April 2023

A SHORT, THOUGH SPECIAL, THREE-WEEK ASSIGNMENT!

Latest update of Reaching Out Romania with Director Iana Matei

With the required creativity of a film maker, our young guest, Jordan, approached each assignment during the week with the sensitivity needed to show and tell the horrific and challenging, yet hopeful story of human trafficking in Romania.

From Abraham Maslow’s “Hierarchy of Human Needs’’ our physiological needs are the first that must be met or satisfied. Among those is acquiring food. As I handed Iana the recycling money and personal donations that I had collected for Reaching Out Romania she said, “Good. First, we go grocery shopping for the girls at the Shelter.”

And grocery shopping we did. For some three hours. We began at the giant Metro warehouse. It is like shopping at a large Costco. Jordan and I wheeled and loaded two very large carts with food essentials as Iana crossed off the items from her grocery list. When we finished at Metro, we then packed and filled her car to the roof with all the basic food items. Next we drove to a meat shop and came away with three giant, strong, plastic bags full of meat supplies.

This is our 17th year of seeing God provide and do so many miracles for Reaching Out Romania. The needs of the girls Iana is rescuing are so horrific. But the God of grace is there to bring healing. To come alongside Iana in her work has been so good. To build trust in the girls’ lives, to sit with them or colour or draw or laugh is such an awesome privilege. God is Jehovah Jireh. He is the God of provision.

Please take a moment to view the 3-minute video clip with Iana:

“My mission is to help the girls,” says Iana. “My mission is not to fight with the government, with corrupted people, or to educate the uneducated ones.” Iana poses the question, “Why doesn’t everyone do this? Why do you have to interview me and ask me why I am doing this? In fact, I should ask you, ‘Why don’t you do it?’”