Rivers of Life, Romania...No Longer Forsaken!

CHRISTMAS UPDATE 2011 


Lydia Measner, Founder of Rivers of Life Romania, plans to return to the USA to spend Christmas with her family. She will be reunited again with 12 yr. old Casian, her adopted son from Romania. He has been enrolled in a Christian School International Program in Alabama while Lydia has recently been fulfilling ministry responsibilities in Romania. By faith, Lydia is scheduled to come with Casi’s little 3 ½ yr. old sister, Estera (Esther) Anne, also from Romania.

In addition to enjoying Christmas together as a family, Lydia is returning to Alabama to address necessary family issues. While home in the US, Lydia’s ministry will function from her US base, a mobile home near Casi's school in Alabama. After many failed attempts, Lydia has received Esther’s parents' permission to bring her to the US. If all goes according to plans, Esther will arrive in the US with a 6 month visa and 3 year passport, and she will stay until May when Casi's school is out for summer break.

Following is a personal update from Lydia…
“Whew! How rapidly everything can change. Esther and I are - by faith - on schedule to arrive before Christmas! Esther’s visa interview at the American embassy is Tuesday, Dec. 20th, and we have reservations to fly to US on the 23rd.

Esther’s father (Mitica) has stayed drunk almost every day since the birth of their 6th child on Nov. 30th. On Tuesday, the 13th, he beat Para (Casi and Esther’s mother) up with his fists and feet, and all the children heard him threatening to chop them all up in pieces with a meat cleaver. Then he threw them out of the house in the cold with the 2 yr. old literally dressed in only an undershirt. I rushed over with clothes of Esther's, to pick them up and take them to the Child Protective Agency maternal center.

Unfortunately, the agency doesn't receive anyone at night, and we were told that there was no room for them. So, all five children and their mother have stayed for two nights with me, plus the 4 university students who are sub-renting my apartment.

This morning we received news that Casian’s mother, Para, was accepted at the Christian home for single mothers in Medias. God seems to be moving to answer our long-term prayers for the safety of Para's children. However, their acceptance at the home is based on Esther coming to the states with me, because that home for single mothers has always said that they do not have facilities for more than 4 children per family.

Casi and I are SO looking forward to having Esther with us!

All our love and gratitude…
Lydia, Casi, and Estera”

This summer, Lydia hopes to take Casi and Esther with her to Romania, where she plans to build an inexpensive one-room church in Gusterita and reopen Rivers of Life Church. At that time Lydia will work on getting more permanent papers for Esther, who will by then, have been under Lydia’s care for a total of more than 9 continuous months. Esther lived with Lydia and Casian in Romania from the time she was 7 months to 22 months old and has been consistently living with Lydia again for the past 3 ½ months. God spoke powerfully a mandate to Lydia to prepare both Esther and Casian for the mighty call He has placed on their lives.

Lydia believes that the words God spoke over each of the young disciples group in their Rivers of Life Church will be fulfilled and she sees God bringing each one, now in their early-to-mid-twenties, to maturity. With a strong burden for taking part in the final harvest in both Romania and the U.S., Lydia believes there are many prophetic words that have been spoken over her since 1988, when she began her ministry in Romania, that have yet to be fulfilled and she trusts God will bring each and every one to fulfillment.

PLEASE NOTE: We prayerfully trust the LORD will provide the necessary funds for Lydia and Estera's airfare and related travel expenses ($2500 +). We ask for your prayers for Lydia and Esther’s safe travel.

If you would like to make a contribution, donations can be made by mailing a check made out to Rivers of Life, or online
.