Who Makes the Woeful Heart to Sing!

Robed in the blooming garb of spring; 

Jesus is fairer,

Jesus is purer, 

Who makes the woeful heart to sing.

This marvelous old hymn has been beloved by the Church throughout the ages- at least since the 17th Century when an unknown author penned it. Jesus is Fairer reminds us of the promise of spring and renewal, and that the grip of sin and death has been broken at the Cross. The love of Jesus is fairer, the love of Jesus is purer, and it does makes the woeful heart to sing! 

Every year millions of people flock to D.C. to see the Cherry Blossoms, or so it seems to those of us caught up in the traffic around the Tidal Basin. One might lament the congestion but no one can deny the magnificence of the trees ‘robed in the blooming garb of spring’.  On a somewhat (!) lesser scale, the trees on the RCE Campus in Arad are also ‘robed in the blooming garb of spring’. Children from the Darius Houses walk across the campus to Sunshine School, and play in the afternoon under the blossoms of the apple, cherry, and apricot trees.  (In the fall they will enjoy the fruit!)

These precious children understand what ‘woeful’ means. They have been battered, abused, neglected and abandoned by the very ones God meant to love and care for them. The cruel injustice they have suffered has left terrible scars. But God’s love heals broken-hearts. It lifts burdens from the heavy-laden.  “Let the children come to me,” Jesus said. And that is what God’s people at RCE are doing. They are bringing these ‘woeful’ hearts to Jesus for comfort and for the healing.

One of these woeful hearts is Marian, a six year old boy who was abandoned, but now rescued by RCE and lives in Darius House. He can’t wait to have a family one day. By God’s grace, He will come to America in a few short weeks to share his story alongside two of his Sunshine School teachers at our Spring 5K + Fun Run Event on Saturday, May 4th. He would love to meet you.

Easter comes two weeks later in Romania, (per the Orthodox calendar) and everyone on the RCE Campus is busy getting ready. The teachers are telling the story of Jesus love that led him to the Cross. The kids will hear this truth again in story and song at the Chapel, and at home in Darius House and Amy’s House. There will be special cakes (it is Romania) and treats and beautiful clothes for Easter Sunday morning. God’s Spirit transcends language and even the non-verbal children, and those with limited cognitive abilities, can and do feel God’s love and tender mercies. 

Jesus makes the ‘woeful’ heart to sing. Thanks be to God!

The 2019 Fun Run is here!

Saturday, May 4th
from 8:15-10:15am

10701 S. Glen Road
Potomac. MD

We’ll have an official timed cross country 5K and a half mile fun run/walk suitable for families with young kids. The run/walk starts promptly at 9:00 and brunch follows the race.

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Our special guest this spring is Marian who was abandoned as a 4-year old. God’s people at RCE rescued him & today he lives at Darius House & attends Sunshine School. Marian is coming to America (with Carina Martin & Maria Ciorobitca) to RUN for all his friends back in Romania!

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Join us for the Fun Run:

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Other tools to support RCE’s Fun Run:

1. Download the Fun Run flyer

2. Create a personal fundraising page

3. Offer financial support (scroll to the bottom of the page)

RCE is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and all donations are tax-deductible.
All donations go directly to helping children like Marian, so each gift truly makes a difference.

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With your help, we can continue to end cycles of abuse and poverty by giving kids like Marian a hope and a future.

Summer Camp in Romania

Mark Moran is a high school senior from Fourth Presbyterian Church who served in July 2018 at RCE’s Summer Camp which benefits children and families from RCE’s Poverty Prevention Program.

My summer in 2018 was one of my greatest experiences in growing with the Lord. I was blessed with the opportunity to go on not one, but two, mission trips in two different continents in the span of less than a month. My trips to Romania and Ecuador led to my most awe-inspiring moments during which I really could feel the presence of the Holy Spirit working through me and others. 

