Unknown, Known

Unknown, Known

 

Nick and Viorica Duta have an unusual calling. As retirees living in Romania, one might expect their days to be filled with leisure, slowing down to savor the life God has given them. But, with both of their children and their grandchildren living across the Atlantic in the United States, the Dutas have found a new calling for their lives over the last decade and a half, one that is a far cry from lazy retirement.

As His Little Ones’ Romanian ambassadors, this energetic and loving couple has become the hands and the feet of Christ for our organization. They visit our partner orphanages, care for the children, keep copious records of medical and personal history for each child, and serve as a constant force for an otherwise shifting reality.

They serve as a constant force for an otherwise shifting reality.

Each week these two take a group of orphans with them to church. They take them to a meal at a local McDonald’s and give them the kind of love a grandparent would give his grandchild. Every month or two they play host to a large birthday celebration that helps each child feel special, known, and remembered. They organize Christmas and Easter gifts to remind children the real meaning of these holidays. Seeing their interactions with the children, it is clear the positive impact they are making. In a sea of unknowns, their smiling faces are a welcome sight for both the orphanage staff and the orphans themselves.

In a sea of unknowns, their smiling faces are a welcome sight for both the orphanage staff and the orphans themselves.

And the Dutas do it all with love in their smiles while displaying the heart of a true servant. They get no pay; they get little thanks. Their service is birthed out of obedience and love for the one who has given us everything, the one who is the father to the fatherless and hope to the hopeless. They do it all in the name of Jesus Christ.

The Dutas aren’t just part of our team, they are the heartbeat of our ministry. We love them. We pray for them. And we are confident you will do the same.