Not having internet during the week, here is another week of entries in one day. We took some pictures this week too but not as many as last week. They will be posted soon.
Monday, September 3, 2007
This morning at 6:00 a.m. Joyce and Baron drove us five hours to visit Livada's orphan care facility. The Howertons have been so kind and have done so much for us these three weeks. I do not know what we would have done without them.
The first day at Livada was a lightning tour for the benefit of Joyce and Baron. We visited the foundation's office and the three group homes. The group homes house between eight to eleven kids each with two to five kids in a room (they only have one room with five kids, and they are hoping to move into another house to give the kids a little more space). The Livada group homes seemed much more like a home than the home we visited last week.
After the overview tour we were dropped off at our hotel (glorified hostel). Once we were settled in, we walked to the town center for dinner but went the long way unintentionally. Upon arrival at McDonalds, we decided that we were not hungry so we bought some water, sat on a park bench for a bit, and headed back to the hotel.
Since our route to the town center had been so indirect, we decided to try to find a faster way to the hotel--big mistake. Our "faster way" took us to the top of a mountain near a zoo. Laurel suggested that visiting the zoo would be a good way to see the wolves that we had spoken of, but we figured that the zoo was probably closed already, so we chose to continue our dreadfully long journey home. How we rejoiced when we basically stumbled upon the right street late in the evening.
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
We enjoyed our breakfast of bread and sausage at the hotel at 8:30, leaving at 9:00 to make a more prolonged visit at Livada's group homes. We stayed until 2:00 p.m, when we left for the first of two Bible studies. The second study ended at 7:00 with pizza. They had a chicken pizza that I thought quite yummy. Laurel was not been feeling well, so instead of more wandering (I mean exploring) we just went back to the hotel with the benefit of directions.
Laurel has asked me several times on the trip if I had a more concrete idea of what we should do. The one thing that is already concrete it that there is a definite need that should be met. I and I hope the Lord allows me to play a part of His meeting that need. How God will work that out is still uncertain to me. There are many things that could be done.
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Today we visited four different state-run group homes. Livada sends several state-run houses to camp and continues to meet with the kids about once a week in what they call "follow up clubs." Some of the homes that we visited were better than others, but there seemed to be some element lacking in them all.
At one point, I was nearly overwhelmed with compassion for a boy named Sergiu. Frankly, I'm not sure why. The situation that he was in did not seem to be too bad. All that I can figure is that it was just because of the potential he seemed to have.
Laurel and I were discussing what particular ministry the Lord might have for us. We are thinking that a big part of it might be working to place kids in foster care, encouraging and equipping Romanians to that end. We also talked about the possibility of some kind of day center for kids who are left to themselves after school by their parents. Again, in all these things, we can plan, but we will have to be sensitive to the need of the children and to the Lord's direction as to how to meet that need.
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Today I did one of the hardest things that I have ever had to do in my life.
Today we visited the larger state institutions. We visited two state orphanages and one baby hospital. The first orphanage was the facility that all the Livada group home kids came from. It was abominable. The orphans (ages three through teen) lived in filth and chaos with very few supervising or caring for them. We were told that almost all of the older kids in the facility have been sexually abused. And not knowing true love or even being taught right from wrong, the older kids have in-turn abused many of the younger kids at the orphanage. Thankfully, the younger kids are being placed in group homes soon, but the teens will continue there for some time, perhaps until they are out of the system.
The second orphanage that we visited was technically not an orphanage. To get into the EU, Romania has had to deal with its excessive orphan problem. One of the subproblems dealt with was that they had too many kids in orphanages. They moved some kids into group homes, but to lower the numbers to acceptable levels they changed the classification of many of the orphanages to day center, social service center, or social service complex). So by changed the classification of the orphanage, they have far fewer kids in orphanages. In any case, the second orphanage was staffed by what seemed to be much more caring people. But they were obviously not able to give the sixty children the attention and love that the children needed.
In addition to this slight of hand, they no longer allow abandoned babies (younger than two years old) to live in orphanages or group homes. Instead the babies spend the extremely formative first two years of their lives in a lonely crib of a baby hospital. But since they are not in the orphanages and are not officially in the system, the official number of orphans and abandoned children goes down without really dealing with the problem.
The first two stops, difficult though they were, were not what I referred to at the beginning of this day's entry. That came at the baby hospital. When Laurel and I visited the children's hospital in Timisoara, we only got to see and smile at the children. But at the hospital today, we were allowed to pick the babies up and play with them. There was one baby in particular that just broke my heart. I picked him up and talked to him, putting my head up against his. His eyes lighted up, and he smiled and laughed with such joy. I did not want to put him down, and when I finally did, I left the room saddened only to hear him cry, knowing that no one was going to go and pick him back up. Leaving the baby in that awful place was one of the most difficult things that I have ever done in my life. After a long talk about that and other things, Laurel and I both cried and asked God to send someone to take care of him and the other babies in the hospital.
Friday, September 7, 2007
Our train rides took us from Tirgu Mures to Deva and Deva to Lugoj. The first train was old and dirty but roomy and private. The second train was new and clean but rather cramped. Both trains were non-smoking, but on the second train, our seats were at the very front of the train and the engineer smoked. I couldn't believe it!
This morning, before leaving Tirgu Mures, we visited one more private children's home and a home for babies (older than two) called the Kiwi House. Both of the homes intend to shut down eventually. The first home plans to close because they are based out of the U.K. and with Romania's entrance into the E.U. other Europeans believe charitable work in Romania to no longer be necessary. The baby home plans to switch over to supporting foster care rather than group homes because of the new law forbidding the institutional care of those under two. We had long conversations with those in charge of both places.
The information acquired this week has been vast--far more than what has been written here. And I trust the Lord is using it to put us right where He wants us.
