My last day and its hard

This is my last day in Romania and my last blog for a while as I return to Christmas preparations with my family back home.  I love my family and look forward to seeing them but leaving here is always difficult for me.  There are so many needs - we have seen so much today.  I will try and cover our activities but there is still much to do and I need to pack because I leave at 4 am tomorrow.

Firstly today we visited a double amputee who lives with her son and grandson in this area She is aged 65,  has been a diabetic for 50 years and a widow for 5 years.  Her husband was paralised for 8 years.   In 2010 she lost one leg and this November she lost the other one - both high above the knee.  She is now confined to her bed settee.  She said she was so saddened because she did not receive any aftercare from the surgeon and a nurse calls every 4 days to change the dressing but she has to pay the equivalent of 4 pounds each time.  The last leg took a year to heal.  She receives very little from the State in benefits - just under 60 pounds a month but they gave her a free pass for the trams for life!!!! - how insensitive is that!!  She also recently suffered a heart attack and is losing her sight.  She lives in severe pain and the doctor told her that will remain for life.  She told us that her only reason for living is her 16 year old grandson.  Due to the medication she is taking she has to use at least 4-5 incontinence pads daily.  Between the medical bills and the cost of the pads she was so desperate that she put a request in the local paper asking for help with supply of pads.   She said she was ashamed to have to resort to this and she had received a minimal amount since the advert..  We rang her,  purchased a large pack (but which will only last her a week)and took them round with some clementines, blankets and shoe box gifts for her and her grandson.  She was in tears and thanked us.  We told her it was God's provision and she gave Him all the thanks.  We did not take any photos of this case for obvious reasons.    I will leave some private funds for Adina to purchase some more pads for her.  I will talk to Jackie about including her on the Widows Mite Project - not for food because her son feeds her but for what the real need is.  Please please if there is anyone out there who can help then contact me.   This is a dear lady who needs our help.  


The next stops were to 2 really poor  gipsy families with shoe boxes for the children.  One family we visited last week but we needed extra boxes and the other was the lady who regularly goes through the refuse bins outside this apartment block.  You may recall a story I did on her last week. They live  in the very poor area of Checheci not far from here.  There were 10 in the family living in 1 room.  What came across to me was the love the grandparents had for their children and grand children.  Again they were giving thanks to God for their provision of shoe box gifts, clementines and cookies.

Then Adina and I went to the Baby Hospital where we are not allowed to take photos.  I have felt guilty that,  because of my tight Pre-Christmas schedule here this is the only visit I have made this trip but I give thanks that friends Jodie and Kathleen were here for 10 days working at the baby hospital and with disabled children.    Today there were 8 abandoned babies ranging from around 1 - 9 months, most very small for their age and underweight.   One of the oldest, Maria was very sick with chest problems.    We were indeed blessed to have some value time with them just giving them cuddles and talking and singing to them.  We also gave them their lunch bottles with teats larger than life .  What can I say about conditions without going into detail - very little change since last year.  Please pray for these little treasures - they are all beautiful in God's eyes.

On leaving the hospital we got a call from Pastor Jackie.  She was in the city and came across homeless "I"whom I wrote about previously.  She was begging outside a food store - was cold, soaking wet and had been drinking.  Jackie had called an ambulance and asked us to come and help.  She was in bad shape and obviously has a mental health problem.  She is known to the ambulance service and initially they were not overly sympathetic but after Jackie and Adina talked to them at length they agreed to take her but of course she refused to go with the crew!!  Eventually after much persuasion Jackie and I helped her into the ambulance.  Jackie went home for her ID papers which she holds and Adina went to the hospital.  They had to pay the ambulance transportation charge to get her to a psychiatric hospital tomorrow.  We just pray that she does not abscond from there as previously because she so...o badly needs treatment.  We are here to love people in all circumstances so please pray for her..

