April 2011
Dear Friends,
As I write this letter, the calendar shows that spring is just around the corner. But Old Man Winter is still holding on strong here in Galati. There was a small reprieve several weeks ago, but it’s been all temperatures in the negatives and snow since then. I’m so thankful that I grew up in Omaha. I came to Galati already used to long, cold winters and, especially, a typically finicky month of March.
Soon enough Easter will be here and the beautiful weather of April and May along with it. As in years past, we are planning a celebration with the children and their families on Easter Day. Please pray for our time together. For many that do not attend a church, their time with us will be the only Easter message they hear. Pray that Jesus will be exalted in our celebration and that hearts and minds will be open to the good news of His resurrection and all that it means for us.
We are praying that your Easter season will be filled with God’s presence, as well. We hope that you are able to be with many of those you love. We pray that you will have ample time for reflection and contemplation. We pray that Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday will especially be times of hearing the voice of the Lord. And we pray that you will hear anew of His great sacrifice and the victory that followed and of His amazing love that came before both and remains today.
In closing, I would ask that you continue to pray for the teens that come to the center. There are two sets of sister and brother that especially need prayer. E and F you have heard much about. Their father died while they were young and several years later their mother abandoned them. They stayed for a couple of years with Mrs. C and this past year they moved in with an aunt and uncle. Recently, their aunt and uncle said they didn’t want them anymore and took them to the center for minors, not a good place, especially not for teenaged girls. We don’t know how we can best intervene to help them, but we are praying. Please pray with us. Pray that they will be reassured that their Father in heaven has not and will not abandon them. He loves them and still has a plan for them; even after all they have been through.
The other sister and brother, C and D, have recently found out their family is being evicted from their home within the next two weeks. We’re unsure but it looks as if their mother is planning to move to the countryside to live with one of her other children. If C and D move with her they will have to quit high school, something neither of them wishes to do. In this situation, as well, we are praying for wisdom. Please pray with us that the Lord will lead us into His will, showing us how we can and cannot help. Pray that these two teens will also feel the comforting presence of their Father, knowing that He has not forgotten them.
Love,
Paul and Ana