Summer, still in full swing here in Romania, has brought many wonderful experiences and opportunities for new adventures and blessings. Lately, however, I have been spending a lot of time thinking retrospectively. It’s been 6 years since I first came to Romania as a very young, very naïve 19-year old. Things have changed so much! Walter and I often comment on the ways Romania has changed in the last few years. Walter notices the expensive cars on the streets. A few years ago, you might have seen a BMW or even a Ferrari occassionally. Now, spotting them on the streets is no longer a big deal as they are everywhere! I notice the new shopping centers and malls opening all of the time. There is a huge mall in Timisoara with a KFC and a Pizza Hut. Now we have a big mall like this in Arad and they’re building another. The changes are not only in the country of Romania and the city of Arad, but also very apparent in our Global Hope family. Often, I sit around with our kids and look at them. Obviously, they have grown and changed physically. Whenever I post pictures, I always get emails and comments like, “They’re so big!” and “He’s huge!” However, being around them every day and knowing them for over six years, I also notice other changes. Many of our children have really matured. Their personalities have developed and for many, adulthood is truly just around the corner. In the last few months, three of the girls from Ana’s House (Oana Kis, Sanda and Oana Stepan) accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior and were baptized. The other day, I was in a shopping center with Sanda and her sister, Simona (Ana’s House). We were celebrating Simona’s 14th birthday. We came outside and I saw this very tall, very grown-up looking young man. His back was to me and for a minute, I almost didn’t recognize him. It was Flavius (Steven’s House)! He has probably grown a foot in the last year, now towering over me. He joked with me about this the other day. I told him when I first came to Romania, he only came to my shoulders and I had to look down into his sweet face. Now, I have to look up to see his eyes! Let me assure those of you who know him that his growth spurt has not changed his endearing personality. He is still, at-heart, the same Flavius that picked flowers for all of the girls on my mission teams. The other day he came to my apartment for an English lesson. He said he had a gift for me and brought out a large plastic bag with a picture of swimming dolphins on it. He had found it at a local market and remembered that my favorite animals are dolphins. It’s not an expensive gift, but I will treasure it always because of his thoughtfulness. Most of our kids are teen-agers and pre-teens now. The kids who once eagerly lined up in the front of any room to sing to mission teams and guests now prefer to sit and listen to others sing. The changes in the kids means changes in our ministry as we try to help them become independent, responsible adults who care about others and desire to seek after Jesus with their whole hearts. This is an area where we humbly ask for your prayers. Please pray for wisdom as we try to meet the physical, educational, emotional, mental, and spiritual needs of our growing kids. Ioana’s (The House of Hope) upcoming operation in Vienna is a need that is pressing on our hearts and minds right now. We are still trying to raise the funds to pay for her surgery. We are also spending a great deal of time in thought and prayers as this surgery will most certainly affect her life in the coming months and years. The surgery on her spine will help to correct her scoliosis but it will demand a long, difficult healing process. She will use a wheelchair and will probably be pulled out of school for the year. Please pray for Ioana. This time will demand the will-power of an Olympic athlete as she will have to work through pain and many hours of therapy. Please pray for her fears. She may be mature in many ways, but she is truly just a little girl and this surgery would be intimidating and difficult even for adults. Please pray for the doctors and please pray for us as we try to prepare, help and encourage her. One other prayer request is for Marian (Steven’s House) and Simon (The House of Hope). They will be starting first grade at a school called Step-by-Step. Already, Doina (our Director of Education), Ana Gavrila (our psychologist), and Noni (our social worker) are meeting daily with the boys to help prepare them for the beginning of school. Starting first grade is a huge accomplishment and shows how much progress they have both made in the last couple of years. We also have a few other first-graders this year. Vasi, Cristina Balas (both from the House of Hope), and Paula (Ana’s House) finished the Romanian equivalent of kindergarten and will be starting school this fall. Please pray for them in this time of transition. There are so many things going on here. It’s hard to cover it all in one update. It’s also difficult to find the time to sit down and write about the on-going events here in Romania. A recent mission team member commented on this, saying that she could feel the presence of God working in Romania. It really is their time as they rise and stand on the legs of freedom and progress. Realizing this, I have been prompted to give thought to my future. At this point, I’m not sure how much longer I will be able to continue to live and serve in Romania. I have some pretty substantial debt to pay off, thanks to student loans. If I want to live a life in foreign ministry, I really want to be debt-free. Right now, I really don’t have clear answers or a clear direction. I am still waiting on God and seeking His wisdom. I am planning to return to the States in October. My past fundraising efforts have been rushed and I have never raised as much as I would have hoped for but now I know that it was all in God’s plan. I am thinking of coming back and spending some time re-evaluating before launching into fundraising. Please continue to pray for me during this time. Right now I am feeling very overwhelmed and tired. Please pray for a refreshment of my soul and that I can make the time to rest and refill. Praise the Lord for His continued blessings! He has been so good to me and Global Hope. Now, in a time of change and uncertainty, we can feel His guiding presence. He pours His love out constantly, covering us in grace and blessings. I pray that you also feel His love for you and that He refreshes you too this weekend! I again would like to express my deep appreciation for each and every one of you. Your love and support has made this experience possible for me. I can always feel your prayers here. I hope and pray that you know how thankful I am and how much I love you!

Beautiful blessings to you,
Sarah

The Global Hope kids (Summer 2008)