Last but not least...

The church in Vinga, Seedtime and Harvest, is growing. We have many more children now. The Saturday program staffed by Spencer and Lynsey as well as Bogdan and Delia is awesome! Many of these children are now coming Sundays too. They often have music prepared for us.  Elizabeth often goes on Saturday so she can accompany them with her guitar. It is time for us to have an activity of some sort for the teens, we haven't done anything for quite some time with them. Bogdan is the faithful leader of that age group.

Our young boys with their prepared song

We have 7 teens in the 2nd Chance school program this fall. The State is thinking of closing the program but we pray that they won't. This gives school dropouts a 2nd chance for a diploma.  Seed Time and Harvest pay the school costs for these kids and in several cases have provided clothes and shoes. I do not think these teens have much of a chance in life without education. The culture of their families is such that there is no emphasis on getting an education and so many are allowed to drop out. The Saturday program at the church addresses this as well as other areas besides the bible program.

Mocrea is going well.  We are hard pressed to find a different craft each week.  I think tomorrow we are making hedgehogs out of dried leaves (if I get outside soon and collect the leaves!)  The people in the mental hospital at Mocrea bless us. Scott and Carolyn, Edith and Traian are faithful to help each week. Some times really comical things happen - the patients can be pretty unpredictable. One of us will comment to another "well there's one that won't appear in a blog or fb!"  The patients rush to the windows and call out greetings, many only get out of a locked room when we have them to the program or for meals.

Elizabeth turned 16 this month. It is hard for me to believe.  She got new Converse shoes and the cartridge in her upper ear pierced as her gifts. Sarah can hardly wait until she is 16.  On your birthday you get to choose the menu, I'll cook or you can go to a restaurant of your choice. Elizabeth wanted stuffed baked potatoes AND Mexican food. In addition to the potatoes and all the fixings I made 3 pans of enchiladas, tacos, burritos and refried beans.  We had the party at Spencer and Lynsey's because they have a long indoor hallway that could accommodate 3 tables end to end.

Elizabeth's friends surprised her

Happy 16th Elizabeth!!!!

 This week I was blessed to have part of a World Race team come for a work day at my house. They are staying out at Sistarovat and Callum is scheduling their time.

Lots of painting

Fence mending and rebuilding of animal shelters

Hopefully they were well fed!

This next week it will again be time for me to visit the children's facilities where we sponsor. I hope to have all the updates sent out by November 15.

The Pre-Placed Child Development Program at the hospital is really going well. Right now we have 6 babies.  The hospital knows they can count on us to be there every week day and the staff often tell us how much they appreciate us.  I think the only way we can truly explain our favor and success is that The Lord went before us!

We are still helping many individual families with their needs. The needs will always exceed the funds but I am blessed that so much is getting done, widows visited, orphans cared for and the Word being preached!
.

More of what has been happening

Marius and his lovely wife Elena have been doing a wonderful job at The Kids Club (called Jesus Generation) in Sanicolaul Mic.  The group is growing and more kids and teens are coming to learn to play instruments and sing as well as learning the Word and how it applies to their lives. I am so blessed that I added on to the building when I had the funds, do we need the room now!

Widow"s Mite program has recently lost another of our elderly.  Ghita went home to be with the Lord this month.  He was really special, well I guess they are all special to me - he will be missed but I am happy he will not have to withstand another winter.  The program was blessed because I contacted the family through Bogdan and asked if I could have all the wood back as the program had purchased it and Bogdan and Scott had cut it and stacked it. This type of request is unheard of here, a neighbor had already posted a notice to try and sell it. The sister said I could have the wood so we moved it to others in the program in Dud.  God's provision is an awesome thing and I am waiting to see how He will provide for the winter for those in this program and this wood is part of it.

See you in heaven Ghita

Summer Camps

Elizabeth and Sarah spent 3 weeks up at Sistarovat at summer camp.  Elizabeth wants to join the ministry of Grain Game and go on Euro trek in the summer of 2015. She will need to raise her own funds and we are kicking around ideas now. Things that kids can do to earn money in the States do not work here so we will need to be creative.  Sarah had a wonderful 3 weeks and was very helpful at camp - she is a good little translator too.

Sistarovat 2014

We did a 2 day VBS in the village of Dud with a large team here from Saint Louis, Joy FM.  The plans were to do it outdoors but it poured the second day but we were able to get the keys to the community center and I went around the village picking kids up.

Dud 2014

Some of the Joy FM team

I can't believe I have no pictures of the carnival that this team did in Vinga. There were games and prizes, snacks and a lot of fun. Over 300 kids attended from Vinga. This is the problem - I forget to take pictures. This stuff is my life and I don't think at the time that many of you would like to see what has been happening here in my ministry. I would say something like  "I'll try to do better..." but I know I have said it before.