Amanda Towle

He is Risen Indeed!

2011-04-26T21:10:00.000+03:00

Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine. The sheep hear His voice; and He calls His own sheep by name. The sheep follow Him, for they know His voice. See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands. Your walls are continually before Me.

Isaiah 43:1, John 10:3-4, Isaiah 49:16

God is everywhere. His name is written on children's laughter, whistling wind, hearts aching while the Savior mends, breeze blowing through the field. The name of Jesus is whispered upon color-dyed hands from Easter eggs, savory mouthfuls of chocolate cake, hungry hearts waiting to see God, on the souls of His children rejoicing in His goodness.

Giving thanks in all things and choosing to see His blessings, His name, His voice even in trials is a discipline I am all but learning with new eyes wide open to see His marvelous hand at work, His voice commanding light out of the darkness. Our Jesus has been doing what He does best - changing lives and speaking truth into hearts. I want to share with you the joy He is bringing forth each day here in Romania and give you a glimpse of His coming harvest.

Our wonderful Seed of Hope ministry has expanded into a second village, Pintic. Faith began teaching an English class to 5th through 8th graders and I have been helping her each week in the classroom. The village has no believers and it's our desire to see the village come to know Jesus. The school attendance is low because many children are very poor and come from gypsy families who do not make education a priority. Because the village is very poor and students cannot afford any school supplies, we are raising support to bless the students with all they need. The Lord has already provided supplies for the older children and we are now praying for provision for the younger children to receiving the materials as well. We want the children and their families to taste and see that the Lord is good and that He is the giver of all good things. It is a testimony to the village of God's love for them and opens opportunities for sharing the gospel.

Although the local Orthodox priest is skeptical about our involvement (He previously ran a Baptist group out of the village.), the Lord has given us favor with the school's director who has provided a sort of protective buffer for us with the priest. Jesus has been so good to go before us in this new outreach and we have been able to share the gospel message twice now as well as testify of God's work in our hearts and lives. We pray that Jesus may be glorified in all things, speaking truth into the hearts the teachers, students and their families.

In the village of Slatinita the Lord has been asking us to meet with a particular family on a regular basis. The family had been on our hearts for some time but whenever we went for a visit, we experienced only idle conversation. We were continually interrupted when it came to discussing things of the Lord. Recently, the Lord broke through the barriers in our relationship with this Orthodox family as the wife began to share about spousal abuse and how she feels that nothing happens when she prays. Oh, if she only knew of our Jesus as Savior rather than just religious doctrines!! My heart aches for her to know our risen Lord. We soon did a follow-up visit with her and asked if we could do a Bible study with her for encouragement and to allow truth to be planted into her mind and heart. She not only readily agreed but invited her two young children and husband as well!

Please pray for God's divine help with the language as this is my first time teaching in Romanian without a translator and I need to build up my vocabulary quickly in order to teach more effectively. We are studying Psalm 23 verse by verse so they can learn about Jesus as the Good Shepherd who cares for us, His sheep, and calls us from darkness into His light.

Each time Faith and I prepare to share the gospel in the two villages, we experience heavy spiritual warfare. We often are sick, fearful without cause, have problems with transportation and recently dog fights with my dog involved minutes before we are scheduled to leave for the village. In the village we have also experienced rough young men and teenagers coming to the English class and causing problems, refusing to leave. We greatly appreciate your prayers for our protection, health and calm hearts and minds as we work in the villages and seek God's glory in all things.

The ballet class which I began teaching last fall as a small outreach has now grown to 10 children with more interested in attending! I am so excited to see the children enjoy dance and invite their friends to come. We are currently working on a small spring performance and they are thrilled! Thank you to all of you who donated leotards, shoes, tights and tutus for the class!! We received more than expected and I am overwhelmed by your generosity. Please pray for continued provision as I consider expanding to teach more classes in the fall. I want to see the class used as an outreach to the community and to build friendships between the children. Already, the class has been used by the Lord to strengthen relationships among the girls in the Sunday school and has begun to involve those who don't know Christ with the girls who do.

With the family center children, it has been so good to see the Lord working in their lives by calming their hearts, giving more joy as truth is poured into their lives each day. It is an amazing blessing and a humbling experience to be able to pray with the children, to see their hearts turn toward God in the midst of both joy and pain, to see their faithfulness in praying for their biological families and for others as well as their desire to care for others. Our Jesus is at work, transforming lives and so we give Him thanks.

A heartfelt thank you to each of you who have been used by Jesus to minister to me, make me laugh and encourage me thereby revealing God's faithful love and gentle kindness in my life. Thank you for all you sacrifice on my behalf to be God's provision and fill my heart with joy and gratitude to our Savior. This past winter and spring you have sent an abundance of blessing including a wood stove to heat my apartment during the long, cold Romanian winter, beloved friends to help with ministry and fellowship, my first kitchen table since my arrival 3 1/2 years ago given by friends for Christmas, faithful monthly support and one-time donations, extra donations for the foster children, orphans and ballet class, care packages and support for food baskets and school supplies for the villages. Everything you have sent has blessed the Romanian people and the heart of Jesus. I am so happy to partner with you in reaching the lost. With a heart overflowing with deep gratitude, THANK YOU!

Winter Needs

2010-10-11T23:50:00.001+03:00

As winter is quickly approaching here in Romania, I am finding that I am in need of a wood stove ($400), firewood ($250) and possibly a small deep freezer ($300) to stock up on food items for the long winter ahead. While gas heat is available here, it is often unreasonably expensive. A recent news report is predicting a 70% chance that this will be the coldest winter that Europe has seen in the past 1,000 years. My city is already experiencing very cold nights and snow has been reported in other parts of Romania. Please pray for the Lord's provision for these needs and consider coming alongside to bless me during the cold winter months.

If you would like to help, tax-deductible donations can be made on-line through the following link:
http://www.chapelmissions.org/locations/romania/donateonline/tabid/1430/language/en-US/Default.aspx or by check to: Calvary Chapel Missions, 123 Auto Drive, Boise ID 83709. In both cases, please indicate ''Amanda Towle - special designation for winter needs''

Summer Update

2010-09-20T10:45:00.000+03:00

The Lord of hosts has sworn, saying, "Surely as I have thought, so will it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so will it stand...For the Lord of hosts has purposed, and who will disannul it? And His hand is stretched out, and who will turn it back?" Isaiah 14:24, 27

This summer has been very blessed as the Lord brought many good things into the lives of the children and families here. Thank you to all of you who provided for special summer activities like pizza nights, swimming and barbeques. The children had a great time and they all have lots of new memories to enjoy!

The kids are doing so well and are growing little by little as time passes by. Like everyone else, they still have their moments but are getting better at controlling anger, enjoying friends and family and forming healthy attachments to caregivers. I have seen a tremendous change in the openess of the children in sharing things with me on a regular basis. We have one-on-one opportunities from time to time that allow us to talk about life, ask questions and laugh together. I love that God’s goodness is being poured into the children and they are growing more to be like Him. Several of these precious children who are living in our foster homes one day want to help others like them and their families. I am so happy to be a part of this process of encouraging them and brainstorming ideas with them. The Lord is doing a marvelous work and is active in changing their hearts to love and know Him more. Pray for their love for Jesus to grow deeply, taking root in their hearts and resonating in their minds.

The summer break has been wonderful and full of activities. I helped a friend paint the children’s room at her home and also took time to visit the nearby countryside with the children. They were able to play outdoors, explore and play games while also giving opportunity to share with them about life and God’s desires for them.

The kids have been happy to come visit my apartment from time to time for games, cooking sweets and playing with my dog. I also spent many nights staying with the children while staff was gone on vacation. It was a nice change of pace and something that I enjoyed quite a bit.

One of the highlights of the summer was a friend and I cooking dinner for some Romanian friends of ours. It was American night which included a baked potato bar and banana splits. There were 17 of us in all and it was a blessing! The night was filled with laughter, games, food and teasing. It was so much fun that we would like to get together more often.

Hiking the mountains in Borsa, Romania was amazing. We did a day hike (5 hours each way) and it reminded me so much of Idaho. There was a small lake at the top and the smell of the trees brought to remembrance hiking in the Sawtooths. It was a refreshing time and a good time spent among friends.

Slatinita’s village spring baskets were the main highlight for our summer Seed of Hope ministry. The families were happy to receive washbin baskets filled with bags of flour, sugar, cornmeal, fruit, laundry soap, a Bible, sweets and many other things. They were delievered to five families and many of those families have invited us back for visits. Some of the women from the families will be coming to the annual Women’s Tea at the church later this month. I am excited to get to know these families better and continue to visit them on a more regular basis. It is exciting to know that the Lord is faithful to continue all that He desires and still chooses to use us along the way. Please pray for the Lord to bless these new relationships and teach me how to balance relationships and discipleship with all the new families. Pray that they would know the Lord as their Savior and be hungry for Him in their life. Pray that God will continue to help me with the language as I would like to do more evangelism and discipleship with the woman. My friend and I have been going to the village without a translator each time.

With all the hustle and bustle of the summer, the Lord brought friends to visit! I loved and enjoyed my company so much. Friends, Niko and Gheorghe, came to visit from Brasov for a week. Niko has changed so much through the years when I first knew her at the age of 16. She is growing into a beautiful person with a heart for other people. I miss her fun-loving personality and having her stay with me like in old times. Gheorghe came with her to visit and was such a pleasant guest. He is very kind and a blessing to have here. They played basketball with some of the local teens and also blessed us all with their beautiful singing and playing the guitar. Pray for continued love for the Lord and God’s hand in their lives.

