June 21 trip winding down

I wanted to give everyone a short update on the final day at camp as well as the first day of sightseeing.

The team said their "good-byes" and "see you later's" to the children this morning, and while somewhat sad the team was glad to see the relationships they had made with these precious children. The hugs, tears, and smiles were a great way to send the team onto the road and onto their way back home.

After a 3 hour drive to Brasov the team took a Sky Tram to the top of the old fortress in Brasov. The view was beautiful and breathtaking. After a crammped ride down the hill (20+ people in a small tram car) the team walked down to the city and visited the Black Church. This church was built before the Reformation by about 100 years and was taken over by Lutherans in 1545. Since many of the team are members of the Lutheran denomination is was pretty cool to see one of the first Protestant churches in the world. The team finished the day by doing a little shopping a enjoying a great meal in the beauty of an open air restaurant in the middle of the old part of the city.

M'Kayla, Jessica, and Taylor getting ready to fire up the kids!

Tomorrow will include 2 tourrs of some old castles and the final leg of our journey into Bucharest. Thanks for reading the updates on the mission trips adventures in Romania.

The Final Day!!

The team has made it through the VBS portion of the camp and did an outstanding job conveying the message of hope that we wanted to share with these children. But this morning the team will have to say their good-byes and sometimes that is the toughest part. A talent show highlighted Wednesday's activities and a camp video and bonfire was the pinnacle of the week on Thursday. Karen and Swanna did a fantastic job with the craft time. Each item created in the 30 minute time period will be treasured forever by the kids. The Bible stories told by Deb and Jessica left an eternal impression on the children as they learned about the meaning of the parables told in the Bible. Dennis and Hory supplied the energy for the day by teaching the kids some new songs a dance moves in the music time of the VBS. Deb, Jenn, and M'Kayla provided team building activities in the recreation portion. Taylor was our rotating helper in each of the stations and shot video footage of the camp experience throughout the day. All in all the camp was a huge success due to the hard work of everyone who prepared for months all of the camps activities. Additionally, we have already scheduled next years camp for even more children. Thanks be to God for providing all of our needs, desires, and dreams for these precious children.

Mission trip update

Well it is Wednesday morning and another beautiful day is in store for the team. Day 2 saw a little rain in the morning but it cleared off and the day became beautiful. Mid 70's and a lot of sun. The cool breeze made the day very nice. The VBS portion of the day went well again and the kids are starting to see and "Imagine" a better life for themselves. That is the goal of this trip; to make the kids see that they are created for something more than what they see in thier life currently. One of our team members wrote a very nice piece that I willl post tomorrow. It states perfectly what the team is experiencing here this week.

All is going to God's plan and the team is focused on being his hands and feet this week. Another item we are focusing on is using our 2 ears more than our 1 mouth. Hearing these childrens stories is an important part of the experience. Please keep the team in prayer as we continue to tend to the needs of these precious children.

A Great Start

Whew! Day 1 is complete! What a successful day it was. Although the kids arrived late to the camp the day was a joyful experience for everyone. It started off by watching the video from last year's camp then moved into some team building games which were a huge success. The trampolines were full of kids showing the team the new skills they have acquired in the past year. After a great dinner featuring chicken schnitzel we gathered for the evening worship. After some great worship songs the kiddos player some "Minute to Win It" games. The night concluded with Gabi congratulating the children on a great first day. Overall the day was a huge success and friendships were made and others were renewed. Tomorrow we start the VBS portion of the camp.

Please keep the team and children in your prayers for strength to realize that God is present in the lives of everyone at camp. Also, pray for good weather. The forecast over the next few days does not look promising so breaks in the weather would be very welcome.

The Party is About to Begin!

Here is the whole team having supper in Predeal.  They served us an absolutely delicious meal.  From here we headed to visit Point of Hope.  What a wonderful service the ministry of Point of Hope is to the Roma community in Tarnaveni.  Gaby took us on a tour of the facility and then took us over to the apartments to visit 3 families.  They live in an extreme poverty that I have never encountered before.  These are the people Jesus always remembers and wants us to remember, whether they be in Romania, Russia, Africa or the United States.  We also can learn so much from them; like how to love and bring joy without needing materials possessions.  Today, Sunday, we spent time preparing our rooms and materials, as well as our hearts to receive the children.  In approximately an hour they'll arrive.  Then it's "party time!"  Pray that we show the love of God and that the Holy Spirit works within this camp experience in ways we may not even realize for the good of all the children.
Deb Dalton

Day 1 update from Romania

Well it is Sunday morning and the team will wake up to a cool but beautiful morning in the mountains of Romania. The kids will arrive in just a few hours and the team still has some preparations to do. The theme for this years camp is "Imagine". The goal is to encourage these children (22 girls & 8 boys) to imagine a life full of joy and peace. This is a difficult thing for children who live in institutional living to try to do but we have a big God who wants these children to experience a life that has joy. Please keep the team in your prayers as they faithfully serve the Lord with their hearts, mind, and strength.

Team 2 arrives in Romania

The team of 9 people from Illinois, Texas, and Louisiana have all arrived safely. And with great pleasure all of the luggage arrived safely also. The team is tired but is settling into their rooms before going to dinner and then a good night's sleep.

Tomorrow the team will be on the road again in the morning as they set their sights on the Point of Hope Development Center in Tarnaveni, Romania. The team will tour the school as well as visit a couple homes of the children who a part of the programs at the Point of Hope. The team will end up at the mountain camp in the evening where they will start preparing for arrival of 30 children on Sunday morning.

Please pray for a good nights sleep and that our bodies adjust quickly to the 8 hour time change.

ACF team # 2 ready for Romania!

On Thursday, June 21 the second of four summer mission teams will be leaving U.S. soil to assist the vulnerable children of Romania. On this trip Dennis Lofton and his wife Swanna as well as Deb Guinn will be leaving from their homes in Kingsland, Texas. From Central Illinois Karen Goy, Deb Dalton, Jenn Adams, and my wife (Theresa) and I will be making our way overseas. All of us will be joining M'Kayla Love, who lives in Louisiana, and ACF's 2 summer interns Jessica Huettel (Houston) and Taylor Jenkins (Lafayette, Louisiana) who have already been in Romania for a few days.

A beautiful mountain camp awaits the team and 30 kids for the next week. Please keep this team in prayer and we reach out to kids with the Good News of Jesus. The team will be making regular posts as well as posting pictures to this blog during the trip. So, check back on a regular basis and feel free to share this blog site with others on your social media.

First Baptist Lafayette Prepares for trip!

July 4th is just around the corner.  The First Baptist Lafayette Team is busy preparing to be on mission with ACF.  Our team is preparing puppet skits and songs for the kids and looking forward to helping complete the remodel of the third floor of the Point of Hope Center.  For many on our team this will be the first time they have ever been in Romania.  So, I know it will be a life-changing event.  I ask that you pray for us as we prepare to be used by God to minister to these precious children.

I'm looking forward to lots of hugs from the kids and hopefully some sarmales!

Mission trip update

Wanted to post a quick update on the mission team from Hope Lutheran who is renovating a classroom at the Point of Hope Development Center in Tarnaveni. Dacian Moldovan, the President of Buckner Romania has informed us that the renovation is nearly complete and looks great. He says it looks even brighter than the other classrooms which have been remodeled. On Thursday morning a small ceremony dedicating the classroom to the children on Tarnaveni will be held.

Another Child Foundation and Buckner Romania, on behalf of the at-risk children in Tarnaveni, would like to THANK Hope Lutheran for everything they have done to spread the Gospel through their work. May God continue to bless their congregation as they work around the world!