A Summer of Harvest
The summer is gone, but the harvest continues. Please join us as we take a look back to bring out some of the events we had this summer. It was an encouraging time in our work with a generation of teenagers that speed up, leaving us, the adults, far behind in terms of technology, music, movies, games, friends and the list continues... Actually their lives spin around this things.
We always considered the camps a strong beginning for the new year, a time to know each other better, to strengthen our relationships and to open our hearts and minds to accept His Word. And all of this in a pure practical way.This year, groups from Highland Park Presbyterian Church, Dallas, TX; Vienna Presbyterian Church, VA and Trinity Evangelical Free Church, Redlands, CA invested their vacation time, resources and hearts in helping us here. Thank you! They shared God's Word with our kids, as well as their life stories. We offered them our friendship.
Highschool Camp - The camp took place in Sovata, a beautiful resort known for its salted lakes. We also visited one of the largest salt mines in the area. During the entire week, the team from Highland Park invited us in an "Amazing Race" throughout the world, a journey meant to discover God in new ways. You can find more pictures with this camp here.
Junior High Camp - The Junior High age was always a transition period in our ministry. The challenge for this summer was to facilitate this transition from children to teenagers. Not an easy task. The team from Trinity came along side us in this mission "armed" with a lot of games, activities, patience and a relevant teaching from Noah's life story. The kids really loved this. If you want to see more pictures, please go here .
This were only two examples of the partnerships we had this summer. We also had camps with the Hungarian Baptist Church, Reformed Church and the Pentecostal Church we're partnering with. Here is what they said: there were about 45 persons belong to Pentecostal church and some from other churches. The main theme was "Principles of wearing" and also we had many other activities like worship, trips, outdoor sport, and we ended with a huge bonfire. For many teenagers this camp was a spiritual challenge.
The Blessed Floods
Later, in August, it was our turn to mission. Not an easy place to be, but a poor area near the Danube. The place devastated by the floods a year before. They lost almost everything including hope so a team of College Students from our church went there to offer them a ray of hope. They organized a Vacation Bible School there, inviting hundreds of children from that area. Here is what they said:
"I saw joy on their faces; I saw sincere smiles, explosion of energy, children that didn't have their personalities spoiled by the "culture" in the region. I saw children with so much potential and talent, but unfortunately, neglected, uneducated. I also noticed what a great impact a little gesture can have in one child's life and how that gesture can follow him for the rest of his life. I think that what we've done for them will stay in their souls forever and not because we were brilliant, but because they were superb and conceived to be loved. I felt that I, who have nothing special to give, am so important in their eyes and that I'm sincerely loved for giving much less attention than I should. It's wonderful! They're wonderful!" - Andrea Gego, 20
Business and Accounting student
"Rast... what did a few days spent in hellish heat, among bustling flies and dust, really mean? There have been days that amazed me, too, and I was amazed by the children there. I felt that everything those children needed was love, much love... that I have been fully trying to offer... without any attitude of reserve... but I realized that my resources are so limited and weak in the heat outside... so I tried to turn their eyes towards our Resource, to the One who doesn’t tire loving us... to Him, the Creator of love." - Ermiona Raica, 20 European Studies student / Her first encounter with the Danube...
