Update From Romania- August 30, 2013

Hi Friends!


    Just a quick update to let you know how this trip is going. We have been busy catching up with jobs, meetings and seeing friends. Yesterday, Jack and I went out to Tinca, a town about 40km from Oradea. There we toured two foundations that are run by women I know and hope to donate to their cause. Romanian Relief is housing abandoned children with disabilities, placing children in foster care and providing free medical assistance at their clinic. We were very impressed with their foresight and dedication to the Roma people!

   The second foundation, Forget Me Not Ministries, has an incredible team and vision! They work with Roma families by providing child care, Bible studies, hygiene lessons, and work support for the men and women in the Gypsy village. We were able to accompany them to the local village and hand out diapers to the young women with babies. (By young, I mean fourteen and fifteen year olds that already have one or two children). Jack and I were so amazed and impressed at this ministry and their Christian commitment to help others!

   Today, Jack went out to a local village and started work at a friend's foundation. Children in the Son operates a home for gypsy boys who want to get a good high school and college education. These boys stay at the home during the week and attend school in Oradea then return to their villages on the weekend. There are several tasks that need to be accomplished there before school starts and Jack has eagerly jumped in to help! He even drove their van around Oradea and didn't get lost! I am so proud of him!

    I worked in the hospital this morning . We have two very sick babies on Premature
and it was so hard to see them struggle to breathe and survive! Later, Alina and I went to the bank to pay our wholesaler, who later dropped off about half of the supplies that will carry us through the year. During the afternoon, a dear friend of mine drove me around the city on various errands for the Ministry that I needed to complete! We were able to spend some time catching up, as well as accomplishing my tasks! Thanks Paula!

   The children have adjusted well to the time change and have been good for their sitters:) Today they were ecstatic when they were taken on the trams throughout the city. Andrew has been begging us to take him ever since we arrived, but hating to tram myself I am ever so grateful to Ada and Elysei for volunteering!

  Thank you all for your prayers for our health! We seem to be improving and managing well! Looking forward to a weekend of visiting and more purchasing!

Binecuventare,

    Mona and Crew

                                               The group from Forget Me Not Ministries

                                                          Our trip to the Roma Village

Ramona snuggling a precious newborn

                                             One of Romanian Relief's lovely group homes

Off We Go Into the Wild Blue Yonder

 Eagerness and anticipation fill our van along with about 275lbs of luggage,  2 children and 2 weary adults! We are headed to NYC as I type and prepared to take the 10pm flight that will eventually lead us to Romania some 22 hours later! We all still have our sinus/ear infections, but are feeling better due to antibiotics~ Praise God!

I have so many things to accomplish trip which include: purchasing supplies, touring two new foundations and their work with babies and their families, possibly getting renovation work done on the supply room that the Family Plugar allow me to use rent free, as well as HOLDING THE BABIES!!!

The children will be going to the nanny's and Jack will be working for the foundation Children in the Son on some fix it work at one of their locations. And of course, we are hoping for some wonderful fellowship with old and new friends.

I will try to post as much as possible on this site so if you haven't already signed up for the emails to be sent automatically to you, now would be a great time. You can do that on our home page:)

Blessings to you all!

   The Cummings

"The Circle of Love"

This Spring as I lined up my speaking engagements for the year, I wondered what I would say to encourage people and show them how grateful I am for their interest and support. My mind wandered down many paths until it remembered a devotional I had read earlier in the year. It focused on the passage in the Bible of Philippians 2:25-30 and detailed how the Apostle Paul, Christians in the town of Philippi and a man named Ephrodites all kept showing love and concern for each other until one could not see where this "Circle of Love" started and ended.

It got me to thinking about how one hesitant step on my part to start fundraising for my ministry swirled into a "Circle of Love" all its own! My love and care for the abandoned babies helped change the nurses' hearts and attitudes and gave birth to others' generosity. People started donating funds for the babies and because we had more money and more needs, we were able to hire Alina and provide her with a much needed salary. Alina has continued to love and care for these precious children. My friendship with Alina and watching her dedication blesses and strengthens me as well as others. And around and around it goes... And the heart of it is to give God the glory!

Thank-you for being such a vital part of our "Circle of Love" and take a moment to ponder what other circles you are a part of and how you can show more love! As my family prepares to leave on the 25th for Romania, we know that this ministry could not be what it is or do what it does without all of you!

Blessings,
    Mona

Countdown!

