How much do you know about Romania?

In just two minutes you can learn more about Romania. Isn't that just too easy and awesome?!
Romania is a very vibrant and interesting country! Enjoy!

Christmas Party Pictures

The children at the Point of Hope Development Center in Romania celebrated Christmas before they went on break with a sweet treat at their Christmas party. They were very excited and enjoyed the cake!

Here are a few pictures from their celebration!

Thank you for being a part of these children's lives both near and far. We are grateful for you!

The Best of 2014

Below you will find Another Child Foundation's top 10 visited blog posts of 2014. We have enjoyed looking back at your favorite posts and all that has happened this past year!

What a great year it has been! Click on the blue links below to enjoy the best of 2014!

Glimpses of a Great Trip

Building Blocks being Assembled in Romania

Day 1 at VBS

A Quick Update on Community Bible Church Team

Never Saying Good-Bye

10K Bushel Project 

Revival in Romania

Romania Changes Lives

Team Picture Time!!

Pictures Galore

Thank you for being a part of this journey! We are looking forward to an amazing 2015!

Romania Change?

There is a joke within the Lutheran community that asks..."how many Lutherans does it take to
change a light bulb"? And a true Lutheran will say CHANGE? Many of us fear change because it alters our comfort zone even though our future circumstances might be enhanced. As people we still fear it because it is change.

Well in Romania they have be calling for change that dates back to the Revolution of 1989. When on Christmas Day Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu was executed and his government overthrown. This past week Romania had their most recent democratic elections and a new leader was elected. A leader that has promised change. Change that will help Romania get out of its 25 year drought of a communistic spirit that has damaged the countries ability to move forward.  CLICK HERE to read more about how the Romanian people are ready for change and how this change could help Romanian citizens stop the persecution of some of its people.

Below are just a couple clips of what the article covers.

Similarly, under Ceausescu, Romania leaned heavily on nationalism to shore up its legitimacy. Ceausescu’s communism was bombastic, outstripping that of every other communist country (save, perhaps, Albania). It set ethnic Romanians against minorities, including 1.6 million ethnic Hungarians, roughly 2 million Roma, ethnic Germans and other groups. This authoritarian chauvinism was amplified in the 1990s and 2000s, sometimes reaching fever pitch, courtesy of populist rabble-rousers.

He has much catching up to do. Jobs must be created so that Romanians need not go abroad to work, as millions have since the early 1990s. The rights and welfare of the Roma are one of the toughest nuts they have to crack. And Romanians must come to grips with the less savory elements of their past, including the country’s persecution of Jews and other minorities during World War II, and end the lionization of historic nationalists, including Ion Antonescu, Romania’s wartime leader and an unabashed anti-Semite.

Another Child Foundation prays every day for the Romanian government to see the goodness and transformational work that Fundatia Buckner is doing. If you would like to support the ongoing work that Another Child Foundation and Fundatia Buckner are doing for the persecuted Romanians you can simple CLICK HERE to support our cause.

Another Church Partners with ACF to Transform Lives!

Walnut Community Bible Church in Walnut, Illinois has committed to helping Another Child Foundation Reach, Teach, and Transform lives of vulnerable children in 2015. WCBC will be the sixth church commit regular ongoing support of the work God has entrusted to ACF.

The Missions and Outreach Team said "Our prayer is that it will be a blessing to you, and your ministry, and that our great God in Heaven will multiply it to spread His Good News far and wide."

In July WCBC sent a team of 11 people to Romania to serve orphans at a beautiful mountain camp. Those 40 kids that were served during the 6 day camp will never forget the team members and the difference a simple 6 day camp can have on the outlook of an abandoned child. In return the kids gave a huge blessing to the team as they returned home with a different look on life.

Another Child is so thankful for all the churches who have decided to partner with us. We would also like to invite other members of congregations to bring our message of Reaching, Teaching, and Transforming lives of at-risk children to their church leadership as a way to make a huge difference in God's kingdom all over the globe. We pray ofter that more and more people come on board as supporters. We would love to have YOU help us help others



As always we would like to invite you to prayerfully consider adding Another Child to your list of support. You can simply CLICK HERE to donate.


Another Child Foundation would also like to wish each of you a safe and Merry Christmas season!

December 1 is Deadline for Summer Intern Applications

December 1 is the first deadline for anyone who wants to serve as a Ambassador for Christ in Romania with Another Child Foundation.

