A Dream that may Come True
Posted by Taryn on Thursday, September 2, 2010 at 9:25am

One of my heart's dreams is for my book to become available in Romania. I would love for people in Eastern Europe to be encouraged with some of the amazing things God has done in their midst. Two things happened this week that have encouraged me that my dream may become a reality before too long. An impromptu book signing occurred at the end of the staff conference. I arrived with a suitcase stuffed with 30 copies of my book in English, not enough for all the staff but enough for the ones who asked for a copy, the ones who are fluent in English. Late at night, as I bid many tearful good-byes, people kept bringing me their copy for a personal autograph. Many had started to read We Wait You at the conference and were excited about the possibilities of giving the books to their ministry partners. Yesterday, my train to Bucharest was 2-1/2 hours late. Our stop in Brasov was shortened to just one hour. Yet it was enough time to meet with the director of a Christian publishing house. She had read my book already and wants to take on the project of translating it into Romanian and publishing it in Romania. I'm thrilled about the possibility. One option would involve it being completed much sooner but would involve a financial investment on our part. The other option may mean it wouldn't be printed for a couple years. Either way, it will mean that these stories of how awesome our God is may be available in the Romanian language soon. I am humbled and excited. I can't wait. Travels
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A Celebration I'll Never Forget
Posted by Taryn on Wednesday, September 1, 2010 at 9:38am

The event that brought me 11,000 miles happened last night. It was a night so rich and deep in significance that I will never forget it. I believe God was glorified as we praised Him with one voice for doing what only He could do in Romania. About 20 people shared different aspects of the work of Campus Crusade in that country over the years. Some spoke via video; most of us spoke in person. Some blazed the way as early as 1978 by making secret trips to encourage believers. Some of us moved in-country after the revolution 20 years ago. Laughter and tears flowed freely. The ones of us who followed God's call to serve in Romania felt honored and appreciated. The current staff serving there were encouraged and strengthened in their faith. Each speaker recounted stories of God's grace and described what life was like in the time they served. When I spoke, I reminded that God is the same today as He was in 1989 when He brought them freedom. Today their needs may be different, but God is not. He can still do the impossible. The theme for the conference was: "Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to Thy name give glory because of They lovingkindness, because of Thy truth." (Psalm 115:1) When I was deciding whether to attend this conference, I considered if the money for my trip might be better spent by sending a check to the ministry. I honestly didn't know. My husband asked me what the Romanian staff would say. "That's easy," I said. "They would say they'd rather have me." Last night, I posed that question to several people. "We want you," they said. "We're so glad you came." So am I. Travels
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Generations
Posted by Taryn on Monday, August 30, 2010 at 6:51am
Me, Doina (not present), Clara, Cristina B(not present), Cristina M, Ana Maria
Every once in a while, God allows us to glimpse how He has used us in peoples' lives. This is one of those times for me and I will always treasure it. I have had precious conversations with spiritual children here - fruit from my team's ministry that has remained for 20 years and has borne more fruit and continues to bear fruit. Many of these dear ones whose lives God allowed me to touch are spiritual nieces and nephews, led to Christ by brothers and sisters on my teams, but whose lives I also touched. More generations are also present: grandchildren, great nieces and nephews, great-grandchildren. I feel encouraged, honored, grateful, and humbled by their words to me: "Thank you for the things you taught me." "You will always have a place in my heart." "I will forever remember your smile." "Thank you for coming to Romania and for staying so many years." "We love your tender heart for Romania." "You will always be one of us." Some have thanked me for my sacrifice in coming to them. But it doesn't feel like I gave up anything - at least not in hindsight. A missionary's love for the people to whom God has called them is like a parent's love for their child. It is not something sought after; it is God-given. It can't be explained; it defies logic. A child's actions can not change a parent's love. All of we Americans at this conference have expressed the same feelings of being overwhelmed with emotion. As I look at the room full of Romanian staff, I'm not sure they fully comprehend how deep our love is for them. No, it was a pleasure, not a sacrifice. Travels
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Getting Filled Up
Posted by Taryn on Sunday, August 29, 2010 at 6:10am

