Pictures Galore!

Here are some pictures from the last 2 days of ministry in Romania...enjoy!

The Bike Rally



Tim & Debi

Dennis & Kaitlyn at the Group Home

 The kids at the TM airport

 Getting ready for snacks at the picnic on Tuesday

The mural getting started

 Dawn and 2 young girls. Pictures at the zoo! 

 The monkey cage was great!

 Grill master Dennis?

 The slides were popular for all the kids

 The mural taking shape

 Crafts during the VBS

 Tricia and Iacob!

 Kaitlyn the artist!

 Dennis and Rita

 The final touches on the mural

 The finished product!

Dawn Cook, Tricia Danley. Kaitlyn Danley, and Dennis Huston. Team CUMC

VBS Day at the Point of Hope Development Center

I first want to apologize for not making a timely posting to wrap up days 5 & 6 so I am now in catch up mode. On Monday the team was to meet the children at the local airport so the children could see some real live jets up close. Once again the day could not have had better weather. The team once again woke up to cool air and bright blue skies. Temps eventually got up into the low 70's. God has blessed up with glorious weather so far but the forecast for Tuesday and the zoo trip seemed in danger with a not so good forecast. The team started off going to the Fundatia Buckner office here in Targu-Mures to start the week off in their weekly prayer meeting with the Romanian staff. Upon arrival at the office we met another staff member for the Buckner Group Home by the name of Lili. We all talked about what the prayer concerns of each of had and then prayed in our native languages to God. The largest portion of the prayers was for the imminent rain to hold off until we could complete the trip to the TM zoo on Tuesday afternoon. After the prayer meeting the team headed off to buy the paint supplies needed for the work project at the Point of Hope. Once the team got those supplies we headed to the airport to meet the kids. While we missed the landing of the airliner coming in the kids did get to visit a fighter jet and see the WIZZ AIR jet from the windows of the terminal. The kids were amazed at the size of the plane and just how many people could actually sit on such an aircraft.

The team then enjoyed a picnic lunch with the children before finishing the day at the Center painting the Noah's Ark mural on the wall. All 3 (Dawn, Trisha, and Kaitlyn) did a great job with this while Dennis and I did a fabulous job supervising the work. The night ended up at dinner with another Buckner staff member Ali. Ali has been with Fundatia Buckner for 7 years and has done a great job translating and working in the office and the Point of Hope Center.

Day 6 ended better than we had hoped or prayed for. After some big thunderstorms on Monday night the team woke up to  a gloomier morning. Clouds were thick but the rain was holding off  for now. Since the zoo trip wasn't until noon the team immediately started painting again. The mural is looking very good and I am sure the kids will enjoy it tremendously and it sure brightens up and brings life to the room. After cleaning up the team was told that the trip to the zoo was still on because the rain was still holding off. The children and the team loaded the bus at noon and off to the zoo we went. The zoo was very impressive with many of the large jungle animals able to be seen. From an elephant, to lions, bears, tigers, snakes the kids loved it. However, the monkeys seemed to catch the kids attention the most. The laughed as the monkeys swung from limb to limb as if there were showing off for our kids. After the 2 hour tour the kids enjoyed another picnic lunch courtesy of  ACF's long term missionaries Dennis & Swanna Lofton. After the kids played on some very nice playground equipment it was time to head home. As the whistle blew to round the kids up it started to rain. By the time we all took a bathroom break the rain had us all wet but it did not take away the fun we all enjoyed. It was as if God said to us "I am in control of all of this, even the rain." After the team did some more painting we finally got to go to the local feeding hole called Pizza Motors. Pizza Motors has been a favorite stop for many of the ACF teams who travel to Romania. The team enjoyed some good pizza before retiring for the night. Wednesday the team has prepared a VBS for all 90 kids at the Point of Hope Center. Please keep the team in your prayers, Things seem to be going smoothly and God is obviously with us as we continue on this exciting journey of bringing HOPE to some children who desperately need it. We all have to remember that HOPE CHANGES EVERYTHING! So, please pray that we do not get complacent in our work and also that God may move your heart to consider helping ACF continue to make a difference by sponsoring on of the 8 children who still need sponsors. Thanks for reading!    

Day 4...The Journey Continues

Sunday was day 4 of the 11 day mission trip to Romania for the Another Child Foundation mission team. The day started with the team helping Fundatia Buckner with a bike rally in promoting safety for all types of road vehicles. Fundatia Buckner is partnering with Heineken in this 4 week project. The team enjoyed helping the 300 bicyclist pedal through the city of Targu-Mures. The team handed out t-shirts, water, and brochures. The team then enjoyed a great lunch at the Tempo restaurant. This is a restaurant that Dennis Huston and I have looked forward to since last years trip. They specialize in a great bean soup served in a large bread bowl similar to Panera but much better.

