Buckner Group Home adds Marinela Bejan

It is our pleasure to introduce you to Marinela Bejan the newest member of the Group Home!

Marinela grew up in the village of Macicanesti with her four siblings, living with their parents. The family was marked by constant financial difficulties and the parents’ inability to provide and properly care for their children.  Eventually in March, 2014 the parents decided to sell the one room house the family lived in and they also decided to place the 5 children in the care of Child Protective Services.  The two younger siblings ended up at a foundation in view of adoption and the older siblings, including Marinela, were placed in the care of CPS’s Emergency service.  Marinela stayed there for the last year, until she moved into the ACF/Buckner group home on February 13, 2015. 

Birth date: August 5^th, 2006

Age: 8

Likes: singing, dancing, cleaning

Favorite food: Fries, chicken soup with dumplings, tripe soup

Favorite colors: red, purple and all the other colors J

Currently: Marinela has never been to preschool nor school. She has been evaluated by a local school and she will be going to first grade in the fall of 2015.  Marinela works hard every day in order to learn things she will have to know when going to school. She enjoys helping around the home.

What she would like to do in the future: She would like to become a hair stylist!

Would you prayerfully consider becoming a sponsor for Marinela? More information can be found HERE on how your support will transform her life.

For more information about the ACF/Buckner Group Home CLICK HERE

Point of Hope Quilt Winner

Jennifer Simpson from Texas was the winner of the Point of Hope quilt that was given away in conjunction with the kick-off of Another Child Foundation’s $12 for 12 campaign (12 dollars for 12 months) which features the verse Romans 12:12-13  which states, “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need, practice hospitality.”  Jennifer shares her thoughts about the quilt and much more:

“I was pleasantly surprised and honored when I found out I had won the quilt as a result of participating in the $12 for 12 Another Child Foundation program. I first learned about ACF through Dennis Lofton, our Minister of Music at my church, First Baptist Church in Burnet, Texas. Mr. Lofton and his wife, Swanna, shared their testimony about how their lives had been changed through their ministry in Romania. Mr. Lofton organized a mission trip for the summer of 2014 in which our daughter, Kristian Simpson, was able to go. Kristian fell in love with the girls at the girls' home, the children at Point of Hope and the women in Romania, just to name a few. Kristian was so excited to share how God moved in her life through this experience. She shared with us and our church family pictures, videos and told many stories about how God was at work throughout their mission trip. The love and passion Kristian developed for the people in Romania touched our hearts and we immediately felt connected with the people there through both her experience and our prayers for them. Without hesitation we knew that God wanted us to give to ACF so that lives could continue to be blessed. Although the amount of giving is not a lot, we pray that we will be able to contribute more in the future so that many more may be blessed by God's blessings. May God bless ACF and the people of Romania. Thank you so much for the handmade quilt; it will forever be cherished by our family. We pray for all the hands that touched it and consider it a blessing to receive such a special gift!”

For more information about how you can make a difference through the $12 for 12 program click here: http://www.anotherchild.org/12-for-12-monthly-giving-opportunity/

ACF develops a Legacy Fund!

So what is the Another Child Foundation Legacy Endowment Fund and what does it have to do with you? Below are a few questions that will help you understand the Legacy Endowment Fund and its purpose. Hopefully, you would prayerfully consider helping us meet our ongoing needs with a gift that can provide LIFE to those who need it so desperately. We bring this offer to you in the most humble manner.

Q. What is the purpose of the Legacy Endowment Fund and why was it formed?

A. In recognition of the need for sustained revenues for ministry, the Another Child Foundation’s Board of Directors created an Endowment Fund in 2013. Endowment funds provide a lasting gift. Building a permanent Endowment fund is the best way to protect the investment we have made – and continue to make – in supporting orphans and at-risk children throughout the world. It ensures that we can continue to offer a gold standard ministry for all the children we serve. It secures a stable source of unrestricted income for Another Child Foundation to disperse to our ministry partners and their programs.

