December Update

Dear Friends and Family~

Happy December! I pray that you all had a joy-filled and blessed Christmas and are still marveling at the goodness of our Father in sending His Beloved Son to this earth just so that we could have sweet fellowship with Him.

December was the beginning of my “nomadic wanderings” as I split time between living in Cluj and Sancraiu. In addition, I spent one week in Budapest, including a day trip to Vienna with my good friends Agi, Laszca and their 19 month old daughter Zsofia. The week of Christmas was spent in the villages of Sacuieu, Calatele and Sancraiu. My first village Christmas!

Experiencing Christmas in Europe

Cluj

Because I stayed 3 nights/week in Cluj, I finally had time to explore the city. With the added bonus of being here in December, I got to experience Cluj at it’s finest: decorated for Christmas. Every piata (square) was beautifully decorated with a unique theme. All the streets, churches and buildings were lit, the sound of colinde (Christmas caroling) could be heard each night and the Christmas Market was bustling with merry people.

Staying in Cluj also afforded me more quality time working with Ciprian and the children at the gradinita (special needs kindergarten). Some of the kindergarten highlights include Timi dressing herself for the first time and Andrei feeding himself! These were 2 of my favorite “Christmas presents” this year.

Vienna

Experiencing the Christmas Markets in Vienna was so special, especially because I finally got to see Agi, Laszca and my sweet Zsofia. Taking in all the sights, sounds and smells was definitely a treat for the senses. As we drove from Budapest to Vienna (3 hours), it also started to snow ~ the first snow of December! On a down note, my camera was stolen during my trip :
Happily. I do have a few pictures from Agi's camera!

Budapest

My beloved city of Budapest is even more spectacular at Christmas! My dear friend Jenny Lotter, a fellow missionary to Romania, was flying home to the U.S. so we decided to head over to Budapest a few days before her flight and enjoy some quiet time. Well, I am not sure if quiet time was as much planned as forced. I ended up with bronchitis on my 1st day of our vacation and was prescribed rest and sleep by the doctor. However, Jenny and I were still able to wander around the Castle district and take in the beautiful Christmas Market at Vorosmarty Ter. Because I was in Budapest during Hanukkah, I also visited the synagogue and went to to see the lighting of the mennorah. After Jenny left, I continued to stay on in Budapest and visit former colleagues and friends. One of my former students, Viki, invited me to stay with her. We had a lovely time catching up. She is such an amazing young woman and I am so proud of all she has accomplished. On my last night, she prepared an early Christmas meal for me ~ the best turkey dinner I have ever tasted! Another great highlight from my time in Hungary was being able to attend church at Calvary Chapel Budapest. The church continues to grow and now has 3 services on Sunday mornings. It was nice to hear the message in English and also be able to take the Lord’s Supper.

Christmas in the Villages

Thanks to the generosity of people from my home church, we were able to purchase lots of sweet treats and oranges for the children in Calatele and Sacuieu. Before I left for Hungary, Nicu, Silvana and I spent a day in Cluj purchasing cookies, candies and chocolates. God gave us great favor with prices, so we were so amazed at all we could buy! We were thankful knowing that the children would receive something special for Christmas.

When I returned from Budapest, I received some incredible news from Nicu and Silvana: through the goodness of Prison Fellowship, we received Operation Christmas Shoeboxes for all of the children in Calatele and Sacuieu! God sure wanted to bless those kids in a BIG way this year!

Calatele: December 22nd

After loading Nicu’s and Fery’s cars until nothing more could fit, we headed to Calatele and delivered the Christmas gifts on the 22nd. The children were so surprised and excited! Many of them waited patiently in their homes, but some of the kids were too excited and just followed us from house to house. Watching the children open the boxes and bags was the best Christmas gift I could have asked for, and getting to tell each of them the reason for the gifts ~ because Jesus came to the earth for us~ was even sweeter. We were also blessed by Fery, his son Cutitaru, and Danut helping us to deliver the gifts. Seeing the spiritual growth in these men has been so encouraging.

Sacuieu: December 23rd

The next day Fery and Danut came to Sancraiu and helped pack the cars full again, this time to go to Sacuieu. As we entered the village, the children came running to the cars! Despite their excitement, they each waited until we arrived at their homes. As we pulled up to Marioara’s home, her 2 youngest daughters (Lisa and Garoafa) ran to hug me. As I looked back, I glimpsed Marioara standing at the door, unashamedly weeping with joy. One of my other favorite moments was handing the gifts to Calin, a boy about 12 yrs old. He was not only the most gracious in accepting his gifts (“really, they are all for me?”), but he was also the most happiest about everything he received, even the socks and toothpaste!

