Romania


Painting and Prayer

Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.
Romans 12:10

God we are so grateful for every child you’ve brought into Mia’s Children. We know that you have the power to heal them of even the most terrible past experiences. At the same time, we pray for all of the children influenced by new arrivals who need special care. Make the general tone of the house one of love and light. Give Mia and the staff and volunteers wisdom in guiding the children even in the midst of dark personal histories. Amen.


Painting and Prayer

Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.

Psalm 139:16


Lord we praise you for allowing some of our children to receive their ID cards this week! Thank you for an answer to many years of prayer. Please continue to protect the children who do not have IDs, who are stateless. Only you can give us true identity – please do so for them. Amen.


Painting and Prayer

All the ends of the earth
will remember and turn to the Lord,
and all the families of the nations
will bow down before him,
for dominion belongs to the Lord
and he rules over the nations.

Psalm 22:27-28

Lord we pray for the children in our organization who still have terrible memories of their pasts. Please clear their minds of the images and nightmares that haunt them. Help them to see anew and to be free of the years that burden them. Amen.


Painting and Prayer

But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.” And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.
Genesis 50:19-20

Lord bless us with forgiving and peacemaking hearts, so that we can care for others as Joseph did. Teach us to love children in need, even as we pray against their parents’ brokenness. Amen.


Romania’s National Anthem

Romanians have sung “Deșteaptă-te, române” at revolutionary events since the 1848 revolution against the Habsburg empire. It aided them in their fight against the Nazis and served as a symbol of the former way of life during decades of dictatorship.

The song, which translates “Awaken Thee, Romanian,” was outlawed under Communism and became a call to arms for protestors and rebels in 1989. Shortly after the fall of Communism, it became the national anthem.

Read the lyrics with English translation here, and listen to the song below:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cL3dCT8i3ew&feature=related&rel=0]


Painting and Prayer

A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.
Proverbs 17:17

Mia painting in Memphis

Lord, we thank you for bringing Mia safely to the United States and for the gift of friendship and community that we share with her and with our Romanian brothers and sisters. Teach us how to love and welcome visitors. May her trip be restful and inspire her work and ours. Amen.


Flory

This is Flory.

She is 17 years old and suffers from a severe hearing impairment.

Flory is an Olympiad competitor at chess, math and drawing. She took first place this year in Turkey while representing Romania at the Drawing Olympiad. She won the year before in Italy. Next year she’ll compete in Great Britain.

Flory drew the dog in this picture because she loves animals and considers dogs a blessed and faithful friend.

She needs an acoustic machine and a special battery every two weeks for her hearing aid. The kids love her and most of them communicate with her using sign language. She teaches the younger children chess strategies and secrets.

Her family comes from a poor town a long way from Bucharest, but because of the lack of work, many people have moved into the city to find employment there. In Bucharest, her mother helps prepare meals at Mia’s Children. Meanwhile, Flory’s sister entered is studying psychology in college, focusing on children with special needs.

Flory wants to stay at Mia’s Children all the time, but she’s learning in Craiovei at a high school for children with special needs. She studies architecture and would like to attend university to study architecture in the future.


Academic Successes

We’ve gotten in all the records from this school year. Can this list be any more exciting?

  • All of Mia’s Children passed their grades this year with marks of A and B;
  • Ion and Andreea applied successfully to high school;
  • After taking some time off, Claudia has returned to her social work program at the university;
  • Nicoleta and Claudia have applied for scholarships from the Blue Heron Foundation;
  • Nicoleta, Gelu, and Mihai graduated high school;
  • Mihai got his diploma as a chef;
  • Catalin (see last week’s wedding news) graduated from the history program at the university and is starting in the masters program;
  • Costi graduated with a degree in marketing;
  • and Bogdan got his degree in business, commerce and tourism. He is now pursuing a Master’s.

Praise God for these amazing children, teenagers and adults as they influence their schools and workplaces.