An awesome Experience!

Below is a post form the WinningRoma blog being kept by Swanna Lofton. Swanna and her husband Dennis are the first long-term missionaries Another Child Foundation has had in Romania.

What an awesome week with the moms/grandmothers of the children at Point of Hope!! Monday began with 21 ladies, who enjoyed morning coffee/tea, snacks and a Bible study of the virtuous woman. Afterwards, the ladies were divided into 3 groups. The groups were sent to crafts, the beauty salon, and health care.



Sandy doing some styling!

The beauty salon provided haircuts/styles, manicures/pedicures, facials and makeup. Most of the women were hesitant to get their hair cut, but after the 1^st lady took the chair, the rush was on. It was amazing to see the excitement on their faces as they left the chair with a new look. For some, it put a smile on a face that we hadn’t seen. For Margheurita, it was a whole new look at herself. We teased her about having to beat off the men as she walked home that afternoon J she told us that she wasn’t married and didn’t have a boyfriend, but she would today!!! What a joy to see her smile and hear her talk positively about herself. Leti got a new style. She shared with us that her husband had been out of town for a week working and would be coming home on Wednesday, and she was excited for him to see her (can’t wait to hear about his homecoming).

Health care class provided blood pressure testing, basic nutrition, vitamins, stress management, dental health care and a general Q&A session. All received new toothbrushes with a large tube of toothpaste. Each parent was also given toothbrushes for their children at the school.

Final touches on the Quilt!

The craft project for this week was to create a quilted wall hanging. I was quite surprised at how well the ladies sewed. Many of them apparently sew a lot. Monday, we appliquéd silhouettes of boys and girls. Since many of them finished their work before the class time was over, I let them go ahead and sew hearts onto the other blocks. Tuesday we began stitching all the blocks together, then the rows. Four ladies completed the quilt during the 1^st session on Wednesday. After pressing the seams open, I took the quilt (without the edges bound) and temporarily hung it on the wall in the entryway. Once hung, I asked all the ladies to come look at their handiwork. The look on Irina’s face was priceless. She was so proud of what she did to make complete the project – I was so proud of what they all did!!!

Trip Video

Its been a great trip so far here in Romania! Check out the video below!
-Noble

http://youtu.be/DmRZTNHKFg4

Transforming lives...

Our days here at the Point of Hope are coming to an end for this trip.  It has been a wonderful experience.  The youth and adults from First Baptist Lafayette have worked so hard ministering to the children and working on the third floor.  Although we were not able to finish the bathroom, we made good headway on the next class room and bought all the supplies for the bathroom.  The next team will be able to finish the project and the children will have more rooms available for their use.

As I am preparing to begin the journey home I can't help but look back at the past four or five years.  God has done wonderful things here through this ministry.  I realize that transformation takes time and hard work.  This community, although still very poor and in much need, is showing signs of transformation.  Children's lives are being transformed through spiritual food and physical food, and through education of just plain reading, writing, and arithmetic.  We hear reports that many of the children that have graduated from the Point of Hope program to public schools are doing exceptionally well.  Their are some that still need more help and therefore our after school program still needs more funding so we can continue to help these children.

Over the past five years many children have been given a chance to have a better life through proper education and through the power of God's spirit in their lives.  Please continue to pray for the Point of Hope Ministry.  Pray for the teachers, pray for the volunteers, pray for the administrative staff.  Pray that the Lord will continue to use each of them to point these children to Him.

I am so blessed to have the opportunity to be a part of this ministry.  I can't wait to see what the next five or ten years brings as we continue to point these children to the only true Hope...our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  We provide for their physical needs, point them to God and then He transforms their life.  What a deal!

God please just tell me what to do!

I honestly cannot believe that I am even writing this post from Romania. I never thought that I would have the chance to have this opportunity and be this blessed by it. When I first began praying for this mission trip it was the summer of my sophomore year. I was a little skeptical about going clear across the country though. I did not know if it was truly what I wanted to do.  I was on a youth trip with my church to Mississippi College for a Fuge Camp when I spoke to my youth pastor, Brad, about it. Telling him my concerns and whatnot. He looked at me and simply said, "Lindsey, pray about it." All throughout the sermon that night I prayed, "God please just tell me what to do." We broke out into our church Bible study groups and when we walked into our room and there was a map of Romania covering our walls. Brad looked at me and said, "I guess your going to Romania." I began to seriously prepare myself and think about how I was going to go about it doing it. Throughout  the next two years I honestly could not have prepared myself for what I was going to experience in these twelve days here.

