An emotional farewell

Saying goodbye to ministry work and to my many friends in Romania is always an emotional time for me. The Country and it's people holds a special place in my heart from the 2 and a half years that I served there full-time. My schedule kept me busy right up to the evening before I left. However, we made time for a prayer meeting to give thanks for the many blessings of the trip and to pray for the needs of the many ministries.

Thank you Lord for keeping us physically and spiritually strong on this trip, for your strength, your direction and for how you equipped us to face the daily challenges.

I arrived home during the evening of the 26th to be met with a cuddle from my precious hubby - we really are a double act and I have missed him during the last 2 weeks. My desk is piled high with admin to catch up on, there is the mission trip accounts to be finalised, fund raising events to be planned and shoebox and other Christmas gifts to be sorted and transported to Talbot Green ready for transportation to Romania - so I am quickly back into RR Wales mode!! There is also our next trip to plan for November and December.

Christmas has come early for Lena

Lena is aged 80 and has lived her entire life in the remote village of Dude, a hour's journey from Arad. She is one of the 33 old people that we help to support on the Widow's Mite project. Her husband died from a blood clot in 1980 and tragically she also lost her only child 13 years ago due to a heart attack. She said the grief of losing her son was so hard to bear and she could not have endured it without God at her side.

The little land she owned was sold to try and survive. She retained a vegetable garden with fruit trees and still keeps chickens. Every time we visit we come away with either eggs, fruit or walnuts. Here is a picture of Lena with her supply of home made preserves for the winter. She no longer has pigs to slaughter which is common practice in the villages. I recall an occasion when Lena gave Pastor Jackie and I a rooster, who was not behaving in the yard. We tied together 2 plastic food baskets and transported him back to Arad in the back of the truck. I believe he ended up on Jackie's dinner table!!

Lena is illiterate and has multiple health problems. She recently broke her arm after falling in the yard - however she never complains. Note Len'a new winter shoes - a kind gift from one of our Church Members in Wales.

Aged 90 and begging to survive

Elisabeta is 90 years old and we met her when she approached us in the city because she was hungry. We established that she lived alone with no family support in a village about 4 miles outside Arad. We gave her a little money for food and bus fare and arranged to visit her the next day with a food parcel. When we arrived she was outside gathering plums. Her home was very run down and she kept apologising for the condition of the yard and interior. She was too embarassed to invite us into the house. She survives on a minimal pension.

She kept hugging us for bringing her food and we explained it was God's provision. We pray that we can find volunteers to help us tidy up her yard and home which would give her a boost and improve her quality of life.

Life in a rat infested basement

This is Ileana who is 66. She has lived in a damp rat infested basement room, approximately 8' x 6' for the past 2 years. Her previous home was a one roomed apartment in the same building but she had to leave when the original owner repossessed it through the courts. It was a building that had previously been siezed by the communists. Many original owners are now able to reclaim their property provided they have proof of ownership.

During our visit to deliver food we saw first hand the extent of the damp conditions she lives in. Ileana was waiting for a man to come and dispose of a rat which she had trapped in her old gas oven!!!Her only source of heating is from the gas rings. She obtains water from the outside yard, where she prepares her food and uses the toilet at the nearby Hungarian Restaurant. In addition to back problems, she suffers with bronchitis due to the damp conditions.

We give thanks that hope is on the horizon - Ileana has been promised a new one bedroomed apartment in the Aradul Nou part of the city which she hopes will be ready sometime in the new year.

Action at the San Nicolau Mic Music and Kid's Club

The Friday Kid's Club and Saturday Music Club continues to run through the long summer vacation here. Thank you Pastor Jackie for your vision in taking on this Project which we are happy to support.

Marius and his committed team are to be commended for their passion in teaching and nurturing these children in the Lord and for raising an army of musicians who joyfully arrive each week with the love of Jesus written all over them. We have watched them grow spiritually and they just shine for Jesus. They are a real family with bonded relationships of love and joy with respect. Wayne and I have developed a close relationship with them all. Each Kid's Club Session has a theme with the schedule being carefully planned weeks in advance. There are also weekly team meetings.

