It is with a full heart that Mia’s Children Foundation thanks you for your love of our children and your generosity over the year! While they do not celebrate the American Thanksgiving Day, they celebrate thanksgiving every day in their prayers of thanksgiving and their prayers for us. We wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving Day and ask God’s blessings on you and your family.
Nica, who just graduated from high school, did very well in her testing and has been accepted into the National University of Music in Bucharest. She began her classes on October 2nd.
Years ago, Nica (which is short for Nicoleta) was allowed to visit Mia’s Children for the summer with her brother Jon. She begged to stay but was required to return to the public orphanage where she had been placed. Mia and Costel worked with the orphanage personnel and months later she was brought to Mia’s Children where she remained. This was such an important moment in the life of this child!
Nica has plans to impact Romania and that includes being a music teacher and conductor. Through Mia’s Children, Nica, auditioned and sang as a member of The Romanian Children’s Radio Choir which was founded in 1945, and is one of the most outstanding children’s choirs in Romania. Going to Music School is a dream come true for Nica — a victory for Romania — and what Mia’s Children is all about…
“Through the power of the Gospel, we aim to equip, empower and raise up the
voiceless children of Bucharest – thereby presenting the love of Jesus Christ to Romania.”
The Board along with Mia and all the children want to thank all of you who participated in the Art From The Heart fundraiser in August. Special thanks to Linda and Bob Miller who came in from Arizona to serve; Talana Patterson who created and donated the beautiful centerpieces; St. Patrick Presbyterian Church for providing advertising and support; and for all the servers and planners who made last minute adjustments to make the event happen.
Most importantly, the Board wants to thank all of you who came to the event, committed to support us financially for the next year (over $10,000) and enjoyed the evening of art and celebration of the 20th year of Mia’s Children. The successes we see day to day are all because you care and we thank you for your support!
“We thank Mia’s Children Foundation, to its founders and every friend who thinks, acts, help, pray thereby fulfilling the commandments of Jesus.
The harvest season began. The Lord speaks so well of the fruits that we collect as a result of our work as Christians. That’s why we bring glory and thanks to Him for the 20 years since Mia’s Children Foundation exist in the US, created by the Castle family to which friends were added. People with big souls who believe in the power of love, which helps socially disadvantaged children, orphans, those to suffer, here in Romania.
What a wonderful testimony of faith, what a declaration of love over physical and time barriers written and read at candle light and Divine Love given to people in times in which the gap between beliefs, social systems, economic and political deepen.
Returned home, I hit another facet of reality… preparation for a new school year involving uniforms, school supplies, backpacks school, books, shoes, clothes, new requirements imposed by each school, for each student. And believe me it is hard when you have to multiply each care 40 times. Daily I ran with children to do medical tests, because I wanted to know if TB returned. Findings: Many children need iron, are carrying golden staph, hemolytic staph, high ASLO and some of them are having intestinal parasites. We will see what treatment the doctor prescribes. I was sent home with vitamins, so the children started the vitamin treatment.
With Rachel’s help we could buy some of the needed school supplies, others were donated by different persons so that each child has a backpack and books necessary for the beginning of the school year. Thank you Rachel and to all our friends!
Like any story, end of summer was a celebration of joy, in which we sang and danced in the gentle autumn sun in the Japanese Garden of Herastrau. People that came to the park remained enthusiastic and excited about the diverse talents of our children: singing, dancing, improvisation, theater play… an explosion of life that is coming from the love of some people to help these kids discover a safety life, education, love and trust in our Savior Jesus Christ.
We are continuing praying for the founders and our friends from America, thanking everyone for their constant support. May God bless you and bring you peace, tranquility and prosperity across America and Romania!”
Love, Mia
Dear Friends,
My name is John Ilie, and I’m 19 years old. I came in Mia’s Children about 11 years ago. From that moment my life was so much changed. Years before I had live in a state orphanage, because My family is so, so poor that live underground, in a small place. My family is a gypsy one and it’s so much discriminated. Usually, most of gypsies children abandoned school and became delinquent because the bad choices they make. But, I had the privilege, together my other 8 brothers and sisters to come to Mia’s Children Association. From that moment, our life was so much changed.
Lord has given to me, to us the best opportunity to find a new life, to be educated, to discover the life in a new face, with new people, to pray and follow Jesus. I graduated the high school, I started to love to paint, to play soccer, to volunteer and help other younger children to grow. I found joy, dignity, I found what mean to be loved, accepted and to love, to share. My fears are left behind because I can have a future and no more I have to be afraid of people.
Right now, I can come to visit you, to meet you and I’m so grateful and proud to be together. I just wait to see you face to face, to thank you for all the support you have given to me during 11 years. I want to look into your eyes and tell you: “Thank You, from the bottom of my heart!” Thank you to our American friends, to so many brothers and sisters in The Lord!!!
Your help, support had change life to many children like me!!!
I just wait to express my gratitude to you through my paintings, to understand what mean to be surrounded by Friends, truly parents.
May Lord continue to bless you and give you peace, joy, health, strength, everything you need and deserve for the long time good work in the benefit of Romanian children and to myself!
With deep respect,
John Ilie
If you’ve visited our site in the past, you may be used to seeing more pictures than you do now.
For the past year or so, we’ve been hearing reports from Mia and the children about bullying in school. The more privileged students will harass our kids for being poor and living at Mia’s Children. It has caused some of our young people to go through school feeling especially isolated.
While we know the bullies are aware of Mia’s Children regardless of our website, we also realize that we have a responsibility to protect our kids as well as we can, including online. For that reason we have decided, at least for now, to take down pictures of our younger residents. We will also be changing their names at times.
