Final thoughts from Camp Harghita 2016

Translator Alice and Jackson
relaxing between busy times

Here are 2 final testimonies from the team who traveled to Romania to serve some severely at-risk children.

Today was a pretty rough day. We had our meeting & it was pretty hard getting to the chapel without the kids coming with. Then, when the meeting was over, we had to eat breakfast with these kids, knowing that in just 1 hour, we would all be leaving. We had some time left with the kids to wrap up, tell them we love them, and that we would see them again, even if it wouldn't be on this earth. We watched the kids pack up while we were all a mess. We said "Te Iubesc" ("I love you") and hugged them. Then we stood there and just watched them in the bus for what seemed like eternity. Once they left, we packed up and took off on our nice long six hour bus ride back to Bucharest, where we would stay for the night until 5 am. This week was life-changing, and I will never forget the kids. They have impacted my life so greatly.  - Jackson Lind

Grace Wolbrecht. Pose?

I knew going home would be the most difficult part of the trip, but I had no idea how attached to these wonderful kids I would become. Romania is a beautiful country, but these children are even more so. They love so much even when they don't recieve it themselves. My heart is completely crushed knowing that I might never see them ever again, but I know what we accomplished here. We showed the truth of God's love for them. Though it pains me to walk away, our team has left them with a new hope and, for many of them, a renewed faith. I pray that these children continue to feel the love that we feel for them, but most of all, what eternal love God has for them. - Gracie Wolbrecht

The team has arrived home safely and will be resting up for the next couple days! If you are interested in going on one of our mission trips please look at the video below and visit our mission tip page HERE.

Phase 2 of Breaking through Barriers Begins!

John Frank Reeve, Larry Myers and Deb Myers

A second team was in Romania this week doing a construction project on the 3rd floor the Point of Hope Development Center in Tarneveni, Romania. The team was led by ACF co-founder John Frank Reeve. Also on the team were Larry and Deb Myers and Bonnie Hebert. All of the team members were from Lafayette, Louisiana.

As many of you may know Another Child Foundation, in 2015 had our first capital campaign called Breaking through Barriers. The focus of the campaign was to raise funds to renovate 3 rooms into life-skill development rooms. One being a wood-working classroom, another being a sewing or fabrics classroom, and the final room a cooking classroom. These life skill rooms are to be completed this summer with the help of 2 mission teams and a construction crew from Romania. Also included in this renovation was a large restroom including 5 toilets and two sinks for the 80+ after-school kids attending the Point of Hope. Because our supporters were so generous we were also able to start on a pre-school recreation room. This room will eventually have an indoor playground and other learning stations for our 40 pre-school children.

Bonnie Hebert

Below is a series of pictures for you to look at. Please remember that these rooms had been completed striped of EVERYTHING of value. All the wiring and wood had been stripped years ago by local residents to sell for food.

I ask that you please look at he video below to understand the vision of the Breaking through Barriers campaign.

Joy and Grief Equals Growth!

As each trip winds down you can really feel the relationships deepening. The kids really open up and share some of their hardships. We challenge the team members each day to find out the stories of at least one child each day. Some of the team members find this very easy, others not so much. As a leader myself I felt uneasy having these kids open up all of their pain to me. After a few years I really began to understand the healing process that begins when you share your hurts with others. I know this group is great at being in prayer for these kids. Their trip leader Tina Anderson does a great job of mentoring the entire team. ACF is very thankful to have Tina and the other adult leaders showing their strong Christian example to the youth on this trip!

Katy doing the soccer thing!

Wow! Today was a crazy day! But it was full of amazing experiences that will stick for a life time. This morning, the Bible study was about how we have all sinned and how badly we all need Jesus to be forgiven and saved. We opened to floor to any and all questions the kids might have concerning anything about the Bible at all, even if it wasn't part of the lesson. There were so many good questions and I was so happy to see these kids so interested in something like this. Each child is unique and precious in their own way, I have completely fallen in love with them. Tomorrow is the last day of VBS and I am already dreading leaving them. Five days is such a short time to make connections and build relationships, but they have opened themselves up to us so much these past few days it is amazing. Of course there has been plenty of drama and sometimes the kids don't like to play nicely together (to put it mildly). There has been just as many challenges as there has been good times. I am grateful for both because while the happy moments encourage us and make fill us with joy, the hard things are what helps us grow and builds our character and makes us realize how dependent we are on God. Thanks to everyone back home who is reading this and praying for us! - Katy Anderson

Blaire and our Romanian volunteers

Here is Blaire's account of the day!