The Saturday Music Club has hour long sessions on the keyboard, guitar and drums. There are doubts about the future of the building housing the Centre. It belongs to the Orthodox Church who have indicated that they want it back at some point. Please pray for this situation as it is in an ideal location.

The Charity supported a Summer Camp for the older children in July. There is a previous posting about our picnic out yesterday.

The Widow's Mite Project

This is Magdelena who is aged 77 and of German origin. She has never married and lives alone in a village. She lives in appalling conditions and the windows facing the street have been boarded up by friends because local youth have been causing her problems. The roof of her home is suspending on stilts, the work of some friendly local Germans who came to her aid.

Magdalena applied for a social pension and was initially granted 20 lei per month (approximately 4 pounds). However her application was later rejected and she has no funds to challenge this decision. We need to find a social worker to take up her case. She has a little garden and chops down trees for winter fuel. She receives some help from her neighbours but none from either the Orthodox or Roman Catholic Churches in the area.

We were touched by her joyful spirit in such adversity. She said that she was blessed with wonderful parents who brought her up to give thanks every day. She was overjoyed to receive her food parcel.

Vinga School Project

I commenced this project last year as many of the parents in this impoverished area are so poor they are unable to equip their children with essential items to get them into school. Following the Vinga Church Service today we distributed 47 school bags to the Sunday School children who are of school age. They don't begin school here until they are 6. I have been stretching the Charity's funds by doing bulk buying deals with market stall traders. The filled pencil cases (except the fountain pens which are cheaper here), underwear and socks were all sent over from Wales.

We also distributed a large supply of aid to ensure that everyone has sufficient clothing to begin the term on 15th September. On her return next week Pastor Jackie will arrange for a market trader shoe supplier to visit the Church. Bulk buying will again ensure costs are kept to a minimum. In addition to this the children require books for each subject which they can only purchase via the school.

Wayne and I are blessed with a church family both in Wales and Romania and we have enjoyed our fellowship time here. God has equipped us with all the Words that he has wanted us to share at Pastor Jackie's Churches.

Food and Aid Distribution

Most of Thursday and Friday was taken up with food and aid distribution. Organizational skills are required with this project which is time consuming. However our team has enjoyed wonderful fellowship working in our base - The Food Bank. Food supplies have to be purchased, sorted, packed and loaded for each distribution, whilst the aid requires sorting and labelled up for different areas. Our thanks to Peter Grover, a vital member of our team who also helps with the transportation.

9 boxes of medical supplies, hospital equipment and baby items were delivered to the Soteria Baptist Clinic. Around 140 food parcels and clothes aid were distributed to very poor families living in shacks on the outskirts of the city. Each parcel has a Christian tract included and we explain that this is God's provision. We met Claudia, her husband and 3 children, whose home burned to the ground during my April visit. Funds for materials and manual help were supplied to rebuild. Her new home (just 2 rooms) is twice the size of the old one and is constructed out of wood. All the family homes in this area are under threat of demolition as they illegally occupy the land. There is no running water on site.

A treat for the team and teens from the Kid's Club

It was 7.15 am and the City Railway Station was a hive of activity as 24 of us arrived with excitement in our hearts laden with food, drink, guitars, even a hand made volley ball net! For some it was their first train ride and for others their first trip out. After half an hour we arrived at Radna and visited the Cathedral with attached monastery. We enjoyed breakfast in the grounds followed by a time of Praise. Next destination was the Castle at Lipova, a three mile walk along a main road and it was 40 degrees !!! We picked up 7 huge water melons en route and proceeded to climb this very steep mountain. The path was a mixture of stones, rubble and loose earth - I am not sure how I made it - it had to be the strength of God.The views were magnificent. Soon the kids were climbing the ruins and shreaks of laughter and excitement filled the air. Then it was water melon time to cool down followed by some more praise.

