Merry Christmas!

 Merry Christmas from the Perghel family! We hope that this email update finds you well, rested, and ready for what 2021 has to bring!

This month has seen some small returns to "normal" life. I (Melissa) was able to do some therapy sessions via Zoom with the kids at Voluntari and Nicu continued to make repairs at Nenciulești. Including putting in a new hot water heater! We couldn't have done that without the love and gracious financial support from the members of Cochranton Christian and Missionary Alliance Church in Cochranton, Pennsylvania.

Our brand new water heater!

A new ministry area that we have been able to take part in is having some of the kids come to church with us. While we aren't allowed into the orphanage, the kids have the chance to leave the orphanage. Several of them, of their own accord, have asked for permission slips to leave for the day and to come to church with us. We could not be more proud or excited to see the kids take this kind of initiative!

We often give the kids a ride home after church since it takes about an hour and half by public transport. Of course that also means they often get a detour to the mall or the team house in Pipera for some time to hang out.

This month culminated in the giving of Christmas gifts to the kids at the Periș, Voluntari, and Peticot orphanages. The members of AlfaOmega church in Bucharest provided enough stockings and gifts for all of the kids to get something special. It was amazing to finally see some of the kids after months apart. And the directors told us that we were the only organization to bring gifts to the kids this year which made the whole experience even more meaningful.

Handing out gifts at Periș. It has been about 3 months since we have had face to face interaction with many of the kids. It was great to see all of them again!

Gift giving at Peticot. Peticot is a special needs orphanage that is located on the grounds of the Periș orphanage. The two orphanages are separated by a chainlink fence and, in recent months, have been totally separated from one another. The kids were so very excited to have visitors and to receive gifts.

Handing out presents at Voluntari. We weren't allowed in any of the orphanages so we had to hand out gifts in the parking lot. This didn't stop the kids from coming to see us and give us hugs (and to pat my belly!).

What's Coming Up

We are hoping that in January we can begin taking some of the boys from the orphanages to come to Nenciulești to work with Nicu for a few days at a time. After talking with many of the boys we feel that it is probably best to wait until the fall to have them come live with us full-time. There may be a few exceptions to this as there are some boys who will turn 18 and have no where to go before October comes. We are continuing to pray for direction about this. We are also praying that we will be able to start going into the orphanages again to work with the kids face to face. Having not had social interactions or contact with the outside world for months we have visibly seen a change in the kids, they no longer have any motivation or zest for life and many are suffering physically because they have simply stopped eating or doing physical activity. The kids desperately need the positive mental health benefits that come from social interactions. How You Can Support Us We continue to need lots of prayers for our family and our ministry: That baby Oliver will continue to grow strong and healthy, that there will be no further issues or complications with the pregnancy, and that his shunts will stay in place. Access to ministry sites. The boys transition program. Financial support. We need an additional $1200 a month in support to be able to continue with ministry. One time donations are also greatly appreciated as they help us with things like medical bills and household repairs. If you would like to partner with us financially through Walking With Orphans please use one of the two links below. You can check out our Facebook group to receive updates on how close we are to reaching our goal as well as see how God is moving and working through us. If you would like to make a financial contribution through PayPal please use the link below. The transaction will appear under “Eastern European and Russian Orphanages Project” (the official name of Walking With Orphans). https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=CWK49HSNPRU8Q&source=url You can also make a donation through our PayPal Giving Fund page: https://www.paypal.com/us/fundraiser/charity/1239712

Roller Coaster

 When thinking of how to explain this month all I could think of was "roller coaster." Emotionally, physically, mentally, and even at times, spiritually, both Nicu and I have been up, down, and thrown for a loop.

To start things off, we attempted to schedule a visa appointment for Nicu. Our original plan was to travel to the States in late November. However, we were unable to schedule an appointment with the embassy until the 7th of December and our expedited request was denied. A few weeks later we found out the appointment on the 7th was cancelled as well. However, this was a blessing in disguise because of what happened next...

As most of you know, we announced our pregnancy at the beginning of the month. However, about 10 days later, I went in for a routine ultrasound where they found out that our little man, Oliver, had hydrothorax (or fetal pleural effusion). The next day the doctor drained fluid from his chest and abdomen but a few days later on Monday the fluid was back. I was admitted to the hospital and on Tuesday afternoon, after waiting for Oliver to turn into a good position, the doctor performed the surgery to place two thoracic shunts in Oliver. I went back on the Friday after the surgery and everything looked good. I have more doctors visits ahead and we're praying that the shunts stay in place and continue to work. We're also praying that Oliver will continue to grow strong and healthy and stay in place until April.

