A Church in Ciolpani

Our new friends, the McGovern's are humanitarian missionaries in Moldova. They came to Bucharest to spend a couple of days with us.

Together, we went to visit Lidia Constantinescu - an author who donated books to a school in Moldova. She was a charming and gracious lady who wanted to show us her hometown.

First stop, the lovely church where Lidia's name is engraved as one of the people who helped pay the artist whose work we will see inside.

The local priest is a congenial host who is pleased to give us the tour.

Just inside the doors we are delighted with the beautiful murals on the walls and ceiling of the first room. The ones on the walls depict miracles of Jesus. Take a closer look:

Jesus walking on the water, with Peter sinking in in the water...

Turning water into wine...

The woman at the well...

Healing the blind...

Miracle of the loaves and fishes...

The woman with an issue of blood touches Jesus's robe...

Jesus healing the cripple. We found the artist's renderings engaging and not as dark as many paintings we have seen in the Orthodox churches here.

The main room was covered with paintings of popes, kings, and saints.

Vicky had lots of time to take photos because the women were not allowed to follow the men past the altar. So...

They have their own little Sistine chapel here!

The artist's rendering of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost.

A nice depiction of the Nativity.

When the men returned, we posed for a group shot. We brought a pair of young missionaries on our trip to be our translators.

Next stop, the little cemetery down the road where Lidia's parents are buried.

Then to "Casa Mica de Bunica" (which means her grandmother's little house), where she served us a sumptuous four course meal out on the patio.  Here's what it looked like inside:

There was not enough room to have all of us in her house. I was amazed she had enough room to prepare all the food! We were told she had help from a neighbor.

A portrait of a famous Romanian writer, Mihai Eminescu, has a place of prominence in her tiny living room.

Once more we are amazed by the hospitality of the Romanian people and particularly, Lida Constantinescu. It was a privilege to meet her.

The next day, we took the McGovern's to meet one of our NGO's and see their operation. In the evening we took them to the Riverside restaurant just a couple of blocks from our place in Bucharest. It was a beautiful evening.