This is a travel report by the two friends Anne & Elfi, who have not been able to travel together for a long time because it was not possible due to the pandemic and time constraints. That’s why we were so happy to finally be able to travel together again for Eeva Huber’s work to Alba Iulia, Romania.
The weather was mostly clear and sunny, the daytime temperatures mostly above 30 degrees. From Vienna we drove on the newly built freeway towards Alba Iulia, Romania. Passport control at the border went quite quickly. We had packed the bus with relief supplies for the children’s home in Alba Iulia. For me (Elfi) it was the first drive on the newly built freeway in Romania. Driving on the freeway was pleasant, but the sight of the small villages with their living environments was missing, which we used to be able to see by leisurely driving through the village centers for hours. Actually I missed that now.
We had a special invitation to dinner at 5pm (Romanian time) at the Jewish couple Josef & Maria in Lugoj on our first day of travel. We (I) weren’t very careful driving there, and we took the wrong road, so we had to take a little detour. So we could look again at the small localities of the Romanian villages. I enjoyed it very much!
Despite the detour, we arrived – as if by a miracle – punctually at 5 p.m. at Josef and Maria’s. There was great joy and the dinner was delicious, and as is so often the case with Jewish families, the fellowship was very warm and generous. After a great day we arrived at our accommodation very tired.
The next day we reached our destination, the children’s home in Alba Iulia, where we were welcomed by the supervisor Carmen. The donations in kind were unloaded. We were then invited for a cup of coffee by Carmen and Sybille, the founder of the children’s home, who was just visiting Romania from Germany. Many Roma in Romania live in very poor conditions and sometimes lack school education. The children’s home in Alba Iulia has already been able to help many children with numerous donations in kind and enable them to go to school! At the end we were able to visit the area where many children have found their home.
After a cup of coffee we started our return journey towards Budapest. Once there, we explored the Great Market Hall and, during a long walk, viewed the city from the banks of the Danube. After a wonderful stay in Budapest, the journey continued back to Vienna.
We thank God that this trip went well in every way. We haven’t had an accident and nothing has been stolen from us. The schedules were kept very well. Traveling is always a joy and fun, especially to Budapest and Romania. We enjoyed this trip for a long time “together as friends” very much!
But let’s not forget that the focus should always be on supporting the work of the charity!
Finally, we would like to emphasize that there were a number of people praying for this trip. Thank you very much!
Elfi
(July 2023)