This time of year, I find myself frantically making books for the new semester of students in Romania. Frantic, because I get the corrected material later than I want, can't find the materials that I need and I have to deal with a printer that always seems to go on the fritz when making these books! Then, there's the coordination of schedules to work it all out with everyone's vacations in the office (including mine!)

Binding INSTE books

Each time, we make the necessary corrections or additions to the books. I have great people helping with me in Romania on this! I couldn't do any of it myself! Then I take the book and make sure it's formatted properly. Then print one copy. Then print the number we need for the students this semester. Then, we bind the books ourselves. It includes putting it into one of these metal forms we had made for us, drilling 3 holes into it and sewing it together. Then we glue the edge and put it under a press (well, a box of paper!) The next day we take duct tape and bind it and then cut off the edges to make it straight!

It's a labor-intensive project, but we get the books done and for a better price than to have someone else do it. I printed the books out last night until midnight, after an unproductive day fighting with the printer and toner cartridges! This next week, we'll get them bound, print off the tests and then they're ready for me when I start off on my trip to Romania and Hungary --- a week from tomorrow! Whew! Just in time!

Pray with us for new students and leadership in Romania for INSTE!