Saying goodbye

We are down to our last few hours in Romania that is provided our flight is not delayed due to snow and ice at Luton Airport.  We are also aware that there could be delays with our coach trip back to Wales so please pray for us because we need to be home with just a few days to go to Christmas.

We have a really blessed trip and it is hard to say goodbye to this country and its people who are so embedded in my heart but I hope to be back in May.

We spent the morning at Mocrea with a huge Christmas programme.  We took along Marius from the school playing the mandalin as our team strolled from ward to ward (both unsecure and secure) singing carols, distributing gifts, fruit, coffee, sweets and Christmas tracts.  It was indeed a blessing to bring the joy of the birth of Jesus into their lives.

We respect the privacy of the patients and so I am selective of what pictures I attach to this post.

 We later visited 2 of our challenging cases with Christmas trees, presents and refreshments.  They both need a lot of prayer.  Our last stop was with my our Nina and her 9 children - then home to the packing.

A place of extremes

Romania is a place of extremes - not only regarding the weather with the cold winters and the boiling summers with lots of mosquitos.  It is normal to see a BMW with blacked out windows driven by a rich businessman, followed by a horse and cart and then an old man on a bike.    When I first lived in Arad on the edge of the city - on the one side there was a humble family who ran a mini farm in their back garden - cows, sheep, pigs which were frequently slaughtered, rabbits and chickens.  A rooster used to wake me up every morning. On the other side I never once saw my neighbours whom I believe were rich Italian businessmen.  They used to drive up and the electronic front gates would open.  In my back garden was an old man with his paralised wife who lived in very poor conditions with no mod cons.

As most of you know Jackie and myself  continue to work with a lot of poor Sigani (Roma) families which is often very challenging.  On the one side of the scale you have families living in shacks with no bulletin (ID card) who have little hope of finding a job because they have no education and also because of  prejudice.  On the other side  you have the very rich gypsies who travel to other European countries to make money by various methods and return to Romania to build mansions and drive around in Mercedes. 

Whilst the main city roads are being upgraded many of the side roads are full of huge pot holes that can wreck your car.  Begging is rife and you will find prostitutes on most of the city approach roads.  My second home in Arad was on a dirt track.  Everyone needs to pay attention when walking in the dark side streets because you can easily drop into an open manhole without warning.  Another thing to look out for are horses and carts on dark unlit country roads.   

 

One of the things that hit me today when I was taking phographs at the Church in Vinga today was the oppression written over the faces of the people.  Praise God they come regularly to Church which gives them hope but the sadness of their lives always comes through even in the eyes of the children.  I had to prompt some of the children to smile for the camera.  Having said that they are such  hospitable and friendly people who have and continue to suffer hardship with all the recent cutbacks in wages and increase in VAT.  I asked one person how they manage and he said "You forget, we have lived through communism!"   

I love this country and it's people and am already looking forward to my next trip.  I take home so much in my heart.  Thank you Lord for allowing me to be your humble servant. 

Vinga Church Christmas Programme and Gift Distribution

Last week Pastor Jackie was blessed with a new Dacia 4 X 4 which she was just getting used to.   Her American sponsors had wanted her to go for a better make of vehicle and had provided appropriate funds - however Jackie was happy to stick with Dacia which is a much cheaper make.  I do hope she made the right decision because this afternoon between her village and the city it broke down and she had to have it towed back to the garage - so she did not make it to the Church.  Also both her grandaughters have chicken pox.   The capable elders came to the rescue and ran the service including the lighting of the last advent candle which symbolises "Love".  There was  a time of sharing and Wayne and I spoke separately on God's Love and what it means to us.

This was followed by the Children's programme including a Nativity Play and a simple stable scene.  The children were excited and performed well - we give thanks for Delia and Ligia, the Sunday School teachers.  This was followed by shoebox distribution by the elders and teachers.  Over 90 boxes were handed to the children and it really was loaves and fishes provision because every year several new children arrive when they hear about Christmas boxes.   All the families were handed a monetary donation (calculated by the size of the family) so they could buy their Christmas groceries.  Pastor Jackie felt stongly this year that they should be given this responsibility themselves.   

