Day 3. This is the day that we started to do what we came here to do: WORK.

Steve Cooper wanted us up and ready to go to work by 7.15 a.m. And we were. Before leaving Steve conducted prayers asking God to help us do our work well and also to look after our families back home.

It took about 45 minutes to travel to Casa Lumina at Comanesti. The route took us through hillsides and valleys and was of far more interest than the entire trip from Bucharest.

The Casa Lumina orphanage is an inspiring place to be around and from the first moments we could hear the voices of what are now adults and adolescence yet still with the minds of children.

The extension to the orphanage has now largely been completed on the outside but internally most of the walls and ceilings were at the framework stage with boarding still to be fitted; our job for the week.

I teamed up with three of our volunteers from the North East to finish off installing insulation to the ceilings and the rest formed themselves into teams to hang the OSB boards to the walls and ceilings. Like every new task it takes a while to establish a routine and discover the strengths and weaknesses of team members. At this point caution needs to be exercised to ensure accidents don't occur. Unfortunately a mobile access tower collapsed whilst Jeff was on it and a corner of an OSB board caught his nose. It did cause his nose to bleed but fortunately no major damage was done.

I and my team were working in a different part of the building site, but we noticed how the hammering had speeded up by mid-morning. The rest had gotten into the flow. By the end of the day everybody had gained immense satisfaction from a good days work with every member learning some new DIY skills. It is also with great satisfaction that I can report a growing camaraderie between us all, not just from the Tenterden team members but North East members as well. The banter was truly flowing by the end of the day.

When we had first arrived at Casa Lumina the weather was overcast. It had been raining and the residence hadn't been allowed into the play area. Towards the end of the day the sun emerged and so did the orphans. It was truly fantastic to see the joy and happiness within these young people. Only a few years ago these children had no joy or hope, living in appalling conditions with no chance of ever receiving love. Today their lives have changed; they are different people living different lives with the love and affection they crave for. This is due solely to the wonderful work conducted by Casa Lumina and Cry in the Dark. It makes us appreciate that every nail we hammer home is for the happiness of these young people.

Jeff took away one other abiding message today; "even clergy can perform tasks of labour".

Terry Norrington