Romania is filled with stunningly beautiful scenery full of majestic mountains and blue lakes. Unfortunately, the part where I am staying is not one of those places. Here the landscape consists of mostly flat farmland filled with corn, wheat, and sunflower crops with a backdrop of a major highway. We are in a little village fairly close to the Hungarian border.
The compound where I am staying is huge! On the site there are 7 two-story bunkhouses with 10 beds in each bunk house, a two-story church building, a gymnasium which is still being built, a massive two-story woodshed / shop building, the owner's tiny home, and a rather large, two-story home for at-risk mothers. The at-risk mother's home contains a kitchen and a dining room that serves the entire property. Between the church and the mother's home is a delightful play yard for the children. There is also a soccer pitch and an old airplane landing strip on the rear of the property. All that has been created on this property simply amazes me.
The dozens of residents (mothers and children) who reside here are survivors of a living hell on Earth. They are all broken, hurting individuals at different stages of recovery. There is a sullen, angry teenage girl who has been involved in the sex trade, probably from age 6 onwards. There are bubbly babies who have known no other life than life within a group home because their mothers have abandoned them here. There are 8 year-olds who are struggling to learn that they will be fed regularly and that they don't have to eat all they can in fear of not having another meal. Some children share freely; others refuse to give up whatever treasure they may be holding. There is a beautiful 6 year-old who runs to get hugs every chance she can and she holds on tight and long before she is ready to be released. I don't know her background, but I hold her for as long as she wants me to. All of the children are survivors of some kind of abuse, neglect, or abandonment. Not surprisingly, there is also a lot of mental illness interspersed among the residents.
As always, there is one child that has absolutely stolen my heart. This time it is a chubby little fellow who resembles a young Jason Bateman. He is one of the food driven children. He cries at the drop of a hat but he also smiles so very, very mischievously when he gets caught doing something wrong.
My main job here is to watch over three rambunctious little girls. They look and act very much like the girls in the Minions movies. It makes my job very challenging and I am not ashamed to admit that the tiny, little 3 year-old is kicking my butt daily. Also, eyeglasses are no match in the hands of a 3 year-old. Did I mention that the kids are really, really fast? This will be the most difficult assignment that I have had so far, but I am blessed to be a part of the amazing work which is being accomplished here.
