March 23, 2003

Mary Writes:

1. I am totally pleased and amazed at how much responsibility two of our boys have taken about the new rented apartment. For those of you who do not know, we found a large two bedroom apartment for rent for 50 dollars a month. It is large enough for 4 or 5 boys. It is almost completely furnished now, most of which is from giveaways the boy have managed to scrounge. They found an hotel going out of business and they got a great deal on some odds and ends. We found out why the apartment is so cheap. The pipes in the basement all leak and form pools of stagnant water which really stinks in the summer. I am told this has been this way for 20 years. (Petru used to live in this building.)Many buildings in Tulcea have this problem and most apartments this size are at least 150 dollars a month. The guys have cleaned it and Gica, the plumber is making necessary repairs. The money given by the group will pay for all the furniture and plumbing repairs. In Tulcea, the renter makes the repairs--go figure! If we have to ever move we will have all the furniture. We now have a permanent place for two boys, plus emergency, short-term housing for three others.

2. This is the really terrible news. You know all the kids who have just been brutally moved to all the new centers? Well, these new centers were designed as daycare centers for poor children from these various little villages. They are all funded by the EU (European Union) under a program called PHARE. Well, PHARE just found out that at Baia none of the kids living there have any family at all from the area, so they have said that these kids are there illegally and must be returned to Tulcea. The same is true of the centers in Somova, Niculitel, Salina and probably all the others. If they have family in the area, they will go immediately to their family --like it or not. If not, they come back to Tulcea. BUT, WAIT A MINUTE -- Tulcea county has already accepted grant money to turn the boys home into a home for the old folks. This project on paper has already begun. All the boys from the boys home were supposed to be out in March so work on the reconstruction will begin. The boys home and the girls home are supposed to be combined. Now all these kids are being returned. Where will they put them? My guess, some will go back to Horia, some will go to Babadag, some probably to Laguna, Issacea and Zybil -- This is only my guess. Some of the children were just getting used to the new centers and making friends, etc. Now they will come back. On paper, the department now receives funding for 40 boys and about 25-30 girls in Tulcea. They thought they could send the kids to these centers and say they had reduced the number of kids in the large centers in Tulcea. They thought no one would check up on where these kids came from. I think, if they could, they would put these kids on movable buses and just drive them around and around. I cannot predict anymore what will happen. I'll keep you posted.

May God forgive humanity or what we do to one another. I pray for all of you as I know everyone in Palo Duro has loved ones involved in this war. I have many friends and family already over in Kuwait. There are planes leaving from here in Romania to go to Iraq. A number of boys (3) in my youth group have gotten their draft notice and there are Romanian troops being sent soon to Iraq.... I pray for the PEACE only God can give us. The peace of Christ. The peace that passes all understanding. The kind of peace where we can truly love our enemies and turn away from war as a solution. Peace where we do not have evil dictators holding their own citizens down with tyranny. I know that God can make all things work together for good...and I pray that God can make a miracle happen from this mess we are in .. ONLY GOD CAN.

I also pray for those who fight for peace by their protests in cities all around the world. I also have loved ones involved in these protests, and these are as legitimate as the battle going on in Iraq... Both groups are sincerely working for a better world. God can work through these protests,as well as through this war and we need to keep our hearts and minds and souls open for the lessons we can really learn so maybe we never have to go through this again. After each war, people say, this is the war to end all wars...but we seem to be on a vicious cycle. JESUS IS THE WAY. It seems so clear to me that I cannot phathom why humanity has not embraced Christ as the way to true PEACE. Until we do, we will keep having these wars .... Enough preaching!!

PEACE, the Peace of Christ,
Mary

Old News

November 2003
August 2003
March 2003
July 2002
February 2002
November/December 2001
October 2001

Open Letters from Romania

These letters were written by Mission Co-Worker Mary Ferris to members of the churches which have supported NOROC's mission:

Travelling the roads to one of Tulcea's 22 children's centers(April 2003)

Worship in a Romanian church, and the exciting mission of Romanian bird watchers (October 8, 2001)

Epistle on Dogs in Romania, written to First Central Presbyerian Church of Abilene, Texas. (September 2001)

The first day of school for boys from Tulcea's orphanages(September 18, 2001)