            July 4th, 2012, the day of departure, came faster than I ever believed. We arrived at the airport to board the plane, with church members there to tell us goodbye. We boarded the plane and took off for Dallas, Texas. We only stayed in Texas for a little while and soon boarded another plane, our next stop, London! Aside from a layover in London, we finally arrived in Bucharst with a three hour drive to Predeal. In Predeal we enjoyed our first Romania meal Schnidtzel and French Fries, yes you did read correctly! The next morning we toured a Romanian Castle and then another drive. Our destination, Targu Mures. We stayed there for two nights, and attended Libertatii Church on Sunday Morning. Although the service was wonderful, we soon found out that many places in Romania do not have central air condition. It was extremely hot and we were definitely out of our comfort zone, but we soon remembered that not everything is always going to be comfortable for us and there was a bigger purpose for why we are here. Sunday evening we were given the wonderful opportunity of leading worship for the same church. We sang a few songs we prepared over the year and attempted to sing one song in Romanian. Yesterday we began work at the Point of Hope center where we are leading a Vacation Bible School for children ages 3-10. We are having Bible study, recreation, music, and crafts. I have helped with many Vacation Bible School's in the last few years, and I can honestly say that I have never experienced something as wonderful as this. I was totally not expecting for the children here to touch my life as they have. We came here to change their lives when they have truly changed ours. You can see the desperation for love and affection in their faces. They are polite and cordial, they say "I love you!" at every chance, they smile and laugh, and it touches your heart. At music time they sing all the songs and do all the hand movements. You can tell when it is rec time because they run for the door. Now here is a heartbreaker, meal time. These children are given two meals while they are at the Point of Hope, one when they arrive in the morning and one right before they leave. These meals may be the only thing they eat until they come back the next day. Now think about that when you say, "I'm starving!" This has definitely touched many of us as we sit down to eat at night. We know where our next meal is coming from, these kids don't. The Point of Hope gives the kids a bath two or three times a week. This may be the only chance they get to bathe. Even here in Romania we have not missed a bath, and to these kids it is a special occasion if they do!! But no matter what kind of clothes they are wearing, no matter how dirty they are, it never fails that the kids are wearing a smile on their face. God never ceases to amazes me. We are truly blessed to experience this and see the wonderful work he is doing in the lives of these children and volunteers. Continue to pray for the volunteers of Another Child Foundation, the Point of Hope, and Buckner.



Lindsey Davis
First Baptist Lafayette
Romania 2012 Team

Hearing the Voice of God!

During our day to day lives we often don’t really take time to listen for the voice of God, at least I don’t.   I’ve often wished the voice of God would come with a blinding flash of light or the roar of the wind so that I could be very sure of what He wants to tell me.  Instead His voice often comes in a whisper, a stray thought that comes unbidden to the mind, a gentle tap on the shoulder, the work of a friend, or even an email request.  An email request, that’s how God brought me the call to join the mission trip to Romania.  This email request came from Tim Oloffson, asking if I would be willing to consider joining the team for VBS this summer.  The support of family and friends, both financial and spiritual, made it possible for me to make this trip.  And what a trip it was.

The work of the Holy Spirit appeared to be among us from the first IL team meeting through the last minutes of the trip home.  From the minute the Illinois team met the Texas team at the Bucharest Airport we felt like fast friends with one agenda, to make the next week the best possible for the orphaned Romanian children that we would meet at camp.  All of the adults, from the USA and from Romania, exhibited a strong Christian spirit whose purpose was to show the face of God to the orphaned children and young adults.  So many times throughout the ten days, and especially the week of VBS, I saw the face of God in the people around me, and witnessed His actions in so many little things that happened. 

There were tears of love, sorrow and joy when it came time to leave on Friday.  Children are children and people are people, all needing care, love and attention.  The language difference was minor compared to what I found in their hearts.  It was hard to say good-bye, but easier to leave because people like Gabi and Dacian, and even Dennis, Swanna, Jessica and Taylor, remain to continue the foundation of God’s work, and also prepare to put to work the next team to follow us.  It is amazing what the people of Buckner Romania and Another Child Foundation have built in the last five years.  It meant a great deal to me to have been a small part of it; it has strengthened my faith and changed my willingness to be led by God into more experiences.  

