Summertime

 

School's out and the weather is heating up...summertime is here in Romania!

We started out the month of June by celebrating Children's Day with the kids at the Periș orphanage. Heather prepared a lot of fun outdoor games for the kids and Nicu helped her get the kids involved. Oliver and I watched and cheered from the sidelines. Children's Day activities at the Periș orphanage. Now that school is out we are shifting our focus to summer activities. We finished up our social skills group and English class at Voluntari and had an end of the year party at Pipera with Heather's music class. The kids even put on a mini concert for us! And, as a special surprise, they had all bought me roses for my birthday. End of the year party and mini concert at Pipera with the kids from Voluntari. Receiving my roses while the kids sang Happy Birthday to me. At the very end of the month we helped with the first of five summer camps that we are doing this year. This first camp was with the boys special needs school in Roșiori. Nicu helped lead a group and Oliver and I came one day to watch. At the camp the boys learned about three of Jesus's miracles, did themed crafts, and played lots of games. It was hot but the boys had a great time and everyone went home with lots of prizes. Camp #1 with the boys special needs school in Roșiori. During the month of July we will have two more camps with the Roșiori kids. These camps will be here at our house in Nenciulești! We are excited to host the kids and have enlisted Heather to help us get the house in tip-top shape for the camps. At the end of the month we will provide housing for AlfaOmega church members while they do VBS in Alexandria. We are thankful for the opportunity to host our fellow church members and glad that we have the space for everyone to comfortably stay. We also have some very exciting news about the transition program: we have identified three boys who are interested in coming into our program. Iuli and Andrei are from the Periș orphanage and Alex is from Roșiori. We are trying to raise $350/month per boy or $10,000 in one time donations to bring the boys into the program. Pray for us as we raise support for the boys and prepare to start our ministry with them in the fall. If you would like to read more about the boys check out their bios here: Transition Program 2021 Iuli

Andrei How You Can Support Us

Here are our current prayer requests and praises: Pray that our summer camps will go well and that the kids will be safe, have a fun time, and, most importantly, learn about God's love for them. We are still anticipating that the Voluntari orphanage will close before the end of the summer. We pray for a smooth transition for the kids and all the staff involved. Funds for the boys who would like to come into the transition program as well as additional funds for our family (we are still in need of $200-$300 in monthly support). We were able to get Nicu a visa appointment for the 12th of August! Pray that it will go smoothly and that he will be able to get a 10 year visa (the maximum length of time he can get a visa for). Oliver's appointment to register his birth and get his passport went smoothly. If you would like to partner with us financially through Heart to Heart International please use the button below. If you choose to support us financially be sure and indicate in the memo section that you would like the funds to go to Nicu and Melissa Perghel or to the Boys Transition Program. 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.

Giving Through H2H

You can also make a donation through Walking With Orphans using the PayPal Giving link below. The transaction will appear as "Eastern European and Russian Orphanages Project" (the registered name for Walking With Orphans).                             By using PayPal Giving we will receive 100% of your donation! https://www.paypal.com/us/fundraiser/charity/1239712

Changes

 

May 2021 Update

I can't believe that our last e-newsletter was sent almost two months ago! So many, many things have changed since then...

