February 14, 2004

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

As Valentine’s Day was approaching love did not seem to be in the air here in Tulcea. The weather has been awful. There is no such thing as snow removal from the streets and sidewalks in Tulcea. There is very little heat in most of the orphanages—unless you come on an official visit and then they will turn it on for the visitors. I am no longer a visitor warranting special privileges so I can witness the daily lives of these children. Thanks to some wonderful ladies in Oregon, Minnesota, and Texas the children all have hats, mittens, and slippers. Still, after a while the long winter wears people down. Plus, rumors, gossip, petty jealousies, bickerings, tempers flaring (regretably my own) were all the things that gave me reason to ask, “What am I doing here?” In summary, I was feeling lousy and sorry for myself.

Then I checked my email and I received this wonderful love letter from Costica, a young man whom NOROC has been helping for the past three years. He had no way of knowing how I was feeling, but God knew. This letter reminded me why I am here.

Costica knows the system now, and he is helping to teach the others how to manage. The following letter written in English by Costica tells what NOROC is accomplishing in the name of Jesus Christ.

Hello, dear Mary!

I just feel that I need to tell you how much I love you for the extraordinary person that you have been to us since we have met you. I knew from the begining that my life and other children’s lives would face a lot of changes since you have decided to put your life, your time, and your big love in trying to change as much as you can all the people’s lives you have been in touch with. You are an amazing person and we all miss you a lot when we are far away from you. I am also thinking of the names of the other many boys and girls whom you could change their future. I remember, when I was still living at the boys home that the Director of the Child Protection System came once and he asked me: “Who is going to support your school tuition and everything?” I answered him: “The Noroc Foundation through Mary Ferris,” [Here Costica is wrong—it is the NOROC Foundation, through the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), which serves in the name of Jesus Christ.] And he said: “You know that you don’t have any future if you put yourself in anybody’s help. All of those people who are trying to help can only make you dream of a better life and you will end up dreaming and then you will wake up and will see how much time you lost dreaming!” I told him that helping people to dream is much better then doing nothing to help them change their lives. Noroc and all of its staff not only helps children to dream, but also helps them to create their own plans and try to find a way to make their plans come true. I need to tell you that I am one of these children. My dream was to go to the university, even though a lot of the people thought that could only be an idea. Well—my dream of becoming a good teacher is on its way to becoming true because, look, I am at the university thanks to you, Mary, and to the other people who are involved in Noroc’s busines. I just feel good when I am telling you these kind of things. I appreaciate all of what you are still doing. God bless you and God bless Noroc! Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Love you very much!

Thank you Costica! He gets it! NOROC is about helping kids make plans to fulfill their own dreams.

I called Costica to thank him for this very timely letter and he told me he was never able to feel things before, much less express his feelings, and now he wants to tell everyone how much he loves them. He wrote similar letters to others who have helped him through the years.

Costica will be a global partner this summer at the Youth Triennium and following the Triennium, he will itinerate with me on some of my visits to churches on my mission interpretation assignemnt. He will do a presentation about life growing up in a Romanian Orphanage.

I will be in the United States from June 15 to October 15 for my mission interpretation assignment. If your church is interested in having Costica and/or myself come for a program, please email me soon at mferris@x3m.ro or mkferris@yahoo.com and I will respond immediately. It is very helpful to have specific dates in mind. I am at the point I need to start specific planning, so contact me soon. Transportation and lodging are the only fees expected as I am paid by the Worldwide Ministries Division of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).

In God’s Love

Mary Ferris

The 2004 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 318