Only 46 days until I am home in Romania! Can you tell how excited I am? A dear friend of mine and her family are traveling over today so I think that has me extra eager to get there! But there is still so much to do between now and then, so I must be content to wait my turn...

The past few weeks have flown by since I last gave an update. However, many wonderful things have occurred! I have completed all my speaking engagements to date and was warmly welcomed by all of you! It was extra special to be at the McGraw Baptist Church, who has been with me from the beginning and has helped the ministry in so many ways over the years. It was also nice to be asked back to the Cortland Breakfast Rotary Club and meet old and new faces!

As I was preparing to go to Rotary, two needs for the ministry kept popping up in my mind. The first was need for a laptop that could facilitate the needs of the ministry and the second was someone from a legal background to join the Board for Project Hope for the Children. If questioned about needs, I was going to bring these two things up. However, without  ever being asked I was told that someone was donating a laptop to the ministry and that a lawyer living close to me might be interested in forming the Board! What a surprise and Blessing! And on top of that we have had many other applicants for the Board~ so my next task is to contact them with applications.

Fundraising has been going very well, but we still need about $2,000 more. My goal is to have at least $10,000 left after the two plane tickets and transport charges are paid off! I have also had some personal pledges to help with our own travel expenses, which will be a real blessing!

One of my prayers this year was that I would be granted access to the hospital again. If you remember last year there was an incident where a foreigner hurt a baby, since then no outside volunteer has been allowed to help with the children. The Nurse Manager made an exception for me last year; however she retired earlier this year and we have a new Nurse Manager. After much prayer and the skillful words of Alina and a friend, the Manager considered my request and invited me back. He was very gracious and thankful for the work Project Hope for the Children does in the hospital! The hospital Board of Directors also gave their permission. What a praise!

There are several conditions that I need to adhere to, but most I already do anyway. The hardest will be no photography! I love taking pictures of my sweet babies so please join me in praying that I might be allowed a few pictures. I am to be introduced to the Nurse Manager  by a doctor friend of mine and hope that the interview goes well!

I am preparing for the massive packing that will begin shortly and for the very long trip over. We have at least 24 hours of travel with our preschoolers so another prayer is that God calms them and helps them to sleep whenever possible! Jack is also looking forward to helping out the foundation I used to work for~ Children in the Son. I am looking forward to this special time with my family as they get to know my ministry better!

Thank-you all for your interest in this ministry and the children is so vitally helps! I know that many of these babies' lives have been changed because they received good food, care and stimulation during the first months and years of their life! And you had a part in that!

Blessings,

   Mona

Joy Unspeakable

June 28th 2012 was a very special day for me! It was the day that our son became ours~ completely! One year has passed and I cannot believe it! Adoption has always been my dream since I was just a wee one myself; caring for my dolls! To see my son growing up, mischievous as ever, giving me that goofy smile and smothering me in kisses is such a blessing!

A good life is a blessing that many of us take for granted, especially here in the States. Many people do not have the benefits of a loving home, a stable home, or even just a home where they could be financially cared for. Everyone of us can make a difference in our own small way! It is our responsibility has humans to care for each other; to love each other. Adoption is one way that my husband and I could care. Project Hope for the Children is another outlet and passion for me!

What is yours? How do you make a difference~ care for others less fortunate?? If you find yourself drawing a blank at those questions, consider how you can change that! Whether it's adopting, fostering, sponsoring, contributing to a worthy cause, even working at Soup Kitchen or Salvation Army! (It'll break your heart to see the children and adults going through those food lines!) Make time in your schedules and your life to share what you have and show love to others!

You will be blessed in return as I am with my son! I love you, Andrew Michael Cummings! Mama

Love from Lauren

This a guest post from a very dear friend of mine. I believe that if we had not gone through "Romania" together we would have dismissed each other as friends~ and what a tragedy that would be!

Hi, my name is Tigger! Well, only if you know of my friendship with dear Mona, would you understand my greeting.  See, when Mona and I worked together in the Oradea, Romania we were like Tigger and Rabbit from Winnie the Pooh.

She was well organized, for example, bringing over enough spices from back home to ensure she could make whatever recipe she fancied, and I was just elated to be there, taking it one day at a time.  However, like any good friendship, our original and repeated misunderstandings turned into a strong bond of which I passionately say is one of the most proud treasures in my life. We shared a time in our lives that can never be precisely repeated only cherished as a memory.

