Tanner Romania Mission

SUMMER 2024 NEWSLETTER

7/14/2024

Summertime, when the hot hours drag on endlessly, but before you can say a cross word, it's winter and you're longing for their return. Relief comes at every turn if you look in the right place, like Maricica imbibing at the horse trough, or the thrill of the blooming, short-lived sunflowers, or a walk/bike ride on a country road, or the garden's bounty, in this case 3000 onions.

Birthday celebrations provide a welcome break & party games provide for friendly competition....

Visitors come occasionally, met with joy and love. Here Daniela is thrilled to see godmother Pauline & Mihaita gets to nuzzle our faithful supporter Eithne......................................................

Unwelcome breaks in the routine can force us to adjust plans, but even they offer a reason to praise God........

.......To the left, Ciprian is recovering from an appendectomy at the Galati county hospital.

With a surprise donation from folks in Alabama,
we were able to buy firewood for next winter &
trimming trees helps, too!...........

Daily workshops provide a creative outlet, and outreach to neighbors provide an opening to receive blessings. Thanks to Catalin, Ettore & Eithne, we now have a permanent picnic shelter
at Casa Rachel & a temporary one at Casa Hannah.........................................................................

To our supporters, via money, goods or prayers, we extend our deepest gratitude for your faithfulness!!!!!!!!

TRM NEWSLETTER SPRING 2024: APPEAL FOR FUNDS

3/31/2024

FROM TRM GROUP HOMES, 22 DECEMBRIE 1999 NR 2, COM. NICORESTI, JUD. GALATI, ROMANIA 807218

FIREWOOD: Once again we are taking inventory of the firewood left from the past winter & estimating our probable needs for next winter. We anticipate that the cost will exceed $10,000 (9000Euro). In the past we have been able to cover this expense with current funds, but this year we simply don't have enough available financial resources. This photo shows Ciprian preparing dead branches & roots to be used to supplement our purchased firewood.

EXTERIOR SECURITY: Romanian law has obligated all housing for special needs persons to install security cameras, motion detectors &registration equipment. The total cost will be in excess of $2500 (2300 Euro). Our current security relies primarily on our 4-legged guardians, as pictured here, but that doesn't seem to satisfy the laws of the land.

DETERIORATING ROOFS: The old-style sheet metal roofs on our houses have a maximum life span of 20 years before the rusting results in damaging leaks. Casa Rachel is about to complete 24 years, and it's showing. Based on experience, replacing the original sections will cost us $9000 (8300 Euro).

Of course work goes on. As the Quakers say, "Work is love made visible." To the left, our employees are our main resource.

And here Tina, Maricica & Adina team up to hang laundry on a sunny spring morning at Casa Hannah.

All the able residents assist with gardening. At Casa Elisabeta, we have our largest plot, where you can see Petrica helping Doina plant late peas.

A basic activity throughout the year is the workshop which Anca oversees at Jacob Center. Below Costel prepares to paint a scene to be used in one of the creations with which our friends at Noi Per Loro in Italy will raise additional funds.

We supplement our garden with weekly shopping trips. Everyone helps, and above Gelu struggles to restrain a sack of spuds while Mihaita guides his wheelchair.

We have a local doctor on call. She makes weekly visits and is seen here checking out Gheorghe.

An ongoing project is distributing clothing & food to needy families in the area. Here we are packing the van with more clothes, shoes, bedding, school supplies & toys.

To keep residents informed of our activities as well as their right and responsibilities, we conduct monthly meetings. They are surprisingly attentive and ask appropriate questions.

DONATIONS MAY BE SENT TO TANNER ROMANIA MISSION, P.O. BOX 61, GREENVILLE, OHIO 45331, USA........or.........
VIA PAYPAL ACCOUNT [email protected]

With love & blessings to our
faithful supporters, past, present & future, in the spirit & in the flesh............................
[email protected]

NEWSLETTER FEBRUARY 2024

2/4/2024

FOR OUR FAITHFUL SUPPORTERS PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE, IN THE SPIRIT AND IN THE FLESH.......

Winter at TRM began by preparing for chilly weather. As seen here with Tina, all residents and employees received flu vaccines. Firewood is essential for survival in this climate, as Maricica demonstrates.

A year-round constant is the involvement of 12 of our capable residents in the workshop, turning out a variety of gift items for fundraising. To the right, Eithne instructs Adina and Costel concentrates on painting.

It's important to keep active while spending most of the time indoors. We have organized exercise programs mornings and evening. Above, Daniela practises walking and left, Ciprian displays one of his creations.