As we are both leaving shortly Jackie (for Christmas in America) and I (for Wales) we  had been due to meet another girl that we have both supported for years.  With Jackie tied up at the hospital I met with "M"  who once lived with me for 3 months.  I gave her our presents and a shoe box gift.   We went to a Fast Food place and enjoyed a meal together whilst reminiscing about the good times we had when she lived with me.  These, however were mixed with some challenges ones!!!    I am pleased however, that she continues to go to Church.  "M" insisted on walking  me back to my apartment and was in floods of tears on saying goodbye. Even though she is a challenging case my heart bled for her.   She so needs to be loved.    Poor girl she has had such a hard life and no love from her family but I give thanks that she has a small apartment funded by Pastor Jackie who will never abandon her.

Well it is time to do some packing and get my accounts finalised.

On behalf of myself, the family, all our Trustees, Pastor Jackie, Adina and the rest of the team out here, we thank you for your love and support during 2012.  We all wish you a Happy Christmas and a New Year full of God's blessings.

In the love of Jesus
Irene

Dud village life

A touch of rural life from our visit to Dud yesterday

Tabitha and Felice Children receiving their shoe boxes

Our last call of the day was to meet the children of the above Children's Home run by the Pentecostal Church.  I have known many of these children since 2005 when I first moved to Romania.  I used to be a regular visitor to Tabitha where I did a children's and also a youth Christian programme.  I also  gave English tuition and did crafts and cooking with the girls.  Wayne used to play football and basketball  with the boys.  We had some special times taking the children out on picnics in the summer.  They all love Wayne and are asking me when he is coming back.

Albert is waiting to see Wayne

 

They laid on refreshments for us and sang carols.  I am so..so sorry to miss their Church Christmas concert this year.  It is tomorrow night and I fly home early morning.  However, my heart will be with them.  We had such a joyous night.

Rehearsing for their carol service

The chilldren from both homes with a Pastor
from their Pentecostal Church

A family of 5 who lost their mother

The Widows Mite Project at Dud

Outside of Ghita's house

On leaving Mocrea we went to the remote village of Dud to deliver food parcels and Christmas Gifts to the 2 people included on the programme there.    It is a beautiful scenic route  - life in rural Romania is so very different to the city.  There are geese, chickens, turkeys and sometimes cows or horses on the muddy roads complete with horses and carts.. Also along the streets you will find farm machinery and huge tree trunks waiting to be cut up for fire wood.

Helping Bogdan with a spot of cleaning. The dust is covering the camera lense

Christmas present opening time

Some clean clothes and company has put a smile on his face.

First stop of the day was Georghe (known as Ghita) whom I met for the first time December last year.  He was at then visiting his friend also Georghe, one of the original members of the programme who sadly died earlier in the year.  It was strange going to  Dud and not seeing him - we miss him.   After learning more about Ghita's circumstances he was added to the programme early in the New Year.

Everyone on the programme has a story to tell.  G is aged 75 and he has been a widower for 12 years.. In Romanian culture it is the woman who runs the house and so after his wife died conditions deteriorated  to extent that he lived in  squalor surrounded by mountains of refuse both inside and outside the house.  Sadly be became the source of much gossip in the village but no-one was prepared to help.

Ghita's repaired cooker

We are here to love  and care for people in all circumstances and soon Jackie gathered together her  own team, Members and Youth Group from Vinga, other foreign missionaries and even an American Missionary team and "Operation Ghita" was underway.   It caused quite a stir in the village - they could not understand why complete strangers would want to travel for almost an hour to help  a "down and out".     We pray that seeds were planted and we await the harvest.

The team spent several days in the village clearing the rubbish internally and externally (there were lots of bonfires).  His bed was burned and another one  donated, his old stove was repaired and a layer of paint was stripped from his smoke damaged walls.  All the spare wood found in the different areas of the yard was gathered together for winter fuel.  Adina cut his hair and gave him a shave and new clothes and  bed linen were supplied   Jackie bought a water butt to store drinking water which comes for his neighbour's well.    He did not have a toilet so an earth one was made in the garden.

