Wednesday, December 28, 2016

Happy 2017!!!!

Well I have set a new record for not updating my blog.  Summer rushed in to Fall, Fall rushed in to winter and here we are. So what is happening?  My ministry is in transition as are so many others. All the projects continue and the good news is that I have more help!  So much has happened since this last summer.  I broke my leg in June and it took much longer to recover than I thought it would. I am scheduled for hip replacement surgery January 18...please hold me up in prayer. Here is some information on the projects and family.

First the family:  Elizabeth turned 18 October 2nd. She is in her last year of high school and is concerned because her future plans are not yet made. Elizabeth is the type of young lady that wants to do it all. She is very involved in Harvest church here in Arad. Sarah is in her 3rd. year of high school and has a chance for an intern like program in May in Germany. The participants are selected competitively and she isn't sure she can qualify. I think she is selling herself short and am really encouraging her. She also wants to start work during the summer, which I am also encouraging. Please pray for my girls as they mature and make choices for their futures. I am so proud of them both - they are a joy to my heart.

OK now for projects:  Vinga church. We are meeting in a new location and have a new set of challenges but God is in control!  It was time for me to loosen my hold on the reins and when my pastor, Rich Femia, was here we installed Spencer Ball as lead pastor. He and his lovely wife Lynsey do a wonderful job in Vinga as Lynsey does the children's ministry. Lynsey also is in charge of the Baby Project and is very respected at the hospital. She trains all of the volunteers and works there herself almost daily.

Widow's Mite:  Spencer has taken over the Arad portion of the project. He is doing an excellent job, he loves these elderly people and it shows. I get the fun of visiting them at other times than food delivery.  The widow's program in the other areas is being revamped by me so it will be more efficient and able to reduce the non-food expenses like fuel costs. I am excited with some of these changes and hopefully will have 2 more people on board soon to help Vlad. These changes should allow us to provide more than we have in the way of food and medicines and add more widows as we find them.

Mocrea:  This project has the assistance of Scott and Carolyn as well as Traian. Scott drives and we all go weekly. Sometimes other people will come along. At Christmas we took presents for every patient, much of the gifts provided by Reaching Romania. We went caroling in every ward and gave out the gifts along with 70 pounds of fruit.  A few people in ministry here have commented that their work is not appreciated so I encourage them to come with us to Mocrea, talk about appreciation!  They hang out the windows welcoming us every Tuesday.

2nd Chance: This project is still going but only has one student this semester but two from last year are now employed which is the goal of the education opportunity which is available to school drop outs over the age of 16. Reaching Romania funds this program - thank you!

Child Sponsorship: I am in the process of revamping this program too. I am excited about these changes and will be notifying the sponsors soon. This will effect the sponsors of Maranatha only. As with all the projects the sponsorship program will continue.

I have needed to be doing some reorganization as I am not able to do it all myself, nor have I been able to for some time. Praise God He has been sending some great people that have a heart for these projects. I would hate to think that I have spent the last 20 years in a ministry that would die when I do!  Letting go of some of these things has not been easy for me but His Grace is sufficient!  Now might be a great time to mention that Rock Of Hope Ministries will administer all these projects when I am no longer able. No, I do not think I am exiting any time soon but I learned in the corporate world that you don't get promoted unless you have trained up another or in my case others plural. I always knew that there was probably not a single person who would fit all these projects so I have been busy. I have several people and families that I help monthly. This is personal to me and I have instructed the girls that these are in no way their responsibility!

Thank you all for your support, prayer and financial. Every thing that has been done you share in!  I am so blessed to have all of you on the team.


Sunday, July 17, 2016

Summer already????

Well hopefully I will get the cast off my leg tomorrow. This has been a long 5 weeks.  Posting to my blog is the last catch up item on my list - YAH!!!!

There are so many awesome things that have happened since I last posted that I settled in today for a marathon update, loaded with lots of pictures...but thought better of it. I really want to share that like everyone else life is full up ups and downs.  I am blessed that I have friends that stick with me during all these times and I am most blessed that the Lord never leaves nor forsakes me. I am still deciding whether or not to have a hip replacement. Without it long distance traveling is off the program. I put the surgery off because I could not afford 6 weeks off - then I broke my leg. HMMM guess I COULD take 6 weeks off - what did I know.

This summer we are doing at least 3 Grain Game Rromi camps. The first one was for our Pesac kids and it was awesome. Tomorrow Bogdan and Steven leave for Brasov where we do a second one and then Aug. 8 starts a big camp in Bulgaria with Marty Sutton. We will try and do two more camps but only for a couple of days each: Vinga and Dud.

