Not only is it Saturday today you guys, but it is also the FIRST day of fall!! I don't know about you, but I could not be more excited for this! That's probably why I decided to wake up at 6:30 on a Saturday... well that and my family is headed to the mountains today to go apple picking and to spend some last minute time together before I head to launch in 13 DAYS!! Today marks the 22nd day of my blogging challenge and the 8th day of my 11 day country series. I am thrilled to be able to share with you a little about the country that my squad and I will be serving in during the month of May... ROMANIA!!
GEOGRAPHY & POPULATION:
Romania is a sovereign state located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. Romania currently has a population of 19.71 Million people.
LANGUAGE:
The official language is Romanian, a Romance language, which presents of consistent degree of similarity to Aromanian, Megleno-Romanian, and Istro-Romanian. Romanian is spoken as first language by roughly 90% of the population, with 6.2% speaking Hungarian, and 1.2% of the population speaking Vlax Romani.
RELIGION:
Romania is a secular state and therefore has no "state religion." However, according to the country's last census, 81.0% of respondents identified themselves at Orthodox Christians, belonging to the Romanian Orthodox Church. Other denominations within Romania include Protestantism- 6.2%, Roman Catholicism- 4.3%, and Greek Catholicism- 0.8%. Muslims, Jews, Atheists, and "No Religion/Unaffiliated" account for the remainder of the population in Romania.
LIFE EXPECTANCY:
Male- 71.6, Female- 79.0, Total Life Expectancy- 75.2
FOOD:
Romanian cuisine is a diverse blend of different dishes from several traditions with which it has come into contact with, but it also maintains its own unique character. Some staples of Romanian cuisine include sarmale- cabbage rolls, mamaliga cu brands si smantana- polenta with cheese and sour cream, papanasi, lozonac, and mucenici- sweet dough rolls.
FUN FACTS:
*The first EVER "perfect 10" awarded in The Olympic Games went to Romanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci for her performance on the uneven bars.
*Romania was a source of inspiration for 2 very famous novels: "The Castle in the Carpathians" by Jules Vern, and "Dracula" by Bram Stoker.
*The archetypal vampire, Count Dracula, was inspired by the Romanian prince Vlad Tepes. Vlad was also known as "Vlad the Impaler" because he was fond of impaling his enemies and standing them along the roads... ummm okay Vlad...
PRAYER POINTS:
*PRAY for revival among nominal Orthodox Christians.
*PRAY for a Christ and Gospel mindset to replace believers' old communists views.
*PRAY for believers within the body of Christ in Romania to be rooted and unified in love.
*PRAY for leadership that has the wisdom to chart the right path and the integrity to implement the right policies.
*PRAY for the brokenness in Romania that is brought upon by substance abuse, prostitution, pornography, human trafficking, and widespread child welfare challenges.
*PRAY for the poverty that plagues Romania in the form of rampant unemployment and widespread economic instability.
-Meagan