My memories vary from Mona's although some foundational similarities we shared.

I too volunteered to go to Oradea through the ministry, Children In The Son as an intern.  I too am forever changed by what I witnessed, felt, and lived through.  Oradea, in the last 10 plus years has surely developed beyond how I remember it. Bright green grass. Dark grey bumpy roads. Dusty unlevel sidewalks. Lots of pedestrians. Street beggars.  Greasy taxi drivers. Scary stray dogs.

Feeling so confused because I did not know the language, dangers, or who to trust at the outdoor market.  Those are the little specks in my memories to set the stage.

What I remember more clearly is how I felt while I was there. So close to God. So sensitive to His voice.  In-step with Him and doing what His heart was for; the orphaned, the abandoned.

Tell them I love them.  Tell them they are not forgotten. I know every hair on their head.   Even              though no one is there to pick them up and hold them when you cry, I am there. I hear you.

That is why I was sent to Oradea, Romania.  To tell the babies in our care and on the 6th floor of the Hospital De Copii that God loves them. 

The turnaround moment for Mona and I from estranged acquaintances to forever friends was our joint visit to the Hospital De Copii.  The babies were like statues in their steel cribs, bundled so tightly so they could not move. The air was stale as you can imagine being on the 6th floor, no air conditioning, and the windows were closed shut.  We began picking up the babies, quickly loosening their wrap, and sneaking over to the window, cracking it open, and taking turns of letting the babies feel the breeze on their faces. That visit and the one that followed are both easy and difficult for me to remember.   This is not a story; it is a memory with real faces.  (I had forgotten that)

I could write a book on all the disturbing things we saw but there was one thing we could actually do something about.  When I say 'we' I mean 'Rabbit.' So this is a little of how the conversation went:

"Mona, this is so sad. Their ears are full of wax, they are dirty, and haven't had a bath probably ever!"

"Let's go shopping then. Come back and do it ourselves" she replied.  And that is exactly what we did.

We returned with a bag full of baby shampoo and q-tips.  Unfortunately, the hospital did not have hot water so we had no choice but to bath them in a shallow sink of cold water.  We bathed probably 4-5 babies and went through a whole box of q-tips!  Each baby cried through the bath time but then we saw for the first time, smiles.  I know how yucky I feel if I haven't showered and then feel so much better once I do.  We were able to bring this good feeling to a place where I do not shy away from describing like hell on earth. 

Not everyone can go to Romania but we can connect with what Mona is doing.  Because I also have seen firsthand Mona's passion and desire to continue to reach out to the babies, my husband and I support the work she is doing.  There are so many not-for-profits doing good things.  However the difference with Mona's is it is directly affecting the babies.  They literally do not get held all day, so she sends Alina to pick them up and sing to them.  The nipples on the bottles they use are cut; the formula drops down their throat, so Mona makes arrangements for proper nipples to be used so all babies do not miss out on the developing stage of sucking a bottle.( When the hospital allows it.)  They literally sit in wet cloths all day, so she raises money to buy diapers, befriending the skeptical staff to ensure it gets used for the babies.

The children are as unforgettable as the friends I made.  Many of you know and may financially support, like we do, the work Alina is doing by way of Mona's ministry.  I can tell you in full confidence that Alina's character and purity of heart is a rare find.  She is so selfless, loves Jesus and sings beautifully to each baby as she cares for them like they were her own.  In a way they are. (This is so true!)

I am so grateful to participate in what Mona is doing. These babies truly are not forgotten because we back home not only remember them, or feel like we know them through Mona's visits, but do something about it.

And that makes Tigger not the only one!

Thank-you Tigger! That was beautiful! Love, Rabby

Thankfulness

I tend to deal with money frequently~ our personal budget and bills, other people's finances, Project Hope's donations~ as a past bank cashier it's a good fit. With all of that said, I am always Thankful when the money comes in. I don't need to be rolling in money, but being able to pay the bills or take care of the needs is a great feeling! 

Today I have two reasons to be Thankful! The first is that the money I was waiting for help pay for my trip to Romania has arrived! And secondly, I have counted up the 2013 donations to date and found just how generous you have been. The ministry has taken in $4,558 so far! (We even had someone use our PayPal button and it worked!) We still have several thousand to go, but what a blessing to see people giving and caring for other human beings in need! And that should make us all Thankful....

Blessings today~Mona