Friday, August 30, 2013

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

Sunday, August 25, 2013

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

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

"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