Showing posts with label Baby Hospital. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Baby Hospital. Show all posts

Saturday, June 26, 2010

A bit of everything

This past week we did a bit of everything. We helped prepare for summer camps, went to the baby hospital, helped get the Girl's House ready, and visited the kids from the orphanage. This is the last week before summer craziness begins. To have an idea of what summer is like, we had a staff meeting and devotion over the summer plans, and it took 2 hours to get through our schedule until the beginning of August. So much will be going on and we will need lots of prayers!

Making pinatas with our interns, Krysten and Amanda

Painting flowers for girl's camp decorations

Florica

Mark with a little girl

Krysten with Andreea

Ryan

Another precious girl

Mila

See the big cherry (Mark)? We picked 3 buckets full!

Rebecca and Lola (after brushing her for a long time!)

Where are we going to visit the kids? We passed sheep on the way....

And Alina found a snail there...

The Black Sea...on a nice rainy day

Venturing out on the pier. We decided although we'd have liked to see the sea on a nice day, it was best for the kids to have extra entertainment on a rainy day. It seems it is less about having your plans be met, but more about your attitude that matters! Stay tuned for a post of summer prayer requests.

Monday, May 31, 2010

Village Museum and Babies

On Thursday we had a free day because the painting team went up to the mountains. We went and visited the Village Museum (Muzeul National al Satului) and Herastrau Park. It was a nice and sunny day, with the temp in the upper 80's. We enjoyed learning more of the history of Romania and how life was before communism.

A House and Farm Buildings

Wooden House...I think they should go back to these!

Loom, work area inside

Living and Sleeping Area

Stove, probably good for making pizza...even though pizza isn't Romanian!

Mill

Wooden Church

Often I wonder what life was like 200-300 years ago. It seems much simpler, and although it was a hard life, I wonder if the lack of distractions was helpful to keep focus on what is important. Family values, community, and most importantly a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

A Smile from a Baby: Absolutely Priceless!

Mark and Rebecca with Ryan and Danielle

Mark Sweating it out with Two Babies

What a privilege it is to love God's precious children!

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Ministry Time...

This week we were able to be involved in almost all of Heart 2 Heart's areas of ministry.  Monday we went to the orphanage to help with the programs there.  Not all of the kids had returned from spring break though so we mainly played games with those that were there.  We spent Monday night at the girls transition house and then worked with them in the yard on Tuesday morning.  That afternoon we went back to the orphanage and helped with the music class.  The rest of the week we went to the baby hospitals to love the babies there.  We were able to help at the old hospital again which was nice even though there are only a handful of kids there.  Saturday was the civil ceremony of marriage for two of the transition house graduates in Rosiori, so most of the staff went there to share in this special time.  The wedding will be in a few weeks but in Romania people need to have the civil ceremony in the town that they are from for their marriage to be official.  


Walking from the maxi-taxi stop to the metro station we had a chance to see some more sights.  This is Arcul de Triumf, a war monument similar to the one in France but not quite as big.  We drive past it on the way to church from the team house but this was one of the first times we were near it on foot.


There are lots of flowers going in all over town.  We enjoy seeing them as they give nice contrast to the tons and tons of concrete that make up the block buildings all around us.  We really enjoy seeing the tulips, we will miss seeing them in Holland this year.   



At the orphanage we let some of the kids try on our glasses, they always want to so we finally gave in.


We are getting to know the babies really well since we've been able to be there so often lately.  This is my girl, since she doesn't have a name and she's so cute we call her Princessa or Pebbles.  She has the biggest smile...



... which I finally caught on camera!  If only adoption were open here!



Rebecca is holding Ryan and Daniella, whom we named after our Canadian interns.



This is Bam Bam, we call him that because he flails around in his crib a lot and is very strong for his age.



This is Ramona...



... and her twin sister Ana-Maria.  They were at the hospital when we started and have stayed in our room the whole time.  


















This is Kirsteen, a fellow missionary, with a boy from the other room.  You can see that we really enjoy the baby hospital ministry, what a blessing it is to help these kids in their early development, this time period will have lasting impact on their entire lives.

At the end of the week Rebecca came down with a cold and is still fighting the sore throat and congestion.  Please pray that this goes away quickly.  Please also pray for the planning of summer and fall ministry.  Summer is a busy time with camps and orphanage programs and in the fall we will have a specific ministry focus.

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Mountains And Babies

Here is a look at what we've been up to in the last week and a half:

We enjoyed a dinner at a Romanian restaurant with Ryan and Danielle and also went to a violin/piano concert at the symphony hall.

We took a day trip to the mountains near Sinaia where the Ryan and Danielle toured the Peles castle. JT, Krista, and Mark climbed up a mountain and were awed by the beauty there. Rebecca and Jenny hung out in a coffee shop because Rebecca was still under the weather. Someday we'll go back and hike all the way to the top, or take the gondola to the top to see the cross that is at the peak of the mountain.



Mark got to go to the baby hospital for the first time in 3 months and it was so great to see the babies! They have all grown and most of them have their first teeth already. They were so interactive and we are so thankful that we can go there to work with them again.



We spend lots of time at the orphanage playing with Alina, who is really becoming attached to us. Each week playing with her is a highlight of our time there and her smile is always so big when she's having fun.




Other updates and prayer requests:

-Rebecca is starting to feel better and her cough seems to e going away, it is helping that the weather is warming up. The lice are gone after hours and hours of combing hair and the second treatment with shampoo.
-Please pray for the situation with our orphanage as the director is causing all sorts of problems and is making life very difficult for some of the kids. Pray for the kids there and especially the ones that are the targets of his abuse. Pray that God works in this man's heart or removes him and replaces him with someone who loves God and the kids.
-Continued learning of the language, we have been learning how to tell Bible stories because even the newest Bibles use lots of uncommon language. Soon we will start working on Bible apologetics which will help us prepare to share the gospel and also help us to practice speaking fluently. We only have one month of lessons left so please pray that we finish strongly.

Friday, November 6, 2009

Babies

This past week the guards at the new baby hospital informed us of some difficult news. Fear of H1N1 virus had caused hospital officials to prohibit all visitors in the hospital. Currently we haven't heard of any cases here, but surrounding countries do have lots of cases. The doors are closed to us, doesn't matter if we are healthy or if we take proper precautions. It is hard to know that we will not be able to go there until December 1 or later. But we take comfort knowing God is still watching over them "He defends the cause of the fatherless and widow, and loves the aliens, giving him food and clothing." Deut 10:18
Pray for God's protections for the babies, and also that the doors to work in the orphanages will stay open.

Mark and his favorite set of twins, Mihiela and Florica

Rebecca's favorite, Florin, who has a great laugh

Mark and Twin #2

Twin #1