Lena has just been painting her fire

He was also added to the programme with a monthly supply of food.  Being unable to cook for himself his parcel consists mainly  tinned foods.  However Georghe's support is not only about food.  As he is unable to care for himself, he requires continuing help with personal hygiene, cleaning, washing etc.  So Bogdan and Vlad call regularly to clean up, dispose of any refuse, to ensure his bed linen and clothes are changed. They also take care of his laundry. Dog food is also supplied for his best friend.    Praise God G's quality of life has so...o improved and its all down to the Kingdom principle of "Loving God and Loving People 

G also has multiple medical problems - a huge stomach hernia which is visible through his clothes.  Jackie managed to persuade him to let her take him to the doctor who explained that  he can do nothing about his problem after 8 years.  Also G has heart and lung problems - yesterday his breathing was very bad. G is so.... thankful to everyone for their ongoing love and support.

Struggling to walk since breaking her leg last year

We also visited Lena, another dear lady who is a quite a character and one of the original members of the programme.  Lena has lost her complete family - her husband and son both died many years ago and her daily life is very hard especially since breaking her leg over a year ago.  It was not set properly and she lives in constant pain.  Many of you will recall that we features a story on her in our Pre-Easter Newsletter this year.  Lena also has multiple medical problems - her medication is purchased by the Project.
She loved her Christmas shoe box gift and slippers.

Will attach more pictures later.

Mocrea Psychiatric Hospital Christmas Programme

We were all loaded up early with musicians, instruments, hot coffee and chocolate, lots of fizzy pop, cakes, biscuits and clementines plus boxes of chocolates for the staff.    Praise God the roads were almost clear - a far cry from last week.  Our team consisted of Jackie, myself, Adina, Bogdan, Peter (Santa), Musicians-Marius, Danny and Elizabeth.  Also with us today was Cerbu and a large team from the Osana Children's Home in Timisoara who  put on another puppet show and the "Christmas Carol" story before doing some worship songs.

We all arrived early so as to set up everything in plenty of time.  There was great excitement in the house as patients and staff arrived for the start of the show.  As the puppet show got into full swing, Marius and his team plus Father Christmas toured the locked up wards singing carols and giving out goodies.  I too joined them for a while meeting many of the patients who are bedridden.  They are God's people and we love them all.

I have never seen such excitement in the house at Mocrea as today.  The patients were clapping, singing and many were on their feet dancing at the end.  We closed the 2 hour show with more carols led by the musicians.  It was a truly blessed morning and we all came away giving thanks that we had been given the opportunity to share much joy with them all as we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Saviour.  We are not allowed to take full facial pictures of the patients but here is a taste of the morning.

The Heartbreak of Rebecca's parents

Some of you may recall me writing last year about Leontina and her family.  She and her husband are very poor and live in one room of her mother's house.  She has dwarf syndrome and her husband is a shepherd.  He has just 4 sheep.  They had a daughter called Rebecca aged 3 who was born physically and mentally disabled. She was tiny for her age and could not walk or talk.  Their whole life revolved around their beautiful little girl who needed a lot of care and was hospitalised many times.

Last June she went into hospital for an operation.  However, before the surgery  she was suddenly taken ill and placed in the intensive care unit.  Sadly she died and the bottom fell out of their world.We give thanks that their Baptist Church supported them but they are still in grief. Adina and I sat and cried with Leontina as she showed us pictures of Rebecca at the hospital and after she had died.  As is customary here in Romania there were pictures of her in her open casket -  they had gone out and bought her a new red dress and she looked  so beautiful and in perfect peace.    We talked about where she now is and Leontina told us that God had given her a clear vision of their daughter in heaven so so happy and healthy.  We give thanks that she was placed in such a loving family under the most difficult of circumstances.  They are both being so brave and their humour even shone through during our precious time with them.

We always take the couple a food parcel and in the past a shoe box for Rebecca.  This year we took along  shoe box gifts for her devoted mum and dad who so so deserve to have a little joy brought into their lives.  We give thanks that they are resting in Jesus and are giving thanks for the precious 3 years they had with their beautiful  daughter.  One of the nicest things we could for them is to make up a photo album of Rebecca.

