Happy Birthday to Me!
Maria’s Report – April 2012
Yes,
this month is my birthday! Well, my Web Page birthday!
3 years ago, on April 1st, I started sharing with
you things that are going on in my professional life, sometimes
personal life! …sad things, happy ones, lots of surprises!
I would like to say THANK YOU
to all the people that are reading my page month by month. Thank
you for your encouragements and prayers! My page is like a child
that goes from the nursery now to the kindergarten! I’m sure you
will find interesting the next few months, years! With God’s help
I can’t wait to share with you all the events that are going on,
from my desk, in my Smiles life, and so on! Let’s pray for a
blessed time!! …As for my birthday cake, send me back an e-mail
and I will send you a piece of it!!!!
But you might wonder what I was doing during March?? Well, I told
you, I know now to walk better and talk better….so my desk was
mobile and very busy this past month!!
On my last update I was telling you about the opening of the
Smiles City Shop and all the
work that went in to that!! The first month of the shop, was a
great month! Lots of people that got in touch with what Smiles is
doing in Oradea and through-out Bihor County.
The girls working at the shop, Octavia
(my sister) and Flavia Jurj
are doing an amazing job! Their commitment and hard work it a
great encouragement for me each day! Octavia has found her passion
in life, shopping
non –stop!! This new role as a person in charge
of the retail shops fit’s like a glove for her personality! She is
doing great and I’m amazed, because I never knew that my sister
can work that much and so hard !! ….so
well done Octo!!!
Flavia, is a sweet girl that
came for the interview for the job nearly two months ago! I was
not involved in the interview because
Octo and Georgi did not give me permission. They said I
would get “bored” fast and will cause them problems because they
have 15-20 ladies in the first session……but still I sneak in the
place one of the days, and I saw Flavia there while she had the
interview! To be honest (and Georgi can tell you this too )
the first impression was not a very positive one! The second time
when the girls meet and had to take the final decision, out of 5
(that were in the final short list) they chose Flavia!
I was curious to see it how it works….and with embarrassment I
say, Flavia impressed me more than words can say! Her attitude to
people and for the job, her hard work (she is the first to arrive
and leaves regularly 1 hour or more after the store is closed) and
her spirit wins my support!
Please pray for Octo and Flavia …but
especially Flavia. She is at the beginning of the job,
and this job is a ministry too……………………………I’m privileged to have
Flavia part of the Sminro team! I hope she will stay with us for a
long time, and one day she can take over the management of the
shop!…Right
Flavia??
I’m also impressed with the comments I hear from people (Christian
or non-Christian) about the shop and about the attitude the girls
have when people get in the place!
I love spending time there (because it’s open till late) helping
the girls in the simple ways I can (cleaning, decorating the
place, rearranging the clothes
)…AND because of course I have my wedding
dresses there too!!! One day, while I was there, a lady came and
she said : “I enter in the shop from
curiosity, but I can’t leave because everything
here is sooooooo
nice”.. Each day, the people that come to the shop
hear about God too, through the Christian radio that we leave
playing all day long… K-LOVE RADIO!!
If they ever read my page, I want to tell them they are doing a
great job too...!!
I could continue about the shop, but this month will stop
here….leave some for next month
…..Because I had other
things to do, like Salonta J.F.L., or daily responsibilities, I
had to put them as “orderly as possible” because we were getting
ready to go for 2 weeks Tour in the UK.
So,
on March 8th together with other colleagues of mine,
the leaders of the different
projects got in the bus and off to United Kingdom for a very busy
tour in lots of different places…..We were excited
about what we had to do, but at the same time, a bit worried
because of what we left back home as responsibilities…..It was the
first time ever that me, Georgi and Adi left at the same time the
Romanian office for 2 weeks!! We left everything in God’s hands
because there it is secure 100% and He did not let us down….HE
NEVER DOES! When we give it all to him!!
Our
tour started in Southern Ireland. A great place with great
friends, which
was an encouragement for our first presentation!
Thank you Ian and Amanda and
the team from Sligo for making
this possible.
Than we moved north, and our second stop was in
Richhill, NI. Again lots of
friends that I can’t name them all here because I do not what to
forget anyone, but they know best who are they….. Great time and
great fellowship. Thank you guys for ALL your support! I’m always
shocked, in a good way, about the way you put things together and
I want to tell you again, in your presence I feel like I have a
second family!!!! As big as my first one.
I do want to say
thank you to our DA for Northern Ireland & Eire,
Barbara Morrison and all the
ambassadors that are helping her for ALL the work they do for
Smiles,…….I know it’s not always easy but with God’s help month by
month we see things happening and hearts opening for the work here
in Romania!
After
the quick visit in Ireland we moved to
Scotland!! After an even shorter time in Scotland, it
was time to move to England!!!
We started in a small place, but important one, in
Inskip! On the way, we visited
the LAKE DISTRICT. It was
great to see God’s marvellous work in creation.
Than we moved on to Chesterfield,
then Redcar. That evening we
will never forget because before the presentation we received a
phone call from Romania, from our person in charge,
Mioara Tarau. She told us that
Vio, a young girl that came to
Smiles in September 2011, part of the apprenticeship program, was
released home after nearly 3 months of hospital treatment.
Mioara’s voice told us that the situation is not too good. We
started the presentation and we prayed for God’s will in Vio’s
situation. Soon after we finished the
presentation Mioara send us a text message telling us that Vio was
at peace…..and now at home
with her Heavenly Father! We were shocked and saddened
but reminded once again, this life is not the end, only the
beginning.
Gorsley,
Carmarthen, Worthing
and
Chelmsford were other places where we had presentations
of “Stories from the heart”
….Great places, amazing people, lots of commitment and great
support form all the people that came. I will never have enough
words to express my gratitude for the work of all the DA’s,
Ambassadors and all the supporters! May
God bless you more than you can ever imagine!
Our tour of the UK ended up in London……We had a day off before
flying back to Romania…..So here we had the opportunity to visit
the amazing city….One of the big surprises we had here was when Mr
Hoy told us that we are going to see MAMA
MIA – the stage show!!!! It WAS PERFECT!!!!! A great
way to close the two weeks away!! THANK
YOU SEFUUUUUUUUU FOR THAT!!
March 21st we came back…….since
then we work, work and work to get all the things back in place! I
joke now
because the people that were staying here did an AMAZING job and
kept everything in place. I would like to say special thank you to
M.C.D.O.S.N.C.R.M.G.C.G.D.L.I.V.P.A.P.M…and many many others that
keep the place in one piece while we were away! I would also like
to say THANK YOU to the team that was with me to UK.
To Adi, Georgi, Rita, Raul, Rebeca Sami,
Nelu and Mr Hoy!!! You did great and I’m proud of you
too!!
Also to Dawn at the Leeds office for months of great
administration which paid off with a great tour.
I think I was long with my report this month, so I better stop
here…..But not before I remind you that ALL this things are
possible only through God “Who makes
all things work together for good for those who love Him”.
Because HE LIVES we can face
tomorrow! This was one of my favourite songs as a child and still
is and we also did it during the tour….. This month we celebrate
Jesus Resurrection too!!!
I pray Jesus to always be ALIVE in our
life, in our jobs, in everything we do!!!!
Because HE lives we can face tomorrow and all the days are ahead
of us!!!!
Be
blessed,
Maria