Two Good Friends

It is not about two people. It is about a man and a dog. You may find this article unusual, but it is a reality that I have recently discovered while visiting the elderly home in Dumbrava & Tinca.

I met Feri Bacsi there, a newcomer, after having lived in a shed in Oradea, next to the railway. He was a homeless who was at the grace of people around him; and being in this state, he most certainly was mocked and ridiculed. Maybe he himself got to the conclusion stated by one of the Romanian poets, Anton Pann: The more I know people, the more I love dogs.

Living like a homeless, he had developed in the last year and a half a special bond with a dog; His name is Csopi. This makes me this of another conclusion made by another Romanian poet, Vasile Ghica: The dog, the only being that perfected friendship.

Listening to him talking about his dog and how much he misses him, I understood better what the French poet, Anatole France said: Only when you love an animal will you feel the love with all your heart. For Feri Bacsi, Csopi the dog was his best friend; he loved him and the dog loved him too. And even though Feri Bacsi was immobilized in a bed, he kept on thinking about Csopi. Therefore, he asked us to take care of his dog.

For days and days we have been looking for Csopi; we finally found him in the area where Feri Bacsi used to live in the shack. We befriended really quickly and we eventually brought Csopi from the street to Charis. We were committed to take care of him, just as Feri Bacsi asked us to. Today, Csopi has become a good friend for us too.

Charis Project Updates

1. AGAPEO – The Community from Dumbrava-Tinca

We enjoyed visiting again this community where around 230 to 250 people live. We brought them some food, especially for breakfast. We spent a few hours with them and we got to meet almost all of them. With some, we discussed and shared memories while with others we talked about the love of Christ for them. With some we prayed, with others we socialized. We gave to all the ladies a special gift, a traditional Romanian spring token called ‘martisor’. Also, each person received from us something sweet. When we were about to leave, they told us that they are looking forward to our next visit. You can watch a short video of this visit at the following link:

2. CHARIS SOUVENIRS

În the first two months of this year, being very cold outside, we were able to spend time making crafts. You can take a look at our work in our Facebook Album here.

3. AGAPEO – THE MEAL OF THE POOR

We provided food for some people living on the street or in shacks and for some Rroma families living in a village not far from Charis.

4. CHARIS CENTER- GOD’S GARDEN

It was very cold in January and February. In this period, 5 baby goats were born in Charis farm. In March, spring came with a series of challenges. First, we had to clean and treat the trees and the vineyard. Secondly, we had to make the greenhouse ready for the spring crops. This meant that we had to clean up all the vegetable remaining and dig up the ground. We then had to plant onions, garlic, green beans, potatoes, carrots, parsley, celery, arugula, dill, salad and spinach. We planted 12 fruit trees and a couple hundred strawberries. The products of Charis micro-farm are a true support for some of our projects and programs.

5. A CHANCE FOR EVERYONE

During this time of year, three boys, Pecsi, Aurel and Gabi, who were involved in Charis program, got to spend a few days in Charis Centre. We also got the chance to celebrate the birthdays of two of them here. We enjoy the fact that we can communicate with these boys efficiently through a Facebook group that we created called Gavroche.

PRAYER REQUESTS

• We are very glad that some of the boys that were part of Charis program were able to make a living for themselves. Feri works in Germany, Bogdan in Austria, Bagi in Belgium, Lajos in Italy, Sany in England. Oli works at a supermarket in Satu Mare (Romania), Romeo lives in Moldova (Romania) and works in beekeeping. Aurel works at a shoe factory in Bors (Romania) and Gabi works at a household in Gurbediu, 60 km far from Oradea. Pray that God will bless them and give them strength to keep their jobs.
• God blessed us with a lot of facilities at Charis Center. Through the program OPEN DOORS, from April to September, we want to put at the disposal of different categories of people (children, students, young people, small and large groups) from various churches, the facilities we have to organize conferences, short meetings, summer schools, and other events. Pray that God will bring many groups to Charis.
• Besides the 3 employees, we are supported by a team of volunteers in our projects and programs. This team is made up of: Ronela, Teodora, Petrică, Liliana, Iudita, and Ioana. Pray that God will bless this team and that they will continue to be a true support for Charis ministry.

URGENT NEEDS

In the following period, we want to finish the third stage of modernization of the water system. We need to install a new water pump and a new water tank. Moreover, we need to start fixing the vegetable greenhouse, the part that was destroyed in a storm in June 2016. In order to do this, we need around 2600 Euros.