I noticed there were no cars outside the church, and my American mindset prepared me for an empty building. What a joy to enter to the sounds of prayer as a church full of people prepared for their worship service. Like most village churches in Romania, they had no piano. Even in churches that have a piano, it is often unusable. Sometimes a young person has a guitar to accompany the singing, but most of the time they just open their hearts to the Lord and sing the well-known songs from memory, without accompaniment.
Services are long, and unexpected guest speakers can be assured of an opportunity to speak.
But even in large cities, the poor state of the economy and the lack of expected reform has had a detrimental effect on society. The Central Europe Review Progress Report on Romania states that corruption is a major area of concern. Corrupt practices at all levels undermine the legal, economic and political systems, and this has resulted in a general lack of confidence. Rising unemployment, high inflation, and low wages have encouraged the growth of the black market. Healthcare and social improvements are largely neglected.