After descending to a level plateau, the home made volley ball net was erected and the games went on for 2 hours in the hot sun. Witnessing the joy touched my heart but I gave thanks for my sun hat and the shade of a tree!!The descent was somewhat tricky after which we took a long long walk through Lipova to a resort out into the country. The heat had taken it's toll on all of us by the time we arrived. Many revived in the pool whilst other just rested and chatted. Darkness descended as we walked back to the railway station which took an hour but the air was still buzzing as we reflected on the adventures of the day. We all flopped into the little compartments of the train until our arrival back into Arad at 11.20, after which we took tram rides before walking the last leg of the journey. Thank you Marius and the team for a blessed day - how these children shine for Jesus!

More news and pictures

I thought I was getting the hang of this blogging. However, I so carefully choose my pictures and insert them in all the right places, then I select "Preview" to make sure it all look presentable and I publish it. And then to my complete astonishment the finished format changes with broken paragraphs and pictures out of line etc. Anyway I am trying so please bear with me!!!!

Before turning in I want to share a few more pictures of Romanian life which I have taken here and there. First is a picture of S and her baby "I" whom I came across begging this week. I have known S for many years as she lived on the streets with her partner V. Sadly V died last December of TB and Wayne and I attended his funeral here in Arad. S now lives with her father in a shack in a poor gipsy area not far from where I am staying. She regularly begs to feed and clothe little "I". I gave her a little money and prayed with them. She will never open her mouth for a picture because bless her she has most of her teeth missing. Sadly this applies to most of the homeless people.

Spot the man rummaging through the refuse bins for any morsels of food he can find. He is also collecting plastic bottles which he can make a little money on. Also attached is a picture of the steam water pipes that run through the city. Most of these are in poor condition but are used by the homeless to keep warm in the winter. Where they run above the ground many build shacks around them. Where they are parallel with the ground many build trenches and drop down under them. Others gain access to the underground pipes via manholes. It's not unusual to see half a dozen homeless pop out of a manhole during the winter.

Here is a picture of the lovely lady on the village roadside that I bought bought fresh produce from today. This is common at this time of year. Every Romanian who has a garden takes great pride in growing a variety of vegetables. Most ladies preserve the summer fruit and vegetables in readiness for the long winters when there is a limited supply and prices rise. This year there has been a huge harvest of plums - walking along the streets I have witnessed broken branches with the weight of the fruit. The cost of living in Romania has rapidly risen since they joined the European Union in 2007 - however wages have not gone up in line with inflation resulting in much hardship.

Mocrea Day

Tuesday is always an exciting day as we set off on the hour long journey to Mocrea Hospital for the mentally disabled. The hospital is set in large woodland grounds in beautiful open countryside. It houses approx 150 patients of mixed gender, most of whom are long term patients. During the past 2 years the almost derelict building has been renovated to a high standard through the vision of the manager who made a successful bid for European funding. The quality of life of the patients has been much improved and the new ladies block is now completed and occupied.

Today we are a team of 7 volunteers and arrive in the large dining room to hugs and excitement. En route we are greeted with little waves from the reluctant and withdrawn patients who find it hard to communicate. We ensure that on-one is left out and aim always to spend private time with the quiet and bedridden people - they all need prayer and God's love. Come back Wayne - you are missed!!!

Soon patients are queuing up for the snacks, dancing to the music and praising God in the action songs. Others are colouring pictures and doing mosaics. Today I am also making colourful bookmarks and cards with them. Our Romanian friend, Vio, who is still eager to serve despite being about to give birth is busy styling hair and giving the ladies a beauty makeover. The hours just fly by and before leaving we have a time of Praise and Worship before joining hands in a circle for prayer. We also gave out a supply of tracts which I obtained from a Christian book store in the city.

