Sunday, June 29, 2014

A quick catch up

The music group from Sanicolau Mic joined us in Vinga one Sunday to do the praise and Worship. For any of you that have visited with us there in Vinga know what a big blessing this was. Marius and his lovely wife Elena are doing such a great job with the kid's club.  It is such a blessing to those kids and my ministry as I can no longer pay Marius but they continue on.
 Sarah's 8th grade graduation. Good job Sarah!!!!
Dressed up for a program the evening of the graduation. Good grief but they have grown up. Elizabeth and Sarah are a joy to my heart.  The next picture down is the graduation party after the program.  The Ball family as well as Vio and Rici joined us. Everybody had a great time. Don't know why I can't put text in between all of the pictures...oh well. The 2nd picture down is Sarah getting her graduation present - yup that's pink hair!  Elizabeth wanted me to be sure and say that Sarah is wearing heels and she is not (Elizabeth is still taller, which is important to her!)
 The finished product is next picture. Sarah is a happy camper...The religious here are in shock  of course.
Bogdan, Lilli and Max after church. Max is growing so much and he is a delight to his parents and grandparents! 
We finished the first summer camp for Roma kids. It was held in a almost finished camp in a tiny village of Cralovat. A 13 member team from Mt. Vernon ILL came along side Ruben and Karen Popet - they have an orphanage here. Their 13 children plus 20 kids from Pesac came to camp. Bogdan Galea  and Callum King were superstars! Their hearts for these kids is amazing - it is a very difficult work but they give it their all. A regular monthly kids club will begin in September.
Well these are some of the highlights of the last 30 days. The program at the hospital with the babies is going really well. Lynsey Ball runs the training and scheduling of volunteers. She has gained great acceptance and the respect of the staff at the hospital.  We pray over each child and I really believe that it makes a difference. For the last 30 days or so we saw a drastic reduction in the number of babies that needed our care! What a joy.

The Ball family is helping with the Widow's Mite program in our area, this is a real blessing to me as well as our widows.

Edith Bond has been staying with Scott and Carolyn's girls for the last 2 months but will be returning to my house next week. She is faithful helper at Mocrea and also attends church in Vinga, accompanying me to Saturday prayer there. Speaking of Mocrea...it is really amazing the way the patients join in.  They love the song and prayer time, we have added an occasional bible quiz game with rewards of extra cookies for the right answers. To so many of the patients we are the only family they have. No matter how tough things may seem to me when I arrive there on Tuesdays and they are at the windows yelling for me it warms my heart. I know I am really going where Jesus would go.

The summer camps are beginning this next week in Sistarovat with Matt and Lorraine Marshall. For the last several years my ministry had been able to sponsor around 60 kids at camp - not so this year. ITHM is sponsoring the girls from Osana and I can cover a few from other places myself.  On one hand I am very saddened not to be able to get these kids to camp but on the other hand the kids programs are going so very well in Sanicolau and Vinga that I know the message of Jesus is going forth to the kids and their families. We will have some day activities this summer for both groups though.

I think this summer will be truly awesome!  I am expecting the Lord to move  in many areas of the ministry. We have a large 4th of July party planned with our small group at the camp in Sistarovat.  Reach Beyond (Dave and Beth Jolly) will do a huge event in Vinga in July.  Elizabeth and Sarah will be at the camps in Sistarovat for 2-3 weeks. Elizabeth is helping with praise and worship as a leader and Sarah helps in the kitchen and cleans. I have seen Sarah blossom as a real servant - she jumped right in to help at the camp in Cralovat - what a joy to see that!  Awesome Sarah!