New Beginnings Romania News

Each Thursday morning we will learn the basic fundamentals of tennis as long as the weather holds true as we will be on outdoor courts. This past Thursday morning was too wet to start on the courts, but we were not to be stopped. Learning to hold and swing the racket was a bit risky in the backyard of the family center in Unirea, but accomplished with no one getting struck, and no windows broken- a two hour lesson with a huge accomplishment. To finish off the day, we were able to have an afternoon lesson on the courts due to some sunshine that dried up the courts enough to smack a few balls over and at the net.

Where did the rackets come from? How are we able to pay for the courts for so many children? How about the tennis balls? These may be a few questions that you may be asking yourself.

We found the best price for rackets in a town about two hours away. The tennis courts are rented for an incredible rate from a friend of a friend. He even provided the use of the tennis balls for the children. The Lord always provides.

I want to thank you again for all you do for the children. It is only because of your prayers and support that every need has been taken care of. Nicu thought of teaching the children tennis, and we were able to bring this idea into use quickly. You may not have known about this, but the Lord knows and answers. As you pray, for the children, we found tennis courts that would allow us to teach the children for two hours for the same cost as two players (and we have 11 people). We were able to find the best price for rackets, and did not even have to pay for tennis balls. The Lord is so good. Our prayers are always answered. Even for prayer requests we don't even know about yet. And as these were going to be prayer requests, they have already been answered.

Some other activities we are planning on for this summer is camp. Every year we have a kid's camp. Pray for the preparation, and planning. A zoo trip is a tradition we plan on keeping. Pray for each of these as we prepare and plan. Pray for safety and for all to be a blessing to our children.

 

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. -Jeremiah 29:11

 

I want to be a pastor just like my daddy, I want to be a policeman and catch bad guys, I want to be a lawyer or a doctor and make lots of money. These are some of the common responses to the question- "What do you want to be when you grow up?" As a child grows and develops into a young man or woman, his or her answer to this question may change a dozen times.

 

As time passes and high school soon draws to a close- many just start to think seriously about the future. The question changes to what do I want to do with my life? Many don't even figure it out until mid way through university or college.

 

 

 

 

The question what do I want to do with my life is ever present in all eighth graders here in Romania. At the end of grade eight every student has to pass a set of exams to enter into high school. Not only do they need to pass, but their score on the tests has a significant impact on which high school each will attend and which kind of career they will work towards.

 

Two children in our care are in grade eight and have just completed these exams. Does it bring relief, heartache, or both? Depends on the scores they received. Praise the Lord, both of our eighth graders passed.

Anton will be entering high school next year and looks forward to becoming a professional firefighter after high school. Pray for Anton to do well in high school, as he looks forward to becoming a fireman. Pray for him spiritually as he enters a new school where he will be bombarded with many worldly attractions, for diligence in his studies, and to not lose focus on his goals.

 

School is out and summer is here in full force. Put on the shorts, pack up the sweaters and long sleeves, grab the football (soccer ball) and head outside. Along with no school comes warm weather, mosquitoes, summer camp, and other outings.

The bicycles have been brought out of storage, tires pumped and chains tightened. The children always love riding their bikes, some more daring than others, building jumps and performing tricks when possible. As kids we all loved the feel of the wind in our ears, tears on our cheeks, and the hum of the tires as they barely skim the ground.

The summer always brings a trip to the zoo. Always a highlight for the kids to hear, see, and smell different animals. The lions, bears, and monkeys always brings out a smile. A great time for the kids to get a break from the normal summer activities.

Unirea Family Center

As summer comes, so do vacation time for the house parents. Mr. and Mrs. Atudosie have decided to split their vacation time in two. They are taking the first half now, and the second half in the first part of September. Adi and his family are staying at the family center caring for the children. A task not taken lightly. Seven children, from eight to nineteen.

Looking forward to summer camp!

Summer camp is fast approaching! Only a couple more weeks to go! Summer camp is a great time for the kids to relax, learn about God, and experience the outdoors. This summer, for the first time, the camp will be in two different groups, by ages. Ages six to eleven will begin the camp followed by the preteens, ages twelve to fifteen. This summer the kids will learn about the whole armor of God, piece by piece, and their uses. Flashback: last year the kids learned about the prophet of God– Samson, and even through his failures God still used him.

Girls Night Out

You have read about a couple of girls nights out, as we try to have them periodically with the family centre girls. This time thought was something special, and was not just for the family center girls, but girls in the church, as well as for some of the community girls that Natalie (another missionary lady) works with. We started off the night with the girls being escorted into the church, where they sat down to a nice dinner with fine china and all! We were all dressed up in dresses or skirts. After dinner we played some really fun games like spin the fingernail polish, and all of us went home with multi colored fingernails. Then we were more serious as Cynthia Fouts did an amazing job teaching about purity and presenting the gospel.

The girls were asked to take a stand to stay pure and wait for the husband God has for them. To remind them of this stand they were each given a purity ring. It was a great evening and I believed it really made the girls face some issues and realize God’s love for them.

As the first few months of the New Year, come to an end New Beginnings has gone through some changes. January 2009 brought the return of the Anderson family from trip to the States, and a question of what to do about house parents for the Covaci Family Center. As of August 2008, the family center was without house parents. For the first few months four New Beginning staff members rotated on shifts with the children, but the continuous change and not having consistency was influencing the children negatively. So, until we are able to find a Godly Christian couple to be house parents, the girls are living with the Missionary Pastor and his family, and their brother is living with the director of New Beginnings. This has been an adjustment for both the children and the household. Pray for the children as they adjust to new rules, new homes, new people, and a new atmosphere. Pray for the adults to show God’s love through this hard time in their lives. Pray that we find house parents for the Covaci Family Center.

Another minor change is moving the office to the ministry house, and this has helped cut some administrative expenses to be able to use it more for the children, and save where we are able to because of the economic situation.

Each of the Family Centers is well and healthy. They all appreciated the boxes of clothes sent over. What a blessing it has been for each of the homes. This summer we have our yearly kid’s camp coming up in August. Pray for God to use this time to touch the children and change their hearts, and to grow in their knowledge of Jesus. Pray as the leaders prepare not only the lessons, but their own hearts and minds as well.

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We plan to provide news updates about the ministries of New Beginnings at least once a month starting August 15, 2008