Overview:

        CP010 is an orphanage in Arad, Romania for children with "severe handicaps."  The children here have a wide range of mental disabilities, ranging from Downs' Syndrome to Cerebral Palsy to the results of profound neglect.  It has space for thirty children in three houses.  In the spring of 2007, CP010 was bought out by a private foundation, Romanian Christian Enterprises (RCE).  Since the takeover, the children's lives have taken a drastic turn for the better.  They now celebrate birthdays, eat delicious food every day, have enough workers in each house, and about half of them go to school.  Glory and praise be to God, who let me stick around to see the improvements!

Programs:

        Since the takeover of CP010 by RCE, I am mostly a socialization volunteer.  I go to CP010 three or four times a week and take children out.  We may go to McDonald's, or the park, or to a movie, or even shopping.  The most important thing is just to get them out to do the stuff regular children get to do.

       Every Thursday and Sunday I take children to church.  Is, who comes every Thursday to church in Sanicolau Mic is our instrumentalist (he plays the tambourine when we sing), and our usher (he collects the offering).   Is has learned the sign language for 'Thursday,' 'church,' and 'amen.'  Every time he sees me he makes sure I remember that Thursday is his day to go to church.

       Every Sunday I pick up three boys to take to church in Vinga (a town about half an hour from Arad).  They are all active participants in the Sunday School program, singing, praying, and playing with their thirty or forty classmates.