A week of giving and receiving

We have had a week of giving and receiving.

Temperatures have dropped and we have had snow over past few days, this evening it was -12C as we drove home and despite many layers my feet were chilly and we had ice building up on the inside of the car windows as the condensation froze.

We have been out most days distributing firewood, food parcels and Christmas shoe boxes.

All whom we visited were so grateful for the help. The joy & smiles of children opening shoe boxes and taking delight in the contents, was a gift in itself to us.

Tooth paste and toiletries welcomed with as much joy as toys and sweets. we know they would be the only presents the children would get this Christmas.

If you have been involved with making up a shoe box this year for anywhere in the world we can vouch for the fact that they bring so much joy.

Many of the families we visit live in remote villages and often are at the end of the line for aid. Some of these families are still living in temporary modular containers after losing their homes in the floods in June.

We are grateful to be able build on the relationships with these families and to sit with them and listen to their concerns. We know we cannot help everyone with everything they need but know that just by showing we care, helps and encorages them. We are so thankful that we have a better understanding of the Romanian language, though still also very grateful to have our friend Cornelia with us for more in depth conversations.

As well as smilies and thanks we have also received gifts ourselves this week from families we know. We always save food scraps and vegetable peelings for a friends pig and when they slaughtered the pig ready for Christmas they gave us some- it does not get much fresher than this!

Tomorrow we have a few more deliveries to do and people to visit. In the evening we will have friends from our Romanian home group round for dinner, so pleased that I found the Christmas crackers!

Saturday we plan to spend time with the children at Cobila- a variety of Christmas crafts planned and treats to give out. By the end of the day we hope to have ticked off all on our "to do" list. Then a day off on Sunday spending time with our church family and friends before we head back to the Isle of Man for Christmas with our family there.

Thanks to all who have helped and supported the work here.

Thursday-Iasi

100 mile (2.5 hour) drive to Iasi today, to celebrate the opening of the new regional centre for Star of Hope Romania-a charity we work with. We are taking some of the staff and volunteers from the local centre and will be helping to put up a display of artwork made by the children here in Dorohoi. Some of the parents and children from Dorohoi will also be attending. The parents of children who attend the Dorohoi day centre dream that one day they will have their own building here which could also provide a facility for the whole community .

A week of sadness and joy

The past week has been one of our hardest. The youngest son of one of the families we help died, we have been helping them as best we can seeing them every day, going with them when the autopsy was done and bringing them and the baby home. On Saturday we attended the funeral, walking the mile or so to the church with the open coffin on the back of a horse and cart.

we sometimes wish our Romanian language skills were better, but at times like this prayer, hugs and practical support say a lot.

A hard emotional week and also a hard physical one.

We have been out delivering Christmas shoe boxes. when you have moved 700 boxes from store and packed them into the pajero, then offloaded them at a school your muscles know about it. Boxes of different sizes and weights, I could do with bigger hands. Chris has developed an excellent technique to pack the car. Fill the top box first then fill up the car, getting the last few in through an open window.

We have also moved and delivered 2 trailer loads of fire wood (2.5cubic metres).

The parents receiving the firewood were just as happy and excited as the children receiving the shoe boxes.

Today we have been at the Star of Hope Centre to see the children in their Christmas celebration, it is such a joy to see how these children have developed over the past years. Children who a few years ago would not have stood still for a minute now taking part in a Nativity play and then joining with children from the adjacent kindergarten in a traditional dance display.

Next week will be busy as we deliver the rest of the shoe boxes, more firewood and Christmas food parcels.