There has been a real move of the Holy Spirit in the Church in the past 2 years and there is talk of a further extension!!  Due to Jackie's absence we missed on the Widow's Christmas Gift distribution in Vinga today which I assume will now be done by the Church elders.  I was sad to say goodbye to everyone but I hope to be back in May. 

A thankful heart and a big smile that lit up the room.

Dedication of the New Sega Church

Temperature here this morning is -7C  but I understand you are experiencing the same temperatures back in Wales with heavy snow.  We are checking the internet and realise that there could be delays but we hope no cancelled flights for our home coming.  This is a view outside the apartment block that we are staying in.

This morning our hosts, Maria and Ioan invited us to the dedication of their New Church Building at Sega here in Arad.    This Church has around 1,000 members and today pastors from the most of the other 22 Baptist Churches took part in the service - there is real solidarity in the movement.  The choir singing was superb and the service  lasted over 4 hours.  As in most of the churches here everything was so well organized and rehearsed.  I felt a real move of the spirit when the choir sung.  Home to a quick lunch before rushing off to Vinga with Adina for the Christmas programme, which I will write about under a separate entry.

Carol Singing at the Primarie

After finishing at the baby hospital we were treated to a meal by Pastor Jackie.  We managed a quick hour back in the apartment before going out with our hosts to the Primarie (Town Hall) in the city centre where the Metanoia Church Band and their Senior Pastor, Cristi Borbosu were leading Romanian carols and preaching the gospel on a huge covered stage in front of the building.  Even though it was a freezing night it was awesome and I sang my heart out (note the picture of me and Wayne with Mamma Maria).   They gave God their best. Concerts and Romanian dancing take place in front of the Primarie throughout the week prior to Christmas. 

We also met with friends (including Hilary, an English Missionary and Irina, Viorel and their daughter Daniella).  They lived on the streets but Praise God were saved.  It was a joy to help arrange their wedding in 2005.  They now have an apartment and 2 beautiful children. 

When I first came to Arad in 2001 there were no lights or decorations.  Since joining the European Union there has been a lot of foreign investment to encourage tourism. A massive shopping mall has been built in the city but when we briefly visited one evening last week there were many people viewing but few buying. It looked so out of place in Romania -   families are struggling to survive especially since the recent 25% cut in wages.   The city centre  is now beautifully decorated and there is massive tree on display all lit up.  The Primarie is one of several landmarks and beautiful buildings in the city.  It is always lit up at night. Tonight there was also a beautiful large Nativity Scene on display with real sheep.

Romania really does put us to shame in the way they celebrate the birth of and also the rising of their Lord and Saviour -  Christmas and Easter are huge Christian festivals centred around Jesus.    There are church services twice a day for 4 days and groups of carol singers go out  for 4 nights also.  They will call on unsaved families as well as ones they know, be entertained with refreshments, sing inside also and then go on their way.  They don't finish until the early hours.  It's awesome  and I love and miss it.

Saying goodbye to the Babies- Thanking Maesmarchog School for their gifts

Today was our last visit to the baby hospital and we will miss them so much.  It was indeed a blessing to be able spend most of the day just caring for these individual gifts from God who have been abandoned by their parents.  They were looking all forlorn in their cots but after a while the smiles appeared which lit up the whole room.  The wards were full to capacity with the winter weather.   I change all the nappies etc and Wayne is just brilliant in nursing, cuddling and praying over them.  He spent the day in one of the back rooms caring for 3 little beauties whilst I went off to various other rooms and wards to care for others and talk

to various mums and also pray over sick babies.  Again I was offered money to pray over babies and again I explained that the gift and love of Jesus Christ is free.  The babies were at such peace with Wayne and everytime I returned he would be nursing one but talking to all 3 as the costs were so close together.  He had all their full attention!