Christmas Eve services were held at Baba Lucretia and Mosu Florea’s home. We had a sweet time of fellowship, including sharing the Lord’s Supper. After church, we visited several of the gypsy’s homes. As we entered each home, we were invited to a meal~ sarmale, salata de Boeuf, snitel and cakes. The gypsies generosity towards us really spoke to me ~ they have so little, yet they joyfully share with us. After a peaceful Christmas day in Sancraiu, we headed to Calatele to visit with Mircea’s, Danut’s and Fery’s families. This perhaps was my favorite Christmas time. The hugs and smiles I received from children were bittersweet. I have fallen in love with these children, and yet this was my last time with them~ for now. The next 6 weeks I will be traveling all over Romania, providing trainings on development and sensory integration. However, God willing I will be able to return to the villages for a few days in February.

I continue to be thankful for each of you~ and I pray that as we begin 2010, we will be filled with His joy and peace!


Joyfully His,

Dawn

November Update

"Therefore be imitators of God as dear children, and walk in love as Christ also has loved us and has given Himself for us, an offering and sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling aroma" Ephesians 6: 1-2

Dear family and friends,

Happy November's end! I pray you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day. For me, November has been a month full of extra special thanksgivings. I have so much to share with you all and have decided to do it mostly through short stories/pictures. I hope this will give you a sneak peek into my life here in Romania.

In preparing for this update, I perused through my hundreds of pictures I have taken this month and tried to choose ones that would capture all that God is doing here in Cluj, Sancraiu/Calatele/Sacuieu as well as in Oradea. As you view these pictures, I ask that you would consider spending time praying for each of these precious lives.

A New Car!

In my last update I wrote about the Hagiu family's car situation. Getting to the gypsy villages during the month of October was quite the process (getting rides from Fery when/if his car was running, walking, hitchhiking...you name it!). But thanks to God's favor and generous support from my family and church family, as well as the Hagiu's supporting church (CC Treasure Valley), we were able to purchase a car. After weeks of praying and looking at cars, Nicu and Silvana found a 1995 Volkwagon Passat at a good price. We are so thankful that we can get to the villages of Calatele and Sacueiu consistently and safely. An added bonus is the size of the car. Because the car can hold 6 people, we are taking Fery, Mircea and Danut to our services in Sacuieu. Thank you to all who sacrificially gave.

Children's Ministry

Traian and Laura, Danut's children

It has been such a joy to serve alongside Silvana in reaching the gypsy children of Sacuieu and Calatele. During this past month I have been leading to worship and doing all the teachings in Romanian. My Romanian is pretty pathetic, but the children are so forgiving! In November we focused on Creation and the Fall. December is of course about God's promise fullfilled; our Savior's birth. In Calatele, we are holding children's worship in Fery and Verdeata's 1 room home. Last week that little room was packed with more than 30 children! We are so thankful for Fery's heart. He even stays with me during children's worship and prays with the children in their language (gypsy dialect).

The situation in Sacuieu continues to be challenging. We can only meet outside on the grass. Thankfully we haven't had any snow this month; however, it has still been cold and often rainy. Yet, amazingly the children still eagerly come. Please continue to pray that we would find a meeting place, specifically that someone would willingly open their home for us to use and that all children would be welcome. These children sure have captured my heart.

Another HUGE praise to share: my church at home did a bake sale a few weeks ago and raised enough money for me to make Christmas goody bags for all 250 kids! Each bag will contain some fruit, cookies, candies, chocolate and a bible verse/tract. This will be the only gift these kids receive so I am incredibly thankful to everyone who baked and also to everyone who bought all those yummy treats! Oh, another amazing praise: Baba Maria left for Spain so her grandchildren are all coming to worship again.

Lamaie and Adina, sisters in Calatele

Kids Worship in Calatele

Lisa and Soleda, Sacuieu

Silvana and me with Mircea's girls

Therapy Time: Special Needs Kindergarten

Each Monday I traveled by train from Huedin (the closest train station to Sancraiu) to Cluj. The train ride takes about an hour, so it is much like my daily commute back home without the hassle of being stuck in traffic. I continue to work alongside Ciprian, my Romanian PT friend. I have also begun to mentor Ramona, a PT grad student. Most of the children we see are quite involved, many with cerebral palsy or birth defects. Andrei has made excellent progress in his arm movement and towards learning to feed himself, Timi is learning how to dress herself, and Maria, Radu & Roni are accepting all kinds of new movement experiences. I love collaborating with Ciprian and am thankful to know that the investment I have made in him has~and will continue~to impact many children here in Romania.

