Mercy Trails Ranch

Tomorrow, with a rush and that sinking feeling in our stomachs, our jet plane will take off, in the midst of forecasted Denver snow, enroute to Frankfurt, Germany connecting through to Budapest, Hungary. 

There, a taxi driver will meet us at the airport and we will drive four hours to a little town in Northwestern Romania, where Mercy Ministries and other organizations have partnered for years on behalf of forgotten children. 

My last experience with Romania, was as a spoiled, American teenager, mostly oblivious to life outside of  my own little world. 

Still, snapshots of time stick in my memory…

I rock in a rocking chair holding a small, frail frame cuddled close, beautiful, innocent brown eyes stare blankly into mine, deep set in the face of a 18 mo old little boy abandoned in a state baby hospital- he cannot sit up or rollover due to neglect and lack of human touch. His silence strikes me the most.  He neither babbles nor cries.  He has learned at a heartbreaking age that neither are of any benefit to him.

A group of children run and play.  Seemingly a normal scene, until you take in the thin arms, the pinched faces and torn clothes, the tattered shoes. 

A drab room filled with cribs, each one cradling a young baby or toddler, the mattress forming around their unmoving bodies.  Overwhelmed caregivers provide only the very basic of care necessary for survival and thus tender, young brains are never stimulated and development is severely stunted. 

Since my last visit to Romania 15 years ago, Mercy Ministries, the Loving Arms team, and Fundatia Crestin Elim (a Swedish foundation) have partnered together and accomplished miraculous feats of assistance for these children of our Heavenly Father.

I have only seen the pictures of the bright new private orphanages- colorful pictures on the walls, children smiling and playing in new, warm clothes, caregivers interacting and loving, volunteers pouring out their hearts, braces on young teeth, physical therapy for long neglected limbs, and toys. 

I have only seen pictures of the weeks of camp that give the children still in the state orphanages a week of peace and love in their year of struggle and hardship.  A week that plants the seeds of hope and grace and relationship and love.  The smiles on the faces as t-shirts are decorated, American volunteers are thrown in the pool, games of soccer are played.  The tears, from kids and staff alike, as a Heavenly Father’s love is shared with the fatherless. As stories of pain and suffering are shared.  As a little girl who has not spoken, sings the song that an American leader and father has sung to her every summer for 3 years. As Jesus command to care for the widows and orphans is fulfilled…

Tomorrow, we will see first hand…

We will leave our 3 healthy, loved American children in the arms of their caring grandparents, leave our ranch with our well fed horses and farm animals, leave our toasty home with our comfortable beds, full pantries and flickering fireplace, and we will travel to another world. 

Because we know that meeting with foundation leaders, and volunteers, and Romanian children will lay the foundation for years of hope, connection and healing for even more children.  Because we know that the need is great and never ending.  Because we have been given much and thus we have much to give.  Because if we can help even one, than we have succeeded. 

Because our Father has commanded that we go…

We will journal our trip as we have internet access…watch for updates!