Updates–2021

Link to the Day Centre 2021 gallery here

August 2021 – The summer was wonderful with the farm being built, the children being cared for and moms learning to sew. Please see the Photo Gallery for all the activities.
There are 2 buildings for the farm; the barn and a little house. The farm needed a room for someone to stay in to manage it, a 2nd room to be the milk room and a 3rd to be storage. Oana had the idea to build them all together to look neat, like a house. Then she found out about a family where the uneducated father of 3 children had lost his factory job. It had shut down due to covid. This family had become homeless, very sad for the serious and hardworking parents.
So they will be moving into these rooms, the dad will be the main worker, the milk room will serve as the kitchen, and a storage room will be built beside the barn. They were desperate and say this is an answer to their prayers.
We received a donkey and will receive a calf in September. Everyone can hardly wait to get the animals all together in one place when the farm is functioning.
Six sewing machines were donated to the Centre and a few weeks ago a teacher came from out of town to teach 10 of our children's mothers how to sew. The women had an excellent time learning to sew bags, tops and dresses and hope this will make them employable. They were so proud of themselves!
In the mornings at the Centre the children worked on their summer homework, and in the afternoons they did various activities like cleaning and planting in the yard, and preparing a mushroom spread and cherry jam.
Oana is busy getting donations of backpacks, school supplies and clothes for the children to start school. 

June 2021 – Construction has begun on the farm and the dads are happy to be working. Izabela's dad was about to have their electricity cut off because he couldn't pay the bill, so he's really happy! Please see the Photo Gallery for the pictures, also pictures of the success of the soccer team and a celebration of International Children's Day on June 1. It was a special celebration because the children knew they were going to pass their school year. They had pizza, fruit, games and a puppet show.
There has been some powerful emotional development in some of the children. Eight year old Cristi started coming to the Centre 2 years ago and couldn't speak. The love and attention he received opened him up and he now speaks his opinion freely. It is the same for Gabriela 10, Denisa 9 and Crina 7 who were extremely withdrawn. They never miss a day going to the Centre, needing the hot meal, love and teaching. These girls are now with the top students in their school classes.
Cristi and Cosmin, the eldest of 5 children whose parents are mentally unhealthy, negligent and violent, did not go to school or the Centre for most of the spring because of illness. They love to learn and got caught up with their schoolwork by arriving at the Centre earlier than the other children so that Oana could teach them individually. They learned about God's love as well. The boys need healing.
Another boy, eleven year old Cosmin, one of the more unstable boys and who for years was considered to be the school's worst problem, has really been helped by the individual and group counseling he's received at the Centre. He can now resolve conflict and he goes to school wanting to control his behaviour.
Oana and Marius were recently called to help a 21 year old pregnant woman whose husband had left her and who was terrified about how she and the baby would survive. They took her to the nearby town and got paperwork done so that she could receive social assistance. They are regularly called to help in crisis situations by members of the community, who trust them and who have no one else to turn to. 

March 2021 – We're glad winter is over and the time for our new farm project is getting closer.
The ground has to dry out more before heavy equipment can get on the land. We are so excited! And so are the dads of our children who will work on construction. Oana and Marius sold a cow and bought 5 calves and 2 lambs. A man gave them 4 goats which will be picked up when the space and barn are ready and the animals can be moved over.
We're still waiting to see if the mushroom plant will have loosened restrictions so some mothers can work there again.
The children went back to school in person mid February and were given donated jackets for it. So they are back to their routine of school in the mornings, then to the Centre for their hot meal and help with homework.
There is a lot of work to recover from the lockdown (when they had to struggle learning online with the Centre's help) especially for the grade 8 children. This is their really important year.
You'll see a picture in the photo gallery of some of the girls eating pizza. This was their reward for points earned from good marks and helping out around the Centre. Coming from families with backgrounds of hopelessness, motivation to learn and work need to be acquired. The children are getting it!
I just got fantastic news that the mayor is going to finance a soccer team in the village paying for a coach and equipment. This coach came to Oana and Marius to see about setting up a team, and they took it up with the mayor emphasizing the character building benefits of sport. Because of their good relationship with him, it was accepted. The children are ecstatic!
Last week a boy cut his hand with a chainsaw while working at the chicken farm. He needed an 8 hour operation and the parents weren't given any information by the hospital as Oana writes " how it is in the country". Yes in Romania there are very strange ways of doing things. So with Marius they stepped in, and as social workers which they are, they got access to help the family out. Now we're just praying the boy can use his hand again. Oana and Marius never miss an opportunity to get involved.