April 2010

Dear Soldiers of the Cross,

This newsletter represents the exciting expansion of Sufficient Bread Ministry. During our eight years serving in Romania, God has shown us how to more effectively support the work He is doing in Romania. We desire to now take these gleanings and put them into action.

It is very important to understand that, although our family had to leave the mission field for a time, the children and needs are still present. It is my pleasure to continue informing you about the needs and praise reports of the children Sufficient Bread supports and loves.

"Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world." James 1:27

To our discouragement we have had some people misunderstand our purpose and vision as a ministry, so I wish to make it as clear as possible. Our purpose is to care and visit the fatherless and widows in their distress and to teach them to keep themselves unspotted from the world through faith in Jesus Christ. We are not called to necessarily plant churches or become pastors to a town or village. If God calls us in that direction we will surely inform you all. We wish to thank all of our supporters who have understood our calling from the beginning and have been an encouragement to us in the process.

In my previous newsletter I mentioned that we would continue to support the Family Centers with which we worked over our 8 years in Romania. In this newsletter I wish to highlight a Family Center very close to my heart, Isaiah's House.

Isaiah's House: Isaiah's House was started to help older girls who were being kicked out of the orphanage. It was started to help give them life-skills and to continue with high school, and for those who wanted to go, college.

One of the girls was taken from the orphanage to a work farm where she made parquet flooring. She slept in a small room where all the workers were crammed together, boys and girls, from other orphanages. There she became pregnant and was kicked out. She came to Isaiah's House for help because she did not want to keep the child. After both the mother and child were taken into the Center, they were diagnosed as HIV positive. The child is now adopted by Kelly Stark and HIV free. The mother was also offered help and is now living a good life, in another country with her new husband.

Another girl came to the family center after her mother had attacked her with a knife. The mother, who had never visited her since she had abandoned her at birth, came to the orphanage to take her home to put her to work as a prostitute. When she refused, she was tied up, beaten, and then stabbed. When her brother tried to protect her, the mother stabbed him to death. She is now working for another family who has also taken in orphans.

One girl is now in her 5th year of medical school in Cluj studying to be a doctor. During her internship at the hospital one summer, she met a little 7 year old boy from the streets who had been severely traumatized. More than once he had escaped his would-be kidnappers, once by jumping out of a moving truck. The day the hospital needed to release him, she asked him, "Where will you go?" He replied, "I have nowhere to go, no one wants me". So she brought him to Isaiah's House. He is now a happy well-adjusted 13 year old doing well in school. We also found his sister living on the streets at 4 years old and brought her home.

Another baby girl was thrown in the trash by her prostitute mother when she was just 2 months old. When she was brought to Isaiah's House, she weighed 6 lbs. She is now a healthy 4 year old who loves attending kindergarten and gymnastics. Another baby was rescued from being sold on the black market. We were able to get a legitimate birth certificate for her and she is now safe and sound in our family.

Several older children came for help, who after growing up in an orphanage were taken in by someone who used them for sexual exploitation and slavery. One boy explained it to us by saying that he escaped one prison and entered into another worse prison. We gave them a place to live, helped them get their identity cards, passports, and helped find jobs in Germany and Greece to get as far away from their abuser as possible.

Another girl now works with Kelly and has taken a little girl in foster care that was abandoned in Isaiah's House's yard. Several of the girls who came during the first few years of the Family Center, are now happily married with families of their own.

PURPOSE STATEMENT for FAMILY CENTER- "Isaiah's House"

Purpose Statement of the Family Center: The purpose of Isaiah's House is, and has been, to provide a family-orientated environment for orphans under 18, and to provide a home for orphans over 18. Isaiah's House prepares them for a better future by giving them a place to live, to learn life skills, to continue their education, and to help them find well-paying jobs. Another focus of the Family Center is to educate and protect them from predators who offer them false promises to lure them into a world of sexual exploitation, slavery, abuse, and the cycle of human-trafficking.

Please pray about continuing to support the needs of these precious children and the godly people who are caring for them in the name of Jesus Christ! If you specifically desire to support Isaiah's House, please write it in the memo section of your check. If a family center is not specifically designated the funds will go to the family center in the most need for that month.

From the worship song "Hosanna" by Hillsong, this is my prayer,

"Heal my heart and make it clean
Open up my eyes to the things unseen
Show me how to love like You have loved me
Break my heart for what breaks Yours
Everything I am for Your kingdom's cause
As I walk from earth into eternity
Hosanna, hosanna
Hosanna in the highest"

God bless you all!

Familia Andries

Personal Prayer Requests:

1. For a clear vision with this new expansion of the ministry
2. Kelle's pregnancy to remain healthy amongst all this change happening in our lives at this time. She is under a lot of daily stress.
3. For Elena's official immigration into the USA.
4. Please pray for Andrei, he is struggling to find enough work hours to provide for his growing family in Southern California.
5. For our family to find affordable housing soon.