Marius is one of the boys that really took a liking to Niko and Gheorghe. They played basketball together, walked around town, hung out at my apartment and played with my dog, Jasper. I was able to spend some time with Marius as well and he had many questions for me about God’s love for him and about my life. The Lord provided the perfect rainy day to allow us to visit for quite a while. Marius asked me many questions about how I came to Romania, how I can be a volunteer missionary in Romania without money and allow Jesus to provide for me, and about the miracles in my own life – of all the good things that Jesus does for me. He was amazed at how much the Lord loves him and how much the Lord desires to work in his own life just like God has worked in mine. He left encouraged, thoughtful and blessed. Please pray for this young life to know Jesus fully and to follow after Him with all of his heart, mind, soul and strength.

Bridget and Susan, dear friends and old roommates of mine from Brasov, came to visit all the way from Chicago and England! The Lord brought them at a perfect time when I needed refreshment, good friendship and laughter. We had an amazing time with all the little luxuries that life can bring - chocolate chip pancakes, cheesecake, Pizza Hut and a road trip...not to mention all the stories and laughter that we encountered along the way. They were a tremendous joy and blessing to me! Please pray for them that they would be equally blessed and encouraged – that their lives will be filled with joy because of their kindness to me.

Thank you for your on-going support and prayers for all of these ministries where I’m involved. The Lord is using you to bless the people here in Bistrita-Nasaud, Romania and the effects are long lasting. I am priviledged to stand alongside the Lord as He does mighty things here and draws people to Himself. Thank you for coming along side of me with your prayers, encouragement, letters and care packages. Your love is received with such gratitude and humility. It always comes at the perfect time when I need to be reminded that I am not alone. You are a symbol of God’s love and faithfulness to me. I know that supporting me and these ministries is an act of sacrifice for many of you and for that reason, your giving means much more to me. Thank you for everything; I am very grateful.

2010-06-03T12:18:00.007+03:00

When Your people go out to battle against their enemy, whenever You send them, and when they pray to the Lord toward the city which You have chosen and the temple which I have built for Your name, then hear in heaven their prayer and supplication, and maintain their cause. 1 Kings 8:44-45

I'm excited about the new Seed of Hope ministry that a friend and I have started up in the nearby village of Slatinita, Romania. What began with a simple desire to give baskets full of apples to bless street children has grown into a full evangelistic ministry. The Lord has joined us together with Romanian friends to reach the poorest families in our community with the gospel of Christ. Our first set of baskets were prepared for Christmas and since that time we have begun meeting with a family on a more regular basis. The family is Orthodox but is interested in what our faith in Jesus is all about. They have begun asking us questions and we are praying that the Lord will continue to help us to develop a good relationship with them. It's our desire to begin meeting with more families and also with the Bible study girls who live in Slatinita as well. We can use prayer for language skills as we meet with families without using a translator, for finances for spring baskets and for the Lord to work in the hearts of the people so that they know Him as their Savior. It is our great joy to work in this village and to see it reached for Christ. Here is the PDF link for our brochure: Seed of Hope

After great anticipation, I have begun teaching a ballet class to young girls in Bistrita. It's very exciting for the families as dance classes are very expensive here. Because my class is free, it is an added blessing to those who cannot normally afford lessons. We have had several classes now and the girls are always excited to come! It's been a stretch for me to teach when I have always been the student, but I am loving it and look forward to it each week. The class is made up of missionary girls and children from the family center and association. I would like this class to expand and become an outreach to the community and to reach children for Christ. As ballet attire is hard to come by in Romania, my girls are very excited as some wonderful people have been helping us with getting ballet outfits donated and sent to us! It will be wonderful for the girls to have real ballet outfits that fit and for dance shoes this fall. Please pray for the Lord's guidance with the vision to expand the classes to include more ages and possibly more styles of dance.

It is always exciting to see the Lord take the small things that have been on my heart and to see them come to life in practical ways. I love working with my friend in the village and teaching ballet.

With the children that I work with daily, the Lord has provided an amazing home for them with a lot people who love them. This home is pieced together with social workers, friends and lots of love and laughter. While there have been struggles with attachment disorder, testing the limits and tantrums, God has been good to link several of us together to form a support system.

The Lord has also provided us with so many blessings of activities that have included barbecues at the forest and visits to a friend's land where they shepherd the sheep and make cheese. I feel so privileged to be a part of the ministry here in Romania and this is the first time since moving here 2 1/2 years ago that I feel like I am among family when I am working. It is a real blessing and I am happy for the years ahead here in Bistrita.

As summer approaches, I would like to raise extra support for camping equipment and activities such as swimming, meat for barbecues and occasional outings to a movie in the big city of Cluj, the zoo or a restaurant. Each summer I love to do lots of activities with the kids when they are out of school but their sponsorship and my personal support doesn't cover most of the activities. If you'd like to help, please send to: Calvary Chapel Missions (attn: Amanda Towle - for summer) 123 Auto Drive Boise ID 83709. You can also donated online using the link that is located in the scroll bar of this blog. In comments, designate to "Amanda Towle - for summer."

Many blessings and thank you so very much for your faithfulness to pray for me, for the ministries I'm involved in and for your financial support. Life is not always easy for me here and I appreciate each one of you. Your faithfulness reminds me that our Jesus is always faithful to complete what He has begun. You are a big part of His blessing in my life and in the lives of the children here in Romania and I am very grateful.

Winter News

2010-03-09T15:20:00.033+02:00

Luke 2:28-32
Simeon took him [Jesus] in his arms and praised God, saying: "Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel."

This winter has been so busy that I am only now having the chance to sit down and write to you about the happenings here in Bistrita. I am so very sorry for the delay in communication and pray that your winter has been full of sweet refreshing moments with the Lord and that you continue to walk in His grace and the light of His love.

December brought a time of excitement and joy as a friends and I put together gift baskets and delivered them to families in the village of Slatanita along with friends from the local church and children from the family center. The baskets were full of shampoo, apple preserves, sweets, oil, rice, soap and a Bible. The families were also blessed with bags of clothes and bedding. One family of four lives in a small, one room house on top of a hill while another house was filled with eleven people sharing a single room. The families were pleasantly surprised and blessed by the free gifts which are a rarity here in Romania. Each basket was meant to represent the free gift of life, love and salvation that Jesus offers us through the cross. The gospel message was shared with each family.

I am happy about about the relationships that are opening up for us in Slatanita through this ministry as we meet with the teen girls from the village bi-monthly for a Bible study. We have been very pleased that the family center children have offered to be involved as well. It it our hope to continue to develop relationships with the families and to be able to pour the love of the Lord into their lives. Please pray for this new ministry and for the funding to bless new families with baskets and to provide them with meals as we visit them. We have decided to name this outreach ''Seed of Hope."

The Healed and Set Free teen girls' Bible study is going very well and it is always so nice to be able to love on the girls and to encourage them. Please pray for the girls as the material for the study becomes more involved and requires old emotional wounds to be reopened so that the Lord can heal them. It is difficult for the girls and many are very young believers with so much pain from their families, friends and from abuse.

This was my first time spending Christmas in Romania with friends and away from my family in Boise, but the Lord could not have blessed me more with good company. The Fouts' family invited me to stay at the ministry house with them and the home was filled with laughter, baking, good food and the excitement of children. The children from the church did a wonderful Christmas play and then some of us went caroling at the orphange afterward. The orphanage workers and kids were so happy and some of the older children sang for us with all the gusto they had and full smiles on their faces.

The New Year brought in the pleasant surprise of being able to visit friends in Chicago and my family in Boise for two weeks. The last minute trip went so quickly but filled a great need of refreshment and renewal. Chicago held bundles of surprises as a friend from England had flown in and we had a reunion with other friends of ours who used to live in Brasov, Romania. Laughter filled the air as we reminised on old times and sought out new adventures for our English friend including a 50's diner, Chicago style pizza and seeing the famous man-eating lions at the field museum. I could not have been happier!

I loved spending time with my family in Boise. We've missed each other so much this past year and it was nice to be able to visit, run errands and have my brother make us delicious sushi! I was able to catch up with a few close friends and was blessed by all the conversations as well as a visit to the hot springs in the snowy mountains. Unfortunately I wasn't in town long enough to meet with all of you as this trip was primarily focused on being with my family, but do want you to know how much I appreciate you and love receiving your emails and care packages. Each of you plays such an important role in my life and the ministry that Lord has for me. I am very grateful for you and hope to be able to visit you personally when I'm able to be in the states for a longer period of time.

In February we took the family center parents on a 7 hour drive to the city of Campina for a conference on attachment disorder. The speaker was Nancy Thomas who is a Christian attachment therapist and therapeutic mom for foster children in Colorado. Many of our children with the New Beginnings family centers have symptoms of attachment disorder from the neglect and abuse in their lives as well as moving from one family to the next. The conference was a wonderful time of learning and laughter with powerful tools that we are now able to utilize with the children that we serve. My favorite part was being able to travel with the parents and get to know them on a more personal level. We studied, talked and encouraged each other and laughed together all the time!

Through the month I've begun a new schedule which includes providing counseling and play/art therapy for five children each week. It has been a challenge at times and also rewarding to see the children be so honest and forthcoming. The families are so wonderful and very involved in helping the kids with their ''homework'' from the session during the week. Please pray for wisdom for me as I work with the children and their families and for the Lord's healing in their lives. The children have been coming to my apartment each week but later we will be meeting with me in a play therapy room when it is finished being rennovated at the New Beginnings office. I am praying for the supplies that are needed to stock the room with the needed furniture and art supplies to effectively minister to the children.

I celebrated my 30^th birthday in Bistrita and everyone made it very special. We had a girls' night out for dinner followed by a close friend staying the night, cake with some friends and their kids, a crazy game night at my apartment and another really nice dinner with a friend. I could not have been more blessed and more thankful for the friends and fellowship that the Lord surrounded me with on my birthday.

