our partner church

where is romania? Eastern Europe Romania touches Bulgaria, Moldova, Ukraine, Yugoslavia, and the Black Sea Close to Russia and Asia; Far from Western Europe (Britain, France, Spain)

olasztelek– our partner village located in Transylvania, which is a part of Romania a small farming village– most people do not have jobs away from home, but they farm for work not a city (like Boston) or even a town (like Stow)– it’s even smaller! many people don’t speak English– they speak Romanian and Hungarian they are Unitarians just like us, because the Unitarian religion began 500 years ago in Romania!

unitarianism We have a partner church in Romania (just like hundreds of other UU churches all over America) because Unitarianism started in Romania 500 years ago. The first Unitarian was named Francis David. He stood on a rock and said “Egy Az Isten”– God is One. The rock is still there!

living in a village How is it different to live in a farming village? Animals at home that you raise and eat for food, not just pets. Growing your own fruits and vegetables, not going to the store to buy them. Maybe no running water. You would have a well instead, and you have to pull water out of it with a bucket. No air conditioning or heating system. People heat their houses with wood or coals. In the summer, most people don’t have fans. Most homes have floors that are made out of dirt, not wood or concrete like our homes in America. Instead of throwing out your old clothes, you would save them and use them to make a rug for your floor. You can’t order food to be delivered. People very rarely go out to restaurants, because the nearest restaurant might be very far away.

living in a village Most people don’t have their own rooms. Many children sleep in the same room as their parents. Sometimes other rooms, like a kitchen, have sofas that turn into beds. Most grandparents live with their children and grandchildren. Many villages don’t have a high school. If you want to go to high school, you have to go to another town. Some people walk many miles, ride in cars or buses for many hours, or live in a different city or town so that they can go to high school. Otherwise, they finish school when they are 12 years old and then get a job. Most people make all of the tools that they use. They still use traditional blacksmithing, the way we used to make our tools 150 years ago. Many villages have dirt roads instead of cement roads like we have. This means it can take a long time to get places, especially if it rains. Many people do not have cars, so they walk.

church in the village Their church buildings are usually much smaller than ours. They probably don’t have a piano– just an organ. These organs can be hundreds of years old, just like ours is! Often, the minister’s small house is connected to the church.

children and youth Children and teenagers playing the organ and singing in their church

traditional clothes Many children and teenagers do traditional folk-dancing for fun, and they wear these clothes.

bread Most people don’t buy bread from the store. They bake it at home!

bread This is what the brick oven and the bread look like!

growing food Most families have gardens in their yards. Some families even grow grapes on the walls of their homes!

tomato farm My friends have a tomato farm in their backyard! They built the greenhouse themselves!

making tools Many people still make horseshoes for the horses that they use to pull carts or that they ride around. They put the shoes on the horses themselves, too! In America, people who have horses just go to a store to buy horseshoes. But, also, in America, most people ride horses for fun– not to get around!

getting around Many people still use a horse to pull a cart to get around their villages or to transport heavy things.

driving a horse cart Sometimes, people let me drive their horse cart!

making donuts Have you ever made your own donuts? Most of the time, here in the United States, we just go to the store (probably Dunkin Donuts) to buy donuts. But, in Romania, most people make their own at home!

animals Some more of my friends have a rabbit farm! They raise the rabbits in their backyard!

animals Almost every family keeps chickens for eggs and meat. The chickens run around the yard during the day, and sleep in a coop at night. Someone has to collect the baby chicks every night to return them to their coop!

what do you think? How would your life be different if you had to milk a cow every time you wanted milk, or bake your own bread every time you wanted a sandwich? What would it be like to live in a house with two rooms and an outhouse? How would your life be different if there were no high school where you lived and you had to get a job when you were 12?

different, but the SAME I was 11 the first time I went to Romania. I have been close with my host family ever since. Their lives are very different from ours, but we share a lot, too– especially our faith!

bye for now! Riding on a horse-drawn wagon!