What a day of mixed emotions

Maria trying out her new scarf

Its been a strange day of mixed emotions.  I am down to my last few days and as much as I am so looking forward to seeing Wayne and the family I am going to so miss this place.  I love so much being on the mission field but  each day brings with it a multitude of emotions -   sadness and humility at the needs of the people, joy at bringing a smile to a face by just being there and loving them through Jesus alongside making them feel valued and worthy of a gift; also frustration at not being able to spend enough time with some of them - the December trips are so...o busy with the Christmas programmes and distribution of gifts.

Leontina loves her hot water bottle

The needs out here are so great that I am coming back with a real determination to raise more support, especially for the Widows Mite Project which is grossly underfunded.

Its been a long day - we came in late so it is only now I am blogging and it almost 12.30.

Sorting blankets for the Homeless

Pastor Vlad who runs the Widows Mite Project in Timisoara and also works at Vinga Church has asked for some extra Christmas gifts for children from 3 Baptist Churches in his area.  We had sufficient boxes to help in the poorest village but we needed to make up gift bags for the other 2. So after breakfast I made my way over to Peter's house at the other end of the city to sort through what I could utilise from our stock room there.    Praise God for His provision.  After sorting out a box full of items, it was time for Peter, I and Bogdan to get to the Detention Centre to meet Jackie and Adina for the Christmas Programme, Party and distribution of shoe boxes.  As well as the gifts, we took along drinks, sweets, cakes, tangerines plus boxes of chocolates for the staff. .  The children were thrilled to see us and sang carols - however they seemed a bit subdued today and I felt their emotions - sadness at being away from their families but then joy when they received their gifts from Santa - Peter who always lightens up  lives.  Then it was time to say goodbye and it was hard because I know how they have enjoyed our company for the past 3 weeks - value time to really talk with them, to get to know them and to show them love.  Jackie, I and Adina had a tight schedule for the rest of the day but we gave thanks that Peter and Bogdan were able to stay on to show a film.  We are not allowed to take pictures of the children at this state establishment.

Shopping big time for the projects

Then it was shopping for food parcels for poor families and for the Mocrea Christmas Party tomorrow.  Adina's car was full to the brim with food, shoe boxes and much more as we set off to distribute some more food parcels and gifts to the rest of the city Widows - will write some more stores later.  We then visited a few individual families with shoe box gifts and/or food parcels as the needs determined.   After starting to make more space in the car,  we then bombed it over to Pastor Jackie's house to refill with shoe boxes for further distributions.  With that done we were soon on our way to a the village of Vladimerescu several miles outside the city to visit the Cicir Children's home and then 2 individual families.  I will let the pictures tell some   of these stories.

Adina hard at work making up extra Christmas gifts

On returning to the city we had to stop at Selgros to buy more food for Mocrea tomorrow some additional items for the gift bags for Vlad and also some incontinence pads for a double amputee in the city.   Our trolley was loaded and I started to wonder whether I would have to sit on the roof to return home!!!.  However we made it and soon we were at the table to a delicious meal thanks to Mama Maria.  Adina then proceeded to make up the 30 gift bags for Vlad while I started the blog and updated my finances.   Needed to fit in a quick chat to Wayne to catch up on what is happening back home - always good to here his voice and to share his joy - needed that tonight.


Tomorrow is another day and I am relying on God to help me get everything done before I leave on Thursday.

Cati's story

Meet Cati from the Widows Mite Project whom I visited earlier today with a monthly food parcel and Christmas gifts.  She is aged just 68 but looks years older.  Her whole life has been so difficult and she told me she has always lived in extreme poverty.  She lives in very poor conditions in one room in a house in disrepair.  She has an earth floor, has to carry water from a well in the garden and has a "Ty Bach" toilet in the garden.

 She has lived in the village of Vinga for 10 years and before that she and her husband,  who died a year ago lived in the Judet (State) of Timisoara.  Her husband had lung problems and had been unable to work for many years.  Both of them had done manual work on local farms until their health deteriorated.  Cati has eyesight and heart problems, high blood pressure and suffers from lack of calcium  Unfortunately the kind of work she and her husband  did is very poorly paid and they were not given a contract so it is not recognised for pension purposes.

