Our Blog

Dear family,
Received the following from Carol Schultz, our missionary friend in Bucharest. Please raise Costel & Mia in prayer, as well as the 25 – 40 kids that depend on them. God is the greater healer & comforter, as well as being in charge. Please intercede for them. God bless you and yours in the upcoming Christmas season.

“Dear Intercessors,

I spent a few hours at Mia’s Children today…precious children with hearts soft and open to the Word, worship, prayer. I just got home. We had a delightful & spiritual time…BUT

Costel is very ill, needs hospitalization, and when I left inquiries for bringing him in at hospitals continued to be turned down. Much sickness here in Bucharest and hospitals are full! Mia is very stressed while at the same time somehow trusting in the Lord to make a way. May God have mercy on Costel, pray for him and Mia please.

Thank you for your prayers that avail much!!!

In His love and mine,

Carol”

As you all know, the economy has been pretty tough this year for most of us. The holidays are coming up, presents to buy, gifts to give, requests for help.

And this is one. The economy in Romania has been worse than in the U.S. We have managed to move our young adults out on their own. Some are back with their families, working, still getting their education at different schools. Two are in a one room apartment flat, working and trying to make it on their own, with a little help from their friends. Most of these kids have been with us for over 8 – 12 years, since our beginnings. This is a “praise the Lord”. They haven’t broken the poverty cycle but they are making great strides and still growing in the Word.

Now we have 21 children living with Mia and Costel 24/7 365 days a year. Different organizations and children advocacies have asked that we take more. Unfortunately Mia and Costel have their hands full, especially with Costel still extremely ill. We have Luminita living there with her 4 children, helping with the housekeeping and the laundry which is monumental! Mia is “home-schooling” our kindergarten age and younger children because there was no money or sponsorship to send them to school

Our givings have dropped over the past few months. One of our sponsors have made up the difference, but I know this cannot continue. Please pray about these children and where they would have been without Mia’s Children. If the Lord so leads, please make a tax deductible donation. We need (2) things — monthly donations, no matter how big or how small, and money towards Christmas for them to have one present each from Santa Claus..

Our mailing address is Mia’s Children Foundation, Inc.
9245 Poplar Avenue, Ste. 8 #380
Germantown, TN 38138

Visit our website to see the history of Mia’s Children, www.miaschildren.org

We have a new baby! Her name is Valeria Florentina. She’s 1 year old and, of course she’s sister of Gabriela , Mathew and Costy. She was raised in a box of cardboard in a field. She never had a bath; she’s so tiny, less than 9 pounds. She cannot eat, just drink some milk. She was used in begging. Her parents wanted sell her in Germany. She’s so cute with blue eyes & blonde hair. Oana and Costy, Mia’s daughter-in-law & son, are willing to keep her over the nights.

Now for the status of our oldest group of kids. Most of these are 19 – 21 years old and have been with us during the last 12 years. Mihaela has finished her schooling in cosmetology, is working, and back with her family . Marinela and Marian, brother and sister, started to work and rented a room where they learn to stand on their feet . Costy is working for the army, close by Bucharest and continues to be a student. Marius started to work in a good restaurant and we are trying to find someone to teach him more about his painting and artwork. Bogdan works with us and at the same time is student in the second year. Claudia helps with the little ones at the house right now and goes to the University also. Much progress has been made over the last 12 years. What success stories for our kids!

This was written recently by our friend, Carol Schulz, a missionary in Bucharest.

“Yesterday I had a lovely time at Mia’s, mostly with her and the 9 young children whom she is now home-schooling. Princess Margarita’s money is no longer available for them for the special school they were in and other good public schools were full. So Mia is back to teaching. Yesterday I helped, especially with a dear Bible study we had together, and we all went away happy in Jesus. Please pray that the hunger for Him and opportunity to share Him, not only with the young ones but with all, continues.

Last week Costel was quite healthy, but yesterday again he had to stay in bed…probably needs checking, too. He couldn’t make it down the stairs. Mia told me she also needs testing, which costs nearly $200 for the tests they need to do, and she has real need for an eye check-up and new glasses, again another couple hundred dollars for them. I think Costel also needs new glasses.

Because of the school situation and need for space for the young kids and the older ones for studying after school, Mia has Costi building an extension for that. Costi and Oana, Mia’s son and daughter-in-law, are helping with the children. Oana comes in the afternoon from the apt to help with homework. Costi is really doing a great job, but now must finish a little more insulating, buy & put in 4 windows & a door, and put down a rug and then they hope to get some electric heaters, not a heating system, for heat. Electricity will be expensive, but she says this will work best. She will try to find a few pieces of second hand furniture & a rug for the floor. So there’s a need for extra money, if possible. That’s the current status there.

