Sally Sebo in Romania
by Sally Sebo
IT
WAS A LITTLE OVER four years ago when we first drove up to the tiny shack where Georgi, Marius, and Raul had been living with their family. Our purpose was to assess the situation of these three children for possible placement at the Marantha House of Hope. After seeing the conditions of the home and the lack of care for the children, we decided to bring the two older children, Georgi who was just over three years old and Marius who was about eighteen months old, to live at the orphanage. We did not have the resources at the orphanage to care for a five-week-old, so Raul remained with his mother and father.
Even though Georgi and Marius were not orphans, they were in desperate need of help, and we never regretted the decision to bring this sister and brother to the orphanage. In March of 2008, something happened that made us more sure we had made the right decision. We received a call that Raul, three years old at the time, had died. The story was very tragic. The step-grandmother was watching Raul when she began to drink — an almost daily occurrence. Little Raul cried, complained, or something to upset his grandma. She went over to her wood pile, picked up her ax, and hit Raul in the head, killing her own grandson. We shared the terrible news with Georgi and Marius, but it was a comfort to them knowing that their little brother was safe in the arms of Jesus.
The day of the funeral came, and we took Georgi and Marius back to that tiny shack. As we stood in the yard, attending a typical Orthodox funeral service, I looked over at Georgi who was standing next to her little brother's casket being so strong. Then I looked over at Marius and began to weep. I was not crying just for the loss of Raul because I knew that he was in Heaven, but I wept because I thought, "What would have happened if we would not have taken in Georgi and Marius? That day, there could very well have been three little caskets lined up outside." But because we had a place to care for these children and God's people gave towards our orphan ministry in Romania, these children are still alive and well today.
After that funeral service, I found myself holding our orphan children closer, hugging them harder, and telling them more often that I love them. Teaching these children about God and His love is one of the most important things we can do. Helping to mold their character and belief system about God is priceless. Often when working with children, we do not see the results of our labors. We cannot be sure of the impact we will have on the lives of these children in the future, but sometimes a situation arises that reminds us that our work is not in vain. God is using the orphan ministry in Romania to touch the lives of so many, and I am thrilled to be part of this ongoing work.
