The Learning Journey Continues!

For those of you following the experiences of Alicia and Kirsten thank you. I know they will be so excited to be able to personally share much more about their experiences than just a few lines on a blog post. However, I know they have had a awesome experience and the staff in Romania has been treating them very well. Both, Alicia and Kirsten have told me how much they appreciate the dedication and professionalism of the entire Fundatia Buckner staff in Romania.

Below is a post for Alicia Carter.

Today we got to spend more wonderful time with the sweet Roma kids. I'm amazed at the joy and love they all display despite the state of poverty they are constantly surrounded by, except when they are at the Point of Hope. I struggle to put into words how emotional these last two days have been. I'll deeply miss the kid's constant smiles, hugs, a precious little hand always holding mine, or sweet voices constantly greeting us with a gracious "hello!" or "good morning!" at all times of the day =) I really don't want to leave them. I wish I could stay and remind them every day that Jesus loves them and has a wonderful plan for their life and reassure them when they doubt that they CAN dream and dream BIG! But I also can't wait to get home and share all of the stories we have and the information we've gained so we can do our best to help raise awareness about what God is doing in the lives of these amazing Roma kids!

“And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’ For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me."
Matthew 25:40, 35‭-‬36‭

I can't just sit at home and live my "comfortable" life knowing how much these children are suffering. I must do my part to help them. These children need a voice, and I'm blessed to have been chosen to be just one of many that God is rising up!  -Alicia

Stolen Hearts!

Kirsten Litton and Alicia Carter

Today we received our first 2 bits of feedback from the new Another Child Foundation employees in Romania. Below are their 2 posts. I have told them that we want pictures of them with the kids for tomorrow. So come back again tomorrow to see visual evidence that Alicia and Kirsten are actually in Romania spending time with the kids.

Romania has stolen my heart! 

We've only been in Romania for 3 days, and we have already done so much and learned so much about its beautiful country and wonderful people! We were able to visit the gorgeous Bran Castle, drive past many historical fortresses, and travel through breathtaking

mountains. I couldn't have imagined a more stunning country! Today the moment we have been waiting for finally arrived! We got to meet the kids at the Point of Hope! To know them is to love them. So many of the Point of Hope children, unlike my own kids, didn't need a "warm up period." Instantly they grabbed our hands, hugged us, or jumped right on our laps as if we were their long lost friends. But we aren't just "friends". These precious kids are part

of my family now, a forever part of my heart. Every second I spent with them, I felt such a strong urge to find more ways to help grow our ministry..to reach and help more kids. We

got the opportunity to see where they live, and I was so devastated for them. My heart broke for their parents, who with embarrassment welcomed us into their homes. Many of the older children today were able to express what they want to be when they grow up. It was amazing to hear that they now have hopes and dreams for their future! I pray that hope would spread to their parents and to their friends in their community!   - Alicia Carter

Hello from Romania! Our trip here has been so wonderful. Romania and it's people are  very beautiful.  Everything we've done in getting here has been completely out of our comfort zone. But the people have been nothing but hospitable in making us feel at home. We've toured Dracula's castle-my first ever castle visit, stayed the night at a hotel surrounded by beautiful mountains... And those things were amazing, but nothing compares to spending time with the Roma children at the Point of Hope Center. We spent the whole day today learning, watching and seeing first hand how and what they do there. The kids will easily capture your heart! We went into their community and saw their living conditions, and that was very hard to see. But they are so full of life and so smart and so eager to hug you and hold your hand. We don't need to speak the same language. In fact, they are quite good at "telling" you what they want! The day has been exhaustingly wonderful. I don't think I've ever hugged and held hands with or had so many little people on my lap as I have today. And I loved every second of it. They love to have their pictures taken and surprisingly are quite savy with a smart phone.. Even the three year olds! The love of Jesus that is being poured into them at the center, all the effort of the staff and volunteers and the dreams and plans that they have for the children and there community leave no doubt in my heart that I am doing the work that God has prepared in advance for me. I'm in complete awe that he would ask me-a nothing special from Illinois to embark on a journey that is and will change many lives and give hope to a people that otherwise have none.   - Kirsten Litton

Kits for Kidz donations needed!

