Dear Family and Friends,
There are many changes we are making in our ministry in Romania. Daniel and I have been praying for quite some time about the direction The Lord would have us go in for working here. In February, we both felt we received a response and we put the new plan into action at the beginning of March.
We have made a decision to close New Life House and put children in family care. Although New Life House is a wonderful facility, it isn’t the same as a child being in a family. Many of our children really need the consistency and attention they can receive in a family. We have already identified three wonderful Christian families in the Oradea are and we will be placing three of our children within the next two months. We hope to identify at least two more families this week. Because we have three intern missionaries here now, we were able to lay off three maternal assistants and a social worker. It was extremely difficult to deliver this news to these employees but I cannot justify spending money the Lord gives us now that children will be leaving. They all understood the reason and I have told other employees they will need to find jobs as well. The cost for putting children in family care is approximately one-third the cost of running New Life House. The money we save can be invested in preventing abandonment via Agape Home.
We are told five of our children will leave for international adoptions soon. For this reason, we will not place these children in families because we believe too much change in a short period of time could possibly be traumatic. Therefore, we will convert New Life House into a foster home for the five children remaining by hiring one of our employees and her husband to live with the children until they leave. We hope they will all be adopted by the end of the summer.
Because it has FINALLY warmed up here, Daniel has resumed working on Agape Home but there is still SO MUCH to be done! We are STILL WAITING on approvals so we can obtain our electricity and propane!!! Please, please pray for The Lord to give us favor at the next meeting for the permits on the county level. Since we are a foundation and not a personal residence, the process is much more complicated.
Speaking of authority figures in this country, I received my first speeding ticket in Romania last night. (hold the applause, please) Police officers are notorious here for taking bribes to eliminate the ticket but I did not have such an experience this time. (Uh-um, yes, I have been pulled a few times here but not giving a ticket.) I did not even tell him I wanted a receipt for my money before he explained the process of where I needed to go and pay, etc. My fine was the equivalent to $10 which I humbly went and paid today. After seeing my legal alien residence papers, he asked me, “When are you going back to the USA?” I said, “I don’t know when the next visit will be. We live here.” He replied, “I guess that means you like it here better than America, right?” and then laughed himself silly along with his colleagues. I would have been more amused had I not been holding a speeding ticket.
The photo here is one of our older girls laughing over the fact she has a towel on her head. This has become one of her favorite past times lately. In fact, I am told she asks to have a towel wrapped around her head! She is growing so big!
I have also attached a photo of her right after I got her from the hospital so you can share the joy of her progress with me! When we received her, she had horrible anemia. Praise God for providing such an awesome environment for these precious children! I am told she will be adopted in Spain. Join us in praying her family will raise her to know Jesus.
I have completed a newsletter which will be mailed off soon. If you would like to download it and print it off yourself to distribute, please do! Go to our website and click on “Download our current newsletter.” If you would like to be added to our postal mailing list, also go to our website and fill out the form after clicking, “Join our mailing list” button to the left.
We thank all of you for being prayer and financial support for us. We continue to be amazed at how God provides for us each day!
Basking in the Son,
Michelle
Posted on April 1st, 2003 by Michelle
Filed under: Michelle's Journal