the view of gods creation was BEAUTIFUL. And so worth every drop of sweat and every struggle to get there. Coming down was definitely an experience, never have I ever gone down such a steep slope. I ended up (along with a few others) sliding down on my butt because if I didn’t I would trip and fall–which I still did many times. 

All in all, today was an amazing day and an amazing experience. I felt like dying on my way up and down the mountain. But once it was all said and done I couldn’t be more thankful for getting to see what God has created from a different point of view. Even though I probably told my leaders I didn’t like them many times, I am still very thankful they professor-pressured me into going!

Explotation

Yesterday, we went to the “forest” with the organization that we are working with. It was so beautiful and it was really a pleasure getting to spend time away from the hustle of the city and just let go. We played games all day, I learned how to play ultimate frisbee–somewhat– as a group, it was truly a bonding experience for all of us.

On the way to the forest, one of the workers from the organization was driving us. She was telling us along the way that many of the buildings that we walk past or that we had driven by are where girls are being held against their will and being forced to have sex for money–prostitution. While I somewhat knew this already it really started becoming real for me. We had met a few of the girls from the shelter and had been told a little about their story, but it just didn’t hit me until she was telling us this.

On the way back to our hotel from the forest, we passed 2 girls sitting on the side of the road. There were cops pulled over next to them. I asked the worker if the police here do anything about the exploitation or the prostitution and she said, “Sometimes they will write them a bill–ticket– but more often than not they will just tell them to have sex with them to avoid the bill. They do not typically do anything about the issue.” This really hit home with me. The people that are supposed to be protecting and helping these girls–who I’d like to point out are typically between ages 11-25ish– are the ones EXPLOITING them. How is this fair at all. As we kept driving we passed another young girl, she looked to be maybe 15 just sitting on the side of the road waiting. Next we passed a girl that was probably my age–21– standing there in a bra and incredibly short shorts.

This pissed me off to no end when I saw/heard all of this. These girls need protecting, they need saving, they need love that they will never truly get from their pimp. It is so unfair that the police are doing nothing to help them. Many do not realize that this isn’t an issue thats exclusive to Romania or even to Europe, IT IS WORLD WIDE. The #1 hub of trafficking in the states is in my home state of Texas. If that isn’t an issue, then I’m not sure what is.

As we have been on this trip, I have learned many things about myself and the country.

1. I cannot function on little sleep.
2. Romania is a totally different place. Nothing like home.
3. It is difficult to communicate when you don’t speak the native tongue.
4. This group that I am traveling with has become another family for me. I would do anything for any of them.
5. My favorite and the biggest change I’ve noticed in myself, I want to work with the after-care side of trafficking

The after-care is where the girls or children are taken to rehabilitate themselves. I have learned that this is a passion of mine. The girls that we have met at the shelter are such an inspiration to me and they are so strong, I hope to learn from them. I never knew that I would be interested in working with victims of trafficking, but I also six months ago did not think that I would be typing a blog from Romania right now. But here I am, in Bucharest, Romania. I hope that over the next two weeks we have in Romania that I learn so much more and that this becomes even more of a passion of mine.