The Lord's Day

We were up like a lark to get to the 9 am Metanoie Baptist Church Service at the other end of the city. Around 200 people assembled for the 1st of the 2 morning services. We love this church - the band is anointed in leading the Praise and Worship and the Senior Pastor gave an incredible Word on relying on God through the difficulties of life. We were blessed in having the service translated and enjoyed bumping into old friends.

However as we left for Church I could not find my special NIV Bible and suddenly Wayne remembered that he had left it on the back seat of a taxi last night! We give thanks that we managed to eventually track down the driver later in the day who had kept it safe-Praise God because I could not have replaced it.

Jackie picked us up at 12.30 to go to a friends house for lunch. She laughed when she noticed my small bouquet of flowers for the host - she suggested I remove one carnation because in Romania giving an even amount of one flower is associated with death!! There are an amazing amount of these old customs in Romania that they take very seriously but I have to be honest I had not heard of this one!! So as not to offend I proceeded to remove a flower from the bunch.

Afterwards it was on to Vinga Church where I attempted to do a head count of all the Sunday School Children in preparation for the shoebox distribution next week. I counted over 60 kids who are busy preparing for their Nativity Play. Jackie gave an amazing Word on Peace and lit the appropriate Advent Candle. Here she is with Bogdan, her translator who is very much part of our team. It's been a busy week- we are pretty tired tonight and are hoping to get in an early night as we have a busy week ahead of us.

A turn in the weather

When we arrived here on Wednesday temperatures were surprisingly higher than in Wales. However all that changed this morning with an icy wind in the air as we ventured out to buy medication for 5 widows. We searched for the cheapest pharmacy and joined a long queue, one of three. Eventually armed with our huge bag of medicines we set off back to the apartment to get our accounts up to date.

After a huge meal with Mama Maria's family we were out again to the Clubul Gara service for the homeless. It was a joy to meet up with the leader, Cipri, our Dutch missionary friend, Hans and his daughter who played guitar. The building is old and cold and we gave thanks that Hans had brought in a generator for the lighting plus some gas fires.

We enjoyed a lovely time of praise followed by a Word from Cipri, who gave us the opportunity to bring greetings from Wales and to give everyone an update on what God has been doing in our lives. It was a blessing to meet with many of our homeless friends again and to see them interacting with Cipri during the service. We met for the first time, Piciu and his 8 year daughter, who have been living on the streets for 3 years. We have arranged a meeting with Cipri for Monday to discuss the Ministry's needs. We respect his views that no photographs should be taken at the Club.

Later we made our way to the San Nicolau Mic Community Centre, but found it all locked up - maybe the music lessons had finished early due to the cold. We later enjoyed a nice meal and fellowship, courtesy of our good friends Peter and Christine, who live opposite the school.

Today I am giving thanks for my beautiful daughter, Caroline , who is celebrating her 36th birthday.

Vinga Youth Group

This evening we joined Pastor Jackie at her weekly Vinga Church Youth Group for teenagers. Once a month they have a fun night and tonight it was popcorn and a movie - next month it is ice skating in the city. Some of these children were saved at the Summer Camp and Jackie has a real committment in her heart in encouraging them to grow. As well as giving them sound Biblical teaching she is talking to them about Godly decisions that they face in every day life. Jackie has so much responsibility with her ministries and desperately needs a Youth Pastor to take on this work - please join us in prayer that the right person will come forward.

God has planted on Jackie's heart to take 12 of the older children on a Mission Trip to Germany. However this will need funding. After discussions with Wayne and myself she is contemplating organising a sponsored walk in Romania and has asked me to talk to the youth next week about what is involved. That way they get to take responsibility for raising part of their own funding and we of course will do all we can to help from the Wales end. We also need to help raise more funds for their summer camp. If you feel it on your heart to help, then please contact us.