She has a son living in Arad but he too is very poor-being unable to work because of a spinal problem.  She said that she is totally reliant on the food parcel provided and wood supplied by the program.    However she is concerned because her wood stock is reducing fast and she may not have enough for the winter.  She also gathers whatever local wood she can find herself.  Her neighbours help to pay for her medication.  

Her life is an existence and all I can say is Thank You Lord that you have called her by name.  She was baptized at Jackie's Church where her husband's funeral was held.

Widows Mite Programme - Vinga

Aged 68, serious health problems and no pension

During the service this afternoon Jackie quoted Proverbs 21v13 " If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered".  This verse was so appropriate today because after Church  Jackie drove Bogdan and myself around the widows and widowers to distribute their Christmas Food parcels and gifts.Out in the village in thawing snow and inches of slush and mud was quite an experience especially in the dark with no torch.  I definately needed my wellies but alas they would not fit in my suitcase!!!! Again would not have managed it without Jackie's 4 x 4 a blessing to her by an American Church - Thank You Jesus.

Aged 71 and no pension

Feeling unwell - had no fire when we called, trying to preserve her wood to last the winter

Minimal pension is swallowed up by cost of medication

Home of Mihai above.  He has a room in this house occupied by 4 families.

Carl has no pension. His sister-in-law who is very poor herself cooks for him

One of the widows was in Church and so she received her food and gift there which were
carried home for her.  The other 3 widows and 2 widowers we visited.  They all lead very hard lives (3 received no pensions at all).  Everyone had earth floors, earth toilets - some had wells in the garden, others in the street, and one in her back room.!!  Here are some pictures and I will share some of their individual stories later. I give thanks that they all know Jesus as their Lord and Saviour so they are not alone.
Please join me in prayer for these beautiful but desperate people.   If any of you are touched by these stories then you can help by making a monthly donation from as little as 5 pounds per month.   We can make a difference if everyone gives a little.

Thank you Jackie for some medication - home, did some earlier blogging but needed to get some rest.  It is now 11.30pm and I am up and about again catching up - tomorrow is another day and his grace and mercies are renewed each day.  .

Its the sabbath and we will rejoice

Pastor Jackie

Well it has been raining and the snow is melting creating slush everywhere.  Up early blogging and doing my accounts.  It really is loaves and fishes again.  I had more in the Charity Account than I thought - enough to help more people in need.

Happy with her aid

Adina, I and one of her friends went to Metanoie Baptist Church by 11am.  It was such a blessing - the worship team are truly  anointed and the Senior Pastor preached an excellent Word on Exodus 18.  There must have been around 500 people and I noticed that there were 6 Sunday School rooms downstairs.    This time I had ear phones with batteries that didn't run out.  It was very hot in the room and I started to feel unwell - still problems with my sinuses  which are better when I am out in the cold.  Back for a lovely lunch prepared by Maria before shooting out again to Vinga Church with Pastor Jackie.  Because Church had to be cancelled last week due to the weather today we lit the Advent Candles of Peace and Love.  After the Church Service we distributed some aid which Christine and I had sorted last week.  It was all done in an orderly fashion.  We were then invited next door to the home of Leontin and his wife, Maria plus their extended family.  They are very warm and caring and served a lovely meal of chicken noodle soup, sarmale (stuffed cabbage leaves), chicken and mash and our favourite doughnuts.  It was a lovely time of fellowship around the table.

By the time we finished it was dark and I had yet to take some pictures of the inside of the newly extended Church and deliver the Widows Mite Food and Christmas Presents..

The blessing of Adina

Little "C" was abandoned at the city hospital, which is where Adina found her.  She had a cleft pallet and experienced difficulties feeding.  Eventually she was fostered by a lovely middle aged couple and their elderly daughter who also care for another little boy.

Adina is an amazing social worker and her baby ministry is often extended into after care when the babies leave the hospital.  If she comes across a child with a severe medical problem she will do everything she can to support the family and get appropriate treatment or surgery.  She will go to extraordinary lengths to find someone to treat severe cases for free and she will even stay in the hospital overnight to give parents a break.    In this case surgery was arranged - note before and after pictures. Also note that both little "C"s hands are in splints until the scar heals.



Thank you Lord for your provision in every aspect of our lives.