forward and backward

Wednesday, August 25
Clark and three other men worked in the ware-house packing furniture etc. Got a lot done, but realized that it will take one person a full working week to get the most necessary prepared for the next transport.
We praise the LORD, that a group of about four people intend to come and help in the ware-house on Saturday, Sept. 3rd!

Thursday - Saturday - August 26-28
Helped our new pastor move from Karlsruhe to our town. Had my truck and trailor along. Needed it, as not everything would have fit into the movers truck.
As the truck driver did not show up on Saturday, a clerk drove the rig down to the new address, and I ended up manouvering the trailor into the narrow drive way! The last time I moved a truck trailor in such a squalid road conditions was way back in 1984! But the old horse did not forget all the old tricks ;-)

Sunday, August 29
Preached in Weil am Rhein. I was on the founding team in 1979 - and left after we moved to Kandern. It was good to see the "old faces" - and I rejoiced seeing a lot of new people I had never met before!

Got Word that Romania is intending to close down most of the non-government orphanages. Have to find out why.
Christian Jach, who is responsible for the four orphanages of TOAR had already an emergency plan in place to outsource the kids under 16 into foster homes.
We rejoice that so many Romanian christian families were willing to accept a child into their midst!

All the same we are perturbed by another government regulation destroying many investments, man hours and sacrifice to offer homeless children a wholesome place to stay!!

You might know that Romania has sufferd 4 floods since spring of this year! Here, too, the government is prooving it's great ineptness!
The greates dissapointment is their unwillingness to loosen up their stingent import rules for humanitarian aid! For instance I am not allowed to bring used shoes, underwear, baby clothing or toys. House-hold items and tools have to be itimized including their indiviudal weight and actual worth!

At the borders, the border guards are insisting on "motivational help" = bribes, that keep increasing in value!

So, corruption and ineptness are prooving to be worse problems than inclement weather conditions as floods and hail storms!

I can appreciate what David says in 1. Chronicles 21, 13b: "but let me not fall into the hands of men" ...