Ana and Lavi's new home

Today before visiting Apple Way we took a supply of wood to Anna and Lavi. They previously lived in Apple Way and were desperate to find alternative accommodation before the birth of their first baby in February. They have found a very basic single room in the house of an old lady in the city. However they had no fire or wood. With Pastor Jackie on her case things are moving along.

Today we went along with Jackie's truck piled high with wood from her own home supply. She and missionary friend Walter have also found a tin plate maker from Apple Way who is building a fire and flue to heat the room (out of car bonnets and wings) - all for the equivalent of 9 pounds - spot the picture of him at work and Anna giving thanks for her wood.

Apple Way Project

This morning we visited Apple Way, an illegal site of shacks which is home to around 75 families. It is approached by muddy potholed tracks full of litter. Sadly there are plans to demolish all the buildings in around March to make way for a road. There is great uncertainty as to where these poor families will be relocated. Pastor Jackie has been working closely with two other missionaries to support the families involved. They have a short term strategy to help them survive through the winter by repairing leaking roofs, sawing and chopping their wood together with purchase of essential medication.

Many of the families do not have bulletins (ID's) and hence the state will have no obligation to help them. Liaison is taking place with the Forester in allowing the residents to take all the dead wood from the adjoining forest. Jackie and friends are also liaising with the State regarding the provision of land on the outskirts of the city. Please pray for favourable outcomes to these discussions.

Today we visited several families - each with a different heartbreaking story to tell. Included in our visits was expectant mother Claudia, aged just 20 and her 3 children. Her home had burned down in April and the charity had provided funding to help build another one. Today she was hungry like most of the other families on site and we distributed a supply of cakes/sweets which had been donated by Alan Penrose's Foundation from Cardiff when he delivered our shoeboxes etc.

I hope the pictures give an indication of the desperate lives of these poor people. The little building on its own is home to a family of 10.

Back in the swing of things

After a good night's sleep we were eager to get back into ministry work today. Here is Wayne and our friend Ianci stacking logs onto Pastor Jackie's truck ready for delivery to Apple Way tomorrow. Whilst all this was going on I was in Jackie's back room working on all the deliveries which we sent over from Wales in October. In addition to 450 shoeboxes there are gifts for the Widow's Mite, the homeless, babies and patients for Mocrea Hospital for the mentally disabled plus a supply of medication for the Baptist Clinic, lots of soft toys and knitted blankets.

Here I am with our good friend Vio, wife of Ianci at the first stage of the shoebox operation this end. Today we were sorting all the boxes for Galos Petreu, a poor area in the north of the country which we will visit on 8th December. Pastor Jackie lives in a village some 5 miles out of the city and so tonight we returned home by train and then caught a tram. The station looks almost derelict and they still have the old fashioned station master. Stepping on and off the train is an experience and old or disabled people have no chance of negotiating the drop - I give thanks for long legs - most people jump!

The exchange rate has dropped since our last visit - please pray for a rise enabling our funds to go further.

Back in Romania

We arrived safely in our beloved Romania at around 3 pm today, having spent the night in Luton Airport. Praise God our host Mamma Maria had a lovely meal waiting for us.

I apologise for being off the air for a few days but our Internet went down following a storm - something we need to rectify when we are back in Wales. Most of the last week has been taken up dealing with the aftermath of the central heating oil spillage at the home we rent out in Sennybridge. Even though immediate action was taken to clear up the spill, a lot of oil seeped into the foundations of our property and the house next door. It has been a difficult time for all with involvement from our insurance company and many other agencies.

It was good to meet up with Pastor Jackie after our arrival to discuss the projects, funding and our schedule for the next 3 weeks. We are going to be busy but are looking forward to it!!! We have just returned from a Bible Study attended by 28 foreign missionaries in the town of Siria, some 20 miles away. It was great to be back in fellowship with servant friends. I am feeling far removed from Wales already and am looking forward to what the Lord has in store for us here during the next weeks. Please pray for our families whilst we are away.