Local woman travels to help care for impoverished elderly people in Romania
By Eric Thomas
There are many missions around the world. One Central Illinois resident recently returned from being on the missions field in Romania. In her own words, she will never be the same.
Not everyone that supports missions work gets an opportunity to see firsthand what their money goes to support. Tammy Guthrie of Jacksonville recently made a trip to see just that. “My husband Tom and I have supported Elder Orphan Care [EOC] for several years,” Guthrie said. “I was honored to recently be chosen to go to Romania and be boots on the ground.”
EOC began its work in 2011 and is based in Concord, North Carolina.
The basis for the work of this organization is found in the Bible. Matthew 25:37-40 talks about helping the least of these. The central theme of the organization is providing hope. Romania is a staggering 8 times poorer than 10 years ago with 44% of Romania living in poverty. Today, many years after the fall of communism, Romania’s infrastructure is still lacking the basic needs in many villages.
“The elderly often live without electricity, clean water, and proper sanitation,” added Guthrie. “Many live on the streets. They are often found abandoned by family, widowed without adequate resources, or stuck in a cycle of poverty they cannot escape.”
Guthrie flew out to its headquarters on October 11 to help pack up supplies for the trip. Then, they were in Romania from October 14–24. The team included Guthrie, Wendy Norcross from Minnesota, plus Kim Jackson and Janna Syester from EOC’s leadership.
The group participated in various needed outreach activities. No day was typical and was usually a mix. They purchased 58 pairs of shoes and socks, snacks, scrub tops and shoes for the nurses and caregivers. Also purchased were outdoor tables and chairs for the residents to use.
“The highlight was, of course, getting to interact with the elders,” Guthrie continued. “We gave them bananas and that simple gesture was so heart touching.” During communism, bananas were next to impossible to get. When any of the group handed someone a banana, the elder would hug and kiss them many times. Guthrie shared that the smiles on their faces made it all worth it.
Guthrie mentioned there were some differences between cultures. In addition to the language difference, there were definite differences in clothing, customs and currency. Many of the older women wore headscarves and in many of the churches, one would see the women all wearing skirts.
There were differences in interaction between the sexes. “It’s okay to hug and kiss the ladies but women never initiate that with men,” Guthrie remarked. “You wait for them to greet you and follow their lead.”
One gentleman in Tinca saw the group coming and tears rolled down his face. He was so happy to see the EOC ministry team show up. “He probably doesn’t have any other visitors,” concluded Guthrie.
A lady in Cociuba shared with them that she never learned to read. She was one of twelve children in her family and her parents could not afford to send them to school. She also told them that she was a widow and that all three of her children were already dead. There were many situations like this and many a tear was shed. Despite not having anything or anybody, these elders continued to smile and thank God for what they have.
EOC also serves elder orphans in Carabbus County in North Carolina. In time, they hope to see more outreaches like this developed in other states.
Learn more about this group by visiting elderorphancare.com.
