The shoe box operation begins in Romania!

Slept like a log and up at 7 for a shower and my quiet time with the Lord.  Isaiah 58 speaking to me today.  Good to have fellowship time with the other missionaries, the Lucas and Jackie who popped over for breakfast.  Then it was off to Jackie's house for a full days' work.  After all the busyness in Wales throughout the year with the Christmas Appeal, it was time to get started here in sorting out all the 82 boxes of items delivered from Wales.  I give thanks for my friend Vio, who year after year has been helping me with these consignments.  Also Jackie's grandaughters were on hand with assistance.  Vio's little boy, age 3 was also running around  We emptied and sorted our boxes and found an additional 10  that had been delivered in error.  After contacting the transport company I was told that we could keep them for our ministries - God is good!!

We took over the whole of Jackie's back bedroom and her bathroom - quite an operation but with much laughter. Jackie cooked us a delicious lunch - it was good to spend value time together and to share more about her experiences over the past year.  She is an incredible mentor to many and an inspiration to everyone in the way she walks daily in faith and relies on God for all her provision.

Given a lift back by Bogdan who runs the Youth Ministries. We brought over a large quantity of medication to be split between the Baptist Clinic in Arad (who helps many people in need who have no funds to cover their prescriptions) and a doctor that Vlad is working with to help some of our dear ladies on the Widows Project.   Home by 9.30 pm just before the other missionaries who have been out in the field visiting poor families.  We are all quite tired but enjoyed a joyous meal with the family sharing our experiences of life in Romania.  Then the conversation took on a more serious note as we discussed the harsh reality of further cutbacks here and trying to get adequate health care.  The hospitals have so few drugs due to lack of funds that often patients's families are having to run to pharmacies to buy them to hand over to staff at the hospital to administer.  I heard one story of a nurse rushing out in the middle of an operation to ask family to go out and purchase a drug so they could continue the operation. Sadly,   this is the harsh reality of life here. I admit to getting quite upset when people presume that everything is much improved since Romania joined the EU in 2007.   Despite paying, after an operation that went totally wrong  in March this year, our host's  life was only saved after his family at considerable expense transferred him to Hungary themselves for further surgery.  He is still recovering - we give thanks for answered prayer.

While Jody and Kathleen stay til Tuesday, Missionary Matt is leaving early tomorrow morning - it was a joy to meet him.    

Also some other good news - our printers in Wales were touched by God's work here and decided that they would not charge for our latest newsletter.  What an answer to prayer - our transportation costs have trebbled this year due to a change in arrangements but God knows our situation and is meeting our needs financially.  He is our provision - all we have to do is trust.

Its now gone midnight and I have been trying for the past hour to download pictures from my camera with no success - never had a problem like this before!  Well I give up tonight and need some rest.