When I was a little girl, every time a friend of the family was seeing me, the first thing that they were saying about me, to my parents, was that I look so much alike my dad.

Two weeks ago, we went to Peris to spend some time with the kids. We took a voleyball net and we played with the kids having the Clarksburg team with us.

It was so much fun to see the kids responding to the new rule, which by the way I love it... They kick the ball they have to do one lap... (Ha, ha) and it worked, the worse one with this was my friend and staff Mariana... it was a lot of fun! Thank you Clarksburg team for such a great time with the kids!  In the same day though my heart was touched againg with the love that the kids are having for me. I was so thirsty and I run to the water to get some, my little boy Iulica was standing waiting for me to drink. He was staring at me at some point and then... guess... he said this: "you have something one your upper lip!" I said back to him... yes it is a mole, Iulica, have you not seeing it till now? His response took me by surprise... I've seen it and I think it is cute, but you also have one on your neck and I have one too almost in the same spot." Right then Ana came in the discussion and said  that she had one in the same spot on her neck, so then... they both said "that means that you are our mother, cause we have the same mole as you do, this is the proof that you are indeed our mother!" I am sure that they saw that I just melt for a second and both run in to my arms and we had our "family hug". Could it be the same feeling of belonging that I was feeling in my heart when I was a  little girl every time someone was saying that I look exactly like my father? I pray that  we also can seek, (look) for more resemblance day by day with our heavenly Father as Iulica and Ana were trying to find the other day with me so they can have the assurance of belonging to someone. I guess, I am still learning from those kids! And God is using them in my life to teach me such lessons as this one.

Iulica, Ana and I at the Black Sea

Have a great summer!

Every year coming to this point during the school year, it is overwhelming!

If you are reading this blog and you are a teacher, you know exactly what I am talking about.

Everything has  to come to an end and unfortunately my energy and patience comes to an end talking, deciding, working hard preparing things for the end of the school year but also getting ready for summer ministry.

As we prepare for summer vacation, the school usually has a celebration with things that the kids prepare with their teachers and diplomas are given to the ones with good grades and good behavior.

It is so important for the kids and as well for the few parents that are coming to see their child performing a dance, a drama, a song or reciting a poem. So many emotions and excitement in the same time during this celebration and everyone is happy to receive their diploma. This year with the help of the Clarksburg team that is here, we've been the parents that our kids need it to clap for them and to be there for them.

For the end of the school year we do something with the kids. This year because of our theme, (Heroes) we planned a carnival having the kids dressed up in princesses and soccer players, supermen and angels, kings and mighty worriers.

It was such a parade and they really love it! I loved it too! They were so happy to be part of this and we planned quite few games that kept them busy with participating and they did it as many times as they wanted.

We were prepared to participate in the morning at the school celebration and after lunch time getting ready for the carnival. The new director (a great man) invited all of us (around 20 people) to have lunch with the kids. This was an experience for the team, that, just got here with only 2 days before. Great fun!

Our dance class (Berki, Claudia, Marin, Vio, Vic, Georgiana, Bebe, Iulica and Ana Maria) performed the Tears of the Saints by Leeland and to be honest I was proud of them, they did a great job with this dance. 

Getting ready for the celebration with Iulica - my precious boy with his "momy"

My sweet Pincipe's Georgiana getting ready for the Carnival...

Ionut and Marinica getting ready for their skit 

Corny, Claudita and I.

She had to chage so fast and so many times this year, because of all the parts she had to play

She was an indian dancer, a gipsy guy (the mustache was for that) and she did the Tears of the Saints with the dance class.

She is such and amazing girl! At lunch, she saved us seats (for Corny and I) so that we can stay with her at the same table.

Claudita as a indian dancer... ha ha

Tears of the Saints dance - we tried so much to have some similar costumes for the dance class.

All we managed was this! :(

Well, our song is more about helping people to come from darkness to light

but our t-shirts says different- oh well! I realized that but what could we do in 2 days?!

They did a great job with the dance!