Andrei, all smiles with his new splints

Radu, one determined little boy!

Timi and her art project

Andrei learning to feed himself

A Special Birthday

In the middle of November I traveled back to Oradea for a very special occasion: Denisa, the little girl I cared for in the orphanage as a infant, turned 7 years old. The party was a surprise for Denisa. When I arrived, I was shocked to see Lia, Denisa's former foster mother! We were the only guests. Lucia and Iuliu (Denisa's adoptive parents) wanted all the people who raised Denisa to be together~Amazing! Denisa was so happy to have her "3 mommies" together for the very first time. I continue to marvel at God's mercy and His perfect plan for her adoption; how He rescued a child without any hope and gave her such a beautiful life. I am so thankful for her life, for she was the impetus behind Abba's Kids. And to think He has done that for all of us who are His children~we are Abba's Kids!

"Mommy" Dawn and Denisa

The Birthday Girl

Denisa and her 3 "Moms" (with her brother Adam)

December is promising to be an adventurous month. I have been joking about my upcoming "nomadic lifestyle" for a few weeks now. I was planning to begin traveling to other cities at the beginning of January, focusing on providing 1-2 weeks of therapy inservices at each location. However, the woman I was renting from in Sancraiu informed me that her family would be coming for the month of December; hence I needed to move out. The Hagiu's and I searched for other accomodations in the village, but to no avail. Amazingly, I was less stressed than Nicu and Silvana! After much prayer and consultation with people here and at home, I decided to split my time the first 2 weeks of December in Cluj and Sancraiu. This will allow me extra time to work with the children (Monday-Wednesday) and still go to Calatele and Sacuieu with the Hagiu's. So let the train traveling adventures begin! I will then be traveling to Budapest (YAY!) for a few days before heading back to Sancraiu for the week of Christmas. Good thing I adjust well to living out of a suitcase :) In all honesty though, I would greatly appreciate prayers as I know my flexibility and adaptability will surely be tested.

Joyfully His,

Dawn

October Update

October has been a month full of adventures and new experiences including leading the children's teachings in both villages (Calatele and Sacuieu), traveling to Cluj each Monday to work with Ciprian, experiencing autumn, winter and autum again (all in less than a week) and this past week traveling back to Oradea to help out at the rehab center and children's hospital. I would need pages to write everything I want to; however, I also don't want any of you to fall asleep so I will try to give you the Reader's Digest Version :)

Church Plants in Sacuieu and Calatele

At the beginning of the month, we were holding the children's ministries outside and the adult bible studies in some of the gypsies homes. However, with the unpredictable weather, including snow on October 14th, we are praying for a home to be open even for the children. In Sacuieu, we meet at an elderly couple's home (Baba Lucretia and her husband Florea). They both love the Lord and have graciously opened their home for Nicu to use; however, because of the tribal-like culture, some of the people in the village won't come to their home. Please pray that they would feel such a need to hear God's word that they would put aside these issues. The great news is some new people have been attending services, including a man named Danut. He came to church a few weeks ago for the first time, confessed that he was a believer but had not been walking with the Lord but desired to have a renewed walk. The men all prayed over him, it was so beautiful. I am also continuing todo some therapy with Iasmina (the litte girl in the picture above). She has now willingly comes to me for her "exercises". So sweet!

The situation in Calatele has been more challenging, but at the same time also more rewarding. Feri, Danut (a different Danut) and Mircea continue to come to all the meetings/bible studies and we have had a great number of children attending. Some of the women have also started coming, including Mircea and Feri's wives. I am currently teaching them the creation story to the children. I am learning the importance of oral traditions as most of the children can not read, but are eager to hear and learn more of God and His love for them. For the past few years Nicu and Silvana have held the studies/services at Baba Maria's. Sadly, Baba Maria informed us we are no longer welcome to meet at her home as she has some problems with Feri. There has been a lot of spiritual warfare occuring and she is again involved curses and witchcraft. The good news is we are now meeting in Feri's home and he is open to the children coming. The sad news is Baba Maria has forbidden he grandchildren from coming. This is especially hard for Lamaie and Marcela. I went to visit Lamaie and to sing some songs with her. She clung to me so tightly and the sadness in her eyes was almost too much for me to bear. I was heartbroken. Please pray for these children and also for Baba Maria. I promised Lamaie I would continue to come visit her, pray that the seeds planted will grow deep, even if she can not come to the services.

