The Smiles Foundation
 News Update August 2008

Dear Friends 

What an amazing summer it is in Romania. We don’t mean the sunny days, blue skies, occasional refreshing rain and cooler nights – but the impact God is having daily on peoples lives – both those on our Mission Trips and the people we serve in Romania.

Over 200 so far have enjoyed a Smiles Mission Trip this summer and in August another 87 will come to experience God at Work.

Many for the first time to Romania and we pray God will open their ears and eyes to the needs in this country and open their hearts and minds with how to respond.

God has blessed us all so much it’s a privilege and joy to respond in support of His Work.

The Hygiene programme that Dr Ema started last month has been wonderfully received in the Gypsy Community and we are delighted at the progress being made in basic hygiene awareness. Please continue to pray for this project and its impact in the Gypsy Community.

The Tileagd Choir are excited about the upcoming Tour in America. During July we all visited Bucharest to attend interviews at the American Embassy and everyone was successful in securing visas. We leave August 29th and have an exciting tour shaping up covering more states than previously. Check the schedule on the site and pray for a successful tour - Safe travels and a positive response.

Several projects urgently need your prayers and support as Smiles incorporate more opportunities to meet need and share God’s Love to all people.

The Cihei Children’s Centre has this week received its most recent child in need. 1 year old today (as we write July 29th) and sadly, the same day – her mother has gone to prison to begin a two year sentence which we hope will be reduced to 18 months with good behaviour. The mother was convicted of theft – not to be condoned in any circumstances – but when a mother can’t feed her child in a country where the state does nothing to help, maybe somewhere in out hearts we can understand her predicament and have compassion.

Smiles did – and now Cihei Children’s Centre has the responsibility of caring for the needs of her child. Along with all the other needs of the Children’s Centre – babies add quite a lot to the budget with special food, pampers and extra medication. This month the washing machine broke beyond economic repair. £225/$450 is urgently needed to replace it and regular support is needed to care for the children. Please help if you can.  DONATE NOW

The Emergency Housing Unit in Mirlou is full with families in need of help, both homeless and victims of domestic abuse which we now provide extensive support for. Our current regular monthly support is not sufficient for meeting the demand of these families. We do not believe God wants us to turn them away. Recently, a prostitute came to us saying, “I want to get off the streets. I need security and protection from my pimp. I have 3 children, one of them under a year old. Can you help?” We said ‘Yes’ – God wants to wrap His arms of Love around these people and show them His Unconditional Love. Please help us extend that Love to more people.
Domestic Abuse Cases cost £24/$48 a month per person with an average of 10 people cared for.
Emergency Shelter costs £40/$80 a month per family with an average of 3 families cared for.

DONATE NOW

Tileagd Community Church is now starting its third month of operating since Opening the new building and the induction of Pastor Ovidiu Butnaru. Pastor Ovidiu is working hard to draw all the strands together for the vision in Tileagd. In July, he started ‘once a month’ outings for the Children and Young People of the Church. With 4 adult helpers, he took 26 children one week and 15 teenagers the next out to the mountains for a day. Both Saturday’s were very successful and Guiry (the Gypsy leader) commented to Pastor Ovidiu that the children will not forget this day in a very long time. Never before have they been given such a great experience. A train journey for an hour into the mountains - Games, Swimming, BBQ dinner and of course a devotional study on God’s Creation and Love for All.

Please help us continue these monthly activities:
          Children - £5/$10 per child, per month (25-30 children attend)
          Teenagers - £7/$14 per person, per month (15-20 teenagers attend)             
 DONATE NOW

Gepiu Community Project also needs support in preparation for Camps planned this month.
1.      Teenagers trip to the mountains – 5 days - £25/$50 per person
2.      Children’s Camp – 7 days - £50/$100 per child.
But the Gepiu van is broken and is needed for these trips. Repairs urgently needed total £440/$880 if you can help in total or in part.

          For Camps or Van Repairs …. DONATE NOW

Finally, progress is being made with the new DENTAL facility at the Tileagd Complex. We hope the remaining dental equipment needed for the facility to function fully will be here in August. We also now have a Romanian dentist willing to start work for Smiles in September for 2 days a week. This will cost £665/$1330 per month. We also have a Dental Nurse trained to assist and this will cost a further £288/$576 per month. Then we will have material costs to provide the Dental Care to the patient.

In September, Smiles want to start with all the children in the School and Nursery. Then move on to the adults in the Gypsy Community and then families within our Family Care project. Ultimately, up to 1,300 people – predominantly children.

This will initially cost £6.80/$13.60 per child (140 children) to have the Dental facility available to them from September. These children have never had such a facility. Many have lived in pain for too long with serious problems from teeth and gums. Majority still have the chance to save their teeth. Please help us now for these children to have the Care we would want for our children. Thank you!
DONATE NOW

Another busy and full update! We are conscious in a large organisation like Smiles there are always so many projects to consider supporting. That’s primarily due to the fact we are an organisation who get involved, who actively help people, who meet urgent needs directly. We don’t just write or talk about it – WE DO IT! When we tell you of an urgent need, we don’t wait for your donation to arrive before acting. We support believing you will also support and we will faithfully administer that support to the project close to your heart and which you specify through designating your gift.

If you are ever in doubt of that, come on out to Romania and see for yourself, first hand – what a life changing difference your gift is making to someone’s world.
 

Thank you for caring and for faithfully supporting.


The Smiles Foundation


Click here to donate now through the website, or contact your Smiles Office.
 

The Smiles Foundation
Tel: UK 0113-276-5060    :   Tel: USA 423-239-9525
E-mail:  info@thesmilesfoundation.org
Website:
www.thesmilesfoundation.org

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