The team finally made it to the Buckner Group Home in the late afternoon to enjoy time with the 5 young ladies at the home. The team did a very nice craft project with the girls followed by the girls preparing a delicious meal for everyone. As always the girls did a great job of serving us. It is obvious that the staff is doing a great job preparing these girls for life after the group home.

On Monday the team will start the day buying the materials needed to complete the work projects at the Point of Hope. The team will go to BauMax which is a superstore like an American Lowe's or Menards. The team will then meet up with the thirty 4 and 5 year olds from the Point of Hope at the local airport for a tour. This is very exciting for the children who have hardly ever left their neighborhoods. After the tour of the airport the team and kids will enjoy a sack lunch and games. The team will end their day at the Point of Hope Center doing some painting of a classroom. Everyone seems to be doing well and are looking forward to the rest of the week. Below are some pictures from the previous days activities.

Beautiful Romania!

 

Day 3 Review! Some Beautiful Sights!

One of the best things about Romania in mid-October is the beautiful fall colors and yesterday did not disappoint! The team woke up to some fresh mountain air along with a crisp blue sky and the day got only better from there. The team enjoyed a nice European breakfast that included some fresh tomatoes, bread, salami, cheese, and other goodies. We were then asked if we would enjoy an egg omelet prepared by the kitchen and a few of us took advantage of that also. After some good conversation and a prayer for travel safety the team was off to our first sight-seeing stop at Bran Castle. This year I saw the castle in a different way. After 7 years of coming to this historic country and reading many books about Romania I am finally beginning to see the significance of these castles to their rich history. The castle once again did not disappoint. As always the castle provided a very real picture of what must have been like in the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries. After the hour tour the team took some time to do a little shopping for some souvenirs. Then it was back on the road for a couple hours heading North through the Carpathian mountains towards our final destination of the Point of Hope Development Center we the real ministry will happen.

But before we get to enjoy the ministry of helping some of God's most precious children we had the chance to eat some fresh fish at lunch. A couple of the team members took advantage of some fresh fish while the others took the safer route of chicken or some delicious Romanian soups. Once again the team was really enjoying the beautiful 70 degree weather God had blessed us with this day. The team then drove another hour towards the Rupea Fortress. This would be the first time a team that I was leading would stop at this majestic looking fortress. The government had received a large grant to renovate this ancient fortress and over the past few years a lot of work had been done to make this a sight-seeing stop. While the fortress still has some more work to do to make it a "must see" it was very nice and the view from the top of the tallest tower was breathtaking.

Finally, the team was off to Tarneveni where the Point of Hope is located. After another hour or so the team finally arrived. The team saw many of the children we will be ministering to right away as the children are never too far from the school. Gabi Szabo gave the team a quick tour of the school and gave them a good background of the neighborhood and the people who live there. After sorting through some of the humanitarian aid and VBS supplies the team toted over the ocean we were ready to head towards Targu-Mures where we would be staying for the night. After some pictures with some local children the team was off to the hotel where we would have dinner and settle in for the night. The team will be staying at the Hotel Continental for 2 nights before relocating to Hotel Iris in Tarneveni.

A big thank you to Dennis Lofton who safely transported us the past couple days. Also, a thank you to Gabi Szabo who was always ready to answer any questions the team had about Romania and always gave us some of the history of the places we were traveling through. Day 4 is a Sunday and the team will be helping Fundatia Buckner with a bike rally they are hosting to promote road safety for bikers in the city. The team will also be visiting the Buckner Group Home for the first time. Keep the team in your prayers. Getting the proper nutrition and sleep is always a big challenge the first few days of a trip like this. Jet lag is a very real thing for the human body to adjust to. Hopefully, I will be able to add some pictures of some of the sights tonight. Thanks for reading this blog and praying for the team!

Day 2 in Romania

Hey everyone...I just wanted to let everyone that we have arrived safely and the team is doing well. We all rested well last night (for the most part) and are ready for a day of sightseeing before getting to the Point of Hope Development Center. Today we will be visiting Bran Castle. It is promoted as Dracula's Castle but the Romanian leader Vlad Dracul only spent a summer there while he was in power. We will also visit an ancient fortress. The history of this part of the world in pretty cool. So keep the team in your prayers for safe travel and healthy bodies.

