Pray Daily with our November Prayer Calendar

Prayer is a vital part of the work here at Romania Reborn. We invited you to download our November 2021 Prayer Calendar is here. Each day there is a new praise or prayer request for our ministry, our staff, and the children we serve.

Thank you for your ministry in prayer as we spend this month focusing on vulnerable children in Romania.

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Ephesians 6:18

Our October Prayer Calendar is Here!

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Prayer is a vital part of the work here at Romania Reborn. We invited you to download our October 2021 Prayer Calendar is here. Each day there is a new praise or prayer request for our ministry, our staff, and the children we serve.

Thank you for your ministry in prayer as we spend this month focusing on vulnerable children in Romania.

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Ephesians 6:18

Pray Daily with our September Prayer Calendar

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Prayer is a vital part of the work here at Romania Reborn. We invited you to download our September Prayer Calendar here. Each day there is a new praise or prayer request for our ministry, our staff, and the children we serve.

Thank you for your ministry in prayer as we spend this month focusing on vulnerable children in Romania.

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Ephesians 6:18

Our August Prayer Calendar is Here

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Prayer is a vital part of the work here at Romania Reborn. We invited you to download our August Prayer Calendar here. Each day there is a new praise or prayer request for our ministry, our staff, and the children we serve.

Thank you for your ministry in prayer as we spend this month focusing on vulnerable children in Romania.

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Ephesians 6:18

Pray Daily with our July Prayer Calendar!

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Prayer is a vital part of the work here at Romania Reborn. We invited you to download our July Prayer Calendar here. Each day there is a new praise or prayer request for our ministry, our staff, and the children we serve.

Thank you for your ministry in prayer as we spend this month focusing on vulnerable children in Romania.

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Ephesians 6:18

Why the Hard Cases are our Mission

The first baby Corina brought home in 1996. (She was adopted in Romania and is now happily married with two children.)

The first baby Corina brought home in 1996. (She was adopted in Romania and is now happily married with two children.)

by Jayme Metzgar

The first time I ever held an abandoned baby, it was 1996, during my first trip to Romania. A friend had driven me out to an apartment block on the southern edge of town. The building rose drearily against the winter sky, indistinguishable from every other apartment block in the city. But inside, I met a woman who would change my life.

Corina Caba was then 25 years old. She sat on the floor of her small living room—slender, dark-haired, and sleepy-eyed—surrounded by babies. There were seven infants living with her at the time, ranging in age from six weeks to twelve months old. Each one had recently left the children's hospital, arriving in various stages of neglect and malnourishment. Each one was recovering under Corina's care. Each one was bound for an adoptive family.

The early years, in Corina’s apartment.

The early years, in Corina’s apartment.

That was the beginning of the partnership that is now Romania Reborn. Things were different then. Domestic adoption was almost unheard of. The national infrastructure was still in a post-Communist shambles. Every abandoned Romanian child was vulnerable, forgotten. Without intervention, every abandoned child was in danger of extreme neglect—even death.

Twenty-five years later, much has changed. There aren't nearly as many healthy newborns growing up in hospitals. Cultural interest in adoption has blossomed—in part due to our efforts through the Romania Without Orphans Alliance. Now, child abandonment isn't necessarily a life sentence—or a death sentence. When it tries, the state is often able to find an adoptive family within Romania.

If. If. If.

If the baby is healthy, without handicaps.

If the child is young.

If he or she doesn't have a strong ethnic Roma appearance.

But when any of those "ifs" go the wrong way, the outlook for an abandoned child remains nearly as bleak today as it was in 1996.

Take "Annie," for example. Abandoned at birth, she suffers from a mild case of hydrocephalus. Although it's correctable with treatment, Annie's condition would have been enough to send her to an institution for children with special needs. Romanian law requires that infants under age two be placed in foster families—unless they have special needs. Even small, correctable special needs often give the state an excuse to place children in an institution—where they are likely to spend their entire childhoods.

Since the beginning, we’ve looked for children who would have no chance without our intervention.

For Annie, we praise God this wasn't the case. Just last month, we were able to place her in a loving family, where she is now an adored daughter and little sister.

The same month, we were also able to find a family for six-month-old "Matilda." Like Annie, she was abandoned at birth, but her medical condition is more severe. Matilda has a heart defect which will prematurely end her life without surgery. Without a family, she was unable get the surgery she needed.

Corina searched for months, desperately trying to find a family willing to give Matilda a home and a chance to survive. Finally, by God's grace, a family fell in love with this sweet little pixie—heart defect and all. As soon as they took Matilda home, the family immediately began planning a two-month trip to Italy for life-saving surgery. There's still a risk that she won't survive. But with medical care—and love—she has a fighting chance.

