January - February 2025

          Here we are in the year 2025. A year that should have shown the evolution of the world over the centuries, but unfortunately we see degradation at every step. Romania is going through turbulent times, so we invite you with all our love to support us and our country with prayer.

          In our little universe, at Casa Ray and Casa Tatiana, we try to keep things in balance and in continuous evolution, our helper being God.

          We started January by decorating the tree and the house, a reason to work together again. (photo 1)

          Because winter is still in full swing, we also purchased a wood car. (photo 2)

December 2024

          December 1 is Romania's day, the day it was united in its current form, so I went with the children to the city center and participated in the parade organized for this purpose. (pictures 1,2)

          December 5th followed immediately, the day when children receive gifts from "Mos Nicolae". They also received ours, but from other grandparents :) (pictures 3-6)

          Then I went into action, without a break until December 24: butchered pork, turkeys, whitewashed, collected food from Lidl through the "Food Bank" program, with the help of friends from America I drilled a well in the hope of finding good water at greater depth, unfortunately in the area there is only salt water from 50 m down, we scrapped old cars, tried new haircuts, played games, sorted the goods received donations, received visitors from Germany, from Bacau, from the Adventist Church, from Italy, we had about 4 celebrations, we went with carols, etc.... then we stopped a little from this alert rhythm. (pictures 7 – 44)

October - November 2024

           School being full, the laptops received from friends in America fit the children's needs like a glove. (pictures 1-3) At school they did various projects and at home drawing competitions in the most organized way, with project presentation jury, prizes, etc. (pictures 4-7)

          The Brai brothers were visited by their other brothers who are with foster care families, an emotional reunion. (photo 8)

          Together with the over 14s and the young people from the Pentecostal church, we went out to a volleyball evening (picture 9) and in the same way we also visited the Marelbo shoe factory in Suceava county (picture 10). We were also visited at Piatra Neamt by a beloved singer, Teofil Palincas. (picture 11)

          The children enjoyed the perfect autumn temperatures, the beautifully colored leaves and we, the adults, the food and fruits of the field received as a donation, which will feed our animals and children. (pictures 12-29)

August - September 2024

          August, summer, big vacation, holidays, so we could enjoy the visit of several groups, which brightened our days and enriched our hearts:

- The group of Romanians settled in Italy, in Padua, led by pastor Nicu Vaida, (pictures 1-4)

- The group of friends from Germany from the association Kinder und BehindreHilfe, (pictures 5-7)

- The group of friends from Ireland, (pictures 8,9)

- Dear friend Clauddine from Germany, who volunteered with us for 2 weeks, (picture 10)

          For all of them, in addition to the existing accommodation spaces, we have arranged 2 bedrooms with two toilets. (pictures 11, 12)

          The Brai brothers visited their grandmother and aunt (picture 13).

June and July 2024

          In the following, we present to you a glimpse of our life from the months of June and July, the end of the school year and the beginning of HOLLLLYYYYDDDAAYY!!!!

- June 1, Children's Day: Meeting at Izvoare with the children from the Elim Pentecostal church, visit of Mrs. Stoian with the group from Iasi, outing in the city, (pictures 1 - 4)

- birthdays: Ramona, Iulian, Rares, Gheorghe, Petronel and Alex, (pictures 5 – 6)

- household and recreational activities, (pictures 7 – 15)

- barbecue together with the Elim Pentecostal Church, (picture 16)

- end of the school year, graduations, freedom for vacation, (picture 17 - 19)

- 3-day trip to Bucharest, the capital of Romania, the first time for all children:

April and May 2024

          Good to see you again! We hope you are well and healthy.

          At Casa Ray and Casa Tatiana, things do not stand still, even if it seems that way due to the breaks between communications. We bring you news from the months of April and May and we hope to be able to run with time and get up to date with the information.

          We will be short and schematic, as we have been used to lately:

- Excursion with children and employees to Red Lake and Izvorul Muntelui Lake (pictures 1 – 5),

- Worked in the garden, planted flowers, planted raspberries, purchased chickens for eggs and meat, slaughtered a pig, new member of the cattle (pictures 6 - 12),

- household activities (pictures 13 – 19),

- Easter celebration (pictures 20 – 33),

February - March 2024

             Time passes, the days fly by and you see that we are barely "visiting" you with information from the months of February and March. We promise you that we will be short and schematic:

- Gifts and clothes from America - thank you Heisey and Dolha (picture 1,2)

- Donated food received - thank you Penny and Pascal Prod Com (pictures 3-7)

- New washing machines - thank you Heisey and Dolha (picture 8)

- Water softening systems - thank you Heisey and Dolha (pictures 9,10)

- Trip to Bacau (pictures 11-14)

- Speech therapy with 6 children – thanks to Kinder-und-Behindertenhilfe (picture 15)

- Visit to the old mother, her 88th birthday (pictures 16, 17)

December 2023 - January 2024

          The period December 2023 - January 2024, also called the period of the winter holidays, made our hearts happy this time as well. A lot of work, shopping, cakes, rehearsals, celebrations, gifts, caroling, so that we can enjoy the Born of Jesus this year as well. (pictures 1-5)

          Thanks to the vacation that the children had, we were able to have more outings outside the house. On December 1st, the children celebrated Romanian Day at School, and we took them to see the military parade in the city center, then we served a meal at McDonald's and then we went with them to visit their relatives. We also went with them to the ice rink, for a walk and caroling in the park, to meet other young people, on a "tour" with the bobsleigh in the mountains and the older ones on the Cheahlau mountain. (pictures 6-13)

Octomber - November 2023

          The months of October and November were marked by activities specific to autumn (pictures 1-18), but besides these usual activities, we had other more important events.

          One of the events would be the fact that Laura, Mirabela and Ionela decided to publicly confess their faith in Jesus. May the covenant made in front of the seen and unseen witnesses keep it sacred all their lives. (pictures 19-21)

          In November, the Bethesda Maranatha Service Complex, with the Ray and Tatiana Houses, opened its arms to five more brothers. Alexandra (15 years old), Natalia (14 years old), Petronel (11 years old), Rares (9 years old) and Iulian (7 years old). We hope that their accommodation will be quick and that their years will heal quickly. (pictures 22,23)

July - September 2023

          Welcome, dear ones!

          The summer has passed by and we are already close to the middle of autumn. The events at Casa Ray and Casa Tatiana are taking place with such speed and "flow" that with long delays the information reaches you.

          At the beginning of July in Romania, some very unpleasant situations were discovered in some nursing homes, so strict controls were imposed throughout the country for all institutions that offer social services to the elderly and children, so we were also "visited" by 12 people from 6 institutions, who asked us for hundreds of documents and imposed dozens of measures to implement. This explains the super crowded period that followed and is still not over.

          In addition to the controls, we are still in the process of obtaining the license at Casa Tatiana, as well as a lot of documents for building expansion, ISU authorizations, sanitary reauthorizations etc.

          We are looking forward to the day when we say: "Today we have no document to prepare", but that day is probably part of a fairy tale :)

          So, briefly, schematically, I will present to you what happened "At home"”.

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