After checking with staff I distributed beautiful colourful hand knitted bears to all the babies on the wards (seen here in these photographs).  If a child is fortunate enough to have a mum, then she is expected to stay at the hospital until the child is discharged so I met many today who were thrilled to receive a gift for their child.  I explained they were hand made by children from a school in our village back in Wales and their hearts were touched.  To the children and volunteer tutors of Maesmarchog School we say thank you for having a heart to help.  I would love you to have seen the faces of the babies and mums.  Your blankets will go to babies of individual families outside the hospital and we will also get some photos of their distribution. 

 Taking pictures of children in State care is not encouraged and so I am enclosing pictures of babies with mums present only.  Part of our ministry is to also support and minister to mothers on the wards.  Caring for a sick baby is often traumatic and they too need support. 

As I was reflecting on the day and our precious time with the babies I thought about the greatest gift of all, that beautiful baby that was born in a lowly stable in Bethlehem.  He came into the world to save sinners and we give Him all the thanks and glory. 

Gift distribution at Fantanele

This is a small Children's Home housing just 4 children and their Mama.  It is funded by a Dutch Foundation whose founders we know well.  The children were really excited to see us - its been a whole year since our last visit.

 

In the same village live Hans and Mary (Dutch missionaries) and their 6 children whom we have known for several years.    The family live a simple life and serve as volunteers with a British Christian Charity called Networks in a town about 20 miles away.  Mary volunteers in a house for pregnant and single mothers - she provides practical and spiritual support as well as teaching them life skills.  Hans is involved in practical work around the various ministries/projects which includes Apple Way.    We felt it on our hearts that we should give their children shoebox gifts and so we spent around 2 hours at their home just sitting around their wood burner, chatting and catching up on what God has been in our lives in the past 12 months. 

San Nicolau Mic Christmas Programme

The temperature has dropped tonight to minus 4.  Earlier we joined the children of the Kids Club at the SNM Centre for their Christmas Programme.  We enjoyed carols accompanied by guitar and keyboard together with a quiz and a DVD cartoon on the story of The Little Drummer Boy.  It was good to see a few mothers present.  Afterwards we all enjoyed pizza, pop and mandarins before distributing the Christmas boxes and gifts for all the dedicated team.  Sadly they had run out of wood for the stove so the hall was cold - we give thanks for funds to ensure that everyone can be comfortable whilst attending the clubs. 

We have a long standing relationship with these children and the team and love them all. 

A village recording studio

Adina's brother, Danny Luca (seen below in the red jacket)who also does long distance driving for us is a member of a Christian singing group which has 5 members.  They are indeed in demand spreading the gospel and all their music is written by one of the team (seen below praying), whom you may recall has a daughter with a brain tumour. A village Baptist Church has given them a rear room to serve as a recording studio.  They have insulated it but more work is required.  For much of the last week they have worked until the early hours of the morning recording their Christmas Album which they are hoping will be ready for Saturday.  We plan to purchase a few to bring home.  They are very talented and we enjoyed dropping in with Adina after midnight to see them all at work with their sound man who was doing all the mixing.

Still distributing gifts at midnight!!

Last weekend I wrote about another warm and loving couple from the village of Cirer who foster 4 children including Rebecca (seen here with a beautiful scarf from her Christmas Box), whom we first met here at the apartment.  They run a village shop in the grounds of their side street home.  It is a typical village store that sells food and such a variety of household items including second hand clothes.  They work hard but give so much - they are blessed to be a blessing.   We had pre-warned the family that we would be late and arrived at around midnight to a joyous welcome. We smiled as mam enjoyed sharing what each child had in their shoe box and at one point picked up a pretty pair of girls's pants and said to one of the girls - "well now you stop wearing mine!"  These children are doing so well and a joy to behold.  Mam mentioned that they had all been involved in making up Christmas food parcels for poor families in the village.  The Luca family blessed them with a box of fruit for Christmas. 

Crutches to the rescue!

We are down to 4 full days before we return home and our schedule is tight - hence we had a very late night early morning but people understand.

