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

 
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Report from Georgi Opreanu, Director of Elderly Care


If you remember, I started my last report from the new Elderly Centre in Oradea (ECO). This past month I spent quite a lot of time there, as I had interviews for all the different jobs we need for operating the new facility.

We received more than 100 applications for the new positions and it was hard to make the selection. The process of finding the best people is never easy as we need just 10 new employees but I am happy to report that after 6 days of interviews, spread over 3 weeks, we believe we have found the best people for the jobs. The plan is to have the staff attend a week of training and orientation from October 13th and the first residents to arrive on October 20th. We would like to have the official opening on October 27th! Please pray that everything will be ready in order to be able to open as we plan.

In the last few months we discussed a lot about the opening of the centre in Oradea and in all those discussions we took the decision to make some reorganisation and to close the Cihei Elderly Centre until ECO is full. This wasn’t an easy decision, but we felt it’s better like this and we will move all the residents and the staff to the new centre.

September at
Salonta Elderly Centre was busy and eventful. We had two new residents coming in. Lady Carolina who is 87 years old, she was cared by her sister that is 77 years old, but because her husband is sick she could not care anymore for lady Carolina. Also this month Mr. Octavian came in the centre. He is 74 years old and had brain surgery in July and now he needs to learn to speak again. We are hopeful that with our therapist he will be able to manage this in time.

In May we had a resident that came in the centre after replacement hip surgery and he could not walk and his physical condition was very poor, but because of the physiotherapist plus our caring staff, he has fully recovered and this month, he was able to go back home. We felt sorry that he left, but we were glad to see what a difference we can make in somebody’s life.

We celebrate birthdays this month of Lady Minerva who is 79 years old and Lady Maria who is 76 years old. Lady Minerva suffers Alzheimer but she is so joyful and enjoys every moment so she was so happy to have a birthday cake and be in the centre of attention.

Unfortunately last month we had a few residents in hospital with different health problems, but we are happy to report that they are all doing better now. We had in hospital a lady with hip surgery and we pray for her recovery, but in the last two weeks she made a lot of progress and we hope that in a month she will be able to walk again without assistance.
 

This last Sunday, the local Baptist church had a thanks giving service for all the blessings that God gives and especially for the food He provides. People from the church brought to the church different vegetables, fruits, jars of pickles and jam and other things. After the service was finished the church decided it to donate everything to the elderly centre. We are so thankful for the way that Lord provides for us with so many good thinks every day.

We thank God for the Harvest and His bountiful provision.

As I said, we celebrated Lady Minerva’s 79th birthday. She was one of the first residents in the centre. She lived in a 2 room apartment in Oradea with her daughter, but most of her time she was on her own as the daughter was working. She liked to wander a lot, and many times she left the house and she didn’t know to come back. Her daughter was desperate as she felt she couldn't care for her mother properly and she was very close to a nervous breakdown, not coping with the challenges of taking care of a mother with Alzheimer whilst having to go to work.

She suffers Diabetes as well as Alzheimer’s and unfortunately before she came to us she didn’t take the medication as prescribed and it took us a while to stabilise the glucose levels, but now it’s under control. In the first month, she didn’t adapt to well in the centre, and every day she wanted to go back home. Now the situation has changed and is completely different. When her family take her home after 2 two days she can’t wait to came back and kisses every carer and tells them how much she missed them.

It a joy and a privilege for us to be able to care for her needs very day. Now she is well cared for and she has people to talk with and also she can wander around without any problems as she is all the time under supervision. Also the daughter is better now and more peaceful as she knows her mother is well cared for. The family can’t afford the full cost of the service provided and we need to raise every month £80/$120 in order to offer her everything that she needs. Please pray for new sponsors that will cover the short fall from what the family affords to pay and what is needed.

This past month was for me one of the hardest this year because I had a lot of things going on in Salonta, then all the plans for Elderly Centre in Oradea also needing to take some decisions over the Elderly Centre in Cihei. At times I felt I can’t continue, is too much, I am too burdened and I am too tired to face another day.

In the middle of all this, I asked myself what can I do to find rest. God reminded me of the words in Matthew 11:28 – "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest". The rest we find in Him can’t compare with any day off, with any good sleep, with any good encouragement coming from others and that’s because just "The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, and He refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake."

As an encouragement to you all that are doing God’s work, when you want to give up, when you think of an easier option, when you think for yourself and what’s best for you, not for the work that God called you to do read this: "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." The burden is easy and light…if we are in His will and we walk our walk with Him and for Him every day.

With my sincere thanks

Georgi

georgi@thesmilesfoundation.org

Georgi Opreanu
Director of JFL Elderly Care Home

 


Prayer points:

  • For all the final works to be ready in time so we can open the Elderly Centre in Oradea as planned;
  • For God to prepare the new residents that will came in the centre and experience the love of God through the care we provide;
  • For the residents that will come from Cihei centre to adapt in their new home;
  • For God’s healing over Mr. Octavian;
  • For finding sponsorship for lady Minerva,
  • For staff to have a loving and caring heart for those in need;
  • For health and well-being for residents and staff;
  • For all Smiles staff be able to show God’s love so others will get to know HIM.
  • For the financial need to finish Phase II of JFL, as we took another step of faith in finishing the project.

 

Previous Reports from Georgi:

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    Page last updated on 01/10/2014 12:50:57 PM
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