Already, after only a day and a half in Romania, my heart is full. I have had many conversations with dear friends, some in Romanian, some in English, most half and half. We've laughed as we've relived funny memories (remember when ant was translated aunt?); we've discussed struggles the younger staff have with raising their financial support; we've grieved together friends who are no longer with us. But mostly we've connected on a heart-to-heart level that defies explanation. Many of the Campus Crusade staff were students when I met them in the early 1990s. I know their stories of when they came to faith in Christ. Some have been on staff 19 years, almost as many as I served. They were in their early twenties then and now they're in their early forties - the age I was when I left Eastern Europe for the States. This morning, as we sang "Holy is the Lord" together in the melodic Romanian language, I looked out on those faces that I and my teammates have loved and prayed for over the decades. The tears starting flowing. One of my favorite things to do here was to sing worship songs together in Romanian. I realized, I am back. I'm in Romania. After the singing, I slipped out to catch up with David and Susan, my former teammates. One of the guys came running after me. "They want you on the stage," he said. We ran together down the newly mopped hallway, into the conference room, over all the microphone cords, and onto the stage. Daniela (pictured above) spontaneously interviewed three of us women who returned for the celebration. The first two answered their questions in English. She asked me how I felt coming to Romania. I took the microphone and said, "Mi-a fost frica" and told why I was afraid of living in this country at that time. Everyone applauded and many told me they were so encouraged that I still remembered how to speak in Romanian. God has answered my prayers to cause a little of the language, rusty as it is, to come back. He's also answered my prayers to allow me to quickly recover from jet lag and adjust to the new time. How can it get any better than it is already? Yet I expect it will. I can't wait for the big celebration in just two days. Travels
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Familiar and yet vastly different
Posted by Taryn on Saturday, August 28, 2010 at 2:36am

I am back in Romania. It feels more than a bit surreal to be here, or maybe that's just the jetlag. As my plane started its descent yesterday, I seriously thought I had boarded the wrong one in Frankfurt because the Bucharest airport I knew did not look anything like this one. I remembered my first time landing at this airport, 20 years ago. Soldiers in their long wool coats and Russian hats had lined the tarmac and inside the airport, with their machine guns poised. Nothing was automated or computerized in those days. Lists were written by hand; luggage was carried in on carts. Now I waltzed through a clean, orderly, and modern airport. Nothing was familiar except the colleague who met me to drive me to the conference site. The gorgeous sunshine and blue skies made the journey a pleasure. We glided along new, smooth highways. Modern gas stations and fast food places were interspersed with handmade baskets and rugs for sale along the side of the road. And the cars! There were so many, mostly sturdy German ones, very few Dacias from the Communist era. Since it was the end of the work week, I experienced a new phenomenon in Romania - a traffic jam. We navigated spruced-up towns with flowers adorning windowboxes and sidewalks. The Romania of my memory became visible once we hit the mountains: familiar haystacks, shepherds and their sheep, horsedrawn wagons laden with hay, beautiful carved wooden gates, women sitting on benches gossiping, widows dressed in black walking, men riding bikes home from work. When we stopped to get some water, I thanked the clerk in the store by saying, "Koszonom." My brain automatically opened up the Foreign Language Drawer and out popped the greeting in the last country I lived in - Hungary. I meant to say the Romanian "multumesc" but the wrong words came out. And then as I filled out my registration card at the conference center, I wrote out "Richardson Taryn." I'd put my maiden name - my name when I lived in Romania and so I slipped back into that identity. I am changed with a new name but still the same at my essence, just as Romania is. Thirty hours after my husband and I left for the airport, I arrived at the hotel, bone weary and brain fogged with jet lag. The excitement of catching up with my dear friends kept me going until bedtime Romania time. This morning, the first sound I heard as I opened my eyes was the timeless clip-clop of horses' hooves pulling their wagon to market. I've come home. Some things will hopefully never change. Travels
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