Journeying back in the intense heat, we stopped off to buy some fresh garden produce from a lady with her little stall set up on the roadside. I bought some yummy tomatoes, aubergines and nectorines. As we travelled back we passed fields of sunflowers starting to dry out before being harvested and also shepherds with their little flocks in open fields. God's creation never ceases to amaze me.

Getting the teeth sorted and precious time with the babies

Whow - is it hot here today!! I am up bright and early and with my gnashers sparkling clean, I am out in the heat making my way to a dentist in the centre of the city. The crusts on the delicious bread here are somewhat tough and since arriving I have lost 2 fillings - one a very deep one!! When living in Romania Pastor Jackie put me in touch with her dentist, who was very professional in fitting me with 2 plates at a fraction of the price that I would pay back home. However, Laura has since moved on and so today I am at the mercy of an unknown. I guess it was like stepping back in time a little when I observed the treatment room and I put my trust in God as I sat in the chair. I explained that I was happy to pay for any injections needed but this was not an option and it was straight in with the drill!! Today was a temporary job and I have to return on Friday for a more permanent solution - I am praying that no more drilling is required.

My relief soon turned to joy as I made my way to the city hospital to spend time with God's little beauties, stopping off on route at a pharmacy to buy cream to hopefully heal some raw bottoms. A member of staff had made a request claiming there was nothing in stock - the normal practice is to change babies 3 times a day only.

Today I am concentrating on the top floor of the unit where there are 3 little beauties N, D and one I have nicknamed Popi. I give thanks that their cots are clean but they are looking forlorn and staring into the distance. Two of them in a rear room are like spotty dogs with their faces covered in mosquito bites - there are no screens on the windows!Their names are written on elasticated tape stuck to the top of the cot. Little N is probably 3 months at a guess but very very small, little D probably 5 months and little Popi around 7 months. Soon the milk arrives in thick glass bottles with teats pressed on. The normal practice is to feed them in their cots with bottles propped up with blankets. Today I guess is a treat day as I feed each of them cradled in my arms and we get the biggest burbs afterwards! Little N is new and takes a while to sum me up but little D is full of smiles as we already know each other. I recognize little Popi from my April/May trip. She has a line in her head and the biggest blue eyes and long eyelashes you ever saw. You can't help but fall in love with her - after we get to know each other again soon the smiles appear. Her backround is very sad - she has a cleft pallet and her mother abandoned her at birth. Initially her father visited but he too now has chosen to walk away. She is truly the most beautiful little girl and I pray that God will find her a home full of love. Please join me in prayer for all these forgotten children. Please also pray that Jesus will speak into the hearts of the staff and that funding will be made available to improve conditions.

It's a long walk back to the apartment and I am using every bit of shade I can find whilst sipping warm water from my rucksack! My clothes are stuck to me and it's freshen up time before flopping onto the bed for 5 mins after my return. Mamma Maria has a nice meal waiting before I get started on some admin and preparation work for the Mocrea hospital visit tomorrow.

Prayer required please because my diary has been missing for 2 days - my last resort is the Food Bank where I spent time on Saturday. Lots more to write on the Widow's Mite project but here are a few photos.

Rejoicing in the Lord's Day

It's His day and I am rejoicing even though fatigue has caught up with me this morning after working long hours in the heat - also mosquitoes have been feeding off me and the bites are inflamed and itching. After a shower and hearty breakfast, I am soon awake and off on the long tram ride to Metanoie Baptist Church, trying to stay in the shade on the dusty streets!! There are around 600 people (many standing) in the large upstairs room of an old building with sky lights. The band starts to play and suddenly the fragrance of Jesus fills the place and He is exalted. The intense heat does nothing to dampen the spirit which moves from seat to seat. We receive a powerful Word about Jesus being with us in all circumstances.