Dancing!Berky, Bebe and Vic pointing to sky (for God)

Three different stories that each one of them has an important place in my heart.

This month of May was Ionut's birthday! I couldn't be there for the birthday party but I gave him a present earlier.

Ionut is from Peris, the older brother of Georgiana and Iulica. All three calls me mom.

I love them so much! Georgiana is my principess, Iulica is my little monkey and Ionut is always carying for me, and paying attention to what I say.

Their dad is in prison and their mom never came to visit since they were put in to the orphanage.

All three of them are in the same class at school in Peris, and a lot of the workers here loves them and appreciate them for being nice kids and behaving.

One of those ladies one day called their mom and offered here the money she need it to travel just to come and see them at Peris. She refused to come by saying that she is bussy and since then Ionut does not want to talk about her at all. Their dad is writing them letters, but for Ionut is hard to accept the fact that this dad that could be here for him now when he need it he is far away untill he is going to be 20 years old. "A bit to late" he was saying to Iulica in one discussion that we all had one day.

I wish it would be different, but I love seing him coming and doing things, like music and lessons about heroes. We had this lesson about who is your hero and his answer was "God and God alone, cause He loves me, protect me and is always with me" and then he wrote my name... saying that I am his mom that loves and teach him good things for life... how can my hear not melt in that and love God for what He is doing even though I really don't understant everything... but know that all things works for the good of those that loves the Lord!

Pray that Ionut will be strong and stay away from troubles growing up, be a support and example for Iulica and Georgiana as well!

The second story is about Elvis, one of the boys from Rosiori. He was in the boys orphanage since I started working with Heart to heart. One of those kids that are so energised and full of surprises with a sharp mind. As a small boy I always told him that I picture him as a pastor. When he was a small boy I took him at church with me on Sundays every time he was listening and obeying. He liked it so much and he loves singing. Elvis left the orphanage and they found his family. He had to leave the orphanage and live with people that is speaking a different language that calls him names, stangers in one word. It was hard, but then they left to Spain and took Elvis with them. He's been calling me one's in a month and talk, sharing things from what life is for him. Right now he is in Romania. He lost his ID and his family again. Abandoned again! They do not care about what he is doing or how he is doing. He wrote me and asked what are the things that he needs to do in order to get an ID and he wanted so badly to come back in Romania. He stayed with me this all weekend and it was a time of learning for him. He, know realizing how hard is and how much he miss the other ones that he grew up with. Righ now he is trying to get an ID and a way to go back to Spain to work and "to draw a path for his life" . Sunday after church on the way home he told me that he liked it so much at church, and more fo all he liked it when he heard the phraze "to see with God's eyes" and after that was silence and I knew that he was trying to reflect and learn something out of that.

Pray that he will get an ID as soon as possible and that God will revealed to him His plan for his life, not what he wants to do, and be, but what God wants him to do and be.

The last one is of one of the most respectfull boy that I ever meet in the orphanage system.

On my way back to Bucharest on Sunday, I took a different road as a shortcut. Well it wasn't a shortcut, was rather longer, but God blessed me with seeing Florin Mihailescu walking with his little son home from and entertainment park. How amazing to see this man now (Florin) growing, learning and now so loving and so carying with his son. On his own, working and taking care of his son, it was such a sweet picture that I need it to see. Florin's wife went to Spain to work and help with some of the financial problems that they have. He loves his family and I love seeing him and the amazing work in his life.

Pray that this separation (his wife in Spain for work) will be short and that his family will reunite soon so that his son will have both parents at home.

"If anything matters, then everything matters. Because you are important, everything you do is important."

I have to apologies for my delinquent attitude lately in blogging. It takes so long to upload things and when you lose everything is not very joyfully.

Anyway, Ive been everywhere this month and quite frankly visiting some of the older kids from two orphanages was a rollercoaster of emotions and gratitude in the same time for what God is doing in their life.