Transylvania and more!

Our first couple of days in Romanian have been wonderful thus far.  No vampire sitings as of yet.  Being in the heart of Transylvania has conjured up many images in the minds of our travelers.  But, we've manage to avoid any bats, vampires, were-wolves or any other mythical creatures.

The worst of our adventure so far is that I can't figure out how to upload a picture from my phone to this blog!  I know, I know, any number of you would have it up in a flash.  Connor would be rolling his eyes at me right now, incredulous that I can't "just do it, Dad!", if it weren't for the fact that it is 1:55 AM and his eyes are shut in deep slumber right now.  Wish I could just wake him up and get him to make it happen.  Oh well, I'm sure Noble and/or Scott will have some pics and maybe even some video up soon.

Oh, wait, I just got a text message on my phone that says some photos are ready to upload and share.  Maybe all I had to do is wait???!!!

Hallelujah, it worked!  This was sunrise on our first morning in Romania.  What a beautiful country.  We are looking forward to a "mountaintop" experience with the Lord in the days to come.

Tomorrow, or I should say, later today, we will be joining our brothers and sisters in the Lord for worship at Libertatti Baptist Church in Targu Mures.  We will be leading in worship tomorrow evening, so please be praying for us.  Especially pray that we will be clear in our message and be an inspiration for our fellow christians here in Romania.  I'm looking so forward to seeing the youth share their talents and be used of God to minister to others.  Looking forward, also to hearing some of our adult team members belt out some tunes!

By the way, I had the team all prepared for cooler weather here in Romania.  Last year at this time our team was shivering, especially at night.  Well, God definitely has a  sense of humor!  This year it is in the mid 90s!  and it's humid.  Sound familiar, Lafayette?  We are praying for some cooler weather this week.  It was in the 60s on our first morning, so maybe God will gives some hints of mountaintop air a bit this week.

Reflections of a Most Awesome Experience!

      Well, the suitcases are empty and the clothes and toiletries all neatly put away, but I find that the "unpacking" of the mission trip for me is just beginning. I have been tired these few days and find that there is blessing in just sitting, for its in the quiet that the events of the most unbelievable 11 days I spent, begin to come to mind one by one and I can think about what they taught me or just treasure the memory. I share with you just a bit of those things "unpacked"  today, and know that I could easily write another reflection tomorrow as well as in the days to come with other things that speak to my heart. Today, everything revolves around "smiles." :)
       I smile at myself for all the fears and doubts that I wrestled with in deciding to go on this trip - how ridiculous they were!  I flew over the ocean not once, but twice, and felt not even one bit of turbulence and was entirely embraced in peace (but I still didn't look out the window) :). I arrived in a country that was filled with friendly people, many of whom spoke English; a country filled with beautiful hills and mountains, dancing streams, and charming old buildings with clay tile roofs. I enjoyed nothing but comfort and more than enough every moment I was there. I also discovered there are so many things that I could easily let go of when I get home.
       I smile to know that amidst all of the incredible poverty I observed surrounding the Point of Hope Development Center (CDC) buildings and the incredible conditions that many of the orphans we came to serve have lived with, I had the opportunity to see the impassioned and lovingly committed work that has begun thanks to Dacian, Gabi, Tim and those associated with Buckner Romania and Another Child Foundation  to provide hope, healing, education and opportunity, a better life, and the evidence of God's love at work in very real ways.

        I smile to know that I was allowed to be "one of the ones" to get to communicate the messages: "YOU MATTER! and DARE TO DREAM!" in my unique way to a group of young people whose circumstances have often communicated quite the opposite.   
        I smile when I think of the absolute beauty of each face that got off that bus the first day of camp.
        I smile when I recall the way that those young people took care of each other, cheered for each other, and thoroughly enjoyed EVERY MOMENT they were given at camp.
        I smile when I remember the first time I heard the whole group of children sing their worship songs and dance.
        I smile when I remember the look on the kids' faces when they created something in crafts, when they laughed during minute to win it games, when they received new shirts, when they saw how that tie-dye shirt turned out, when they learned to plunk out a tune on the keyboard, when they  enjoyed all the fun games, .....when for just a short time, they were able to feel safe and loved and let all the concerns of life go.
        I smile to think that these children are so very much like every young person I know. They still have to be on their cellphones from time to time, still love to shop and spend time with their friends, still are crazy about boys, still are unsure about who they are....

