The Reason for Mission!

As many of the readers of this blog know the tag line mission statement of Another Child Foundation is reaching, teaching, and transforming. Another Child Foundation (ACF) uses these words because it is the foundation of what missions is all about. Jesus called ACF and Fundatia Buckner in the Great Commission to  "go therefore and make disciples of all nations...". Many mission organizations might slightly or totally miss the mark when they 'visit' the very people that God called them to serve and 'make disciples'. ACF takes the Great Commission very seriously in our call to reach, teach, and transform lives. Another piece of scripture that ACF uses to set our course is John 3:16 & 17 which says "for God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him."

        Transforming lives is what God's church is called to do. However, it is only through the Holy Spirit, which intercedes on our behalf when we call on God, can do that transformational work. The way ACF describes the task of the church is to show people the full glory of Jesus Christ. So when people look at the church (the people of God not our buildings) they see the very embodiment of Jesus. They should see the One who in Word and deed is bringing healing to every part of the universe. I pray everyday that this is how the people who receive the gift of the Good News and the people ACF partners with see our organization. Pastor Arthur Bergren from First Lutheran in

Reconciled Children of God

Geneseo, Illinois has taught me very well that ministry, and the missions we are called to, is ALL about relationships. I titled this post "The Reason for Mission" because ACF feels it is important that people know exactly what and how ACF intends on being a vital and active part of God reconciling the world to His Son Jesus. God loves Romania and the all the people there who have fallen victim to the injustice the world likes to hand to people. God has called ACF to take the Great Commission to heart and to reach, teach, and transform the people God has called ACF to serve. ACF has never worried about the width of our organization but has focused on the depth of true relationship building. It is then and only then when transformation can happen. ACF realizes that doing ministry in this manner takes a lot of time but the benefits will have an eternal effect on the  Romanian people.

by Tim Oloffson- Executive Director
Another Child Foundation

March Madness Begins!

Well March Madness has begun throughout the country. Each March brings many of us the thrill of the NCAA basketball tournament. It draws us in because of its unpredictability and the thrill of the so-called underdog going deep into the tournament. For years March Madness in both the high school and college levels drew a lot of my attention. One of the most thrilling times I have ever experienced was seeing our local high school (Bureau Valley) make its push to be state champions. While the team came up short of its desired state championship the ride was a fun one. This year there will be many other people experiencing March Madness as their brackets come out on top.

For us here at Another Child we too are experiencing March Madness. This is the time of year when two of our big community development projects are getting ready to kick-off. First we have the organization of our SPEAK LIFE mission trips. These 4 mission trips take place in June and July in Romania. This year it looks like ACF will be sending upwards of 60 people to Romania to reach, teach, and transform lives as we build relationships with some beautiful children and their families. While the trips won't happen for another 3 months their is lots of planning going on behind the scenes. Fundatia Buckner does a great job of identifying the needs that ACF mission teams can fill. You see ACF and Fundatia Buckner do missions differently than some other groups. It is, and will always be, ACF's mission to compliment the ministry going on in Romania on a daily basis rather than trying to serve others with what we want to do. So ACF's mission trips participants go over to compliment the good work already being done by Fundatia Buckner by serving with an open mind and heart. ACF also strives to educate the mission trip participant on why things are as they are in Romania and what can we do to advocate for those in need.

The second project ACF is preparing for is the Project Respond humanitarian aid drives going on throughout the spring and summer. Last year, with the help of 30 churches and businesses, ACF collected over 9000 items that we distributed to the orphans and at-risk children in Romania. This year it is ACF's goal to get 60 churches and businesses involved. This year ACF will be collecting new pairs of shoes for children 3 to 14 as well as jeans and blankets. If you would like to help the Project Respond drive feel free to call our Mission's office at (815) 303-1725 to get involved.

So, as March Madness takes hold please pray for Another Child Foundation as we work diligently to provide life-changing ways for people to get involved in making a difference. You can also pray for my bracket which has Arizona, Michigan, Michigan State, and Syracuse in the Final Four with Michigan State cutting down the nets.

by Tim Oloffson- Executive Director (Another Child Foundation)

The Ongoing Challenge

It has been a while since me your humble Director has made a post on our blog. We have other very capable people doing this. However, I feel I have something of value to share with you today; and that is sharing with you the ongoing challenge Another Child Foundation and our ministry partner Fundatia Buckner struggles with on a regular basis.

Over the past 12 months the school we support in Romania (Point of Hope Development Center) has been given additional regulations to follow. While many of these regulations make perfect sense on paper they do bring some challenges that have the potential to do harm. The one regulation that I want to share with you is the rule that now says that anytime children are brought together in a community place, like our school, all the children must have papers saying that they have had the required medical checks/physicals and vaccinations up to date. To me this makes total sense. We don't want to infect others with any viruses or issues another child might have. This brings us to the problem. In February we shared with the parents the need to conform to these regulations and that their help was needed. These medical checks or physicals do have a cost associated with them. The cost is not high for an employed person, about 7 USD, it does cause a problem for some of the families that ACF supports at the Point of Hope. Many of these families live on a very small monthly stipend from the Romanian government. So choices have to be made by the parents. Where will they spend their monthly support? The daily attendance dropped sharply at the Point of Hope due to many of the children not having the medical tests completed. Sadly, most of the parents have some type of addiction to nicotine or alcohol so a portion of the money goes to support this habit along with a little bit of food and other material needs the family has. So, where does the money to have their children checked out by a physician and immunized come from? This is the CHALLENGE for ACF and Fundatia Buckner. ACF and Fundatia Buckner could easily pay for these physicals to keep the children in school since the cost is manageable. But, at what point do we turn over some of the simple but very important responsibilities over to the parents. Fundatia Buckner is already giving their children up to 8 years of education with no cost at all.

Lack of accountability is something in which people in all cultures are really failing to understand the impact. This is becoming more and more of a problem throughout the world. ACF and Fundatia Buckner are standing up against this problem. Fundatia Buckner has a social worker who has the responsibility of visiting each of the homes, who have children in our program, to speak to them about the need to provide for their children. This visit was very well received by most of the families and they now understand at a new level the need for them to provide these medical tests for their children. However, one family still does not see the need and now have their child begging in the streets of Tarneveni instead of attending the Point of Hope. This is so sad but clearly shows the challenges we have as ministry leaders as well as the people we are serving. Fundatia Buckner President said it best when he made the comment that "it is not our goal to simply educate the children, but to guide the parents to learn to provide, value, and love their children and give the Holy Spirit the opportunity to transform lives." Setting higher expectations for the parents proved to work. I realize that people will step up if we let them know what is expected from them. If we set no standard of expectations or accountability people will live up to them as well. Beginning next week we expect the attendance to be back to normal and a lesson learned by the parents that THEY need to provide for their children if they expect the children to prosper to a higher level.

So as we continue to move forward in reaching, teaching, and transforming lives please keep ACF, Fundatia Buckner, and all the people we serve in your prayers. It is the power of prayer and faithful action that is doing God's work in Romania and to all the ends of the earth. AMIN!