The Exciment of Christmas and the New Year

      As we return from the states and begin to settle into life in Romania once more, we were quickly reminded of just how exciting this time of year!  From making cookies to opening presents to fireworks galore the Holidays here in Romania are filled with excitement and potentially lots of calories!  So here is what our Holidays looked like!

 Homemade cookies to share with everyone; and some for ourselves!

Hand decorated!  Can't find a more unique cookie the the GTH cookies!

The Girls even put on a skit at church.  It was about what Christmas means and to whom we celebrate!  We were even able to get in on the action!

 

Cold and alone is not the way to celebrate Christmas!

 Jesus is the reason for the season!  Amen!

 We love because He first loved us!

We also got to celebrate Christmas with Steffy and Marin.  It was interesting to watch them open their presents.  They were very hesitant and felt like they did not deserve them.  What a great example of how we should be as we receive, daily, the present we don't deserve!

 They said that this day was probably the best day of their lives because they spent Christmas with a family.

He was literally at a loss for words.

 So then the big day came, Christmas Day!!!

It started out with some Christmas Caroling!

Then we read The Christmas Story from Luke 2!

 Oh man!  Look at all those presents!!

 Opening their stockings!  The girls thought that was all they were getting for Christmas! 

 Ionela really likes crazy socks!

Excited to see what she got!  Earrings and a necklace!

 Claudia could not stop smiling, especially about her pink watch! 

 Ioana's "normal" face when she is excited.  Showing off her new bag!

 Ana really loves her new cooler bag!

 I think at this point Ionela went into a state of pure bliss when she opened her blanket!

I believe her face stuck like that for about two days after Christmas!

 "Exactly what I have been wanting and needing"!

All the girls sporting their new cooler bags with their initials embroidered  in them!

 Thanks for the new body wash!  You know who you are!

We love our new watches and house shoes!

We also celebrate Christmas at Pipera with presents from Heart to Heart! All of the boys and girls were there! It was full of socks, pajamas, tools and laughter!

 Here we are looking all snazzy!

A Merry Christmas it was indeed! 

Romanians love Christmas lights!  These lined the main roads that went towards downtown!

 There was music, dancing and fun to be had!

 Can we go ice skating PLEASE! This rink was way to crowded for us!

 All of us in the city!

 The giant Christmas tree of lights and us!

After Christmas came The New Year and with that more celebrating, fireworks and ice skating!  It was a great time to spend some personal time with our girls!  We also had a team here so they got to experience what a Romanian new year truly is!

 Taking a break from the dancing for a photo op!

 Decorated and ready to go!

 Keep your balance!

 Taking a break!  This ice skating is hard work!

 Group photo! Hurry before someone falls!

I Got the hang of it now!

 Not quite figured it out yet!

 Now she's got it!

 Playing games on the ice!

 We even got to spend a little time together!

Left her in the dust!

A month filled with non-stop smiles is a month filled with blessing from above!  Although it went extremely fast, it was so much fun to see our kids grow up in an environment where they can be a normal kid!  Where presents, cookies and laughter are plentiful and love is never ending!  Thank you for making their Christmas memorable!

Prayer requests:

-That our girls can continue to grow and learn about how to be responsible and confident women of Christ as they press on into their jobs/classes/lives.

-That Ionela can continue to seek after the right decision and follow Christ and learn to be loved!

-That Missy and I can continually be renewed in spirit and in strength to serve our girls with all of our heart!

-That those who read this be healthy, loving and be the hands and feet of Christ no matter where you are!

Time with friends & family in the States

  As you know, we have had some time with friends and family in the States this past month.  It has been such an uplifting time as we shared our passion of working with our girls and kids in Romania with you all!  We have less than one week left and although we are looking forward to being back with our girls, we will miss you all.
  Here we are, Skyping with our girls!!

Look at how beautiful they all are!

And of course, we always have a little fun!  We miss these laughs!!

  In the beginning, being back in the States was a very overwhelming and emotional time for us.  But as each week went on, we have felt so blessed by each person that has encouraged us with words or gifts and those that have prayed over us.  Thank you! 

We met with our CCC family team that will be visiting us in Romania in May 2013!

Sharing with our Suncrest family!