     Do you remember the days of school supply shopping? I know for my daughter and I it was always a very special day. For some unknown reason we just enjoyed going to the local store and buying the needed school supplies needed for the upcoming school year. Of course, we would have the  list supplied by the school but we always found those special extra things needed to make her school experience special. I think it was because we both like to be organized that prompted this desire to have everything she needed to be the best student she could be.

     In Romania the children have the same desires that our kids have, but unfortunately they do not have the resources to simply go and buy everything they need to be the best students they can be. That is where you can help! The Point of Hope Development Center is in need of 250 of the customized school kits that ACF and Fundatia Buckner have put together to help these children get off to a great start to the school year. ACF partners with Staples on this exciting project.

Each school kit includes:

• 6 colored ball-point pens
• box of colored pencils
• box of crayons
• box of colored markers
• box of #2 pencils
• ruler
• erasers
• glue (sticks & bottles)
• water paints & brushes
• scissors
• construction paper
• writing paper

     The overall value of each kit is easily worth $18 when these items are on sale. With our partnership with Kits for Kidz and Staples we are able purchase these for only $12. So, can you help us? So far we have collected enough support for about 60 of the 250 needed. We would also like to provide these children with a new back-pack. Kits for Kidz can also provide these for us at $9 each. To help with this great project please CLICK the link below!

CLICK HERE TO DONATE!

Breaking through Barriers 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 is UNDERWAY!

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.

New ceilings being installed

In May we will be concentrating our efforts on the new restroom for the children. This 3rd floor restroom will be a welcome addition. Currently, the children would have to run to the second floor to go to the bathroom or to simply wash their hands. This restroom will benefit the children tremendously! You can see pictures of what the 3rd floor looked like before we started the renovation and how it is progressing.

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!

Everything cleaned and ready to renovate!

Lights being installed

New windows!

Progress :)

New doors installed!

Our God is So Good!!

How good is our God? Last week He opened the door for us to reach even more children with the Good News of the Gospel! It is so very obvious that the Spirit of the Living God is at work in this small community of 24,000 people. I am quite sure that many of these children were hearing this Good News for the first time in this way. ACF is blessed to be part of something this AWESOME!

“Whoever wanted to have fun during spring break registered for the ‘Spring School’ organized at Point of Hope. However, this was not a normal school, but a very special one which offered: Bible stories, crafts, sports and games, music, face painting, ping pong, a lot of fun and the opportunity for the children to make new friends. This ‘school’ did not address the children of Point of Hope, but children from Tarnaveni who attend schools located downtown, children who have never been at Point of Hope before, and might have never heard about it. The team of Point of Hope did a great job setting up for a two day program which was first offered on Monday and Tuesday, to 56 children (1^st to 4^th graders) from the Traian Gymnasium, and on Wednesday and Thursday to 60 children from the Avram Iancu Gymnasium. The most exciting things about this project were: first, this was a great opportunity to reach out into the community – getting to know kids from other backgrounds and letting them get to know us, while also establishing contact with their parents and building their trust in what Buckner Romania and ACF are doing in Tarnaveni. The second great thing was the opportunity to offer Bible teaching to these children, reminding them about the true meaning of Easter, beyond chocolate bunnies and colored eggs. It was a great experience for all of us to meet and to serve these children this way, and their smiles and eagerness to learn and to do new things were very rewarding. We feel that this was a great step toward the community of Tarnaveni, letting people know that we are there to make a difference and to be a blessing to them all.”

Christ United Methodist in East Moline, IL Wraps Up a Great Shoe Drive!

Overflowing Box

Below is a recap of a Project Respond Shoe Drive hosted by Christ United Methodist Church in East Moline, Illinois.

We kicked off our shoe drive at Christ United Methodist Church, East Moline, on Sunday, February 28th.  Tricia Danley, Julie Keegan and I made the announcement at each of the three services and were able to show the video of the October 2015 team distributing shoes. We set a goal to collect 100 pairs of shoes and 100 pairs of socks. The video was very well received! 

