Hello people of the interwebs, I’m Noah!

(Noah is the one on the left)

I don’t have much to say, but if you pray for our team, all of your wildest dreams will come true.*

As you can see, I like to quote or make references to movies or songs (the previous sentence being Napoleon Dynamite). I like it so much that I tried fitting in a song reference in every English paper I wrote (that wasn’t timed of course), and maybe I’ll do it here, we’ll see. Now that you know that, what important things can I share. Hmmm. I’m going to be a sophomore at Middleton, and the last two summers I went on the middle school trip to Sutton, Alaska. Alaska was a great experience, and so this year I had to really consider whether I wanted to go back to Alaska. I had started to get to know the kids there, so it felt like a place I should go (and the scenery was unbeatable), but then again, there was Romania, and Ali (my sister) had done a great job of telling stories that made me want to be there. As I was trying to figure out which place to apply to, my heart was swinging on a swingset first Alaska, and then Romania and then back again over and over again. I just couldn’t decide on a place. I wanted God to come right out and say where He wanted me and finally, in His way of helping me decide at the last possible moment, pushed me to apply for Romania. Continue reading →

Hello. My name is Kailey and I will be a senior at Waunakee high school this year. This will be my first time going to Romania, so I have mixed emotions about the trip. I’m a little worried about the time changes, heat, and plane ride ( I don’t like planes much.) But, I am even more excited to bond more with my team and the Romanians, be a part of the worship team on the trip, and see what God has planned for us in Romania.

Some things about me:

• I am the oldest child of four
• I am obsessed with the A Capella group Pentatonix
• My favorite food in the entire world is popcorn
• I have a passion for music, especially singing
• My favorite time of the year is fall, because it’s marching band season, and football. Go Pack! 😀

Hello from the Beros (written from the perspective of Jimmy)

Jimmy and Brianna here. We are so excited to be going on this trip, each for the fourth time. But while all those experiences have been life changing for us, we are particularly excited about the family of students and adult leaders that we get to share this adventure with this year.

Our lives have been crazy over the last year! We got married about ten months ago. It was, in our completely and totally unbiased opinion, the greatest wedding to ever happen. Here’s a picture of us on an oversized chair on our wedding day, because oversized things are hilarious.

Continue reading →

Hello Readers,

Franny here, representing Team Rosing! My husband Ray and I are excited for our first adventure to Romania. A bit about the two of us:

Ray teaches American History at a high school in Madison. Here we are, celebrating America together: Continue reading →

Bunǎ prieten, ma numesc Alyssa Polley.
Hello friends, my name is Alyssa Polley.

Fun fact about me: I am fascinated by languages and cultures. I will always be bias towards French, having lived with a family in France for a summer, but getting to learn a little bit of Romanian has been such a blast this past year! I was a member of the team last year and we started learning some when we were there. I have stayed in contact with some of the Romanians, so I have been able to practice. They are very patient and kind teachers, even with the occasional giggle at the thick American accent. The team has had a few opportunities to learn basic phrases from our Skype lessons with Betty, one of the Romanian leaders. Continue reading →

My name is Hannah Bunting and I am a recent high school graduate from Middleton. In the fall, I will be attending UW-Madison. Now, I could dive into the plans that I have made for myself and my majors and my classes and my extracurriculars, but I am not going to. You see, in preparing for this mission trip, I have learned that while my plans are not holy, God’s are. The decision to go to Romania this summer was one that I greatly struggled with. Continue reading →

HI Blog-readers!

I’m Amy! This will be my second year going to Romania – my first trip was last summer on the 2014 team. While the trip was physically, mentally, and emotionally challenging from start to finish it was also inspiring, humbling, eye-opening, and exciting. The challenge was part of the charm (if not the majority of it) and the people I met in Romania are some of the most God-fearing, courageous, and truly awesome people I have ever met. They are the reason I chose to apply for the trip this summer and having this opportunity to return to Romania and see them again knocks my socks off and I am so grateful for it.

A little about me: I graduated High School in May and will be attending UW-Madison in the fall to study school and whatever else I am led to. Last year in Romania I was a part of the band that led worship at camp and I can’t wait to play alongside my Romanian friends again (because worship in Romanian is cool). I really like peanut butter, swimming, sports, and friends – and also my pets, but they are my friends, so they don’t need their own category. I can’t believe we leave in less than two weeks and I must continue to pray that God will prepare me for our departure!

Hello everyone! My name is Leah Fricke, and this will be my second trip to Romania with Blackhawk. My first trip to Romania was the year before last, and I absolutely fell in love with the country and the people we met. The trip itself was one of the most challenging things I have ever done, but also one that made me grow in ways that I never expected. Last year I had every desire to be a part of the trip again, but I was unable to go. I was spending my second semester of my junior year in Ireland with my family. Watching the team get ready and leave for Romania, and not being a part of it, really showed me how important this trip is to me. For these reasons, I am thrilled to have the chance to go back this year. I’m so excited for the chance to deepen the friendships I’ve made and, hopefully, see the Lord work in my heart. Thank you so much for following me on this journey!

My name is Taletha, I’ve lived in Madison for 9 years, and I am a self-proclaimed Christian. But, hey let’s be honest with each other, I don’t introduce myself that way. I’m a somewhat normal (with an obsession with microwave popcorn) high school graduate. Some days I feel like I’ve got it all figured out: I’ll go on this “fun and eye-opening” trip to Romania where I will meet new people and become besties with my friends from home. Then I’ll go to college and then change the world in one way or another. But, let’s think about what I’m saying. I can honestly say, all the lofty dreams I have are attached to my pride, a pride that can say “Look at me. I go on mission trips and save people. I am so awesome.” Continue reading →

The trip is coming!

In less than 3 weeks we will be in Craiova preparing for camp with our partners (read friends), building relationships across cultures and languages, and potentially missing many of you. The non-stop busy schedule, jet-lag, and cultural differences will be an adjustment, but knowing we have you, our faithful blog readers, praying for us and encouraging us will be such a comfort. And a question you might have is, “Who is the ‘us’ you’re talking about?”

That’s a great question! Who are we?

Over the next three weeks we will be posting bios for each team member so you can get to know who we are. We hope this is helpful to you as our supporters as you read our stories and encourage us.

Check back daily to meet the team!

P.S. Whoever gets the most comments is the coolest. Just kidding. That would be ridiculous. Everyone on the team is incredible and gifted and we are so excited to have each of them on the team. And each of you should feel a healthy sense of pride to be supporting this group of Godly, passionate students and adult leaders.