Thank you to all of you who have continued to pray for me and to support me through the past two years. I am looking forward to continuing to serve the Lord here in Romania in the years to come. Please join me in praying for God's wisdom and direction for my life here. God is so faithful and I'm amazed at how much He loves me especially when life is hard. You bless me more than you may realize with your financial support, prayers, care packages and emails. Thank you!!!

2009-12-04T14:21:00.002+02:00

How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! I can't even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me! ~ Psalm 139: 17-18

With all our lives there are are both joys and struggles, blessings and pain, times of thanksgiving and sorrow and these past months have been full of all of life's ups and downs as the Lord has been refining me and teaching me to trust Him more. The personal struggles are difficult but the Lord is good and I am thankful for it all. The young girls' study that I am helping with is going through the book Healed and Set Free from Lingering Hurts which has only added to the Lord's working in my life. I must go through the book along with the teen girls and have been amazed at how the Lord has used it in all of our lives to work out the troublesome areas. The girls have been surprisingly open about their own pain and sorrows and we are praying that the Lord would continue to reveal Himself to these girls and heal them – that their lives may be a testimony of God's salvation and goodness to their families.

In October we showed the Jesus video in the girls' village and had a nice, small turnout. The girls came and brought friends, cousins and one dad came along. Afterward, we went into a house to sing, share testimonies and answer questions. Once a month we are bringing the girls and the dad from the village to church here in Bistrita. Many of the girls attend other churches in their village at times. We are eager for the Lord to open up a door for a Bible study in that village and for the Word of God to take root in their lives, producing good fruit.

After prayer and some difficulty in having approval and a schedule set up in the hospital children's play room, the Lord has moved on my heart to seek approval to volunteer in the cancer ward of the infectious disease hospital here in Bistrita. I have thought about it often and recently went to this hospital to find out if volunteering would be a possibility. With the Lord's grace, I was able to communicate with the guard at the gate and one of the doctors about this desire. They have referred me to the main hospital (where the children's play room is located) to speak with the director who is also in charge of the cancer facility. A friend has offered to go with me to help translate with the director so please pray that I find favor with him. From what I can tell, there are no volunteers at the infectious disease hospital but the staff was very friendly at the idea of help. There is a possibility to be able to visit with the cancer patients, share the gospel, do activites and also help with practical needs such as washing and brushing hair, etc. While I do not naturally desire at the hospitals, I know that the Lord has placed this particular facility in my heart for a reason. Please be praying for the Lord to clear the way for me to bless these particular patients with love and the gospel.

Additionally, I am taking intensive Romanian language/grammar classes twice a week. I desire to be fluent and be able to fully communicate with others. Please pray for the language to take root, for a full understanding of the language and cultural and to be able to communicate God's word, love and encouragement to others in their native tongue.

One of our family center boys changed homes this month. He is now living temporarily with a Romanian couple until we can find Christian house parents. The situation was unexpected and he came to stay with me for a week until he could be placed with the couple. It was a challenging time emotionally for both of us but the Lord used it for His good. I love my apartment being a place of ministry to kids and others. My dog, Jasper, was such a good companion and comforter for him during his stay. Jasper even curled up and slept with him each night. Please be praying for good relations with this couple, for this child to grow in Jesus and for the Lord to protect his heart, mind and thoughts. For there to be healing in his life.

I'm continuing to counsel and mentor a couple of the family center girls and love it! I meet with them weekly as well as have them over to my apartment for activities. I am excited to be expanding this during the Christmas holidays to other children from our foster homes and to work further with our social worker to help support the parents and kids. The social worker and I have become good friends and it is so nice to have people with a like heart and mind in all they do to serve the Lord. God is good!

A good friend invited me to help in an English class in a nearby village. I really enjoyed my time there with the 6^th , 7^th and 8^th graders and was able to share about why I am living in Romania full time. Two of the boys have messenger pigeons and were excused to bring them for ''show and tell'' in my honor. One of the pigons continually flew into the blackboard, slid down it with nails screeching on the board and then proceeded to try again with the target being to sit on top of the board. So sad that the pigeon was too big to actually support itself on the ½ inch ledge!

Calvary Chapel Bistrita held a women's tea with topic on contentment. It was a time of laugher, games, good food, fellowship and teaching. It was a time of refreshment. Please pray for my neighbor who came to hear the teaching. She is not a beliver but has expressed a desire to change in certain aspects of her character. Pray for opportunities for me to speak with her and to minister effectively to her.

I made a quick trip back to Brasov this month for birthdays of a friend as well as two of our family center children. They are doing so well and I am so proud of their faithfulness to the Lord. They are developing God's good fruit in their lives and a gentleness where there used to be such a hardness.

Thank you so much for your continued faithfulness in your prayers for me! I appreciate each one of you more than you could imagine and am encouraged by your letters, support and prayers. I am extremely grateful and overwhelmed by the sacrifices you make to help me remain in the mission field and to bless me personally.

Immediate Needs for Provision:
1. Christmas evangelism gift baskets (includes Bibles, essential foods for the holidays, etc)
2. Bibles for our Bible study girls from the village
3. Several unexpected car repairs
4. Monthly Support

2009-10-03T17:03:00.023+03:00

Pleasant fruits, new and old, which I have laid up for thee, O my beloved.

Song of Solomon 7:13

Wow! This summer has been a whirlwind of activities with the kids in Brasov, the hospital and friends visiting. It has also been full of goodbyes and new adventures as the Lord moved me to Bistrita, Romania a month ago.

The summer in Brasov was warm and opened up the opportunity for some of the children on the cancer floor of the hospital to play outside a little bit. The children loved it! They played in the yard and on a small playground. I was able to get to know the children, parents and play therapist on a more personal level with the relaxed atmosphere and had many good conversations. I often play Romanian worship music from my phone while I am with the children and they have become so accustomed to it that the children often request it and have begun hum along! One mom, whose son has kidney problems, asked the play therapist why I like that kind of music when we are 'the same religion.' She was very perplexed and had not heard this type of music before. When I approached her about it later that day, I was able to explain why I listen to it and what it means to speak and hear from the Lord, to know Him as the Son of God. Please pray that God would continue to speak directly into her life that she would know Him personally.

We have a very young boy, Victor, who is also in the hospital for several months for leukemia treatment. He is living at the hospital during this time and is there without his family. After the first few days as a patient, Victor suddenly decided that he was not going to walk anymore partly because of an IV in his foot. Instead, he whined and cried every time he wanted something and also refused to eat or speak. After much prayer, working with him and gently pushing him to participate in activities, Victor began eating once again, walking quickly and playing. He smiled for the first time after three weeks! He is now talking on and on, humming to himself and listening actively when someone talks to him about Jesus. Pray that the truth would dwell in his heart and in his mind through this time in the hospital and also when he returns home following treatment.

A new friend from the America, Mindy, came to visit and help me with our family center children for a week. She was such a wonderful help and a joy! She brought much needed encouragement and refreshment with her and the children bonded to her quickly. She helped our youngest children with the obstacle courses and ziplines at the new Adventure Park in Brasov. The children loved the time and they are eager to return! I was able to spend quite a bit of one on one time with one of our family center boys who was filled with so many questions about life and God's heart. It was nice to be able to share with him while walking around Adventure Park and cheering the others on who were not so afraid of heights :)

Adventure Park was our last big outing together as a group. The children are being so well cared for and our pastor and his family in Brasov have taken a larger role in working directly with the children as the Lord moved me to Bistrita (about 5 hours north of Brasov) at the end of the summer. God has proven Himself so faithful to me during this time of difficult transition. He continues to open up many opportunities for me here – things that I have been longing for and praying about for a long time. I feel as if He literally has me in His hands even more as I learn to walk more by faith rather than sight.

I am eagerly looking forward to helping at the local hospital with the children here in Bistrita. They have a large play room and also a room of abandoned babies. I met those that I will be volunteering with and received a small tour already. I am waiting for final approval and scheduling and then I'll be all set! In the meantime, I've been able to get settled in my apartment which included buying a whole new kitchen including the sink – all of which were not included! But it is a very wonderful one bedroom apartment with a courtyard and nice neighbors. I've also been able to help a friend with an afterschool program she works with and work with the New Beginnings social worker. I've been itching to get back into more social work and counseling and will be able to do so now! I am assisting her with the family center parent support group, counseling and mentoring with some of the children as well as other activities to help better meet the needs of New Beginnings family centers. The Lord is also providing for me to help her with visits to centers for children with special needs and to a local gypsy village in need of the gospel.

The Lord has amazingly paired me with a friend and fellow missionary as well as the social worker to help with outreach in this gypsy village. There are several young girls ages 9 to 13 who are now attending the girls Bible study where they are starting the book ''Healed and Set Free'' and they are eager for more activities with us.

Last Sunday we took the girls with us to pick apples near the forest and have a picnic. It was so much fun!!! The girls primarily attend the Orthodox church in the village but are very hungry for Bible teaching and to know the Lord. I was able to share a story with them a true story amazing miracles the Lord has done for missionary friends of mine including saving their lives from death, and the girls were so excited as if they had not heard these things before. They begged for more stories from us! Please pray that the Lord will minister to these girls and bless the study, that they would know the Lord and see His healing in their lives.

This Saturday we will be sharing the Romanian children's version of the Jesus video in their village. A friend will be sharing the gospel message and we are praying for further opportunities for evangelism and discipleship in this place. The people are excited and eager and a Romanian friend has been praying for the Lord to work in this village for a long time. The Lord is working and we are glad to see His hand move! Please pray for this event, for God to prepare hearts to receive Him and for strengthened relations and favor with the people.