  As we have met many new church family and partners, we wanted to add our contact information.  We are both on Facebook, so you can look us up at Josh Essman & Melissa Essman.  We also have a Facebook group, Our Partners in Christ for Romania.  You can check out Heart2Heart International Ministries at www.h2hint.org and you can reach Josh and I via e-mail at essman@h2hint.org. 
 PRAISES:
  -We are so blessed to have had this time with friends and family.
  -We have had some free time to relax a bit and spend some time together.
  -We have had the privilege to do some Christmas shopping for our girls.
  -We have been so blessed by all the encouragement and gifts we received.
PRAYER REQUESTS:
  -Romanian language as we return to life with our girls and kids.
  -For our girls' hearts to continually be softened by God's love and their desire to know Him more.
  -That our relationships with our girls will run deep as we share God's love with them.
  -That Josh and I will continue to surrender our lives to Him and listen to His leading each day.

Giving thanks in all circumstances

  Happy Thanksgiving!  We hope you all had a good day with friends and family and great food!!
  This last month has been very exciting.  As you know, we became instant parents to seven "teenage" girls and have been getting into our routine of classes, school and work.
  We had a little Halloween party, the girls celebrated Thanksgiving with the staff and before Josh and I left for the States, we decorated for Christmas.  We have been in the States now for almost one week and are having a great time visiting friends and family, although, we do miss our girls!  Here are a couple of shots we took before we came back to America...

  We ask for your prayers in making the correct decisions as one of our girls left the program and is wanting to come back.  We pray that she truly knows what a great opportunity God has provided for her and the others and that if she does come back that things may be a bit easier for her as well as the rest of us.
  As I said, we are now in the States until December 16th.  We are in NC and will be visiting both IL and IN throughout our time here.  We are truly enjoying our time back so far and are looking forward to the rest of our time.  
 We can't help but look back on this year and know that we are right where God has called us.  Please pray for travel mercies and safety as we are here.  For continued guidance and wisdom from God in all decisions we make with our girls and for the other staff that are with the girls during this time that we are away.   We are so thankful for all of your encouragement, partnerships and support both prayerfully and financially.  We also hope that you all have a blessed holiday season and never forget to whom we are thankful.

First Week as House Parents

Meet our 7 girls and the 4 boys that are in our ATH program.

Love this one!  It really does capture their personalities!

  It has been a great experience for Josh and I so far as "house parents" to 7 teen/young adult girls.  It has been awesome to give these girls a home and a loving family experience.  At the same time, it has been eye opening in so many ways.  One of the biggest things is how the little things we do or say go a long way.  An example is when one of the girls was not feeling well.  We gave her medicine, made her comfortable and checked up on her later to see how she was feeling.  They have never had a mom take care of them when they were sick.  Another example is when three of them were going away for the day, we made lunches for them and wrote a little note on their sandwich bags.  Because they are older and know how to communicate how they feel, we have heard how these specific situations have touched them.  These little things were ways our moms showed us they loved and cared for us.  We hope to continue to share more moments like these with all of our girls throughout their time in our program.  
  As you can see, we have had our hands full but we have had a lot of fun with them as well.  Let me introduce them to you...
Ioana -  She is 20 years old and came from Peris.  She likes to dance, sing, do hair and nails and laughs a lot.  She is wanting to work in a salon.  Last year she completed a hair and nail course and is expected to get an intern-type position at a salon very soon.  She is a hard worker, an encourager and is so excited now that she and her sister are together.

 Claudia -  She is our youngest at 18 years old and also came from Peris.  She likes to play soccer, listen to music and always has a smile on her face.  She is wanting to complete high school, take the BAC (an intense exam she will have to pass in order to get into college), and go on to college.  Last year she completed a course for being a waitress.  She will be taking a computer course and studying for the BAC.  She is a great help when someone does not understand something in Bible study.

 Alina -  She is 21 years old, Ioana's sister and came from Voluntari.  She likes to dance and do nails.  She will be completing her last year of college and is wanting to take a nail course.  She is a great cook, loves to shop and is happy to be with her sister.

