Leslie and Stephanie will be in the States from November 5th until January 7th. Please let us know if you would like us to share our experiences with your group or church.
You can contact us at:
leslie@lovethroughme.org
or
stephanie@lovethroughme.org
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Greetings!
Hello from Texas! It is nice to be home with family and
friends for a little while. We have been enjoying the beautiful weather, good
food,
and fellowship; but for us both, thoughts of our upcoming opportunity are
never far from our minds. Thoughts seem to quickly drift to the
precious ones
we left behind, and many prayers are offered for their provision and safety.
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If you are behind on the recent occurrences in our lives, here is an update. God has given us an amazing opportunity to share Jesus in a very tangible way. After meeting a group of adult orphans this summer,God moved  upon our hearts to intervene in a way which will be life-changing for both them and us. In January, we will open a group home for four young women which were raised in the misery of communist and post-communist orphanages in Romania. These young women are homeless, hopeless, and without family ties or direction in life. By God's providence, He has made arrangements for these girls to have a future full of hope and direction. |
How did this all come to pass? This summer, while serving in
a medical clinic in Braila, Romania, we met a group of homeless "kids" that
were starved for attention and love. The signs of having grown up in orphanages
 were apparent- most of the girls could easily be mistaken as boys, all lacked
proper social skills, and most acted like children. They clamor for attention
and often beg for whatever they feel they might need or want. However, in the
midst of the chaos that these young people create, our hearts were melted as we
learned their stories and felt their brokenness. God was moving our hearts and
the only answer we had was, "Yes, Lord".
We began to pray for a home that would house us and four
girls, and we knew this all needed to happen quickly. We had no time to lose.
Satan was busy destroying "our girls", and evil people were busy cooperating
with Satan's pla n for their demise. Stories of prostitution, living on the
streets, and hunger were clear indicators that they were easy prey for those
who would take advantage of their misfortune. We knew we needed to act fast. So
we began to pray, and God began to answer. We asked the Lord for a home by
January, the month we would return to Romania. Quickly the Lord provided a
home for us to rent that was beyond what we would had asked for. This home is
brand new and will be ready for us by the end of January, just like we asked.
God is so good!
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When we left Braila, we had chosen only two girls and have
continued to pray about the others we would invite to participate in this new
12-18 month program. Last week, we received an email from a missionary in the
city where we will be living. She shared with us about a young woman, Casiana,
who is also an adult orphan. This missionary told us that Casiana loves the
Lord and is a joy to be around, but she does not have the skills to survive on
her own. Since she is homeless, she has been placed in an
institution for the mentally ill and handicapped, where she is not allowed to leave and is
sedated every day. This missionary had plans to take Casiana into her home, but
her visa request was denied and she was not allowed to stay in the country. She was heartbroken. A
mutual friend shared with her about our new home for adult orphans and she
wrote to ask us to consider taking Casiana into our home. After praying, we
have decided to accept her. Now we have three! There is one more girl that God
is preparing, and we are thrilled that He continues to show His leading in
every matter that concerns us.
There remain several needs which we would ask you to pray
about with us. The first is for a vehicle. Though the Lord has provided for a
portion of the needed funds for a van, there is, at this point, an additional
need. Due to several factors, we will need to buy a van that is less than four
years old, and, of course, this requires more funds. Estimated amount needed is
$10,000.
Another need is for home furnishings, such as furniture, dishes,
linens, appliances, etc. Estimated expense for this is $3000. We know that God
is able to provide and we are convinced that, due to His love for these girls,
He will do just that! Please, join us in praying for these needs, as well as
praying that we have more wisdom, direction, love, and passion for God. The more we stretch for the Lord, the more we
recognize our need for Him. What a great place to be!
Soon, we will be creating a list of people that will provide
emergency prayer support. If you are willing to pray for us regularly and would
like to be on this list, please reply to this email and let us know. We know
that these girls will have to have a move of God in their lives for there to be
real changes. We will need diligent
prayer partners for such changes to occur. So, if you want to join us in this
prayer adventure, please let us know.
God bless each one of you this holiday season!
Stephanie & Leslie
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