Internationalmatt's Blog

This blog is about my international friends and their inspiring stories

Teaching English in Constanta Romania in 2004

In the summer of 2004 I went to Constanta Romania with some of the members of the college group at my church. It was a fun adventure for me to watch as some of my Romanian friends spent time with the people from the college group. We did several different activities such as visiting an orphanage, activities with children in the park, and spending time with our Romanian friends. One aspect of the trip that meant a lot to me was being able to teach English and sharing that experience with some of the college students from my church.

me teaching in Grace Church in Constanta Romania

I enjoyed sharing the experience with the students who joined me. I appreciated their willingness to try something new to them. They were a talented group and watching them interact with my Romanian friends gave me a lot of respect for them as they stepped out to try a variety of new activities that at times stretched them. I consider that trip as one of the highlights of my work with internationals because I had an opportunity to pass on a bit of my experience.

one of the students from the college group taking a turn to teach

Of course any trip to Romania the best part for me is to see my friends. One of those friends is Cristi. He grew up in a difficult life situation but thanks to Jesus working in his life and his determination to press on despite the challenges Cristi has been able to not only improve his life but also help others. Cristi has worked with Turkish children to help them improve their lives. He has also helped many others such as the young man in the following picture who was homeless. Cristi brought him to church and to our English classes.

me with Cristi on my left and the young man he was helping

That trip meant a lot to me because I had the opportunity to connect with my Romanian friends again. I always enjoy my time in Romania. It meant a lot to me because I also had the opportunity to pass on a bit of what I have experienced with my friends from church.

March 31, 2010 Posted by | International Friendships, Internationals, Romania, summer, Travel experiences | Leave a Comment

Internationalmatt in London

In October 1999 I went to Romania with a group from my church. On our way back to America we stopped in England for a few days. We stayed with a friend of our church who lives in England in a place called Worthing by the Sea. It was about a 30 minute train ride from London. We spent one day in London on a walking tour or London.

me in front of one of the guards coming in on horse for the changing of the guard

It was a a lot of fun to walk around London. We watched the changing of the guard. We also had a tour of the Tower of London. The Beefeater who gave us the tour was very entertaining as he told us the stories of what happened to people in the Tower. He was especially dramatic as he told us the tales of Henry the 8th and what he did to his wives.

the entrance of the guards at the Towr of London

In the Tower we also saw the Crowned Jewels which were spectacular to see. They showed a video of the crowning of Queen Elizabeth as we walked through to see the crowned jewels. I also saw Queen Elizabeth during our walking tour as a car drove by with her in the back in a motorcade. I waved but she did not wave back lol.

I enjoyed my time in London. As we walked around I came upon a statue of Abraham Lincoln in the streets of London. I asked my friend John Wheatley why they would have a statue of an American President n London. He told me “he is an important man in history because he freed the slaves”. Then he said “but you won’t find any statues of your heroes of the war of insurrection” and then we laughed. In America we call it the American Revolution. I guess it all depends on your perspective :) .

March 31, 2010 Posted by | Europe, Travel experiences | Leave a Comment

   

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