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AI World Missions

November 2007

From "Jackrabbit Joe" and Mary Ann Hernandez

This year our trip to Bucharest, Romania was special, as we stayed with 20 children and 4 adult in 1 house with 1 bathroom for the month of October. There never was a dull moment or quiet one at that. Thank you "GAP" and Annie Hamilton for providing 6 boxes of display jeans and various clothing for the children! We were over our limit of luggage - six LARGE suitcases stuffed with wonderful clothing, new U of A football caps for the boys, soccer balls and basketballs along with jump ropes for the younger children.

A Romanian family, who has moved to the U.S., has allowed Costel and Mia along with some of the children to live in their 3-story home until April of 2008, rent free. We’re praying for God's provision after April. It is very difficult to find adequate housing to rent with 35 street children. Adequate housing for a normal family, as inflation has hit Romania since joining the European Union, is difficult. Ten of the older children still live in the one bedroom flat above the original flat where the tutoring, painting, and class take place.

Mia has started a kindergarten for 8 of the youngest children. They cannot afford to send these children to kindergarten, so she is teaching them herself and preparing them for first grade next year. All the lessons are in Romanian and English using Art as the medium for instruction. This takes incredible planning, energy, and patience, which is hard to come by when you are consumed with just the cooking and laundry for 35 people. As cold weather had set in when we left, we saw an added burden of trying to dry the clothing 35 people use.

Slowly, 1 child at a time, the standard is being raised. 2 of the older children are now in Cypress on a work study program, 1 young lady is enrolled in her freshman year at the University of Bucharest, and 3 other children are enrolled in work study programs around the city. 3 very gifted children will graduate from high school this summer at the top of their class and plan to continue their education at the University level. Over the past 4 years we have seen the development of these children. Their precious faces have come alive with hope, love, education and spiritual teaching.

The Lord himself said in Matt. 25:40 “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” As you read on you’ll read that the Lord was referring to those who sill spend eternity with him. YOUR names are written in the book for eternity as you have so faithfully provided funds, encouragement and clothing for us to send or take to the orphanage. You are blessed people in God’s eyes! The mere words of “Thank You” are not enough to convey the meaning of your support.

In the Economist magazine a recent article stated that Romania is the most corrupt country in the European Union. Imagine where these children would be today if it were not for Mia and Costel providing love, education, and training for a better life. We know where they would be, and street life in Romania is not a pretty picture! Life in Romania is very hard to say the least. The average income per family is $200 American dollars a month!

A little humor; by the end of our stay, 25 hands on the handle to the ONLY bathroom door had fallen off and the door could not be closed or locked!

Again Joe held his annual “Sports Night” with the balls, caps, and clothing being given to the young men along with bible study lessons on Character, courage, Obedience to the Word of God and Your Purpose for Life. The evening ended with ice cream treats for all.

Mary Ann hosted the Annual Fashion Show amid a lot of laughter, joy and piles of clothing. Before the event she and some of the older girls made their favorite treat, fresh fruit salad topped with whipping cream and served with cookies and punch. Mary Ann spoke on how we wear our clothing and what our clothing has to say about our character, respect for others, and respect for ourselves.

One evening we made fresh cabbage salad with chopped fresh apples and walnuts. We had 8 extra hands helping, and a lot of the salad was gobbled up as we chopped and sliced. We left the recipe! It was a blessing for us to actually live as a family for a month as we could inter-act more consistently, help with the cooking , love, encourage, help with English lessons, teach bible lessons, pray together, and platy games with the children. After naps we took the younger children outside to jump rope, hopscotch, catch balls and develop muscles. This never occurred when the lived in the 2 bedroom apartment flat and it was amazing to see how quickly their physical, hand/eye coordination and muscle strength develop along with the simple joy of being outside to run around!

Two of the younger children have come from a local hospital where their mother had abandoned them after giving birth. What kind of poverty and depression would it take to leave our child? Fortunately, some of these children are taken to loving and caring situations like Mia and Costel. The bright side to this picture is that people like you are generously giving to make a difference, one child at a time. Praise God for your involvement!

The Lord said for us to go and “do” and he will take care of the results. Let us not worry about what we can’t change but let us be obedient to what we can.

In February of 2007 we returned to Uganda for the annual Athletes Conference. We hosted 2 conferences, 1 in Fort Portal and 1 in Kampala. These sessions were filled with testimonies, leadership mentoring, baptism in the Holy Spirit and spiritual growth. We also spoke in the men and women’s prisons, which was awesome, along with speaking at various schools.

The athletes group in Kampala has grown from the initial 50 members to 100 strong in 4 short years. They are reaching out to others with speaking engagements in schools, prisons, and hospitals. One young athlete is very busy ministering to refugees from Sudan and camps of displaced Africans. In HIS words regarding HIS people, “Life in southern Sudan, Northeast and Central Uganda is hard for our people. Roads are impassable, schools have been washed away, crops are rotting in the fields, and there are fears of disease in the near future from recent rains and flooding. Camps are being set up for those who have lost their homes, and today in Northern Uganda alone, over 12,000 families are living in camps, which is a constant reminder of the war that drove them to these camps in the first place. People are loosing faith in God, thinking that God has condemned them the camps” We might add to this that there is no government aide to be given to the people!

Jackrabbit ministries took over 2 complete sets of used soccer uniforms for t teams. Ah, those uniforms were sported around like they were solid gold! We also took over U of A football caps, soccer balls, footballs and soccer uniforms to gibe away at the conference! Land is still being sought to build a sports complex. As you can imagine, this project is very problematic. But the joy, hope, and love it will give to these athletes overrides problems! A new orphanage, school, and hospital are being built in Fort Portal which is nothing short of a miracle for the people in that area.

We look forward to our return trip in February 2008. Again, we will load up the suitcases with balls, caps, and soccer uniforms along with bible studies and leadership mentoring materials.

Each one of you are remembered daily in our prayers. Your faithfulness, love and encouragement are a blessing. You are appreciated more than words can ever express! During this Holiday Season, we would make a request of you all. Thank God for your families, the country we live in and all His many blessings.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING, MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Love, Joe and Mary Ann Hernandez

P.S. Your continued financial support is making an impact on lives worldwide! THANK YOU!!!