If you follow me (Melissa) on Facebook then you know that the first big change is that baby Oliver decided to make his appearance six weeks early! Thomas Nicolas Oliver Perghel (Oliver) was born 9 March 2021 at 10:50 p.m. by emergency c-section after my water spontaneously broke at 34 weeks and 1 day. Oliver spent 30 days in the NICU before coming home. I stayed in the hospital as well so that I could visit him twice a day. Because of COVID-19 restrictions if I had left the hospital I would not have been able to come back in. Once we left the hospital there were several doctors visits for various issues: to check for fluid in his chest, to monitor his pulmonary hypertension, and to monitor and treat anemia. We are so thankful to God that all the reports have come back good: there has been no fluid accumulation in his chest, his pulmonary hypertension is very minimal, and he has almost completely recovered from the anemia! Because he was premature, Oly will still get more check-ups and be monitored more closely than most babies but we thank God each day that Oliver is healthy, happy, and on the path to stay that way! Thomas Nicolas Oliver Perghel Born 9 March 2021 We have also gone through changes with our ministry as well. Of course we are still planning on running the transition program but are in need of funds for the kids before we can begin. Until then we have been able to go to both Voluntari and Periș orphanages to have programs. On Friday we go with Heather and Corni and help with an English class. Then I (Melissa) have a social skills group. Usually Nicu ends up hanging out and mentoring some of the older kids and playing soccer once the kids have finished their classes. On Saturday we go with Heather to Periș where we help with Youth Group and then have free time with the kids. And yes, Oliver goes with us to all locations. He is very much loved and looked after by both the kids and the orphanage staff. And we want him to be immersed in ministry life. This is, after all, why we are here! Top (L-R): Marshmallow relay game at Voluntari. Nicu hanging out with Denisa, Denisa, and Costica. Bottom (L-R): Oliver at church for the first time to celebrate Easter. Helping Heather during English class. Top (L-R): Denisa and Nicu during English class. George, Armando, and Nicu during Youth Group at Periș. Bottom (L-R): English class at Voluntari. Youth Group at Periș. Top (L-R): Social skills class at Voluntari. Denisa and Darius during social skills class. Bottom (L-R): Nicu helping Lucica with Oliver. Social skills class at Voluntari. As we start looking ahead to summer ministry we expect to see changes there as well. With the drop in COVID cases we have found it easier to see the kids and work with them. However, we have heard that one of the orphanages may be closing down and the kids will be moved to other foundations or orphanages. We are hoping that we can do a VBS style day camp with the kids in the Bucharest area on site at one of the orphanages. Top (L-R): George and Iuli helping with Oliver. Heather leading Youth Group at Periș. Bottom (L-R): Nicu, Andrei, and Iuli helping clean the pool at Pipera. Doru and Oliver. Top (L-R): Oliver with his big brother, Iuli. Angi and Oliver. Bottom (L-R): English class at Voluntari. Bianca and Oliver. How You Can Support Us We continue to need lots of prayers for our family and our ministry: We have an appointment at the US embassy to register Oliver's birth abroad and to get his US passport. We are still waiting for the embassy to open up for visa applications so that Nicu can get a visa to visit the US later this year. AlfaOmega church would like to stay at our home while they do VBS in Alexandria this summer. We still have many repairs and renovations to make. One thing that would help us greatly is if we were able to bring boys from the orphanage to Nenciulești for several days to help us. Pray that we will be given permission to do this. Funds are needed for the kids who we would like to take into the transition program. We need to try and raise $300/month per child. We have five very strong candidates for the program and 2-3 additional kids who could possibly join us. Our family continues to need an additional $200-$300 a month in support. God blessed us with a supporter who donated enough for Oliver's health insurance to be covered for the remainder of the year, a nearly $1700 cost! God has been abundantly faithful to us and we know he will continue to provide for us as our family grows. Our summer programming schedule and the ability to take the kids out of the orphanage for trips to the pool/museums/the park/etc. A smooth transition if/when one of the orphanage closes. If you would like to partner with us financially through Heart to Heart International please use the button below. As I mentioned, we are trying to raise support to begin the transition program. If you choose to support us financially be sure and indicate in the memo section that you would like the funds to go to Nicu and Melissa Perghel or to the Boys Transition Program. 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. Giving Through H2H Visit H2H's Website You can also make a donation through Walking With Orphans using the PayPal Giving link below. The transaction will appear as "Eastern European and Russian Orphanages Project" (the registered name for Walking With Orphans). By using PayPal Giving we will receive 100% of your donation! https://www.paypal.com/us/fundraiser/charity/1239712

Steps Toward Normal

Finally, after many months, it seems like we are taking baby steps towards "normal" ministry. While we still have not been able to start the transition program, Nicu and I have been able to start going to Voluntari to spend time with the kids. When we go, we spend some time playing games with whoever is around but it's really a chance to catch up and provide mentorship. Nicu is especially good at being able to connect with the kids and give them advice in a way that they are willing to receive. We're praying that we can continue to have access to this ministry site and that the kids will come and participate in the activities that we have planned for them.

No new pictures yet...but here's a cute one of Darius from our school year kickoff in August!

Periș has, unfortunately, continued to be hard to get access to. We can no longer pick up the kids for church so they have to come in on public transportation and their day passes expire much sooner, even for the older kids. This means that we have less time with them and that some of them have started to wane in their commitment to come to church...which is somewhat understandable, they have to leave at 9:00 in the morning to make sure they are at church by 11:30! We're praying that the kids will find a renewed interest in coming and that Periș will become more accessible to us in the next few weeks.

Iuli came to church last Sunday and got to help celebrate Karla's birthday with us. Here he is hanging out with Emi. He truly has a big heart.

As I mentioned above, we still have not been able to start the transition program as we had hoped. Thankfully, two of the boys who we would like to enter the program are still in school and have not left the orphanage. However, it is clear that the system is trying to move the older kids out and condense or close some of the orphanages so we're not sure how much more time we will have before these boys must make a decision about their future. Nicu and I very much wish that the boys could be here with us, there is so much they could be learning and, honestly, we need the help. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, financial support for the program is down. Nicu and I are extremely fortunate that we have faithful givers who have never missed a month. God has provided for us in ways that are amazing over the past year and we are looking for ways to continue to honor Him through our finances. We are praying that we can find at least $300/month in support for each of the boys who would like to enter the program.