The Vinga church is doing well with the children's program. Spencer, Lynsey and Bogdan do an awesome job.  2nd Chance (school dropouts can return to school) and the Vinga teen program are off for the summer. The baby program is still facilitated by Lynsey. She trains volunteers and works with the babies. She has such a wonderful anointing for this. Spencer is running a discipleship program with some young men, good fruit coming from that. Mocrea is still a weekly project, Scott and Carolyn are faithful to help each week along with Steven, Bogdan and Traian.  I have just finished the orphan sponsor updates today. We have lost a couple of our Widows the last few months but are adding others!  I have already bought one widow's winter wood - she was so anxious that she wouldn't get any so I went ahead and got hers now. It makes her feel secure just to see the woodpile outside in her yard. It is July and I as of yet do not have any excess funds for their winter wood for this year.

And of course Elizabeth and Sarah. Sarah has been an invaluable help to me since I have been hopping with a walker. She is expanding her knowledge of cooking.  Elizabeth is with Eurotrek for a month, in 4 countries doing camps for children with Grain Game. Thank you to everyone that helped her get there! We are saving for Africa in 2017!

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Spring has come in Romania (I think)

We had the strangest winter weather, but then it seems most of the world did too.  So if it is spring, or almost, what  happened to the rest of fall and the winter?  Since I have been s-o-o-o-o-o negligent in keeping up the blog I'll just try to quickly play catch up and then hopefully do better!  Oh my, how many times have I said similar things over the years?...but I always mean it...honest....

The Christmas season was busy as usual. Irene, Wayne and Adina were on hand to help accomplish all the distributions and parties.  They did so much of the work this year, it was an awesome blessing for me.

All the widows had been given wood by November. Many of then had to have much more purchased over the winter as we have several that were home bound and two that were bedridden.  We lost Roza this winter, she knew the Lord and just wanted to go home. She refused medical help and medicines near the end, she just wanted this life to be over.  She is happy now!  I was shocked to find that Roza was only 3 years older than me, which makes Cati quite a bit younger. Amazing! We also lost Rozalia. She had been very ill with complications from her diabetes and had lost both legs. I half expected we would lose Ana and Anton but they have made it this far. They both know the Lord and await going to see him. Although it has been much warmer than normal we just bought a little more wood today for Cati.  Ekcaterina ia now also very ill and is staying with a niece.  Your prayers are appreciated for all the widows and widowers in the program.

Vinga is going very well with all the young peoples ministry. Spencer, Lynsey and Bogdan are doing a super job with the younger children. It is so exciting to have them share verses and songs at church on Sunday. Bogdan continues to head up the teen group as well as the ministry at the detention center. We are blessed to have Steven Goodwin here until October. He has a heart to disciple the boys and minister to children in general. He and Bogdan are making a super team.  Spencer is sharing the preaching roster on Sundays and has a good word to share.

2nd Chance has not started up again after Christmas. We know the State would rather the program didn't continue but so many youngsters dropped out of school and need something like this propgram. I pray they start up again soon and that we can get more teens in to the school.

We have a super team helping in Mocrea!  Scott and Carolyn not only do the driving for the team but pitch in with all the activities. They are a vital part to ongoing ministry there at the mental hospital.  Scott, Bogdan and Steven just completed installing new doors on our craft cupboard. When the old one broke we lost  a great deal of our craft supplies. Edith is on hand every week to help, especially with the refreshments. Of course Traian is also with us each week. he is a joy to my heart.  We will be losing Edith at the end of March, she needs to return to New Zealand. She will be missed by us.

Lynsey is still doing a great job at the hospital with the Unplaced Child Development Program. She is there almost every work day and trains all the new volunteers.  Without her that program would not be able to continue.

The children at Maranatha and Osana are all doing well. Thank you to all of you who sponsor a child.

Elizabeth and Sarah are both chugging along through teen-hood. I am very much the chauffeur.  They are so different from one another but both beautiful and talented.  Elizabeth will be going on Eurotrek with Grain Game and Sarah is helping with Grain Game Rromi. She will be accompanying us to Bulgaria to do a summer camp as well as the camp with the Pesac kids. Elizabeth is still fund raising for her summer travels. She has written a tour guide of the historic buildings here in Arad and gives tours. If this is of interest to anyone please contact me. If even if you can not visit us for the tour Elizabeth can e-mail or mail you a booklet.