ROMANIA UPDATE

The newsletter of Romania Care

May 2001

Thank you for your response to the new format Romania Update - we have decided to issue this on 6 occasions a year, and hope you will find it a useful aid. The colour A4 format newsletter will now be issued just three times a year, and only to church/group contacts.

A WORD FROM OUR PATRON, the Bishop of St Albans

‘There can be no doubt that one of the most effective and efficient forms of aid is that which links parish to parish or group to group. Romania Care is a classic example of Christianity in action: it doesn't blow trumpets, it seeks no reward, it simply gets on with the task - and does so with much prayer and Christian love. But added to this it has a vision of helping those most in need and working with them to create new and lively opportunities.

It is a privilege to be associated with the Charity. I assure it and all involved of my prayers and good wishes.,

CAN WE ASK YOU TO HELP US? as we try to keep our costs to a minimum, yet maximise on the potential that we feel we can release to help those in need in Romania.

Could you let us know:

1. If you would prefer this newsletter to be sent to you by e-mail - please contact                      phalden@btinternet.com and he will arrange this for you.
2. Are YOU the right person to be receiving this newsletter, or is there someone in your church specifically dealing with ‘Mission’? If so we will gladly send future copies to them - please again contact us.

SHOE BOX APPEAL

Following on from last year’s very successful appeal we have decided to try and expand the scheme this year. Would you be interested in joining us in trying to get your church or school (or both) to fill shoe boxes with items for the most needy people in the Suceava area of north east Romania?

At this stage we would just like to hear that you want to get involved and the name and address of the person who would like to act as co-ordinator. We are going to source all the shoe boxes centrally and will be issuing strict guidelines on what goes into each box soon after the summer holidays. We want the boxes to be delivered in time for Christmas 2001

Please contact our office (address and e-mail address at the top) if you would like to be involved

Prayer points

• Pray about whether your church or school might get involved in the ShoeBox appeal for this year.

• Pray also that the right person in your group will be able to fulfil the co-ordinators role for the collection and checking of the boxes.

WEB SITE

We now have our own web site (http://www.RomaniaCare.com) - although this is still under development, it does provide a useful means of keeping our supporters well informed on what we are currently doing.

We really would appreciate your constructive comments on the site as we seek to improve it.

STOP PRESS

The British Ambassador to Romania is to visit Fintinele on Friday 27^th July. Laurence and Peter are going to fly out ahead of the teams in order to meet him.

PAUL & LENUTA CLARK

Paul came to Romania with us last year as a member of our summer team. He was intending to leave his job with a major supermarket and travel around the world, but he found life in Fintinele to be much more fulfilling than in Maldon, Essex! So much so that Paul stayed on in Fintinele and we are delighted to say that he was married to Lenuta in April and they are currently having an extended honeymoon in the UK. They have bought a house in Fintinele and are now seeking to furnish it.

Paul will be working for us as our ‘eyes and ears’ especially in so far as our project in Ilisesti is concerned. One of our priorities is to provide him with transport to enable that function to be fulfilled to the best of Paul’s ability.

The cost of such transport should not exceed £1,000 (about £750 if ‘Gift Aided’)

Prayer point

• Pray about whether the provision of transport for Paul & Lenuta is an area that your church might like to get involved with

SUMMER TEAMS

We have 19 people going out to Romania and Moldova in late July and August to carry out a number of tasks:

They will run holiday clubs in Fintinele and Ilisesti (in Romania) and Valea Marie and Ricipeni (in Moldova). They will build a wood store at Fintinele and put the permanent fence around the new Nursing Home site at Ilisesti. Also there will be a survey carried out of the homes surrounding Ilisesti to ascertain future needs.

Prayer points

• Pray for safety in all aspects of the teams work and travel

• Pray for guidance as we seek to ascertain future projects for the Charity

UPDATE ON ILISESTI

The project has obtained the first approval needed for construction; this is called the urbanistic general plan. We now need to get the second and final approval called the final construction plan; we expect to get this in mid June when construction of the ground floor will begin. We are beginning to think about recruiting staff for the project - a guard, a manager and construction workers.

The situation with the finance is most encouraging. We have had donations which cover the first 4 beds – only 18 to go! We have also made a presentation to a number of companies in the City of London and are hopeful of a good response there. Could you introduce us to other possible sponsors in business?

Prayer points

• Give thanks for the financial that has been received so far!

• Continue to pray for the rest of the finance needed to complete the project.

• Pray for the granting of the final construction plan and that the right people will be found to work on the project.

NEWS ON GIVING

It is now possible to give via CharityCard and Give As You Earn.

For a minimum donation of £10 per month you can become a "Friend of Ilisesti".

More details of all these ways of giving can be obtained from the office.

Romania Care Registered Charity No 1012759

Office: 4 Bury Lane, Codicote, Herts., SG4 8XT

Phone/Fax: 01438 – 822007. Email: info@RomaniaCare.com

...Love and care from here to there..