The Smiles Foundation, Reports On Previous Trips

		Mission trips...	Leeds, England registered UK Charity No.1087961 Kingsport, USA charitable non-profit # 86-0957704 Oradea, Romania registered Charity No.14839712

		...making smiles in Romania
homepage projects mission trips support wish list fundraising events news prayer and praise smiles missionaries organisation contact details smiles reports Nia's Ministry links search disclaimer	Smiles Foundation Mission Trip Special Report July 22^nd - August 5^th 2002 - ROMANIA With 9 months of planning and fundraising, it often felt this trip would never happen. Eventually the time arrived and 60 people from America and the United Kingdom, plus two special guests from Armenia and Canada, all began the journey from a variety of airports, and 24 boarded buses for a 2 day trip across Europe. Many had been fundraising for months. In addition to their own costs for the trip, more than £18,000 / $27,000 had been raised for projects on the trip. Several small teams from Churches across America - 10 from Charlotte NC, 9 from Kingsport TN, 8 From Phoenix AZ, 5 from Duncanville TX all joined many couples and individuals to create the work force to serve the Romanian people for 2 weeks. The Smiles Foundation run a for more than 100 families and distribute food supplies on a monthly basis sponsored by families and individuals from America and the United Kingdom. On the first day of the trip we purchased £3,500 / $5,000 of food and our 3 Food distribution teams began dividing the food, making up packages and delivering to approximately fifteen families a day. As a development to the Family Care Project, came the Housing Project where the Smiles Foundation had purchased 5 houses that needed major renovation to provide better homes for families in need. For example, the Ghiuro family had lived in a cowshed for several years (mother, father and 6 children). The father (32 years old) had recently died of Tuberculosis but not before he saw the new home his family would be living in for the future. The Smiles Foundation seeks to get each house sponsored, firstly for its purchase and then for the renovation that is often undertaken by Mission Trip teams visiting Romania for a week or two at a time. Subject to the Lord’s provision of sponsors, The Smiles Foundation plans to purchase 25 houses in the first year of the project, which started January 2002. Ten are already acquired. As a result of this trip, 5 further houses were sponsored by team members or represented Churches. There are many stories from the food and medical teams visits. One team visited an elderly lady living in a very dark one room house. It felt like being in a very low basement with no inside light. The Team decided immediate action was needed and returned to the house the next day. Some of the Team cleared and cleaned the house, painted the walls white (or more like cappuccino). Others of the Team cleaned items taken from the house, washed clothing and bathed the elderly lady ovided new clothes and even gave her a hair cut! With around 700 people on the Smiles Foundations family support list - majority living in extreme poverty - medical requirements are a constant need and concern for the staff working with the families. It was wonderful on this trip to have several medical experts, including a Paediatric doctor, willing to visit the families for examination, often diagnosing medical conditions that can be helped by regular medication. We were also thrilled to receive donated medical supplies valued at £80,000 / $120,000 from Kings Pharmaceutical Company in East Tennessee (USA). This extremely valuable resource of medical supplies will often prevent comparatively simple ailments becoming much more serious, sometimes life threatening. Sports is appreciated and loved all over the world. Even amongst poverty stricken families in Romania - the children love to kick a ball. Organising a game of soccer, volleyball or basketball created tremendous excitement in the orphanages and villages we visited. From funds raised for the trip, wonderful equipment was purchased to support 5 days of organised sports activities. The Smiles Foundation was also delighted and extremely grateful to English Premiership Football Clubs - Leeds United and Liverpool - for donating team kits to be given to the children to enjoy their games in style! Thank you Leeds and Liverpool ! It is impossible to totally express the life changing experiences that happened during this trip, both for the Romanian people and the Mission Team. In all activities, the Gospel was shared in a practical way. Bibles and Gospel tracts were distributed and many families were prayed with by visiting teams. On a previous mission trip the Team had met a young gypsy boy begging on the streets of Oradea and had taken him for pizza. The relationship between Victor and the Smiles Foundation since that meeting has developed so that his family are now sponsored and he can attend school. The 2002 Team were thrilled to be able to join the family for Victor's Orthodox baptism and the Smiles Foundation is working towards sponsoring all 47 families in the gypsy village and now also looking into the possibility of providing facilities for a gypsy school. This was a remarkable trip where every team member understood the concept of ‘Servanthoodhis was an opportunity to follow the examples of the ‘Servant Kingd to be His Hands and Feet to the Romanian people. This Mission Team rose to the challenge. This was the beginning of a deep relationship between 60 visitors with a country and people in need of love and support. "I retired last year. I had 40 years in construction real estate management development…now I’m in Romania on the other side of the job where we’re getting pretty mucky refurbishing this home…It’s Great!" - Gordon People at our Church back home asked us what would we like them to pray for?…and our answer was re than anything pray that we make a difference to at least one person’s life…and that’s certainly what’s happened here! " - Keith & Sandra This was a trip when pastors, doctors, office and factory workers, builders, electricians, plumbers and housewives tired, young professionals children, youth and senior citizens l found a role they could fulfil in service to others. "I’m Alan an electrician from Phoenix Arizona wasn’t sure on the first day what I’d be able to do here in Romania ‘cause they do things a bit different!…but we’ve wired up 5 homes ready for electricity and I’ve had a wonderful time sharing the love of Jesus with the people of Romania." - Alan "My son said to me “mum, you’re too old to go to Romania I said to him “I can deliver food and I can hold the babies so I’m going to Romania. Bye son!!" Kathryne Mckay The Smiles Foundation sees it as a great service to provide the opportunity for Churches and individuals to join us on short-term Mission Trips. Two major trips are planned for 2003 during July and August. We anticipate being able to accommodate up to 50 people per trip but spaces are likely to be in high demand. Many interests are already registered. If you would like to come or arrange for a team from your Church to come, please contact us as soon as possible. We will send you further information and an application form that will need completing and returning to us with a deposit to secure your place. Mission Trip Activities Return to Mission Trips Return to the homepage
	Page last updated on 30/06/2007 10:21:05 AM by ADMIN1		© 2005 The Smiles Foundation, All rights reserved