Pictures after church one Sunday.

Decorating for Christmas...because we all need a little joy after the craziness of this year!

In addition to all the personal life changes and craziness, we still have ministry to think about. I was able to do a few therapy sessions at Voluntari at the beginning of the month and Nicu has continued to make repairs at Nenciulești to prepare for when we are able to take boys into the transition program. Our hope is that in January we will be able to take some boys, even if just for a week at a time, down to Nenciulești to start learning and working with us. In preparation for Christmas we have partnered with AlfaOmega church here in Bucharest to buy presents and stocking stuffers for all the kids at Periș and Voluntari as well as the youth group kids in Roșiorii.

We are still very limited in the work that we can do due to COVID-19 restrictions. Periș was quarantined for several weeks and then they had a change in directors so regular ministry has yet to resume. We are still keeping in touch with the kids there as best as we can but they are very eager to see us face to face once again. In Roșiorii the directors are only allowing one staff member to visit the apartments and they can only visit one apartment a day. Once we are allowed to have more staff come in then I will go to help there. In the meantime, we try to stay busy and prepare for the day when we are able to see the kids again.

How You Can Support Us

We continue to need lots of prayers for our family and our ministry: That baby Oliver will continue to grow strong and healthy, that there will be no further issues or complications with the pregnancy, and that the shunts will stay in place. Access to ministry sites. Specifically Periș and Roșiorii. The boys transition program. Nicu and I are still praying about how the program will look in the spring - whether we will take in boys full time or part time, how many boys we will accept into the program, who we think would benefit most from the program, and how to structure and run the program. Pray for wisdom and guidance. Monthly support. We are still short of our monthly support goal and also know that we are losing some supporters at the end of the year. In order to start the transition program in January we need to meet our financial goals. As I mentioned above, we are in need of financial support. In order to start the transition program in January we need an additional $1200 a month. This will help cover Nicu's salary, taxes, and insurance. One time donations also help us greatly. As you can imagine, having in utero surgery is not cheap. While my insurance should cover the expenses we have to pay out of pocket up front and hope to be reimbursed. If you would like to partner with us financially through Walking With Orphans please use one of the links below. You can check out our Facebook group to receive updates on how close we are to reaching our goal as well as see how God is moving and working through us.

If you would like to make a financial contribution through PayPal please use the link below. The transaction will appear under “Eastern European and Russian Orphanages Project” (the official name of Walking With Orphans).

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=CWK49HSNPRU8Q&source=url

You can also make a donation through our PayPal Giving Fund page:

https://www.paypal.com/us/fundraiser/charity/1239712

We're Moving!

Yes, that's right! We're leaving the city behind and moving to the country! In mid-October Nicu and I will be moving to Nenciulești, a small village about an hour and half south of Bucharest. Why would we do that? Because that is where the Heart to Heart boys transition program is located and Nicu will be taking over as the director of the program starting this fall! In the transition program we will housing boys who are 18 and older and have left the orphanage but want to learn a trade and may need some extra help transitioning from orphanage living into the real world. Nicu will be working with the boys to learn construction, welding, and other similar skills. I will help with the daily household management and helping the boys learn to cook and clean. The most important aspect of the program will be a daily Bible study and weekly involvement in the local church and with AlfaOmega church in Bucharest. I will also be helping my colleague, Wanetta, in Roșiori de Vede several days a week and both Nicu and I will be going back to Bucharest on the weekends to work with the kids at Periș, Voluntari, Casa Lidia, and Mia's Children. We anticipate a season of lots of changes, lots of work, and lots of adjusting but are very excited about this new adventure for our family!

Fun fact: The house that we will be living in was originally a cheese factory! It was renovated many years ago in order to house the boys transition program and now has seven bedrooms, four bathrooms (including one outdoors for use during our summer camps), a "club"/hang out space, a living room, a huge pantry, and dining and kitchen area. There is a second building on the property that holds a workshop/garage and four rooms that we use for housing campers and meeting spaces during summer camps. There are already plans underway to add a second story to the building for dorms!

Join us on the adventure!

