REMINISCENCE’S OF ROMANIA.
by John Glass
Late last year Diane, and I, with a group from the church, went to the Sanctuary in Romania that Di’ and myself support.
Following the trip we had an evening in the church to reflect on the trip.
There wasn’t time that evening to reflect on past visits, so I thought I’d do it here, briefly !!
As most of you know, even if only through previous articles, Di’ & myself have been going to the Sanctuary for quite a few years now. Di’ has not always been able to come on all the trips, but has always come when we’ve gone to the Sanctuary.
Lydden Church -- “City of Hope”. 2006
It started back in April 2006, when Pastor Hadyn Twinberrow was at Lydden. This trip lasted 10 days, and took us to a village just outside Bucharest.
There was 14 of us, of various ages. We stayed at a big house which we decorated. Whilst out there we did some night trips feeding the “Street children”, visited the Marie Curie Hospital, where the youth from the church put on a Puppet show for the children. Some of us helped out at the street rescue centre, gave testimonies at the retreat coffee shop and presented 2 mini-buses to the “City of Hope” charity, to help transport children to hospital etc.
We did get a day out when Dan & Mihail, (our contacts) took us into the country villages and met some of the people, including being invited into their homes.
Rainbow Trust -- Orphanages. 2007
No group went out the following year, but late in the year I flew out to Bucharest to meet up with a couple from S’well from the charity Rainbow trust. This couple have driven their mini-bus out to Romania, loaded with equipment and medication, normally 2x a year, to help an orphange near Bucharest. They’ve done this since the early 90’s, so they’ve seen the children grow up, some unfortunatly would have died, some moved out and into family care. It was on such a trip that I was invited to join them.
We visited an orphanage, where supplies of clothing and fresh fruit for the children were given out, also unfortunately an institution. That, I have to say was not pleasant, where a lad, too old for the orphanages, and suffering a brain tumour, was placed there as there was nowhere else for him !! We also saw some of the people involved with children. I couldn’t get a flight back with them, so I stayed in Bucharest with Dan, the Pastor I met on the previous trip.
The next day before my return flight, Dan took me to visit the Teen Challenge centre. I was shown round the place, met some of the boys, and was shown of some of the work they needed to do. They had just aquired the building, and were making it ready for their needs.
This proved to be our project for the following year.
Lydden Church - Teen Challenge. 2008
Following my visit to T/C, I “reported back” to the church of their needs, and of Dan’s involvement.
So, after many E’mails back & forth to discuss work, accomodation etc. funds were raised and a team of 9 of us went out in May to the work. Basically redecorating a bedroom, converting a basement into a gym, digging out tree roots, turning over a large area and planting up. Sorting out some electrical problems, and completing the fitting of a new window.
Once again we were fortunate to be able to stay “on site”. Shopping for materials at the local builders stores, was interesting, not only the language problem, but also some bits you just can’t get. They don’t use Junction Boxes for wireing, over there, but Screwites, which is only just one better than twisting and tapeing the wires together !!
We did have a couple of trips into Bucharest, where we visited the retreat centre coffee shop again.
Our day out was a trip to Pele’s Castle, and a meal in one of the traditional Taverna’s.
Dan Mihail and wives came to visit us one evening.
to be continued next month