Lastly, a friend and I are beginning to make evangelistic gift baskets for our neighbors, those in the village and those that need to be ministered to by the Lord. Gift giving in this capacity is unusual for Romania especially when nothing is expected in return for the gift. The Lord has already provided an abundance of apples from a friend's property so we can provide families with canned preserves and applesauce during the winter months! We would like to include a copy of the Bible in Romanian as well as other practical things that these families may need. They will be nicely packaged in a laundry tub for washing clothes. We are seeing the Lord open the door for this ministry and are praying that this basket will be a means of blessing for people as well as provide an opportunity to meet with families and speak with them about the Lord in areas where they can be easily connected with the church. If you would like to help with this project, please let me know!

Praise the Lord for His faithfulness and gentle leading in all things! We serve a great and mighty God. I am so pleased to have you be an extension of His hands and feet as you pray for these ministries and God's work in my own life. ''How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things.'' Isaiah 52:7

Current Needs and Prayer Requests:

* Love and grace for all things Romanian, including a fuller understanding of lanugage and culture in order to better serve and communicate fluently

* Open hearts and minds to receive the gospel in the village, girls' study and my neighbors

* The Jesus Video being shared Saturday night in the village

* Increased finances for: 1) personal monthly support 2) evangelism baskets 3) a prosthetic leg for one of the 12 year old girls from the village. The current leg she has was a donation from Germany several years ago but it has now broken. She attends the girls' Bible study and it would be a strong testament to her village of God's love.

2009-07-04T15:54:00.013+03:00

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;

I will guide you with my eye. Psalm 32:8

I am very excited to tell you that the Lord continues to answer your prayers for me and for the ministry here in Romania! The month began with an opportunity to serve with the mentoring program for young gypsy girls. I drove the girls to our meeting place but due to complications, the other volunteers arrived late. The girls don't know English so we talked about things that I could easily communicate with them in Romanian such as school, family, health and friends. After this the Lord provided me with an opportunity to speak with them about how much He loves them and wants to be a part of their lives. While some girls were disinterested, others leaned forwarded, listened closely and shared their thoughts with me. When the volunteers arrived, a friend shared a Bible study with them from 1 Corinthians 13:13 ''But now faith, hope, love; abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.'' God's timing is so perfect and wonderful!

The Lord provided much needed refreshment during a few days in Austria where we met up with CC Boise's summer team. The Lord taught me and encouraged me through our time of teaching, worship and fellowship. He reminded me of the ''Goliaths'' in my own life and the need to continue to step out in faith. The Lord has been showing me that I need to trust Him and be more willing to leave all that I have to abandon myself to Christ. With His help and wise counsel from CC Romania and CC Boise, I will be moving to Bistrita, Romania later this fall to continue in missionary work and evangelism there with Boise's Calvary Chapel Missions. Please pray for me during this time as it is both exciting and difficult for me as well as for the children. The Lord is answering many prayers and beginning to open doors for potential ministry which could include several things that are similar to what I am doing now. Please pray specifically for God's vision, for more faith, favor with new ministries and for a place to live.

The CC Boise team (with a few people from CC Stockport, England) came to Brasov in June for outreach that included evangelism, testimonies and music in the park as well as sharing the gospel at boy's orphanage. The outreach was a huge success and we are all very grateful for all they did! The Lord used the team here in a powerful way and encouraged our hearts. Romania is a difficult place to serve because people are ''religious'' even when they don't know Jesus personally. The Lord used the team to help soften hearts and speak to their lives. Miraculously, one of the girls on the team had heard my name and tracked down our family connections – we're cousins! I cannot begin to tell you what joy that brought me for Jesus to bring me family that I didn't even know I had all the way to Romania!

After the team's departure the CC Romania churches and missionaries went to the Foundations Eastern European Mission's Conference in Vajta, Hungary. The Lord reunited me with a friend who lives in another part of Romania and it was a sweet time of reunion, fellowship and laughter! I am often amazed at how the Lord aligns my life and it's struggles with someone else's so that there can be strong fellowship, prayer and encouragement. The conference's theme was from Psalm 2:8 ''Ask of Me and I will give you the nations” and many of the topics included staying in God's will and being will suffer for Christ. They talked about how our struggles and sufferings are not only used to further the gospel but also to change our hearts and minds to become more like Jesus. What a sweet thing it is, though difficult at times, to be able to identify with our Jesus and His sufferings. May we all continue to seek His face, to be willing to suffer and to be changed and to glorify the name of Jesus in it all.

If you would like to support me financially please make checks payable to Calvary Chapel Missions and send to: 123 Auto Drive Boise ID 83709. Include a sticky note with my name attached to ensure proper designation. Thank you!

2009-05-27T21:45:00.011+03:00

So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Psalm 90:12

The Lord has been so good to fulfill prayers and minister to the children from our family center as well as the children in the hospital. The children have been drawn closer to the Lord and are learning to grow in His grace and under His authority.

After prayer and anticipation, the Lord has provided me with a vehicle for the New Beginnings ministry in Brasov! The provision of the car and the means of finding it was a miracle and a special gift from the Lord. The car is now being used to transport our children to activities, visit those who are in orphanages outside of Brasov, bring children for weekend stays at my apartment and church activities.

The Lord has been faithful to keep me connected with the children at the hospital. Many of the children are there regularly for cancer and dialysis treatments, including those who have previously accepted the Lord. It's so nice to see them and speak with them more about how much the Lord loves them. The ministry recently purchased Bible books in Romanian so we can read Bible stories to the children. It is such a huge blessing and a joy to see their enthusiasm for praying when they now know that God does hear their prayers.

Recently a young girl named Alexandra accepted Jesus as her Savior. She is one of eight children. She told me that she believes in God but didn't know anything about Jesus. She didn't even know His name. It was close to the Orthodox Easter holiday, so she was eager to know more about the holiday. She listened intenetly about how Jesus loves her when she is both good and when she is bad. We spoke about how Jesus can always be with her wherever she is. She said that she wants this and prayed with me immediately to ask the Lord Jesus to be her Savior and stay in her life. Alexandra told me that her family does not believe in God because she is sick and in the hospital but she believes. I said that I would pray for them and she smiled and said thank you with a voice full of both gratitude and relief. I have seen her twice since then and continue to speak with her about her new life and commitment in Christ. She struggles with her physical health at times and with her family. Her heart is broken for them and for their struggle with her illness. Please pray for Alexandra and her family.

We held our teenage girl mentoring program during the Orthodox Easter holiday and it was a fun time for the girls! They loved decorating Easter eggs and being with the volunteers. The relationships have grown and our next meeting will involve one of the volunteers introducing a memory verse and Bible study each month.

Calvary Chapel Brasov has had the wonderful opportunity to begin ministering at a boys orphange near Brasov. We have been warmly welcomed by the director and staff as well as the boys. Our first time with them included playing at a local park and sharing Bible story books with them. There are 44 boys that are in preschool, grade school and junior high. They were a delight! A team recently came to help our pastor build a playground for them at their orphanage. We are all looking forward to meeting with them more regularly and sharing the gospel with them.

Thank you so much for your continued prayers and financial support for me! I appreciate your faithfulness and am always excited to use the resources the Lord provides for His ministries that I'm involved with regularly. You are a great blessing!

2009-03-31T15:42:00.012+03:00

''And my tongue shall speak of Your righteousness and of Your praise all the day long.'' Psalm 35:28What a joy it is to share with you that more children on the cancer floor at the hospital have accepted the Lord! One young, 10 year old girl who suffers with kidney problems accepted the Lord as her Savior a couple weeks ago and now talks often now of how much He loves her. I am told that her parents do not like her and that life is hard for her. It is exciting to see her beam with excitement when she talks of God! Please pray for the Lord to continue to teach her and reveal Himself to her and that she would have a discerning heart against false religion.
A 5 year old boy also accepted the Lord this week. He is in the hospital with a cold and deep chest cough and I was able to play legos with him as he stayed in bed. The Lord opened the door for the gospel to be shared and he prayed to accept Jesus as His Savior right there! He listened earnestly and fully understood everything – even asking a simple question. Please pray for the Lord to minister to him, that the Word of God would be hidden in his heart.
During the beginning of the month, I spent a week in Bistrita to help Natalie Bridges with therapy ideas for the children at the orphanage who are physically aggressive and have struggles with attachment disorder and to help with training for the New Beginnings as missionaries who have taken in some family center children into their homes. I was so excited to help as troubled kids and those with attachment disorder are a passion of mine. I love to brainstorm and get excited when there is progress! The time in Bistrita was refreshing and a good time of encouragement for me as I was able to fellowship with friends, enjoy a lunch with new friends from the church there, and get to know the family center girls who live with the Fouts' family.
I am very pleased that the Brasov family center children have taken initiative to coming over to my apartment whenever they like and a few have stayed overnight on a more regular basis. They are growing and it's nice to be able to encourage them and pour truth into their lives. We often go to the town's center or park, go for a special lunch, play games, walk my dog, or make cakes together. It's been fun and I'm glad to see that them often and know they feel welcome to drop in anytime! I am encouraged that those who have not been attending church are now expressing a desire to stay over on Saturdays so that they can go with me.
The rest of the month was filled with scrapbooking with the teen mentoring program for gyspy girls and saying goodbyes to our friends, George and Rebekah Magher-Holmes, who recently moved back to the states. Meda, who has lived with the family for close to 9 years, continues to be my roommate and has been a delight. The Lord has used this time to minister to her and show her how much He loves her and to show her how He is her family and her strength.
Thank you for all your support and especially your prayers! With the Lord working so mightily and swiftly here, the enemy has come against me even more strongly in the way of nighmares, sleepless nights, sickness and trying to discourage and distract me from what the Lord has for me. I am very grateful for your notes of encouragement and prayers. When you pray, I notice a huge difference in ministry opportunities and joy is renewed so thank you!!!

If you would like to support me financially please make checks payable to Calvary Chapel Missions and send to: 123 Auto Drive Boise ID 83709. Include a sticky note with my name attached to ensure proper designation. Thank you!

2009-02-23T20:10:00.015+02:00

''Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.'' Ephesians 6:10

What an easy thing it is to be going about my day without giving much thought to what the Lord will be doing outside my normal routine. But that is where I am learning more and more to wait in expectation for the Lord Jesus for He has been doing marvelous things here!

The month began with a surprise trip a nearby gyspy village where I was able to meet some of the families who often have children staying in the hospital. Many of the children are sent by ambulance to the hospital for sickness and for minor things like the common cold. Because the families are often too poor to come into Brasov to pick up their children, the hospital ministry takes the children home on occassion for the families. This village is very poor and we became somewhat of a novelty when we came in a vehicle that the villagers did not recognize. I loved meeting some of the families and children and seeing how much the hospital ministry is working with the families to help with heating, repair broken windows, doors, and roofs in the small shacks that are called home to so many.

I love being a volunteer at the hospital and especially working with the children who have cancer and receive dialysis treatments. The Lord has opened up many doors for me to be able to share Jesus with the children and also practice my language skills. We have fun laughing, playing games, painting, and coloring. The children like having the activities to participate in during their stay at the hospital especially as the majority of the children do not have parents who stay with them at the hospital. One little 7 year old boy and I became good friends one week. He suffers from lymphoma and had to remain in his bed so we played games and talked about how much Jesus loves him and how God is there with him all the time. By the end of our time together, he prayed aloud to accept Jesus all on his own! There have been other opportunities in the hospital to comfort children crying for their parents by reminding them that Jesus is there with them and loves them. The Lord is so faithful to provide opportunities to love these children with His truth and lovingkindness.

Our family center children were able to come stay for a visit during their spring break from school. We had fun laughing, cooking, and playing during the week. They were happy to be reunited during the break and enjoyed their time together. Some have been visiting me regularly and have even brought friends from the orphanage along. It's wonderful to see how each child grows and changes over time and how the Lord preserves each good thing in their lives.

I am very blessed by all of your emails, your love and encouragement, and your support. Please continue to pray for good health as I've been very sick lately as well as continued opportunities to share the gospel with others and encourage our family center kids. Praise the Lord for those lives who have received Him so readily and for the daily provisions that He gives. May the Lord bless you and keep you until the day He returns!

If you would like to support me financially please make checks payable to Calvary Chapel Missions and send to 123 Auto Drive Boise ID 83709. Include a sticky note with my name attached to ensure proper designation. You many also use the following link to support me online. Thank you!!!

http://www.chapelmissions.org/getinvolved/donateonline/tabid/637/language/en-US/Default.aspx

2009-01-27T21:13:00.006+02:00

When You said, ''Seek My face,'' My heart said to You, ''Your face, Lord, I will seek.'' Psalm 27:8

Greetings from Brasov! Much has happened since the last time I wrote and I am eager to share with you all that the Lord has been doing. The winter season began with a surprise visit to see my family for the holidays. After the Lord's sudden provision for me to come home, my brother helped to arrange everything at the last minute. He picked me up from the airport and had my parents meet him and a ''girl'' at a restaurant. When I arrived at the restaurant, my mom cried and my dad hardly recognized me with my new Romanian glasses and haircut. It's funny to see how much you can change in a year's time when you don't see someone every day! The time in Boise and Salt Lake City was very refreshing and a blessing. Thank you to each of you that took time out of your busy days to meet with me, take me out for coffee, and make me feel appreciated. I loved the time spent with each of you and look forward to the time when we will meet again.

After arriving back in Romania, I feel very much at home and am so grateful for the Lord answering many prayer requests for the ministries I am involved in. I've been able to spend quality time with my Romanian roommate, Meda, and have Niko (one of our family center girls) over each Sunday. They both have been such a joy and it's amazing to see how much the Lord uses us in each other's lives. Dani, our 16 year old boy, has been living between my apartment and the one upstairs as he awaits his move to live with our pastor and his wife who applied to be his foster parents. The move should happen very soon and we are all excited. Dani and our pastor's family have been experiencing strong spiritual warfare so please pray for them all during this time of transition.

Our other children from the family center are doing better than we expected in their new orphanage placements. I recently was able to spend time with Ema in her new village and look forward to seeing Nicu and Remus when they come stay for a few days next week. Our other three children who returned to their family are doing well. Although they are very poor, we try to help them as much as we can and they are grateful – never asking for anything more than what is given. They are very happy together and we just celebrated Bianca's 10th birthday together with a special trip with her mom and sister to McDonald's and then home for cake.

I began going to the women's prison in a nearby village with a Romanian friend and I'm loving it! We take two buses every Monday in order to get there, leave our ID with the guards, and spend time with the ladies in Bible teaching and prayer. Not all the ladies are believers but it is so humbling to see the Lord work in their lives and to change their hearts to seek His face. I love my time there but often experience struggles specifically on Mondays that try to prevent me from going. Pray that my time on Mondays is protected as well as my health so that I can attend regularly and share Jesus with the ladies.

I am also very excited to be able to help in another section of the children's hospital. I will be helping a play therapist with older children on the floor for blood diseases, leukemia, and dialysis. The therapist seems really wonderful and definitely has her hands full. When I went to meet her, she had about 12 children in the room doing crafts, games, and other activities and no one to help. I will be her first volunteer for now and I'm very happy to be able to help and practice my Romanian.

Please pray for continued provision for finances to purchase a vehicle (thank you to those who are helping!) and for grace in learning the language and provision to take an intensive language course this summer through the local university. Thank you for your prayers, support, and friendship! Without you, so much ministry would not be possible! I am continually very grateful for each of you and thank God for you. May the Lord bless you, keep you and give you peace as you seek His face and minister His love to others.

October 2008

2008-11-01T21:03:00.018+02:00

Philippians 1:11 NLT May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ—for this will bring much glory and praise to God.

The other week at the children's hospital, a volunteer went to hold a baby girl who looked as if she didn't have a mother there with her. There were no toys in the crib and the baby was wearing a set of donated clothing tagged with a number. When the baby was picked up, the began to smile a bit and then suddenly a young, teenage gypsy girl appeared in the room. She smiled at the volunteer and then the baby and offered to take the child. The young girl began to coddle the child, rocking her back and forth slowly and kissing her on the cheek. When I asked if she was the baby's sister, she said no but instead told me that she was the mother. The young girl looked no more than 12 years of age but did tell me that she is actually 16 years old and that her baby girl is 2 months old. She lives in a nearby village and is not allowed to attend the church there – either because her baby is a distraction or because she has had a child, unwed and at a young age. I wasn't able to understand for sure which reason it was. She explained to me that her grandmother helps a little with the baby and loves the baby very much. The father is 24 years old and lives in a village a couple hours from there. He wants nothing to do with the new family and is not a good person, she said. My heart went out to her and we talked for quite a while sharing about our lives. When I told her that Jesus loved her very much and loved her daughter, she beamed with joy and said she knows that God loved her. I talked to her more about her life and shared mine with her. It was a time of both happiness but also a time of sorrow as I realized that she has no one to really help her, much like the other teen gypsy moms from that same village. There was also a lady there at the hospital with her who may have been from her village and seemed to demand things and be stern with her, all the while the young mother continued too cradle her baby. I left feeling sad for this young mother. This is not an uncommon story here in Romania and is something that I'm anxious to be involved in here – not only in ministry to the children but to the young parents.

In the same village, a friend of mine has started a mentoring program for teen girls. At our first meeting, we had 7 girls come! We took them out to McDonald's for a special treat and many had not been there before. It was a wonderful time that we'll be doing once or twice a month. During our time together, we'll be doing special activities as well as talking to them about hygiene, teen issues, etc. I'm really excited to be a part of this ministry and know that we are reaching girls who need to be encouraged and accepted when the general Romanian culture does not treat them well due to their gypsy heritage and social background. The girls asked if they could invite more friends next time, and of course they were told yes!

We have a new Bible study that is now being held in my apartment. We're studying the book of James and our pastor's wife, Andreea, is teaching. It has been a good time of fellowship, laughter, girl chatter, and study! This was something that has been needed here to connect all the women together and to build more unity and friendships. I love having everyone over and being able to open up my home in this way. Please pray for us as we meet every other Tuesday.

I am continually amazed at all the Lord is doing here in Brasov and all the new ministries that are beginning. As our family center will be closing later this month due to lack of funding, the Lord continues to raise up new opportunities for me to pray about becoming involved in. We are praying for the Lord's guidance in new placement for our children and for continued connection in their lives.

Three of the siblings will be able to return home to their parents once we have enough funds to support them in a better apartment. The parents currently live in a small shack behind a gypsy market and both work full time jobs. They are all eager to be reunited and so we are actively looking for an apartment and raising funds to pay for rent for the year.

I am happy to be able to continue to be involved in all the lives of our family center children when I return from a short visit to the states next month. However, as the children will be separated into different villages and as I become more involved in ministries both within and outside of the Brasov area, I am in desperate need of a vehicle by January. Until now I have been able to share with the wonderful missionaries I live with but access to borrowing a vehicle will not be as easy in the new year. I am praying for God's provision and for Him to keep me connected with all everyone more easily.

Thank you for your ongoing prayers and support for the ministries that I'm involved in. You make a huge difference in the lives of the people here and bring hope and joy to their lives. It truly is a pleasure to work with you to reach Romania for the Lord. God's blessings on you as you begin to celebrate the holiday season!

If you would like to help with rent for the Brasov Polgar Family or to support me financially in these ministries please use the online form, select Romania, and the appropriate donation box at http://www.chapelmissions.org/getinvolved/donateonline/tabid/637/language/en-US/Default.aspx or mail checks to Calvary Chapel Missions (designate: Amanda Towle - Brasov for personal support or Brasov Polgar Family for rental assistance to help reunify them) and mail to 123 Auto Drive Boise ID 83709

House of Joy - September Prayer Requests

2008-09-22T14:59:00.006+03:00

I know many of you are praying for our family center, House of Joy, so I wanted to make sure you were included in this prayer request update for our eight children. Thank you for your faithfulness to pray! The Lord has been answering your prayers and is moving mightly. You are a huge part of His ministry to the children and to those of us who serve them.

For the House of Joy Family Center: Please pray for financial provision for basic needs of rent, food, and clothing; for unity within the home and for the children to all know the Lord and grow in Him; for wisdom and a gentleness of spirit for the directors and workers. Pray for God's word to be firmly planted as it is incorporated more in discipline, Sunday teachings, and Bible studies at the house. Pray for the roots of their past and the ways of the world to be swiftly uprooted and replaced with the goodness of God.

Niko has recently moved from House of Joy but is only in the next village over from us. She attends church with the House of Joy children and has reached out by inviting friends from her new home to church. Please pray for her to have peace and to know the depth of God's love for her. Pray for her to seek His face, have strong fellowship with Him, and have a quiet and gentle spirit. Pray that the Lord would connect her with believers in her new home and that she would be drawn to them for strong Biblical friendships and mentoring.

Seby has recently become more manipulative over the past couple months as he seeks his own selfish desires. Please pray that Seby would fully know the Lord and accept Jesus as His Savior and ultimate authority. Pray for the Lord to change his heart that he would seek after the kingdom of heaven and then grow in the fruits of the spirit. He has been able to visit his mother and father more often. Please pray that these relationships would continue to be positive and would grow. Pray for his family to know Jesus.

Nicu has been more honest with admitting when he has done something wrong and accepting consequences. He has recommitted his heart to the Lord. Pray for Nicu to grow in grace and his understanding of the Lord's desire for him to walk in the ways and wisdom of the Lord. Pray that he would not be held captive or crave the ways of the world, but instead seek after that which is good and from the heart of God.

Dani has a heart of a servant and seeks to please others. He is hungry to understand the word of God and to obey authority. Pray that his heart and mind would be protected by the Lord as he seeks after Jesus. It is evident that the Lord has something amazing planned for Dani and that he will be raised up to be a leader in the church and within his only family later on. Pray that the enemy would not have his way in Dani's life and that God would remind Dani of His promises. Pray that God would provide for Dani the family that he longs for with all his heart! Pray that Dani would not seek to please men but always keep his eyes on Jesus.

Remus is continually drawn to helping the workers and volunteers at the house with meals and going to the corner store for daily needs such as fresh bread. He loves animals and is constantly taking care of the family center dog, missionary's dog, and a small hedgehog that he 'rescued' in the yard. He is contstantly playing outdoors in the sun, rain, and snow and loves creation. Pray for the Lord to continue to develop a servant's heart in him and to use the animals and creation to minister to him and draw him close to Jesus. Pray that he would hear the word of God and understand it that it would take root in his life. Pray that he would have a quiet and gentle spirit and that the Lord would heal his quick temper and give Remus peace. Pray for a good Christian friend for Remus as he is very lonely and often feels left out.

Bianca has become less aggressive and easily aggitated. She is smiling more and enjoying playing with friends and volunteers. She is developing a strong pull towards needing a male role model so please pray that the Lord would provide a family to mentor her and show her the love that our Father has for His children. Pray that she would hunger after Jesus more and that the word of the Lord would be firmly planted in her life. Pray that she would know Jesus as her Savior, understand boundaries and the Lord's grace, and know peace. Pray that the Lord would continual to develop a more peaceful spirit within her. She has been able to visit her mother and father more often. Please pray that these relationships would continue to be positive and would grow. Pray for her family to know Jesus.

Andrada has recently been demonstrating self-serving behavior over the past few months. She is hungry for material possessions and status - to be noticed by others. Please pray for the Lord to humble her and for her identity to be built on who she is in Christ. Pray that she would know Jesus as her Savior and that she would hunger after righteousness and be filled with the Living Water of Jesus. She has a soft heart towards others - especially her sibilings and the younger ones in the house. Pray that the Lord would use this for His glory but also relieve her of the burden of trying to be a 'mom' to the other children. Pray she would have peace and be able to relax and play more. She needs God's joy and love more and more. She has been able to visit her mother and father more often. Please pray that these relationships would continue to be positive and would grow. Pray for her family to know Jesus.

Ema has recently made new friends who have been very good for her! One lives across the street and plays with her often. She enjoys helping as much as possible with cooking and loves to say "me too!" to everything so that she is never missing out on anything. She has recently been adopting more of a 'teenage' attitude though she is only seven years old. She is easily influenced by others and likes to mimic their actions and words. Pray that the Lord would place a desire in her heart to please Him instead of others - that she would accept Jesus as her Savior and that the fruits of the spirit would be evident in her life. Pray that she would not be influenced by others but be firmly planted in the word of God. Pray for wisdom as we seek to teach her appropriate behavior and that she would have a humble heart. That she would follow her Good Shepherd and hear His voice daily and obey.

Romania News

2008-09-06T14:27:00.003+03:00

Please pray for Romania. This article is from one of the online newspapers here.

Child tortured to death by caregiver

The case is all the more terrifying, as the caregiver admitted having tortured the four-year-old child repeatedly and having killed him for being of Roma ethnicity.

published in issue 4253 page 5 at 2008-08-25

The police officers of Bistrita Nasaud have discovered the lifeless body of the little child on Thursday evening, but the case turned scary over the weekend, as the caregiver who was granted the responsibility to take care of the little child admitted having killed him. According to the prosecutors, she has committed this terrible murder because he was of Roma ethnicity. The defendant considered her crime as an act of revenge because her 19-year-old daughter was dating a young man of the same ethnicity. The same case has created a most peculiar situation, the caregiver, arrested for 29 days, is kept in the same prison with the biological mother. The police officers have adopted special measures to prevent the meeting of the two prisoners.

The woman will be subject to a psychiatric evaluation and risks life incarceration. The prosecutor working on the case declared that he is also considering the opportunity to press legal charges against the employees of the Child Protection Services, as they were unable to present any document that would show that they performed an adequate surveillance of the foster care services. Moreover, the investigation started by the police officers showed that the woman has driven away her own children from home and that she had a drinking problem. Despite of these facts, the management of the Child Protection Services declared that she was enjoying a good reputation. She started working as a professional caregiver in 2000 and she was taking care of two children. The little victim has entered her family a year ago.

The case of the child in Bistrita was discovered by the doctors, who were called to come at the home of the professional caregiver and announced that the child has suffered a head traumatism as he fell while riding the bicycle. After seeing the body of the child, the doctors realized that he suffered torture and called the police. The doctors also declared that the woman’s house was impeccably clean, and she showed no panic, as expected from a parent whose child was unconscious. After they performed the autopsy, the doctors realized that the death of the four-year-child occurred after he was asphyxiated with a bolus. The caregiver actually suffocated her child while feeding him. “We found a child who had died over two hours ago. His ears and portions of the face were cut and he presented massive edema on the head and legs that could not be caused a few minutes ago, as the caregiver declared. The child also had lesions on his back, on his buttocks, on his scrotum, on his penis and his toes were missing. He was a sight for sore eyes,” Anca Vitusinschi, the spokesperson of the County Ambulance Service declared. Moreover, the caregiver went on by admitting that she used to burn him with cigarettes and to urinate on him because the little child was a Roma.

The case Prosecutor Angela Sangeorzan is considering opening a criminal file against the social workers from the County Child’s Protection Authority. He said they failed providing documents proving that the caregiver was monitored, according to the legal procedures.

by Adina Popescu

August 2008

2008-09-01T16:17:00.008+03:00

My heart has heard you say, "Come and talk with me." And my heart responds,
"Lord, I am coming." Psalm 27:8

The Lord has been developing in me a more fervent heart for prayer for our children at the family center and for this country. My cousin, who is with me for the next two months, and I will be fasting and praying every Wednesday for these children and close friends. We are praying against the heavy spiritual darkness and oppression that dwells so richly in this country and in the hearts of our children and which seems to increase more intensely as time goes on. We are praying for healing and revival of their hearts that they would know the Lord as their Savior and be hungry for truth and a life after Christ. We are eager to have you, as our brothers and sisters, join us in praying unceasingly for the family center House of Joy and for us as we minister here. The need for prayer is urgent as we seek to make the Lord known to the nations and to our children here. Their names are Niko, Dani, Nicu, Sebi, Andrada, Remus, Bianca, and Ema.

After many 24 hour shifts, a friend using his vacation time to help us, and your prayers, we have two 24 hour workers now for our family center and a social worker! This is a huge praise and we are very grateful our Lord for bringing these people to us. Please pray for them and for the New Beginnings team to be able to share the Lord with them and minister effectively to them. We are still praying for missionaries to come and serve as house parents and alongside us and look forward to the Lord answering this prayer!