We were blessed again this year by a truckload of donations from our friends in Italy. Here we see the unloading process and the distribution of one of the 54 bicycles we received.

We have mentioned in prior updates the help we've received from area churches, a welcome supplement to the generosity of loyal supporters in USA, Italy and elsewhere. Below, we are receiving food from Orthodox friends, and Alexandru taking holy communion.

We get sustenance both physical and spiritual, as we see Baptists carolling at Casa Hannah (above) and Mihai at lunchtime (left).

Outreach programs have continued through the years. Above, a photo from 2004 shows volunteer Clair with Petrica and Constantin, ministering to one of the widows we have served. And this year, Petrica delivers a modest package to a widower.

We'll never forget the joys we've experienced in our mission, as the memories of the loved ones who have passed on remind us that God is still calling us to serve. That's Lica and Fanica who both died in the past 13 months, below left is our dear Sandie in her heyday. Below right are the sweet souls Raluca, Florentina and Luciana. May we one day meet again in everlasting health..................................................................................

Please contact us anytime at [email protected]

NEWSLETTER OCTOBER 2023

10/13/2023

We have in past newsletters mentioned that a few of our residents have maintained contact with their biological families.

In general, the birth parents are no longer in the picture, but brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles have sometimes kept up communication. Typically there are large gaps of time when we don't hear from them. Then suddenly there will be a flurry of calls and visits.

Nicușor was visited in August by his uncle and aunt at Casa Rachel

Those times can be confusing for our people, although we have dutifully kept them informed of their familial relationships and how it is that they are now living with us.

On the left, Mihăiță is visited by his brother and sister-in-law..

On the right, Mariana enjoys a happy reunion with her aunt, her brother and sister-in-law.

As the years roll on, those visits and calls become even more powerful reasons for rejoicing.

Above, the first of 2 groups is at the Bucharest airport, preparing to depart for a mini vacation in Italy.

With some extra donations from friends, we were able to purchase enough firewood for the coming winter. Praise God for this dynamic witness for prayer and faithfulness.

Eight different residents were able to enjoy 2 separate vacations at the Campground Maroadi on Largo di Garda, Italy, hosted by our long-time friends, Ettore and Eithne Barion. That, along with monthly birthday celebrations, jaunts through the park in neighboring Tecuci, various sporting activities and gardening provided entertainment and occupation for us all.

Above left are Anca, Maricica and Adina at the Tecuci central park. Center shows Constantin with Anca and Mihăiță toting watermelons. At the right is Ciprian trimming hedges.

Romeo gives it his all at the tire challenge during Sports Day 2023.
Costel and Florentin are in the background, cheering him on, as well as two of our friends visiting from a group home for girls near Iași, Romania.

Of course the main activities take place at Jacob Center, which is on the same property as is Casa Hannah. Daily workshops see 12 of our folks creating an assortment of handicrafts that they hope to sell to supplement our finances. Jacob Center also serves as our place of worship, and every Sunday morning we gather to read scripture, sing hymns, pray and praise.

While our operation depends on the financial contributions from friends in several countries, nothing could be possible without the dedication of our loyal employees. Each has an individual relationship with our residents, which allows us to maintain a healthy, warm environment for us all.

FOR A SYNOPSIS OF EACH OF OUR RESIDENTS, WE RECOMMEND THAT YOU CHECK OUT THE ”SPONSOR A CHILD” PAGE, ALSO ON THE TRM WEBSITE

NEWSLETTER SPRING-SUMMER 2023

5/27/2023

As we approach summer 2023, we at TRM face serious financial challenges. Rising costs worldwide have affected us no less than anyone else. We are grateful for our loyal supporters who have helped keep us going through the years. May God bless them and any newcomers who elect to recognize that the needs of our group home residents must be met into the future.

Maintaining the high standards of care that we offer to our current beneficiaries is a struggle. And our once-a-year expense of buying firewood to heat our homes during the winter seems out of reach at this moment.

We do have many reasons to be happy, so as not to be too negative in this report. We were thrilled to have Robert Goff from Trenton, Georgia visit for 3 weeks, working the whole time to help make numerous repairs at the different homes. Folks from his...

...home church even paid for a new roof on Casa Hannah. Gardening is well underway at all the houses, and nearly all residents chip in, too, not only to eat the produce.

Below you can see many of our little gardeners posing with their tools...and Eithne with Mariana, Mihai, Tina and Adina at Casa Hannah.

