Play Time!

Thursday we were able to bring the children in the "top house" from Tinca to the children's park in Oradea for a full day of fun! Oh how I wish you could have heard their squeals of delight as they explored all of the tunnels, slides and climbing structures. We also took them for a tram ride, and ended the day with lunch at McDonalds. It was so much fun but we all needed a nap by the end of the day!

Zsofia

My most enjoyable moments in Budapest were simply being with Zsofi. She, like the city, has captivated my heart!

A Time of Refreshing

"Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while" (Mark 6:31, NKJV)

The month of May was quite busy with autism trainings, working in Tinca, helping Dora reassess and write treatment plans on the children at Centru de Recupare, seeing children in their homes, and helping out with a team of therapists from the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga. I was asked to take part in a panel discussion during the "Sanctity of Life" Conference at Emanuel University, helped lead a workshop for PT and PT students, and then did some informal trainings for 2 of the teachers at Casa Minunata, a school here in Oradea. Jenny, my PT friend here, approached me a few weeks ago about going to Bucharest with her and another friend, Kristi. We were invited to come and do trainings for the staff at a local orphanage. Apparently they have received a good amount of sensory-integration equipment, but have no idea how to use it! So knowing that June will also be an adventurous month, God gently called me aside for a few days of rest...in my beloved city of Budapest (Hungary)!

My dear friends Kata and Istvan graciously offered me the use of their extra apartment, which is located in a great area! I was able to meet with several of my friends, go back to the school where I worked (and sat in on one of Kata's classes), meander though the city, and of course, I attended church at Calvary Chapel Budapest. My friends Edina and Zoli had me over for dinner and surprised with with the news that they are expecting their first child! Another important reason for my visit was to finally meet my little "Zsofika". My closest friends in Hungary, Agi and Lacza, had their first child 2 days after my birthday. Her name is Zsofi and I will be posting LOTS of pictures of her soon! It was a much needed time of refreshing...spiritually, emotionally and physically. I am sharing a few of my favorite pictures to give you a "taste" of Budapest. It is truly a captivating city!

Cristina and Marcus

" And let us not get tired of doing what is right, for after a while we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don't get discouraged and give up. That's why whenever we can we should always be kind to everyone, and especially to our Christian brothers" (Galatians 6:9-10, NLT)


Over the past few weeks, I have received calls asking me to work with several children in their homes. In all honesty, my first response was "No way, I don't have the time or energy to add anymore kids to my schedule". But then I prayed and the above verse pierced me. My friend Jenny (the missionary PT here) called, asking me if I could see a little boy in Tinca who was in a foster home. She had met with a doctor in the children's hospital here in Oradea who is somehow related to the family taking care of the child and the doctor implored us to help. Marcus is an adorable and precocious 4 year old who eagerly waits for his "massage and exercises". Because he is in state-run foster care, I can only show his profile. He is such a cutie! Then my friends Mihaela (Michelle)and David called, asking me if I could see their daughter. I have known Cristina since she was a baby and her parents have done a wonderful job following through with all my suggestions. So now I am seeing both Cristina and Marcus on a weekly basis. The really awesome thing is that the Gut family (the foster family for Marcus) and the Moza family (Cristina's parents) are all Christians. He reminds me time and time again that I have just the amount of time and just the amount of energy to do just His will.

Nicoleta

Much to the delight of the children, I have been spending both Monday and Tuesday nights in Tinca. No one was happier than Nicoleta, who promptly offered me her bed! After explaining to her that I have to sleep in the "up house" and not in the "down house", Nico decided I needed to at least tuck her into bed at night. These precious moments allow me to give Nico the individual attention she so craves, as well as the amazing opportunity to pray over her. Nicoleta, or as we fondly call her "Nico", is such a precious young lady who spent her first several years in a state orphanage before being rescued by Romanian Relief. It is pure joy to work with her! With the help of Alina (the psychologist)and Ciprian (the physical therapist), I decided to teach the older children to play kickball this past week. We thought it would be a good activity that addressed following directions, attention and motor planning. I had no idea what we were getting ourselves into. It was quite an experience as Nico and the others just couldn't grasp the concept of running the bases! Mass chaos! After over an hour of practice, I am happy to report Nico finally "got" the concept.

just a quick update...

I am headed out to Tinca in just a few minutes, but wanted to post an update before leaving. This past week, I held my first formal training session on sensory integration/techniques for children with autism. I had a great turnout (26 parents as well as a few teachers and psychologists) and the information was well received. From the pictures, I hope you can see how much fun we had! The parents each completed a sensory checklist, and from this information I am planning to prepare more child-specific training sessions. The other picture is of me and my new friend Olivia. Please be praying for her. She is a nurse at the children's hospital and was recently diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. She is quite depressed and lacks any hope. Saturday night my former roommate, Annamaria, and I prayed over her. Pray that she will see that their IS HOPE!
In addition to my typical schedule in Tinca (at Romanian Relief) and in Oradea (at the rehab center), I am now seeing 4 additional children in their homes (in the evenings). Laura has autism, Andreea has Rett Syndrome, Cristina has Down Syndrome and Markus has CP-like symptoms. I will take pictures this week of each of them and post another update soon.

