Romania and Moldova

A report from the 1997 visit . . .

Arriving at Bucharest airport at 11pm on Wednesday 16th April, we were met by our friend Mihai, the Pastor of the second Baptist church in Iasi. It was cold and snowing when we arrived - a vast contrast to the lovely weather we had left in Manchester. We spent the night at the Baptist seminary, had a good breakfast and boarded the train at lunch time to make the six hour journey to Iasi.

On Friday morning, we visited Rebecca and her staff at the family centre in Iasi. (The centre belongs to Spurgeons child care). The extension to their premises is now complete, providing more room for the children and staff. Separate rooms have been made available and are used as a toy library and clinic. With your help and support, Dovetales supports the clinic by providing them with equipment and a constant supply of medicines. Two Christian doctors give their time freely to hold the twice weekly clinics. The centre now has the added advantage of a full time nurse/social worker, who works closely with the families, giving support and help to those most in need.

Bill went out with the mission team from Iasi on Friday evening to a nearby village. We praise God that seven people came to the Lord that night. Bill preached at the Second Baptist Church on Sunday morning. In the afternoon we went out to a village with the evangelistic team and the choir from the First Baptist Church.

Moldova

Andrew, Alex and Eugene from the Good News Children's Mission, came over from Moldova to pick us up on Monday morning. We had a good time of fellowship in the car, catching up on their latest news. The Children's Mission brings the word of god to six government schools in Chisinau, each with approximately two thousand pupils. These schools have many pupils and very little space, for this reason - children attend for only half a day (younger children in the morning, older ones in the afternoon).

The Good News mission has organised Christian Holiday Summer Camps for a number of years, providing children with good nourishing food in a healthy atmosphere with plenty of fun and games as well as an opportunity to hear about Jesus. The children stay for a period of two weeks. It may be the only holiday some of them will ever get !

In faith they have rented a disused holiday village for ten years with an option to purchase after this period. The village is situated about 35km outside Chisinau and is currently being upgraded by volunteers. At great expense, they have renovated the swimming pool so that the children can have some fun in the water.

For the last couple of years, the mission has brought children over from Chernobyl, together with adults to support them. With the new camp, the children will be able to holiday there for three weeks. Doctors and dentists have given their time freely to assist in any way they can during the children's visit.