We need a lot of support over the next few months as we prepare for this new ministry opportunity. The first way that you can support us is through prayer in the following specific areas: Good health. There has been an increase in COVID-19 cases in Romania and several of our friends have become sick. Pray that we will have good health and not contract COVID-19. The move to Nenciulești will go smoothly and that the old house we were living in will sell quickly. Nicu will pass his driving test on the 8th of October. He will then have his driver's license which will be a HUGE help for us! Nicu will get his visa to America. We have plans to travel to the States in November and pray that there will be no issues with getting his travel visa despite the current global situation. New monthly supporters. We will be losing some of our monthly support at the end of this year and we still have a few hundred dollars that we need to raise to make sure Nicu is fully supported. He is first Romanian staff member to have raised all his support independently! All the other Romanian staff receive a portion of the funds that the American staff raise. We're very proud of the fact that Nicu has been able to raise his own support and it is even more important that he be fully funded as we enter into this next phase of our lives together; Nicu has officially quit his job at the auto body parts warehouse and October will be the first month we both live off a "missionary salary." The second way that you can support us is through financial giving. We need funds to help cover the cost of Nicu's visa and plane ticket to the US, the taxes for the new car we are planning on purchasing, and the renovations that we need to make at Nenciulești. We need both monthly support and one time donations. If you would like to partner with us financially through Walking With Orphans please use one of the links below. You can check out our Facebook group to receive updates on how close we are to reaching our goal as well as see how God is moving and working through us.

If you would like to make a financial contribution through PayPal please use the link below. The transaction will appear under “Eastern European and Russian Orphanages Project” (the official name of Walking With Orphans).

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=CWK49HSNPRU8Q&source=url

You can also make a donation through our PayPal Giving Fund page:

https://www.paypal.com/us/fundraiser/charity/1239712

Finally, Some Good News!

After many months of waiting I have some good news to share with everyone...we are finally able to start seeing the kids again! After four long months we were able to have day camps with some of the kids in Roșiori de Vede and to hang out with the kids at Periș (and give them a long awaited Easter egg hunt!).

Day Camps in Roșiori de Vede At the end of June/beginning of July we were able to take groups of kids out of the orphanage in Roșiori and transport them to the local picnic area in the woods to have VBS style day camps. We sang, learned about the prophet Elijah, talked about how God never leaves us, did crafts, played games, and even had a barbecue! Visiting the Periș Crew Around the end of July we were able to finally go out and see the kids at Periș. One of the things they had requested months and months ago was to have an Easter egg hunt. We hadn't done one last year because we thought all the kids were too big and wouldn't want to participate. We were surprised when our teenagers got upset that we weren't having a hunt this year due to the coronavirus. So, the first order of business once we were finally able to see the kids was to have a very belated Easter egg hunt! The kids loved it and found all but 4 of the 200 eggs that we hid! We have been very blessed to be able to establish a schedule at Periș and the kids are already asking when we are going to start therapy sessions again. They also really missed doing Youth Group in person (online just isn't the same!) so we had a "mini Youth Group" where we sang and read a short devotional. It was really awesome to get to discuss some Biblical concepts with the kids again. What's Coming Up As I mentioned above, we have been able to establish a schedule of going out to Periș twice a week. I plan on starting therapy sessions with the kids soon. I also talked with the director at Voluntari and we are going to start visiting those kids as well! Once we establish a schedule there then I would like to start therapy sessions and groups again with the kids. Nicu and I would like to begin going to Casa Lidia and Mia's Children again on the weekends as we had been doing. We would need to be tested for COVID-19 before we can start visiting the kids again. We're praying about what to do as the tests would cost us $200 and we can't afford that expense at the moment. Another area of ministry we are praying will open up is the apartments in Roșiori. At the moment only one staff member can go in at a time to work with the kids so my colleague, Wanetta, has been going alone for almost a month now. We're praying that they will soon start allowing more of us to go and work with the kids! Giving Information We are so thankful that over the past month we have gained new supporters and that some of our old supporters have decided to up their donations! We are continuing to inch forward towards our goal of bringing Nicu on staff full time and appreciate every dollar that we receive. We would love to have Nicu on staff full time by the end of August so that he can begin working with the kids once school starts in mid-September. Check out our Facebook group to receive updates on how close we are to reaching our goal. If you would like to partner with us financially through Heart to Heart International please use the button below. Be sure and indicate in the memo section that you would like the funds to go to Nicu and Melissa Perghel. Giving Through H2H If you would like to donate directly to us please use the link below. This is for my non-profit, Walking With Orphans (the charge will appear as Eastern European and Russian Orphanages Project...this was the original name of Walking With Orphans). 100% of donations made through Walking With Orphans comes directly to us! https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=5SVY3LDR397KW&source=url Prayer Requests and Praises Praises: We, and our families, are in good health. That we were able to start seeing the kids again. We have gained more monthly supporters. Prayer Requests: That any changes made about wearing masks, the state of alert, etc. would not impact our ability to continue ministry. Nicu will pass his driving test. Guidance about financial decisions (house/apartment, car, etc.). Ministry opportunities. That international travel will return to a more normal state so that Nicu will be able to get his visa without a problem. We will get the rest of the monthly support that we need. Continued health and safety for ourselves, our families, and the kids. Visit H2H's Website E-mail | Blog | Facebook  ‌  ‌  ‌  ‌