Last week my cousin and I took the children to the Cabin of Hope in the mountains of northern Romania where they were warmly received and enjoyed a time of Bible teaching from the book of Daniel. The gospel was presented to them and we are praying for it to take further root in their lives and that the old roots of religion, tradition, pain, and abuse would be dug up and healed by our precious Jesus. The children also enjoyed campfires, games, smores brought from the states, and picking wild raspberries in the woods. The Lord provided several opportunities for me to minister to Niko and Sebi one-on-one and share my testimony with them. It was the Lord’s perfect timing as they had open hearts and minds and eagerly soaked in truth and promises from God’s Word. As Niko will be moving from our family center soon to join other teenage girls in a center nearby, pray that God’s Word will be firmly rooted in her life and that she will learn to walk in Him. After many dangerous incidents and after much prayer, it is necessary for both Niko and the other children that she be placed with others her age and also participate in a program where she will learn adult skills like budgeting, job interviews, independent living, and cooking. While she will no longer be directly under New Beginnings, I will continue to remain in contact with her and pray for opportunities to pour God’s truth into her life. Please pray for the Lord’s continued healing and guidance in her life.

With many volunteers coming and going from Brasov’s children’s hospital, it has been wonderful to be able to share the gospel with those who come. After much prayer and Christians here sharing in a 17 year old Danish girl’s life, Anne has accepted the Lord as her Savior! She is now back in Denmark with her family. Pray that the Lord will send people to disciple her and bless her. Praise the Lord for our new sister in Christ! Your prayers and ongoing personal support are being used to bring glory to the Lord and His kingdom. The Lord uses you daily to remind me of His faithfulness and His love for me and for the children. You are His joy and His crown! Thank you for being part of this work.

If you would like to support me financially in this ministry, please make checks to Calvary Chapel Missions (designate: Amanda Towle – Brasov in the memo line) and mail to 123 Auto Drive Boise ID 83709. To join my prayer support team or to send a note of encouragement, please contact me at amandatowle@yahoo.com)

Share with Us

2008-08-08T14:56:00.003+03:00

Hello friends! After you read the latest July update last week about the ministries I'm involved with here in Romania and prayed through the needs that are listed, would you respond back to me (amandatowle@yahoo.com) with anything the Lord might have spoken to you or shown you about the problems needing to be resolved here in Brasov? We do want to know anything that the Lord is revealing to you or laying on your heart about the ministry here. After all, the Lord uses the body of Christ to minister to one another using the gifts of the Holy Spirit and we are eager to hear from you, dear brothers and sisters, as to what the Lord is showing you. Thank you for joining with us to seek first His kingdom, His will, and His way!

July 2008

2008-07-30T13:55:00.007+03:00

"Abide in Me." John 15:4a

Thank you for your faithfulness to pray for the ministry here in Brasov. The month of July has tested our faith and pushed us past where we thought we could possibly bear. We praise God for the move into our new family center home in the nearby village of Ghimbav! The home is wonderful and has large rooms, a backyard, and sheep next door. The children have been thrilled to make neighborhood friends with another center down the street. They excitedly said with huge smiles, “The kids are just like us!” We give God all the praise for the small things that bless our children.

Unfortunately, with this move, it is too far away for our workers to travel and we will have no workers at all by August 1st. We had looked for a place closer to Brasov but there were no homes or apartments available to house all eight children. There has been little to no response for our ads for workers in the paper and around town and through local churches. Please pray for us! This is too much work for those of us who are missionaries here without the workers. We need added support and are actively praying for Romanian workers or house parents as well as another missionary couple to live on site. We are in desperate need of both long and short-term help as well as stability and mentorship for our kids. The new friends that the kids have found are encouraging our children to participate in activities such as smoking, drinking, and promoting other negative behaviors. We are in need of mentors for the children as well as Christian friends for our children. Additionally, a few of our children have been displaying more negative behaviors such as verbal and physical aggression due to certain circumstances, the move, and uncertainty with the future in addition to their struggles with having secure attachments with those that love them. Never cease in your prayers for us and for our kids! They are always needed and encourage us more than you realize. They give us strength, joy, and hope as your remind us of God’s faithfulness to answer our prayers.

We know and firmly believe that the Lord is the giver of all good things, that He has our steps ordered before us, and that He will not abandon the work that He has begun here in Brasov. Though we are overwhelmed with much more than what is listed here, we praise God for the small things that give us hope in these situations and pray that we might have more faith to catch His vision and see the fullness of His provision as we learn to trust Him more.

Praises: For two camps that the children will be able to attend in August. This will allow us an extra week to search for workers and the children will have a wonderful vacation at the Black Sea for one of the camps. For all that the Lord is doing here even when we are in need. For unity within our team and our pastor and his family volunteering weekly to help with activities for the children.

Prayer Requests: For workers, missionaries, and teams to come help. For our children to know the Lord and be changed into His likeness. For peace for the children and for those of us involved as all these things take place – that we would keep our eyes on Jesus and be encouraged.

Love, Amanda

If you would like to support me financially in this ministry, please make checks to Calvary Chapel Missions (designate: Amanda Towle – Brasov in the memo line) and mail to 123 Auto Drive Boise ID 83709. To join my prayer support team, please contact me at amandatowle@yahoo.com

Picnic in Codlea

2008-07-25T12:33:00.013+03:00

Last week a friend and I took the kids on an afternoon picnic in nearby Codlea. They played soccer in the green field, watched the horses walk by us, and barbecued bananas and chocolate in tin foil. Sounds a bit odd, doesn't it? but it was delicious and the kids had fun!! Here are some pictures from our day adventure. Enjoy!!!!

June 2008

2008-07-01T16:28:00.013+03:00

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace. Ephesians 2:13-14

Dearest Friends,

This morning, once again, the Lord has proved to be faithful and has blessed me with His peace, His presence, and His hope. The birds are singing joyfully outside my window and I can see the sweet, red cherries growing on the trees. The air is cool but summer heat will soon settle in by mid-afternoon making me long for nearby streams and refreshing lemonade. This past month has been a time of encouragement, rejuvenation, and growing trust in the Lord that is followed by His peace.

Our eight family center children continue to grow and are learning to enjoy the simple pleasures of the outdoors after being used to a school schedule and old orphanage life. We recently went to Poiana’s ski resort area for a BBQ, volleyball, and soccer with a special needs center based here in Brasov. Our teenagers biked up the mountain and also stepped out of their comfort zones to help translate for the special needs teens and volunteers. It is good for them to learn to give of themselves without expecting anything in return.

On other outings, I took the children to Romania’s famous Seven Stairs hiking/picnic area and then to Brasov’s famous Tampa mountain that overlooks the city. We took the gondola up to the top, had lunch, and then walked down the winding hillside just before the clouds opened up and rained. The children are becoming more open with me and ask lots of questions about life, morality, and the future. It is a little strange for me at times to be the ‘parent’ but it is also a blessing to know that they will ask these questions knowing that I will answer them honestly. It is difficult to see all the unnecessary burdens they try to carry on their own. I pray that they will be able to be free of them in the days to come, that they may fully enjoy the life the Lord has given to them, and that they may be able to laugh more often and enjoy the small things.

The Grace Girls Bible study I’ve been leading for the past six months has come to a quiet close as some of the girls have moved back to the states. We have been studying Psalm 23 and learning how the Lord is our Good Shepherd and how we are His treasures. I would like to continue the study and am praying for more young girls to attend.

Finally, the Lord miraculously provided for me to attend the Mission’s Conference in Vajta, Hungary last week. I traveled with friends and was able to spend an entire week being refreshed by the teachings, worship, and new friendships. I came back from the conference with a calmer heart, more of a vision for the ministry I’m involved in, and with more friends and supports within Romania. This has come at a much needed time as I begin taking on more responsibilities with the family center and also will move in with the children later this year to provide more support and oversight. We continue to be in need of a family center home within the next two weeks so please join us in praying for the funds to make this possible!

Thank you for being so faithful to pray for me, support me in ministry, and encourage me with your emails! You bless me so much and you give me great joy. Please know that I also pray for each of you!

In His Grace, Amanda

If you would like to support this ministry financially, please make checks payable to: Calvary Chapel Missions
123 Auto Drive Boise, ID 83709 and Designate to: Amanda Towle

May 2008

2008-05-29T14:01:00.009+03:00

You have made known to me the ways of life;
You will make me full of joy in Your presence. Acts 2:28

Dear Friends,

Thank you for your continual support, friendships, and prayers for they are gifts from the Lord in my life. With things here continually in the process of change and growth, your faithfulness to the Lord and your love for me sustains me and encourages me to press on in ministry.

Sometimes there is the assumption that life here is easy and that all of Romania’s problems are solved because they have joined the European Union. It’s not true. Life and ministry here are both challenging and difficult on most days. The children at the family center struggle daily with looking forward to their future when things from their past hold them back as if they are bound in chains and unable to be free. While we do see growth with the children and rejoice in the Lord’s work in their lives, many struggle with high levels of anger, aggression, and lack of self-control. The good times in their lives are very positive, fun, and filled with laughter and smiles, but the difficult times are especially hard and intense. Most recently our oldest has intentionally hurt others with both verbal and physical aggression (no serious injuries). After calmly talking with her about a specific incident, she packed her bag, left a note, and ran away for the night. Pain from her past is influencing her decisions and she is making a very deliberate decision to take it out on others in the home. It is almost as if she wants to sabotage everything good to cause pain in her own life and to see if she will be re-abandoned once again. These problems are all too familiar here. The abandoned children in Romania are plagued with their own pasts. Most are haunted by nightmares, abuse, neglect, and fear. No matter the age, many sit in bed and rock back and forth to self-comfort and calm for they were never held and rocked gently as a small child. They learn to steal and lie to survive. And the old teach the young. It is a dangerous cycle that is very hard to break. We make every effort to join with them in all their trouble and try to bring perspective to their pain, understanding to their fears, boundaries to their behavior, and love and grace to their lives. Gaining acceptance into the European Union has not changed the problems here. They continue without relief and the children suffer because of it. Those of us here suffer along with them.

