Happy Summer!

OK - where do I even start?  In May Sarah went to Germany with another 6 students for an internship program with her school with the major in mechanic and electronics. She is pictured below with the group with her certificate of completion. Very proud of her. She will be be entering her last year of high school next month. She was offered and accepted a 6 hr. per day job in a factory this summer.

Elizabeth has been very busy. She graduated from high school and passed her Baccalaureate exams.

The graduates on the school staircase

Elizabeth applied for Veterinary Medicine in Timisoara and also qualified for a scholarship. So proud of her too!

                        

 I will not write at length about all the projects but will highlight  some:  Mocrea - I can't even remember exactly when this project started, visiting and working with the patients in the State psychiatric facility. I have very few pictures of this project as the patients are in State care and posting their photographs is not allowed.  Each week it is an adventure but a team goes with me. The ladies are excited that Tammy is now in charge of the make-up and nails. The ladies beam after they are done. We continue with coffee and snacks weekly as well as a craft, singing and prayer. We also read them a bible story and then give a quiz - correct answers get candy (OK gotta admit usually everybody gets a candy!) They really enjoy this. We have started to have a monthly birthday cake for everyone born in that month. They love the cakes, it makes it special for them to have their birthdays recognized.To many we are their only family and visitors. Your donations that are general funds or donations for me personally (general funds are donations not to a specific project) fund this project.  I have already started to look toward Christmas - we do caroling in all wards and have something for every patient (usually in the neighborhood of 165 patients).  Christmas is expensive!

Widow's Mite - The revamped program is working really well.  We have 35 in the program now, I am looking to expand it and add more older people that need assistance. We have already started buying winter wood. We only stopped buying last season's wood in March!  There are several people that help out now: Spencer; Randy and Tammy; and Ramona - they are a blessing!!! It was truly awesome to visit Maria Jacoby from Comlosul Mare this month.  She is getting a bathroom installed! Her son and one of his friends were working on it when we visited her this month.  We will be adding candy to her monthly bags of food - she revealed that she loves candy.Below are the pictures:

Sanicolau Mic Bible Club (Jesus Generation) and music school:  Marius and his lovely wife Elena do a great job. My part in it is to fund what I can and maintain the buildings, paying the taxes too. Right now they need bars on the door and windows as the house is empty now when the club or lessons are not in session.  I am hoping to get the funds to Marius next week. This project is also funded from the general funds.

Grain Game Rromi summer camps:  We had a great time doing 2 camps for Rromi children, one in Vinga and the other in Bulgaria.. We work in conjunction with The Grain Game out of Alabama with Chip Riley. Kaitlyn and her husband Dustin from Alabama  were here to help with Vinga and we were joined by Spencer and Lynsey, Randy and Tammy as well as a contingent of the GG young people from Romania.

GG's vision is to reach every child in every nation with the gospel. We may be able to get in another short program for children before school starts.

Bulgaria:  Marty Sutton hosted the team in Sevlievo. The camp was held in a neighborhood called Balabanza. Balabanza's residents are Muslim Rroma and they speak Turkish and Bulgarian. Last year during and after the camp the Iman was stirring people up against the Christians.  The building where the church met pretty much was closed down and the meetings went back to the pastor's house. They were willing to let us use the building again and we pray everything remains quiet.  We had a wonderful time ministering with this pastor and his family and they seemed encouraged by the time we left. Genadi, the son of Marty's heart in Bulgaria, will carry on with children's clubs. Marty may have a volunteer to teach music in that neighborhood so we asked the pastor if they were in agreement with this - if so I would raise the funds for instruments as we go. If we don't follow-up on the gospel message these children have heard, and got excited about, we will lose them. I am hoping Kaitlyn and Dustin will join us in Bulgaria next summer (and Chip too if possible)  Samy Novak and Elizabeth did the GG demonstrations, Tammy and Randy helped in all areas as did Genadi. Marty and I filled in where necessary.

 Most of the games and demonstrations were done indoors, the heat was horrendous.

 They loved all the songs and really got in to them. We sang in 4 different languages: Turkish, Bulgarian, Romanian and English.

 All the demonstrations had a short, and to the point, bible lesson. The theme for the week was "Who Am I" . Each day had a sub-theme: I am loved; I am forgiven; I am happy; I am saved and finally I am fulfilled.

 Pastor Samir and his family.  His wife Svetla was a Muslim and converted - they are paying the price to minister in this area.  Would you pray for them, their family and ministry.  We will go back next summer!

 Rock of Hope Ministry:  I think everybody knows I have been partnered with this ministry for some time now. The founders are Scott and Carolyn Pouncey.  Randy and Tammy Moss have moved to Romania to help. This ministry provides for young women that have aged out of orphanages. They have a new web site:  www.rockofhopeministries.org and can accept Pay Pal donations, also for the projects I am involved in. They help in Mocrea too, as do some of the young ladies under their care when they have corresponding days off.  Please check out their web.

This is already a very lengthy post and I apologize for the layout, I am not very good at this stuff. - The 2 facilities, Osana and Caleb house, where we sponsor children are doing really well and I will feature them the next update,  Spencer and Lynsey are continuing with the Vinga children, they just did a camp for the children. The Baby ministry is going well also.. 

Thank you all for your prayers as well as financial support - without all of you I would not be able to stay and do this work.  If you would like to visit or get any further information my e-mail is
jackieramsey1998@yahoo.com.

It is Spring and Sarah is 17!

Sarah turned 17 on March 21st.  Where have the years gone?  She is a delightful young woman

full of promise for the future.  She is pursuing an electronics major in high school. When she signed up for high school I was told she could not attend this school. In asking why not I was told because they are "boys" subjects! Seriously???  Gee I sort of remember being in the same place half a century ago! You go Sarah!


Widows - We were still buying wood well in to March. We got a late start in one geographical area but they wood is only meant to be a supplement so we were able to continue later into the year. God knew what they had need of.  I am praying about expanding the Widow's Mite program.

Happy Valentine's Day

What a great day - remembering those you love. I am pondering all of that today. I am long past being taken to a romantic dinner, given a bouquet of roses or listening to precious endearments being whispered in my ear...or am I?  I have the love that never fails me, the One who says I am wonderfully and awesomely made. He never leaves nor forsakes me. Sure can't say that for some other people that have been in my life. Oh well..He heals the brokenhearted too. Happy Valentine's Day Jesus - I love you with all that is within me and so glad to have the assurance we will be together forever.

My hip surgery went well. There were a few hiccups but nothing serious. I am making plans for the spring and summer..thank you Lord for making that possible. I am looking forward to seeing my granddaughters grow in to the women that You Lord have called them to be. HMMM - might even get to hang around to meet my great-grand children here on earth. No extra days, weeks, months or seasons have been promised me but I feel free again to plan on life. Thanks God!