Although, due to cost, we have nearly eliminated excursions, our friend Eithne frequently visits and always takes several residents on a jaunt in the general area, sometimes by car, often by train. Most recently she drove 3 boys to the zoo in Barlad. Plus she will be hosting four of the residents later in June as they attend the ordination of our loyal friend Ettore in Trento, Italy.

We have had a spate of colds, flu and allergies. Bruce and Anca both tested positive for Covid, but recovered with minor symptoms within a week. Constantin had a growth removed from his gums, requiring hospitalization in Bucharest for oral surgery, and all went well; his lower jaw cannot accommodate the normal quantity of teeth, which caused the initial inflammation. Mihaita also spent a few nights in a hospital, this time to adjust his medications to control anxiety.

Everyone enjoyed getting together for Easter dinner. We read scriptures throughout the season to remind us that we have a real cause for hope. Our local priest came to serve Holy Communion to us all. And as usual we were pleased with excellent weather on the day of our annual egg hunt, with all the kids, and several of our employees' children, participating. The winner, believe it or not, was Maricica.

Here, Adina receives Holy Communion at Casa Hannah.

We continue to be blessed by assisting our district food bank program, allowing us to distribute to neighbors in need. Plus we still bring clothing to area families, having received a truckload of good quality wear from Italy.

Among the residents who keep in touch with their biological families, Mariana delights in occasionally getting packages from her cousin, Daniel, in Germany. Her relatives, including her father, usually visit once a year. Gelu talks monthly by phone with various family members. Anca communicates with her brother, sister and father via what's app. Several of the residents have maintained contact with past volunteers and are always ecstatic to hear from them. Every word enriches their lives.

We have called on friends to pray for our finances, and in particular to accomplish the sale of Casa Elisabeta, our first group home from 1993. Even though it has not housed our residents since 2017, it serves as a repository for donated goods, as a resource of sustenance with its large garden, and -- in 2022 -- a home for Ukrainian refugees. Its sale, though unlikely at this point, would surely help us to assuage our financial concerns, at least for a few months. Above, Mariana has just opened the gift box.

BE ASSURED THAT WE ARE STRONG IN THE LORD AND ADMIT THAT IT IS THROUGH HIS WILL THAT WE SHALL CONTINUE TO THRIVE !

Here Robert gets down to our level at Jacob Center.

MARCH 2023

3/3/2023

We awaited our 1st snowfall until February; then 2 days of blizzard trapped some of our caregivers in the group homes and others at their residences.

Thank God, all the youngsters here have been healthy after the 1st rounds of colds & flu which hit us in December & January!

Despite the piles of snow, Anca has been able to keep the workshop going with a project of trinkets to send to Italy to hopefully raise funds. She is directed remotely by board member Eithne who visits frequently.

The county food bank has been working with us to provide assorted products from area stores. Because those products generally have short dating, we distribute then to local families in need as quickly as possible.

Another supporter from Italy, Ettore, who is also a board member, arranges a semi-load of clothing, food, toys, etc. every December. We are truly grateful for this boost to our resources. The goods we cannot use within a reasonable time are delivered to families in our area.

Only 4 of our residents have been able to maintain contact with their biological families, Alexandru, Anca, Gelu and Mariana, and all of them have visited in person. A couple have occasionally sent presents. So it's a sad time when they hear of a death of one of those people for whom our residents still keep a flickering love...........................................

Gelu, for example, found out that his birth mother passed on at the end of February. This brought back a flood of memories for Gelu, recalling the day his parents dropped him off at the "orphanage" in Nicoresti. All his "adopted" brothers and sister share in his grief.

As the war in Ukraine enters its 2nd year, we are blessed to have been a small part of assisting the influx of refugees. Our Casa Elisabeta remains available, but the transition of refugees is now facilitated in the large cities, so our remote location has become a last resort in the big picture.

As spring is showing signs of mollifying the challenges of winter, we naturally begin to prepare to tidy up the grounds and plan the gardens. The snow drops and crocuses have already started to bloom, signalling that it's time to put in onion sets and, a bit later, to plant peas, lettuce, etc.

