Friday, January 23, 2009
This is new...
It is time for me to renew my Visa. I was told last year to request a 5 year Visa so this time I did. Nope - sorry the police won't go for it (so why did this same guy tell me to do it????). No biggie - onward. I got all the documents together, including the recommendation from City Hall to give me my visa. I dutifully faxed them to Bucharest on January 14 to the Ministry of Health. Last year I received the approval back in less than 48 hrs! There are also 6 others requesting their visas and we are all using my fax number. Cassandra was in Bucharest on Wednesday and she took a copy of all of our documents, all seven of us, to the Ministry of Health. The same secretary is there, she is the one who actually does the work and prepares the approval and then hands it to the Minister of Health to sign. Yes, she has 10 folders on her desk, seven of them are ours...HOWEVER there is no Minister of Health so NOBODY can sign for us to get a Visa. The secretary also doesn't know when one might be appointed. Paula Dunn went to the police to ask what possibly could be done - nothing. One guy's is already expired, the Dunn family expire January 31 and I have until February 14. We were all instructed to get out and back in to Romania before our last day on our Visa and pray the matter gets resolved before another 90 days passes. Well the police didn't say "pray" but that is what we will do for sure!
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Some excitement about the food bank
Today at church was not exactly a spiritual high - those of you who know the people I minister to can use their imaginations. I realized I left my material for the message at home, which didn't help. While people were still arguing I asked Bogdan what subject he thought I should preach about. He looked over the congregation and said "Love!". HMMM, sounds like 1 Cor. 13 to me, I really just wanted to go back home (I didn't). In the end it was OK, I guess. A couple of people said the message did have an impact so that was good.
Anyhow the exciting part was on the trip home. Bogdan asked if I have heard from the Lord about the food bank yet because he is really excited about it and wants to be involved and his mom also wants to help AND he and his father are going to plant extra potatoes on the grandmother's land so there will be extra to donate to the food bank. This really blessed me!
Anyhow the exciting part was on the trip home. Bogdan asked if I have heard from the Lord about the food bank yet because he is really excited about it and wants to be involved and his mom also wants to help AND he and his father are going to plant extra potatoes on the grandmother's land so there will be extra to donate to the food bank. This really blessed me!
Food Bank?????
This last week I looked at a building that Irene and Wayne had seen while delivering Widow's Mite food for me. The owner of the building is renovating and adding on to an existing building not far from the center of Arad. The price was 300 Euros, which is quite cheap for a building in good repair in that area.
When I saw it my spirit went YIPPEE. I told the lady that I could not, however, commit to 300 Euros per month. She said I only had to pay 200 Euros until I started to consume utilities. It will have a bath-room and kitchen. I asked the owner if we could feed the homeless there once a week and have a church service for them. She said that would be fine! I was thinking of another ministry that could use the facility.
I was excited about being able to start the food bank this year - it is the biggest part of my vision for the future here! When the girls and I were in California the summer of 2007 I took them to work in Joseph's Storehouse on Saturday morning. Elizabeth was amazed at how they distributed food to the poor and said "Bubba, we have to do this in Romania".
After my initial excitement when I saw the building and tentatively committing to renting it when it is completed next month - I got scared spitless! How on earth am I going to do this project???? I have the funds to get started but very little help. I will need a larger truck for transport of donated food, when I find people and stores willing to donate that is.
I have learned that when God says "Go" He will provide everything needed for the journey. He gives provision for the vision. I need to hear clearly that this is of the Lord for me to do, and is it for now?
My general health is improving but I can no over do. Everything is getting done though!
When I saw it my spirit went YIPPEE. I told the lady that I could not, however, commit to 300 Euros per month. She said I only had to pay 200 Euros until I started to consume utilities. It will have a bath-room and kitchen. I asked the owner if we could feed the homeless there once a week and have a church service for them. She said that would be fine! I was thinking of another ministry that could use the facility.
I was excited about being able to start the food bank this year - it is the biggest part of my vision for the future here! When the girls and I were in California the summer of 2007 I took them to work in Joseph's Storehouse on Saturday morning. Elizabeth was amazed at how they distributed food to the poor and said "Bubba, we have to do this in Romania".
After my initial excitement when I saw the building and tentatively committing to renting it when it is completed next month - I got scared spitless! How on earth am I going to do this project???? I have the funds to get started but very little help. I will need a larger truck for transport of donated food, when I find people and stores willing to donate that is.
I have learned that when God says "Go" He will provide everything needed for the journey. He gives provision for the vision. I need to hear clearly that this is of the Lord for me to do, and is it for now?
My general health is improving but I can no over do. Everything is getting done though!
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