The following Sunday I spoke to each of the elementary aged Sunday school classes about ACF’s ministries to the orphans and at risk Roma in Romania and told them about the challenges they face.  I also passed out photos/profiles of some of the Point of Hope children, and the kids all agreed to pray for a specific Roma child.  The kids wrote “love” notes to tuck inside the shoes.  They also made shoe-shaped fliers that they took home to parents and we laid the extras out on the fellowship hall tables on Sundays as a reminder to all to donate.  We also lined the walls in the Sunday school wing with the paper shoes and profiles of the children.  Karyn Robertson decorated a bulletin board in a prominent place near the church offices. 

Bulletin board of  HOPE

Near the end of March we were 20 pairs shy of our goal, so we put the word out via Facebook, email and newsletters.  By Sunday, April 2nd we had surpassed our goal with 125 pairs (and about 170 pairs of socks)!  

Last Sunday, April 10th, Karyn and Tricia lined all the shoes up in the hallway in the Sunday school wing and the elementary kids stuffed the love notes in the shoes and laid their hands on them and prayed over them.  One of the attached pictures shows the pre-school and kindergarten kids hugging the shoes, passing on their love to the Romanian children who will wear them.

A Special Thank You!

Then this past Sunday April 17th Karyn gathered the kids for Sunday’s “Small Talk” at the altar at the 10:35 service and she made the announcement of what our congregation had donated and showed a slide show with photos of the shoe drive set to the song “Jesus loves the little children,” and had the kids hold up big letters that said “Thank you.” It brought tears to my eyes! 

I am so touched by the outpouring from our congregation—showing their love and support with their gifts and prayers for the children in Romania.   

I think it is has been a wonderful learning experience for our kids too and I have to thank Karyn Robertson for all she did to get the kids involved and promote the drive.  Couldn’t have done it without her!  God is good!-   Dawn Cook

Another Child Foundation is blessed to have churches like Christ United Methodist Church involved in the life-changing work being done in Romania.

If your church would like to participate in a Project Respond Shoe Drive please contact our Executive Director- Tim Oloffson at director@anotherchild.org or call him at (815) 303-1725.

Children Praying!

More Praying!

Children Hugging and Loving the Shoes

Point of Hope Face-Lift!

New flooring being installed!

During the past weekend the Point of Hope Development Center in Tarneveni, Romania received a small face-lift. The carpet in the gathering areas of the center were replaced by a new flooring material that will provide a durable surface as well as a surface that can be cleaned much easier. The carpet was originally installed during the first renovation of the center back in 2006. 100's of children have used that carpet to gather and change from their daily clothes to their at-school clothes over the past 10 years.

The cleaning staff will not just find this new floor easier to clean but much more appealing to the eye. This beautiful new flooring will brighten up the day for the children and staff. ACF would like to thank all of our supporters who continually support our ministry. Without the generosity of you, the Point of Hope would not be making the difference it is for the children God has entrusted to our care!

Beautiful colors all the way through!

The final touches!

"NEW" Motivation and Performance Program Kicks-Off

On March 8, 2016, at the headquarters of the General Director of Social Assistance and Child Protection-Mures in Romania, an event occurred to officially start the "MOTIVATION & PERFORMANCE" program in which contracts were signed granting its scholarships to the winners. After the process of selecting winners started in January 2016 that involved the preparation of dossiers by the applicants and an interview with the selection committee, 27 young people were selected to benefit from the scholarship for 10 months from March 2016 until December 2016. Scholarship winners will receive a social protection measure.

     The Motivation and Performance program aims to provide support to young people who have achieved favorable results in domestic and/or international cultural events - art, sports, technical, scientific or have personal talents that have been recognized (art, sports, culture, music, education, etc.). With this scholarship, young people will be able to improve their school results or  seek training or specialization to develop in the areas they are most passionate about. The Motivation and Performance Scholarship wants to help fulfill the dreams of young people who have set a goal and are striving to achieve it.

Here is the story of one of the youth who will be helped by this program.

"Gyula is a 16 year old boy living in a group home near Targu Mures. He applied for the Motivation and Performance program upon being encouraged by the group home staff to do so, because of his exemplary behavior, good school performance and great talent for drawing. When asked what he would like to do with the grant, Gyula said that he would like to follow his 'lifelong' passion: doing hair, so he would like to attend a hairstylist course. This past Tuesday was his first official hairstylist class. It was great to hear Gyula talk about the class. He learned about hair structure and hair types, and he already loves the course and can't wait to go back next week. We are excited that, as of this week, Gyula has taken the first step in following his dream and will be qualified to do something he absolutely loves."

