Face paints, mud, and cool scenery

The other day I took some Face Paints I bought in the States to Calatele. The kids LOVED IT. Since it was rainy I was wearing a hat, so the pictures of me actually painting the kids' faces didn't come out exactly how I had hoped, but that's okay.I had painted different things - like a flower, heart, apple, lion, rainbow - on a piece of paper so the kids could point to what they wanted me to paint. One girl held the piece of paper, another girl held the mirror I brought, and another girl would grab the kids who wanted their faces painted and hold their arms behind them (sort of in a position that I would imagine communist interrogators imposing onto prisoners) and scolded them when they wiggled while I painted their cheeks. Maaaaan.... I was suprised first by how well the kids held still for me while I painted. You see these hyperactive kids zipping around here, there, and everywhere, and you think it's nigh on impossible for them to hold still for longer than a second. But when they decide they want something, or they want to learn something, or it's in their best interest, they cooperate like no one else.As I painted, the kids let loose "Ooooh's" and "aaah's" and "yaiii, how beautiful!" as I painted flowers and hearts and lions and apples and tree's on kids' cheeks. At first I was nervous, because at first I only had about 10 girls who had come for Nicu's Bible Study. But when I pulled out the paints, one or two kids left and found their friends, and before I knew it I was surrounded by a large crowd of rambunctious Gypsy kids."Okay, who is the smallest here?" I asked. A little girl about two years old was shoved forward.

"This is how we're gonna do it: The smallest goes first, and we go from smallest to biggest, okay?'' I said. They all nodded and things went pretty well. Although there was one or two boys who did NOT understand why I didn't paint Feri's son's face first, but the Gypsy girls explained for me in Gypsy what the plan was.

There were a few points where all the kids were shouting and squealing with glee and a few minor disputes at the edge of the crowd, and I got quite an earful of the Roma language. I loved it but couldn't understand a thing, let alone hear myself think!!

One of the older girls who was about 13 watched me from behind for a few minutes and then quietly took a paintbrush and started painting kid's faces with me. THAT was awesome. Silvana said this girl would listen to her children's stories and pay attention to the programs, and then when Nicu and Silvana left she would gather the kids the next day and retell the stories for the kids. Its so cool to see how God is working amongst these Gypsies.

I hope this girl can continue to learn how to share and teach children, but the problem is she is 13 and will probably be married in the next two years. If that's the case, it will be a lot harder for her to continue learning and teaching as she takes over the care of her household.

So it was fun. Yesterday we weren't able to go to Sacuieu for the Bible study as Nicu had to get ready to go to his parent's house. They live way up in the mountains and need help butchering or building or something very farm-ish, and then once he was ready to go the river flooded from all the rain we have been getting (and it's supposed to rain for the next two days. Woot woot!) So Feri called and said that he was going to lead the prayer meeting. Afterwards he came with Danot(s) and another Gypsy man who has been coming to study and both Danot(s) and Feri brought their sons with them. Feri retold how the meeting went and all the guys were really excited about how well it went.

I tried to listen for a while but decided to grab the face paints and 'be productive' while I listened. The two little boys LOVED the opportunity to get painted once again, and insisted that they have BOTH their cheeks painted AND their hands. We only had time for one hand and one cheek, but it was fun.

Today I went for a loooong walk outside of Sancriau, and got some awesome pictures. At one point I actually started singing Roger's and Hammersteins "The Hills are Alive" as I snapped pictures of the GORGEOUS countryside. Here's some of my masterpieces. Hope you enjoy.

~PrincessOuch~