Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother,
“This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed.”
Luke 2:34
Dear friends,
The Christmas season is upon us once again, and with it come a host of events: family gatherings, Christmas pageants, baking cookies, work parties, caroling around the neighborhood, church programs and finally a few days of vacation to recover from it all. This is how I remember Christmas growing up. It's similar here in Romania except for a few differences. For example, there is St. Nicholas who puts candy or coal in your shoe two weeks before Christmas on St. Nicholas day, and there are the endless groups of children who come to the door to carol, fill the apartment building stairwell with their melodious voices, and wait for money or other handouts.
This year I am reminded that for some people Christmas is not such a joyous time. The lights and smells and sounds and laughter make us homesick for something more, for somewhere we cannot yet go. We think of the romance that we don't have, or our family that is completely dysfunctional and parents who are divorced. We worry about gaining weight from all the sweets and spend hours shopping for gifts that may possibly get thrown away or forgotten in the back of a closet somewhere. For those who are poor, Christmas brings the stress of trying to find gifts that are affordable and for many there is simply no gift giving at all. Is this what life is all about? Christmas makes us homesick for a better life, a time and place where we will have all that we need and where we will truly be fulfilled and known and loved by God and by others.
This year I also think about how Jesus must have felt at Christmas, breaking into our imperfect world as a little child, weak, vulnerable and suddenly subjected to all the things that make life difficult. It was truly a miracle, the Son of God becoming man and fully entering into the world of humankind. Not only was it a miracle, it was also scandalous, for this Son of God came to earth not to live a life of luxury and royalty that He deserved, but rather to suffer and die. Who could have imagined that this way of suffering and death was God's plan for the redemption of the world?
In the Romanian Orthodox Church, the weeks preceding Christmas are marked by the most stringent fast of the year – a fast from meat, eggs, milk and any food containing these ingredients. Fish is allowed only on certain days of the week. For those who hold this fast, it is a solemn time of reflection and preparation leading up to December 25th. Although I do not hold this fast, I am compelled to take time for solemn reflection and meditation on the incarnation and all that it means for me, for my community, for the poor, and for the world.
We are quick to get caught up in the Christmas lights and music and forget the actual significance of the birth of Christ and the meaning of the Incarnation. Though Christmas is a joyous time when we celebrate the birth of Jesus, I am reminded of the solemn sacrifice Jesus paid to come to earth in the form of a tiny child. I am awed by Jesus' example of obedience and submission to the Father's plan for His life. This year, I hope to take some time for reflection and meditation, and I pray that God will open all of our hearts to come to an even deeper understanding of the single event that changed the course of history forever — the Incarnation.
With love,
Rachel
End of the year update on current ministry needs:
Financially, my personal needs are being met by your generous support. The greatest need is for more people to commit to the local ministry fund itself, which includes:
~The boy's home: a property that we purchased in September. Renovations are almost complete and we hope to receive two or three boys before the New Year. Joel and Monica Klepac currently live in this modest house with their one-year-old son, Simeon. They are eager to invite several boys into their family and offer the kind of love that these boys so desperately need. This is a big step for us all, since taking boys off the streets is a whole new level of commitment to them. We need lots of prayer and financial support for this new endeavor.
~At the Day Center where I work every day, we need finances to continue feeding about fifty adults and children every day. After staff salaries, food is our biggest monthly expense, about $500/month.
~Education expenses are constant for our fifteen children enrolled in school — things such as notebooks and pens, good shoes, glasses for some of them, backpacks and school fees. These are not street children, but are “children at risk” in the sense that they could easily end up on the streets without our intervention due to the poverty in their homes.
~Summer camp is our largest expense annually. This year we held three weeks of camp with about seventy children participating in all. We are seeking sponsors willing to give $45 to send a child to camp for a week next summer. This is an unforgettable and life-changing experience for many of the children who participate. This past summer, many of them cried all the way home because they couldn't accept that camp was over!
This year's annual budget for all local ministry related expenses was $35,670, but it will be significantly greater for the coming year. Having a boys' home and an increased number of children at the Drop-In Center means a growing budget and we are praying that God will move His people to give generously to this work that He has entrusted to us and called us to. All gifts can be sent to Word Made Flesh, PO Box 70, Omaha, NE 68101-0070 and designated (on a separate sheet of paper) “Romania Ministry Account”. Thank you for giving!