October Newsletter

The October Newsletter was published today! It includes great articles, which include one student's summer mission experience, the Lafayette Golf Scramble and Women's Event recap and information about the progress being made in Romania!

Check it all out by CLICKING HERE!

Shake It Off And Move On!!

Source

I read a story yesterday about a girl in Mongolia who thought she didn't deserve Christ. She thought that her past choices and actions stood between her and the hope our Savior gives. Then I went to church and the sermon was about getting bogged down by things that push back against us. Opposition comes in all of our lives and makes us feel unworthy. Often times we become jealous of other people's circumstances or shrink back when opposition comes. The amazing thing is that our past and the opposition we face doesn't separate us from God. He calls us to be bold. He calls us to shake off whatever is pushing against us and to move on. When we learn or relearn that God loves us beyond what we say and do, our hope is restored.

God wants us where we are-- in our messed up situations, in our feeling of unworthiness, in our jealousy, in our joy, and in our feeling of "I've got it all together." There is no moment in life when God isn't interested in our well being.

I hope this blog post finds you today and serves to encourage you wherever you are. We are no different than the girl in Mongolia. We all have done things that we are not proud of. We are bombarded on all sides by grief, stress and comparison. The world seems to tell us we are not enough. Sometimes we feel like things stand between us and God. These feelings transcend age, gender and culture. God wants nothing more than to walk right beside us. He wants to use us for his glory. So know today that no matter where you are, nothing stands between you and God. NOTHING! Shake off whatever you've done. God is in control of all things. He already knows your past. Shake it off and move on! He has bigger and better things ahead for you!

"but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us." - Philippians 3:13-14

Unimaginable Circumstances

This summer I got to spend time with some of the moms of the students that attend the Point of Hope Development Center. Last summer I had learned quite a bit about the children's home lives, but this summer I learned a whole lot more directly from the mothers. As we got to know one another, the women began to share about their lives. I was blown away by all they have experienced and the strength that they display despite their circumstances.

In Tarnaveni and many other gypsy communities, there aren't any work opportunities, so this forces parents to travel and live elsewhere to support their families. There are many reasons why this happens, but one of them is that there is broad discrimination against gypsies. Most of the time the fathers are the ones to find work outside of Tarnaveni or even Romania, but sometimes it is the mothers. This can be a difficult situation as any single parent can attest to raising many children alone. It gets even more difficult when money isn't sent home. Many of the moms we worked with told us stories of raising their children alone while their husbands are away working. There isn't really a daycare solution in the area other than the Point of Hope Development Center, so most of the moms are unable to take on a job themselves. They do their best to live extremely frugally and to give their children their best in unimaginable circumstances.

I can't imagine what these women go through on a daily basis just to scrape by. But I do know that I am amazed by their strength, determination and their immense love for their children. I am so grateful that I was able to spend time with them and to learn more about their lives.

Join me today in praying for the families at the Point of Hope Development Center in Tarnaveni.
Also, join me in being so very grateful for what we have.

Day #2 of "The Incredibles" VBS

I thought I would share with you today what we have covered the first 2 days of our VBS based on the animated movie "The Incredibles." Day 1 was focused on Mr. Incredible and how he used his strength to overcome the problems he faced in life. We looked at how we can abuse our talents or strengths if we are not careful. We told the kids that God has given each of us very specific talents to use in out lives to make us happy and how those things can bring joy to others around us. Of course there were plenty of games and activities that made the day really a fun day. The weather could not be any better than it was on day #1. Sunny with a high temperature in the mid 70's and a cool gentle mountain breeze. The evening required a light jacket but the full moon and clear skies keep us up a little later than usual playing games until 10:00 pm.

The message for day #2 was the Mrs. Elastic and her power to stretch and be adaptable to any situation she encountered. Mrs. Elastic always showed concern for her loved ones first before thinking of herself. We used the story of Mary and Martha to show the difference on how we can serve God.

Everyone on the team is doing well. Besides some minor sore muscles that most of us have not used much over the years the team is doing great! Gary & Joelle Crockett have found themselves in the middle of some great conversations and Gary spent more time in the sand trying to dig volleyballs than most Olympians do. Lori Hilgart has found some new friends to minister to while Brian has a number of kids hanging on him at any moment. Please pray for Brian's back to held out another 3 days. Kim Gaskins is doing a great job adjusting to the crafts even when some do not go as planned (ask her about the slime project). Finally, Dan Hille is being that wild and crazy guy I thought he would be. Dan has stepped up to the challenge very well. Last but nor least Swanna and Dennis Lofton are providing some much needed experience to the camp.