Pace (Peace)
Dawn

May 1st

Yesterday International Worker's Day (sort of like our Labor Day) was celebrated throughout Europe, including here in Romania. Nearly all the shops were closed and there was no bus service to Tinca, so it was a forced holiday (no complaints!). After not feeling well for nearly 2 weeks before finally agreeing to a week of antibiotics, I was able to do some work on Tuesday and Wednesday, but was looking forward to some rest on Thursday. Luci and Sorin invited me to go to Bratcuta, a little village in the mountains, where their families recently purchased a small weekend house. After a nearly 2 hour drive through some of the most beautiful, rustic scenery we were greeted by Sorin's parents and Luci's sister who had arrived on Wednesday. Breathing fresh mountain air and drinking pure water right from the spring, playing ball with Ipu, walking in the green, green woods...a great way to spend Labor Day! Of course the day would not be complete without partaking of the traditional foods: mititei/mici (grilled mince-meat rolls) eaten with bread and mustard; and miel (lamb) prepared in a ceaun(a large pot placed over a fire). Another memorable day!

This coming week, Alina (the psychologist in Tinca) and I are planning to complete Maria's evaluation and will then implement a sensory program. The house staff's understanding of autism is quite limited and their willingness to try "new things" is questionable, so any prayers would be appreciated. In addition, next Friday night is my first formal training session for the parents of children with autism (here in Oradea). Around 30-50 parents, as well as some professionals, including my new friend Jenny Lotter (a missionary/physical therapist serving here in Oradea), will be attending so please keep this training in your prayers as well.

Joyfully,

Dawn

Hristos A Inviat!

Hristos a inviat! Adevarat c-a inviat! Easter is by far my favorite holiday...and this Romanian greeting is one I have long loved. Beginning Easter Sunday and lasting for 40 days (until they mark Jesus' acsension), Christians greet one another by saying "Christ is Risen!" and then responding "Indeed He is Risen!". Here in Romania, Easter celebrations began last Friday (Good Friday) and continued through this past Monday. Friday evening after church, I returned home with Lucia, Sorin and Filip (Ipu) to stay the weekend in Nojorid. Saturday was spent preparing all the foods, dyeing Easter eggs and playing with Ipu! Learning how to dye traditional eggs was an amazing experience. We began by gathering leaves from the garden, dipping the leaves in water and then applying them to the eggs. The eggs were then snuggly placed in stockings before being placed in a pot of water brimming with onion skin/peels. After this boiled for about 15 minutes, we removed the eggs from the stockings, removed the leaves and then rubbed the eggs with slanina (a piece of pig fat) to make them shiny. Throughout Sunday and Monday, children came to the house, proclaiming "Hristos a inviat" and we rewarded with an egg!

Abel's With His Daddy

Dear Friends,

Please forgive me for not posting any updates. I had planned to write a new update last Tuesday, upon returning home from Tinca. I had already chosen to highlight "Abel" (pronounced Ah-Bel) and had gathered some pictures to share. Lili, the foster mom, had shared with me Monday evening that Abel and Silviu (the foster dad) might be able to return from Bucharest to Tinca for the Easter holiday (Easter is this Sunday). Sadly, we received news on Tuesday morning that Abel had passed away. Abel was a beautiful little 3 year old boy who was born with cirrhosis of the liver, with a live donor transplant expected to take place in May. Romanian Relief took Abel into their foundation due to his medical needs; however, his parents (who are poor rroma(gypsies)) were still involved. In fact, his father had recently agreed to be the donor as he was a perfect match. The funeral services were held yesterday at Abel's parents home. Abel's parents and family are evangelical Christians, so the service was quite unusual for the Foundation workers (who are all Romanian Orthodox). But the message given was one of hope... Hope through Christ, and for this I am so thankful. As Alina (one of the caregivers) and I walked from the home to the cemetery (the usual custom in gypsy communities), we spoke of Abel's life, his ability to change the whole environment with his infectious smile, and how he exuded joy even though he experienced pain. He truly impacted the lives of all who knew him, but I rejoice that he is now resting in his Daddy's arms. Please be praying for his family in the gypsy community and also for his family at the Foundation.

Thank you all for your continued prayers, words of encouragement and support.

