I want to share with you how you helped me minister in Romania. On Friday morning before we set out to go to the Minor Center which is a Romanian Detention Center, we had our usual prayer time & were asked if we had any prayer requests - I shared with our team about you doing your last round of RICE treatments & your preparation for a bone marrow transplant - so I had you on my mind that day. When we got to the Detention Center, I noticed a boy who was sitting on the couch looking very scared. Austin walked up to him & tried to play around with him & talk to him but he immediately recoiled in fright & began to cry. We were told that it was his first day there & that he wouldn't talk to anyone or let anyone touch him.
Most of the kids that wind up in the Minor Center are there because they have either been caught begging on the streets, have run away from home or have been caught stealing. I began to think that if one of my children were in that place I would think they would want their Mom or at least someone to let them know they were loved and that they were safe. I asked a couple of the teenagers that were sitting on the couch with him if I could sit next to him.
I determined in my mind that I wouldn't touch him or talk to him unless he gave me an opening. I began to pray that God would use something to get through to him. Since I don't speak but a couple of phrases of Romanian, it would be difficult to even communicate with him. I sat there for awhile with him and he remained curled up on the couch not speaking or looking at anyone. Then I saw him look over and begin to stare at my purple " TeamBoyd" bracelet. I saw my opening. I pointed to my bracelet & he shook his head "yes". I took the bracelet (which I have worn every day since you gave it to me !) off my arm & placed it on his arm. He gave a little smile & then leaned over & put his head on my chest & began to rock in my arms.
By the time Austin began to play the guitar, he was smiling at me and he began to sing "I've got a River of Life"in Romanian !!! The rest of the day, he would hold my hand and pull me around the center to do crafts or play ball with him.
Isn't it awesome that such a simple thing as a Prayer Bracelet could open the door to let a little boy in Romania know that the Lord loves him.
Thank you for giving me that bracelet, not only to pray for you (which of course I will do with or without the bracelet) but that the Lord was able to use it to minister to a child.
I also want to say thanks to my other nephew Philip - we did a fundraiser in LA for David & we used some bracelets at the fundraiser. Philip had some left over & he let me take the remaining bracelets to Romania - was very cool to see Romanian children wearing the bracelets & smiling just to have something so special.
Another cool thing was that my sweet sister Sherry, donated some metal crosses that her company makes. On the last day, we made necklaces with the children and they had those crosses hanging around their necks which said "Jesus loves you" - that's "Isus Te Lubeste" in Romanian !!
I love how the Lord has used my family to help me minister while I was away from them -- made me feel like a part of home was with me -- I love you all so much !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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