I’m writing to see if people in the states might respond to this definite need at this time. The kids continue to be dear and as we pray, let’s believe they will truly get rooted and grounded in our Lord Jesus. Inflation is so high here; I hear cost of books and supplies for school keep some kids, even from caring poor families, from even going to school. The EU plods on with construction, but many Romanian people are having a hard time making ends meet.”

Should any of you like to make a contribution, please see the section to the right about donations. Thanks

The kids are well. We did not receive any help to take the kids to the kindergarten, so we need start a new program and do it at home. I went with Oana and got some special books to be helpful in our work and started the program. We have 9 kids at this level.

The school children are great, they love to work and learn. Costy is making a roof, practically a room for storage and for play on the back porch as we have lots of mice and no place for storage. Costel trys to be useful as much as he can. In last time he’s more active than he was in long time. Bogdan drives everyday. We try not to let Costel drive as he did before.

Images Only:

Right now, we had a wonderful oportunity to have an art exhibit. These days there is the most famous international music festival, named “George Enescu”. Great “singer philarmonios”, ballet are having a very important place in the festival.

Foreign people are coming from abroad to the performances. We were asked to have a painting exhibit in Opera`s hall. We exhibit 16 art pieces- some of them especialy dedicated to the festival.

We are blessed and honored to have this oportunity. It`s an outlet for our art, a way to let people know more about Mia`s.

Greetings in the Name of our Lord! We bring glory to Him for last two months who have been both fruitful and awful for us. But let us start with the good news in reporting to you.

On June 1st, International Children’s day, we organized a cele-bration, including the inauguration of the above-ground pool generously donated by the Transilvania Bank. As if on cue, it started raining, and 20 pairs of disappointed eyes had to watch the play of rain upon the inaccessible pool.

On June 3rd we hosted several children’s groups from schools across Bucharest. They brought toys and sweets, mingled with our kids. Their leaders expressed amazement at Mia’s Children ability to socialize and relate to new kids from all walks of life in a peaceful and harmonious manner, bringing joy and contentment to hosts and guests alike.

The end of the school year, on June 15, brought about the usual festivities. A veritable treasure of prizes recognized our kids’ successes, from 1st to 12th graders, who received academic honors and prizes. Seven of our children received national prizes in painting and collages. It was wonderful to see the kids’joy–it also motivated supporters to donate a cooking range on this occasion.

Other activities during this period included the erection of a shaded back verandah, the planting and tending the vegetable and flower gardens, and the redoing and consolidation of the basement building. This last endeavor was ably led by Costi, with his construction expertise; he was heartily assisted by his “sweaty crew” of older boys, and by his wife, Oana, who can mix concrete with the best!

We also saluted the return to active work of our volunteer psychologist, Dr. Maria Derevenco (now fully accredited for independent practice in Romania at the highest level of expertise). The children’s incredibly warm and touching welcome was matched by her utmost delight of returning to service for her beloved kids.

All of the above took place against the backdrop of a severe personal and institutional crisis – the grave deterioration of Costels’s health. Various supporters and friends, including Mia’s Children Foundation, ING Bank and the Rotary Club assisted in arranging for his hospital & care.

Back on a more joyous note, Mrs. Ariadna Puciu came to visit, much to our collective delight. We spent many wonderful moments with her family, and were honored to host her son’s Radu birthday cele-bration. She made some official papers for our living here.Thank you,Puchiu’s family!

Another unexpected happy event in July was the gift from Elena and Radu, who, together with Transilvania Bank, offered us 2 nights lodgings at the Black Sea beach; the kind people from ING Bank supported our meals,while Robert provided transportation to and from the resort. For most of our children, was the first time in their life when they could meet the waves, the sand and all the beauty from the Black Sea shore.

At the end of June we started summer school with a community-directed project, of decorating and painting murals for a new kindergarden in the neighborhood. Our kids’ enthusiasm and talent brought to life various characters from well-known tales, which now adorn every classroom, playroom and common space of the building. In exchange, the kindergarden is receiving 4 of Mia’s Children for the summer session at no cost. This project has started to rise our visibility and good name in the community and neighborhood, and will lead, hopefully, to the dissemination of our model of edu-cation in the community at large.

The end of June also brought to us a corps of volunteers from ING Bank, who will be visiting regularly for tutoring in math,foreign languages,creative play,etc.

Before closing, we would like to express our special thanks to Mia’s Children USA and to Rotary International (who bestowed their honored Paul Harris Fellow status to Mia this year),for all the support,special care and constant friendship for our children and for us personally .
Please , pray for :
Costel’s health ;
For everyday bread and a stable budget;
For sponsors for new school year, kindergarten;
Workers and helpers;