Both these stories illustrate the fact that as the landscape in Romania has shifted, our ministry is increasingly focusing on hard-to-place children, especially those with special needs. In a way, it's what we've always done. Since the beginning, we've looked for children who would have no chance without our intervention. Then by God's grace, and with your help, we change their lives.

Jayme Metzgar is the founder & president of Romania Reborn.

Bethany & Gideon: Fully Adopted

The story below is of two children. Unrelated by birth, woven together by love. Once scarred by pain, now all that remains is an etching of hope in the Father’s hands. This is one family’s story of healing.

by Lauren Black

He’s a cheeky little fellow, our Gideon. Always dancing, laughing, passionate about life. He gives joy without reserve, with every skip of his dancing feet.

His spirit is vibrant, yet as Gideon tells his story, his smile is quieted by a knowing understanding of the scars he bears. He looks up at you with his endlessly deep brown eyes, and indicates marks on his stomach, memories of multiple surgeries. He tells you, it could only be Jesus who healed him.

Neglected, malnourished, and abandoned, Gideon was hospitalized, when a doctor compassionately stepped in, performing life-saving surgery. His wounds could mend, but who would take a chance on a child who wasn’t expected to live?

Sweet Bethany is our most enchanting little miss; our beloved princess in every sense. Seeing her smile, with grace and sincerity of heart, it’s difficult to comprehend the horrible circumstances surrounding her early life.

Bethany’s birth home was incredibly unstable. Her birth mother became ill as a result of her own difficult life, and passed away several years after Bethany’s birth. Bethany endured complete neglect, malnourishment, and abandonment. Hospitalized, days became months of waiting. As potential adoptive parents passed her by, it was tragically apparent that her Roma-African ethnicity, though beautiful to us, was met with prejudice.

A mother with an earnest longing reached out to Corina—“I’ve had such a vivid dream; I can’t shake it. I keep dreaming about a little dark-skinned girl who is crying and in trouble. It seems like I am supposed to help her. Tell me: do you know of a little girl like this who needs a family?”

And so love found a home. Held safe within a haven of hope, healing began.

Gideon and Bethany were welcomed into the same loving family. Without his forever parents pursuing an intestinal transplant in Italy, Gideon would not have survived. He likely would have passed away in hospital, alone and unloved, at just age 5. Without the vision to see Bethany’s radiant, intrinsic value, enhanced, not hindered, by her unique background, she would have been institutionalized, captive to a broken system.

In the early part of their foster care, Gideon and Bethany’s mother said, though a long, arduous process, “I know it will come to a good end.” It has, and these children have been loved every step of the way. Gideon and Bethany’s adoptions were completed this year. They are absolutely thriving in a family constantly opening their arms with grace—3 adult biological children, 3 adopted through RR—Nina (18), Bethany (6), & Gideon (6), and 3 being fostered through RR. Alongside their parents' devotion, tender care, and steadfast faith—all medical and emotional recovery, and complete funding of their adoptions was possible because of those who chose to give. Because of each of you who chose to love.

Our June Prayer Calendar is Here!

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Prayer is a vital part of the work here at Romania Reborn. We invited you to download our June Prayer Calendar here. Each day there is a new praise or prayer request for our ministry, our staff, and the children we serve.

Thank you for your ministry in prayer as we spend this month focusing on vulnerable children in Romania.

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Ephesians 6:18

Here's Our May Prayer Calendar

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Prayer is a vital part of the work here at Romania Reborn. We invited you to download our May Prayer Calendar here. Each day there is a new praise or prayer request for our ministry, our staff, and the children we serve.

Thank you for your ministry in prayer as we spend this month focusing on vulnerable children in Romania.

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Ephesians 6:18

Our April Prayer Calendar is Here!

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Prayer is a vital part of the work here at Romania Reborn. We invited you to download our April Prayer Calendar here. Each day there is a new praise or prayer request for our ministry, our staff, and the children we serve.

Thank you for your ministry in prayer as we spend this month focusing on vulnerable children in Romania.

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Ephesians 6:18

Here's our March Prayer Calendar!

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Prayer is a vital part of the work here at Romania Reborn. We invited you to download our March Prayer Calendar here. Each day there is a new praise or prayer request for our ministry, our staff, and the children we serve.

Thank you for your ministry in prayer as we spend this month focusing on vulnerable children in Romania.

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Ephesians 6:18

It's February! Here's How to Pray This Month.

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Prayer is a vital part of the work here at Romania Reborn. We invited you to download our February Prayer Calendar here. Each day there is a new praise or prayer request for our ministry, our staff, and the children we serve.

Thank you for your ministry in prayer as we spend this month focusing on vulnerable children in Romania.

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Ephesians 6:18

Here's our Daily Prayer Calendar for January!

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Prayer is a vital part of the work here at Romania Reborn. We invited you to download our January Prayer Calendar here. Each day there is a new praise or prayer request for our ministry, our staff, and the children we serve.