"I experienced the fact that the true friends are those who believe in your dreams and know how to support your wings when the wind is too strong. But even more, they stand beside you until the end just the way they know it best. I fully experienced it and I understood that friendship is one of the most extraordinary gifts received by mankind, with the obligation of giving it further. The story of the camp in Rast began a year ago, but it is not over yet. Many little eyes are waiting to be discovered, looked at and loved. It will probably never end, because the seed planted in my heart has just started growing. Amazingly, He believed in me before I believed in Him. That will never change. That is the art of belief." - Emma Mocan, 21, Theater Studies and Journalism student
"I never thought that such a dark skin could give so much light. I never thought that, paradoxically, at over 40 degrees Celsius, little souls could be longing for warmth... and especially; I never thought that I could have an influence on a certain way. I never thought that God could speak through people who have no god and that it only takes a few words or the right attitude to become the vessel from where God pours the happiness... and this makes me happy in the first place." - Andreea Salahoru, 19, Romanian Literature student
"Seeing suffering in the eyes of those children, suffering that was hiding behind their smile, hunger and lack of love, I realized that I didn't need to ask for help for myself but give help, I didn't need to complain, but help those who cry, that I didn't need to despair, but trust God and that I didn't need to think of me but see the need of those around me. God does not have the word "coincidence" in his vocabulary and the week I spent in Rast has clearly proven this to me." - Dana Ilie, Psychology student
"I was astonished by their narrow homes and seeing them eating bare bread. If I had stayed there I would have got ill and I wouldn't have had the medicines for the treatment. I enjoyed playing with them, knowing them and having them as my friends." - David Mocan, 8, Third grade
"When you work with children and try to teach them something, you learn life lessons in return. During the days spent there I've learned more than one from those children who, though poor, knew how to enjoy every day as if it was to be the last. I was also enriched with life lessons from the friends I worked with. Many times I have the feeling that I'll live forever and I forget that today may be my last day and so I forget to enjoy things around me, small as they are, from the grass blade to the great sun shining in the sky. The children in Rast taught me that no matter how hard it is for me, I must always raise my eyes to the sky and thank the Lord because all things come from His hand and nothing is randomly." - Filipa Cristian, 19, Landscape Design student
"I'm thinking of each child and I'm wondering what's going to happen to each of them, if they will become like us or like them, if they will be satisfied with the heritage from their parents or if they will want something else, or if they will just carry on with the inherited evil, or if they will long for another heritage to leave behind. I don't have the answer to these questions, I just know that some will and some will not receive this heritage and that I don't need to interfere. Now that I'm far from them, I can only carry them in my thoughts and prayers and hope that the number of those who will be "different" will be larger and the number of those who will teach and support them to be "different", will get larger and larger. Beyond all these I can put them in the hand of the One who shares Himself, in the hand of the One who "will make things right" for them, too... and believe and believe and believe..." - Alexandru Cupi Gego, 24, Geography student
"From now on, the children at the Danube are not the victims of a flood disaster any more, but they are our friends whom we will try to help and visit every time we will have the opportunity." - Daniel Capota, 28, Civil Engineer
"I experienced my biggest joy when I saw that, finally, older children realized that they ought to take care of the little ones and I think they started to realize that they shouldn't spoil their joy steeling the toys, candies or just taking all their games during songs and plays. Thank you for making my life more beautiful." - Laura Radu, 24, Political Science teaching instructor
"When some of the kids jumped in my arms with all speed, hugging me near choking, it felt as if they where hugging my heart. I saw so much joy, and good spirit... so much God. I realized that all of them had Him inside them, hidden maybe or set-aside, but what we tried was to get Him out to the light, realizing that is what we all keep hidden inside. A full week... full with children, with joy, fun, and heavenly essences." - Andrei Rus, 19, Designer
If you're interested in more details, here you can find more pictures or video .
Hungarian Children Camp
81 children and leaders joined the camp from the Lesu Lake. Focusing on the "Life of Moses" as the main subject, many of them received Christ in their hearts. Even the senior pastor who participated in this camp said "this camp was one of the best in terms of organization, cooperation and teamwork". Another lady who cam to help with the kitchen testified:"Even I was not involved in the activities and bible studies during the camp, I was able to discover God's presence in there" In other words, we had a blessed camp, a spiritual milestone in children's life.
Arthur was involved in several other camps during the summer, such a: The College Students Camp organized in Hungary at The Balaton Lake where he was invited as leader; a music camp in Vlahita, where 72 participants discovered God through music and learning an instrument. At the end of this summer, Arthur and some of the twelve graders from his youthgroup went in a hiking trip in the mountains, a time for planning and team-building.
Pentecostal Youth Camp
Camp took place in the middle of july; there were about 45 persons belong to Pentecostal church and some from other churches. The main theme was "The Principles of Wearing" and also we had many other activities like worship, trips, outdoor sports, and we ended with a huge bonfire. For many teenagers this camp was a spiritual challenge.
