Romeo's Story     

        Romeo came to church to see what it was all about. God met him there in a wonderful way. Romeo was deeply touched by the message and gave his life to the Lord. Salvation is a miracle and we rejoiced along with the angels in heaven over this repentant sinner. Romeo also experienced a physical healing in his body. He had several boney lumps on his sternum. While we prayed for him, the lumps melted away. Romeo's eyes were filled with wonder at what God did in his life that day!

        The next day, Romeo met with David and had a wonderful man to man talk. He confessed sins from his past and David saw over and over again that Romeo's decision was sincere. They scheduled Romeo's baptism for the following day.

        Romeo spent the night with the other orphans that are college students here in Cluj. By the time I went to pick up Romeo for his baptism, he had been "worked over" by the others. They laughed at him and mocked him so ruthlessly that he "changed his mind" and recanted his decision for the Lord. When he told me, I was deeply grieved for him. I told him to look at his chest and asked if he was still healed. When he said yes, I told him to let (the healing in) his own chest be a reminder of the day when God touched him. And to remember that God had not changed His mind about Romeo!

Ana's Story

        What do we do with a treasure like Ana? Ana is a delightful teenager. Full of life, enthusiastic, creative, laughs easily, affectionate and quite intelligent too. She would make a mother proud…

        But in Ana's case, she has no mother, no father, no family. She is an orphan. Let me introduce you to her. Ana was found six years ago, Ana* was found injured on the railroad tracks; her left leg had been severed by a passing train. Due to the trauma she also lost her memory. Her doctor believes that she was deaf from childhood so she can neither hear nor speak. She had no memory of the cause of the accident, her name, her parents’ names, where she was from, or her birth date. She was given the name* “Ana” because that was a common name in the region where she was found. After every attempt to find her family failed, she was officially categorized as “abandoned” and put into a state orphanage. She was about 8 years old at the time.

        In spite of all she lost, Ana isn’t about to stop living!!!! She has a bubbly personality and is full of life. I am continually amazed and challenged by her positive attitude and ability to live life to the fullest with what she DOES have. She is really an amazing young lady.

        This year we are presented with a particularly difficult problem in regards to Ana's future. Let me explain. In Romania there is few options for disabled people. Ana's multiple disabilities reduce the options even more. Usually the disabled fall into the hands of their family for their special care needs. But Ana is an orphan with no family to care for her. If she remains in Romania, her future looks bleak.

        Ana is currently going to a trade school to teach her a life skill. Where due to her limitations, she has one option… to learn how to sew. What happens next? We don't know. As we see it, Ana's greatest option is for her to be adopted by someone in a country that is more sensitive and creative for people that are disabled. There would be more options and a greater hope for her… a brighter future. That is why we write this letter. In the hopes that God opens a future and a hope for Ana. Perhaps He will open someone's heart to also open their home.

        The greatest thing that you can do in response to this e-mail is for you to pray with us for God to make a way for this lovely young lady. A life much too precious to waste. We are working against the clock. But surely Father God has a special place in His heart for the fatherless, so those who touch an orphan's life, touch the heart of God.

Ramona's Story
        A few years ago, Ramona was the roughest, toughest kid in the orphanage. More interested in the local disco than in school and with a mouth that could make a sailor blush; she was one big trouble maker! An influencer by nature, she led everyone… but down the wrong path. The orphanage staff was at the end of their ropes. They had tried everything they could think of…nothing worked. In order to save the other children from her negative influence, the staff was ready to cut her loose and send her from the only home she had ever really known… to the streets. Ramona was in serious jeopardy.
 

        In this context, God spoke and told us “Love her!”. And we did. Not because of what she said or did… that was not pretty at all! But we kept loving her, showing her attention, blessing her with our words and deeds. And as we did, we saw God melt Ramona’s heart right in front of our eyes. People started noticing. Her teachers were amazed as her grades improved. The other kids were shocked when Ramona started talking about the God of Love rather than using His name in vain. The staff recognized that we had done what none of them had been able to. But we knew it was God Himself, drawing her with cords of His loving kindness.
 

        Recently Ramona gave her life to the Lord and was supernaturally transferred from the Kingdom of Darkness to the Kingdom of Light. We have never seen such a radical transformation in a person… how she dresses, how she moves, how she speaks, what kind of music she listens to, who she hangs out with and where, and how she treats the other kids. We have seen that she has a wonderful heart of compassion towards people. We stand amazed at the God of Love that can win such a person. WHAT GRACE!
 

        Now, Ramona is going regularly to Bible studies and to church. She even shares the Lord with others. She still has a way to go… If others speak badly about her God, she doesn’t hesitate to minister with “laying on of hands”… i.e. she punches them in the face. Not exactly how I learned to evangelize! ;-) Ramona is going to high school and will graduate in 2008. She is beginning to dream of going to college to learn physical therapy and massage.
 

        He restores and rebuilds the ancient ruins. We wouldn’t be at all surprised if we are not talking a Saul-Paul type of transformation in this young lady. Ramona is still a great influencer. She stills leads the other kids. Now she tells them, “I have made the greatest decision of my life. Follow me!” She is most certainly a trophy of God’s grace!

Ramona is healed 

Ramona broke her middle finger five years ago.  It was bent, curled towards her palm at both of the knuckles of her finger.  The doctor splinted her finger for a month.  Ramona went back for the "unveiling" of her finger.  She was very frustrated when she found that the moment the splint was taken off that her finger curled back up to its original position.  As the doctor spoke about his solution of splinting her finger for another month, Ramona in frustration found her own solution.  She slammed her finger hard against the edge of the table. (kids, don't try this at home!)  That actually straightened her finger at one joint.  She tried to force the other joint to straighten but stopped because of excruciating pain.  So her finger has been bent at the last joint ever since...

 ...That is until she came to church one day in August.  She went forward for prayer at the end of the meeting.  When David asked what she wanted prayer for, she said for her finger and she showed David that she could not straighten her bent finger.  So David took her hand between his hands and began to pray.  After a minute or so, David took his hand away and told Ramona to look at her finger.  It was straight!  Ramona was so touched by that that she broke into tears.  She went home and told everyone who would listen about what God had done for her.  And she had the straightened finger to prove it! 

                  (click pictures to to see larger version of the pictures)