If you want more information on the Ambassador for Christ summer intern program you can simply view the video below or go to our webpage here.

 

 

The Mission Opportunity

This will be a life-changing experience for you and will transform the lives of the children God has entrusted to our care. Each ambassador will get the chance to provide leadership in Bible stories, crafts, recreation, and many other interactive activities with children. Not only will the ambassador get a chance to build relationships with the Romania children but also with the Romanian staff and volunteers. The ambassadors will also get a chance to provide leadership with the short-term mission trip team which will be providing a VBS for the children.

The Mission Experience

Roma children dancing

The days will be busy as the ambassador will prepare for different activities each day. The work will vary from assisting a short-term mission team to building projects at the Point of Hope Development Center. While the days are full of relationship building the intern can be assured that there will be time for sightseeing and relaxation as they discover the beauty of Romania and its people. The ACF Ambassadors for Christ will enjoy the all-inclusive nature of a summer internship. With all the costs paid before leaving the United States; there are no worries of having the funds needed for accommodations, transportation, and food while serving in Romania.

Making a Difference

The ACF Ambassadors for Christ program is designed to assist both the spiritual side of the ambassador as well as providing the at-risk children they encounter with a life-changing summer.

With the time and effort each participant puts into their mission experience, everyone is a winner and the ambassador will know that they made a difference in the life of another child. With the expertise and experience of the Fundatia Buckner staff, you will learn to care for the vulnerable children which is God's most precious resource. Joining forces with other students from around the United States will give each participant different cultural experiences from which to grow.

 

The Vision

The vision of the ACF Ambassadors for Christ Summer Internship is to provide experiences for students and young adults by reaching, teaching, and transforming them. Which opens the heart and mind to new ideas, cultures, languages, places, and experiences creating a greater appreciation and participation in addressing Biblical injustices in the world.



A Great Way to Show Thanks!

Want to show your thanks for everything God has blessed you with? How about the sponsorship of a at-risk child in Romania?

The sponsorship of a child through Another Child Foundation is surprisingly simple, and the effects your sponsorship will have on the child is dramatic. Supporting an at-risk child in one of our programs enables staff members not only to provide for their educational & physical needs, but will provide HOPE for the child. By providing the LOVE of God to the children, the child’s self-esteem will soar as they develop into the person God created them to be. Without the assistance of generous people like you these children will continue to live in the “darkness” they were born into.

For as little as $25 a month you can become a sponsor to a child whom is desperate to be given a chance to reverse the cycle of poverty and illiteracy that surrounds these children.

 

I would like to introduce you to one of our newest students at the Point of Hope Development Center in Tarneveni, Romania .

 

Jesika Casapu. Jesika was born on December 12, 2011 and she is the second child of the Casapu family.  Her parents are legally married and have an 11 year old daughter as well. 

Jesika and her family live in a two room home which they rent from the local authorities. The rooms are properly furbished, they have electricity and gas for heating, but the water they need to get from the nearby water pump.  The parents are interested in their daughters progress and monitor their evolution and behavior closely.  The mother is a stay home mom, while the father is employed at an electric parts factory.  Thus, the income of the family amounts up to 255 USD/month.

Jesika is a bold and outspoken little girls, who easily adjusts to new situations. She enjoys the educational activities, she is active, very talkative, but she also has a very good memory and colors beautifully.  We hope, as she attends Point of Hope that she will continue to learn and develop in order to reach her potential.

 

Is God calling you to step up a be the hope Jesika so desperately needs?

 

If so you can simply CLICK HERE to learn more about the Another Child Sponsorship program and support Jesika's ongoing needs.

$12 for 12 CAMPAIGN!

Earlier this year Another Child Foundation kicked off a new campaign to provide an "easy entry" for donors to be involved with our life-changing ministry. The $12 for 12 campaign's first goal was to reach 100 new donors with this campaign which is based on the Romans 12:12 scripture verse that says "be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord's people who are in need. Practice hospitality."

The $12 for 12 campaign supports the following essential items at our Point of Hope Development Center in Tarneveni, Romania:

• Clean water
• Library books
• Character building
• Speech Therapy
• Psychological care
• Christian education
• Food
• Medical care
• Showers
• Teaching aids
• LOVE
• HOPE

We also offered anyone who signed up to be a $12 for 12 contributor a chance to win a hand-made quilt from a group of ladies in Romania. Our long-term missionary Swanna Lofton led these ladies in the quilting project teaching them the value of hard work and reinvesting back into their business to create even more revenue. These quilts are being sold for $50.

