A Letter from
Maria's Desk
November 2016
W hen
GOD ANSWERS our prayers ...
What happens then? Did you ever ask
yourself? What really happens when God is answering your prayer,
your requests? In my life many
times I prayed, I did ask God to give me things……. all sort of
things and most of the time I received it. But if I’m honest with
you, not all the things I’ve asked for were ok.
I remember as a child once asking God to
give me and my family a TV satellite dish. It was a big thing to
have something like this in 1995 in a small village like Susca.
Most of my friends had it because their parents bought it with the
money made during the fuel embargo. My dad told us that we will
not have one as he is not "selling the diesel involved with the
embargo. If we will ever have is one, it will be from God".
A few months later, actually nearly a
year later we received one, a second hand dish, from a family in
Austria that updated theirs. I took it 100 % as an answer from God
…The sad thing is that I was happy for a day but after that not at
all. I never watched TV and soon my grandfather cut the cables
from it by mistake when he cleaned the grapevine. BUT this little
story changed my view of the things that I ask God for! Yes, there
were times when I asked him for "material things" but I’ve learned
to do it with all the right motives! And each time I took it as a
blessing!
This past month I had LOTS of blessings
from God.
The biggest one is my baby!! Yes baby
Hava "came" at the beginning of the month! On October 6th!
I know there were a lot of people
praying for me each day and for that I will never have enough
words to say thank you. Even though I knew the baby will come, it
took me by surprise!
.
But I’m thankful to God that all went ok. He is a really cute one,
healthy baby boy called STEFAN CORNEL HAVA. My prayer is
for him to be like Stefan from Acts 6 – full of the Holy Spirit,
with a faith, passion for God and love for his neighbours.
Because I had the baby on the 6th
and the first mission group arrived on the 8th I’ve
missed a lot of the things that I had been working on!
BUT when you ask God for things, when
you pray to Him and HE answers your prayer, everything is 'wow'
even if you are not in the front line to see it, you feel it!
So, with me being in the hospital
suddenly, ahead of it being planned, Mr Hoy had to do a lot of the
things on his own. I’m really grateful and appreciat e
all his patience and understanding at this time. THANK YOU EVER
SO MUCH FOR EVERYTHING SEFU!!!
YOU are the best personal assistant that I’ve
ever had and I try not to be taking years off
. Until I’m back full time, you have to do
my job as well - I’m sorry! But I know you will do a good job!
AND he did good! The day that I was
taken to the hospital for delivery we were out shopping for the
church in Rapa. So on October 9th when the church
was to be opened - EVERYTHING was in place!!! God is good.
Completing
this project was my first ever project that I did through the
phone! I was there when the foundations were done and the first
walls. Soon after that the doctors told me to stay still and not
drive so I had to cut my travels. Everything was done by calling
the people each day and making sure they are on time with the
work, so when Mr Hoy came back on September 25th the
place was done!! We had a few details to put in place but for that
we waited for him. I remember that I told him "I wish to go there
and see it before the big day"….and Mr Hoy took me. He drove very
slowly and I was thankful to God that I could see it before the
big day. I dreamed and planned to be there on the big day but even
if I was not with my body, my heart and mind was there! I
appreciate ALL THE HELP that people gave us to see this project
complete!
October 9th was a very
special day indeed and God answered our prayers even those that we
did not believe would be possible! For more details be sure to
read
Adi
and
Barbara’s
reports this month as both are talking about Rapa.
Also on the same day of the grand
opening we had more baptisms. Adi provides more details of that as
he was there! But isn’t it a great joy to become a child of God?
To know that your Father from heaven is with you all the time!
And as it
this is not enough the next big prayers answered was to see the 10
houses finished and people moved in BEFORE the winter comes!
SO, GOD listens to our
prayers and that came true too. Thank you all for all the help you
gave us, for the prayers and for the time that some of you spend
here in Romania helping us build or the time you spend in
fundraising!
My prayers are also answered in
Tileagd. The project close to my heart the school and nursery
are in full swing now and I’m really happy to see that our job
there is not finished yet! Even though it’s harder than ever to do
the things we have to do in Tileagd, our God is giving us the
strength and the power to move on day by day! PLEASE continue to
pray for Tileagd because I have a feeling that there are still
things we have to do. Prayers that still need to be answered!
I’m thankful to God that He gave me the
strength to go and be with my colleagues and the mission team on
the Wednesday staff fellowship meetings that we have each week. It
was a blessed time and once again I realised how blessed I am to
be a part of Smiles. Even if at times it’s hard, even if I had
moments when I wanted to give up, God gave me more than I ever
asked for and my heart is full of gratitude.
Now, even though
I am not in the office day by day, I’m
in touch with them every day. I’m not out of service!
…..in
God’s work you can’t stop for long
. Yes I take it easier and I have a big
responsibility now, but I am thankful to God that he answers my
prayers by giving me the right things at the right time.
Now I have to go to the baby but not
before I urge you to PRAY for everything and trust me when God
answers our prayers there are no mistakes! Even if we do not
always get what we want, He knows what is best!
Thank you very much for everything
and continue to be a blessing for people in your family, your city
and at the end of the world, here in Romania!!!
In His service
Maria
Maria Hava ,
Director of Operations, Romania
maria@thesmilesfoundation.org
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