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FAQs
Q: Why Romania?
A: God has led us to the country of Romania in part because of a mission trip Dave took to Belarus in 2004. During that trip, God opened his eyes to the spiritual needs of the old Soviet Union and the former communist countries of Eastern Europe.
Upon Dave's return from Belarus we began to invetigate ministry opportunities and mission agencies. It was during that time we learned that Baptist Mid-Missions had a strong presence in Romania. God allowed us to take a survey trip to Romania in March 2006, which confirmed that God was indeed calling us to the country of Romania.
Q: Who lives in Romania?
A: Romania is home to over 22 million people. There are primarily two groups of people living in Romania, Romanians (as well as Hungarians and Germans) and the Gypsies. The Romanian people are friendly and hard-working and place great importance on time spent with family. They live a more simple way of life but they make certain that their children receive a thorough education, and they have great hopes for the future. Most are Romanian Orthodox in religion and attend beautiful churches in every village.
There are 2 million Gypsies (or Roma) living in Romania. They originally came out of India and spread into many European countries. They have very dark hair, dark eyes, and a little darker skin color, similar to those in India. The Gypsies are treated as outcasts in Romania and struggle for daily labor and food. Most are extremely poor, which contributes to a life expectancy that is 15-20 years less than the Romanians. More than half of the adults cannot read or write. Within the Gypsy culture there is a caste system, similar to India. In Romania, 70% of the Gypsies fall into the lowest and poorest caste. Those we would be ministering to are primarily in this group.
Q: What language is spoken in Romania?
A: The Romanian people speak Romanian. As a Romance language, it is similar to French, Spanish, and Italian. Our first year in Romania will be devoted to language study in a Christian language school located in Timisoara. Language school will consist of primarily one-on-one tutoring. Once we are fluent in the language, we will move two hours north, near Oradea, to begin our ministry.
The Gypsies in Romania speak Romanian, but they also speak their own language, Romany. While the language has been written down, it is used primarily as an oral language, making it more difficult to learn. But it is our desire to eventually learn as much as we can of their language so that we can reach the Gypsies in their own tongue.
Q: What is the weather like in Romania?
A: Romania is much further north than our home in Cincinnati, Ohio. It is along the same latitude as Maine, so one would expect much colder weather. However, the weather of northwest Romania is very similar to that of southwest Ohio. They experience four seasons, with very little temperature extremes.
Q: Where do Romanians live?
A: Most Romanian homes or buildings are built of concrete block or bricks that are plastered over for a smooth finish. The larger towns and cities have many Communist-era apartment buildings that are very simple and functional in design. Individual Romanian homes all have a metal wall and gate that protects the home as it sits only a few feet from the road. The older homes in the villages and towns are actually built as a cluster of separate buildings which are used for sleeping, cooking, and housing animals. Some of these homes have limited electricity and no running water.
The Gypsies live in a separate section of each town. The physical differences in the homes are very striking. Some of the Gypsies live in homes that the Romanians used to live in, but many of them build their homes themselves out of bricks of clay and straw (like the Israelites in Egypt!). Then they plaster over the straw bricks. Many Gypsy homes have only one small room; others have two rooms. They are heated by a small wood-burning stove that is also used for cooking. Very few homes have running water, and almost every family uses an outhouse.
During our first year in Romania while we are in language school, we will probably rent an apartment or a house or duplex. Eventually we'd like to be in a house. We will be living in a more modern-style Romanian housing.
Q: What form of government does Romania have?
A: Romania is a democratic republic. The people freely elect both a President and a Prime Minister for a term of 5 years each. Romania was formerly a communist country for over 40 years. That ended in 1989 when Romania's dictator, Nicolae Ceausescu, and his wife were overthrown and executed during the revolution. The country has made many social changes and economic reforms since then. In January 2007, Romania joined the European Union.
Q: What are the predominant religions in Romania?
A: Over 86% of Romanians are Romanian Orthodox, 7% are Protestant, and 4% are Catholic. The Romanian Orthodox are very similar to Greek Orthodox and Russian Orthodox. While they are not the same as Catholics (one difference is that they have no Pope), they function very much as Catholicism does. For example, you only get to heaven when you die by working hard and being good (works-based salvation); you must be baptized to be saved; only the priest can give forgiveness; etc.
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