   This is my first time at camp and I see why my sister, Bailey has loved it so much! We are witnessing God doing great things in these kids lives. Now that the week is coming towards the end, we notice the more the kids are opening up more. This is kind of bittersweet, because we are leaving soon and are just getting connected with them. It's truly touching to hear all the stories of these kids. Although there is a language barrier, we have awesome translators to help us along the way. I am glad that I get to be apart of these kids journeys getting to know the Lord. I hope that we have put an everlasting knowledge of how much God loves them! 

Day #4 at Camp Harghita!

I hope all of you are enjoying the words of the mission trip people who are assisting children at Camp Harghita in Romania. Some beautiful words are recorded today by Jenna Grimmer and Laura Richey. I ask that you read them and let them soak in to your heart. The work Another Child is doing in the world is truly amazing. We thank God each and every day that His name is being lifted high.

Gabi, Jenna, Josie & Markus leading worship!

I am overwhelmed with emotions. Romania is beautiful, the kids are awesome, and the team and translators are so much fun while we are working hard together. In just 4 days with the kids I have fallen in love with them. I am amazed at their willingness to give, love, and open up to us despite their past traumas. Today I learned a few of their stories and I was heartbroken for the kids. I totally underestimated the severity of some of their situations. My prayer for the kids and I ask all of you to pray as well, that they become something more than what they are set up to become. Also, that they would understand that humans fail us but God's love is perfect and he is always for us then their horrible traumas cannot stand against them.- Jenna Grimmer


 “The grasslands of the wilderness overflow; the hills are clothed with gladness. The meadows are covered with flocks and the valleys are mantled with grain; they shout for joy and sing.”
‭‭Psalm‬ ‭65:12-13‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

     During music time for vacation bible school this week, we’ve been talking about shouting for joy. It turns out that Romanian kids shout the same thing that kids back home shout when they are excited. They say “yay!”just as my little four year old daughter does when she thinks of anything she likes (a cookie, a game, her grandma, etc.!)

     I don’t know if God was thinking of Harghita at the time that He gave David the words to write Psalm 65, but this trip is definitely what I think of when I read it. Since this is my second time at Camp Harghita, I feel more aware of my surroundings, and even more amazed by the wonderful blessing it is to be here in this place God has set apart for His people to come together. Across land and sea, this team of Romanian and American workers joins a group of forty precious children in the mountains.

The team bangin' out a beat during music!

Yesterday, one of our multi-talented translators told me that one of the kids made a specific appointment with her to sit with us at lunch so we can talk about Jesus. Hearing her say those words was awesome, but writing them down right now makes me realize even more what a privilege it is to witness what God is doing in the lives of these kids. An eleven year old boy (almost the same age as my older daughter) wants to sit with us so he can talk about Jesus! I have a very strong feeling he could be the one teaching us. He is full of questions about God’s word, eager to learn, eager to be with those whom he hopes will encourage him in his faith.

     My heart says, “Lord, who are we that You should allow us such an opportunity, to share in the incredible work You are doing in this young man’s life? Who are we humans, that You should see us, care for us, send your Son to pay the penalty for our sins?"

     Lord, we are your instruments. Jesus, please give us more opportunities to talk about You and learn about You with our brothers and sisters here in Romania. We shout for joy!

“The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders; where morning dawns, where evening fades, you call forth songs of joy.” - Laura Richey

Damian and the Shakers!

Relaxing between activities!

Katy hoopin it up!

God Is On The Move!

Damian & Laura leading music!

Each day of camp the relationships between the kids and team deepens. While the team members are always concerned that they might not be connecting they are! Today we hear from Damian DeKezel from Cambridge, Illinois and Josie Lind from Walnut, Illinois. Damian is a first timer to Romania and Josie is on her 3rd trip. 

   God is on the move! An awesome song and it's really true! I seen it in a big way today.  I help Laura with the music each day. First day was hard because of the communication barrier. Not to take away from our translators because they're great. It's still takes a lot of work.

    Today though, God really moved in and took over! The kids made bells to shake during the song "eye of the Storm" by Ryan  Stevenson. We had all of them stand in a circle. The team sat in a circle in the middle. I was blessed to be the " conductor". The song started, and God took over. With all the struggles of language, there was none with this song. The team kept the beat perfectly with the "drum" cups and the kids came right in with their bells when the needed to. It was beautiful! It gave me goosebumps!!

   God is the ultimate Conductor and I was so humbled to do his work for him. Can't wait for tomorrow! -Damian DeKezel

Musical Chairs I am guessing!

