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The news featured on this page comes from Carolyn White, volunteer administrator for NOROC, and Mary Ferris, Mission Co-Worker for the Presbyterian Church, U.S.A. in Romania. December 2001 *Thanks to donations, Mary has purchased eye glasses and hearing aids for all the children who need them, as well as medicine for the nurse at the boys home, and new mattresses for some of the boys. * NOROC has purchased a "youth center" for small group activities, for tutoring, and for teaching living skills. Now Mary can increase her activities with the youth! The new youth center is an apartment located across the street from the girls home in Tulcea. The apartment is a 2 bedroom with a living room, a kitchen and a bathroom, and was purchased for $6000 dollars. It is in perfect condition and very clean. Over the holidays, it will be lived in by the 18 year old girls whom NOROC has been sponsoring, who are are temporarily displaced from the hostel for the holidays, and who are too old to live in the girls orphanage. *NOROC has hired a singing teacher for the girls, and for the boys a Bible study teacher who also sings. * Mary is developing programs for the youth in all areas. She continues with her Bible study for young mothers. She has plans for the youth to begin visiting the home for the elderly. She has developed a strong Sunday-night program for the 18 year olds, in which they cook a meal together (learning kitchen skills), talk about issues of the day and of their future, and have a Bible study. These are special times that all eagerly anticipate. * Sadly, there was a setback in NOROC's work with the babies this month. An outbreak of a virus in the baby orphanage sent several babies to the hospital. In response, the orphanage was quarantined and closed to the public for 3 weeks. During that time not one granny was allowed in to hold the babies. Thankfully, the grannies are now allowed back in to hold the babies, but new rules have been placed upon them and they are no longer allowed to remove the babies from their cribs. Can you imagine what is happening to these babies who have not been out of their cribs in over a month? Please keep these babies in your daily prayers. *Christmas came to all the children with the help of NOROC this month. Mary spent several weeks gathering gifts for nearly 300 children, such as socks, underwear, winter gloves, little toys, watches, etc. Then the gifts were wrapped and the name of each child was placed upon their gift. Not a single child was left off the list. The gifts were delivered on Christmas Eve, and the children were delighted! An update on Mary's personal life: *Mary has been very cold and after several months, an independent heating unit was installed in her apartment. The rest of Tulcea relies on the city's heat, which is generated by burning coal and was not turned on until after Christmas. When the heat is on for the entire city, the apartments are warmed to about 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Mary is thrilled with her new heater but we all worry about all the other people and children who can not afford to purchase such a heater. * Mary has made many friends in the few months she has been in Romania. She was invited over by some friends for dinner on Christmas day, and was touched that they had gone out of their way to make a Turkey for her. Her circle of friends enlarges every day to include taxi drivers, merchants, police, social workers, nurses, the senior priest at the seminary, the priest at the church where her friends attends, the tour guide for the city museums, etc. If you personally know Mary, then you know that she will get to know all the people and that everyone loves her. *Mary left the day after Christmas for a 5 day sabbatical in the mountains. She will be using the time for rest and relaxation, as well as spiritual renewal. Please keep her in your prayers. Old News
Open Letters from Romania
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