This story, and others, are told in my book, The Place of the Mourning Doves;  Reaching out to Romanian Orphans.
If you are interested in receiving a copy of this book, please don't hesitate to contact us via the information listed below and we would be happy to ship you one. 

     

    Twenty years have gone by and some of those babies are now young adults.  Tousled haired Maria, who always had her fingers in her mouth, is now eighteen. Josif, who had problems with his legs, is also eighteen.  Zoli, who first came to the Loving Arms camps as a skinny eleven year old boy, is now a slender twenty-two year old young man. Cireasa, who we first met at camp when she was twelve, is now a beautiful young woman at twenty.  I wish we could now say our ministry is finished.  We can't.  The scars of being an orphan linger on even into adulthood.

    As young adults, the main option for orphans to support themselves is to work in a shoe factory for very low wages.  At the orphanage, the children were poorly educated.  Some have learning disabilities. Some are Roma (Gypsies). All of these limitations work against them within Romanian society.
    The challenge of helping these young adults learn a profession is more difficult than helping them when they were toddlers. I have started a micro-enterprise with three of the orphans.  Zoli, Maria and Cireasa are learning to sew handbags and make jewelry.  The handbags they make from old, discarded jeans are available here in Romania and in the US, for a donated amount.  These young people are paid for creating these items and any extra funds goes towards helping them to further their education.  

    Fred and I also serve as mentors to foster moms and their children.  At present, the foundation that we partner with has five little boys waiting to be adopted by their foster moms.  These foster moms first came to Romania as volunteers.
    Fred serves on the Board of Directors of this foundation, called Fundatia Crestina Elim (FCE).  In 1996, he joined with the Swedes and Romanians to help in creating this Christian foundation.  Lars and Barbro Gustavsson, with their three children, moved from Sweden to Romania to lead the work of the foundation.  There are currently volunteers here from Sweden, Scotland, England, Canada and the United States.  Fred enjoys cooking once a week for our many volunteers and visitors.  His favorite activity is to teach a Bible Study during the volunteer's Monday night worship time.  

    

    A highlight of our time here this spring was a visit from our son, Scott and his wife Melanie, along with Mika, a leader on the Loving Arms camp team.  For the last eleven years, Scott has brought a Loving Arms team from Colorado to minister to the orphans through week long camps.  The goal for this visit was to train the orphans to be servant leaders. Ten young people participated in the creative learning sessions. Several of these young adults will serve in leadership positions in the upcoming 2011 camps.  One young woman said the sessions made a profound change in her.  She said that she no longer sees herself as a nothing with nothing to give.  THAT is our vision for ALL the orphans!  

    

    I am blessed in so many small ways by being here.  Nesting doves, the beauty of the spring blossoms, playing games with 8 yr olds, teaching new skills, Bible studies, visits from family and friends, and most of all, watching a deeper faith in Jesus Christ grow among those we serve.

 

(Fred and Karleen currently lead the Romania branch of Mercy Ministries, splitting the year between Marghita, Romania and their home in Colorado. Fred also serves on the board of Mercy Ministries.)