   Yesterday was the first day of VBS, and it was chaos! There is a boy in my group who does not like to listen to directions, but he loves to make trouble. I could not get him to follow instructions all day! I decided to just try to love on him and be his bud, and at first he was declining.

   This morning, he and another boy in the group who was kind of quiet called out in a sing-song kind of voice, "Hey, Josie Lind," and they had me sit between them. Throughout the day, the misbehaving boy turned into one of my best friends, and the other boy called me his sister! These kids are the sweetest. It breaks my heart to think about leaving them! - Josie Lind

Our Awesome Christian Leaders!

Tomorrow we will be posting a complete update on how everyone is doing. Some of you are probably waiting for your family member of friend to have their turn sharing. No worries! Everyone will get their chance. We also hope to have many more pictures!

If you are interested in joining us on a future mission trip please check out our

MISSION TRIPS PAGE

Kaylee Smile!

Kaylee Smile! What a great title to a blog post! Kaylee Towne has been a huge blessing to this team since we all met her a few months ago. She jumped right in looking for leadership opportunities. One of the things Another Child concentrates on is the spiritual development of each team member. Many times we are fortunate to have some very mature Christians on the team and then other times we have some inexperienced Christians who are bursting at the seams wanting to do good things for God. Kaylee falls into the bursting at the seams category. Enjoy a few of her words as she describes her early thoughts on her mission trip experience.

Hello everyone at home! Today was a great day. Yesterday I met two girls. Today, they opened up to me and told me many things about themselves. It's only the second day being with them and I'm already worried about having to leave them. These are just two of the kids out of forty. These two are great but ALL of them make me laugh. Back at home people usually have to tell me "Kaylee smile!" But here that doesn't have to happen. Just this week alone I think I have smiled five times as much as I have in the last 3 months. The language barrier sometimes restricts our conversation, but the translators here are amazing. They truly go out of their way to help no matter what. The translators and the kids are very kind. Our lesson today was about the usual 'outcast.' We all discussed how people may call us different, but in the end we are not. We are all one in God's eyes. It doesn't matter what color you are, what language you speak, or what you've done, God loves us all. So keeping that in mind, please pray for our group and the kids. Pray for them to open up and accept our love, and to accept the love of Jesus.  Thank you for your support! - Kaylee Towne

Feels Like Home!

Each year Another Child Foundation has some people who are so overwhelmed that they just have to come back. Many of them start to feel like Romania, and the kids we serve, feel like being home. Here is Brett Kepner's description of "being home".

It is amazing to be back in Romania! Seeing the kids again brought on emotions that have been building up since the last time I told them "See you later!". It feels as though I have started where I left off. I am truly blessed with an amazing team who, like teams in years past, has come to love these kids and show them what God's love looks like! I am so excited to continue building the relationships that I have already begun, and starting to create new ones with children I have never met until now. I can feel God's presence in this camp, and see his spirit in the eyes of the children. My prayers are full of just wanting these kids to know what God's love is, and that we can show them what it looks like, what it feels like, and that we are all loved by Him. I cannot wait for the rest of my time here at camp, and, though it will be hard to say goodbye, I pray that when these children leave, they will leave with the knowledge that they are loved! Not only by us, by more importantly, by God. - Brett Kepner

Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. (1 john 4:8-9)

Jacob, Jacob, Jacob!!

One of the coolest things that the team leaders of our trips get to  experience is how others make connections. The first day is always the hardest because of many items. But, once the ice-breakers are over the kids settle in nicely and relationships begin to blossom. It never ceases to amaze the people on these trips on how loving, giving and accepting these children are. Below Jacob Smith shares how his first day went.

Today was a day full of mixed emotions. Waking up this morning I had a mind full of excitement  yet uncertainty and anxiety. Not knowing what to expect from the kids and being uncertain in  what I would say or what exactly I would do with the kids was what was making me nervous. I  wanted to make a lasting impact on the kids as early on as the first day and get settled in for the  rest of the week with the kids. As the kids and translators got off the bus I was overjoyed to see  all the smiling eyes and faces from them. As the day went on and I was around the kids more  and more, they started to smile back at my and try and pronounce the name on my name tag  and I would try and pronounce their name and give them a high five in return. Later during some  of the free time I had kids wanting me to pay attention to them and pulling me in all directions  saying Jacob, Jacob, Jacob! Whether it was playing soccer or volleyball or hanging out with  them outside or in the chapel I had come across basically every kid at camp. At the end of the  night during the minute to win it games in the chapel I was picked to participate in one of the  games. When I went up a lot of the kids said Jacob, and gave me a thumbs up as  encouragement. It felt like I had my own fan club. Kids wanted me to sit next to them to make  handshakes, say high and talk, or to feel my arms haha. All in all I had a great day and was so  happy to meet most of the kids and make some great friends as well. - Jacob Smith

Another Child would like to encourage anyone who is interested in being involved in one of these life-changing trips to CLICK HERE for more information on our mission trips. Our trips are specially designed for the person who has not done a lot of international travel. Our trips are also safe but still impact everyone involved.