 Flori -  She is 20 years old and came from Rosiori.  She also likes to do nails and enjoys a good conversation.  She is taking a course to waitress and has just started her intern-type position at a Japanese restaurant.  She is loving it so far!  She has a very open personality and works well with the other girls.

 Ionela -  She is 20 years old and is also from Rosiori.  She is our silly one.  She loves to laugh, make jokes and sing.  She is wanting to take a course on how to do hair and work in a salon.  She is a great help in the kitchen and is always willing to help where needed.  She is eternally hungry and tired and is always ready for bed at 8pm.

Elena -  She is our oldest at 22 years old and came from Rosiori.  She is really quiet and such a sweetheart.  She likes to draw and cook.  She will be taking a cooking course and will also have an intern-type position at a restaurant.  She is a big helper and a hard worker.

 Maria - She is 19 years old and also came from Rosiori.  She is very inquisitive and likes to clean.  She is wanting to work in a restaurant as a cook.  She will also be taking a cooking course and getting an intern-type position at a restaurant.  She is honest and enjoys an early morning run.

Praises

- The transition program has started so well!

- Our communication with each other has improved and our relationship has grown stronger

- Our Romanian language has grown drastically this week from having the girls with us

- All of the support that we have received, from here in Romania and you all back in the States.  This program would not be possible without your willingness to serve physically, prayerfully and financially.  Thank you all!

Prayer Requests

- That we may continue to find time together to date

- The patience and words needed in frustrating situations, that the girls may learn through rough times

- Wisdom in preparing our lessons whether it is English, Bible study, budgeting, computers, etc.

New beginnings

  Well, time flew by and we celebrated our one year just last week!  It is crazy to think all that we have learned in this last year, how God has used us already and to see His guiding hands to preparing what He has planned for this upcoming year!!  Lots of exciting things will be coming our way very soon!!  We hope to celebrate by going to the Bucharest Symphony.  : )
  The time is just about here.  God has prepared our hearts and minds, as we have been preparing the house and courses for the transition programs.  We will be moving 6 girls into our house on Saturday, October 6.  Josh and I will be "house parents" to the girls and will be teaching different courses, such as; daily Bible studies, finances and budgeting, 4 Spiritual laws and courses on Biblical characteristics.  There will be other staff members directly involved with teaching music, health, nutrition, anger management and tutoring for those that will take a test to try to get into college.
  Also, we are beginning a new program this year that we will be directly involved with.  We have had a girls transition house and a boys transition house, but this year we have decided to add an alternative transition house (program) for four boys in the city.  They will be living in one of H2H's apartments and will either be working or going to to school.  They will also be included in our courses that we will have with the girls as well.  It will be a busy year!
  Recently, we haven't been able to go to the orphanages much because we have been busy at work getting the house all ready for the girls to move in.  We miss our kiddos but are getting more excited for all that God has planned for us and the girls this coming year!  Here are a few things we have been up to...

Painting the back deck a new color!

Josh cut down a branch that was touching the roof and would have caused problems later.

  We even got some help from some of the boys from Peris.  We had a couple over once before to help do some indoor cleaning and had been asking when they could come again.  They love to spend that time with us outside of the orphanage because they receive more individual attention and they get free good food!  This time, we had a lot to get done but we finished very quickly with their help!!  Here they are in action...

Marin, burning leaves.

Marian Stefan helping Josh rake the extra leaves and walnuts.

L to R: Florin, Marian Stefan, Josh, Marin and I having lunch.

Marian Stefan painting the balcony.

Florin adding support to one of our clothesline poles.

Florin playing in the broken down Damas in our yard.

  When it got quiet, we wondered where Florin was and we always found him in the car.  It made us smile as we would watch this teenager pretending and just being a kid.  It is times like these when we are reminded that these young people are still kids and that God loves them just the same!  : )

Praises:

- Everything that we have gotten done to better the program and all the help we have received

- For this last year that we have had to learn and grow 

- For all the support and encouragement from you all that helps us continue to do God's work here

Prayer Requests:

- That we will be able to finish preparing for the transition programs while we still have time

- For the 17 new family members within H2H this year in our transition programs...this move will be hard for all of them and emotional for most

- Continued clarity with the language with the girls and when teaching

Girly Camps

  The girls’ camps were all great successes! All of the girls were 14 and older and stayed for 2 nights in our home (Girls Transition house).  During these camps Josh was doing boys’ camps in the mountains or at the Boys Transition house.  

