Journal for Tuesday 9th to Thursday 11th of June

Tuesday 9^th of June

My time is coming to an end and there is still much to do! This morning I started with a visit to Connie! Within my last visits with her I have shared the fact that my time is coming to an end, and she has told me quite a few times that

she will miss me once I'm gone – she has been so very sweet and I shall miss her too!

Later I returned home to pick up Irene, and from here I drove to Hirwaun to pick up 40 empty shoe boxes. On route to our next meeting we picked up Jen! We met with three wonderful ladies (Denise, Pat and Liz) at McDonalds, and one of the ladies was a deaf ministry Pastor! I had such a lovely time with them, much laughter and smiles! Before we left they filled our car up with made up shoe boxes and other items they had collected for poor people in Romania.! On our way back we stopped and meet another lovely couple, Kathryn and Jason and their 3 children. Their church also supports the charity with shoe box gifts. Our next stop was at Jen's and Billy's – and as always we had a good time -they have been such a blessing to me!

We then got back to the house in Hirwaun and unloaded the shoe boxes from the car, and while Irene worked on other things I manage to make up a couple more shoes boxes! And I couldn't return to Romania before seeing Ema and Mihai – so tonight, after 8 pm we stopped and visited with them! What a wonderful couple and great friends they are! I shall miss them much upon my return home! We left after a couple hours and made it home right around 11 pm!

Wednesday 10^th of May

This is my last day here, and there is so much to fit in! We started early this morning with a meeting with Julie (Iasmina's sponsor) –we were with her for about 2 hours, for we had much to talk about! From there off we went to meet Blodwen (a friend of Irene’s) – a lady who has visited Romania as her daughter and son-on-law are missionaries there. Next stop was to see Connie – and this has been the saddest day for me, for I knew I am heading home and have to say goodbye! She is so dear to me, and I loved her even from before I ever met her, for I heard Irene talk a lot about her, but now, I consider her to be my grandmother, and I have cherished every single day I

visited and stayed with her! Connie has dementia, and some days she didn't know me but many she did, and today before I left, I told her I love her and will miss her after going back to Romania, and she told me 'she will miss having me around' ...do I need to say more?! My heart is crying as I am typing right now :(

My last evening in Wales, finished with a multicultural meal, as Irene made the traditional 'Welsh Cawl' for me and I made the traditional Romanian 'Stuffed peppers' for her and our guests! About the Welsh Cawl dish I can only say it was YUMMY!!!

For dinner we had our good friends Mike and Wayne over – and it was a good evening but I can say that we didn't have the joy we had all the others evenings before...I believe they were saving it for the Big Party they were gonna have through the day after my departure – just kidding! I sure will miss our time together - all the fun and laughter, I will miss the two of them!

Thurday 11^th of May

My time came to an end in Wales, but I can surely say that this has been a BLESSED TRIP! Could've I done more work? Could I have met more people? Could I have visited more church or places!?! ...Sure I could have but not in a 4 weeks frame! While on this trip, the days were long and the nights were short, but I want to say that every single person I met, every single place I visited, everything I managed to do – whether it was related to the shoe box ministry, working on the house, time cooking, or in meetings – everything has blessed my heart and touched me in ways I find it hard to describe in words!

I can truly say that it is so MUCH BETTER when God is on board and He guides you where He wants you to be – THANK YOU GOD for the blessing of this trip! And special THANKS to Irene and Wayne that made this possible and the love they shown me throughout my entire stay in Wales! Also a big THANK YOU to all those that crossed my path at any point and have shown me much love and to those who have been involved with our ministry!

Praying Gods blessings on you all and God willing, we might see each other again!