I arrived home to a quick lunch before setting out by car (driven by a Romanian friend) for the 15 mile journey to Vinga Church, planted by Pastor Jackie in the heart of a poor gipsy community. On route we pick up M, a young girl Jackie and I support.Today an English Missionary is convening and giving the Word at the main service whilst I organize the Children's program for the younger age group. Around 45 eager faces are awaiting me. After a time of prayer we are into the action songs which are always a hit - today it's "Oh Happy Day" and "I've got the whole World in My hands". This is followed by the story of David and Goliath with pictures to colour in accompanied by a verse to memorize. The hour just flew by and soon they are all merrily on their way home munching on their snacks. Please pray for more help for the Sunday School teacher, Ligia. The heat is intense and so I am grateful for my Sunday afternoon nap on my return!

After a quick meal and chat with my host, Mamma Maria, it's time to catch up on emails and my blog. I am giving thanks for a blessed day.

Saturday activities

It's a joy to share a little about yesterday's activities. Up and about early to make my way to Piata Obor, a huge open air market on the northern edge of the city. It's a sun hat and cream day to avoid a repeat of the heat exhaustion I suffered last Saturday. It's dusty and the whole area is heaving with people, so you need to hold onto your bag!! Today I am in search of more school bags plus a few other items for the Vinga School project. Praise God I found 6 bags bringing my total to 41 but need another 6 and have one more week to find them.

After a cold drink it's off with Peter Grover and M, a young girl we are supporting to Pastor Jackie's home out in the village of Sofronea to pick up a large supply of aid for transportation to the Food Bank back in the city. We then proceed to restock the food supply and pack parcels for 25 families in another poor area of the city. This ministry involves a lot of manual handling and you need strength from the Lord in this heat!! We now have around 130 packages ready for distribution this week. We also have a huge quantity of aid and other items to be sorted for various ministries and this will be time consuming.

The 3 of us then set off to San Nicolau Mic where I drop in some refreshments for Marius and his team, who run Music classes every Saturday. Later it's down to packing and labelling more bags for the Vinga School project whilst giving thanks for His provision. Lord, it's been a long day and I want to thank you for being in the centre of it. Missing my hubby tonight - Saturday is our special night where we stop and relax.

Rural Life

Just wanted to share with you a few pictures of rural life here. The hay making methods remind me of life on the farm when I was a very young child - some 50 years ago. Many people are stacking up on winter wood which is often transported in huge trunks via horse and cart. Most villages homes and some city ones too heat with wood burning stoves. Fields of sunflowers are now drying ready for harvesting in September and the road sides and markets are full of people selling everything from fresh melons to plums, peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, pears, apples etc. I love the delicious summer fruit and vegetables here and really miss them when I return home. Most families preserve the summer supply in readiness for winter.

The forgotten people

I am making the most of early morning Internet access and I want to share with you a little about last Thursday's visit to the Judet(State) of Timisoara where we delivered food and spent value time with 14 widows, all of whom live in villages near the Serbian border. To give you an idea of the geographical area that our ministry covers, we travelled 380 kilometres. We left at around 8.30am and returned home at 11.30 pm.

Most of the streets in the villages are dirt tracks which can be tricky after heavy rain. We have 7 new ladies on the program and it was fun trying to find their addresses! There are no street names in Romanian villages, not even the ones with over a 1000 homes and few of the houses are numbered. In one village we eventually tracked down the postman at his home who came to our aid!

I will be writing further on this project and will also produce a booklet and pictures on the tragic lives of these dear ladies. Their stories will touch the depths of your heart. We simply must raise more money for their winter wood and medical needs.

Two of the widows receive no pension and so rely on handouts from neighbours - another survived on just 10 pounds per month after she had paid her medical bill which should be free. One dear lady with no pension lived in real squalor but she had the most joy in her heart and was still giving thanks to her Saviour - we were humbled. The last lady we visited lived in a little house in the middle of a corn field with just her dog for company. Everyone was thankful for God's food supply but their priority was the provision of wood for the winter ahead. Wood is expensive here - ideally it needs to be purchased during the summer when it is cheaper. It also needs to be sawn and split.