Day #1 at Camp Harghita!

Cookie Monsters!

I am sure most of you have experienced camp either as a participant or as a leader. Camp is a very special time for all kids. However, when you are an orphan in Romania camps mean even more and the relationships you develop during this very special week make a bigger difference than most people can imagine. The theme for this years camp is LOVE IS... The team has the goal of showing through their actions, words and love that God does indeed love them and that the true definition of LOVE begins and ends with our creator.

Below Candy Lind from Walnut, Illinois shares my the time we invest into these children;s lives does 'make a difference'.


Today the kids arrived at camp.  Having been here before, I did know what to expect.  The bus would drive up, we would wave and smile; and timid, nervous kids would climb down the steps after a very long and twisty bus ride.  Something happened, though, that was unexpected.

Before I share this experience, I would like to share with you something Gabi, our Romanian camp coordinator, talked about at tonight's team meeting.  She mentioned that we are making lasting memories on these kids.  This week might be the most fun they will ever have.  The WILL remember us.  With that said, I will go into the unexpected.

Two years ago there was a boy who desperately needed love.  He would hug, hold one of our hands, or rub an arm at any chance.  Although he spoke very little English, he communicated with us his great need for love.  Well, Facebook can be a great thing.  I was able to become "friends" with him, and with the wonderful technology, we have been able to communicate though this network -- translation taken care of!  A few days before camp, this boy messaged me that he missed me and loved me.  I knew he was coming to camp, but I was a bit leery about the first face-to-face meeting in just under two years.  Would the words typed on Facebook hold meaning?  Here is the unexpected:  they held much more meaning than I could have dreamed of.  When this boy got off the bus, he made a beeline for me, giving me a hug that was better than anything!  The squeeze was completely genuine!  The connection from two years ago meant something, and I am looking so forward to continuing to show this young man unconditional love that he so greatly needs.

We make lasting memories all of the time.  Some are good, and some are bad.  We need to always be aware of this and take advantage of the opportunities that God has laid before us, keeping in mind that impact we have on those we come into contact with.  

I appreciate the continued prayers as we jump into the VBS program this week! - Candy Lind

Thank you Candy for making the choice to invest some of your time, resources and love to make a difference!

Breaking through Barriers JUNE UPDATE!

Last year we made the decision to complete the renovation of the third floor of the Point of Hope Development Center. This capital campaign was called "Breaking through Barriers" and had the purpose of renovating the remaining class-rooms into life-skill development rooms. This was a large under-taking due to the remaining rooms were completely stripped of anything with any value. All of the wiring and wood had been stripped from the walls when the building sat abandoned for several years. Well the renovation has rendered its first completed room!

The donors who have made the Breaking through Barriers campaign a reality need to be recognized for their generous hearts! Thanks to each of you for your support of this project.

In May we concentrated on completing the 3rd floor bathroom. The bathroom is done and looks magnificent. As you can see in the pictures we have added a number of stalls for the kids and 2 sinks. The tile work looks very clean and bright. I am sure the children will love the cleanliness of this room. It is much different than the outdoor restroom they use when not at the Point of Hope Center.

Bathroom before

Bathroom nearly complete

Finished!

An inside look :-)

This month we are starting on the sewing or fabrics room. As you can see by the pictures the room is ready to go. I want to ask each of you to remember what this room looked like before the renovation began and then compare to the final product. I think you will be amazed at what your support has done for these children.

Sewing room prepped to start work

A blank slate is a good place to start!

The end results will be magnificent! The 125 children we serve on a daily basis will have access to a preschool play area for those times when playing outside are not conducive, a wood-working classroom, and sewing/fabrics classroom, and a cooking classroom. These 4 new rooms along with a new restroom will give our children a chance to develop some valuable life-skills needed to survive in their environments.

ACF is so very thankful to ALL of our supporters for their commitment to these children. The Breaking through Barriers campaign had 2 goals. First, was to raise the $43,000 needed to complete the renovations. The second goal is to raise an additional $17,000 for the ongoing costs of the program for 2 years. We have successfully raised the first $43,000 and are now working on the $17,000. If you feel called to support the completion on this project you can click on the link below to MAKE A DIFFERENCE!