Day #3 The Ministry Begins

Today started out in a new hotel with the team preparing to start the reason they came to Romania. To serve children and witness to them the Good News of the Gospel. The team started out the morning by meeting the girls in the Buckner Group Home. The trailer the team will be using to transport the building materials is stored at the group home so the team took a few minutes to get introduced to the 7 young ladies. After a short visit the team managed to make its way to the local building supply retailer and bought all of the necessary items for the construction project. The team then drove 45 minutes to the city of Tarneveni where the Point of Hope Development Center is located. After dropping off the materials the team enjoy lunch at Pizza Motors in the downtown area of Tarneveni. The team really seemed to enjoy the Romanian pizza served.

The team then moved onto one of the more inspirational parts of the trip. The team got to see 6 of the girls that attend the Point of Hope perform in front of TV cameras for the first time ever. A local TV station is doing a feature on the children at the Point of Hope and how Buckner Romania is going superb work at the center. The team watched the girls and other boys from the community perform a high energy Gypsy dance. The performance lasted 12 minutes with an interview with the children after. All of this was video taped for the future show. Everyone did an amazing joy and the team was exhausted after watching those kids dance that enthusiastically for 12 minutes.

The team then went back to the POH where Gabi Szabo did a Romanian orientation telling the team the story of the center and the progress ACF and Buckner is making with the children and their families. After sorting out all of the humanitarian aid brought by team members for the children, staff, and volunteers the team headed back to Targu-Mures for the evening. The team then enjoyed a delicious dinner at a local restaurant and browsed a park where the beautiful Christmas display was being seen by many people. The team even got their picture takes with St. Nicholas.

The days are flying by and I am sure I am leaving out many of the details the team is enjoying. I am sure they will fill in anyone who wants to hear about those details.

On day #2 I asked the team and anyone else reading this blog to consider the question..."why did Jesus come to earth?" Here is the answer I have learned. Yes Jesus did die on the cross to save us from our sins so that we can spend eternity with him in heaven. This is indeed the good news we share with people. But he also wants us to bring his kingdom in heaven to earth. Jesus came to mend the brokenhearted and to repair our relationships with him, ourselves, and with others. The first two we can work on ourselves. But the third one is where we have to work together. Jesus constantly strived to help the poor and the weak. And called us to live a life a similar life. Not to bring us salvation but to bring his heavenly kingdom to earth. This can only be done by his followers who work to mend the brokenness of this worlds relationships. This is not the place or the time to discuss the complexity of poverty and injustice but dealing with the root cause of poverty and injustice is where we start. This is what Another Child Foundation and our mission teams are doing. The team does not simply lend a hand to people in poverty but we work to lift the yoke of injustice that keeps the people we serve bound. ACF strives to do the best job possible to bring his heavenly kingdom to people here on earth.

You probably noticed no pictures yet...tomorrow...I promise!

Day #2 of "Christmas in Romania" mission trip

Today was another very good day for the team. We woke up to a beautiful sunny, but very cold morning. The ski slopes of the ski resort are virtually in the back yard of our hotel and the view from the balcony was stunningly beautiful. These slopes, like the ones in the U.S., can create snow if needed, but man-made snow is not needed at this time. You see many homes and businesses with huge mounds of beautiful glistening snow on the roofs. Many postcard worthy pictures are being taken of the beautiful winter scenery. After the morning devotions and a typical European continental breakfast of bread, salami, eggs, cheese, and yogurt, the team loaded into the 8 person Volkswagen van and headed north towards Sighisoara where the team was to visit the medieval city. The team enjoyed seeing local artifacts from the 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th, and 19th century. Sighisoara was also the home to Vlade Tepes or Dracula for 4 years. So, the team saw some of the weaponry and medical items used during his reign as King of Romania.

After a little bit of shopping the team then completed the trip north and were greeted in Targu-Mures by Gabi Szabo, the Buckner Missions Coordinator, and ACF's long-term missionaries Dennis and Swanna Lofton. The team then settled into their rooms at the Continental Hotel which will be home for the team for 3 nights. After some rest the team took a brisk 10 minute walk to the Excalibur restaurant where the team enjoyed a unique meal. The food was not unique but the way the food is served was the uniqueness. The food was served on 1 large platter which included a whole chicken, pork chops, ham, sausages, chicken livers, ribs, roasted potatoes, cabbage, mixed vegetables, apples, cucumber, kiwi, banana's, and probably other items I did not see. Also, since it is a medieval type meal no utensils were given to eat with. However, we did happen to find a couple forks to use. Everyone got their fill of delicious food and I even tried the chicken livers wrapped in bacon. I do not like chicken livers but how bad can anything be if it is wrapped in bacon....well liver can still be bad even in bacon...yuckky! At the end of the meal we still had enough food for a family. So, Dacian was the benefactor of the left-overs and got to take them home.

I am sure you are asking if I could post some pictures of the trip and I promise I will try to do that tomorrow. The team has been talking plenty of pictures but I do not have access to them yet. Tomorrow I will get a few of the best ones to share with you. The plan for tomorrow will be going to shop for all of the construction supplies we need for the project at the Point of Hope Development Center. I would like to send a "shout out" to all of the people from Christ United Methodist Church of East Moline, Illinois for supplying all of the funds for this important project. After shopping for the materials at Baumax (the Romanian version of Lowe's or Home Depot) the team will get the materials delivered to the Point of Hope and start preparing for the work project. The team will also be witnessing the shooting of a TV show for a local Romanian station that is highlighting the transformational work being done at the Point of Hope. This is a huge event for Buckner and ACF. Getting community support for the work we are doing there will be a huge benefit for future support of the community. Dacian Moldovan and his staff is responsible for the great reputation this center has now developed in the community. Pastor Jeff Schlesinger has said that the work being done at the Point of Hope is the purest form of the Gospel he has ever seen as a Pastor within the mission field. The team will then get its first look at the POH Center as well as meet some of the staff there. Finally, the team will return to Targu-Mures for the night.

I have no specific prayer requests for the team other than Kim Gaskins-Delz is developing a cough and would appreciate prayers for her and the entire team to fight off any illnesses that might be creeping in. But please pray for the team as they are considering a question I asked them to think about during devotions this morning. I will ask each of you to consider the same simple question. Why did Jesus come to earth? Sounds simple but the answer is obviously very complex. Think and pray about this and I will give you a response that I have learned to this question in tomorrow's blog.

Please share this with your friends on Facebook by using the share button below the post. Thanks and have a great day and evening!

Christmas in Romania Team Arrives!

Well the "Christmas in Romania: team (Dennis Huston, Kevin Sack, Jim Power, Kim Gaskins-Delz, and me) has finally arrived in Romania. The team did not suffer any time or travel issues at all on day #1. We left O'Hare International at 4:30 pm (Illinois time) on Wednesday, December 12 with sunny skies and seasonably warm December temperatures. We arrive at the Amsterdam airport at 7:00 am their time (12:00 am Illinois time) and met up with our Texas friend Kim Gaskins-Delz who flew in from San Antonio, Texas. The team then flew the final 3 hours to Bucharest, Romania to find frigid temperatures and lots of snow. Approximately 15" of snow have fell onto portions of Romania in the last week. Tonight the temperatures are expected to fall near 0 degrees Fahrenheit.

Each a every team that travels with Another Child Foundation seems to develop their own story and chemistry. This trip might be the snow! We have already had to push the Buckner van out of a parking place due to the unplowed areas in parking lots. But do not worry! The roads are fine and Dacian does a great job keeping the team safe. The team is really looking forward to getting involved in ministry work with the children they were called to serve.

Tomorrow looks like we are going to get off to a fairly early start (9:00 am) and drive to Sighisoara. Sighisoara is the oldest medieval community where people still live in the original buildings. This should give the team a good flavor of the Romanian culture. We will end up the day in Targu-Mures where we will start preparing for ministry work.

The team is now resting comfortably at this beautiful ski resort in Predeal, Romania. Keep the team in your prayers as we still have quite a few miles to travel and people to greet!

