as usual, no time to write!

Our lives are always so busy. I always think it's going to get easier and we'll have more time ... but it's never happened so far. While we were in the UK Irina and Viorel's baby boy, Gabriel was born - they are coping reasonably well with having two children, especially as wee Daniela just started school which she is loving. Since our return from the UK three weeks ago we have had a performing arts team - they were great, I'll post photos as soon as I get chance. Then we had the birth of Johanna and Philip's baby, obviously a major event in all our lives.

Last week we finally employed a full time social worker, Dana whose post is funded for the first year by "Humanity at Heart" a small charity in the south of England. We also have Angelica working with us as a general worker in the day centre, her job is funded jointly by PCF Romania Projects in Wolverhampton, UK and our Scottish Support Group based in Falkirk, Scotland. Our new Peace Corps volunteer, Shaneka brings our basic "stable" team to five with Kenneth and myself (hence I use the word stable loosely!). We have Irina and Lidia as regular volunteers -Irina didn't want to continue working full time but would like at some point to be taken on again as part time. Finally, three of the young folk from the streets volunteer on a less regular basis, but we are keen to encourage them and develop this aspect of the work.

These long hoped for additions mean that (at least in theory) we should be able to be freed up a little to do some of the other things which we have long struggled to find time for - more time for writing newsletters and reports and of course more time for sadly neglected family and friends!

oh no ... more clokes!

On Monday evening at 2045 Central European Time (GMT +3) baby Rafaela Alisa More finally deigned to enter the world. More than two weeks late and after a long labour (poor Philip really suffered!) Johanna finally gave birth as she had wanted, naturally and completely drug free. The photo above is literally just after birth once she'd been checked out by the paediatrician and the photo below was taken the next day when my mum came. My mum, myself, Johanna and now Rafaela are all firstborns and all girls, so it was quite a rare and special photo!

to the Uk and back & a nice photo of Scotland

We are just back from a trip to the UK. We drove overland as usual (me, Kenneth, Amy and Yasmina), but this time with our friends Lesley and Innes and their two children Conor and Rachael. The journey was good, the kids behaved really well and Conor and Rachael coped much better than their mum thought they would ... shame on you Lesley!

Our visit was quite a mixture of good and bad times. It was lovely to see friends and family (not that we saw much of family sadly ... need to do a separate trip I think) but we had a few problems to deal with which took a lot of our time. We were also not very well and on top of everything we received some very sad news, the 24 year old son of some very dear friends here in Arad died of cancer and an old friend was found in the river Clyde. We were deeply affected by both deaths and can't even begin to imagine what it must be like for the parents in both cases. Then as we travelled across Europe we heard of a colleagues death.

Coming back saw us, as usual plunged right into the thick of things ... our new Peace Corps volunteer arrived in our absence, a team of entertainers arrived the day after us and there was the usual catching up af all the things left undone in our absence. Then to top it all, more sad news - Philip's lovely dad Malcolm finally lost his years long batle with cancer - we'll miss him.

Amy stayed behind to help friends with their son after school, just until the end of the month. Kenny is hopping between Arad and Timisoara and doing the occasional gig DJ-ing. Johanna is now 9 months and 8 days pregnant ... watch this space!