This week, CNN has broadcast several reports about the current child
welfare crisis in Romania. Their coverage has included shocking, recent footage
of Romanian institutions for children, as well as a reporter posing as a
"baby-buyer" in Romanian villages.
I was not able to find much on the CNN website to pass along to you
(although perhaps you might dig something up!). However, I did find videos
on the website of the British news network that originally taped the
footage. Their report aired on British ITV earlier this month, and is very
similar to the report aired this week on CNN.
There are two videos: one an expose of Romania's institutions; another
showing how easy it remains for someone to illegally buy a child in Romania. The
first segment shows very familiar scenes of babies abandoned in hospitals,
as well as disturbing footage of older children damaged by institutionalization.
The second segment, on baby-buying, begins by stating: "Romania outlawed
international adoption to stop child trafficking . . . it hasn't worked." This
very sad segment clearly demonstrates how willing many birth parents are to sell
their children, and how the adoption ban has merely stopped law-abiding people
from adopting, rather than stopping child traffickers.
If you have a few minutes to view these videos, they will show
you (in our view) a very accurate portrayal of the sad reality in
Romania. Please continue praying that the law, as well as the broken and unjust
child welfare system in Romania, would be changed.
Briefly, I have one other news item to report . . .
Praise Report from the Summer Camps!
A few weeks ago, Jayme requested prayer for the Living Hope Center's annual
youth summer camp. Lavinia Dreana (LHC co-director) told me that God answered
your prayers, and that it was a very spiritually productive time. God saw fit to
allow it to rain nearly all week, but in her view, this turned into a positive
thing. "It gave us lots of time to just sit and talk and play
games together, to build relationships," she told her. Along with the
teenagers, several young families attended the camps. These families are
non-believers who have been growing increasingly close to the Dreanas, and
closer to accepting Christ. Please continue to pray that God would produce fruit
in the lives of all who attended this camp.
Thank you for your continued faithfulness in prayer and action on behalf of
our Romanian ministries!