Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6
I have just calculated that it is the end of the 6th school year since the Fandarac children arrived at the farm in Rebricea. I particularly like to keep all those who regularly care for these children and pray for them to be informed about their achievements or difficulties they have faced. I can tell you that I am (together with all the Bethesda staff) always pleasantly impressed by the determination that our six children put into their development, sometimes with some small detours, but always constantly growing.
Around of applause certainly goes to the Stroi’s (Nico and Mihaela) for the patience and consistency with which they have been carrying forth this commitment for so long. God bless them.
Luigi
The graduate today Luigi, who will turn 18 in September, finished his vocational school in Brașov with an average grade of 9.
This is news that makes us very happy! What’s even more impressive is that he has already signed an employment contract with a German factory called Stabilus, also located in Brașov. 
He has rented a house in the city, where he will be able to start a new phase of his life. “Now he will have to stand on his own two feet,” commented Mihaela Stroi and put into practice everything he has been taught up to now both from a professional and also a spiritual point of view and treasure all the life lessons he’s learned so far. Now his alarm will go off early every morning to go to work, but we are convinced that his maturity and determination will help him reach much greater goals! As I listened to Mihaela talk about this important milestone, I couldn’t help but think about how he was literally “recovered” from total misery (see photo) in March 2018. We can only praise God for the miracle He worked and now we ask Him to do even greater things for Luigi and protect him on his way.
Luiza
Luiza is also studying in Brașov, where she has just completed her first year (of three) of vocational school with an IT focus, achieving an average grade of 8.5.
We had no doubt that she too is greatly appreciated by all her professors and tutors. Anyone who has met her knows that Luiza is a quiet girl, who never puts herself into difficult situations or gets into trouble, as other children her age often do.
We are very happy with her, and Nicu and Mihaela are especially pleased. In Brasov Luiza has also found an evangelical church that she attends regularly, where she is happy and has made friends with another girl. This year she also participated in the youth camp organized by Denis Zlatan’s team in Șoarș Făgăraș (Brasov). Let’s pray to the Lord that this young girl will continue like this in her path.
Lorena
Our studious one finished school with minimum effort and maximum yield.
This is demonstrated by the fact that also this year she had an average of 9.78, resulting in the second highest grades in the entire Rebricea institute.
In September she will start the last year of middle school and then she will have to choose a high school (or professional school) to attend.
Even the Stroi’s comment about her is always positive: “calm and obedient in everything.” We want to pray and ask the Lord to always give her this intelligence and serenity to be able to choose her future school and all the choices for her life.
Denis
Among the Fandarac children, Denis is probably the laziest in studying, but at the same time he is the most endearing and is an inexhaustible source of energy! He never gets tired of entertaining everyone around him with his jokes and sarcasm, from his family to the football team he plays for.
We can’t leave out this boy’s talent in soccer, who apparently is highly sought after by recruiters and is participating in many football tournaments both in Romania and abroad. In fact, this year, in addition to going to Constanza, he also participated in tournaments in Greece and Bulgaria.
Of course we don’t want to stop his passion, let alone the innate talent of this little Romanian “Messi”. But our prayer is that, whatever his path, he can lean on God for his ambitions and personal growth, both as a man and as a child of God.
Ionela
A few weeks ago our “Bitta” (the nickname we affectionately call her) had us worried. In fact, she had some health problems that led her to hospitalisation in Vaslui for a few days due to a sudden illness.
It seems to have been caused by an infection that the doctors are still investigating, but at the moment the situation has returned to normal.
She will have to follow a treatment and apparently, a healthier diet. As far as school goes, the year didn’t start very well, but with collaboration between Mihaela and the teacher, the year improved in a truly surprising way, even taking first place in her class. Of course she is a girl who needs to be continually encouraged to study, but with some “encouragement” she too makes us proud.
Patricia
Last but not least, little “Patri“, who is now 7 years old and will be in first grade in September.
Unfortunately she had to stay another year in kindergarten because there was not a class available for her with other children in the village. She would have been alone with her teachers, so in agreement with the Stroi’s, they decided to postpone a year in order to be with other children. In fact, in September, she will have 2 other classmates to start her journey with, even if for all intents and purposes she already knows how to read and write like other first graders. Mihaela tells us about her passion for homework and for educational documentaries on various topics. Looks like we’ll have another studious one in the house.
May God bless her growth and journey in life with the Stroi family. Moments of rest and leisure Now our children, apart from Luigi who has started working, can rest and also dedicate themselves to summer camps (including one in English) and to the Christian ones that we will organize on the farm.
Thank you!
What else can I say if not to thank the Lord for these amazing children, for the tireless work of the Stroi’s and for all the donors who have continued to be generous during these years. We admit that it is not always easy to move forward and sometimes we do not have all the necessary resources, both financial and spiritual, to continue this work, but we know that this “mission” is not ours. We are simply instruments who have had the privilege to be called by God to help. We ask that you continue to pray for this work and may God place it in your heart to donate specifically to support the Stroi family. How to donate:
- Bonifico bancario intestato a:
Bethesda ETS – Ama il tuo prossimo
IBAN*: IT44K0200801636000103772416
BIC/SWIFT: UNCRITM1OU3
Purpose *Sostegno Stroi e Fratelli Fandarac