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.
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.
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.
From this…
… To this.
Thanks to all of you for helping RCE Make Mercy (and smiles) Happen and God bless you!
