Cinderella, Gypsies, and Wood Stoves

Bună Seara! Good Evening! OK, everyone, be prepared for a longggg post, but with plenty of pictures!

This morning, the team of 3 that I am so BLESSED to be a part of traveled to the gypsy village of Rontau, to help out in a ministry there. Here's the thing about the Gypsies. Romanians do not like them. There is so much animosity towards this group of people that Romanian adoptive parents usually won't adopt gypsy babies, just because they look Gypsy. So there is a huge need for outreach in the slums that are gypsy villages.

The Gypsy people originate in India, and moved over here due to religious persecution. They settle outside the "normal" villages, and then suddenly there is an entire second village of gypsies that "just won't leave" [as one Romanian friend put it].

We spent a little time walking around their village. Here are some of the pictures we took. It was very cold and raining and foggy, so we weren't able to get the usual 'slum missions trip' photos, but you'll get the idea of what they live in.

These homes usually have at least 10 people living in them. In one little room. This isn't the first time I've experienced this kind of poverty, but it leaves me speechless and humbled every single time. 

As I said before, it was freezing cold, and raining and muddy and sloppy. Notice the difference between Tiffany's shoes and the little girl that was with her:

Oh, my friends, if we would only realize how blessed we are. If we would only have a heart for ones such as these and DO SOMETHING about it, more than just shrug our shoulders, think "that's a shame" and then go about our lifestyle without a second thought. THIS, my friends, is why my passion lies with the least of these. THIS is why I do what I do.

The children were ADORABLE. And so much fun. We got to play games with them, color with them, share toys with them, and watch movies with them while we were there. Addie and I are pretty sure that some of the boys were matchmaking themselves with us, although we couldn't understand what they were saying. Somehow we just knew what was happening. 

I watched Cinderella in Romanian with a bunch of the children, mostly boys, who had never seen it before. This simple thing really impacted me in a lot of ways. The boys got so into the movie, yelling at Lucifer and the step sisters, and making all sorts of audible reactions as the movie progressed. It was awesome. 

And this really got me thinking, yet again, about how much we take simple things for granted, and how much we have at our disposal. These children were watching a movie for the first time that I grew up watching, in many different formats. Just one of those moments that really got me thinking.

This project is mainly a daycare for the kids as they only go to school for half a day. They teach them Biblical principles, as well as life skills like hygiene. Here's the wall of toothbrushes for the kids:

The rooms were heated by wood stove, which was wonderful for the cold, wet day. The kids are also served a meal and given a vitamin.

 It was sooo much fun, and they loved having us there. It was hard to say goodbye when it was time to go. I'd be content to work there these next 2 weeks, but I know God has other things in store for us! Here are some of our adorable new friends:

I know there's a lot, but just look at their cute little faces! How could I not put a lot up?!

We then had lunch, at McDonalds, which was better than American McDonalds cause it was less greasy, and then headed over to PULS [the ministry we are partnering with] to do some work. We met Tabitha [Ta-bee-TA] who is a psychologist and counsels women with pregnancy issues. She asked that I not put her picture on the internet, so I will respect those wishes. She was a wonderful person, and we enjoyed getting to know her as we had our afternoon coffee to warm up, and as we got to work.

This center is where all the donated baby clothes/items go to, so we spent a few hours sorting and folding baby clothes, so Tabitha didn't have to do it all herself.

It was a wonderful day of ministry! But now friends, it is 11:30, and I am extrememly tired. Tomorrow is going to be a very busy day, so I must bid you noapte bună!

In thankfulness of wood stoves and Gypsies,

Ali