Hard to believe that this was just a year ago at Periș! Keep praying for these kids and their futures, so much has changed for them!

Next month, one of our staff members, Wanetta will be leaving to return to Canada. She has worked in Roșiori de Vede for the past three years and has been an amazing addition to our team. She will be greatly missed and leaves some very big shoes to fill! I had hoped to be able to pick up ministry where she had left off: going to visit the kids several days a week in the apartments. However, I was recently told that I'm at an elevated risk for early labor and my doctor told me I need to take it easy. I'm praying that I will still be able to go to Roșiori with another staff member, Sanda, at least once or twice before Oliver comes!

I miss working with these kids from Roșiori!

How You Can Support Us

We continue to need lots of prayers for our family and our ministry: We will have access to Periș, that I can visit Roșiori, and that other ministry sites will open up again as well (Casa Lidia and Mia's Children). We can raise the funds to start the transition program. Baby Oliver will continue to grow as he should and that he will go full term. If you would like to partner with us financially through Heart to Heart International please use the button below. As I mentioned, we are trying to raise support to begin the transition program. If you choose to support us financially be sure and indicate in the memo section that you would like the funds to go to Nicu and Melissa Perghel or to the Boys Transition Program. 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. Giving Through H2H Visit H2H's Website You can also make a donation through Walking With Orphans using one of the two links below. The transaction will appear as "Eastern European and Russian Orphanages Project" (the registered name for Walking With Orphans). https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=CWK49HSNPRU8Q&source=url https://www.paypal.com/us/fundraiser/charity/1239712

Back to Waiting...

 Well...we had hoped that a new year would bring new activities with the kids but, as life would have it, we're back to waiting again...

After a setback at Voluntari we were asked to not come to the orphanage for a few days. When all the dust had settled the director let us know that we could come but we would need a negative COVID test no more than 48 hours old. Since this would require multiple tests each week (and each test costing about $100 for each person) we had to table the idea of seeing the kids face to face. We are looking to see if we can get instant tests and use these to begin seeing the kids again.

        Can't wait to go back! (Pics from our beginning of the school year celebration in the fall.)

Periș continues to be on lockdown as well. We are still taking some of the older kids to church each week and love being able to have conversations with them about salvation, their current struggles, and their hopes for the future. We have seen these kids starting to make better choices and growing in their faith in God. We pray that soon we will be able to begin ministry face to face each week with more kids.

Petruța finally learned how to use Facebook Messenger to call me! I can't wait until she and I can start meeting again one on one.

One big disappointment from this month is that we haven't been able to start the transition program. We had hoped to have 2-3 boys begin the program by the end of January but the funds simply aren't there. One of the prospective boys ended up leaving to live with his brother, a move that we, and the orphanage social worker, do not feel is in his best interest. We have hope that he will be able to join us once the program is up and running. In the meantime we are trying to raise $300/month for each boy (total of $900/month for all three boys).

Constantly praying about what the future holds for these kids.

As for our family, we received some good news this month that baby Oliver is growing well and continues to have no fluid build up in his chest! Some of my recent bloodwork came back a little off so I now have an endocrinologist monitoring my thyroid levels and a diabetes specialist working with me (I failed one part of my gestational diabetes test). My ob/gyn isn't overly worried about any of those things...she is most focused on making sure that Oliver's lungs develop enough and developing a plan for delivery. We are counting down the days until our little man is here!

Another blessing that we received this month is that Nicu was asked to join a training program for up and coming leaders in the church. He and several other young guys will be meeting with the church leadership board and training twice a month. Our church is looking to expand their home groups and to start a second, satellite church and these guys will be filling some of those positions. Nicu has already led prayer time in front of the church and during a night of prayer over Zoom.

Nicu praying in church.

How You Can Support Us

We continue to need lots of prayers for our family and our ministry: We will have access to ministry sites. We can raise the funds to start the transition program. Baby Oliver will continue to grow as he should and that the rest of my pregnancy will go well. Nicu will thrive in the leadership program at the church. If you would like to partner with us financially through Heart to Heart International please use the button below. As I mentioned, we are trying to raise $900/month to begin the transition program. We are also still slightly below where we would like to be on our own monthly support. If you choose to support us financially be sure and indicate in the memo section that you would like the funds to go to Nicu and Melissa Perghel or to the Boys Transition Program. 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. Giving Through H2H Visit H2H's Website

You can also make a donation through Walking With Orphans using one of the two links below. The transaction will appear as "Eastern European and Russian Orphanages Project" (the registered name for Walking With Orphans).

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

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

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