This month we are working in the city of Oradea with a ministry called Caminul Felix,
which means ‘The Happy Home’ in Romanian. For many
years Romania was under a communistic and dictatorial leadership. This became a
negative influence on the country in many ways, but it was mostly the children
and young people who were suffering and were treated so badly in the different
institutions. When the revolution took place in December 1989, it was the
children’s situation that was revealed in a very powerful way. The nation was
exposed, through the media, to the way in which orphaned, sick, and handicapped
children were living. It was an environment without love, care, or security.
There was no hope and no plans for the future. In this darkness a vision was
born to give the children the most important thing that they did not have
before: A family with a mother, father, and siblings.
which means ‘The Happy Home’ in Romanian. For many
years Romania was under a communistic and dictatorial leadership. This became a
negative influence on the country in many ways, but it was mostly the children
and young people who were suffering and were treated so badly in the different
institutions. When the revolution took place in December 1989, it was the
children’s situation that was revealed in a very powerful way. The nation was
exposed, through the media, to the way in which orphaned, sick, and handicapped
children were living. It was an environment without love, care, or security.
There was no hope and no plans for the future. In this darkness a vision was
born to give the children the most important thing that they did not have
before: A family with a mother, father, and siblings.
The first village was built in 1992 with help from Sweden. Into
each of the brightly painted houses moved between 15-18 children, along with a
married couple who had answered the call of God to be parents to abandoned
children. Now, in a warm family atmosphere, children can feel love and security…
something that they did not know before.
each of the brightly painted houses moved between 15-18 children, along with a
married couple who had answered the call of God to be parents to abandoned
children. Now, in a warm family atmosphere, children can feel love and security…
something that they did not know before.
One of our roles as a team has been to help each morning with construction
of some new houses they are building… digging ditches for new pipes, moving piles of wood and
cleaning up the job site, among other things. I wasn’t too excited about this at first…I mean EWW! Pick up trash? Use a hammer? Shovel dirt? Hello….WORMS?? It has actually been quite fun to reconnect with the earth and play in the dirt everyday. And we have had great conversations with each other while we work. Started by questions like “What’s something you dread?” “How old were you when you had your first kiss?” or “What’s your first childhood memory?” One day they asked us girls to
insulate a house. We worked hard all morning and were so glad to be almost done
working with the itchy fiberglass when the director came in and said, “You are
doing a great job…however the owners just called to say they want a different
kind of insulation so please… could you take it all down now?” I thought he must be joking, but alas… he was not! These are the moments you remind yourself that it’s
all for Jesus J
of some new houses they are building… digging ditches for new pipes, moving piles of wood and
cleaning up the job site, among other things. I wasn’t too excited about this at first…I mean EWW! Pick up trash? Use a hammer? Shovel dirt? Hello….WORMS?? It has actually been quite fun to reconnect with the earth and play in the dirt everyday. And we have had great conversations with each other while we work. Started by questions like “What’s something you dread?” “How old were you when you had your first kiss?” or “What’s your first childhood memory?” One day they asked us girls to
insulate a house. We worked hard all morning and were so glad to be almost done
working with the itchy fiberglass when the director came in and said, “You are
doing a great job…however the owners just called to say they want a different
kind of insulation so please… could you take it all down now?” I thought he must be joking, but alas… he was not! These are the moments you remind yourself that it’s
all for Jesus J
In the afternoons we are working with the children in their individual homes, helping the parents out by giving them some much needed free time (imagine trying to raise 16 kids at once!) We sing songs, play games, do Bible stories, play outside, and pretty much just give them extra love and attention. They have been teaching me to count in Romanian and one day I was able to get to 100! The children love playing sports and making music. The ministry has its own choir and band to raise support so we also have attended their choir rehearsals and watched the children perform last weekend. The choir gets to travel to several different countries throughout the year, especially in the summer, and it is a great opportunity for them to see the world. Please pray for these families and this unique ministry…we are enjoying getting to know new children each day and invest in their lives!
