More Blessings Each Day with Christmas in Romania

We had another amazing day today!  We were able to see the kids in the Seeds of Hope Program and spend time with them.  Two young mothers came to bathe their children.  One new mother is 15 years old and her baby, Roberta, is four months old.  She is very reluctant to give her baby a bath because she screams all the way through it.  Missy was there to help her through the process.  Roberta still cried through it, but at least Missy was able to help Roberta feel more confident that it's nothing she is or is not doing; it will just take time for Roberta to get used to it.  You have to understand, that in the village, these families do not have indoor plumbing and had never had a bath and a bath for some of these children is a scarey thing.  Another mother brought her toddler and baby to get a bath.  The baby wasn't too excited, but Alisa,  who's threem LOVED her bubble bath!  These mothers are doing the best that they can, but as we shared in an earlier blog, some of these mothers are still children themselves.  The Seeds of Hope is an amazing addition to the ministry, as there is so much need.  Relationships continue to build through the process.   

The Christmas party today was probably the most exciting and fun party yet.  We always start with a family portrait.  They LOVE having pictures taken, and love seeing them right after you take them.  This is not something they would typically have.  They cherish the pictures that are taken and given to them.  The more pictures we took, the more they wanted so we took anything and everything.  The were giggly and so excited.  Then on to the food, sweets and fun.  They are always a little shy at first, but then settle in and enjoy their time together sharing a meal, around the table, which is not typical for them in their small huts.  Then we got out the craft.  It's so fun to watch them, even the adults, really get into it, and have so much fun doing it together.  The Isaiah Center children performed their program and as always, did an amazing job.  Then the excitement builds for the arrival of Santa!  In a short time, we hear bells ringing and there was Santa coming in the door!  He came in dancing!  Then he pointed to Iza and asked her to come to him, and with that, Santa, Iza and Maria started dancing like crazy!  There was so much laughter in the room!  Then gifts were passed out and Santa photos taken.  The parties have been fun all week, but today it was extra special and so much fun!

We are worn out but so blessed by the Christmas celebrations, being with all of the kids and families and seeing God at work.  The Roma gypsies are considered outcasts, and are not accepted into society.  Yet, through the work of Forget Me Not Ministries and the many teams who come to work alongside FMN, the Roma are loved, encouraged, and relationships are being formed and/or strengthened.   

Tomorrow we will be going to the village to deliver food packages and firewood.  We will get to spend time with each of the families assisted by FMN.  This is such a gift to be able to share, and we thank each of you who gave so generously to make this possible.  The winter this year in Romania is expected to be the coldest that it has been in 100 years.  The firewood will provide heat for the winter and also for cooking.  The food packages are bigger than ever, and again that is because of the generosity of many.

Thank you for your prayers, your notes of encouragement and for being part of our team!  We can't wait to share today's pictures!  You don't want to miss the video at the end of Santa dancing!

We can't wait to go to the village tomorrow, and will be excited to share pictures and updates after delivery of food packages and firewood!