With Joy and Peace,
Dawn

Viorel

I decided each week I will highlight one of the chidren in Tinca with whom I am working. Viorel is a 4 year old little boy I have known since he was only 3 months old. I remember the first time Mia, one of the workers in the hospital, asked me to come look at him. He was so deformed, but you could tell he was so full of life! Viorel was born with arthrogryposis, a condition that affects his arms and legs. Thanks to Mia's love and diligence in continuing his therapy exercises, Viorel learned to sit by himself by the time he was a year old. Romanian Relief, the charity I am working with in Tinca, made the arrangements to have Viorel sent to England to have surgery on his legs. This enabled him to learn to walk! Now he not only walks, he runs! Viorel is a brilliant child and desperately wants to be independent with all his self-help skills (sorry for the therapy lingo). Alina (the psychologist), and I decided it would be best to start with his feeding skills. Thankfully, Christine was able to bring some foam, straps and velcro (supplies I can't get here) allowing me to make a adaptive spoon. As you can see from his smile, it was a great success!

La Multi Ani (Happy Birthday)

Spring has arrived and flowers are all in bloom! Last Wednesday I was showered with beautiful tulips, hyacinths, daffodils, freesia, a miniature rosebush and a bromelaid plant. I am thankful to have been born in the glorious month of April! Jokingly I had decided to take the day off for my birthday, knowing full well that it would never come to pass...instead I had my initial meeting with the autism parent support group in the morning, then went to the hospital to play with Levente and meet Jenny regarding his chair. It was great to meet up with some of the parents I did trainings for last year. One mother, Gabi, told me that she started working with her daughter on the vestibular activities I had suggested and within just a few weeks began seeing progress. Praise God! There are 33 parents involved in the group and they all want me to work with their children, which isn't realistic given my other commitments in Tinca and at the Center. Next weekend I will meet some of the children and then we will discuss which children have the greatest sensory needs. Levente seems quite comfortable in his chair, and Dorina and Rodica (the workers employed from my friend Kathy's foundation)both felt comfortable with positioning him. Due to the heaviness of his head, the workers rarely hold Levente. But for me he is easy, so I held him for over an hour and was rewarded with lots of coos and smiles. Wednesday was also my dear friend Felicia Vari's birthday (she is Luci's sister). So the Vari family surprised us with a HUGE celebration! We had an amazing dinner, with all my favorite Romanian foods, and were then presented with a scrumptious torta (cake)-Yum! It was definitely a birthday to remember.

Levente

Today Christine and I went to the Children's Hospital, primarily to see Levente- my little boy with hydrocephaly. I have known Leve since he was a small baby and he has so captured my heart! Jenny, a physical therapist/missionary here in Oradea, has been trying to develop a special seat to allow Leve to sit up (vs. spending all his time in lying in his crib). Jenny and I spoke last night and she asked if Christine and I could help modify the chair. Thanks to Christine's help and much patience, we were able to come up with an effective solution! Within minutes of finishing, Levente's mother showed up. Leve's mother is a young gypsy woman and has 2 other children. She comes to visit Leve from time to time, but never really interacts with him, I think due to her fear of hurting him. The family's understanding of Levente's condition is quite limited, and today she asked me whay they can't drain the water out of his brain to make his head shrink. I tried my best to explain that this wasn't possible, but that we were trying to give him a greater quality of life. As we talked, I noticed her facial expressions as I played with and kissed Leve. She seemed so sad, so I encouraged her to not only look at Levente, but to touch him. It was a truly special moment to see her beginning to interact with her son.

A Glimpse into My Week

April has only arrived and yet is already proving to be an exciting month. Christine, an occupational therapist from Minnesota, arrived on the 2nd and will be staying with me for the next 3 weeks. It has already been great having another pair of eyes and hands, and I am looking forward to her help especially in Tinca. Entering into my third week here in Romania, I have now developed a schedule and am more in "the flow" of things. So I thought it might be interesting to give you a glimpse into my week here. On Monday mornings I am traveling by bus from Oradea to Tinca (about 1 to 1 1/2 hours) and then staying there until Tuesday evenings when I take the bus back to Oradea. Staying in Tinca allows me greater opportunities to work with the children, as well as to spend time with the foster parents. Please continue to pray that I will have a great impact in reaching the children and caregivers in Tinca. Wednesday is my flexible day that I am using to meet/assist parents of children with disabilities, write reports, collaborate with other foundations and missionaries, etc. This coming Wednesday I will be meeting with the parent support group for children on the autism spectrum, discussing their needs and setting up home visits. Thursday and Fridays I continue to spend with Dora at the rehab center (former orphanage), seeing the children from the small "orphanage/group" homes. And Saturdays I am going to the Children's Hospital, primarily to work on the "genetic unit" (the section for children with disabilities). Sundays here are spent at church (3 hours in the morning), having Sunday dinner, and then returning to church for a 2 hour evening service. Because of the generosity of all my dear friends here in Romania, I have never had to cook on a Sunday! Thursday evenings I typically attend mid-week church services and Friday nights I have my Romanian language lessons with my friend Carmen. But for those of you who know me well, this schedule is really no more draining than my schedule at home!