11 boys from the boys orphanage were kept in the system for few years after finishing school. In this time a lot of them (the ones capable of work) found a job and woks. At the beginning of this month the head director of CPA (Child Protection Agency) told them that they have to leave the agency apartment and find some other place to stay. While at work, CPA workers came and throw all the boys belongings through the window, in the street. Few of them had to ask for a day off, and came to collect their clothes out of the street, and find a place to leave them, while others, too scared of what was happening, run away on the streets of town.

Just to be fair and correct in informing all of you in what to pray or in how to help those boys, I have to mention that it is true that some of the boys leaving there have problems with alcohol, others with stilling. They took the washing machine and sold it out and other things from the apartment like TV and even the inside doors of this apartment.

There are few boys among those that are hard workers staying away from troubles and just trying to make it on their own. Those are Ion Pieptanaru, Pitigoi Marian and Craciun George. Pieptanaru saved money all the time while growing up in the orphanage. I know him fo so long and since I know him he's been saving money "for later".

Even though he had where to stay (in this apartment), Pieptanaru without talking to orphanage staff, bought a piece of land out of town, (cheaper there) but not too far away from the town, and build a house there. Exactly, you've heard it right! He build a house , a three room's house with the help of the other two boys that I mentioned above. He bought the materials and they put the foundation after work.

Pieptanaru moved to his house which is not finished, it is not ready to be leaving in and all his saving is gone. The big achievment is that "he has a roof above his head". The others were "sleeping" (the police would not let them sleep there if they were caught) at the train station, so, he felt bad for them and took them in. Right now there are 5 boys  under the same roof.

The beds for those boys? The hard floor of cement! Mariana and I took some old blankets and gave them.

They have no electrycity, but they are in the process of paying to get connected to it. They need bunk beds and they need to get the house ready for winter,

This is the house they build...impressive isn't it?

Pitigoi, Victor, Craciun, Pieptanaru

The improvised beds on the cement floor, only for 3 of them, the other two has nothing then just blankets...

When it comes to life we like it sweet but sometimes things comes with a portion of sour taste or bitter.

I've been overwhelmed by the sour taste of life when I looked at Catalina's life. She is one of our girls from the Transition Program.

She had some problems with her ID. Lets put it this way: she does not exist, no papers to say that she is who she is. No papers at all!

And this was the road paved with laughter, tear and frustration. Catalina loves traveling and we traveled almost every day to this village where her mother was supposed to live according to some information we've got in months of researches. We asked people around and finally we found her sisters and one of her brothers, the house of her grand mother and a man with a big heart ready to help us with everything he could - the Maier. 

At the end of this trip (4 days) the only achievement after hours of waiting was that Catalina got to see her "family". She meets her sisters for the first time with 6 years ago. At the time I was so frustrated not getting the papers that we need it so much to find her a job. Was it worth it then going and spend so much time, energy, gas and money? It was!

Catalina's youngest sister was very nice to her and to me. She was full of bitterness towards her mother whom "she doesn't care of any of us" she said.

They all live , except one of her sisters, in an old house that belonged to their grandmother. Catalina is the oldest, and no one knew what happened with her after she was abandoned when she was a baby. Ther first time they saw her was with 6 years ago when the Child Protection Agency took her to this village trying to "get rid" of her after finishing school. They thought she will stay there. Her mother was really upset to have the CPA with Catalina at her door. She tried telling them that she is not her daughter but when the director of the orphanage, where Catalina grew up, said that he was going to call the police, she calmed down and had Catalina stayed over night. What Catalina did with 6 years ago was to cry and beg one of her sister to take her next day to a bus that took her back to the orphanage where she grew. We took her from this orphanage last year for our Transition Program knowing that she didn't have any papers, thinking that it would be not that hard to get her one. We were wrong!

The story is long, but to cut it short, Catalina got an ID that is not a permanent one, but praise the Lord tha she has one now! We are hoping that in this time her mother that we found in Bucharest will agree and help us, help her mostly to get a permanent one.

Catalina's youngest sister, Catalina and her brother.