Update – September, 2025
August passed by more like a week than as a month. I guess that means one is pretty busy – and that we have been. Briefly:
– Ana si Eva, our two new case (houses), got all the screens put on (the 22 windows) and the four sliding screen doors. In my visits to see our ‘littles’, since, I have only seen two flies. That would be compared (to the house fly, the pest that is suspected of transmitting sixty-five different diseases to humans), with their precious little faces so previously bitten up!
– We have loved our time with our ‘kids’ at Barza complete with celebrating our dear Alex’s birthday. The weather has been so beautiful, that we have been able to spend some of our time outside playing with a hula-hoop, balloons, different race games – ‘singing our lungs out – and more. Besides many snacks, we also had their most favorite, chipn’dip!! Some even lick their plates clean. I let them do it! 😊
– Corina wanted a couple of days off, so her brother, Alex, who worked with me years ago, went in her place. I love this fellow – like a son. He is so dear. The ‘kids’ at Barza love him! I was so glad to be able to minister with him once again. We had a great time at McDonald’s afterwards for a late lunch to catch up. Also, Corina and I had the best brunch I ever tasted a couple of weeks ago at Alex and his wife, Natalia’s beautiful new house way out in a village. They have an adorable little girl!
– LFA is desperately trying to get two very large rooms built at Bradet (orphanage) so that we can move our boys there (from B. Mica). This will be a good thing!
– I am praising God that all the paper work has been done, police interview (pic and finger prints), and money paid to obtain the renewal of my Romanian Citizenship Visa – and it will be ready to be picked up the middle of this month!
– Our beloved men in Ukraine are busy trying to get ready for the winter for as many folks as they can – looking for scraps of wood and cardboard to board up bombed out windows. PLEASE pray for these men – so like Stephen mentioned in Acts 6!
– Vica (in another area in Ukraine) has told me that her Dad and other men are trying to get their church’s windows boarded up. The pic she sent me showed them being so basically and crudely done, but it’s better than nothing. Also, her father goes into the forest and cuts down one small tree at a time, dragging it back to his family’s home to cut up to use as fire wood. ARE YOU LISTENING, CHURCH??!!
– Because this month was a milestone birthday for me, it seems that the birthday wishes and celebrations went on all August. Word of explanation – – a milestone birthday here in Romania (I think all of Europe) is a Big Deal!! Not so in America. But here – yes!! I love it that they make it ever so important – and along with all the gifts and flowers, they also take time to tell a person how much they have meant to them. In America, we mostly only do that at funerals. What a shame!
– First of all, Corina surprised me with a birthday celebration at Barza Mica the day before the 12th in order that all our ‘kids’ could join in on the celebration. The following weekend, Ovi and Carmen had told me that they were going to have small gathering – a ‘little’ barbecue at Canaan, our church. However, it turned out to be a very fitting – Big Deal – milestone birthday celebration. When I walked into our church with its being transformed into a sit-down affair and everyone there to greet me, I just stood like a deer in headlights! I was blown away!! Flowers, gifts, food, food, food galore – and including 5 cakes!! I have mentioned this on several occasions, I LOVE the Family of God!!
– The following week, D-na Alina, the director at Barza Mica threw me (another) surprise birthday party (with gifts – and a cake, of course – and greeted with a huge sign hung on the curtains as I entered the room saying, “La Multi Ani, Mama Dawn!”
“For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.” – Ephesians 2:18,19