Q. Why should people give to the ACF Legacy Endowment Fund when there are so many other worthy causes that need funding just as badly?

A. It is Another Child’s goal to reach, teach, and transform the lives of orphans and at-risk children. We are fortunate to live in a country where our children have access to many personal growth opportunities. But as we all know it is a constant struggle to meet the needs of the orphan and at-risk children in other countries. It is time for us to come together and to radically change the lives of these children by providing hope to them. This is your opportunity to make a lasting difference to children who have the same hopes and dreams of the children you love. With your help, we can raise the bar on how these children think and dream. With Another Child’s unique ability to tend to children from a young age you can bring lasting impacts to God’s world for generations to come.

Q. How can I make a contribution?

A. Tax-deductible charitable contributions may be made as:

• Please donate securely online or mail a check payable to Another Child Foundation Endowment Fund and mail to: ACF  416 E Dover Rd., Princeton, IL 61356
• Appreciated securities & real estate - this may be a way to gain tax advantages for donors who have held assets for long periods of time.
• Stocks & gift stocks - stocks, including stock from start-up ventures, may be placed in an endowment trust with current market value benefits.
• Planned giving - assets as a part of a will may be another opportunity to give a gift of lifelong learning through a charitable trust agreement.

Q. How will the distributions be spent?

A. The funds will be used to provide life-changing programs for the children we serve. Area’s in which this includes, but not limited to are: education, housing, health care, psychological care, and self-improvement programs. Funds can also be used to provide capital improvements in the facilities the programs need to function.

Love Blankets, Mission Trips and more!

Last week one of our ling-time supporters dropped off 4 large boxes of blankets that a friend of hers had made to help our children in Romania. What a blessing it was to see a marvelous lady who has had little contact with Another Child Foundation feel called to support in such a generous fashion. These LOVE blankets will be used to keep children and families warm during the cold winter months.

We are also starting to fill up the summer mission teams headed to Romania. The July 8/19 team has only 1 more spot available. The June 25/July 5 still has a couple spots open. The June 11/21 team still has 6 spots open. I want to remind everyone that all of the Another Child Foundation mission trips are OPEN to anyone from anywhere.

Finally, we want to put out a need that we have. This year has been extremely cold in Romania and has exposed a HUGE need. Since many of the children we serve come from an extremely impoverished situation the need for a pair of winter boots is extremely valuable. Children are expected to go out into the cold and retrieve wood so that the family can keep their homes warm. So, we are asking all of our donors to keep an eye out for any season-ending sales where boots are marked down significantly. You can then drop these shoes off at the ACF missions office in Princeton, Illinois or to a ACF Board member close to where you live.

The Another Child Foundation FACEBOOK page

I know you see me pimping the ACF Facebook page on here frequently, and it’s not just to be obnoxious – Facebook is an excellent way to connect not only with potential new readers, but also to stay connected to readers who sometimes need to be nudged, “Oh, yeah, I like that place.” But what I need you dedicated readers to know is that there’s a very easy way you can be an enormous help to me: whenever you see an ACF-related thing pop up in your feed on Facebook, please like it, comment on it, and/or share it. The way Facebook decides whether or not to show folks items from a site like ACF is based in large part on the ratio of folks who see it to those who interact with it. The greater the percentage of folks who do something (like/comment/share) when they see a Facebook post from ACF the greater number of people it’s shown to (and the more of those people who do something, the more see it, and so on and so forth).

So, when you’re on The Facebook and you see something from ACF, if you would please consider giving a thumb’s up, dropping a comment, or (best of all) sharing a post when you do happen to see it on Facebook, that would be exceptionally swell. Thank you very much.

10K Bushel Project comes to and End with a Bang!

This year's 10K Bushel Project has come to a dramatic end with a very generous donation provided by Northern Grain Marketing of Ohio, Illinois. The overall success and growth of the 10K Bushel Project has been amazing.