Girls Camp week 1.

Girls Camp week 2.

Girls camp week 3.

Girls camp week 4.

  We talked about having characteristics of an Olympic champion…having courage, integrity, making wise decisions in all relationships, and how to have a relationship with God.  It was very interesting to see how the different age groups responded.  They would either not discuss anything or say everything that was on their mind about each topic.  It was especially interesting to hear their views on what they would do in tough situations.  During my talk on integrity, I gave a few different scenarios; someone cheating on a test, someone stealing candy from a store, gossiping about a friend, etc.  After I gave the situation I would ask questions like, how would you feel? What would you do?  If you had integrity what should you do?  It was difficult to hear them say that they would eat a bag of the stolen candy before taking the other bags back to the store, or that they would cheat on a test right along with the other person to pass.  It is difficult to hear these responses as we are trying to directly influence their lives.  We want them to make the correct decisions to improve their lives, self-esteem and their relationships.   

Me talking about integrity.

  It is hard to think what I would say or do in these types of situations if I did not have the influence of my parents in my life when I was growing up.  How do you think you would be different without the direct influence of parents or grandparents in your life as you were growing up?  Would you believe in the same things?  Would you have dealt with the same struggles? 

  This is why it is so important that we do not forget why we are here and to not lose sight of God’s direction.  It can be so easy for us all to look to ourselves and think too much on why things are not going our way or to look to ourselves for answers throughout our daily lives.  We are each one piece of a big mission here in Romania with these kids!  You have a part in this as well.  Through your prayers and partnership with us we are able to be better used by God and directly influence these kids’ lives as examples for them.  They also learn more about how God intends us to be and how to live for His glory. 

  We played several games, made crafts, did girly things such as painted nails and did hair as well.  

  We also watched the movies Courageous and Soul Surfer.  They were perfect movies that went perfectly with our lessons.  And of course, we had a campfire, made S’Mores and had a time of sharing testimonies.  This was another very interesting moment for me.  We had a few team members share their testimonies and a staff member at the last girls’ camp.  This staff member herself grew up in the orphanage but accepted Jesus into her heart later in life and is now a great example for the girls and boys in the orphanages.  During her testimony, she said something that caught my attention.  She said, “I am happy that I grew up in the orphanage”.  As soon as she said this, several girls from the camp said, “me too, me too”.  As I was sitting there listening to her struggles and the things she endured, I thought why?  Why is she happy she didn’t have a choice and had to endure these things as a kid and why is she happy that because of growing up in the orphanage she still encounters discrimination today?  But she went on to say that if she was not in the orphanage, she wouldn’t know where she would be, if she would have food or not, if she would even be alive.  She also said that while she was in the orphanage she learned about God and how to have courage and integrity in her relationships.  This is the truth for these kids; Jesus Christ.  

  Orthodox is the main religion in Romania.  It is based on rituals and doing what the priest says is good.  Also, many Romanians and our kids think that to get to heaven you have to do good deeds.  Some of the kids do go to Orthodox churches but they do not learn about having a personal relationship with God and how to look to Him for comfort, redemption and strength.  Summer camp was an intentional time of teaching our kids about how to have a personal relationship with God and how to live for Him.  We did have several girls that had questions, wanted to look up Bible verses and wanted to discuss this more with us.  It gets us fired up for our lessons throughout the year and in knowing how to better help encourage them each day.

  This summer could not have happened without you.  Thank you so much for your commitment and encouragement!  It lifts us up when we receive messages and notes from you.  : )  We look forward to sharing more with you from our experiences both high and low, especially as we celebrate our one year mark in September.

*Prayer Requests:
   - Please pray for the girls.  That after hearing the lessons and feeling the Spirit through our discussions, that they will give into Jesus' calling for their lives.  I pray that we as staff will be sensitive to what they need encouraged with and what they need to hear to bring them closer in relation to God.
   - Please also pray for the girls and boys that are being interviewed for our transition programs.  Pray also for Josh and I that we will be ready to take on the responsibilities of being "house parents" for the girls transition house.