What a wonderful month September was!

I went for my final ‘inquisition and scrutinization’ for my Romanian Citizen’s Visa on September 4 – and on October 4 will receive my card.  I am beyond excited.  This is something God put in my heart to do – and pursuing it and obtaining the visa is pure joy to me.  Now, I will be able to stay in Romania for up to two years (if I want to) before renewing the visa – and will not have to remain in America for 3 months before returning to RO in case I want to.  This is a big plus for me!

Being with our babies at Albina has been beyond a blessing.  New babies in desperate need for a kind and loving touch of Jesus through Corina and me – many, so very sick with a virus – and joy after joy feeding these precious unwanted, thrown-away, discarded little ones, singing to them, praying over them, playing with them and loving on them.  I am thankful to my Jesus every day of my life for His choosing me to be His eyes and heart, hands and feet in this work!

At Barza Mica with our ‘kids’ (in their 20’s and 30’s now), we have had so much fun working on art projects for the Anniversary Celebration for Love From Above next May (2022).  They have given their all.  I am so proud of them!  These ‘guys’ love singing – and just love their Bible stories.  One girl asked me on two different occasions to tell her (them) stories about Isus.

Corina took a week off in September to go on holiday with her family.  I was delighted that Lorena, Ovi and Carmen’s daughter – only 19 years old – was willing to fill in for Corina.  The babies at Albina were a challenge for her, but she did an amazing job!

However, Lorena only got to work with me for two days.  Ovi called me on Wednesday, September 8 and told me that he had Covid.  Again!  Since, of course, Lorena lives in the same house with her parents, it was necessary for her to not continue with me to Albina again, or to Barza Mica.  Even though she wasn’t sick, she could have been carrying the virus.  Please continue to pray for Ovi and his wife, Carmen.  They have a very long road of recovery ahead of them.  Ovi, in particular, is extremely weak!

I enjoyed an afternoon along with a good friend, Monica Pirvu, on visitation to some sweet friends in the village of Cristian.  Another friend, Ovi’s Dad brought me one of my favorite Romanian dishes, sarmale, right fresh out of the oven that Ovi’s Mum had just made.  Along with that, and other yummie food gifts, I have to keep a close eye on my weight not to pack on the pounds.  I’ve told the ladies in the kitchen at Barza Mica that I could eat their food every single day!!  You don’t know what you’re missing!

This is a switch!  The director at Barza gave me some clothes!!  Usually it is LFA giving to them, but she had received a (too) large number of sleeping bags, shoes and boots and wondered if I would know of anyone who could use them.  Yes!!  There are folks in nearby villages, like Tarlungeni, sleeping on the floor around a fire (in a dug-out hole in the floor) in the middle of a room to keep warm.

We have resumed work on a building I’m calling Casa Noua (new house) that is up the hill from Barza Mica.  It was originally built for military housing during the Communist period.  (Work stopped on Casa Noua during the pandemic.)  There will be a large room for an activity room, two bathrooms, a large room to store all the veggies we buy for the winter and another two food storage rooms.  I am so excited about this project – and so grateful to all of you who so faithfully give to the ministry to be able to do projects like this.  Two years ago, the whole building was re-wired – and in the past two weeks, the interior has been painted and heating installed in each room.  Thank You, Lord, for supplying for Your work here in RO through LFA!

Happy, happy day – for a Happy Meal at McDonald’s with 9 of our ‘kids’ from Barza.  That has to be their most favorite outing!  What fun – what JOY with all of them!  I cherish these ‘kids’ – some of whom I have known for all of my twenty-one years here in RO.

As you can imagine, once again it is so very difficult for me to leave our babies and ‘kids’ behind.  They – and I – have been tearing up for two weeks now just thinking about it.  My plane leaves Bucharesti on October 4 (very early in the morning) and arriving at Logan in the evening.  Please pray for an uneventful trip – that our Lord will carry the plane in His loving hand to Frankfurt, first – and then on to Logan.

Matthew 20.28 – ‘The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve . . .