July 5, 2012
Well, our two weeks of VBS came and went and the kids enjoyed what we had to teach them. Now, the American team has gone home and the regular routine of the orphanage here in NE Romania is settling into place. Mama is treating us like her own. She is giving us directions about washing clothes and where we can help to make Kim and I, the leftover Americans, feel settled. After Tata read devotions to the kids this evening, he led a discussion on diligence in chores to be able to fit in time for crafts on a regular basis. He wants them to be able to make beautiful things with the extra craft supplies we have from the VBS. So, we will add that into the routine for the summer, with incentives for those who finish their tough craft projects.
I will post pictures soon of the kids’ play they put on at the end of VBS, on the ‘Lost’ parables of Jesus in Luke 15: lost sheep, lost son, and lost coin. These stories were creatively combined by our director into one, as if all of this happened to one family. The kids had a fun time playing their parts and the ‘copii mich’ -the little kids- were great sheep! Our VBS lessons during the first two weeks centered on the parables of Jesus with recurring themes of grace, mercy, forgiveness, and God’s great love.
Please pray for: Filip Gavril, grandson of Mama and Tata, who had surgery on his hip last month. He is 6 or 7 I am not sure, and has a rare bone condition which wears down his joints and cartilage in his hips. Filip had been in a cast and wheelchair for about a year. The specialists said the surgery was the best way to stop his condition from getting worse, considering his age. The surgery went well, and now he is recovering. We are just waiting until he is well enough to travel back home to Romania, probably in August. He had to have the surgery in Germany, so pray for safe travel when the family returns home. Dad- Romeka, mom-Camilia, sister-Rebeka who is 9.
–Also ease of communication between the orphanage staff and us. We will ease into the routine of the orphanage, but it will take time. Very grateful right now for those who speak English and for those who can make us laugh. Pray that communication comes with ease and we are able to retain the language.
–God’s hand would continue to be on this orphanage, through the trials and decisions as Tata and Mama choose what is best. Pray for funding, as they like many organizations right now feel a tightness as some donors pull out. Pray for full funding and search for God’s will in this: if it is something you and your family feel led to do, please donate to the Reach Ministries organization I have posted in the About section.
–Thank you! I end my letter with a hope that God’s hand of blessing would be on you and your family as you seek to discover what it means to live out the kingdom. Until next time,
Becca
adventuresinromania 