Preparing for Christmas at Mocrea

This sinus problem is turning into an infection and I am going to start a course of antibiotics because it is making me feel really tired and out of sorts and I need to be well to fulfill the rest of the mission.  My Pre-Christmas visit is unlike any other visit to Romania where I can spend much value time around all the projects.  In December most of my time is spent preparing for Christmas programmes and shoe box distributions.

It is bitterly cold this morning as we set off to  Mocrea Psychiatric Hospital  in a remote setting an hour's drive along very bumpy roads full of potholes. There are around 180 patients at Mocrea of mixed gender.  Jackie and I first visited this hospital in 2006 with a Dutch Missionary.  Conditions were grim and there was little food in the storehouse to feed the patients.  So we began by regularly delivering a supply.   We built up a relationship with the management and eventually they allowed us into the hospital to minister to the patients.  They were the forgotten people but gradually our visits became weekly and we were also able to bring in foreign teams to do programmes.  After joining the EU in 2007 the manager applied for Union Funding and the place was renovated to a good standard and over the past 2 years a New Ladies Wing has been built - this has yet to be finished internally.  Other foreign missionaries and Romanian volunteers have now joined the team.


Jackie is at the wheel this morning and is being very observant so as not to wreck the car.   We passed a few horses and carts on route plus plenty of tree trunks on road sides waiting to be sawn up for the winter.   The Team today consists of Jackie myself, Adina and 2 girls from a Midway Home run by an American Christian Charity that  she works at.  There is much excitement as we arrive with snacks and crafts to prepare for Christmas.  In Mocrea we have our own cupboard with a real variety of crafts accumulated from America and the UK.    We have lots of coloured paper to make paper chain decorations and I give thanks for my friend, Ivan, an elder of our Church back in Wales and a vital part of the Little Lambs Mother and Toddler Team.   This year the toddler group are presenting the "Christmas Sack" story as part of the family service.  Ivan was a former Art Teacher and drew up some beautiful sketches to cover the Nativity Story and I photocopied them to bring to Romania. Thank you Ivan - what a hit they were among the patients.  Out came the colouring pencils, glue and glitter.  They loved it - others put much effort into making the chains - look at their works of art.   Everyone was in Christmas spirit with carols followed by Christian action songs and we closed in prayer.  It was a very rewarding few hours and the patients really enjoyed. Bless them they have such a narrow world and being able to bring in the love and light of Jesus makes such a difference.  We respect the policy of the hospital not to take full facial pictures.

On the way home Jackie stopped briefly for me to pop into the British Christian Foundation called Neworks where an old American friend of mine works as a volunteer.  In 2006 Beth stayed with me in my home in Arad for around 6 months until she moved onto Siria to work with Networks.  We had some great times at my Mircea Voda home and if it is possible with my schedule we are going to try and meet up again before I leave.