| Romania 2007 |
In July 2007 we were Romania Bound. We traveled many hours to get to the mission house where we would serve with the Romanian Evangelical Medical Mission.
REMM was founded by Dr. Peter Lucaciu and his wife, Ana, in 1990, after the fall of the Communist Ceaucescu regime in 1989. When this occurre
d, the world was shocked to see images on television of thousands of abandoned babies. REMM took in many of these abandoned children and began an orphanage in Beius called House of Josef. Casa Josef currently has 37 children. Since
Our focus on this mission trip was 4 –fold: to provide medical makeshift clinics in local villages, Bible sch
ool camps for local children in villages, agape runs to the poor and widows in local villages, and to bring gifts to the children and do electrical work at the orphanage. We also desired to visit a Gypsy community to share the love of Christ and a worship time to the outcasts of Romanian society, as the Roma (Gypsy) people are subjected to a great deal of discrimination even today.
Medical Clinics
The medical work involved a local Ochsner doctor and 2 nurses and other members of the team. Townsfolk from the local area somehow knew we were coming; they filed into a church which was turned into a makeshift medical center. 
They patiently waited for someone to take their temperature, blood sugar, vital signs, note their medical complaints and to see the American doctor in a private room. Many had to wait 2-3 hours; this did not seem to bother them. A visit from an American doctor was a joyous occasion for them. Then they had to wait while the team dispensed any medications prescribed. Many wanted vitamins; we were in short supply for the need was great.
One man’s legs were terribly infected; As Jesus washed the disciples’ feet,
the nurses washed his feet and bandaged them with a makeshift cast.
Bible school camps were held over two days. The children came to a field next to a school across the street from the church. The field was covered with construction boards with nails and other materials that had to be moved before we could start Bible school. The children waited patiently in the shade. The workers sang with them, taught them Bible stories, gave them bracelets to make, explaining how each color bead symbolized God’s love for them. They heard a story about a watermelon seed, the black seed symbolizing sin in our lives and the red fruit symbolizing the blood of Jesus to take away the sin. Then we served them watermelon; they were so proud of the Jesus books and bracelets and candy.
Agape Runs
Agape runs were a favorite of the team. Agape Ministry provides opportunities for fellowship and encouragement for the poorest families in the region. Ana Lucaciu prepared the food and clothing for the families who were identified by their local church or community leader as needy. These were loaded up into a van and, over 3 days, we delivered to many widows, families whose mother or father had been sick, and a family of 13. Some lived in ramshackle houses with cracked walls, intense
heat, flies buzzing all around, and dogs, chickens, and outhouses in the yard. The conditions they were living in were unbelievable compared to American standards. One widow, traditionally dressed in her Romanian scarf, heavy skirt, and old, stained shirt, fell in love with Claire, one of the children on the team. She asked if Claire could stay with her. You could tell she took so much joy out of seeing a child and knowing that child had come to visit with her. Many times, those we visited on these agape runs would give us gifts: herbs or cheese or bread. We had come to bless them, yet went away awed by the blessings we received from our simple visit.
Our RomaniaTeams Are IBC Folks Just Like You
The mission trip lasted 6 days, way too short, considering the needs and REMM’s vital work in this area of
Thank you, Istrouma Baptist, for sending mission teams like this one to
More information about Remm can be found on their website:
www.Romaniabound2007.blogspot.com
“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and holy is this: to look after widows and orphans in their distress.” James 1:27
Join the team today. Sign up for Dollar-A-Day here, and pray about going with us in 2007 locally or abroad.