After leaving the Church we made our way in difficult driving conditions to visit the little lady (with dwarf syndrome), her husband and baby.  We felt it on our hearts to deliver a large Christmas food parcel, baby clothes, blanket, baby bottles and towells.  Adina also brought along clothes and a set of crutches which had been cut to size for Leontina.  However, they were still too long and so Wayne, Adina and her husband shortened them further with a hacksaw.  We pray that these will make her life easier.  She has been using sticks for the past 30 years. 

   

This family is very poor but the husband, a former experienced shepherd explained that they had managed to buy 2 sheep and he hoped to breed from them.  If there is anyone out there that could maybe help by purchasing some more, then this would really help this family.  Leontina gave us both some beautiful hand knitted woollen socks as a gift and told us to make sure we visited again not just with gifts - we definately will.  Seeing the socks gave me an idea - they would be ideal to put in our Widow's Mite Christmas boxes next year.  We could buy the wool and pay Leontina to knit them for us - it would certainly help them financially.   She told us that on a good day she can knit one whole sock!!

The blessing of children from "Tabitha" and "Felice"

Last evening we had the joy of attending a Christmas Concert at the Betania Pentecostal Church in the Gradiste area of the city.  It is a huge Church built to a high standard with I believe American support.

All the children from both the above homes participated in the concert and as is normal in Romania -  everyone was dressed up for the occasion. 

Later we were invited to join them, the pastors and staff from both Homes in the conference room of the Church for Pizza, Mandarins and pop.  Little di

d they know that Adina had arranged for us  Father Christmas (her brother, Danny) to visit with all the Christmas shoeboxes plus gifts for the staff.  There was so much excitement and I cannot put into words the precious time we spent with these children.  Although the Tabitha Home has recently taken in 5 new children (all from the same family) most of them I have known since I first arrived in Romania.  We spent so much time together with English tuition, Bible Studies, Children's ministry, cooking and crafts as well as outings.  We give thanks that they are brought up in a loving Christian environmentment and look forward to meeting up with them again in the spring.  "Felice" is a sister orphanage in the city and occasionally children get moved from one to the other, dependent on age and intake of other children from the State.

The City Widows get a visit with Christmas Boxes

I apologise for being a day late with this blog but yesterday was busy and we arrived home at 2 am this morning - a little late for turning the PC on!!

Early morning yesterday was taken up with doing our accounts and sorting out everything in our room for distribution to various places - like Christmas crafts to the Childrens Homes, soft toys and blankets for the baby hospital, toilet bags and towells for the homeless - also gift wrapping little presents for all the staff at the Children's Homes and the Team at the School.  We must never forget that such people give out so much love and spiritual guidance to these beautiful children and their work should be acknowledged - we thank God for them.  We bought them all pen sets with a key ring which we individually wrapped.

Another consignment of items and some more shoeboxes arrived on Tuesday - and we have not yet finished sorting all the items for distribution.  We give thanks for Vio, Jackie's neighbour who is such a blessing to us with her enthusiasm to help.

Later yesterday we visited elderly ladies in the city  from the Widows Mite Project - we managed some pictures but 2 were so sick it would have been insensitive to have got out the camera.    Maria (who used to be my neighbour when I first moved to Romania and seen here) is very very ill and has just returned from hospital - she has chronic heart failure, stomach and numerous other problems. Before being added to the programme she used to go through my rubbish bin every week to find food.   She is  in a lot of distress and is ready to meet her maker - we pray that God's will be done.  

Vilma , bless her was unable to lift her head to speak to us but we spent some time chatting to and praying for her -  we give thanks that she is now being cared for by her son and daughter in law.   Sadly it came to light last year that she had been physically abused by a family member with mental health problems so she was removed to the safety of her son's home.  We pray that God will take her home in His timing because she is suffering.

Vicuta and Ecaterina are neighbours and live in small apartments on the 6th floor of a block of flats. The live in more comfortable surroundings than many of our widows but struggle to survive on their minimul pensions since their husbands died.   We give thanks that they have each other.  Both are also very sick - Vicuta has osteoporosis, is very immobile and lives in a lot of pain whilst Ecaterina has chronic heart disease and asthma.  Vicuta is an Orthodox Christian and fasts for 40 days before Christmas.   Please pray for Ecaterina because whilst she is open to the gospel and prayer she has not yet given her heart to the
Lord.

