September Update

Greetings from Romania!

I arrived safely to Lucia and Sorin's on the 17th of September at 4:00 a.m. Lucia and I stayed up until 6:00 a.m. talking and catching up and then I decided to sleep for a "few hrs"...next thing I know, Lucia is knocking at the door, encouraging me to come eat dinner! So much for a productive first day:).

We (Lucia, Sorin and their 3 year old son Filip) spent my first weekend in Bratcuta at their cabin. Bratcuta is a little town in the mountains, about a 2 hr drive from Oradea. We had a lovely time hiking to the top of the mountain where we were rewarded with blackberries, apple, pear and walnut trees. I was able to see the promise of autumn as the trees were beginning to change colors.


Monday I came to Oradea to stay for the week. It has been a week full of visiting friends and working with Dora at the Rehab Center. I was able to work with several children from the orphanage...especially Erika, Sandor, Remus. It is so encouraging to see their progress, but even more beautiful to see how loved they are by Dora!













The highlight of the week was seeing Denisa and her family. She is nearly 7 already! Her brother Adam is 4 yrs old and is now able to talk. Lucia and Iuliu love the children so much and have given them a beautiful life. I am thankful to be a part of their family.

Tomorrow I leave for Sancraiu. Unfortunately, there is not a train on the weekends where I can manage my luggages (it only runs Monday through Friday) so Nicu is coming to pick me up. I am excited to begin my time with the Hagiu's and remain thankful for all your prayers and support!


By His Grace,

Dawn

Going out in with joy, filled with peace....

" For as the rain comes down and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to sower and bread to the eater, so shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please and it shall prosper in the thing which I sent it"
Isaiah 55:10-11 (NKJV)

21 hrs and 15 minutes from now I will be on the plane, heading back to Romania~not that I am counting or anything :). I am excited to be going to my second "home" and reuniting with my Romanian friends and "family" in Oradea before beginning my new adventure in Sancraiu.

This year seems extra special as it marks a decade since my first trip to Romania. Little did I know how much that short term missions trip with Wheels for the World would radically change my life! It is so amazing to reflect on the journey My Abba Father has taken me on thus far and I am thankful He is not through with me yet!

For those of you who have followed my adventures over the past 10 years, you know that I have loved the time I have spent serving in Oradea, the city and people that so captured my heart in 1999. I am so blessed to still have strong relationships with several of my translators from that first trip. Carmen, Ramona and Adela have become sisters to me and their families have truly adopted me as their own. So living in Oradea is relatively easy for me, I have been surrounded with amazing friends who support and encourage me, plus I absolutely love working with the abandoned children in the hospital and orphanage!

However, sometimes God needs to take us out of our "safe place" so He can stretch us. For it is only through this stretching that we can grow in our faith, in our trust relationship with Him. Over the past year, God has clearly closed some doors and yet, has opened up new and exciting opportunities for me to continue to serve Him in Romania. A little over 2 years ago, I travelled to a small village, Sancraiu, to meet John and Charity, missionaries from CC Treasure Valley. We prayed even then that God might send me to work alongside them as they reached the gypsies of Sacuieu and Calatele (Vladeasa). Last year I was able to return there again, but this time I was able to come alongside Nicu and Silvana, native missionaries who have since taken over the ministry of Calvary Chapel Vladeasa. We continued to pray and seek His guidance in regards to my coming. And God answered (as He always does)! So God is taking me out of my safe place (Oradea) and beginning a new work in Sancraiu. I am so excited!

I will also be traveling to various cities throughout the country, primarily doing trainings and teaching therapy techniques to Romanian caregivers, therapists, nurses and parents.

Internet availability is questionable; however, I will try to post at least 2x/month, so please check back! I am thankful for all the encouragement/support I have received and know without reservation I am being covered with your prayers.

Har si Pace (grace and peace)

Dawn