Mias Children

Two new young school-age kids at Mia’s and again she is so good at nurturing them, bringing them up out of defeat and hopelessness into vital little souls with potential for doing well. Mia is tired but otherwise doing well, and Costel, since his check-up is on medication and strict diet and looks healthier than he has for some time. We had a good visit last week.
From Carol Schulz, missionary in Bucharest

Hello from all of us !
Nico is doing well , she’s so brave and in this night Claudia will stay with her in hospital .I’m doing better and Costel also ,so we try to make everything to be Okay .Carol will go at hospital tomorrow morning , too. She’s so precious , a truly sister , a blessing for us .Maria went to hospital with some soup . Everybody is so nice .I wish you’d be around .
Love, Mia & All

Upon discharge, I will take her to my apt., bec it’s close to the hosp., & she will have to go there every day/2days for checkups, changes of dressings, etc. She seemed quite happy w/ the arrangement, I have to speak to Meda so she can arrange it w/ the Dr. to approve it. I have presented myself in my best finery & most respectful but haughty attitude as THE American MD,and payed off all the nurses, as is the custom (Mia evidently can’t afford to do that).
Maria

Costel has been feeling ill again. Tests were run again on his liver & diabetes. I am happy to report that Costel went to the Dr. yesterday, his test results are OK w/ in the context, so his illness is stationary, thank God. He will need to take his medications, which he has trouble finding the funds to purchase. He also needs to eat a strict diet, which he will not do because he wants the children to have the food. And also to get a lot of rest, right with 17 kids and teens around 24/7.

Nicoleta’s knee surgery could not take place yesterday, because, guess what? the washing machine (the ONLY one??? in that HUGE hosp?) broke down, so they could not wash the sheets for the OR!!!!!!!!! Only in Romania! Also, she was kept w/o any food for 24hrs, because on the 1st day patients are not on the food census! There is a new volunteer helping in Bucharest that is taking her food and things to keep her busy. She is quite bored. Hopefully Thursday or Friday the surgery will take place, if the washing machine gets fixed!

Bucharest, December , 2008

Dear friends and precious supporters:

May The Love , The Peace , The Hope who come into the world in this Christmas Night to cheer up your souls , to delight your spirits , to fill your life !

Mia’s Children want to take the opportunity of the holidays to thank you all for your help, and to wish you a wonderful season, good health, peace and love , safety life , and a New Year in which the sun will always shine on you!

The children are doing well, getting ready for the winter break, and in the meanwhile enjoying their presents, the various parties they have been invited to, and preparing their shows for each party. The fall term is ending well in kindergarten and in school; they have been applying themselves quite diligently, with visibly good results.

Again, many thanks and our best wishes to you all!

Mia’s Children

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In November, Dana Moldovan introduced to us Dr. Maria Derevenco, a Romanian-American psychologist, who became a volunteer for our Association. Following are a few words from her.

“On behalf of Mia’s Children, I feel compelled to offer an introductory opinion.

I am a US-trained Doctor of Psychology, and an Assistant Professor at Columbia University. I have worked with my share of underprivileged children, and have tried to implement policies for this population. The only successful ones were family and home-based interventions. This is exactly what Mia’s Children has managed to implement, against all odds.

What Mia & Costel Scarlat, the hearts of the program, have brought to life is truly extraordinary and unprecedented, to my knowledge, in Romania.

In my professional opinion, what has been accomplished so far with regard to the social integration of these children, their participation in education, discovery and cultivation of their special abilities (music, art), assumption of responsibility for self and for others, respect and gratitude for their “parents” & for all who take part in their care, is beyond outstanding.
What has impressed me to the core of my soul is how these kids have been taught to love, to express their love, and to ask, uninhibitedly, to be loved back.

Respectfully, with best regards,
Dr. Maria Derevenco
e-mail: mrd3@columbia.edu

To all our friends and supporters:
We first want to thank God for the help and love you have directed at us.

Even as the entire world is wreaked by a period of crisis and turmoil, our daily lives prove that even at such hard times, God allows people to maintain hope and to create bridges among each other, spreading love, light and compassion, and to support our needy children.

