What about you!?
How do YOU influence this world? Will you leave a good legacy
behind you?
This past month,
I’ve been talking a lot about legacy! In all the meetings we had,
and trust me we have a few, people often ask "what will happen
when Kevin is not with Smiles anymore"? As I told you in my report
last month "when God is in the work you do, God will continue
it! If in the meantime he is using people like us, it is a
great honour!" So I’m sure that God already has a plan for Kevin,
and for the Smiles Foundation’s work in Romania! We just need to
be faithful in the small things and HE will provide for the big
things! That does not means that we will be "problem free people".
Satan will not sleep, BUT with God we can do it and not give up!
My report last
month was while I was in the United Kingdom. Now I’m back home!
And I really do not know where, or how this month has flown by!
But let me tell a you few things where my time went!
The month started
really nicely, with a wedding in the UK, then the
Volunteer Conferences in Leeds and Belfast. A great time with
great people, people who have a heart and passion for God’s work.
And it is amazing to see so many! THANK YOU ALL for coming to the
meetings. Thank you all for sharing the fruits of the Holy Spirit
around the world!
From the
conference in Belfast I came back to Leeds to meet Georgi
and Simona for some time off! Well shopping for me is
ALWAYS a time off!! So I had a great time.
But I had to come
back to Romania and even if I’m happy for a short break in another
country my home is always home!
On September 15th
the new school year started in Romania! I do not know how this
is really possible, especially when my budgets are really low, but
I do not doubt God’s grace and miracles. So this year is an extra
special year because we have finally ALL the grades included in
our complex!
What does that
means? Well, it means that I have a teacher paid by the state, for
each group year that I need. 3 years ago they paid 3 teaches only,
this year I have 5 teachers paid by the state and all of them are
working at the Smiles Complex!
This is great and
amazing news for me! The hard part is the budget side where I need
more money because I have more kids! At this moment in time I have
150 children coming each day to the complex and nursery. Because
90% of the children are Gypsy kids it means that we at Smiles need
to cover all their costs! From clothes, books, food, school
supplies everything!
Last month for all
the people that came to the conferences I made an appeal and I was
soooooo happy with their response! THANK YOU all. PLEASE, I know
it is not easy to sponsor one project for years and years but I’m
sure one day you will turn back and see the results!
If you ask me for
a specific need at the school and nursery,
well I have many! But at this moment in time the urgent one is to
cover the cost of the wood for winter. That is about £3,000 /
$4,500 for 10 trucks of wood for the entire academic year. Or if
this sounds tooooooo much, you may be able to help me cover the
cost of the food budget which is £1000 / $1,500 a month covering
the meals for 150 kids each day, twice a day and for the 5-8th
grade daily snacks! It sounds a lot, but for 150 children it only
provides us 33pence / 50cents a day per child. If you can’t help
with any of the financial needs - PLEASE PRAY for us,
because prayer is key to everything!!!! THANK YOU!!
Please continue to
pray for the work we do at JFL 2.
It is coming on great and we are getting nearer to the end, but
the finishing part always has its challenges! I’m really happy
that we have mission trip people coming in October. With their
help on painting and cleaning, the place will really start to look
amazing!!
Also continue to
pray for the work we do in Rapa.
It is also progressing well and we are nearly done to enable 3
families moving into new homes very soon! At the moment, we have a
mission team here from Cornwall and Derbyshire that have been
helping paint, tile and build. Lots of hands always makes a huge
difference!
I’m sure that
you’ve read on the web about the new adventure that we started!
The extension of the Emergency Housing Unit. It is on and it
is doing good. I just received another phone call from a young
lady, 30 years old, with an 8 week old baby telling us that she
needs to "run away from the husband" cause she can’t endure the
physical abuse that she receives daily! She had the baby with a
caesarean and since she came home every day she endured the
violence of her husband. She feels that if she is not running away
and starting life again "her world is finished". It is really bad
to hear this type of story but is great to be there and give a
helping hand when you can! And I’m so happy that through the EHU
we can do it. Please pray for this project too and pray for us and
for our residential managers there Petru and Maria.
And I could go on
and on with lots of stories! But I need to stop but NOT before
that I tell you a few good things and prayer points.
If you remember
last month, I told you that Ritza left us and moved away! I
appreciate her help and even if I was sad at the time, now slowly
I got over it. Yet again, God reminded me that He, who is in
control of His work will take care of the details! Well I’m
soooooo happy that from October 1st we have a new
Mission Centre representative! Claudia Sauciuc. I’ve known
Claudia since high school and believe me this was long agoJ 15
years ago! Claudia was one year younger than me. Soon after the
high school she came to Oradea to Emanuel University and she
graduated with the same degree as me, Georgi, Simona and Nina did,
International Management. Now she runs her own business and I’m
very happy that within her business she has decided that she can
share her ability and wisdom with us at Smiles and Sminro!!! So
welcome CLAUDIA!!!
Further great news
is that from October 9th Ligia Mitra will join
Smiles too. I met Ligia last month and spent a few days with her
showing many of the Smiles project! I’m always happy and proud
when I see people coming back to ROMANIA from UK, USA or any other
country. Ligia is one of them that decided to be a missionary in
her own country after 4 years in United Kingdom and I’m really
proud of her that she chose Smiles as a Mission Charity to be a
part of her work.
PLEASE pray for
Ligia and Claudia in their new jobs! Pray for us all and I’m sure
with GOD we can do GREAT THINGS.
So, space has gone
and although I have more positive news, I save telling you all now
but next month, get ready !! Now I have to go to visit the
"construction projects that seem to be increasing but all very
exciting"
Thank you for
being a blessing for me, for the Romanian people and for being a
part of God’s work to extend His Kingdom.
And I leave you
with another quote from Mother Teresa that said:
"It is
between YOU and GOD"