Looking Back and Reflecting on Livada

Friday, August 10 at 12:47 in the morning.

Buna! Michaela is here with the team on the train back to Craiova. These past three days have been an absolutely amazing opportunity that God has given us to dive into Livada (Orchard in Romanian) Orphan Care and observe their organization. On Tuesday Jeremy and Hunter gave you an update on the visit to the summer day camps in Nonsa & the gypsie community Ogra, but there is so much more to tell now.

Tuesday evening, we went to the group homes (they call them Home Groups!) which are part of the housing project that Livada has. These two houses provide a family environment with 9 kids in one house and 12 in the other (ages 5-17).  It was encouraging to see the kids growing spiritually, mentally, and physically in these environments. Thes Livada Home Groups affirmed Open Roads’ long time dream of opening homes similar to these – but instead of just starting at 18 (for the transition from state care to independence, possibly starting earlier by having kids join the homes at a young age). Having a family-like situation is the best thing for abandoned children to deal with their pasts and learn skills for the future. Valentin and Daniel said the other day that the word “home” is a personal and powerful word to these kids who have never felt like they belong somewhere. The homes that Open Roads’ wants to provide is a place they can finally learn to grow and live – this is the main objective of Open Roads. The leaders from Craiova and us also came away some ideas that may adapt certain aspects of the homes to be different than Livada, and we were able to dream and discuss what would that look like. What would make the best family environment where they learned chores chores and study habits (and etc.) and had a positive role model of relationship and love.

Wednesday, the group who went to the Ogra Camp and the other group who went to the Orpahan camp on Tuesday switched on Wednesday. Afterwards, we all went together to a children’s pediatrics hospital in Tirgur Mures to see how Livada has their hand in ministry there. From the moment I stepped inside the state run hospital, I could not believe my eyes. It was far dirtier than American hospital standards and the conditions for the children were by no means desirable. The babies were in metal cribs, with exposed bars separated with wide gaps. The two women who were with us from Livada told us that these children do not get the attention they need to grow properly, spending most of their days unattended to in their cribs. The nurses say they are too busy to attend to the babies, so the lay in their cribs for hours without any human stimulation. Livada’s ministry there is to take all of the babies outside to interact with them, and care for them. They  also do a some minor physical therapy with them since they do not have a lot of muscle. Georgiana, the little girl that I picked up from her crib upstairs, was the size in weight and height of an 18 month old, but I knew she was older from the moment I held her because of how her limbs were developed. I was told she was 3 years old. Another girl who was 4 looked and acted like she was 2. These things broke my heart, and worst of all was that we had to put them back in that dirty place and walk away hearing their screams. This is a picture of the brokenness in the world, and in the midst of this, it is more than likely for someone to ask, where is God? Why do these things happen? But from this hospital we were given a picture of hope in the Livada workers, Gabbi and Mira, who are working on improving the conditions of the hospitial, the care for the children and changing the way the state run hospitals are working. Also, our leaders were able to see the need of these kids, and begin to dream and hope to take kids into group homes as early as 3 or 4, or as early as possible. It is from conditions like these that people grow up with mental or physical disabilities and then have an even harder time struggling with their identity. So although this trip to the orphanage was heart wrenching, God is working in many ways through normal people all around. God is never silent, and He is always claiming these kids as His own.

Today, Thursday, we visited the Orphan day camp again during the morning, and after lunch we left. I think we still felt the same feelings about the day camp for the orphans that we did the other day. After the camp, we went to see some houses that Livada were given and are being fixed. They are pretty old and huge! The two houses are a blessing to the ministry and will do a couple of different things. They will basically fill an immediate housing need for Romanian children there is and to house teams that come to partner with Livada. Right now they are being finished, but they are being used for supplies, materials, and prayer and support cards for different children in the Livada ministry.

Afterwards, we went to see the offices of Livada, the tomatoes and pepper fields, and the group homes again. The greenhouse was very neat because it is Livada’s first steps in self-sustainable ministry and their first microbusiness (offering opportunities to the older orphans to harvest the field and learn agriculture and business). The greenhouses were just built this year, and they seem to have a lot of success with them.

And then we caught the train. We are very thankful to Livada for allowing us to observe and see all their programs, to learn from them, and to have a clearer image of Open Roads in our minds. From here, we all ask for your prayer over Open Roads and their future.

Well we are almost to Craiova, about a half hour more, and I am very tired. Talk to y’all soon.

Michaela