Primavara 2012 Romania Update

Did you know that we serve a God who is always working in us, through us and around us?  Often times it is difficult to see God working in hard situations but we have to cling to the hope that he never will abandon us and will always fight for us.  Here in Romania we often get to clearly see God working and would like to share a few recent stories with you.

We’ve been talking a lot about the director who got upset last summer when some of our kids were baptized.  He told us that if we wanted to work with any of his kids we wouldn’t be able to talk about God, so we have been praying a lot for a change of heart or for him to be moved.  We have just found out that he has been moved and that the new director seems to be more open to what we want to do.  We don’t know her very well yet but we are praying that she will support our goal of sharing the love of Jesus with these kids.

We were recently at a wedding of some friends from church and someone told us that the groom’s parents had adopted a girl named Flori from the hospital that we worked at on our first trip here in 2007.  We instantly remembered that cute little girl and wondered if this was her, so we went to talk to the parents to find out.  One of the hard things about working at the baby hospital is that once the babies leave it is hard to know what happens to them.  But in this case we found out that our little Flori was in fact adopted by a great family and is now a healthy, happy, flourishing little girl.  We are so overjoyed that we were allowed to see how God has worked in her life and were given a glimpse of hope for all the other babies that are left at the hospitals each year.

 There are of course many situations that are still ongoing that we are waiting to see how God works.  The kids who have just graduated high school have to take a test in order to go on to college.  We have been tutoring some of them and it has been an emotional rollercoaster becuase they haven’t been very motivated to study or work hard.  They often feel overwhelmed and that there is no way that they can pass and they feel worthless and stupid.  It has been a challenge to encourage them that they can do it; they need lots of help from God right now.

 

 Two of the five boys in the transition program found jobs in Bucharest and moved there already.  The others have been getting impatient and one of them left the program even though there is such a short time left.  After talking with him and our leaders a lot over the last couple weeks and searching all over town for him, I (Mark) was able to bring him back into the program.  Now he just needs to be patient and endure and know that God has something in store for him.

 

We have also done many special things in the last few months too, like take many kids on field trips, be part of the filming for a new H2H video, have guests stay with us from Michigan and Austria, and have many birthday celebrations.

  

Please Continue To Pray:

- Praise God for replacing the director who wouldn’t let us talk about our faith and pray for the new director to be open and willing to work with us.

 - Summer camps are starting now!  Please pray that all the details come together and that God uses this time to work in amazing ways.  Pray for him to work in the hearts of the kids and to give all of us workers the strength and wisdom to do his will.

- Pray that the high school graduates who will be taking the college entrance exam will be prepared and will pass the test.

 - Pray that the graduates of our transition program will be able to find jobs and an place to stay.

 

 

- Pray for our family and friends especially for some specific health concerns.  Pray also for us to stay healthy as we come into the busiest time of the year.

- Pray for all of the volunteers that are coming, for safe travel, health, energy, and funds to come in.

- Praise God for all of our support partners and pray that God will bless them and continue to provide for us.  Pray also that H2H and our churches will be fully funded.

 Thanks so much for reading and praying and for being a part of our ministry!

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