January Update

We enjoyed our Christmas with family and friends on the island and in the UK and have had a busy time since we returned to Romania.

Our first week back was rather fraught as Chris’s laptop died! He managed to transfer to his old desk top and could continue some of his work on that (& our son David, & Chris worked to try and retrieve data from the laptop). A day later the desk top also failed! Visions of extended time with Chris without a computer were daunting and he is unable to use mine as I do not have his specific design software. Thankfully we were able to purchase new hard drives for both computers in a tiny shop here in Dorohoi (2 were in stock and the other was here by the next morning!). With help from David, Chris’s computers were back up and running and Chris is now catching up with all his work.

It has snowed and temperature has dropped here in Dorohoi in the past week. Yesterday the minimum overnight was -21C and it now at almost midday it is still only -16C. It is forecast to stay sub-zero for the next month. It is hard enough for us living on our apartment with central heating. (We turn the heating off overnight and when we are not in and chunks of ice form on the aluminium windows in our lounge. We know it is even harder for families who cannot afford firewood or gas and who live in the old mud brick houses or apartments.

Chilly day at the Hands of Hope homes at Cobila

The inside of our lounge windows

Many families here can barely afford basic food and firewood. Extras such as medications, medical consultations, shoes, clothes, school essentials etc become unaffordable luxuries. We still see people searching in waste skips for food and people walking through the snowy streets in lightweight and leaky shoes or slippers.

Cosmin came home from hospital for the weekend. He is now midway through his radiotherapy treatment. Next week he is due to have a scan to assess possible secondary cancer in his abdomen. At the moment he is feeling well and we lit the fire (& switched on electric heaters) in our old cottage resource room so that the children could come and play. The 19 children had a lovely time doing craft activities puzzles, games and playing with the toys, it was wonderful to see Cosmin able to relax and enjoy time with his friends.

People often ask what our days consist of here in Dorohoi, all I can say is no 2 days are the same and we often have to change plans in an instant as a need arises. A number of people we know have been in hospital recently and we have visited taking food, clothes and toiletries.

Hospital visit to Maria and her daughter

At the moment as well as spending time with families, helping at the the Star of Hope Centre, distributing aid we are also applying for planning permissions and  progressing paperwork for the charity.

Chris and I will be back on the island soon and if you would like us to come and talk to you about our lives here in Romania please get in touch. If you would like to keep up to date please like our Hands of Hope page on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/#!/handsofhopeiom and also the on-going praying for Cosmin page on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/#!/events/232619346800702/