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Maria Hava

Maria – Holiday Mode

“I need a six months holiday, twice a year!”

Have you heard this saying before?!? Wouldn’t it be nice?! I bet it would, at least for a while.

I would be the first one in! BUT when you enjoy what you are doing day to day, you do not need that sort of holiday! Yes you need some time off to recharge batteries but 6 months terminate all the electricity forever! 


This past month, with the weather that we have in Romania, with the mission teams that are visiting us, with the work that we do day to day it felt at times like a “long holiday”.


You do not believe me? Let me tell you a few of the main activities that we did.

Tileagd Assisted Living Grounds
July 1st started with a big group from the UK visiting us. They were “very good volunteers”. Did exactly what they were told to do! One of the great achievements of the group was the courtyard gardens at Tileagd Assisted Living centre. They did an amazing job. I’m over the moon, and back for sure, when we have teams that are ready to go the extra mile! And they did. THANK YOU GUYS for such a great job.


Because of the changes that are going on in Tileagd I’ve received e-mails and lots of questions from people asking me IF there is still a school there!


YES THERE IS!
THE SCHOOL DID NOT CLOSE DOWN!!
Tileagd SchoolWe still function , we still educate children from the Gypsy and Romanian communities. We just moved the rooms around and for the first time ever since the Tileagd Complex was built (2006) – ALL THE ROOMS ARE IN USE!!!

For this I praise the Lord because it’s a dream that came true. It hurt and disappointed me, even if I did not say publicly, to see empty rooms in such a great building. It disappointed me to have people visiting us and when I showed them around, there were empty rooms……well a few spiders thought that they are living in a 5 star hotel. It disappointed me to know people’s money had been invested in this building that was now half empty.


But now …..ooooo NOW EVERYTHING is in use. Every square metre!


The old side of the school, Phase One we call it that was opened in 2006 is now the Assisted Living Facility.


The Sports Hall remains the same – our Gymnasium.


The side of what was the Medical Block and Offices has changed. It now provides:

School classes : Prep Class – Grade 4
Dentistry Consulting & Treatment Room
Optometry Consulting & Treatment Room
Kitchen and Dining Room for the School KIDS TO EAT!

The church of course remains in the same place.

Chris Calow and Robin Cooper were here for a week helping with the moving of the Optometry Room which was a very successful week. Hard work, but achieved everything we needed and I was delighted how well it all worked out space wise. God is such a great planner!Tileagd Assisted Living
All the nursery activities is now in one place. Kindergarten has moved to the Nursery building on the main street.

All 3 classes are there and our prayers are, IF GOD helps us one day to extend that place we will. At the moment, we are also grateful that we use every single room from it to the maximum potential.

So MY DEAR FRIEND , WE STILL BELIEVE that EDUCATION IS IMPORTANT and even if it’s hard, expensive and a lot of work needed we believe that with God’s help and with your sacrificial support, we can do it! DO NOT GIVE UP in believing in this project. We can see results! Maybe not as much as we would like or dream of, but like my dear friend Stephen Woodward told me many many times “one child educated is one less uneducated – the change needs to start somewhere – and it’s not an option to turn back.


“When Stephen and Mr Hoy told me “Tileagd is a minimum 20 year project plan, I thought they are…???…. (you know)


Now I believe them and I’m happy that for the last 14 years I’ve been a part of it. It’s not done yet!


If you have more questions about this new adventure feel free to ask me, do not assume that it’s finished! When God tells us to stop we will, but until now he did not say that. More than that, when I was despairing at the huge cost for running this project he send me new partners, like the Assisted Living facility to share some of the costs in the complex – like the wood for heating, the electricity, the 24/7 security were just some of the things that were ‘eating’ into the budget of my project so much. Now it is shared and so much better…. as long as TAL gets the support it needs to operate! We trust God for His provision and your continued support.


Now that we all agree and understand that TILEAGD SCHOOL AND NURSERY ARE STILL here and FUNCTIONING. We can move to the next field trip adventure ! 


By the middle of July we had another team arriving. Because we told them of the achievement of the first team they wanted to do more. So they were helping us in preparations to build the roof at the glasshouse office unit. To do that in the RO heat was a real challenge. It takes a lot of commitment and for that I’m grateful to have people around me that do that not only when they are here in Romania but back home also.

I would like to say a special THANK YOU to Barbara and Luke for helping me with the teams at the Mission Centre. They are the best assistants ever and I will never have enough money to cover their worth in salary! So for that I’m very happy that they work for free!

Just before the month ended up we had a van arriving from UK. Do you know how is to celebrate Christmas in the middle of the summer when outside is 38C (100F)?

AMAZING!!!

I’m soooo thankful to the people that made this possible. England and Scotland, you did good! The supplies that were in the van came right on time for sooooo many projects! Van Supplies

Yes, even the toilet paper. We had exhausted our supplies and were struggling to now buy more from our limited budgets. We had 14,000 rolls donated last time and so long without needing to buy, suddenly we had none.
I want to say a special thank you to Darren and Chris who drove the van to Romania! You did great and thanks to Dawn for organising it. When I will be as good as you are on admin I will retire!

Now do not worry IF you wanted to send supplies and did not manage it . There are always options. We have a container in Ireland that is getting ready to come to Romania in September . Please consider helping to fill it with supplies from our urgent Wish List. Help us to get it full with the great things that are so much needed for the ongoing projects here in Romania.

You can also send supplies to the UK office and Dawn will help you with that! But due to limited storage space, only items on our URGENT Wish List can currently be received.  
Every little helps, like my good friend Tesco says!  Especially if it is what we really need.  https://www.thesmilesfoundation.org/wish-list/

So do you trust me now that I’m on a long term holiday? And I like it. Stefan is helping me by my side and together we are a great team! With Mr Hoy behind us!! I think his work has doubled as he became my personal assistant when I started Maternity leave! Only a year to go!


I’m thankful to God for everything and to His people around the world that make it possible.

If you want to see it all, COME TO ROMANIA and see it for yourself.

I’m waiting for you.

Be blessed AND THANK YOU FOR BEING A BLESSING.


Maria

Maria Hava
Director of Operations Romania
maria@thesmilesfoundation.org

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