Good Friday

We had a really nice Good Friday service in Vinga. I was surprised because the church was packed. I usually expect extra people on Easter Sunday and Christmas but not Good Friday.

Women's meeting

A pretty good crowd for a first meeting.






Mary Jill and our translator Diana.







Paula Dunn and the worship team








March 27 we had a women's meeting here in Arad. My friend Mary Jill Callery and two wonderful Hungarian ladies came to speak. The name of the meeting or group is Women for Women and our theme was that the Lord has something for everyone. Paula Dunn and a group of ladies provided the praise and worship music. I tried something new here - door prizes. They were a big hit. Several ladies asked when our next meeting would be so Mary Jill and I set a date in June and another in August.

An amazing thing happened in that meeting. When the ladies were filing in and settling in a man walked in and sat down. He looked really out of place in a women's meeting here in Romania. In the States we usually would have a few men, but this is Romania. Someone came to me as I was setting up the door prizes and making sure we had everything. She asked if I had noticed the man sitting in the auditorium and I said that I had. She thought he looked strange and we should ask him to leave. I was really busy so I just cut her short with a mumbled "oh just leave him alone". When the official portion of the meeting was over with I invited people to stay if they wanted prayer. I was busy cleaning up and noticed this guy was still there. We asked him if he needed something. He said his name was Attila and he had one of the flyers and it said that the Lord has something for everyone - he wanted a touch from the Lord. Attila went on to say he had tried to get his sister to attend with him, then he tried his mother and finally a neighbor lady but no female would accompany him. I was so surprised that a Romanian man would brave coming to a women's meeting because he was so hungry for a touch from the Lord. We prayed for him and of course the Lord met him where he was at.

The closing of the school

Today we finished emptying the school. It was sad but it seems this season is over. I knew this day was coming. I have had the classes there at the school for almost 10 years. The State gave me this building with the only conditions being that I had to renovate it myself and it must be used for the good of the community. A couple of years ago the Orthodox church took me to court. As with many buildings and parcels of land here, much confusion surrounded ownership before communist confiscation.





The Orthodox church is in the left hand side of the picture. We took apart the small kitchen and stored what we were not going to use immediately. We moved all the music things as well as additional seating in to my small church building around the corner from the school. It will take some organizing so it can be used for both the kids club as well as the music lessons. I think I need to move the stored things out from across the street in May. Monday I meet with Daniel to change the name on the house (church building) from the foundation's name to my own. That is the house that is to be Sani's inheritance.

Tuesdays are Mocrea days

This is at the end of our visit and we are gathering to pray. This week many of the locked ward women were released to join us. Last week many of the locked ward men were brought in to the area. They really enjoyed the crafts and games.

I have been blessed with help for the last several weeks. Lynsey Ball, Hans Jaspers and Adina Luca have been coming. I had photos of all of them but there were too many faces of patients showing so I could not use them. Hans plays the guitar, as well as lets patients use it. He plays chess and visits with the men. Lynsey and her family will be here in Romania until April and I will miss her help - she is excellent at crafts. Adina is back from a year in the States and has not yet found a good position - the job market is pretty bad here now. Adina has always pitched to help in many ministries.


This man is new at Mocrea and I am not sure of his history. He draws and paints very well. There is another man in a wheelchair that is also talented - both of these men enjoy talking with Hans. I am always looking for help at Mocrea - the patients truly look forward to these visits. We do a craft every week and serve coffee, soda and cookies. So many of these people have no one to visit them. There is an outdoor patio area now and we are all eagerly looking forward to warmer weather and being outside for our visits.

More widow's

This is Eva. She has been in the program for a couple of months. Her sister Irina was in the program but has passed away. I went to take food to Irina and her landlord came out and told me. He said she had already died the last time I left food and they couldn't catch me. When I took the food there was no one home (now I know why) so I just opened the door and put the food on the table. The landlord wanted to show me what they did with the food - they gave it to Eva who lives next door. It seemed Eva is Irina's sister and Irina had been sharing her food with her. Eva is semi-paralyzed and bedridden.


I tried to find a picture I have from about 6 years ago. it was of Elizabeth and Sarah packing Widow's Mite bags in our living room. This one is in my bathroom - I have more floor space in there! We have added 3 more ladies to the program, they have no pensions at all. Praise God it has warmed up and wood consumption has slowed. George is out of wood however so I ordered him some more.

Vinga Youth goes skating

Last Friday I took the entire youth group, all 17 of them, from Vinga ice-skating and then out for pizza. None of the kids had ever been skating. By in large they all had a lot of fun. A small group quit after just a few minutes saying that it hurt their feet and they were afraid to fall. I took that opportunity to talk with them about life in general. If you afraid to try new things because you might fall or something might hurt you you will lead a very dull life. I told them I had prayed for them all not to break anything and they should have a sense of adventure and go for it. All but two went back and tried. I did not think it would be wisdom, with my knees, to get out there with them however!

We continue to work in Apple Way at the squatter camp. I am not sure what can be done for these families when the demolition starts in the spring. Claudia's baby died in the womb at 6 months. She is around 19 and this was her 4th child. As they were going to administer the anesthetic for the C-section she requested a tubal ligation. The same day she was taken by ambulance to the hospital her house burned - again. They steal their electricity and it was a faulty connection. When I saw how many things were wired in to one line I shuddered. I tried to explain to Ramos but he was not interested in listening. At least the damage was not extensive this time.

I need to move out of the school. I am praying about extending the church building in Sanicolaul Mic to accommodate the music lessons and Kid's Club. I need to hear from the Lord! Some have asked if I am not going to be reimbursed for the funds I put in to the renovation of the school - no I am not. That is the law here, however I was able to stay on for some time after the judgment in court. I need to sort out the property taxes since the school and the church are tied together in one enormous tax bill.

Everything else is going along pretty well. As usual I am sorry I don't post more often!

Our first Christmas pageant

The girls are sure getting big!








Lighting The Christ Candle. The "Angel" Sarah closed in prayer.






I hope you can see in this small picture that our pageant included sheep (to the left of the manger) as well as donkeys (on the right against the wall). Also the Orthodox church lent Bogdan the 3 shirts that the Magi were wearing. I thought that was cool.



Our choir on the left with Bogdan's mother. She did a great job preparing the kids.