We have hot water again

I am giving thanks for Internet access again - this should have been yesterday's entry! It's another shorts, sleeveless top and sun tan lotion day!! Each morning we are awakened by the sound of the trams which start running from around 4 am. We are surrounded by sky scraper blocks of flats on 3 sides - all built during the communism era. In this area of the city most of the population reside in this type of accommodation. We are blessed to be hosted on the second floor of a block by our good friends Mamma Maria and her husband, Nelu.

We give thanks that we have hot water, albeit a little brown, coming out of the taps again after a 4 day interval. Every August maintenance work is carried out on the steam water pipes that run through the city. Last summer during my stay we heated up water for 2 weeks! However, nothing dampens our spirit to go out and be His humble servant.

I'm catching up on some admin this morning and finishing off my Message for church tonight before making my way to San Nicolau Mic Community Centre to help the team with spring cleaning. We have access only to cold water there from an outside tap and the loo is a "Ty Bach" at the rear of the building. Will also be making a start on filling the 47 school bags for the Vinga Project before going to Church.

Everyday on the Mission field requires careful planning - in addition to the normal day to day ministry activities the unexpected can always turn up. Messages for church, Sunday school, Children's Home and Mocrea programs all have to be prepared in advance as well as stocking up the food bank and making up parcels for delivery. The ministry work extends into other states and in Jackie's absence transportation arrangements also have to be made. We are daily assessing the needs of the various ministries and making decisions on what funding is required. I am missing my hubbie, who took sole responsibility whilst here for the accounts. With God's help and grace it all gets done.

Our little beauties

My precious husband returned to Wales today to handle our responsibilities there. The joy he radiates touches everyone he meets and he will be missed! During his 2 weeks here we set a heavy schedule to enable him to see all the projects. This left little time for updating the blog but I hope to fill you in on much of the ministry work during the next 2 weeks.

Today I want to share a little about the abandoned baby ministry. We have been caring for 7 little abandoned ones, all under the age of 6 months and small for their age due to malnourishment. Birth control is expensive for the poor and many parents live in such poverty that they cannot afford to bring up another child and will therefore avoid the bonding process.

We look into their little eyes and see nothing but sadness which brings out such a desire to shower them with love. Their little world is within the bars of the cot, occasionally seeing staff at bath and feeding times. There is no evidence of the beautiful mobiles and toys left by previous volunteers which brought a little light into their lives. Picking each one up is the beginning of a new world for them. It takes time to build relationships but soon little smiles appear that light up the whole world. We talk and sing to them and pray that God will find them a new family who will embrace them into their hearts. Please pray also that more volunteers will enter their lives and that European funding will soon enable facilities to be upgraded.

Thank you Lord for filling us with light because many mothers in the wards have come forward asking us to pray for their children. One even offered us money - we assured her that God's love is free.

I respect hospital policy by not attaching any photographs to this entry.

Busy, Busy, Busy

Here is a taster of some of our activities to date. The Lord is equipping us to face the challenges of running Pastor Jackie’s churches. We have also enjoyed fellowship with the leaders and children at the Music and Kid’s Club at San Nicolau Mic Community Centre and also the Clubul Gara Ministry for the Homeless. Time has also been spent at the Food Bank. By the end of this trip around 200 families will have received supplementary food – for some it may be their only food supply. I am doing up-dated reports and pictures on each person on the Widow’s Mite Project – some of their stories are so incredibly sad.
We have been spending some value time at one of the Children’s Homes and caring for 7 beautiful little abandoned babies at the City Hospital and were dismayed to learn that there is no longer any outside help. Please join us in prayer for volunteers to come forward to love and care for these forgotten children. We love our weekly visits to Mocrea Hospital for the mentally disabled - this week they enjoyed snacks, music, dance and crafts and joined in our prayer circles. Equally important are our rounds to the bed ridden patients and other in-patients in secure wards.