Light for Children

CRES stands for Chebsey, Ranton, Ellenhall and Seighford parishes.

First Visit To Romania by CRES

Seven people from the churches of Chebsey, Ranton, Ellenhall & Seighford (CRES) spent four days in the town of Dorohoi in northern Romania. The whole trip lasted six days, two of which were spent travelling. The photos below show CRES team members at various stages of there visit.

The CRES team had been very touched by the Light for Children story and all particularly remembered the TV pictures from the early 1990s when during Ceausescu's oppresive regime many children were placed in massive state orphanages. There were babies in cots in bare rooms, and the first visitors from the west were horrified to find them banging their heads against the cot sides. They wanted to visit Dorohoi to see for themselves the work of Light for Children and how the situation in Romania is changing.

In particular the team were keen to visit the apartment which CRES Churches are financially supporting and to discover how it was helping the children and young people. The men spent 2 days redecorating the apartment and were then able to meet the young people as they came to visit. The apartment will be a place for them to find peace and quiet to do homework, and place of safety and refuge where they can meet with Helen and Costel.

The team took out some toiletries to a number of young people during their stay and are seen here preparing the bags. The team were also able to join in a Saturday club and visit a homework club.

On Friday the four women in our party went to visit a single mother with two small children. She lives in one room of a large very run down house where there is no running water or bathroom facilities and is heated by a very old wood-burning stove. The temperature in Dorohoi in winter reaches -20 C.

She came with her two children to church on Sunday morning as she has recently become a Christian through the love and prayers of Helen, Costel and other Christian charity workers.