Getting to the villages has also been a challenge. Soon after I wrote my last update, the Hagiu's car completely broke down and could no longer be fixed. Feri graciously picked us up whenever he could, but sometimes we had to wait an an "auto stop" to hitch rides. Lots of adventures! But praise God, the Hagiu's were able to get a car this past Saturday. Thank you to everyone who prayed and financially sacrificed for the car. I will post pictures of the car once I am back in Sancraiu.

Mondays in Cluj

Every Monday I leave Sancraiu around 6:45 a.m., travel to Huedin and then take a train to Cluj-Napoca where I work with my friend Ciprian. He is working in a special needs kindergarten with children between the ages of 3-9. He is doing a wonderful job, but wants the best for the children. I absolutely love watching him implement new ideas we discuss. Last week he told me if another kinetotherapist were to watch him work they wouldn't say it's therapy but he doesn't care because he is seeing not only progress, but also how much happier the children are! Last week I brought some adaptive equipment for Andrei, a 7 year old with cerebral palsy. Thanks to Jacinda, my co-worker at St Joe's, I was able to bring over some scrap material to make him some hand splints. We also began working on teaching him to assist with feeding. He is loving his adapted spoon! A few of the children have autism, so I am enjoying putting my SI (sensory integration) skills to use. Cipri hangs out with me until I catch my train at 6:00 pm which has given us time to discuss the kiddos. We have also had some in-depth conversations regarding creation which has been very exciting!

Oradea

October 22-28th found me back in Oradea working with Dora and some of the kinetotherapist's at the rehab center as well as spending 2 days at the children's hospital with Kathy's workers (Dorina, Rodica and Vera). Dora has a new child she is seeing with Down's Syndrome, Ema. She is a sweet 1 year old but is not yet crawling or sitting. However, by the end of the week, she was taylor sitting for a few minutes at a time! I was also asked to see another child with some of the other therapists. He was quite challenging to work with; however, I was happy to help brainstorm with the therapists and his mother. Thankfully I still had a few supplies here, so I was able to give them a therapy brush and a few toys.

Returning to the children's hospital was definitely the highlight of my time in Oradea! As I entered the "genetic unit", I was warmly greeted by Dorina, Rodica and Mia. It was great to see the progress Evelina has made since she had her surgery for the cleft lip. She is now waiting to have the second surgery for her palate. But she babbles and smiles! Soledad is as beautiful as ever and is also babbling and smiling. Rodica has done a wonderful job maintaining her range of motion (which is limited due to her diagnosis, arthrogryposis). Levente is no longer tolerating sitting up in his little cradle rocker, but he loved being played with in his crib. I also met a new child to the unit, Rebeca. She is a precious little one with spina bifida and hydrocephaly. She has had 2 operations; but sadly neither was successful. She enjoyed being rocked and held almost as much as I loved holding her!

I also spent part of each day with Vera, Kathy's worker on the premature unit. Seeing those tiny babies still breaks my heart. Abandonment remains such an issue here. There were 8 little abandoned ones that Vera is working with. One of the little boys is very ill, just skin and bones. He also has some deformities so I worked with Vera on providing some gentle stretching and positioning. I was also able to leave some preemie pacifiers thanks to St Joe's!

I continue to be thankful for all the prayers and encouragement I have received, I know this is what sustains me.

Joyfully His,

Dawn

A little bit about Sacuieu and Calatele...

During this first week, I have been traveling to Sacuieu and Calatele with Nicu and Silvana, primarily beginning to establish relationships with the children and adults. It has been a joy to see some of the adults and children with whom I met 2 years ago. When I entered Sacuieu last Sunday, one of the first people I saw was Zorca and her mother Marioara. Zorca’s face lit up when she saw me as did mine! It has also been encouraging to see many lives changed in Calatele, especially Fery, Danut, Mircea and Baba Maria. They are all attending church faithfully and have truly impacted their homes. In Sacuieu, only a handful of adults have been coming to Nicu’s teachings; however, the children there are eager to hear bible stories from Silvana and to sing worship songs with Nicu. One great note of encouragement that I have seen in Sacuieu is Marioara’s decision to not “sell” her oldest daughter Mirela for marriage. Instead, she chose to give Mirela in marriage and trust God to provide for her and her family. This is completely opposite to gypsy mentality; however, God has not only blessed Marioara, but also Mirela’s relationship with her new husband. In a society where selling your 12 or 13 year old daughter into marriage is the “norm”, this is truly a testimony of living out your faith.

