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Date: Monday 20 March 2006

Steve has been having some health troubles recently so there hasn't been a lot of news for while. He and Deb have been in the States visiting doctors, family, churches, etc. That doesn't mean that stuff hasn't been happening at the Boys' Home. He writes:

Being Romania we had snow this week, about 10cm in Jimbolia. First time it has ever snowed on my birthday! Everything has turned to that wonderful slush and I love trekking through the mud at the Boys' Home... not!

We are hoping to open the Boys' Home this summer (June). We have a bunch of stuff that needs to happen before then. There have been some ups and downs these last few months.

Last summer we had a young woman visit the children's ministries here in Timisoara, Kathryn Rundle, we gave her the 10 minute tour of the Boy's Home and Jimbolia. She then came to us several days later (in tears) and said that God keeps putting Jimbolia on her heart, in particularly the house next door that needs to be torn down. She has since raised the money to purchase it (3000 pounds) and is working on raising the funds to have it torn down and a wall built between it and the Boys Home.

The expected flooding will probably affect the house next door causing is to fall more... will send pictures!

The house next door.
 

We got the heating system installed before we left. It worked great for about a month, but due to some "mistakes" (read "not following instructions") the system was not drained properly and we lost the boiler and some of the plumbing to freeze damage.

We have been contacted by a company who might be able to help with the new boiler and septic tank. The ground water is still high (a meter from the surface) and we are expecting worse flooding than last year. The government says that the ground is already saturated (duh) and they are expecting more run off than we had last year. This means that we will need a back hoe to dig out the septic tanks and have to fill the tanks with water and sink them into the hole. Just have to figure out how to keep them from floating out again...

The new boiler room.
 

Before this summer we will need to get the septic tanks installed, the house trimmed out on the inside, tear down the home next door and about a million other things.

New Beginnings has house parents in mind and hopes to have a couple ready for this summer (June).

We need to finish installing all the plumbing fixtures. We have them but I have been waiting until the septic tanks are in, don't want any one accidentally using the toilets if there is no place for it to go!

Deb is still working at the placement centers, Slavici and Damcescu. She goes to the placement centers 4 times a week and does everything from teaching English, crafts to just hanging out with the workers and kids.

Take care!
Steve and Deb.

Interior

Radiators

Floor tiling

Disabled parking