Off to camp…again

We are off on another adventure.  This time by train…even me and Matt.  We are headed to Buzau about a 5 hour train ride south of us.  I have 8 girls from the village coming.  The girls participated in JBQ but weren’t able to go to JBQ camp because it was at the same time as ours. We don’t know what to expect, but it should be fun.  We arrive home on Thursday evening. Please pray for us as we travel and pray for good times learning about Jesus!

Summer Camp

We had a great time at summer.  We had 60 kids plus staff for a total of 82 people.  We survived with only 2 sprained ankles and scraped knees.  Everyone had a wonderful time. The kids had lessons twice a day, followed by a lesson review game, memory verse activity, crafts, games and talent show rehearsal.  The teens had separate lessons on a higher level and loved the learning, even if their brains got a little fried–especially for summer.  But it was great!

Thank you to everyone who sponsored a child for camp. We had 53 kids sponsored and the rest were from the city and had the ability to self pay. Thank you to Church on the Cape for the toiletry kits.  A special thanks to New Harvest Church for the craft supplies, costumes and decorations.

God moved hearts at camp. One mother told me the day after camp, that she saw a difference in her son.  He was praying with the family and he said: Dear God, I though I knew everything about You.  But now I know I have so much more to learn.

Camp may only be a week long, but seeds are planted that will last a life time.

Craft time

More craft time

Learning to tye-dye

one fun game

Memory verse

Rehearsal time

Wet news paper fashion show!

Lesson review game

Sam’s birthday

One of our cuties!

Airport of sand art airplanes

Making a sand art plane

Taking a break

Playing air raid, one of our whole group games

Even though she got hit by the “bombs” water balloons, Ionela still had fun

Dodging water balloons

Rochelle and Sam are the faces and feet for little man, Heidi and Rachel played the hands.

The littlest group puts on a skit about helping others.

Fun time at the Orphanage

We had a great time yesterday at the orphanage.  The US team was great, especially since they had only arrived the night before! We were only able to spend a couple of hours with the kids, so we set up some games, arts and crafts and face painting.  The kids loved it. We had drink boxes and cookies for them and they left with lollipops provided by our friend, Esther (she had come to us in March, but because of snow storms, we never got to visit the orphanage).

We work with 2 orphanages, but they are sister orphanages, so we just there is one to make life easier on everyone.  Well, one of the directors to the all boy orphanage doesn’t want so many activities with Christians.  She says we are trying to convert the kids and take them away from their Orthodox culture.   She is limiting the visit and activities we can do with kids.  The director of the mixed orphanage is a long time friend and LOVES it when we come.  He give the kids the choice to come and participate with us.  The kids don’t have to participate in any of our activities, but if they don’t want to “deal” with Christians, that also means no camp.  But regardless, we have 17 kids from the orphanage coming to camp and so many more who want to join us. We had over 50 kids come to our fun day at the orphanage.  The kids are hearing the Word of God and that is more powerful than the director of the orphanage and its more powerful than anything we can do!  Please continue to pray for all of those involved especially for the Christians who work with the orphans.

  We aren’t allow to put pictures with the kids faces from the orphanage, but just imagine the smiles!!!

Girly Party

Back in September, I presented the kids at Sunday School with an opportunity to a Bible course called Bible Time.  It was a series of 14 worksheet packets with lessons and activities.  I told them, that whoever did them all, could go on a field trip.  Twelve girls finished the lessons. I gave them some suggestions for field trip and the idea to come over to our house for a “pool” party in our blow up pool.  And they chose the pool party!

We had a cook out with hamburgers and chips and later the girls each made their own ice cream sundaes.  They were really timid about making sundaes, not exactly sure what was involved, but once they got the hang of it, there was no stopping the chocolate syrup.

It was a great time of fun and fellowship.  The girls didn’t want to go home, and it was like pulling teeth to get them back in the car to take them home!

Pool time!

In the yard with all of Matt’s fun toys from Grammie and Grampie!

how to make an american hamburger

Playing ring toss. (that’s the neighbor’s van we’re babysitting)

yummy ice cream

New Puppies

Ever since Sergey was dog-napped  and we took his girlfriend to live with Bogdan’s grandmother, we had been looking for a new puppy to be a friend to Lucy.

Lucy

We never thought we’d get 2!  One is Ellie–she was our planned puppy, who came from a neighbor’s daughter.  She’s a tough little pup and has already chased larger dogs out of our yard.

The day after we got Ellie, another neighbor found a dog and a puppy in their yard.  They didn’t want either because they are female and they won’t get the dogs fixed. They said, if the dogs didn’t leave in a day or 2 they would “get rid of them.”  No one was able to get a hold of mama dog, but they were able to get the puppy. So we got Missy:

Missy

So now we have Miss(y), Ellie, and Lucy.  Pamela and Sue Ellen are the cats!

Cherry Picker

My parents said they were willing to help out and do some work around the house.  I don’t think my dad thought that it would include climbing the neighbor’s tree to pick cherries!  My mom then made a bunch of jam; so yummy.

Matt after tasting cherry jam.

Dad in the cherry tree.