A Revolution of the Heart

July 4, 2008 - At the Festival of Hope dedication service, volunteers involved in the Festival shared about their lives in Timisoara.

by Ann Marie Chilton

Dana, who is serving as a volunteer counselor with the Festival this weekend, attends a local church and has her master’s degree in counseling. She feels called to serve the people of Timisoara as a social worker because Romanians face obstacles with a struggling economy and a governmental system that is still recovering from years of communist rule.

"I would say that the biggest problem in the social system is the family leaving to earn money, " Dana says. “So they leave behind children. I’ve worked in adoption."

Even though Romania is undergoing many positive changes, the shift to join the European Union created some additional economic strains for families because prices are higher. As a result, some parents have left their children behind in Romania while they travel to work.

Dana says, “That would be an area that needs attention: praying for families to be able to stay together and to get enough money."

However, the standards for orphans are changing for the better.

"The system is not so much suggesting large orphanages,” Dana says. “Instead they go into foster care and families. The European Union upholds these standards, and it’s much better for the children."

Although the Romanian Revolution occurred in 1989, Festival Chairman Samy Tutac says that true changes were not manifested until the mid-nineties.

Samy says, "After the revolution, historians from Romania said, 'We need 20 years to learn democracy.' And many people didn’t like to hear that, but after 20 years, we understand. We need another 10 years maybe because we now have a lot of freedom."

After the revolution, Romanians are finding that political and social freedom do not bring all the answers to life’s struggles. Romanians, like all people, need a revolution of the heart, a chance to experience new life through Jesus Christ.

As Romanians grow toward becoming a stable and healthy country, please pray that families will be able to stay together.

And pray for the Festival of Hope in Timisoara, that the Word of God will bring hope to thousands of Romanians who are searching for a lasting revolution and the freedom found only in a relationship with the Savior, Jesus Christ.