Thank you for your ministry in prayer as we spend this month focusing on vulnerable children in Romania.

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Ephesians 6:18

Use our December Prayer Calendar to Pray Daily

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Prayer is a vital part of the work here at Romania Reborn. We invited you to download our December Prayer Calendar here. Each day there is a new praise or prayer request for our ministry, our staff, and the children we serve.

Thank you for your ministry in prayer as we spend this month focusing on vulnerable children in Romania.

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Ephesians 6:18

Pray Daily with our November Prayer Calendar

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Prayer is a vital part of the work here at Romania Reborn. We invited you to download our November Prayer Calendar here. Each day there is a new praise or prayer request for our ministry, our staff, and the children we serve.

Thank you for your ministry in prayer as we spend this month focusing on vulnerable children in Romania.

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Ephesians 6:18

Our October Prayer Calendar is Here!

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Prayer is a vital part of the work here at Romania Reborn. We invited you to download our October Prayer Calendar here. Each day there is a new praise or prayer request for our ministry, our staff, and the children we serve.

Thank you for your ministry in prayer as we spend this month focusing on vulnerable children in Romania.

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Ephesians 6:18

Use our September Calendar for Daily Prayer

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Prayer is a vital part of the work here at Romania Reborn. We invited you to download our September Prayer Calendar here. Each day there is a new praise or prayer request for our ministry, our staff, and the children we serve.

Thank you for your ministry in prayer as we spend this month focusing on vulnerable children in Romania.

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Ephesians 6:18

Download our August Prayer Calendar Here!

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Prayer is a vital part of the work here at Romania Reborn. We invited you to download our August Prayer Calendar here. Each day there is a new praise or prayer request for our ministry, our staff, and the children we serve.

Thank you for your ministry in prayer as we spend this month focusing on vulnerable children in Romania.

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Ephesians 6:18

New Life for a Teen Mom & Her Baby

“Evelyn” helps out with jam-making in her new placement family.

“Evelyn” helps out with jam-making in her new placement family.

Of all the lamentable things about growing up without a family, one of the worst is its generational impact. Far too often, a child who grows up in the system ends up abandoning his or her own children to the system. And the cycle of brokenness continues.

We recently had the joy of interrupting this process for one teenage girl and her unborn child. “Evelyn” first entered the Romanian child welfare system at nine years old. She was 15 and still living in a state orphanage when she learned she was pregnant with her first child. The options for her baby were limited, to say the least. The state was willing to provide some temporary housing for her and the child after she gave birth, but within a few months, they would be separated: Evelyn returning to the orphanage, and her baby being placed in the foster system.

When our Romanian director, Corina, learned about Evelyn’s situation, she did what she always does first: pray. One of Corina’s prayer partners is Annie, a “hero mom” who has adopted and fostered many of our children. Annie is in the habit of calling Corina every week and asking, “Do you have any new children for me to pray over?” One week, Corina told Annie about Evelyn.

As Annie prayed over Evelyn, she was gripped by the conviction — as she’s been on several past occasions — that she should become the answer to her own prayer. She called Corina back. “I want to take Evelyn,” she said. “Maybe just for a few weeks to see how it goes.”

Evelyn, having suffered the disruption of a prior family placement, was desperate to escape the orphanage and has been very eager to please. She has become an established figure in Annie’s burgeoning household, gladly pitching in to help with chores and the younger children. Her due date is in the fall, and Annie intends to allow the baby to remain in her home, along with his or her young mother.

Please join us in praising God for not one, but two lives snatched from the desperation of the Romanian child welfare system. Pray that He would continue to work in Evelyn’s life, helping her heal, grow, and bond with her placement family. Pray for strength and blessing for Annie, her husband, and all the children under their roof — including this small unborn life. Our deepest desire is that Evelyn and her child would both find peace in Christ, the love of a family, and a bright future.

Finding Joy through Loss

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In May, as American families entered their third month of sheltering at home, Romania Reborn put on its first-ever art contest for kids. Our theme was "The Joy of Family," and we received wonderful submissions from 20 kids, ages 5-12. The voting took place on our Facebook page during the final week of May, with the winner being determined by the number of "likes" on each entry.

On June 3rd, we were pleased to announce the winner: 8-year-old Hannah Dukes. Hannah's drawing spoke with unexpected poignancy not only to the joy of family, but also to its fragility. Her drawing depicted "my family with my first mommy, before she went to heaven." Hannah's mother, Sarah, passed away from breast cancer when she was just three years old. She now has a loving and supportive stepmother, who encouraged her to enter her drawing.

Like Hannah, all the children to whom we minister at Romania Reborn come from a place of deep loss. Her entry was a good reminder of the beautiful brokenness of orphan care work, and the ways God can redeem each story. Thank you for sharing your art with us, Hannah!

Visit our Facebook album to see all the beautiful, sweet, and moving entries to our contest.