November 03rd, 2022

11/3/2022

Joy has come even as the prospect of yet another cold winter closes in here in Eastern Romania. The summer was extraordinarily dry but we still were able to can many fruits and vegetables, as Adina shows us in the first photo below. Our friends at Camping Maroadi in Italy again brought 4 of our residents to spend a glorious week at Lago di Garda. Then there was the halloween party with roasting marshmallows at Jacob Center. Coincidentally, on the same day, Florentin, looking incredulous in the photo below, turned 40! Daily workshops continue, too, with 12 of our residents creating a variety of crafts; that's Eithne preparing an activity and Costel getting ready to paint. We all bid a final farewell to Ciprian Soare whose all-too-short life blessed us for nearly 20 years. We have already had to start cleaning ashes from our wood-burning fireplaces, as Anca demonstrates in the lower left photo. And, utilizing welders' masks, we thrilled at the partial solar eclipse on 27 October. Now we are looking forward to Thanksgiving when all residents, employees and a few friends will be gathered together for our annual dinner. We cannot emphasize too strongly our appreciation for all those who, through prayer, labor and financial support, have contributed to this mission established by our Creator so many years ago.

SUMMER UPDATE 2022

7/11/2022

SUMMER 2022 HAS BEEN ONE OF GREAT ADJUSTMENT AND GREAT FUN. WE REOPENED CASA ELISABETA FOR REFUGEES FROM UKRAINE AND WITH SUPPORT FROM FRIENDS IN AMERICA, IRELAND AND ITALY WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE FOOD, CLOTHING, SHELTER AND MEDICAL SERVICES.
THIS WAS THE FIRST SUMMER SINCE MAMA SANDIE PASSED ON TO JESUS. OUR HEARTS STILL ACHE WITH THE EMPTINESS. AND EVERY BREEZE CARRIES A MEMORY.
THIS TOO WAS THE FIRST SUMMER WITHOUT TWO BELOVED AND LONG-TERM EMPLOYEES WHO HAVE RECENTLY RETIRED, ANIȘOARA AND VERONICA. EACH ONE OF US MISSES THEIR INDIVIDUAL PERSONALITIES AND SPIRIT OF COMPASSION.
EVERY ACTIVITY CARRIES ON THOUGH. RESIDENTS FROM A SISTER FOUNDATION NEAR THE CITY OF IAȘI, EL CHICCO, VISITED TWICE AND IN JULY CAME TO SEE US FOR DINNER AND AN AFTERNOON OF OUR BRAND OF SPECIAL OLYMPICS. WORSHIP SERVICE, CREATIVE WORKSHOPS, CHOIR PRACTISE AND NEVER-ENDING CHORES AND SHOPPING KEEP ALL THE RESIDENTS, EMPLOYEES AND VOLUNTEERS BUSY EVERY DAY.

SPRING HAS SPRUNG 2019

9/13/2018

Dear Friends and Family, All the children/young adults are doing very well, working in the gardens, repairing cement walks and generally preparing for spring.
Raluca passed on this winter, no particular illness, just her time to go and we are so happy to have had her for 20 years, living in our home, making us all happy. She was 36 years old. Already a teenager when we found her but the size of a 3 yr old. She ate and grew in our home to be normal size. Which happens often. We are seeing many of our financial helpers stop now and then, it is sad as the work still must go on and yet, God never lets us down, food is on the table and the bills are paid, it is actually miraculous how He works for us. God bless you all who give when you can and as much as you can spare. Please drop us a line when you can and talk to God about us when you have a minute.
For donations, send to
Tanner Romania Mission
Box 61
Greenville, Ohio James 1:27 New International Version (NIV) 27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the worl

FALL PICKING

Maricica had the biggest pumpkin this year! The gardens were all plentiful but still not enough to feed them all, it gives the residents something to do and be proud of.

Newsletter Feb. 2018

2/10/2018

Dear Friends and Family,
The days are getting longer already, signaling the coming Spring.
Around the mission we are making plans for the gardens, new activities, Friday night movies at the church and new menus.

2017 was a tough year, Sandie's health issues still linger. The help we sought from family for the children's future was a terrible mistake but when God stepped in and repaired He gave us another gift. You all remember the Barions, the couple who adopted 5 of our children and lived here with us for 9 years. They have committed to take over the mission when we go to our Heavenly home, our last move! We have had many volunteers who have lived with us for a few years and then gone on to start their own missions.

Mihaita was in hospital for hernia operation, I guess we are all getting older and have screws and bolts coming loose but God and you folks have provided and we carry on.

The blessings outweigh the troubles, we are one big Christian family who love each other and Praise God together. Truly all the children count on God, wait on Him and expect His return. There are still thousands of children still in orphanages, too many children, too little time.

Please send donations to:
Tanner Romania Mission
Box 61
Greenville, Ohio 45331d

From His Fields of Harvest,
Bruce & Sandie Tanner

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FALL PICKING

Maricica had the biggest pumpkin this year! The gardens were all plentiful but still not enough to feed them all, it gives the residents something to do and be proud of.

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