        I smile when I remember seeing the first smile on that somber face of the child that had been hanging back a bit, feeling that hand slip into mine just for a while before going off to join in some fun, that hug without words that said volumes, that proud face as her drawing was cheered for at the talent show, and the absolute joy in watching themselves in the camp video and pictures.

        I smile when I think of those cards full of writing of either "thank yous" or "God, I need you to know ..." to be released at the balloon launch, and the kids' absolute joy and wonder in helium balloons being released simultaneously to effortlessly float miles and miles in sight over tree-covered hills.
        I smile at one deaf young lady finding that there were not one but TWO people there that also knew sign, and the relief to know that she would be included by the adults as well as all of her friends there.
        I smile when I think of how the kids loved and loved on Tim and Theresa - evidence of a special love developed because they don't forget and keep coming back.
        I smile when I think of the incredible young adults that volunteered their time, their gifts, their energy and creativity, their caring, and/or their gift of knowing two languages.
        I smile to think that I was entrusted with hearing about being worried about having to go to a new school next fall or that others might not like what they did for the talent show.
        I smile to think of the blessing it was to allow myself to be stretched out of my comfort zone, to trust, and to choose to live life generously and rooted in love.
        I smile to think of all of the unbelievable Christians that were woven into my life to serve with and learn from this week. I pray that this is just the beginning of friendships.

        I smile through tears as I  cling to the hope and belief that I will get to see those special young people again, that I will be able to keep in touch if I put forth the effort, that I can communicate their stories to others who will also want to do what they can to make things better, that God will continue to send people and situations across their paths to guide and bless them, and that things can change for the better.

       I smile......and exhale my "Thank you" for the most awesome experience!

And there you have the reflections from this day :)
Karen Goy

FBC Lafayette Destination Romania!

The FBC Lafayette Mission Team at the Lafayette airport waiting for our first flight to Dallas, then on to London and to Bucharest.  Pray for us as we travel.  The next 24 hours will be exciting and exhausting.  Lots of laughter right now, hopefully lots of sleep on the plane!  I hope Romania is ready for this bunch.

More Reflections

May the God who give endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. – that was our “theme verse” for our trip.  So a year before we returned to Romania God was “gluing” our team together.  My heart had been burdened for the children of Romania long before I went for the first time two years ago.

But, this year it was extremely difficult to leave.  I love Romania, the people, the country, the beautiful children.  I asked the Lord for many opportunities to share Jesus and this year the doors were wide open.  I thank Gabi for the privilege of being able to share a few words with the parents of the students at the Point of Hope Development Center (CDC) and I thank Jesus for those moments when I could look into a child’s eyes and tell them that Jesus really does love them and that He will never leave them.  I continue to lift up the ministry of Another Child Foundation, the teachers, translators, Dacian and Gabi. 

In His strong hands with you, Jill Stojkovic

Mission trip reflections!

Tuesday, June 26: The Wind in the Pines.

It doesn't matter where you are in the world, the wind in the pines sounds the same. So does the laughter of children, the strum on a guitar, and the "thwack" of a soccer ball as a foot makes contact. Not to mention the smell of lunch cooking and the visual appeal of white fluffy clouds in an azure sky. But above all, there is the universal need to be loved and accepted.

The children here come from broken homes, bad homes, or no homes at all. They are being raised by grandparents, foster parents, or group home parents. But fortunately none of them are being raised by the streets. And even though their short lives have been ruled by uncertainty, they are remarkably open and crave affection - not attention, but affection. 

It's something to walk from one place to another and find a 16-year old quietly slipping her hand into yours, if only for a brief moment. I am a stranger to them, yet they still seek my affection. Hugs and kisses abound and even though there is a language barrier, I still know when I'm being invited to play ping pong, jenga, or paint nails. 

They are beautiful children, and I pray they see themselves as both beautiful and worthwhile. they are God's creation. And like the wind in the pines they are the same as me.

Written by Deb Guinn