We really regret having to do this; and we hate the brokenness that would cause any child to be abusive to his or her peers.
We hope to continue using pictures in our newsletters. If you have questions, or if you’d like to keep updated with us by email and regular mail, please feel free to contact us.
Thank you for your understanding!
March brought with it a couple of art shows presenting Mia’s Children’s paintings. Here is Mia’s write up of the first show and how the art of children is transforming both the children and the society that has for many years kept them marginalized.
“On the 7th of March we had a special and blessed art exhibit with an auction . Mr. Duglas took a professional care to organized the art show , to invite people , to entertainment them and to present our association like a special place where the children are educated at high level . Everybody appreciate the way we improve the art in children’s life , a way to find the “treasure “God gave to each of them and make it shine . Dana Moldovan helped us to provide all the art supplies . We had painted over 120 paintings and sold most of them . Plus , more people found about our work and about God .”
Pray for “little” Mihaela – who is seeing a doctor for a problem with her brain; she needs a special treatment
Pray for a safe delivery of baby for Oana (Mia’s daughter-in-law) and a healthy pregnancy for older Mihaela (wife of Gigi).
Pray forRomania and for people to understand better the necessity to be involved in the good of people in need , in education .
Let’s pray together for the societies we live in , for elections and good leaders .
We thank you and praise Lord for all our work here and for your support .
Blessings ,
Mia’s
Over the next few posts, I will be sharing with you Mia’s March report on the mission activities and prayer requests for her and the children.
“Beloved Friends of Mia ‘s Children , “Grace be unto you , and peace , from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ, I thank my God always on your behalf , for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ That in everything we are enriched by Him , in all utterance and in all knowledge” – this Scripture is the special word God has for each of you coming from the mission from Romania .
God is taking a special care by His beloved children . The blessings are pouring over us and we give thanks and glory for all.
We started March being in a camp at the mountains -a camp for skiing offered to us freely by Mr. Marinescu and some of his friends -they pay for hotel and food together Catalin and his brother ,Costy -the owners of a skiing camp-they allowed us to have free skiing lessons , to take the skii elevator for free ;some of his teachers -great friends and special people offered to our children classes of free skiing and a special friendship .Thank you to all those who offered us such a blessed time in the middle of snow storms , of beautiful mountains in a very hard winter time .Beyond of everything we could fell God’s protection .
When we came back , we were in a middle of an epidemic of small chicken pots , but the kids could go through only with high fever , not other problems .
Please , pray for the process we started to take the 5 children who are in danger from their Mom .Will be a long fight , but we are in God’s peace and we don’t want top separated the kids from the parents , but also , we cannot let the little one be used for bagging , for so many bad things .
Please , pray for “little” Nicoleta-the doctor found some nodules on her thyroid gland and doesn’t feel well. Next week we’ll have the results of the tests and the doctor will tell if she need treatment or surgery . Praise Lord , John is Okay with the thyroid gland , despite the initial predictions .” (Mia)
Claudia and Bogdan, sponsored by the Blue Heron Foundation in their post-graduate studies finished well the winter session. Magidson, the President of Blue Heron and her staff are highly appreciative of our students’ academic efforts and of their positive attitude.
Nicoleta, Bigo and Gelu are being sponsored by Cassidian for driver’s school.
Simonaa and Georgio Modesti graced us with their presence for two days. Every time they visit they bring gifts from friends–this timeit was skiing costumes and t-shirts. They bought and cooked Italian food. Most of all, they bring much joy to the kids, happy days with steady friends who maintain their relationship with the kids.They will work for a month in Greece, then in Egypt, so they wanted to spend time with the children before their travels.
We are preparing a new painting exhibit and a little talent show for March 7 some of the children’s art works will be offered for sale, which we hope will bring in some extra money.
Another blessing is that the friends who took us to their winter camp last year have invited us again, between Feb. 26 and March 2; they are offering us free lodging, meals and skiing lessons, while we have to insure transportation. We will be sending you pictures of the most memorable moments of this trip.
We thank God for those who have met Mia’s Children and who continue to be so generous with their time and treasures.
Mia writes:
Gabriela received a new international prize at a creativity contest, “Little bag of Talents”; at the tender age of 10, she has accumulated over 15 national and international prizes, another way of demonstrating the progress made by the educational system practiced here at the Mission.
The evaluations by teachers at the kindergarten and school levels are uniformly at the highest levels.
We have weekly Bible study and are seeing many of the children making remarkable cognitive, emotional, motivational progress.
And yet, you can see in their eyes the fear of the past, their insecurities, their lack of ability to grasp things that should have been learned well before now. These deep wounds can only be helped by time and by God, who can mend crushed souls. ”
Please pray for the youngsters at the mission and especially for Mia’s energy as she works with so many children at once. Ask God to provide her the time she needs with each child and the rest she needs as His child.
For some time, Mia has been working to get all the legal issues resolved regarding some of the children and their parents who cannot take care of them. It is difficult and complicated but Mia reports today on the progress she is making.
“We have again contacted Children’s Protective Services, and with the help of Linda, of ‘Family Service” (a foreign foundation trying to introduce to Romania Christian moral values) we now have the assistance of a highly experienced, professional and kind lawyer willing to help us. We completed endless paperwork, assessments, documents in order to prove that we are caring for five of our children. It is a lengthy process involving the courts, testimony, etc., but I am determined to continue the fight to legally protect these children from those who believe they are to be used at any time for begging and worse.”
Please pray this weekend and on into the future that Mia and her lawyer will be successful in convincing the government officials that the children are well cared for and better off than on the streets. Pray also for each of the children as they grow up knowing the love that Mia shares and may that help heal the pain that these young ones have experienced.