The Story of Romania
Bethesda Foundation in Galati, Romania began their work among the poor street children after the fall of the Berlin wall in 1989. By 1992 they had registered a non-government organization with Romania and founded the street orphans’ home and day school. My husband visited in those early days through a national missionary, Cristina Ignatovici, that our church in Saegertown, PA supported directly. That is how I got turned onto the idea of supporting local, national people to do the work of sharing Jesus with their own countrymen at a much lower cost than sending people from the west. Made sense to me then and still does.
Bethesda has been educating children, helping families, and doing health care clinics for almost 30 years. They have a wonderful team of local church members who have committed to changing lives of the poorest people in their area with the love of Jesus Christ.
Bethesda just answered the call of God to take in Ukrainian refugees with this 2022 war. 20+ refugees have already arrived, and they are doing what they can to find them shelter and take care of their many medical needs from being on the run. They are spending late nights and much love on getting them stabilized.
Natasha, one expectant Ukrainian mom, just gave birth 3-24-22, to a healthy baby girl. The trauma of the war, displacement of her family and serious health of her diabetic husband has been draining. God has placed her and her husband right in the lap of loving Romanians who are graciously caring for them in the name of Jesus.
The entire Ukrainian group attended church with our Romania center hosts and for the first time they heard of Jesus and his word called the Bible. They were blown away with the love poured out on them in the name of this Savior called Jesus. May God be praised even amid the tragedy of war. I feel a part of this because of the story of connection. We are partners in doing good, even though many miles separate us. Our stories intersect and create a bond of love and inspiration that only God can fuel. May His name be praised in our stories.