Monday, September 3, 2007
This morning at 6:00 a.m. Joyce and Baron drove us five hours to visit Livada's orphan care facility. The Howertons have been so kind and have done so much for us these three weeks. I do not know what we would have done without them.
The first day at Livada was a lightning tour for the benefit of Joyce and Baron. We visited the foundation's office and the three group homes. The group homes house between eight to eleven kids each with two to five kids in a room (they only have one room with five kids, and they are hoping to move into another house to give the kids a little more space). The Livada group homes seemed much more like a home than the home we visited last week.
After the overview tour we were dropped off at our hotel (glorified hostel). Once we were settled in, we walked to the town center for dinner but went the long way unintentionally. Upon arrival at McDonalds, we decided that we were not hungry so we bought some water, sat on a park bench for a bit, and headed back to the hotel.
Since our route to the town center had been so indirect, we decided to try to find a faster way to the hotel--big mistake. Our "faster way" took us to the top of a mountain near a zoo. Laurel suggested that visiting the zoo would be a good way to see the wolves that we had spoken of, but we figured that the zoo was probably closed already, so we chose to continue our dreadfully long journey home. How we rejoiced when we basically stumbled upon the right street late in the evening.
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
We enjoyed our breakfast of bread and sausage at the hotel at 8:30, leaving at 9:00 to make a more prolonged visit at Livada's group homes. We stayed until 2:00 p.m, when we left for the first of two Bible studies. The second study ended at 7:00 with pizza. They had a chicken pizza that I thought quite yummy. Laurel was not been feeling well, so instead of more wandering (I mean exploring) we just went back to the hotel with the benefit of directions.
Laurel has asked me several times on the trip if I had a more concrete idea of what we should do. The one thing that is already concrete it that there is a definite need that should be met. I and I hope the Lord allows me to play a part of His meeting that need. How God will work that out is still uncertain to me. There are many things that could be done.
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Today we visited four different state-run group homes. Livada sends several state-run houses to camp and continues to meet with the kids about once a week in what they call "follow up clubs." Some of the homes that we visited were better than others, but there seemed to be some element lacking in them all.
At one point, I was nearly overwhelmed with compassion for a boy named Sergiu. Frankly, I'm not sure why. The situation that he was in did not seem to be too bad. All that I can figure is that it was just because of the potential he seemed to have.
Laurel and I were discussing what particular ministry the Lord might have for us. We are thinking that a big part of it might be working to place kids in foster care, encouraging and equipping Romanians to that end. We also talked about the possibility of some kind of day center for kids who are left to themselves after school by their parents. Again, in all these things, we can plan, but we will have to be sensitive to the need of the children and to the Lord's direction as to how to meet that need.
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Today I did one of the hardest things that I have ever had to do in my life.
Today we visited the larger state institutions. We visited two state orphanages and one baby hospital. The first orphanage was the facility that all the Livada group home kids came from. It was abominable. The orphans (ages three through teen) lived in filth and chaos with very few supervising or caring for them. We were told that almost all of the older kids in the facility have been sexually abused. And not knowing true love or even being taught right from wrong, the older kids have in-turn abused many of the younger kids at the orphanage. Thankfully, the younger kids are being placed in group homes soon, but the teens will continue there for some time, perhaps until they are out of the system.
The second orphanage that we visited was technically not an orphanage. To get into the EU, Romania has had to deal with its excessive orphan problem. One of the subproblems dealt with was that they had too many kids in orphanages. They moved some kids into group homes, but to lower the numbers to acceptable levels they changed the classification of many of the orphanages to day center, social service center, or social service complex). So by changed the classification of the orphanage, they have far fewer kids in orphanages. In any case, the second orphanage was staffed by what seemed to be much more caring people. But they were obviously not able to give the sixty children the attention and love that the children needed.
In addition to this slight of hand, they no longer allow abandoned babies (younger than two years old) to live in orphanages or group homes. Instead the babies spend the extremely formative first two years of their lives in a lonely crib of a baby hospital. But since they are not in the orphanages and are not officially in the system, the official number of orphans and abandoned children goes down without really dealing with the problem.
The first two stops, difficult though they were, were not what I referred to at the beginning of this day's entry. That came at the baby hospital. When Laurel and I visited the children's hospital in Timisoara, we only got to see and smile at the children. But at the hospital today, we were allowed to pick the babies up and play with them. There was one baby in particular that just broke my heart. I picked him up and talked to him, putting my head up against his. His eyes lighted up, and he smiled and laughed with such joy. I did not want to put him down, and when I finally did, I left the room saddened only to hear him cry, knowing that no one was going to go and pick him back up. Leaving the baby in that awful place was one of the most difficult things that I have ever done in my life. After a long talk about that and other things, Laurel and I both cried and asked God to send someone to take care of him and the other babies in the hospital.
Friday, September 7, 2007
Our train rides took us from Tirgu Mures to Deva and Deva to Lugoj. The first train was old and dirty but roomy and private. The second train was new and clean but rather cramped. Both trains were non-smoking, but on the second train, our seats were at the very front of the train and the engineer smoked. I couldn't believe it!
This morning, before leaving Tirgu Mures, we visited one more private children's home and a home for babies (older than two) called the Kiwi House. Both of the homes intend to shut down eventually. The first home plans to close because they are based out of the U.K. and with Romania's entrance into the E.U. other Europeans believe charitable work in Romania to no longer be necessary. The baby home plans to switch over to supporting foster care rather than group homes because of the new law forbidding the institutional care of those under two. We had long conversations with those in charge of both places.
The information acquired this week has been vast--far more than what has been written here. And I trust the Lord is using it to put us right where He wants us.
No comments:
Post a Comment