Summertime in Quarantine

Summertime in Quarantine

June 2020 Update

It is officially summer here in Romania! And what a strange one it has been so far, with some very beautiful highs and some very disheartening lows with anxiety, laughter, tears, and hope all mixed together.

Family Update

A definite high that started the summer...Nicu and I got married! We were able to have a civil ceremony and small religious ceremony on the 3rd of June. We're planning a larger celebration on the 23rd of August but we're so thankful that we were able to take this step and start our life together. After the wedding we were able to get away to the mountains for the day to enjoy some fresh air. We also toured nearby Cantacuzino Castle. As a new couple we have so many decisions to make and prayer requests to ask. We are trying to raise more monthly support so that Nicu can come on staff full-time. We have been blessed with three new monthly donors and now need only $322 more a month to meet our goal! We also found a car that we like for 7000 euro. Thanks to many generous donors we have just enough money saved to purchase the car! However, Nicu needs to get his driver's license first. We are praying that his instructor will allow him to get his documents so he can apply to take his written exam. We also pray that he will pass the written exam and be able to take his driving exam quickly (in Romania you sometimes have to wait a month between your written and driving exams!). We are also praying about moving into an apartment. We have found several that we like but would like Nicu to be on staff full-time before we move. We are also still praying about the possibility of buying a house. Having a home to start our family in would be great, and houses are fairly cheap right now, but we want to make wise decisions and make sure this is what God wants for us in this season. We ask that you pray for clarity about this decision and all the details that go along with making such a big commitment. Ministry Update I wish I could say that these pictures are from last month's ministry but they are, in fact, from June 2019. It is hard for me to look at these pictures and not become emotional. This is my first summer in 9 years that I'm not helping with or leading a full summer camps program here in Romania. The kids in the Bucharest area are still in isolation until at least the 15th of July. The director told me that she believes as long as we are in a State of Alert then the kids will remain in lockdown. Unfortunately, the number of COVID-19 cases as spiked again in Romania. We're unsure of what this will mean for many aspects of ministry and our personal lives: Will the State of Alert be extended? If so does that mean that the kids will remain in lockdown? What will the school year look like? Will we be able to get a visa for Nicu to travel to the US? Will we be able to travel to the US at all this year? One positive thing we were able to accomplish ministry-wise in June was to plan some short day camps for the kids in Roșiori during the first part of July. Our theme will be loneliness and focus on the life of the prophet Elijah. I will be leading crafts with the kids and want to say a special word of thanks for our supporters: because of your giving I was able to purchase all the arts and craft supplies needed for the camps! I'm so excited to be able to work with these kids after almost 4 months of not seeing them! Giving Information As I mentioned about we are just $322 from our monthly goal! We are so incredibly thankful to everyone who has supported us so far on this journey. If you would like to support us financially, with whatever amount you are able, please click the link below. Be sure and indicate in the memo section that you would like the funds to go to Nicu and Melissa Perghel. Giving Through H2H If you would like to donate directly to us please use the link below. This is for my non-profit, Walking With Orphans (the charge will appear as Eastern European and Russian Orphanages Project...this was the original name of Walking With Orphans). 100% of donations made through Walking With Orphans comes directly to us! https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=5SVY3LDR397KW&source=url Prayer Requests and Praises Praises: We were able to get married. We, and our families, are in good health. We were able to schedule camps for Roșiori. We have gained more monthly supporters. Prayer Requests: That the State of Alert will be lifted and we can go see the kids. Nicu will get his driver's license soon. Guidance about financial decisions (house/apartment, car, etc.). That international travel will return to a more normal state so that my parents can travel here in August for the wedding, so that we can go to the States in November, and so that Nicu will be able to get his visa without a problem. We will get the rest of the monthly support that we need. Continued health and safety for ourselves, our families, and the kids.