Letters received
We have received these letters from Romania (left colomn) and Moldova (right) colomn)
From the Haidu family
Turda (a town in Transylvania) 16/6/99
We are glad that you let your address to us, so that we can correspondence together. It's good to know that we have sisters and brothers in Lord out of our country.
We are a big family, 7 kids, me and my husband. We live all 9 in 1 room, we have only one bed, and we are really poor. But not this is the important thing. Important is that we pray and hope that somehow, sometime Lord will help us to move somewhere, because our living it's not so good. Five of the kids are in school, and two are staying home. Two of them are singing at tromphets in fanfare. Many times me, my husband and some of our children sing in our church and of course in other churches. We like to sing to the Lord, worship and praise Him
We don't have a job, but we work on some people land, you know, work the field (earth), and so, we can earn some money to buy food for our kids, and we thank Lord for this oportunities.
I hope you'll write us back, about your life, your family, your church and so on.
But till then, for me it's time to say goodbye and may God bless you all.
Love Clari and Haidu family
From Valentina Buliga
Our response
We visited during July, 2002, and helped by leaving some food.
From Ralu
my name is Raluca Tirpea and I live in Cluj-Napoca in an apartment with my best friend Otilia. I am studying European Studies and Law. My concern envolves children. I have seen children that have nowhere to bathe, or haven't had a warm meal in ages. Also they don't go to school. I have found a woman begging on the streets but I have met several homeless people living in Cluj right near the Roman-catholic cathedral. I have spoken to them and they have told me that they "live" there for 6 years. They have no family. No one would help them. The authorities won't do (at least that is what they have explained to me) anything about their situation, to place them in an asylum or include them in any aid program. I didn\t know what to do for them. I was speachless they were just complaining about not having anything to eat or a warm place to go to at night during winter. . Sncerely yours, Ralu
A further email arrived.
Dear Richard,
I am sorry i did not answer your email sooner, but I was caught up in my exams.I have tought about improving my contribution regarding your charity and I have realized that I could keep you in touch with what is actually going on in Cluj at least from my point of view. I have met this young girl, age of 20 that beggs in front of St. Anthony Church in Cluj. Ramona is from a little vilage caled Saint Paul, lives with her 8 brothers and sisters there in one room. She is the eldest of them and has to support them since their parents have died in car accident 3 years ago. She has moved with her boyfriend but recently they have broken up due to the beating and the maltreating of their 2 year old child. So Ramona comes to Cluj every day hoping that she will be able to get some money, clothes and food for Manu( her son) and her family. I personally will bring her some of my clothes and some food, but what i can provide in obviously not enough. As i have stated before, there are a lot of children in this situation. And they need our help. Ralu
Our response
After receiving these e-mails, we visited Ralu, and arranged for her to collect some of the humanitarian aid we delivered to Cluj Napoca, during September, 2001. Unfortunately, this plan fell through. Ralu has now moved to Manchester, England, UK, so it is unlikely that we will be able to meet her in Cluj, to arrange practical assistance for the people she has told us about here. We will continue to look for other people in similar difficulties.