English Ministry/Sibiu
A web journal of Rev. Joel and Susan Schlachtenhaufen's trip to Sibiu/Hermannstadt, Romania, to work in cooperation with the Evangelical Lutheran Church to provide offerings in English.
A web journal of Rev. Joel and Susan Schlachtenhaufen's trip to Sibiu/Hermannstadt, Romania, to work in cooperation with the Evangelical Lutheran Church to provide offerings in English.
In April 2003 I began a love affair with a country and people that has only become stronger. It was during my first trip to Romania, as a volunteer for the Heart of Hope Ministries International, that I began to learn about a group of people who had taken the orphans of Romania into their hearts and homes. My colleagues and I did the first ever training for Foster Care parents in Sibiu county. These parents showed such a willingness to find out anything that would help them help their foster children.
It was during my second trip in 2005 that I began the process that brought my husband and me to live in Sibiu, Romania. Since moving here in 2006, I have been working with Foster Parents; young women who spent most of their lives in the orphnages; and mothers and their infants living in the state-run Maternal Center. I work with the foster parents in large and small groups. We meet for two hours a week for six weeks and talk about all kinds of issues involved in being a parent of children with special needs. These parents are so full of love for these children they have taken into their home. There is no chance that they could adopt the children but many of these parents have made arrangements to be in the child’s life even after they have reached the age of 18.
We originally planned to be here for two years; however, we have been here for 3 1/2 years and don’t know when we are going to leave. God has certainly poured his blessing on us by bringing us to this beautiful country and bringing these wonderful into our lives
“Heart of Hope” (www.heartofhope.org) was started in January of 1991 by Debbie Marshall. Its mission is to embrace orphans, widows and families in desperate need with the love of Christ, ease their suffering, and restore hope. Currently, Heart of Hope Ministries International operates the Camp of the Good Shepherd, the Home of Hope transition home for young women leaving the state placement centers and those living below the poverty level, and the Heart of Hope Ministry Center. In addition, HHMI facilitates dental, medical, eye, pediatric therapy, renovation and construction teams. HHMI facilitates weekly Bible Clubs and distributes humanitarian aid to state placement centers and families in poor villages.
