Romania 2013 with Livada

THANK YOU!!!  Your prayer, support, and donations were such a blessing to us and the orphans we were privileged to serve. We pray the Lord will bless you for your loving hearts. 

My volunteer job for Livada is to recruit 12 college age interns to spend 10 weeks in Romania serving at the day camp, baby hospital, or Gypsy village. It was awesome to see the interns at work, acting out bible stories, loving the kids, and sharing the gospel. If you know any college kids that would like to spend summer 2014 serving the orphans, please send me their info! 

We helped to lead a VBS style camp for the orphans from local group homes. Ward and I were assigned to team Turquoise and had the oldest children – ages 14-17. 

It felt great to open my bible and walk them through the scripture so that they can know how to have a personal relationship with Jesus. We asked them who had a relationship with Jesus and they all raised their hands.  Only God really knows.  Please continue to pray for them. 

  

On the second day we taught about serving others.  We washed their feet and later fitted them with Toms shoes.  That same day I found out that I received a scholarship to take a Trust Based Relational Intervention class to help traumatized kids.  The class starts next week and goes through October.  I feel like this opportunity is confirmation from God that orphan ministry is where he wants Ward and I to serve.  I like to think of gifts like these as “God hugs” and boy do I love those!

After the fourth day of camp, we went to the local abandoned baby hospital.  While this is always an emotional visit for me, I was so happy to see a great improvement in the last year thanks to Livada.  We now have 2 full time missionaries and 2 summer interns working with the babies.  They pray for them, do play therapy, and work tirelessly to find Christian Romanian homes to foster to adopt these sweet babies.  Thanks to all who donated crib sheets, toys, wipes, etc!!!  They were much appreciated. 

On the last day of camp, we took them to a water park.  None of our kids knew how to swim.  One of the girls, Bianca, asked me to watch her “swim” over and over.  She was so proud.  It broke my heart to know that she doesn’t have parents to say, “I’m proud of you!” 

 On Saturday, we visited Dracula’s home town in Sighisoara.  Then, we got to go on an unexpected visit to see where our kids from camp live!  They live in group homes of about 8 kids.  They are separated by gender and age.  It was neat to see the kids in their element.  One memory Ward and I will never forget is Bianca, the proud swimmer, drawing the shape of a heart with her fingers for us as we drove away in our van.  I would bring them all home if I could. 

It is so important to have people like you join us on our knees in prayer for the Lord’s will to be done in the lives of the orphans and our lives as well. Our God is an awesome God!  Thanks again.  Love, Ward & Jamie