NGM representative Dave Bohm was excited to have NGM play a part in helping at-risk children in Illinois and throughout the world. NGM's donation caps off a great year in which Another Child Foundation will be able to financially assist 4 different organizations that help vulnerable children.

Northern Grain Marketing has 2 facilities in Bureau County. One is located in Ohio, Illinois and the other is located in southern Bureau County in Sheffield, Illinois.


ACF Director Tim Oloffson and Princeton
Buddy Bags volunteer Mark Frank

Another Child Foundation has already distributed funds to 2 of the 4 organizations. The Princeton Buddy Bags volunteer Mark Frank received funds from ACF on January 16. The Point of Hope Development Center, which provides a Christian based education for 100 children on a daily basis in Romania, received funds last week. Another Child will also be distributing funds to help children to the Bureau Valley Buddy Bags program and to a non-profit organization in Henry County in February.

ACF is thrilled to be partners in this great program with companies like Patriot Renewable Fuels in Annawan, IL, Crop Production Services in Manlius, IL, Marquis Energy and Grain in Hennepin, IL, Michlig Grain in Manlius, IL, Atherton Grain in Walnut, IL, and Northern Grain Marketing in Ohio, IL. We are also looking forward to expanding our outreach to more and more children.

Finally, we would like to thank each of the farming families who donated a portion of their harvest to help us help others. Our farmers have always been a blessing to many people in our world. It is because of their dedication and generosity that vulnerable children have been helped and that the 10K Bushel Project can be called a success.

THANK YOU!!

You can see other posts regarding the 10K Bushel Project here and here.

How much do you know about Romania?

In just two minutes you can learn more about Romania. Isn't that just too easy and awesome?!
Romania is a very vibrant and interesting country! Enjoy!

Christmas Party Pictures

The children at the Point of Hope Development Center in Romania celebrated Christmas before they went on break with a sweet treat at their Christmas party. They were very excited and enjoyed the cake!

Here are a few pictures from their celebration!

Thank you for being a part of these children's lives both near and far. We are grateful for you!

The Best of 2014

Below you will find Another Child Foundation's top 10 visited blog posts of 2014. We have enjoyed looking back at your favorite posts and all that has happened this past year!

What a great year it has been! Click on the blue links below to enjoy the best of 2014!

Glimpses of a Great Trip

Building Blocks being Assembled in Romania

Day 1 at VBS

A Quick Update on Community Bible Church Team

Never Saying Good-Bye

10K Bushel Project 

Revival in Romania

Romania Changes Lives

Team Picture Time!!

Pictures Galore

Thank you for being a part of this journey! We are looking forward to an amazing 2015!

Romania Change?

There is a joke within the Lutheran community that asks..."how many Lutherans does it take to
change a light bulb"? And a true Lutheran will say CHANGE? Many of us fear change because it alters our comfort zone even though our future circumstances might be enhanced. As people we still fear it because it is change.

Well in Romania they have be calling for change that dates back to the Revolution of 1989. When on Christmas Day Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu was executed and his government overthrown. This past week Romania had their most recent democratic elections and a new leader was elected. A leader that has promised change. Change that will help Romania get out of its 25 year drought of a communistic spirit that has damaged the countries ability to move forward.  CLICK HERE to read more about how the Romanian people are ready for change and how this change could help Romanian citizens stop the persecution of some of its people.

Below are just a couple clips of what the article covers.

Similarly, under Ceausescu, Romania leaned heavily on nationalism to shore up its legitimacy. Ceausescu’s communism was bombastic, outstripping that of every other communist country (save, perhaps, Albania). It set ethnic Romanians against minorities, including 1.6 million ethnic Hungarians, roughly 2 million Roma, ethnic Germans and other groups. This authoritarian chauvinism was amplified in the 1990s and 2000s, sometimes reaching fever pitch, courtesy of populist rabble-rousers.