Kindergarten Thankfulness

Last week I spent several days discussing thankfulness with the 24 kindergartners in my classroom. I think many times kids don't understand that what they have is something worth being thankful for. If nobody has ever made you aware that you are not guaranteed the things you have then how would you know? We read lots of story books about being thankful and then began making a list.

Our list included:

- Moms & Dads

- Brothers & Sisters

- Grandmas & Grandpas

- Toys

- Beds

- Food

- School

- Homes

- Being able to play

- Clothes

The list continued, but as we discussed each item, I began to tell my students that there are children their age around the world that don't have the things that they put on the list. They looked at me with expressions of disbelief because up until this point most of them had assumed that everyone does have these things even if they might look a little different. Of course, I don't fault my sweet 5 and 6 year olds for this misunderstanding. That is nature the nature of young ones to assume that everyone has what you have, but sadly, it just isn't the case. We took it a step further and I had my students imagine how they would feel if they didn't have anything to eat for dinner or they didn't have a home to sleep in or toys to play with. Their first reactions were that they would be sad and then they had lots of questions. I told my students stories about my time in Romania this summer and how I met sweet children just like them who didn't have all of the items on our list or even some of them. My students were even moved to act. We had a school wide food drive and many of my students chose to bring canned food in for kids that don't have food to eat.

Sometimes I think we, as adults, are like children in this way. We are so wrapped up in our own lives and what we have that we are blinded to the injustices of this world. We forget to teach our children to be thankful for what they have and to display our own thankfulness. I am just as guilty of this as the next person. November is a month that focuses our eyes on being thankful. It gives us an opportunity to talk to our children and to think about all that we have. I hope that you won't miss this opportunity to talk with your kids about what it means to be thankful. Kids are quite perceptive and open to differences. Honestly, my students reminded me to be thankful for many things that I hadn't even thought of!

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Join me in showing our thankfulness by contributing to my Christmas Campaign. This year we are working together to ensure that the children that Another Child Foundation serves at the Point of Hope Development center have a warm meal at school each day. Often times, this might be the only meal that these children get. Together we can show our thankfulness for what we have and bless others this Christmas season. As if that's not incentive enough, there is an iPad giveaway going on! :) For every $25 donation to Another Child Foundation, you will receive one entry in to the iPad giveaway! Win, Win! Find out more about how you can enter to win the new Apple iPad by clicking here!

Christmas Campaign {+ iPad Giveaway!}

 Usually I link my blog here, so that my readers can enjoy the things being posted here, but today I'm going to link you all to my blog. I am very excited to be announcing my Christmas Campaign for 2012. This year I am asking all of my friends and family to donate to Another Child Foundation instead of giving me gifts. I am hoping to raise some big funds, so that ACF can continue doing BIG things! The fun part is that I have a great giveaway set up over at my blog. For every $25 donation to Another Child Foundation, you'll get one entry in to my giveaway. What's the giveaway, you ask? 

It's for an Apple iPad!

Now click over, check it out, and make sure you enter to win! Good luck!

The Disconnect & My Voice

The building where many students from the Point of Hope Development Center live.

I've done my fair share of traveling around the world. Honestly, I have been blessed and had the opportunity to do more than my fair share. I have met amazing people and the Lord has given me sweet relationships that continue to this day. With every touch down of airplane wheels to foreign tarmac, I am so excited to see what I can do to love on and bless those that I come in contact with, but often times I am so overwhelmed by the love that I receive that it's a mutual offering given from both sides. I have shared before about how I will never be the same after these experiences. It is impossible for me to return to U.S. soil and pretend that I didn't see the things that I saw or experience the things that I experienced. I can't pretend that people are not living all around the world without the vital necessities of life. I have found that there is a huge disconnect between the way I am able to live here and the life that many are subjected to around the world. How can I go on living as if this isn't true? And the answer is that I cannot. It is impossible.

I could easily go in to how life isn't fair. We all learned that lesson when we were small children and someone else took our toy or a piece of candy away from us. In this life we are no longer talking about such petty things, we are talking about big things- life altering things. It isn't fair that I was born in the United States. It isn't fair that my parents are both still alive and active in my life. It isn't fair that I know that every time I am hungry, I will be able to eat. So many people are not guaranteed these luxuries. With these unfair advantages, I am also given a voice and I have a choice about how I will use it.

When God brought me to each of the amazing places that I have been, it wasn't just so I could meet the people, see the sights and experience the culture. He wanted to do a work in me. He wanted to open my eyes to the unimaginable. He wanted to show me people groups who have love and joy despite their lack of material possessions. He wanted me to learn from these people and from Him. I am so thankful for His teaching and His constant working in my soul. I am thankful for the uncomfortable reminders of the disconnect between our lives. He keeps me accountable for the life that I lead and the steps that I take to make that disconnect a little smaller. Step by step, I will do what I can through His leading to make changes in the lives of those who are struggling. After all, He stirs my spirit and I will not look away. I will not stand in silence. I will follow His lead and use my voice to bring about change.

What do you use your voice for?

Embodying the Gospel

Another Child Foundation is committed to "embodying" the Gospel in everything we do. Our mission statement of reaching, teaching, and transforming indicates to others who we are and what we do. The definition of embody is..."be an expression of or give a tangible or visible form to (an idea, quality, or feeling)." So, for ACF to "embody" the Gospel this means that we are required to be God's expression of God's love in a tangible way. Ultimately it is God who does the transformational work of ACF in Romania but God calls on us to habitually plant seeds, water the seeds, and cultivate the soil so that a good harvest can be had.

ACF is committed to "embodying" the Gospel through the building of relationships with the people we partner with. This means our supporters, our ministry partner Buckner Romania, and the people we provide programs to in Romania. The building of a person's faith rarely happens in a moment's notice. For me it has been a long process of gaining wisdom, making mistakes and repeating that cycle over and over again. Luckily for me God is faithful in his commitment to me. Because I question the depth of my faith all the time. When struggles come up within my life I routinely depend on my strength and ability to overcome instead of laying those issues at His feet immediately. Without relationships with my family, friends, and Lord I would quickly spiral into the depths of sadness and depression. If that is true with me then I am others deal with the same issue. So, God lead relationships are vitally important for all people.

ACF and Buckner Romania have worked tirelessly in building relationships. It takes a lot of hard work to build relationships with the Gypsy community in Tarneveni, Romania. We live in a world of instant gratification and want things quickly and without hassle. This developing a relationships with the Gypsy community will be the hardest thing we will ever do. But, when you truly understand what "embodying" the Gospel means and how God will work within this mission I am convinced it will happen in His time and not ours. At times long-term missionaries will work for years without seeing the "fruit" of their labor only to find that years later a great harvest was produced. Jesus calls us to do the same things for others as He did for us. Jesus first cared about a persons health followed by family, work, their values, their relationships, and finally their behavior and we need to do the same.

In my last blog I wrote about the mission statement of Jesus. In my opinion it was 3 items. Proclaiming the Gospel, show compassion, and commitment to justice. Proclaiming the Gospel does not necessarily mean using words. I have seen mission teams make great strides in proclaiming the Gospel when not one word was spoken; this is "embodying" the Gospel. ACF teams and representatives always have a compassionate heart and are committed to providing justice to all people. I will write more about providing justice in future posts because to provide justice to a community of people who have been living in oppression for such a long time is not a "snap of the fingers" plan. However, the holy scriptures are very clear on what is expected of ACF if we are truly going to be the hands and feet of Jesus. This means that ACF has to be a tangible expression of God's love to ALL people!

The Hole in Our Gospel reflections

Tim & Theresa Oloffson in 2007

About a year ago my world and perceptions were rocked when I read the book "The Hole in Our Gospel" by Richard Stearns. Mr. Stearns is the President of World Vision US and tells his life-altering encounter with God and how he responded to this "calling" God put on his life. I had a similar experience when I first traveled to Romania 6 years ago this month. Before my trip my life was a pretty hum-drum life that consisted of playing golf, watching sports on TV, involvement in my church, and other family activities. Unfortunately, that list might have been in the order of my priorities. However, God touched my heart in way I could never imagine. Through the smiles of beautiful orphan children my life was forever changed on a day in October 6 years ago. Thank goodness for God's faithfulness to me. Without his continuous grace in my life I would have not ever been able to see life through his eyes. My eyes were clouded with selfishness, greed, and many other of those deadly sins.