This is why it is so important for you to be a part of the ministry here; I need you! I long for you, pray for you, and take joy in your joy and faithfulness to support and write me. You are God’s hands and feet here in Romania and the Lord answers your prayers by changing lives, bringing peace, and pouring strength into my own life and the work here. Life is not always easy, but your great love for the children here brings rejoicing! I cannot thank each of you enough for all that you do for these precious ones and for helping me to live among them.

Many Blessings,
Amanda

If you would like to send a note of encouragement or support me financially, please send to: Calvary Chapel Missions 123 Auto Dr. Boise ID 83709. Designate ‘Amanda Towle’ in memo line.

April 2008

2008-05-03T17:10:00.015+03:00

“Your words were found, and I ate them; And Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart, for I am called by your name.” Jeremiah 15:16

With the coming of spring after a long winter, our spirits are lifted and our hope is renewed. Romania celebrated Easter this month, the markets have been filled with fresh fruits and vegetables, and people are spending their time walking the streets and sitting in the park. It is a pleasant time in the city of Brasov.

Working several 24 hour shifts at the family center provided some quality time with our eight children and some spontaneous counseling as they shared with me about their lives and pasts. The children still struggle with feeling accepted and loved as they have each been abandoned on more than one occasion. Even our oldest, who struggled last month with dissociation, was very open with me and shared about abandonment and fear in her own life. A few days after we spoke, there was another incident in which I tried to wake her one morning and she was unable to be wakened for more than two hours. When she did wake up, she appeared sluggish and quiet during the day but has been fine since then. Please continue to keep her, the other children, and our workers in your prayers.

During the Romanian Easter holiday Tim and Liz Forney, a couple from California, came to serve here short term. The Lord used them to provide comfort and love to the hospital and family center children as well as encouragement to me. It was such a blessing to have them here!

During the holiday weekend we had four children from the family center stay with us in my apartment. They camped out on the living room floor, were excited to make American style pancakes and pizza, and joined us on an outing to a nearby castle. It was a time of challenge, a time of joy, and a time of thanksgiving for all that God is doing in their lives. A few of our kids are allowing the Lord to work in their lives and the evidence is that of peace, joy, and a hunger for learning from Him. Pray that this continues so that they will grow closer to Jesus and are an example of Him in the home.

During the summer there is a possibility that the children will be able to attend a Christian camp with some of our additional family center children and Calvary churches. Last year the only camps that were found here had terrible conditions. One camp involved driving for hours to arrive there, only to find that it was so awful the children had to be driven back home immediately. This new camp will include activities, teaching, and fellowship. I would also like to take the children hiking and camping this summer but we are in need of camping supplies including tents and sleeping bags. Please pray for provision for supplies that are needed for individual activities as well as the availability and funds for the children to attend the camp.

I have been praying for several months for an opening on the fifth floor at the children’s hospital that has been closed to volunteers. The floor is for children with cancer and those suffering from neurological and psychological problems. The Lord had put these children on my heart the moment that I heard about the needs. Prayers have been answered by our might God and a miracle has occurred! There is now an opening for volunteers on this floor and I will begin helping the children there. It is an amazing blessing and a joy!

Thank you for your continued support, prayers, and letters! You are an important part of all that Jesus is doing here in Brasov and I am often overwhelmed by your faithfulness to pray and the Lord’s faithfulness to answer all your prayers. Thank you for blessing me and for blessing the children here.

Love, Amanda

March 2008

2008-04-01T13:48:00.011+03:00

Dear friends,

The Lord has been so faithful to me during this past month of March. I have been learning and growing in many ways and becoming more dependent on the Lord for His provision for me financially, emotionally, and spiritually. The struggles here in Romania seem to involve interpersonal relationships with others as well as a strong battle for the mind in regard to captivating thoughts and dreams. Please pray continuously for these things, as they are important aspects of my every day life here in Brasov.

I was very blessed to travel north to Bistrita to provide training in two different ministries and to be able to visit good friends there. My first stop was at the local orphanage, which is home for special needs children. One child in particular has autism and self-injurious behavior such as picking his ears raw, hitting himself, and pulling out his hair. He wore a cap on his head and often had his hands restrained to prevent injury. The Lord had provided a divine appointment for me as I have worked with children with autism who specifically have similar behavior problems. It was a complete miracle to be able to provide different therapeutic ideas and suggestions to the ladies working there to help with this young boy. Please pray for him as Natalie Bridges (friend and missionary) had mentioned that when people have been praying in the past, the self-injurious behavior had stopped. It has now begun again and is an on-going battle.

The second training was for an afterschool program for gypsy (Roma) children. The children were specifically chosen to participate in the program and receive help with homework, a shower, clean clothes, and a meal every day. The children like coming to the program and receiving one on one attention but they often display defiant behaviors and come from a background of being unaccepted in their own society due to being a Roma. I was able to speak with the volunteers at the program and teach them about consistency, giving of choices and discipline, and how to utilize facial expressions and body language rather than only raising their voices. It was a pleasure to help in this way and to be able to spend time with the kids

Back in Brasov, we had an emergency with one of our family center children who began believing that she spoke only English and was two years younger than she actually was. This occurred for over 12 hours and she does not remember the incident. After spending several days at the children’s hospital on the neurological floor, she is finally home. She is talking a lot about her past and a family that she used to live with and is acting more immature than normal. I will be counseling with her twice a week and trying to help her work through attachment and abandonment issues that are beginning to surface. Please keep us both in your prayers and pray for God’s healing, peace, and renewal in her life.

Thank you once again for praying for the ministry that the Lord has for me here. The ministry is fruitful and your friendship, support, and emails really encourage me. May the Lord bless you with His presence that you might know Him more fully.

Love, Amanda

February 2008

2008-02-29T17:19:00.003+02:00

For We are God’s fellow workers; You are God’s field, You are God’s building.
You are Christ’s and Christ is God’s. I Corinthians 3:9, 23

Dearest Friends,

I have been learning so much about working alongside the Lord and living a life that is meaningful in His eyes and not just my own. He wants us to have a life full of love, laughter, and mercy -- all of which can only be obtained through knowing Jesus as our Savior and letting Him be our life. When this happens, we become God’s and there is nothing that can take us from His love, shelter, and provision.

This past month has been filled with both joys and burdens as I’ve been stretched and grown in ways I didn’t know was possible. There has been trouble with sleep, dreams, loneliness, and further adjustment here in Brasov but at the same time I count my blessings. I celebrated my birthday in Brasov by going to a Mexican restaurant with friends and I’ve been enjoying walks in the sunshine after having long winter days for so long. I’ve also enjoyed having the family center children stay at the apartment on the weekends. It’s a good time of laughter, fellowship and mentoring.

I am so happy to be going to the women’s prison in nearby Codlea to encourage the ladies and speak truth and hope into their lives. Many are discouraged. They believe they are unlike the volunteers who come because they have committed such horrible wrongs. They don’t realize that our wrongs are all the same in God’s eyes and He desires us to come to Him to seek forgiveness and a new life. Their personal suffering and hopelessness can be seen in their eyes. Last time we shared that they are beautiful to the Lord and God’s thoughts towards them are good and more in number than all the sand in the world (Psalm 139:17-18a).

I have received official approval to volunteer at the children’s hospital. Many of the children are ill and lay in cribs all day. Some come with their mothers but many infants are left on their own. I have the privilege of holding them and doing diaper changes. I bring a puppet with me each time that makes some of the infants laugh and smile. The nurses are grateful for the help and it is good to be able to love those who need it most. It is one of the highlights of my week!

I am so happy to be here and so thankful for each of your prayers, your financial support, and your emails. You are God’s hands and feet here and you are a testimony to God’s provision and love for the people of Romania. Thank you for being part of my ministry here!

Love,
Amanda

January 2008 Update

2008-02-04T19:21:00.001+02:00

Dear Friends and Family,

Thank you so much for your on-going prayers and support! You are each such a blessing in my life and I am continually grateful for each one of you. In the past week since I’ve arrived in Brasov, Romania, the Lord has been so good to me and has provided me with extra sweaters from friends and basics for my apartment. I am feeling more settled here and am fortunate to be sharing an apartment with friends. Our apartment is on top of a hill that is close to the city’s center where there are small shops and an outdoor market in the summer. There are several inches of snow right now and I hear the bells from the nearby church every morning.

I am very excited to be working with the eight family center children in the nearby town of Sacele. The children, some of whom I have met before, have grown a lot physically, spiritually, and emotionally over the past year but still have a strong desire to be accepted and part of a real family. Many have suffered abuse, neglect, and emotional trauma and the results of their hardships are still shown through aggression, yelling, cursing, and tears. Times can be very rough as they still adjust to changes within the family center itself, volunteers coming and going, and working through memories and emotions from abandonment and from living in orphanages. Please keep these precious children in your prayers for healing, loving, and the joy of the Lord.

Praises:

We have a new social worker (Gabriela) who will help with the children,activities, and maintain their files.
The children’sparticipation inextracurricular activities and some are doing better in school and working hard
For opportunities to speak a little with a neighbor (Marta) and a young girl (Tina) who was begging on the street.

Prayer Requests:

For wisdom to be able to help and mentor the children. That they will see the Lord as their father and savior.
For the financial provision for monthly needs and to be able to take the children on more outings and activities and for wisdom with how to best implement the home activities.
For many in the church who are suffering horrific, reoccurring nightmares.
For continued opportunity to speak with people and for becoming fluent with the language.

Thank you for being part of my life and for helping to send me to serve a country of people who have such a huge need for the Lord and for love. Thank youfor being part of my ministry and for blessing the people of Romania in this way! I am truly grateful and appreciate each one of you!!!

Many Blessings and Much Love, Amanda

If you would like to provide financial support, please make checks payable to
Calvary Chapel Missions and write “Amanda Towle” in the memo line and mail to
123 Auto Drive Boise ID 83709. All donations are tax deductible.