I am hoping to provide a picture posting later tonight so you can see some of the fun activities we have been doing. Keep the team in your prayers as we approach the half way point of the trip. Pray for our health and strength to win out over fatigue and sore muscles. And that the Good News of the Gospel is felt through our actions by the children we are serving here this week!

7th Year of Camp BEGINS TODAY!

It is hard to believe that this will be the 7th year that I have been coming to Romania to do VBS camps for children here. Once again I marvel at the beauty of this country. I get off the plane and I feel as if I am at home here. This year is quite different though. This will be the first year that my wife Theresa will not be at my side and that makes me somewhat sad. The brightness of her smile and her ability to connect with children and people in general will be missed greatly every moment of this trip. However, we do have a great team who will pick up the slack. We have 4 others from Illinois (Lori Hilgart, Brian Moore, Gary Crockett, and his wife Joelle) along with Pastor Dan Hille from Avon, CT, and Kim Gaskins and Debra Guinn from Kingsland, TX to show God's love to these kids.

We have selected the movie "The Incredibles" as the theme for this week. Tonight we will watch the movie together and then each day we will break down the theme of the movie into areas of our lives. For those of you who have not seen the movie it is about a family of superheroes who have set aside their special abilities so they can be normal. However, the father in the movie decides that he just has to use those the superhero qualities God has given him for the betterment of his community. Once he does this then the family also follow's his lead and the family uses their hero qualities to fight off evil and the world become a better place because of it. So, the goal of this years camp is to let these kids know that each of us have a special talent or hero quality in us. It is something that God has given to each of us to use to make the world a better place. So, between the 4 family members we know we can connect their special hero qualities with the kids talents given to them.

So, pray for the team to be able to communicate a clear message to the children that they are special and that each of them has the ability to make the world a better place. The team is ready and the children will be here in just a few hours for a week of fun.

Tim Oloffson

Next stop Amsterdam

We've made it through security and are waiting to board our plane bound for Amsterdam.  Lots of excitement is in the air even if the FUGE kids are a bit worn from their week of missions camp ministry. Hopefully it will be a quiet flight as they get some needed rest.

Getting to this point in a mission trip is quite an accomplishment. Many of you have given time, money, and prayer effort in helping us prepare for this journey. Thank you all!!!  You have made it possible for us to minister in the name of our Lord to children that desperately need the grace and mercy of our Savior.

They are calling us to board, so until Amsterdam I must sign off. Keep us in your prayers for safe travel.

The Point of Hope Staff

We celebrated Roxy's birthday today at the Point of Hope. She currently teaches the third year students. Her love for her students is tangible! She is excited about her job and does it well. I have been blessed to get to know Roxy and the other staff at the Point of Hope a little better this summer. As we all sat around the lunch table today to celebrate Roxy, the staff members began to share stories and be silly. Most of it was in Romanian, so I didn't understand very much of what was going on, but their smiles and laughter were contagious! I enjoyed just being around them!

I can relate to the staff at the Point of Hope in more than one way. I am a teacher, so I completely understand wanting the best for my students, as they do, but there's a big difference between my job and theirs. The staff at the Point of Hope is responsible for their students' education, as well as caring for their spiritual growth, health and social interactions. They give the students showers and feed them meals. They love on them and praise them just like I would my own students, but the things that their students experience here in Romania can be very different from what my students experience in the States. Sometimes it might be the same, but not always. These men and women go far beyond what it means to be a teacher and take on the role of parent, friend, mentor, and encourager.

We are also the same in the fact that we are shy when it comes to trying the other person's language. It is definitely not easy to catch on to a new language and sometimes this can stand as a barrier between American and Romanian. The great thing is that it doesn't have to! Joy transcends languages. We have learned it's ok to try to say new words. We just might think it sounds funny when a word is mispronounced, but we'll do our best to help the other person practice saying it correctly again and again.

Our team got some time to take the staff out to dinner. We took half of them to dinner on Wednesday and the other half on Thursday. It was a time to enjoy one another's company, to learn more about each other and to thank the staff for their hard work this year. We had brought small gifts for each of them, but before they opened their gifts, we told them thank you. We wanted them to know that we recognized their hard work! We wanted them to know that they are making a difference in the lives of the children they work with and even the children's families! The staff at the Point of Hope amazes me! I am thankful for the time that I've been able to spend with them!