But the Hole in Our Gospel book made me realize even more how other people in our lives wear that same pair of glasses that I once wore (and still do at times). I look at these people as good people with solid Christian behaviors but am amazed on how they don't see what others who have traveled overseas on mission trips on into the underdeveloped places in their communities the overwhelming needs that people have. The injustice issues that strangle the life out of families who try to shrug off that yoke on injustice so they can provide a better life for their families.

2007 Mission team

ACF's role in "doing" ministry work here in the U.S. is to WAKE people up to the true meaning of faith and how we are to respond to God's love in which he gave to us through his crucified son. A son who gave up everything so that we can live with Him in peace and harmony. For years I thought being a Christian was going to church on Sunday's and by being a good guy the rest of the week. Unfortunately, I probably meet MY goal of being a Christian. But our gracious God demands so much more of us than the Sunday morning experience. Living the Gospel message means more than salvation and forgiveness of sin. The Gospel also means to prepare His kingdom here on earth for his return. The Beatitudes tell us of a world where the order will be turned upside down. I believe this might be God's mission statement.

Matthew 5:3-10

New Living Translation (NLT)

The Beatitudes

³ “God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him,
    for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
⁴ God blesses those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
⁵ God blesses those who are humble,
for they will inherit the whole earth.
⁶ God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice
    for they will be satisfied.
⁷ God blesses those who are merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
⁸ God blesses those whose hearts are pure,
for they will see God.
⁹ God blesses those who work for peace,
for they will be called the children of God.
¹⁰ God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right,
for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.

 

I hope you will come back often to the ACF Blog as I continued to share how God has altered my life in amazing ways and how ACF is positioned to alter the lives of children in Romania as well as people throughout the U.S. as we learn what it is to be a follower of Jesus.

Did you know?

Did you know that 44% of Roma children ages 7-11 and 65% of children ages 12-16 are currently not going to school?

Did you know that the Roma people have their origins in India? It is unclear when and why they began to migrate.

Did you know that the 10 countries with the highest Roma populations are Turkey, Romania, Russia, Bulgaria, Spain, Hungary, Serbia, Slovakia, France and Greece?

Did you know that beginning in the 14th century and continuing for over 500 years, the Roma people were slaves in areas of Eastern Europe? They were used for agricultural labor and treated as property.

Did you know that the Roma people lack access to government services and health care, good-quality housing and schools, and suffer from high rates of unemployment and discrimination on the labor market?

These statements are all true.

When I went to Romania and began learning about the Roma people there was so much about them that I didn't know and didn't understand. I learned some about the people I was serving while I was in Romania, but since I've been back, I've been doing a lot of searching. Oddly enough, there is not a lot of solid information. It is clear though that the Roma people seem to be kept in a cycle of poverty. 

After meeting so many precious children in Romania, it's tough to sit back and see that cycle continue without doing anything to change it. The children that grow up in Roma communities do not deserve the low expectations set before them just because they are Roma. No child, no human should be discriminated against because of their culture. They had no option to choose Roma or any other culture. It is who they are. As in any country, the first step towards change and success for these children is to get an education. Another Child Foundation is doing great things in Tarnaveni to step in the gap for Roma children in that community by offering many children just that-- an education. For us to bring change to anything, there has to be an awareness of what is going on. Check out the sources listed below and do your own research to learn more about the Roma people and their plight.

Sources:

Who The Roma People Are

Unicef- Romania

The Roma of Eastern Europe: Still Searching for Inclusion

Articles & Opinions on Roma History

Back to School

I don't know what Back to School looked like for you and your family, but it probably included going out to your local Target or Wal-Mart and gathering backpacks, lunch boxes and school supplies. You and your child probably decided what he or she would wear on the first day of school the night before and laid it out for the morning. Backpacks and lunch boxes were packed with great care to make sure that the first day went smoothly. The first day of school is a big deal!