We give thanks that Ileana now has a comfortable room (thanks to her landlord) even though she had a bad chest infection when we called.  The last time we visited her she lived in a really damp basement approx. 12 x 8 feet and she had rats!!  It just broke our hearts to see her so broken with her situation.  Thank you Lord for answered prayer.

In between the visits we also called briefly with 2 other cases (previously written about) who are being supported.

Maranatha Children's Home

Up and out early this morning on the icy pavements - me to collect my new spectacles - known as "progresiv" here but "varifoculs" back home. Wayne went to the bank - the exchange rate has improved since our last visit.  On our return we had a pre-arranged meeting in the apartment with Cipri - who runs the homeless ministry.  It was good to have a complete update on what is happening on the street and in the ministry  which the Charity helps financial support.  We will meet him again at the Clubul Gara on Saturday - which is a Christian Club for Homeless and Street People and Children.  The football tournaments have been going well in continuing to building relationships with Jesus in the Centre.  We also supply filled toilet bags and towels for the tournaments.

Pastor Jackie, Wayne, myself, Adina and her brother Danny (our capable driver and Father Christmas) later set off in the minibus complete with 50 shoeboxes for the Maranatha Orphanage in Hunedoara, a 3 hour journey away.  The roads were bad with snow and ice and we encountered a head on collision between 2 huge trucks with another incident of  lorry and trailer having skidded and overturned in a ditch.  Thank you Lord for our protection.

We were warmly welcomed by Pasta Hada and so enjoyed the Christmas programme performed by the 19 children and staff.   The costumes in the Nativity Scene were superb.  There has been changes at the Home since last year.  7 children had been integrated back with families but they had been replaced by younger children.  We also met a young mother and her 2 little sons.  She is a victim of domestic violence and Pastor Hada and his family who also live in the building are taking them in for their own safety.   

 Although the facilities are good this project is really struggling to survive with all the cutbacks.  Pasta Hada also runs a soup kitchen as an outreach for families who cannot afford food.   Shoe box gifts were also supplied for this essential ministry.  Father Christmas was such a hit in the form of Danny, our driver.  It was a joy to meet with some of the parents  who came along for the concert but are unable to care for their children at home for a variety of reasons.  Many of the children in this orphanage have had traumatic pasts and may never live normal lives.    "Reaching Romania" via sponsors helps to support 3 children.

Back at Mocrea

Wayne and I together with Jackie and Adina paid our second visit of the trip to Mocrea today.  There was much excitement and many patients from the locked wards were allowed to join us at our request.  Peace and calm enveloped the hall as we organised further Christmas craft activities.  Today they coloured Christmas pictures and there was a lot of glue, glitter and blue tak!!!  They were soon in good voice with their carols as refreshments were served by a trusted patient.  Today we completed the Christmas wreaths (with their photographs in the centre) which were displayed along with all the other hand made decorations and pictures (seen opposite)  Everyone was in fine form and we give thanks for a blessed morning.  The grounds were so pretty as the snow fell around Adina!!

Snow had fallen all morning and on return to the city we called with a member of Adina's family who shortened two crutches for our dwarf sister from Vladimerscu.  We had hoped to deliver them and a Christmas food parcel  tonight but the roads were too treacherous for us to venture outside the city.  Instead we visited my old neighbour Ioan with a Christmas "grampy" box.  He was thrilled to see us both as we skated to his doorstep.  We called at the supermarket on the way home but we could barely stand up following freezing sleet and snow as it hit the ground.  It was -5 in the car park and as you can see Wayne is more than a little cold as Adina is sweeping snow off the car.  We came in so tired tonight and are looking forward to a good night's sleep.  We will need to review the weather conditions in the morning before we can decide whether it is possible to make the 3 hour journey to Maranatha Orphanage in Hunedoara.   Please pray for us because we do not want to disappoint the children but obviously safety is a big consideration - God, it is in your hands.