PRAYER UPDATE FOR MUSTARD SEED [JERSEY]– April 2007

 

 

Dear Prayer Warriors,

Thank you so much for your prayers. As the little wooden plaque on my mantelpiece says ”PRAYER CHANGES THINGS”

 

AID TRIP TO ROMANIA

We returned from our first aid trip of the year to Romania at Easter. It was the first aid trip since Romania had joined the EU and we were concerned which was one of the major reasons why Phil and I went down with the minibus at the same time as the lorry. Before leaving, Jersey Customs warned that they thought it was likely we would have to pay VAT on importing them into Romania. But when we arrived all worked amazingly well. It was explained to us that the recipient charity (in this case People to People Nicu Gal’s charity) could only import a certain amount of aid without being liable for VAT, it was dependent upon the projects that the charity had registered with the Romanian government. Nicu feels he can only justify one more aid lorry from us this year and suggested December to include Christmas shoeboxes.

Following on from our visit we do feel there are some very deep needs especially among the other trusts we assist (to whom People to People forward the aid according to our instructions) and we would like to send aid before December to Romania. I have asked Alex Stroie who runs our own much smaller trust Mustard Seed Romania to see if it is possible for Mustard Seed Romania to obtain a licence to import aid, in which case we could send a further aid consignment to Romania in the autumn. Please remember this in your prayers.

 

GENERAL SITUATION IN ROMANIA

The general feeling among aid workers was that the need is greater now that the country is in EU, and the poor are even poorer. Prices are rising but salaries for the man on the street and pensions are not (an example: fuel is now a similar price to what it is here, but the average wage per month is only 250 euros per month, which is under £200 a month). I personally believe that until prices, wages and pensions are better balanced, the need is greater and our help is all the more important. I want to emphasise the urgency of that last prayer request that we will be able to take an additional load of aid into the country before December.

 

THANKS-GIVING

We had some wonderful encouragements while we were there, especially:

  • KALAUS family have settled in very well to their new house. This house purchased by Mustard Seed Romania in an isolated village is able to give them the opportunity to find work, earn money and gradually (within 3 years we hope) to become independent able to pay a realistic rent. The next door neighbour is very helpful and has given us good reports of the Kalaus family (who moved from the disused factory warehouse in Oradea in January).
  • There is another possible property to buy in the same village which a volunteer has offered to fund which should mean we can relocate another needy family. (See needs below)
  • The progress at the Mustard Seed Romania Boys Hostel is good, the business venture to become self-supporting has developed and the fish farm has been stocked with young fish. Please pray for success.

 

SPECIFIC NEEDS

While we were in Romania we came across some individual people in very poor conditions and real need.

  • Raymond family – over the last 18 months we have seen a gradual downward spiral in the living conditions this family of five can afford, largely due to the prejudice against gypsies – as a result the father is unable to obtain permanent employment; the best he can hope for is “day work” at the market, but 3 days out of 5 he is sent home without work. The mother is at home looking after the 3 year old and 2 boys attend school. This family now live in a very small basement room (for which they pay £20 a month), it has no doors (they have blankets at the door-holes) and 2 other families use it as a passage way to go to their own equally poor rooms. We hope to relocate them to a property in the village, where the Kalaus family are now. There is a nearby factory where the father could obtain work.
  • Gizella – we have been given the resources to build this elderly disabled woman a small wooden shed / house (similar to a garden shed) but she threw the traditional “spanner in the works” by saying she feared what the others in her very poor community might do to her if her accommodation was so much better than theirs, so she wanted it at her son’s house in a very isolated village. But the son is very emphatic while his mother can visit for a  few weeks each year he does not want her there all the time. Gizella is confused but has now decided she wants to stay where she was. Finally we have agreed the shed will be built in the original place and Gizella’s sister will care for Gizella while the next door neighbour checks on the situation for us. Please pray Gizella’s last year or years will be as comfortable as they can be and that she will be at peace within herself.
  • Pensioners – we visited a number of the sponsored pensioners (through Adopt-A-Granny scheme) who are in real need. We give thanks for Caritas (the Roman Catholic charity) who provide a daily meal to needy pensioners – many of our sponsored pensioners attend the centre. I was especially encouraged to see that for one very frail lady (unable to walk there) they deliver to her. We saw many very lonely very poor pensioners, it was quite pathetic at times to see the sadness and deep appreciation for the boxes we took and for our brief visits. (If you do sponsor a pensioner, can I encourage you to pray for them also).
  • Adi – he is the newest addition to the Mustard Seed Romania Boys Hostel and moved in just before Easter. Please pray for him to settle down well with the other 2 lads. Attilla is doing very well; Cosmin is talking of going to Spain to work for the summer and Adi has just arrived. (I have no news on the other 3 who have now left the hostel).

 

NEXT AID TRIP is to Ukraine. We plan for that to take place some time in June – there are many details that still need to be arranged and confirmed, so please remember this in your prayers.

 

LOOKING FURTHER AHEAD

In September we hope to bring over another 4 young women (ex-state orphanage and currently in our sponsored apartments) for a holiday. Please pray especially for FORNICA who is on kidney dialysis, that we will be successful raising the money to pay for her dialysis sessions while she is in Jersey and that she will enjoy good health while she is on holiday here.

 

OUR DREAM

On the site in Cefa where the Boys Hostel is now we want to build 2 more houses: one to offer a home to needy pensioners without family to support them and one for a supervisor (to oversee the whole site – boys’ hostel, fish farm and old people’s home).

The great news is that while we were in Romania we met up with STEVE and TOM again from USA and they have offered to raise funds to build the supervisor’s house. They make an annual visit to assist Alex’s projects in Cefa. They are impressed by the boys’ hostel and can see the potential – they identified the need for a supervisor living on the site and have said they will raise funds for this.

To complete the dream we in Jersey will need to raise funds for the building of a home for needy pensioners (had we had this now maybe we could have offered a home to Gizella). We are working on a design and a budget. PLEASE REMEMBER THIS IN YOUR PRAYERS.

 

VISIT OF ALEX STROIE TO JERSEY – please pray that this time is a real blessing and challenge. He is speaking at several schools.  I very much hope to see you (if you are in Jersey) at one or more of the events we have planned.

 

  • Wednesday May 2nd 7.30 pm Priory   (Raffle, £5 for meal reservations to coordinator before April 29th - if at all possible!)

 

  • Thursday May 3rd at 7.30 pm at St Paul’s Centre

(focus on Boys Hostel project, plans for independence and answers to prayer)

 

  • Friday May 4th at 2.30 pm at Samares Methodist Church Hall

(focus on pensioners, their needs, our help)

 

  • Saturday May 5th 10.30-12.00 Coffee Morning at All Saints Church

(this is a chance to meet Alex informally as well as raise funds for some of the projects he is involved with)

 

  • Sunday May 6th 9.00  All Saints Church
  • Also Sunday May 6th 11.00  Holy Trinity Church    
  • And Sunday May 6th  6.30  Baptist Church, Vauxhall Street

 

Come and hear about the difference we in Jersey are making in Romania

 

For further details please email Rose

 

Please continue to pray for Mustard Seed and those we assist.     We see many answers to prayer, so please be encouraged to continue to pray.

 

God bless you

Rose Helie

 

 

 

 

 

 

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