Report from Georgi Opreanu,
Director of Elderly Care
The
summer is over soon, too soon I would say, but it’s just one season of
the four we are blessed with each year. Each season has its beauty and
in life is exactly the same.
Ecclesiastes 3 says: "There is a
time for everything, and a season for every activity under the
heavens, a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a
time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down
and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time
to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to
gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from
embracing, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep
and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to
be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to
hate, a time for war and a time for peace."
Each of us is in one of those seasons during
our life we pass most of these times … our life is full of ups and
downs, but we know that no matter what time we are in, we can turn our
eyes to God and He is the One that will help us not to give up during
bad times.
Being in a nursing home every day, I hear a
lot of life time stories and you get to understand that good times are
followed by bad times, but you realise like we read in Ecclesiastes:
"He has made everything beautiful in its time." If we
can’t enjoy that time it may be gone forever, if we don’t do the most
with it, we may never have the opportunity to go back and enjoy it.
The most regrets that I hear about are the things we wanted to do, but
never did, waited too long, never had the courage, waiting for the
perfect moment and then the moment was gone and we can only regret.
But it is not too late!
This report will be different than many,
because I will tell you a story, but not of an elderly resident, but
of a future employee.
Her name is Ramona and she is 25
years old but
has not had an easy life. I
met her many years ago when I was visiting the Salard
community. After a few years she came to Oradea, became
homeless and then Raul offered her shelter in the Smiles container
village.
She has 3 children, but she had to give
two of them up
when she was living in Salard and even though
she now wished she hadn’t, she now has just Denis.
He is now in school and Ramona also had a
second chance to continue her education.
Even though I knew from Raul about Ramona
being in Oradea, I had never seen her again until I needed somebody to
help me with cleaning for two weeks in Oradea Elderly Care Home.
She came to help and I was very impressed with her. She was very
conscientious in doing her work, not taking it easy knowing she was
there for just two weeks.
The staff and the elderly liked her and
since that moment (that was in January 2016) I wished
I could employ her. Give her an opportunity to work so she can put
food on the table for Denis.
She had different job offers, for example to
work for food for her but not for Denis, which she didn’t accept. In
the summer I visited her in her home, in the container village and I
was so happy that she keeps her little room so clean and tidy. Then I
realised even more that I wanted to offer her an opportunity to work
in a place where she will be appreciated and not abused.
Because the budget was never there I could not employ her, just give
her work when somebody was on holiday. But
now I feel is the time, the right time to employ her, not because I
have the money in the budget, but because is the time to build
confidence in Ramona’s life, it is the time to embrace her in
our ‘family’, it is the time to keep her on staff, the time to show
her love so she can see Jesus working in her life.
I know it’s not the perfect moment to employ
Ramona, but I believe now is the time. I hope some of you will help me
to make this significant change. If you want to be a part of this new
season in Ramona’s life, you can help us in many ways particularly
praying for her and her health. Because of her past, she has
had many medical issues and she needs all our
support to help her to get better.
You can help us when you are in Romania,
encouraging her and showing her your love. You can help us by
contributing to ECO so as to help with her salary cost. Her monthly
salary will be £320 and every little support to ECO’s budget, will
help us keep her on staff.
No matter what season you are in, remember
that: "He has made everything beautiful in its time."
With
appreciation,