I have also started to help with children’s worship and hopefully soon (as my Romanian improves), I will be able to help Silvana more with children’s ministry. Church services are held on Sunday and Wednesday in Sacuieu and on Tuesday and Friday in Calatele. Neither village has a church building, thus we have been meeting outside. As winter approaches, this will become more difficult. A few families have graciously opened up their homes for use; however, because of tribal-like family dynamics, not all will attend if it is held at someone’s home. Please pray for us to have a place to meet on neutral territory. Please also pray that if God would have Nicu buy land and build a church in either or both villages, that he would make that clear and that He would provide the means. I also ask that you would pray for Nicu and Silvana for a new car. I am so thankful for the contribution my church has made, but please don’t stop praying! Their current car is literally falling apart, with Nicu making repairs nearly every day. If you are interested in assisting toward a car financially, please email me and I will give you more information.

As for using my therapy skills, Claudia, the little girl with cerebral palsy, is now living in another village. However, on my first night in Sacuieu, a woman named Tudorita came to Silvana in pain, reporting she was hit in the shoulder by a horse. I was able to evaluate her movement and pain to see if anything seemed broken. I am now working with her each time we go, providing range of motion and gentle stretching. She has been very appreciative and has been open to us praying for her. Last time we were there, they brought a 3 year old little girl (Iasmina) to me, asking me to look at her left foot as she has problems walking. Iasmina has very minimal ankle movement, so I will start working with her too. In addition, starting tomorrow (October 5th), I will be traveling each Monday to work with Ciprian in Cluj (a city about 1 ½ hrs from here). He is working at a special needs kindergarten and has asked me to work with him once a week.

Because a few people have asked me for my address here, I am enclosing it. Of course I would love to receive letters or cards, but you can also write letters of encouragement to Nicu and Silvana or to their children Leon (age 10) and Naomi (age 12). I know they would love it!

Nicu and Silvana Hagiu (Dawn Hoffman)
Sat Sancraiu NR 83
JUD Cluj
COD 407515
Romania

Tanti Maria’s

Yesterday I awoke to find Maria chasing a pig around the yard…today I opened the door to find 3 turkeys gobbling away! I’m definitely not in Phoenix anymore!

While staying here in Sancraiu I am living with Maria, a neighbor of Nicu and Silvana’s. It is typical to call an older person “Tanti”, sort of a form of endearment. Maria is a kind, hard-working widow who primarily lives off her land. She raises pigs, turkeys and chickens for food, plus milks her cow 2 times a day and also finds time to tend to her garden.

Tanti Maria lives in traditional village home. As you walk up the steps and enter the home, there are 3 rooms. My room is a nice size, with 2 couches that both turn into beds, a table with 4 chairs and a “soba” (wood-burning heater). The only down-side is living out of my suitcases as she doesn’t have any closets. But yesterday I bought a few baskets and am feeling much more organized. The kitchen and bathroom are detached, which means I have to go down the stairs and outside. I am also adjusting to not having hot water and limited showers (I shower at Nicu and Silvana’s on the days they heat water). However, compared with all the blessings I have received, these are only small sacrifices!

Please pray that I will be a blessing to Tanti Maria and that she would clearly see traces of Christ in my life.

Sancraiu

I am now settling into my “home-base” for the next several months. Sancraiu is a lovely little village about 2 hours from Oradea. Nicu thinks there are about 1000 families, but only 80 are ethnically Romanian. The majority are Hungarian as this area belonged to Hungary until the end of WWI. So my limited Hungarian is coming in useful, especially when greeting neighbors and reading signs.

Sancraiu is a quiet place, with 2 little markets (about the size of a Circle K) and a lot of “pensuines” (a type of rustic bed and breakfast). Since it is now autumn, many of the people are harvesting their plums, apples, corn and potatoes for winter. It is as common to see people with horse and wagons as it is to see people in cars. Somehow these 2 very diverse ways of life come together symbiotically. I have been taking long walks each day, becoming acquainted with the village. Each day I am amazed by His beauty through simplicity, especially as I get to experience the changing of seasons. For certain, nature cries out there is a Creator! Please pray for the people of Sancraiu, there are very few believers here.

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