Summer Camps 2016

Summer Camps 2016!!

Happy September everyone! As we begin to pick potatoes from the garden, cut wood for the winter, watch others harvest their fields, and see Facebook covered with people celebrating the release of pumpkin spiced lattes, we know that fall has arrived! Looking back over the month of August we are overwhelmed by the opportunities and progress made both at the camp and throughout our village ministries.

We had the opportunity to be in 5 different villages, continuing to run 2 day programs allowing us to see 300 more kids, youth and adults. These programs began with the arrival of Brenvtiew Baptist Church from Calgary, Canada, who worked alongside of us. At this stage it would’ve been almost impossible for our team on the ground to pull off a full summer of camps without volunteers. Brentview came with 15 volunteers, all who were capable of running and leading different activities.

The Lord also provided three Romanian nationals who speak Hungarian, Romanian and English but now live in Canada and attend Brentview. This was the first time this has ever happened and it was a God send. We had been invited into a village where we had 20 children from a Romanian orphanage join us. For most of our programs, the children and translators speak Hungarian but when we had 20 Romanian children show up, we were able to lean on these three to translate specifically for these 20 children. I will never forget that moment when I looked out and saw English, Romanian and Hungarian being spoken by the children. It was a picture of unity in the body as they were all from different nationalities, home lives and even religious backgrounds yet they were all playing together. To me it was a picture of what Camp Falcon Rock will soon be! On that day 60 children not only heard the good news of Christ in their own language they also experienced it through the leaders and volunteers.

An additional benefit to having our volunteers from Brenvtiew and the extra translators was that we could actually run two separate programs during each camp. We could separate into children and youth and both groups where able to play games, sing songs and hear the gospel in an age appropriate way.

As Brentview made the long trip back to Canada we joined them as we had been invited to speak at Camp Caroline for their High school Camp. Throughout the years Camp Caroline in Alberta has been a faithful partner for us and Camp Falcon Rock. If you remember Tamas, Tunde, Tanya and I worked, there prior to moving to Romania. This summer they had been inviting their campers to support the ministry at Camp Falcon Rock and some staff and campers even shaved their heads as a fundraising incentive. I’m sure parents were pleased with these efforts! Tanya and I spoke 12 times in total to the staff and campers about where meaning is found. Solomon says life is ‘meaningless,’ yet Christ says, ‘I have come to bring life and life to the full.’ We focused on these two ideas the entire week and it was encouraging to see youth respond to Jesus and commit/recommit their lives to him.

Our trip to Canada finished up in Bella Coola where we spent a week visiting my brother. It was encouraging to see how far he has come as I the last time I saw him was just after his surgery. Now that he is home he has been working hard to get healthier and stronger. Continue to be praying for his recovery and for future test results to be clear.

As we returned to Romania we have been excited for the season ahead. It will be yet again another busy season including teaching a 2 week English intensive at the camp for both Hungarian seminary students and recent high school graduates. We are also looking ahead to the arrival of Vern & Gloria Wagner and all of the development that is and will be taking place at the camp this Fall. We are working hard and praying that the Wagner’s would join us here in Romania to work at the camp full-time this fall. If you are interested in supporting them so this prayer can become a reality you can visit : http://nabconference.org/give/online/wagner-vern-gloria or to find out more information visit : http://www.rootsinromania.com/our-story-

Thank you for your continued love, support and encouragement. Lives are being changed because of your continued partnership.

Paul and Tanya