Two Sisters Kept Together (Romania)

By Mimi Gatea, Director, Sanctuary Orphanage

"Raluca and Luci lived with their mother and her boyfriend in a mud house with no electricity or heat. They did not have furniture, clean dishes or a toilet. When their mother was arrested for stealing, the children were placed in our care by the Child Protection Agency. Their birth-father was already in prison. When I saw how the girls looked, my heart was broken. They were filled with lice and worms; they had rashes on their skin, scabies, and they were both anemic. They were dressed with clothes that were dirty and old. We started to take care of them and prayed for God to heal them so they could come out of their critical situation.

Raluca was very hungry and afraid of what was going on with her. She would wake up crying in the night, troubled by bad dreams. Sometimes she would cry during the day too. Luci had bronchitis; she had a difficult time breathing because her illness was not treated in time. After ten months of medical treatment, good food, and care, the girls began to gain weight and recover.

Today, Raluca is a very nice girl. She likes to comb her hair, play, and wear dresses. She likes to keep clean and to take care of her personal things. She attends school and loves it. She has learned a lot of songs and poems. She has a good time being together with other children. Raluca is also active in church where she quotes Bible verses and sings with the children's group.

Today, Luci is a healthy girl. She loves to play and to go to school. She is a happy girl with such a personality! She likes to learn lots of things. She is also active in church, just like her sister, singing and quoting Bible verses.

Raluca and Luci are a living proof of what God can do. He healed them and helped them develop just like any other children. God gave them a future and a hope. It is amazing to see how God can change bad into good."