We have to say that, even in Romania, in the spirit of Christmas, more and more people have opened their hearts to us, and started to pay more attention to the work we do. As a result, our children have had a safe and joyous time, and have received not only a lot of love, but also much needed presents, such as food, clothing, books,: they also went to a skating rink for the first time, and to see a first-run movie. The photos attached will show you how much happiness and joy our children experienced on each occasion during the last three months.

This fall has been fruitful for us. To begin with, we have about 20 children who started school, Gabriele and Mihaela for the first time. We want to send special thanks to Miriam Gianasso from Switzerland and to her school, as well as to the ING Foundation and to the Rotary Club, for sending us much-needed help in proving books and school supplies for all the children. It was great to see all the children being ready for school!

We also want to thank Princess Margareta of Romania Foundation, who sponsors five of our kindergarten kids and some of the adolescents from the Vocational Highschool.

Dana Moldovan also deserves special thanks for sponsoring another two children as does Olivia Casscadden.

It is a great joy for us to see how young men such as Bogdan, Costi and Marius have entered college, while also working part-time; Mihaela, Tabita, Marinela and Marian also try to work while continuing their studies. Bigo and Gigi started to work, and are now self-sufficient, and able to help their needy families.

This fall also saw the opening of the movie “Money Exchange”, featuring Gabriela. Her spontaneity and expressiveness impressed everyone. She has become a symbol of what can be accomplished through our work, as well as to the power of all those who support Mia’s Children to change a life. This is a living example of how we live our motto,”Invest in a child today, rather than in a prison tomorrow.”

Another fruit of our work has been the admission of four of our children to the Choir of the Romanian Radio, for a total of eight participants to the best ensemble in the country, which is also famous throughout the world.

Among others, we mention our participation in the painting exhibit at the Princess Margareta of Romania Foundation; our participation to the Intergeneration Meeting of this foundation, during which our children sang and danced for the elders, and presented them with hand-made gifts; we presented a singing and dancing show for the First Lady of Senegal.

Among many other activities, the children completed 130 paintings for the Princess Margareta of Romania Foundation; besides the happiness of putting their creativity to use, the children learned an important lesson about the virtues of honest work and of helping others.

Many friends of Mia’s Children from the Rotary Club and others have spoken about our kids, thus bringing us visibility and further help. Although these friends are too numerous to mention, we extend our deepest thanks to them.

Our biggest help has been our mother Foundation, from which we derive the largest portion of our spiritual support, love and encouragement and most of our funding. We could never express enough our gratitude!

Our thanks and prayers go to Ariadna , Mihai, and their children, who have so generously put a roof over our heads.

Prayer requests:
*for the current world crisis to end
*for the new leaders of the US and of Romania to exercise wisdom and respect for God and humankind
*to continue praying for a stable home for our children
*for sponsors and new opportunities
*for good health for our children, ourselves and our supporters

May God bless you all this Christmas and in the coming year! We love you and thank you all!

Mia’s Children Association

Please excuse the delay in the news from Mia’s Children. There was an illness going around among the children and Mia with high fevers. But they seemed to be feeling much better now.

I spoke with Mia today by phone. She was really upbeat about the good things going on for the mission. One of the most important is the commission to paint for the Princess Margareta Foundation. The kids have been asked to paint 130 different winter and Christmas scenes. They used acrylic paint, wood boards, and 2 different types of canvas. In return the mission will be paid a small amount but it is such a blessing that they are learning to earn money thru their talents. It also builds their self esteem and confidence.

The Rotarians are continuing to mentor the older children as they become young adults. Thanks to the Rotary Clubs here and in Bucharest that are helping with food also.

A lady from the States who is a Romanian citizen has come into contact with our mission and the children and has fallen in love with them. She has made a commitment to help Mia. Everything is in the planning stages now, but thank the Lord for more help.

Another person is trying to find a way to help with the purchase or building of a new home for the kids. Again this is just in the beginning.

Mia has been asked to teach painting to the elderly and some younger children about 2 hours a week. In turn the sponsoring organization will feed our 30 kids a complete meal. Mia has more work than you can imagine with all our kids, but she is going to attempt this task also.

