Saturday, April 6, 2013

Romania

                        Romania is located in eastern Europe, on the coast of the Black Sea.


                       


                              It is nestled in amongst Bulgaria, Hungary, Ukraine, and Moldova.

Romania was part of the Roman province of Darcia from AD 100-217. From the 3rd-12th centuries invading aliens would come in to Romania and try to take over. between the 8th and 12th centuries, Eastern Orthodox Christianity was introduced under the Bulgarian empire. By the 11th century, Moldova and Walachia had become parts of the great Ottoman empire, but not under complete authority.


At the beginning of WW1, Romania declared itself neural; but by 1916 they had joined the Allies and declared war on the Central Powers.



                                      During WWII, 270,000 Jews were killed in Romania.


                                                        


                                                         Romanian soldiers in WWII



 The current Romanian President is Traian Basescu. A former sea captain and mayor of the capital city. he began his Presidency in 2004.
 


                                                     Nicolae Ceausescu Bio.video



                                            
                                                     The Capital city of Romania is Bucharest.





                                                                 




                                                             The Parliament Palace









         Romania is famous for the majestic castles that adorn the hillsides and mountain tops of the extravagent country side.









                                             The Population is approx. 21.4 Million people



                                                      


                                                         The currency in Romania is a Leu.
                                                   One Romanian Leu is equal to 0.29 USD





                         

                                Traditional Romanian clothing. This was taken during a festival.








                                                              Romanian National flag



The Average life expectancy in Romania is currently 71 years for men, and 78 years for women.





                          




                          Some of the main exports are footwear and textiles, along with metal products.








 Romania is know for the large amounts of orphanages located within its borders. Many people from around the world make trips there to adopt and help with the children.






                                                         Traditional Romanian Dancing

 




The #1 song in Romania in 2012 




 Romania was wonderful to study, and the landscapes are just breathtaking. I would definitely put this country on my list to visit.





Sources:
BBC
CIA fact book
infoplease
youtube
wiki top 100





















Uganda






Buganda (now called Uganda) lies in the heart of Africa surrounded by the great lakes.





(rrdental.com)











Being in the inner most section of the large continent it was one of the last to be discovered.



commons.wikimedia.org




 Two British explorers landed there in the mid to late 1800s along with some Arabs in search of ivory and slaves to make their fortune.  They had a good relationship with king and helped the country prosper. Imperial British East Africa Company was founded by British missionary entrepreneurs to help the growth of the country.




       




          By 1962, Uganda had its own independent government led by Prime Minister Milton Obote.






(kids.britannica.com)




                



However, having control of their own government wasn’t as easy as the thought. Violent power struggles led on for years and some still continue today.  The Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) caused many issues for Uganda and surrounding areas.

 






LRA was led by notorious Joseph Kony, forcing children into an army and causing destruction where ever they went.  


                                                                                          


(Rsvlys.com)










                   




                                                             Idi Amin, President of Uganda from 1971-1979





urbantitan.com 






The Ugandan National Flag



 (Cia.gov)






                                                   The Ugandan Army




(biyokulule.com)











                                                                                          A Market Place




(opportunity.org)













                                   A typical Ugandan home, made from dried mud and a thatched roof.



                                                  
(Africanchildrenschoir.com)

                                    

                                                  






                                                  One of Uganda’s main exports is coffee.








Due to disease and starvation, life expectancy in Uganda ranges between 54 and 55.

(senoirworldchronicals.com)






The population of Uganda is approx. 34.5 million with many refugees from surrounding war waging countries coming in every day.


(endgeneocide.org)





                                         1 Ugandan shilling is equal to 1 USD


                                              (wisdomportal.com )

                                         





The capital of Uganda is Kampala





(filmapia.com)







Kampala




(kabiza.com)





                                               Traditional Ugandan Dancing










                                        Katie Davis: The Girl Who Said Yes


                                     
 

                                           (magdifitipaldi.blogspot.com)


Once upon a time, far far away, lived a princess named Katie. Katie was the daughter of the King who ruled over all the eye can see. Katie loved her Father, the King, more than anything in the whole world with all her heart. The mighty King led Katie on a journey. A journey she never imagined possible. Even though the princess was scared at times, the King never left her side. He provided for all her needs, and the needs of those she loved. The princess lives in Uganda, a tiny country in the middle of Africa. Most people wouldn’t even notice it, but to the King, it’s a piece of His glorious kingdom. This is a place where His people are in need of saving. They are crying out for help. He told the princess “Go into all the world and spread the good news of my kingdom, love your neighbor as yourself, and love Me with all your heart” so she did.  The king continues to watch over his daughter, and bless her and her family.           
            The King used her in a way that amazed and inspired many! The princess, Katie, however, is a normal girl from Tennessee. She went to high school, had lots of friends, went to the movies, and grew up with a dream to go to college and have a family. Katie had no idea how far off this idea was to the King’s plans for her.
            Katie had a desire in her heart to help the needy. When she was a child and asked what she wanted to be when she grew up, “Mother Theresa” she would say proudly, and that is truly what she has become. She went on a mission trip to Uganda her senior year in high school for 3 weeks and her heart never came home. She prayed to the King and asked for guidance, for answers. She asked Him to use her in any way He can. So one day over sushi on her 16th birthday, Katie told her parents that she was thinking about not going to college after high school.  2 years later she had plans to go to Uganda to teach kindergarten for a year. The princess’s parents weren’t very happy with her decision, but the princess wanted to obey her King’s call, she had to. “The King does not ask that we care for the less fortunate, He demands it. Caring for the widows, the orphans, the hungry, is not an option, it’s a requirement.”- Katie. She arrived in the far away land of Uganda and slowly made her way; helping others and serving the King. She had to give all she had every day. She truly put others before herself in all circumstances. Her heart was focused on one thing; making her life less complicated. She shows love in a way that most Ugandan children have never seen. Katie loves the King, and Katie loves others. This is the true meaning of a princess.
            This is the part where most stories say “and they lived happily ever after, The End” but this is not a story. Katie Davis is a real person, is currently 24, and living in Uganda with the 14 little girls she has adopted. She started Amazima Ministries to sponsor children who were unable to afford education, food, and medical care. She wrote a book to help support her ministry called, "Kisses from Katie" all about her journey. She is not a saint. She is not an amazing outstanding super Christian. She is a regular, normal girl with an obedient heart, and the desire to follow God's will. She made an important decision that we all can learn from. She said yes. Yes to an idea that she wasn’t expecting. Yes to an idea that seemed impossible. She loves her Father with all her heart, she loves her neighbor as herself; ALL Katie did was follow the Father’s commands, and say yes.

 



 Katie's Blog  


Amazima Blog




                                                                      Juliette's Story







Uganda is a beautiful place I really want to go to one day. It’s a place full of people who need to hear the story of our savoir. It’s a place filled with people dying from a disease in pain, without someone to hold their hand. It’s a place over run with orphans because their parents have either died, or left them. It’s a place where an education is desired, but difficult to receive. It’s a place surrounded by war and political nightmares. It’s a place real people call home. It’s a place created by God. It’s a place I hold close to my heart.


Sources:
BBC
CIA world fact book
Amazima
(All pictures are sourced by the web address next to them.)