Today we visited the Maranata Children's Home in Hunedoara, a two and a half hour drive from Arad. Our team consisted of our driver Danny, the son of my hosts, Adina, his sister, Jackie, myself and Christine. Maranata is a home that Pastor Jackie has had links with for many years and our Charity sponsors 3 children there. Some of the other children have American sponsors. It is run by a Pencostal Pastor called Hada and his family. It also houses a medical centre and has an additional soup kitchen which daily feeds children from poor families. There are currently 22 children at this Home and many of them are damaged from their pasts. Today the children put on a programme of carols especially for us. Shoe box gifts were distributed and we enjoyed time with them on the floor with shrieks of excitement as they opened their gifts. I have respected the wishes of the pastor by not taking photographs.
On the way home we called in with two poor families living in a small bungalow. The fathers are brothers. One couple has 8 children (including a set of triplets just 15 months old and a new born). One child is missing from the picture. The other couple has 4 children and the wife is pregnant again. Eighteen months ago Adina and another Scottish Foundation arranged for a well to be dug so the family could have an internal water supply. Prior to this the older children were carrying all water a considerable distance along a very busy main road. The Foundation also supplied a washing machine and fridge freezer to be shared between both families. There is a communal kitchen and just 1 bedroom per family. There were shoeboxes for all the children including the babies and we took along a supply of aid, blankets and woollens for both families. The lives of these people are so hard and there was much joy at receiving the gifts. The month old baby is in caroling mood!!!
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