Monday, March 19, 2018

Going to the States

It has been  6 years since I have been back to the States. I will be there March 28 to April 24.  I will be visiting in 2 locations in Indiana and then on to Ohio, before continuing on to CA.  I am looking forward to seeing so many wonderful friends!

What a busy summer, fall and winter it was!  2018 is already shaping up to be an exciting year.  Before I update the projects here is the latest on Elizabeth and Sarah.

Elizabeth started Veterinary Medicine in Timisoara in the fall of 2017. Praise God she got a scholarship for the tuition!  This first year is a challenge but she is doing well. The dormitory situation is difficult and we hope to be able to make some changes for next year.  Elizabeth is enjoying the course work so that is wonderful. Watching Elizabeth blossom and mature is awesome. It is sometimes difficult  to "let go".

Sarah turns 18 on March 21. I can't quite get my mind around that.  She will be having a HUGE (in my opinion) all night party on the 23rd with 70 guests. This party will include a DJ, equipped with a bubble and smoke machine, a photographer, an all night buffet with a huge cake at midnight.  Last week she wanted to make sure I hadn't forgotten her tiara...S-I-G-H...of course not sweety. Then there is the special champagne flute for her with little porcelain flowers on it to match her dress. The next big event is the Baccalaureate and then her graduation. Sarah has been going to tutoring 4 days a week and is working very hard.  I am very proud of her.

Here are a few project highlights - so much has happened - wonderful things since my last update but I will just touch on a few things:

Mocrea - We continue the program at Mocrea Psychiatric Hospital weekly. The patients count on us to show up on Tuesdays. We have a good time with the crafts, snacks, bible story, singing and praying.  These people can really pray and I bring special prayer requests to them. They have a child like faith and pray fervently!

Widows Mite - We are slowing expanding this program. as more and more younger people leave Romania and the villages so often the parents seem to be forgotten. We have wonderful visits monthly with them.  Even as of last week I was still buying wood for them. We are supplying more medicines as fewer medicines are available free or were greatly discounted for pensioners.  Some of our widows  are failing and this is sad but I know that I will meet most of them again one day.

Children's homes sponsorship - Beca is getting married in August!  It is hard to imagine I was around when she was born. I was an honored guest at her engagement party. Her house parents at Osana hosted a lovely party. Giulia graduates this year. The other girls are all coming along. The sponsor updates will be around a month late this year due to my trip. The boy's house, Caleb, is adjusting to some real challenges some of these boys present! There are really committed house parents there also.

Working with the rest of the Rock Of Hope Ministry team is exciting. Randy and Tammy are back from the States and jumped back in with helping both at Mocrea and with the widows as well as their involvement with the girls at the ROHM apartments.  Ramona is awesome at helping wherever is needed and also helps with Mocrea and the widows. Scott and Carolyn have a special anointing with their vision to help the young women that have aged out of orphanages.  They are great at Mocrea too.

I will really really try to update again soon - I have some wonderful pictures I want to share of the work here. Thank you for your support for the work here and your prayers. I appreciate it so very much.