The Blessings Fund Update

August 5, 2006

Timisoara

We have made use of the Blessings Fund to support Dawn Elenbaas' children's ministry here in Romania

We have made use of the Blessings Fund to support Dawn Elenbaas' children's ministry here in Romania.  We have used some of the money to purchase building supplies, tools, and baby equipment for the orphanage.  In addition, we also used some money to take 7 older developmentally and/or physically handicapped children from another center on an outing to an outdoor swimming pool at a local hotel.

From our observations, the orphanage has little or no provisions for maintenance of equipment and furnishing and the net result is the staff makes do with whatever is broken or malfunctioning.  Ralph, another volunteer from Ontario, Canada was going around fixing this and that on his own shoestring budget.  We felt that with the purchase of additional repair and building supplies as well as some basic tools, the ministry can support the orphanage on an ongoing basis with other volunteers in the future.

Stephanie through her own fundraising efforts raised sufficient funds to buy a walker, some wall decorations and 3 sets of baby nail clippers for the orphanage.  Barb and I decided to purchase an additional walker for the orphanage through the Blessings Fund as well due to the needs in the wards.  These walkers serve both as developmental aids to teach motor skills, as well as feeding stations for babies being fed solids.  We also spent some money buying replacement batteries for some of the battery operated toys in the wards.

Lastly, some of the fund was used to take 7 children from another center on an outing to a swimming pool at a local hotel.  Some of these children had never experienced a pool before in their lives.  It was great to see their growing enthusiasm with each minute that the volunteers spent with them in the pool.  By the end of the hour plus that we were in the pool, some of these children were absolutely giddy with delight as they splash and jump in the pool.  As we drove back to the center, they were much quieter than when we started earlier in the morning.

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The final tally of expenses from the Blessings Fund so far is:

Repair and building supplies                    $47

Tools and toolbox                              $245

Walker                                             $96

Batteries                                          $28

Swimming outing                               $163

Total                                            $579