Diary 7 Monday December 13th 2010
This morning Bob
and Neil left – the roads were still quite slippery and so was the path from
the house to the lorry. After breakfast they left and Phil, Christine and I all
waved them off. They aim to get through Hungary and most of Austria today. Bob
did a radio interview with BBC Radio Jersey which we managed to listen to live
online.
Phil and I have
moved on to stay with Geo and Simona Dejeu at Caminul Felix. Christine
went out to distribute more shoeboxes to a school about 50 miles away where we
have given shoeboxes before – she is staying at Cefa.
(Tomorrow she goes into the hospital for sick children with Kathy Langston for
the day)
On our way out
of Cefa I went to the Mayor’s office to leave him a
Jersey calendar. It was really encouraging as the secretary spoke English and
knew all about the connection with Jersey. She said her mother teaches at the
school and she had heard of the children’s joy on receiving shoeboxes from her
mother, how some children brought their boxes in next day to show the teacher
and to ask for a translation of the cards and letters from children in the
boxes.
We then went to
Geo’s to unload our luggage – how do we always have so much?! The car was solid
full to the roof what with the boxes for “Nicu’s
Girls” not yet delivered and also 20 shoeboxes for an orphanage which we were
due to visit this afternoon with Alex.
Once again Alex
got lost finding this orphanage which is a state institution for those with
severe learning difficulties – they have contacted Alex asking for help with
clothes, medication, shoeboxes. He jokingly said he has a mental blank about
getting to this place and each time he gets lost though always within 200
meters of the place!! Phil and I laughed and told him we found it reassuring
that Romanians get lost in Oradea and not just people from Jersey!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The children in
the orphanage have changed and are no longer children but young people with
severe learning difficulties the oldest was in their mid twenties and the
youngest around 18 I believe, but it was hard to tell. Some were profoundly
disabled unable to walk without aid and obviously mentally disabled as well. We
gave them boxes for the age range 6-11 as it was agreed that was most
appropriate.
We helped them
open their boxes. One lad (aged 25) sat and rocked and did nothing. Another
began eating the sweets with the paper on. We rescued a bar of soap that one
young woman (she looked only 11 or 12 but was older) was starting to eat as it
was a bright orange colour. But their joy on being visited and being given
gifts was moving.
Although no
photos were allowed it was one of the distributions that we will remember well.
Next year we must pack some special boxes for this institution and any others
like it to avoid giving any potentially dangerous things like marbles, but we
must aim to assist them again, with clothes etc as needed throughout the year
and shoeboxes again next Christmas.
Now it is time
to eat a delicious and no doubt large supper with Geo and Simona.