Remembering Romania

Since the title of my blog is "Living in the Moment", I decided to share some moments in my life that have been very significant to me. One of the significant moments that immediately came to mind was my experience volunteering in orphanages/hospitals in Romania.

I traveled to Romania on three different occasions with a non-profit organization called Bridge of Love (a link to their website is located under the Favorite Sites section). My friend, Ginger, had heard Laurie Lundberg, the founder of Bridge of Love, speak at a Relief Society meeting and called me to tell me about Laurie's story. It's hard to explain the feeling, but both Ginger and I knew that joining the Lundbergs on a trip to Romania was something we needed to do. So we went on our first trip in August 2000.

An excerpt from the Bridge of Love website describes what we encountered. "Babies and toddlers stayed all day in their cribs, starved for love and attention. The bedroom walls were bare, and a cold breeze seeped through the windows of the poorly heated orphanage. There were no blankets or toys in the room, and the workers changed the babies' diapers in silence. The toddlers rocked their little bodies back and forth for hours, the only stimulation they could create. The older toddlers banged their heads on the side of the crib—over and over—creating a new noise and huge lumps on their heads. They were as children living in a zoo. They each had their own cage from which they couldn't escape. Most of the children had been abandoned at birth, with little or no information on them left behind. There were no plans for the children—they just existed. Nobody was their voice."

It is impossible to share the many experiences I had, or the many small and great miracles I witnessed (one of the great miracles being the adoption of Georgie--now known as Collin--by Ginger) on this blog. But I wanted to share that I do believe that my opportunity to go to Romania was a gift given to me. The children I met and interacted with did more for me than I ever did for them. This is something that I will never forget.

The following is a promotional video that my dad and I put together for Bridge of Love. It is somewhat outdated, but it still gives an idea of what we experienced, what the children's lives are like in the orphanages/hospitals, and what Bridge of Love is trying to do to help. I hope you enjoy the video. You may want to watch with a box of Kleenex nearby.

As a side note, the Lundbergs have been called to serve as Mission President in Romania. They leave in June. I am so excited for them!