Another Child Foundation is excited to be able to partner with Fundatia Buckner on this new ministry effort. ACF is thrilled to see these youth grow into the people God created them to be.

Child Profile of the Week!

Meet Lorena from the Point of Hope!

This week we are proud and excited to introduce you to Lorena Costea. If you would like to become an answered prayer for Lorena you can click on the link at the bottom of this page to become his sponsor. If you want some additional information on the ACF Sponsorship program CLICK HERE.

CLICK HERE TO ANSWER A CHILD'S DEEPEST PRAYER!

Overflowing Heart!

Alicia Carter
ACF Development Manager

"Wow God!" These words have crossed my mind and left my mouth countless times since I have become part of the ACF family. I'm in total awe of how God has been transforming and equipping me to do my part. God has blessed me with such great opportunities from meeting with diverse and fascinating Pastors who are following the call of God on their lives to now having the opportunity to go to Romania in May! I can hardly wait to meet each child! My heart is overflowing with joy and gratitude to be able to go to Romania so soon!

As I learn more about the the heart of ACF and what it strives to do, I am beyond humbled to be a part of a foundation that is making such a difference in the world and thrilled to see what God has planned for it's future!

"Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders
Let me walk upon the waters
Wherever You would call me
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander
And my faith will be made stronger
In the presence of my Savior"

This chorus from the song Oceans by Hillsong perfectly sums up the many steps of faith God has called me to take recently. In this new journey of my life, I feel a little like Peter when Jesus called him out on the water. I sense God stretching my faith and reminding me that as I'm becoming the voice for the ACF children, it's in His strength and not my own. And with God we KNOW that all things are possible! I look forward to what great things God has in store!

Edgewood Baptist Church Completes Shoe Drive!

This morning ACF was blessed to be able to go to one of the Illinois churches supporting our 2016 Project Respond humanitarian aid drive and pick up the shoes their congregation collected during the month of March.

Edgewood Baptist Church in Rock Island, Illinois decided that collecting shoes for the children we serve in Romania was a great idea. Church deacon, Jason Crosby connected ACF Director Tim Oloffson and Pastor Dan Cullett together to discuss the idea. "It was a great partnership" said ACF Director Tim Oloffson. "Pastor Dan and the Edgewood congregation was a delight to work with!"

 Edgewood collected 125 pairs of boys and girls athletic shoes to support ACF's effort to help at-risk and orphaned children in the country of Romania. Each year ACF partners with Shoes for Orphan Souls and sends a 40 ft shipping container full of shoes, socks, school supplies and other humanitarian aid to Romania to relieve some of the needs the people in Romania encounter daily. "It is amazing to see the effects a new pair of shoes can have on a child's attitude," continues Oloffson. "The good news of the Gospel comes alive when the child can see hope in a tangible way."

Another Child Foundation is now looking for people to take part in the annual Project Respond shoe distribution trip scheduled for October 12/23. Anyone wanting information on this life-changing trip can simply CLICK HERE to find more information.

ACF is also looking for other churches and organizations to consider being part of our 2016 Project Respond drive. Participation in our annual drives is so very easy. Below are the 4 easy steps to get started:

1) Notify ACF by calling (815) 303-1725 or emailing ACF at director@anotherchild.org to receive a shoe drive packet

2) Work with your church or organizations leadership to arrange collection dates

3) Promote the drive and collect the shoes or other aid

4) Drop off shoes or other aid at our Celebration Day on July 29.

Below is a video we created from last years Project Respond mission trip which delivered much of the aid we collected.

Breaking through Barriers 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 now is the time to finish off the renovation!

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.

While the majority of the renovations will take place during the summer, when ACF mission teams visit the Point of Hope, a few things are being done now. The third floor bathroom will be completed in April and the door frames and other small construction projects will also be done prior to the teams arriving.

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.

During the last week in March the older kids who will benefit from the Breaking through Barriers campaign were taken up to the third floor where an announcement of the renovation plans was made to them. You could sense their excitement! However, the impact these rooms will have on the kids will not set in until they see the finished project and get to actually develop their life-skills in these rooms.

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!

CLICK HERE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE!