Archived Newsletters:
Recently two employees from our Florida office had the opportunity to visit Romania. One of them first heard about the tragic situation there and saw the disturbing video of the children when I spoke at her church several years ago. She started as a volunteer and now works for us full-time. The other is a part-time employee who has been a friend of my family for many years. They were able to spend time with the staff and children.

They both told me that they loved every moment of it, though some were heartbreaking. It is one thing to work in the office here and see the pictures and hear about the trials and victories, but it brings an entirely new level of understanding when meeting them face-to-face. They experienced for themselves how the haunting sights of the empty eyes of the children in the streets and orphanages moved me to action and to the dedication of my life to helping them. They gained a deeper appreciation for those who work in the trenches day after day and were grateful for they time they were able to spend there.

Now when they see pictures of the five boys who were recently taken in from a nearby orphanage they see so much more than five young boys, they see *Paul who is very smart and intense, and they see *Adrian who is so happy his little face just shines and radiates happiness and is so affectionate; and *Gabi who is the oldest and is
very conscientious about his appearance and is eager to be helpful, and *Cosmin who is easygoing and fits in to whatever is going on around him, and little *Vasile who craves a great deal of individual attention and falls asleep on long car rides.

They agreed that the newest project, the Village of Hope Baby House, is beautiful and observed that the staff and volunteers all seem to have their favorite baby, or in some cases babies, ensuring all are given an abundance of individual love and attention. Mindy said, "When Baby *Costel fell asleep in my arms and I sat holding him, watching him sleep, I was so grateful to Angie and the staff and the generous donors who made it possible to rescue this precious life."

The staff at the Rescue Center impressed them, as they do me, with their humble attitude and dedication. They accompanied them as they spent time on the streets, crawling into sewers and carefully stepping into abandoned buildings. They saw how the children are treated as "friends", not "cases", and how eager they are to help them, to earn their trust and to provide them with hope as well as meet their immediate physical needs.

We are so thankful for your support that ensures the work will continue and that more children will be given hope, loving care and a chance to become all that they can be. We can't say "THANK YOU!" enough for your generous and faithful support.


Your friend and fellow worker,
Angie Thomson

*Names have been changed to protect the identities of the children.