Making History

Daniel Mercado- Project Romania Rescue, Cristi- PRR,
Heather & Alec Chalmers-Faru Chruch, Chris Klop-
YWAM, Therese Wiik- YWAM, Me- YWAM, "Vinci"-
Catholic Org., Irina- YWAM, Mirjam- YWAM (missing-
Tica & Adrian- Casa Sami)

Friday night was a night in history. In our apartment we joined with all of the Christian Street Children Workers in Constanta for a night of fellowship, food and just a chance to get to know eachother better and share about our desire to work together to see the lives of the street kids in Constanta changed. Up until now we have been helping eachother here and there and have had good relationships. My team leader Chris has been meeting with the leader of two of the organizations for prayer, but we felt that God wanted to see more in our city and we needed to be united with others who are all reaching for the same goal.

Everyone was into the meeting and they suggested meeting regularly which was our hope. Man, God is so cool. One of the directors said something that I think sums up the whole idea of meeting together: "Maybe if we keep meeting like this, about 2 years from now we will look back on Februrary 24th, 2006 and say, that was the day when all of our separate teams became one team." We all have our separate organizations and projects but being able to see ourselves as one team or all, fighting for the street kids of Constanta, is going to make a huge difference.

Something NEW!!!

Street Kid Alpha Group
Yeah! We are finally getting a Bible Study for the people from the street that are either coming to church or seem to want to know more about God. And it just so happened that our pastor's wife is in charge of Alpha, a program for people to get to know God, for all of Romania. So it was natural for us to decide to do an Alpha program with the Street people. If you aren't familiar with Alpha, it is an 11 week series of basic teaching from the Bible about Jesus and having faith in him for salvation and how to grow in knowing him. The people who come eat together, hear the teaching together and then discuss the teaching afterwards.

We hope that the kids will really be into it and really have a hunger to know God more. The greatest thing about this group is that our street ministry team is actually not leading it, but a young couple from our church is and the husband used to be a street kid himself. They are perfect for this and are really excited. Their names are Ion and Cocoa. And another young man, Cristi, who was also on the street for a while is also helping. We are so excited to be working with Romanians and especially Romanians with such a special heart for these people.

We will begin the group next Friday. This Friday night however we will be getting together with all of the Christians here in Constanta who are working with street kids. Our desire is to be more connected with one another, being more of a support to one another and being in unity as we all share God's heart for these people. We will have our team, the director of a boys home and the director of a girls home here in Constanta, a couple who just moved here recently from Wales to open a half-way house for guys over 18 on the street, the director from a day time drop in center for street kids, and the director of a large Catholic organization that has a Day Center, a boys and girls home, and other services to help street people. There are so many wonderful people serving in this city and it will be great to be together and get to know eachother better. I hope all is well with all of you. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this blog and for praying. Blessings to you all!

He hears our prayers...

Today I was SOOO encouraged. I came into our staff prayer meeting this morning to find them all praying prayers of faith and hope for our girls home. And after we prayed one of the leaders of the base told us that they are sending out requests to businesses for support and sponsorships for the girls home. So things are moving again! After the prayer meeting we had our first base staff work day, where we worked on cleaning up the base and the girls home. I was in the girls home sweeping and getting completely covered in cement dust. It was so great! I was just so happy to be able to be a part of doing something to get this girls home to happen!

The staff at our base is really working to see the renovation of this house completed and we are seeking out the staff that we need to run it. Again if anyone out there has a heart to serve through construction and those sort of things, or if you are interested in sponsoring the girls home OR STAFFING it, please don't wait any longer! Let us know! :)

Please pray for all of this and for the girls. The girls that are in mind for it are really in need. Three of them are basically on the street and experiencing all kinds of things no 13 years olds should ever have to experience. They are hurting and in desperate need of a safe place and of unconditional love. Please keep the girls in your prayers. And please pray for me as I continue to seek out the best ways that I can help them in this girls home project.

Oh yes...I had a WONDERFUL time with Leisl! Being with her for the week was an incredible blessing and I am so thankful for her friendship to me! She also brought with her tons of clothes for the street kids from her mom's classroom of elementary school kids (thank you Sue and kids!) and from a lady at her church. AMAZING! They gave such nice clothes too, they are really a blessing. Thank you to all you who gave and thank you Leisl for blessing my life so much!!

...the other thing Leisl brought to me was the laptop I am now typing on! What a crazy blessing! Thank you Grandad Lewis, Aunt Libbey, Mom and Dad and Grandad Billings and anybody else who contributed that I don't know about! This beautiful little machine is such a huge help to me!

Okie dokie, this is all for now...man there is always so much to say! :) Until next time- let Jesus love you :)

Jesus was a drunk man dying in the street today...

We were on our way to the base today when we saw a man lying flat on his back in the middle of the sidewalk. Nobody was going over to him. We stopped to look and see if he was okay and another man was coming to see what was wrong. Then more people came and people got on their cell phones, trying to get help for this cold and miserable man. It seemed like he was a homeless man, probably living somewhere on the street in that area. He had no desire to leave his place on the ground, but his side was hurting and his head was burning up. I felt so helpless, but so encouraged to see so many people stop and help. But what this man really needed was hope. He fought as the medics finally came and put him in the ambulance. I suspect he wanted to stay there and die. He said his name was Vacile and he was 49 years old though he looked much older. Our church here in Constanta has a special ministry for the homeless elderly and hopefully they will be able to find this man once he is out of the hospital. Please pray for this and for Vacile to find hope again...

And if that wasn't enough excitement for the day, just about 30 minutes after we (Leisl and I- my best buddy visiting from the States) had gone into the Day Center, another old man was found dead, flat on his back right on the sidewalk there. Just a few meters from our front gate. What happened I don't know,and who he was I haven't a clue- just a nicely dressed old man going for a walk I guess. Its times like these that my heart hurts and I remember that my God's heart hurts so much more. Suffering was not what he intended. May he use it though to continually teach my heart compassion and mercy for those in need, and move me to love, not only in words but in ACTION and in truth. Good night friends...may your hearts be stired.