– My heart is filled with JOY as I let you know that all my work finally went through with the Romanian government and I now have access to the ‘littles’ case (houses) – AND to two orphanages in Victoria. It took nearly 3 months to get this accomplished, but my heart is filled with gratitude to our omniscient and omnipotent God!
– Two precious ‘littles’ are now with our Jesus. There is always a sadness involved when one passes, but the greater emotion is that they are no longer suffering on this earth, but rather healed and whole in Glory! Franz was beautiful – one day a healthy, happy little boy in a family, and then in an instant apparently this precious four-year old had a stroke! He only lived a year in a totally incapacitated condition. And just on September 29, Florin who was born with so much wrong with him including being blind was scooped up by his angels and carried into the very presence of our Jesus. He was eight years old.
– After traveling for over an hour and a half, one way to the city of Victoria, I was told that I would not be able to enter to see my precious Claudiu and Moldovan. That happened because the specific name of this horrendous orphanage (think of mental institutions in the 1920’s in America) was not specifically named on my papers with its new name! I refused to leave there without seeing those two boys! I was told that Claudiu was unable to leave his bed anymore and was on life support. I begged the two in charge to be able to see him for just one minute so I could tell him that I loved him. Finally, they yielded to my pleas to let me cross the huge courtyard and enter the huge, cold and dark building (orphanage). Only me! Corina and Robert were not allowed to go inside. I was a bit apprehensive leaving by myself with the man who would lead me into the building AND up six flights of stairs!!
– At the top of the stairs, there was Claudiu waiting to greet me!! I was in shock. He was neither confined to his bed nor on life support! The director’s assistants had LIED to me! When we saw Claudiu, you would think that the man would have apologized to me or at least have been terribly embarrassed!! But, no. This is the mentality that I deal with in RO.
– I loved and loved on Claudiu, and when we stepped in through the door on the top level, I was in shock/over the moon to have Filip come and greet me!! I was told seven or eight years ago that when he had been transferred there that he had jumped out a window committing suicide!! Can you imagine??!! But, what a joyful reunion. (I’ll share more in my next email Update.) I also got to see another boy I had known at Barza Mica, Brumi – and then, of course Moldovan!
– Next, we found the orphanage where three of our girls from B. Mica had been moved. Once again, such JOY in spending time with them! We hugged and hugged and kissed and kissed – and they never let go of my hands all the time I was there. I was delighted, too, to learn that they are very happy at this new casa. Praise the Lord!! It was a most emotional trip!
– For other news, work on the ‘fence’ (barricade) is going rather slowly at Canaan (my church in Halchiu). About mid-September, the really cold weather set in (even with mountain tops covered with snow!) – so I’m praying that work on the ‘fence’ will step up before Winter. Please pray to that end!
– With some of our ‘kids’ having been moved from B. Mica to another orphanage in Bradet, it has taken a bit of flexibility for me to adjust. Others who had already been at Bradet and are of a very low IQ status, have joined our program. I’m still trying to figure out what to do with everyone. “Listen to this, you who walk all over the weak, you who treat poor people as less than nothing.” – Amos 8.4 MSG Above all, I want to treat them SO Christ-like. After all, they, too, were created in His image – so loved by our Lord, thus – so deserved to be loved by me. I would appreciate prayer in figuring this all out.
May was a busy and productive one for Love From Above. I feel so blessed to be just a part of this incredible, one-of-a-kind ministry – our Lord’s ministry – in Romania. It is no easy task to be called to be His eyes and heart, hands and feet – especially to have the wisdom…
Because of my illness (Influenza A) for six weeks, there really isn’t a lot to put in this Update. Sorry! But, I can tell you of a couple of really good and exciting things. In a week or so, we are going to make another ‘run’ to Ukraine with ‘tons’ of food and supplies. My…
First of all, my deepest and most sincere thanks to all of you who have prayed me through Influenza A. After more than a month since contracting it, I am still not out of the woods. But, I absolutely know that your prayers before the Throne have brought me to this point of healing. THANK…
I am so grateful to have made it back to the ‘other’ land that I love once again with only minor inconveniences during the trip. And there is never a face more welcome to see when I arrive at Otopeni than Ovi’s. Unbeknownst to me, he had lost his license – again – and had…
“I will extol You, my God and King, and bless Your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless You and praise Your name forever and ever. Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, and His greatness is unsearchable.” – Psalm 145:1-3 – Those verses are how I feel towards the fist…
Even though my return flight to MA from Romania was cancelled due to severe snowstorms in Germany on December 2, the airline was able to reschedule me for the next day. It was disconcerting, for sure, but in the end, I praise God for a safe and uneventful trip to Boston. After spending 5 months…
AS always, I love seeing everyone back in the States – I have missed folks! – but it also deeply saddens me to have to leave our precious orphans each time. I’ve been asked this before, but just days ago, beautiful Raluca from Barza Mica asked me if I would be her mother – and…
I praise God for ‘Summer-bonus’ days in October. I have been in RO when it snowed at the end of August! And it snows often in October. Our climate is much like New England’s where the saying is, “If you don’t like the weather, wait a minute . . . “ You never know what…
Never ready to ‘release’ summer, I am so thankful to God for giving us bonus ‘summer’ days! I am never quite ready for the Fall season as beautiful as it is simply because of what follows . . . We have LOVED being with our ‘kids’ at Barza Mica! This past week, we had their…