This month we have partnered with Living Hope Church in Romania with Pastor Christi and his family. Their heart is for the homeless and poor of Pitesti. Pastor Christi has spent close to 20 years pouring into these communities and you can see the fruit of his labor as people light up with excitement when they see him.
Pastor Christi has taken our team to visit the homeless where they reside, and also to visit what is referred to as the ghetto to spend time with the families they minister to. We have also spent two weekends going out to camp with children from two of the under-privellaged communities.
The first weekend we took around 40 children from a community that the church has recently started working with. This was their first time going out to camp. It was a busy and at times chaotic weekend; so I was a little suprised to hear that this group was well-behaved compared to the group that we were going to take out the following weekend. We soon found out what they meant.
Upon picking up the second group for camp, we were initially met with smiles and excitement which then turned to yelling, hitting, and breaking up fights on the bus. Shortly after arriving to camp, two of the children were caught smoking in the bathroom. So you get the idea of what we were in for.
Pastor Christi shared with us the background of these children. They are often exposed to violence, and there is a very real presense of international sex and drug trafficking. Parents are in and out of jail and in and out of their lives. These children tend to keep hard exteriors, but the Spirit did a beautiful thing our first evening with them.
One of my squadmates who grew up with a simular background shared her testimony how she ecountered healing and redemption in Jesus. As we watched the children’s faces, you could see something was happening. They may have been hearing their own stories, but also that there was hope. A time of prayer was offered for the children. Luana approached me with tears in her eyes. Because of the langauge barrier she couldn’t express to me what she was feeling, but as I held her and prayed over her, she began sobbing and hugging me tighter and tighter. As her tears drenched my own shirt, I couldn’t help but cry with her. Most, if not all the children, went forward; even the “tougher” ones. My teammate recounted to me how one of the older boys was reluctant to come to him, but soon broke down as he was prayed over.
The next day we took the children on a day hike. It was so enjoyable to spend time with them and coach them along; to be a safe place and just let them be children. Throughout the rest of the weekend the children shared snippets of their lives, and asked questions about ours. A boy nicknamed Boo-Boo asked a few of us at different times how long we have been Christians. He understands there is a Gospel. He’s contemplating it, but is still pulled by the life he knows.
I’m thankful for the ministry of Pastor Chrisi to this community. As another young boy put it, “No one else cares about us” when asked if anyone else reaches out to them. It’s a tough community to reach, but these children are getting an ecounter with Jesus- and so are we.
Jeremiah 22:16- “he judged the cause of the poor and needy; then it was well. Is not this to know Me? declares the LORD”