He has much catching up to do. Jobs must be created so that Romanians need not go abroad to work, as millions have since the early 1990s. The rights and welfare of the Roma are one of the toughest nuts they have to crack. And Romanians must come to grips with the less savory elements of their past, including the country’s persecution of Jews and other minorities during World War II, and end the lionization of historic nationalists, including Ion Antonescu, Romania’s wartime leader and an unabashed anti-Semite.

Another Child Foundation prays every day for the Romanian government to see the goodness and transformational work that Fundatia Buckner is doing. If you would like to support the ongoing work that Another Child Foundation and Fundatia Buckner are doing for the persecuted Romanians you can simple CLICK HERE to support our cause.

Another Church Partners with ACF to Transform Lives!

Walnut Community Bible Church in Walnut, Illinois has committed to helping Another Child Foundation Reach, Teach, and Transform lives of vulnerable children in 2015. WCBC will be the sixth church commit regular ongoing support of the work God has entrusted to ACF.

The Missions and Outreach Team said "Our prayer is that it will be a blessing to you, and your ministry, and that our great God in Heaven will multiply it to spread His Good News far and wide."

In July WCBC sent a team of 11 people to Romania to serve orphans at a beautiful mountain camp. Those 40 kids that were served during the 6 day camp will never forget the team members and the difference a simple 6 day camp can have on the outlook of an abandoned child. In return the kids gave a huge blessing to the team as they returned home with a different look on life.

Another Child is so thankful for all the churches who have decided to partner with us. We would also like to invite other members of congregations to bring our message of Reaching, Teaching, and Transforming lives of at-risk children to their church leadership as a way to make a huge difference in God's kingdom all over the globe. We pray ofter that more and more people come on board as supporters. We would love to have YOU help us help others



As always we would like to invite you to prayerfully consider adding Another Child to your list of support. You can simply CLICK HERE to donate.


Another Child Foundation would also like to wish each of you a safe and Merry Christmas season!

December 1 is Deadline for Summer Intern Applications

December 1 is the first deadline for anyone who wants to serve as a Ambassador for Christ in Romania with Another Child Foundation.

If you want more information on the Ambassador for Christ summer intern program you can simply view the video below or go to our webpage here.

 

 

The Mission Opportunity

This will be a life-changing experience for you and will transform the lives of the children God has entrusted to our care. Each ambassador will get the chance to provide leadership in Bible stories, crafts, recreation, and many other interactive activities with children. Not only will the ambassador get a chance to build relationships with the Romania children but also with the Romanian staff and volunteers. The ambassadors will also get a chance to provide leadership with the short-term mission trip team which will be providing a VBS for the children.

The Mission Experience

Roma children dancing

The days will be busy as the ambassador will prepare for different activities each day. The work will vary from assisting a short-term mission team to building projects at the Point of Hope Development Center. While the days are full of relationship building the intern can be assured that there will be time for sightseeing and relaxation as they discover the beauty of Romania and its people. The ACF Ambassadors for Christ will enjoy the all-inclusive nature of a summer internship. With all the costs paid before leaving the United States; there are no worries of having the funds needed for accommodations, transportation, and food while serving in Romania.

Making a Difference

The ACF Ambassadors for Christ program is designed to assist both the spiritual side of the ambassador as well as providing the at-risk children they encounter with a life-changing summer.

With the time and effort each participant puts into their mission experience, everyone is a winner and the ambassador will know that they made a difference in the life of another child. With the expertise and experience of the Fundatia Buckner staff, you will learn to care for the vulnerable children which is God's most precious resource. Joining forces with other students from around the United States will give each participant different cultural experiences from which to grow.

 

The Vision

The vision of the ACF Ambassadors for Christ Summer Internship is to provide experiences for students and young adults by reaching, teaching, and transforming them. Which opens the heart and mind to new ideas, cultures, languages, places, and experiences creating a greater appreciation and participation in addressing Biblical injustices in the world.