Source: Buckner Romania

In Tarnaveni, Romania, Back to School was just last Monday, September 17th. Sixty students and their parents began filling up the second floor of the Point of Hope around 10 am. They were able to meet their teachers, see their classrooms and parents filled out some paper work. Of course, the students displayed a range of emotions. Some were excited, others were nervous. Thirty new students were added in the 2-4 age group. Fifteen returning students moved up to the 4-5 group and another fifteen to the 5-6 age group. About an hour or so later the last students and parents filed down the stairs and out the front door. On Tuesday the students returned for their first full day of school activities. At the Point of Hope, children have a special opportunity. They are able to go to a preschool that will prepare them for grade school.

In this community parents would have no way to send their children to preschool if the Point of Hope wasn't there welcoming these kids with open arms. These families cannot afford the cost of preschool. They did not go out and buy new back packs or lunch boxes for Back to School. Any money that can be earned must be spent on food to sustain their families. Luckily, the children at the Point of Hope are sponsored by generous givers. At this time though not all students have sponsors. Would you consider sponsoring a precious child, so that he or she can receive an education, food, and clean clothes in a loving, Christian environment? Maybe you could talk to your children about the children in Romania and sponsor a child at the Point of Hope as a family. Wouldn't that be neat for your children to get to know another child across the globe and to learn to care for them? What a blessing and learning opportunity! As your children go to school daily, please be praying for the children at the Point of Hope and consider changing one of their lives forever!

To learn more about sponsoring a child at the Point of Hope click HERE!

Great stories from Romania!

I wanted to share with you a post from our long term missionaries from their Blog "Winning Roma". Some great insight from Romania!

http://www.winningroma.blogspot.ro/

A Building

The Point of Hope Development Center

 

According to dictionary.com, the definition of a building is as follows:

build·ing

[bil-ding] 

noun
a relatively permanent enclosed construction over a plot of land, having a roof and usually windows and often more than one level, used for any of a wide variety of activities, as living, entertaining, or manufacturing.

But if you know about the Point of Hope Development Center in Tarnaveni, you would say that it is so much more than just a building. The building that is the Point of Hope is a place of refuge, a light in the darkness, an image of redemption, an out stretched hand. You might be wondering how a building can be so much. When I returned from Romania, I began telling friends and family about my trip. I would tell them about the Point of Hope and how the building was rebuilt to be a school with several rooms still under construction. Almost instantaneously it dawned on me that the building is so much more than "a relatively permanent enclosed construction," instead it is an example of how Christ is making all things new.

The unfinished area on the 3rd floor. Also known as the dungeon.

The Point of Hope used to be a hospital. In fact, it even had a padded door in one room. Yikes! While working there this summer, we labeled the area of the third floor that is unfinished, the dungeon. I'm sure we weren't the first ones to call it that, but the area is quite rough around the edges, literally. The concrete walls boast thick chipped paint in mint green hues and the doorways have pieces of bricks sticking out of them. Little by little these rooms are being redeemed and renewed. They are being given new life. Christ is making them new. He is turning a building that was a place of sadness and sickness in to a place that is filled with light and life. The children and families in the area know that there is something different about this building. They know that the building radiates joy and offers assistance to those in need.

Revelation 21:5 says, 'He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!"' He isn't just working in the lives of people. He's using buildings to spread His message of hope too. There is no greater gift than to see Christ at work. In this case He's using a building. I've been blessed to witness the work going on in this building, both in the construction process and in the lives of the children and families who enter its doors. It gives me such hope! If He can use a building that has an area that we labelled the "dungeon," then surely He can use you and me! I am so thankful that He is constantly making all things new!

One of the renovated classrooms on the 2nd floor. What a big difference!

Did you know that the Another Child Foundation is currently raising money to further their work, both in Tarnaveni at the Point of Hope Center and in Targu Mures at the group home? Wouldn't it be awesome to be a part of what God is doing in the lives of all that are touched by ACF? Well the cooler part is that when you donate by September 7th, your donation will be matched! Yes, you heard that correctly! If you give $25, then it becomes $50. How awesome is that? I'm pretty darn pumped about it! Learn more about how your donation can be matched by clicking here! Then click the green band that says, "Click here to get matching funds!" to donate. Make sure that your donation is designated for the 2012 Golf Marathon, so that it will be matched!