I was a stranger and you welcomed me.

That is Albert’s story. It is a compelling story and one that Albert shares with all the other abandoned children that RCE has rescued since 1992. Albert was welcomed into the Boar family as a son, and welcomed into the family of God through his faith in Christ and his story touched the hearts of all who gathered at McLean Presbyterian Church on Oct. 1st where RCE began 30 years ago.

Watch Albert’s story here:


Pastors from RCE’s two cornerstone churches, Fourth Presbyterian Church (MD) and McLean Presbyterian Church (VA), brought greetings and their own personal experiences of seeing the ‘harvest of mercy’ in Romania over the years. Over 200 friends and partners of the ministry enjoyed the good food and sweet fellowship of sharing in this unique partnership in mercy.


Our Romanian friends, RCE managers, Ovidiu Martin, Daniel Buzgau, and Albert, helped tell the stories of RCE and brought special music as well.


There was a quartet and then the congregation sang out in joyous celebration of God’s mercy and our continuous need to be leaning on His everlasting arms.


The evening was concluded with a time to briefly honor Mary Ann Bell for her role in starting this ministry and her steadfast commitment and labor of love for the last thirty years!

And Pastor Steve Smallman, who was the Pastor at McLean Presbyterian Church at the start of RCE, concluded the evening in a celebratory prayer.


Throughout the evening there was wonderful time of fellowship between all who attended. But a very special reunion was between two of the original six Darius House residents pictured on the couch here.

Otilia is third from the left, and Albert is third from the right! Otilia and Albert were together at Darius House for several years.


Otilia was adopted into a family here in the US and she now is a Senior at George Mason University. They were very happy to see one another!


Thank you to all of you who came, who gave, who prayed, and who stand with us in celebration of what God has accomplished in the past and expectation of the years to come.

A Harvest of Mercy

Join us for a virtual journey to Romania and enjoy the Harvest: A Harvest of Mercy!

Special Guests included: RCE General Manager, Ovidiu Martin as host, greetings from Pastor Rob Yancey, Fairfax Presbyterian Church, and a virtual journey to Romania to visit old friends - music and songs from the Petrean and Albu families – and hear more stories of amazing grace!

Come enjoy and be blessed by this visit-via-video to the ministry of RCE!

To donate and continue the Harvest of Mercy:

Making Smiles Happen.

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RCE is starting off the New Year Making Smiles Happen. Marian – who lives at Darius House and attends Sunshine School – looks pretty happy with his happy meal.

Marian, who was abandoned and deprived of early care, struggles with cognitive and behavioral issues. It takes experienced teachers, counselors and caregivers, to support his many needs. Simona, who has been a teacher at Sunshine School since it opened in 2004, is just the right person to understand Marian - and all her students! She makes learning fun for kids who have known more pain than joy. 

Christmas Gifts from McLean Presbyterian Church’s Angel Tree brought smiles throughout Arad as well. Deb Perry matches the wishes of children in our Poverty Prevention Program and Placement Families with generous donors from the church who shop for the most beautiful clothes and toys.

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All the beautifully wrapped presents go into duffle bags carried over by air (not Santa Air) and delivered to children by RCE staff. Some of the children who receive these gifts have never opened a wrapped present before! The children, and their parents, are delighted. 

The Ribb family who took little Dani into their family came to the RCE office for their Angel Tree Christmas presents. 

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Christmas gifts and special treats are important. Showing God’s love and compassion to needy and hurting children is part of the mercy mission of RCE; along with special education, permanent placement for abandoned children in families, lifting families out of poverty, and providing life in community with the dignity of work for young people with disabilities. 

In the coming months three impoverished families (Ivan, Alexi, Croitoriu) will be able to move out of unhealthy, dark and depressing houses into homes where they can raise their families in dignity. It takes many partners to make this happen. Volunteers from churches in the US (Fourth Presbyterian and McLean Presbyterian) help out along with local churches. And most important of all, the family shares in the cost and construction (as they are able) of their new home. 

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From this…

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… To this.

Thanks to all of you for helping RCE Make Mercy (and smiles) Happen and God bless you!

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