Seven Days In

I must admit I was surprised. Pushing open the iron preschool gate, Sara stood smiling proudly at the slide she had just conquered. As I called out her name, thinking surely she'd be happy to leave her preschool behind for the day, Sara pleaded, "Daddy, can I just slide one more time?" Incapable of speaking, I nodded affirmatively.

Could this really be my child? The blonde American girl who is not even three years old and barely knows three words in Romanian? Begging to stay longer? I thought half a day would be more than enough.

As Sara scrambled up the slide's ladder, pushing her way between two kids who clearly thought she was taking too long (Romanian kids tend to be more aggressive than Americans), I doubted my eyes. Perhaps the teachers will tell me the truth, I thought. Surely Sara's first day in Romanian preschool didn't go this well!

"Well, she cried for a few minutes when you left, but then she danced and sang and played with the rest of them," Sara's main teacher, Doamna Florentina, related with lots of hand gestures. Doamna Florentina is a lifelong preschool teaching veteran. And, praise God, she is also smitten with Sara. "She will be fine," she added, dissipating the fear in my eyes.

So much for Day One.

Yet here, at the conclusion of Day Seven, I remain in awe every time I pick up Sara. There have been and will be incidents of culture and language tension, of course. For example, last week the teacher called me to say that Sara was crying and needed to be picked up early. Jessica ended up going and found out that Sara could not find a straw for her juice box. Although she asked the teachers repeatedly in English, no one there could figure out the problem, and Sara became upset. Once Jessica explained this to the teachers, they responded, "Well, makes sense that she would cry." Then they handed Sara a straw and the crying stopped.

It is a learning experience for us all. Every afternoon, though, Sara is playing with other little girls and having a wonderful time.

I'll never forget her summary of that first day. "What did you think of your first day of school?" I asked.

Jumping up and down for emphasis, Sara yelled, "Best school ever!"

On seven years with IMB

LinkedIn informed me this week that Jessica and I have now served with IMB seven years. As I began to receive the "Congrats on your work anniversary" messages from contacts I've never met in person (except one from a pastor in Romania), I began to reflect on our life here. What follows are some of my thoughts.

Seven Junes ago, we loaded our belongings into a U-Haul truck parked outside our Bexley apartment in the Heritage area of Wake Forest, North Carolina. Jessica's dad was instrumental in our move, helping us pack boxes and then driving the truck to his house in Charleston, West Virginia. After celebrating our one-year anniversary on July 2, we drove six hours to Richmond, Virginia, for two months of IMB orientation. Then, on October 5, 2012, we landed in Bucharest for a two-year term.

Our first several months in Bucharest are somewhat of a blur. Because I had spent three summers in Romania prior to our marriage, I knew enough Romanian to get around but not enough to truly be understood. It was good to reopen old friendships and introduce my wife to Romania and some good friends. Most importantly, we were integrated fully into a team and partnered with a local church.

Instead of filling this post with numerous paragraphs detailing our last seven years, I'll simply choose three highlights and one picture from each year. As a caveat, please remember that each year spans July-June.

2012-2013: Landed in Bucharest and began adjusting to life in a large European city. Integrating into ministry with our team and church. The first of many opportunities to visit European sites with friends and family (like Ephesus, Rome, and Transylvanian castles).

2013-2014: Cameron substitute taught his first class at the Bucharest Baptist Seminary. Small group hosted in our home. Jessica painted lots of kids' faces, and trained several girls to do the same.

2014-2015: Six months in the US visiting churches, family, and friends, and transitioning to career status with IMB. Cameron begins PhD Intercultural Studies (later changed to Intercultural Education) program at Biola University. Joyfully returning to Bucharest.

2015-2016: Jessica helped lead/translate for a math camp in Sibiu. All but two families (ourselves and the Williams family) in Romania take the early retirement offer. Due to the new vacancy at the seminary, our primary focus switches to theological education and teaching at the seminary.

2016-2017: Sara Grace Armstrong is born on October 13 in Bucharest, and Jessica's parents come for three weeks to help us out. Cameron begins preaching in Romanian. Faith at Work ministry launched.

2017-2018: Sara's one-year birthday party packs our apartment out. Cameron teaches a one-week class in Lviv, Ukraine. Six months in the US to visit churches, family, and friends.

2018-2019: Noah Timothy Armstrong is born on November 26 in Bucharest, and Jessica's parents come again for three weeks to help. Cameron publishes his first book: Listening between the Lines: Thinking Missiologically about Romanian Culture. Cameron's parents visit Bucharest for the first time.

As we reflect on these memories, we thank God for his steadfast love and grace through eight years of marriage, seven of which have now been overseas. We thank our families and friends in the US for their love and support. We thank our many friends here in Romania who love us, help us, and patiently teach us what it means to serve God in this context.

Noah goes to the hospital

This afternoon we got the news: All clear. Cue the long-awaited sigh of relief.

Precisely two weeks ago, Jessica took Noah for what she thought would be a routine checkup at the doctor. My parents were in town and it was their last day before flying back to the States, so for a final hurrah I took Sara and my parents to a large indoor swimming complex called Therme (just north of the airport). Sara was pretty much over a cold, so we thought it was safe to take her along. Jessica stayed home with Noah, who had seemingly picked up a biting cough and fever from Sara.

Evidently considered one of the top ten things to do in Bucharest, the Therme complex is great. Palm trees, water slides, pool bars, good food. And high-tech lockers to keep all your stuff like keys and cell phones. Hence the problem: I did not have my phone with me to see that Jessica had called and texted several times to tell me she was calling the doctor to get an appointment asap. By the time I dug my phone out of my jeans pocket in my locker, the doctors had decided Noah's best bet was to stay overnight. I quickly drove Sara and my parents home and ran overnight supplies up to Jessica at the hospital. My parents felt bad about having to catch a plane the next morning.

The virus known as RSV gives you symptoms of the common cold, but babies only a few months old are susceptible due to underdeveloped immune systems and perhaps slower weight gain. Thus Noah, at four months old, was an easy target. Thursday turned into Friday, turned into Saturday, etc. Noah (and Jessica) did not leave the hospital until Wednesday afternoon.

Six days in a hospital room is rough, especially when you're never sure if you'll leave the next day or not. Jessica liked all the doctors and nurses that came and went, judging them to be quite friendly and helpful. This was, after all, a private pediatric hospital. Praise God that our IMB insurance allows us access to private clinics/hospitals, since we've heard lots of stories of the unsanitary and bribery-ridden public ones.

I think the hardest part for me was leaving the hospital each evening alone. I could deal with the silly white robes they made me wear and the plastic bags over my shoes, but leaving my wife and child was heartbreaking. Several times I walked past reception with tears on my face. Then I'd drive to pick up Sara. Being only 2 1/2, Sara was not allowed up to visit Jessica and Noah. This meant that I'd have to drop her off so that friends could watch her for a few hours. Thank you Ryan, Melinda, Andrei, Diana, and Katerina for your kindness.

Today, two weeks after the appointment that turned into six days, we returned to the hospital to see if the virus was gone from Noah's lungs. We are clear. Noah is healthy. God is good.

Sara having fun with Andrei 

Noah getting an IV in his hand

All smiles. All better.