ACF is nearly half way to our goal of 100 new donors. Can you help us reach our goal? If you do you can have a chance to win this beautiful quilt.

 

WE NEED YOUR HELP!

 

To get involved CLICK HERE!

 

Your $12 investment will make the world a better place for the children God has entrusted to our care!



ACF is a Finalist for Valpo University S.A.L.T. Program

Today Another Child Foundation was named as a finalist for the 2015 World Relief Campaign operated by Valparaiso University. Each year members of the Social Action Leadership Team (S.A.L.T.) picks one non-profit that is making a difference for God in the field of Social Justice. This year there were 13 applicants and the work of Another Child Foundation was found to be worthy of making it to the round of four. The impact the 2015 World Relief Campaign would have on the group home program in Romania would be dramatic. Orphaned children would get an amazing chance to live in a Christian home with a staff dedicated to provide them opportunities for a life that overcomes social injustice.

Another Child was nominated to S.A.L.T. by Abby Larson from Geneseo, Illinois. Abby has traveled with ACF to Romania twice and has since been an advocate for the orphans and at-risk children in Romania.

 

The application that ACF entered for the 2015 World Relief Campaign is for funds to purchase a new group home. Currently, the group home that ACF operates in Romania is a rental property. Having the funds available to purchase a home in one of the nearby villages would allow ACF to dramatically change the entire group home program. Financially speaking ACF would no longer have to pay the high rent that we currently are locked into. The rent money of $1050 a month could then be used to upgrade the programs and provide better learning opportunities for the kids in the home.



Abby & Crystal in 2011

It has also been our focus to bring in a wider range of ages within the home. Originally, 8 teen-age girls from the Zau Orphanage lived in the home. As you can imagine that situation, while well intentioned, did not work as smoothly as we wanted. We also would like to see the home display the characterictics of a typical Romanian family. The location of the new home to a nearby village would provide the most realistic life experience for these children.

So, we ask each of you to pray for ACF to be blessed with this opportunity to change the social injustice that the orphaned children of Romania face each day.

 

For more information on the S.A.L.T. program you can click here

Marquis Grain & Energy Supporting 10K Bushel Project

Marquis Energy announced today that they had a record number of trucks deliver corn to their Hennepin, Illinois facility during the month of October. Earlier this summer the President and Director of Risk Management of Marquis Grain, Jeff Peterson had discussions with Another Child Foundation Executive Director Tim Oloffson about their participation in this year's program. Last year Marquis Grain & Energy donated $1 for every truck that came through their facility. With that same $1 a load commitment for 2014, the 10K Bushel Project will receive another sizable and generous donation.

 

The 10K Bushel Project is an Another Child Foundation effort to involve local farmers and agri-businesses to support vulnerable children through-out the world. Local farmers are indeed the providers of much of the world's food. Here in the mid-west farmers have been richly blessed with the ability to grow corn in amazing quantities. ACF is partnering with farmers and agri-businesses to tend to the needs of at-risk children in our community and world. With partners like Marquis Energy, ACF will be able to feed children with the nutritional and spiritual food they crave.

Walnut Community Bible Church Celebrates Orphan Sunday!!

On Sunday, November 2 Walnut Community Bible Church in Walnut, Illinois celebrated Orphan Sunday as a part of their worship service. The worship service contained a testimony by Ryan Kepner who served in Romania with Another Child Foundation this past summer. Pastor Eldon Cook also shared a sermon based on the Biblical principles of orphan ministry and God's call for each of us to forgive, love and serve those people He puts into our lives. You can listen to that message below.

Not only did WCBC learn more about orphans but they decided to do something about it! This past summer WCBC sent an 11 person team with ACF to serve orphaned children with a VBS camp experience. And on Orphan Sunday many member of their worshipping community decided to sponsor the children God has entrusted to our care. 14 new children in our Point of Hope Development Center now have sponsors to pray and financially support them. What an awesome witness for God's love for these children.




If you would like to learn more about sponsoring a child that Another Child Foundation cares for then please click here to learn more.

Feeding Hungry Hearts!

Thought I would share with you all a little more about why and how Another Child Foundation does our work in Romania with Fundatia Buckner. This video is worth the time to see!