One of our sponsors has donated monies for Christmas which is rapidly coming. There is always needs for help from others for the children. If you can send a donation at this time of the year, please do. The address is Mia’s Children Foundation, 9245 Poplar, Ste 8, #380, Germantown, TN 38138. All donations are tax exempt.

I just recently found the following article in a Romanian newspaper. It talks about the problems with students finishing school and getting an education in Romania.

I am so proud that all 30 or so children from 5 thru 19 at the mission have a craving for learning. When we started, basically education was one of the dreams that we had for the kids. With the school system in Bucharest, we didn’t know where that would lead. Our kids had to be accepted into the schools, many did not have the proper documents necessary. School supplies and books had to be bought. In Romania books are not provided to the students. Much legwork, as well as study work, had to be done by Mia and Costel to ensure enrollment of our kids. But they did not give up. With the help of the Lord, they got the kids in school.

Now look, our kids are articulate, intelligent, educated young people and children, interested in art and music as well. We have 2 at the University of Bucharest, 6 or more in Skill Schools, all the younger ones in classes. What an awesome work God has done. Thank you for your support and prayers for Mia’s Children.

NINE O’CLOCK, THE WEB EDITION
20 pc of pupils abandon school
Almost half of the high school graduates do not have a baccalaureate diploma, while 16 per cent of the fourth grade pupils do not understand a written text. These are the conclusions of the report of the Ministry of Education regarding the state of the Ro
published in issue 4294 page 6 at 2008-10-21
The report shows that 49 per cent of the high school graduates do not have a baccalaureate diploma, while 22 per cent of the kids do not go to kindergarten, and 16 per cent of the fourth grade pupils are unable to understand a written text. School dropping is by far the most serious problem with which the Romanian educational system is confronted. The past year alone, almost 20 per cent of the pupils abandoned school, although the European Union average is almost 15 per cent.

The rate of participation of the population aged 5-29 to all the levels of education continues to place Romania on the last place compared to the other European countries, except for Bulgaria. The average school frequency duration increased by 1.7 years in 2000-2007 and by 0.3 years in 2007 compared to 2006, rising to 16.3 years. The graduation rate is not better either. According to the data of the Ministry of Education from two years ago, only 61 per cent of the Romanian eighth grade pupils have graduated school.

The number of pupils is rising. The teaching staff decreases.

We have some news: Four from our girls: Gabriela, Mihaela Ilie, Andreea Ilie, Nicoleta Ilie passed over the exams at Romanian Radio Chorus!!! We have four gifted girls entered in such high level! And John took 3 medals at International Marathon! He was at TV!
Friday we’ll have the ball with Rotary Club. We’ll have to show some paintings and some songs and a dance, a waltz. We created the dance together after the melody: “these are some of my favourite things “performed by Julie Andrews.

Today we had the meeting with Princess Margareta of Romania ‘s Foundation. It was a project where people from different generation could be together. There were theatre, music, paintings, an open door to the old people to be around young people and to young people to interact with the old people. There were many children sponsored by them, with different gifts. We were asked to welcome Her majesty. All the children were so special but our children were so sweet, clean, smart, well educated, full of a special light, the blessings of Lord upon them! the Princess was so touch by the way we welcomed Her. Then we performed in front of Her and over 100 of people. She loved it! I told her some words and the kids thank Her. When we went out from the hall, she told me “Congratulation! you are doing a wonderful work!” Then, she saw the part from the exhibit where our children had the paintings. She stopped and asked who did them? She said “These are so beautiful and special!” When she found are made by the same nice children who just sing she smiled so nicely. Again she told me that what we do is so nice, so well done and congratulated us! They have two daily centers, but with many volunteers, a lot of workers, many teachers and people are involved. We never though we might be at the same level with them, but look, we have such a confirmation that the work we do it’s a good one! Praise God!
Marius will be sponsored by their foundation for one year study at a special Art Academy, to be prepared for a next exam. Bogdan started the university, in a program where we need not to pay for first year. He works and learn in same time. Costy is doing the same thing, but he has to pay the first year.
Gabriela and Mihaela are so sweet and they want to learn so much. They over work to show their love for school, that they almost finished as much as for several months of school! they are so funny!
The five boys at kindergarten are so funny, too. They love it and everybody love them, tell that they are the most well-behaved, educated children they ever met!