LIz Greenhalgh Update November 2024
 
Another new door has opened; an answer to prayer!
 

It has been on my heart and in my prayers for the last year, to go deeper at the school where the kids from the After-School Project come from; to get to know the teachers better and there was a desire to also sit alongside any children that couldn’t come to after school and were really far behind. 
 
The Lord opened the door recently for this! Praise God! I had reservations as to whether the Director would accept me to do this because despite having many years experience, I am not officially qualified as an educator and sometimes Romania can be strict on this, but the door opened through talking to the second grade teacher about the difficulties of teaching children at very different levels. She and the Director were very open to the suggestion of working with those children separately to work on the basics during class time. 
 
There is an 8 and a 9 year old who don’t know how to read yet, with the older one still learning his letters. Another boy of 6 years, who is in class 0, is really struggling to focus at times as well as finding it difficult to learn to write his letters, which means he will get left behind, so I sit with him too, on his more important lessons. He will also attend the After School Project. 
 
Often the teachers have to make the difficult choice of leaving one or two behind, or holding the whole class back, so with a bit of extra support the children will make it. 
 
I am looking forward to seeing how things will develop at the school under the leading of the Lord. 
 
After School
I have a lot of praise and thanks for the Lord for the first few weeks of After-School. We have many new students this year and whilst others are now able to manage by themselves at school (our goal) and do not need to come anymore we have come across others who need the support. Praise the Lord for the seeds that were sown in the hearts of the ones who have left. I will still see the students at the school or in other projects. 
 
Before we started again this year, we had a team meeting and I sought the Lord for a word of encouragement for us as a team. I felt the Lord say ‘I will go before you,’ and that He gave the verses from Prov 3: 5-6. As I was seeking new children to join the programme and also before going to speak to the Director about helping at the school, the Lord kept speaking those words, I will go before you. He really did! How great that our God keeps His promises. 
 
Anais, the girl that was really struggling last year to remember the letters and with whom I took on extra days to teach her by herself, is now doing really well at school. She is learning how to do cursive handwriting, which is what they are taught here in Romania. She does this really well and her math is also going much better. Praise the Lord as she would have been so behind this year! 
 
Relationships are also building well with parents and it creates an opportunity to share the Lord with them. 
 
Another response to prayer too is where two brothers who had previously not been allowed to come by their Father, are allowed to come again. There had been an incident around two years ago between the younger one and another boy, and the Father hadn’t allowed them to come since. The younger one is the 8 year old who I now work with at the school so with all the extra support, he will be reading and writing properly within a few months. He is making good progress.
 
We continue to sow seeds into their hearts as they come to the programme and to teach them about God’s love for them, but also, how we should love and treat each other. This is not always easy to do when, sometimes, particular colleagues behave unkindly to others. We have a boy, the 9 year old at the school, who has a tendency to bully a couple of the others. We need wisdom in how to handle him in a loving way, but in a way that ensures that the others are still safe. 
 
Another praise report is related to new team members that we have. I was able to do a presentation at church about the project and ask if anyone would like to help. There was a nice response with one lady joining us, who is only a few months in our church, but she has done After School work in the past and she is very good and reliable. There is another lady that can come twice a month and another couple of people who are interested. As a result, the team has become more stable and we could offer places to three more children who were waiting to come in the programme. 
 
Girls
I very much enjoy having the 3 sisters come over in the morning, even if it is early. Simona, the oldest, who has just turned 18 is becoming more open about her struggles and it is good to be able to talk together, support and encourage her and guide her in a Godly direction. 
 
We pray together for the day and I help the 8 year old to learn her Bible verses for school, which she is doing really well at. The smaller one enjoys playing, whilst Simona does her homework and we have a good time together before they go to school.
 
Elpis (Formerly Ellel ministries)
Ellel Romania came out from under Ellel Ministries, just over a year ago, alongside some other countries, including Bulgaria. They are now operating in their own right, but under the spiritual cover of Gates of Hope International, lead by Peter and Fiona Horrabin. (Yes, even at 80 years old, the Lord has opened a new door for him!)
 
Exciting opportunities are opening up to go and do healing retreats in Bulgaria, our neighbouring country as well as continuing in Romania. With Romanian being my second language, it always felt like a bit of a handicap at a healing retreat, even if I manage very well, but they now need English speakers to go and help at a session in Bulgaria, so English has now become a strength! This will be great if the opportunity arises to go and if it is the Lord’s will. 
 
We just started the course again in Bucharest a couple of weeks ago and the Lord has already given me a person to get alongside, pray for and encourage. She could see even just from the first course, the Lord working and she was thankful for the non-judgemental support. 
 
Prayer points

• Thanks and praise for the way in which the Lord has been opening doors
• For the children in the After School Project and at the school to learn what they need to, but also to really understand their need for a Saviour
• For wisdom in how to handle one of the boys and his desire to be unkind to some of the other children. 
• For the role to develop at school, so that the gospel can be shared more with staff and students
• For the Lord’s will, with regards to helping on a healing retreat in Bulgaria.