What did you do during your Christmas vacation?
My sister Rena came to visit us on Christmas Day. We were very glad that she came. The time together has been great. But that is not nearly the whole story.
Rena works with children who have learning disabilities. She has been using that gift here with the children of Galati. Saturday she began her teaching activities with a visit to a family with a 4 year old deaf girl. This valley family was first told the story of Jesus when Donnie was working with Troy, as long as 4 years ago. There are several believers in the home, but there are also some who have not yet placed their trust in Jesus. This family is already being blessed by Mihai and the Ene family (pronounced “N.A.”) who are teaching the whole family sign language. Rena joined in the lesson and learned some new signs herself. We all had a good time there.
The next stop for Rena was a family who includes a 12 year old autistic girl. This family is a mission point of Holy Trinity not far from the center of town. She is a very happy young lady who has trouble communicating with anyone except her mother. This was the first time I was able to see the genius of my sister at work in her profession. I was amazed at the ideas she had that would help this family communicate. They were simple, affordable and effective.
Our next visit was with a family who are friends of Roland, that live near Billa II. Roland not only asked me about getting some help for this families’ 18 month old daughter but told me that “they have everything they want, but they need God.” So please pray for this young couple as we work with their child, that they may come to know Jesus as their personal Savior. Their child is both almost blind and deaf.
We then returned to the valley, on Dogarei street. Bogdan and Troy both know this family, although I had never been in their house as far as I can remember. Bogdan said he has done some Bible studies with them in the past. I don’t know if anyone in this home is a believer in Jesus. The family includes an 8 year old boy who has learning and communication problems. He is not able to go to school but has 3 sisters that do attend school who are eager to help teach him as much as he is able to learn. Rena discussed several way that they could help him learn. On our next visit she will have some simple tools for them to use in this process. When we left there, you could see the change in the faces of the sisters and the mother, they had hope that their brother could learn.
Our next stop was at the home of a member of the Holy Trinity Church. Their family includes a 4 years old boy with CP. This youngster is blessed with an older sister and 2 loving parents. They have been able to get help working with him, but they are eager to learn other ways which he might respond to as well. This mother is not a believer, pray that her heart will be softened by these visits and that she too will know Jesus as her Savior.
One thing all these family have in common is the fact that not all the members of the families follow Jesus. Please be praying for us this week as we get to show God’s love though our actions.
Now when Rena is asked what she did on her Christmas vacation I think her answer may be, “ do you want an hour by hour or day by day description?”
Jam 2:17 So it is with faith: if it is alone and includes no actions, then it is dead.
Jam 2:18 But someone will say, "One person has faith, another has actions." My answer is, "Show me how anyone can have faith without actions.