The Romania trip on July 20-28 was without a doubt the highlight of my summer. Not only was it the first time I left the United States, but I got to experience the other side of the world with a completely different culture. The moment I stopped foot in the Sunshine School located in Arad, Romania— after a long car ride from Budapest, Hungary— I could smell the difference between Romania and the United States. The air was much cooler and more refreshing because we were miles into the countryside with nothing more than farmland and little villages surrounding us. 

Our high school team came to the Sunshine School summer camp to serve the children with disabilities sponsored by Romanian Christian Enterprises. The first person I met was Ovi Martin, Director of RCE. He was very glad to receive us and treated us with great hospitality the entire time. When we arrived at the camp where we were serving the next five days, I was nervous. I didn’t know if I could fit in with the kids that well since I was a newcomer and I couldn’t speak one word of their language. I was happily proved wrong, however, when I met some of the most loving and heartwarming children I have ever encountered. For five days I was blessed to spend time with those children whom I will never forget. We spent precious time playing sports and most importantly, praising God for the blessings he provides us. I will never forget the relationships I made with those children in Romania and I look forward to meeting them again one day!

Sheep Crossing!

Ovidiu Martin was out delivering Christmas gifts in the Romanian countryside when he came across this shepherd and his many sheep. It is a fun glimpse of winter in rural Romania! This farmer clearly has enough sheep, but many families are so needy that the gift of just one farm animal (a cow, or pig, or lamb) can change the fortunes of the family.  One load of firewood can mean the difference between suffering and comfort all winter long. Your gifts do make a difference and they are delivered with a smile and reminder of God’s love.  It’s not too late to give a gift that changes lives.

We are so thankful for your partnership all year long. With your help, and by God’s grace, so many needy children and families are receiving mercy. And we praise the Lord for how much He accomplishes each year through RCE! 2019 holds many challenges for us. But we know that God will be with us, and that He will show us the way forward and provide for all of our needs. We can’t wait to see what the Lord will do through RCE next year!

Christmas is a wonderful reminder of why love and mercy matter so much. Because of His great love and mercy, God sent Jesus to be born a man, to save us from our sins, and to redeem His creation. That redemption is going forth through RCE each and every day as broken lives are restored. And because of Christmas, we can know God as our Heavenly Father and rejoice together in His grace and goodness to us.

Merry Christmas and Thank You!

Jim Perry
Chairman

Advent: God With Us Through Deeds of Mercy

It has become cliché to point out the contradiction that a celebration of the birth of Jesus—who lived and dwelled among the poor and broken things of this earth—should inspire a frenzy of materialism. When we celebrate the transcendent moment when God came to earth by purchasing unnecessary things for people who already have too much, it will probably not lead us to a deeper joy in or a greater understanding of the incarnation. Giving gifts to people we love (or sharing what we have with those in need) as a remembrance of the gift that God gave us is a good thing. But the excess of the season can get in the way of the blessings to be found in quiet contemplation and celebration of the birth of Christ our Lord. 

 The Kingdom of God came to earth that starry night in Bethlehem to the sound of angels singing, but the life of Jesus disappointed many who had waited for and wanted a Messiah who would bring political power and might. Instead, Jesus spent his time with sinners, annoyed the religious elite, healed the sick, and preached the good news of the Gospel to the poor. John the Baptist, clearly confused and disappointed, sent the disciples to ask Jesus, “Are you the one we have been waiting for? Are you really the Messiah?” From John’s prison cell, it didn’t look like the Kingdom had come.

 “Tell John what you have seen and heard…” Jesus said (quoting Isaiah), “…that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them.” 

He is King of glory, He is the Lord of mercy, and we are his image bearers! Today, God’s people are extending the Kingdom in Romania by sharing the good news of the Gospel with the poor and oppressed, loving the widow and the orphan, and welcoming the stranger at the gate. You can find God there, dwelling in the broken lives now rescued, restored and redeemed.