The Homeless Ministry

On route to the city this morning we encountered Susanna and her 4 year old son Ionut who were begging on the street. We were thrilled to see each other and had some time in prayer. They live in nearby Kekec, a very poor run down gipsy area. WhenI first met Susanna in 2001 she was living on the streets. She formed a relationship with Vali and they had little Ionut. They broke up 2 years ago and sadly Vali died last year from TB - Wayne and I attended his funeral here in Arad.

Later on route to the hospital I encountered homeless Danny who is aged 25, begging for food. My heart reached out to him because I have known him since 2001 and his condition has deteriorated so much mainly due to the abuse of solvents. The majority of the homeless sniff a metallic paint thinners called auralec and Danny was high on this substance when I found him this morning. I spent some time talking to him and encouraged him to come to the Saturday Clubul Gara service for the homeless. He was hungry and so I bought him a Langos (like a huge thick battered pancake) filled with soft cheese and dill and a hot cup of tea. His expression changed into a huge smile. I reluctantly left him tucking into his food and prayed for his soul as I made my way to the hospital.

Tonight Wayne and I met with our good Romanian friend, Cipri who runs the homeless ministry which is dear to our hearts and which the charity helps to support. Cipri gave us an update on the vision which touched us. He is out on the streets most days building relationships and has formed a football team who hopefully will take part in a tournament on Saturday in Timisoara. This is a challenging ministry - Cipri was tired tonight but we had a time of prayer before we departed.