Str. Marcus Aurelius, Nr.26 510137 Alba Iulia, Jud.Alba România Tel/Fax: 0040(0)258 812851 "Presenting Christ by all means everywhere" January 2010 Dragi prieteni, The year 2009 was special for us. Ten years ago is when God arranged things for me to meet Paul an Julie Wakefield in Somesu Rece, Cluj. During those years they organized training camps for children 's workers in Romania. The training included sketch board and puppets. Me and 4 other people joined the camp and it was there that God spoke to Paul and Julie to invite me to take part in a puppet tour in Nottingham and this is how it all began. It's been ten years and after all this time we were serving in Somesu Rece with children. God has indeed blessed the ministry and we can serve Him weekly in 2 children 's clubs, a young people's group, a girls discipleship group, 2 puppet tours a year in over 65 schools, kindergartens and orphanages, summer camps, children 's and adults' open airs and the new thing: Church for Kids. I wonder what God has in store for us in 2010 and in 10 years to come. The summer camps of 2009 were full of events from unexpected accidents to wonders of healings and encounters with God. We followed a movie theme this year applied on Bible passages and here are some of the children's testemonies from camp 1 and 2: Raluca Totu, 14 – This camp was amazing, it changed me completely by the fact that I understood that I need to cherish my family more, I learned how to choose the right friends for me so it changed my life completely. I would love to do this again! I loved the leaders andd I met loads of new kids. I loved it! Tobias, 10 – this camp was good for me – just like a meeting with God.
Transcript
Str. Marcus Aurelius, Nr.26510137
Alba Iulia, Jud.AlbaRomânia
Tel/Fax: 0040(0)258 812851
"Presenting Christ by all means everywhere"January 2010
Dragi prieteni,
The year 2009 was special for us. Ten years ago is when God arranged things for me to meet Paul an Julie Wakefield in Somesu Rece, Cluj. During those years they organized training camps for children 's workers in Romania. The training included sketch board and puppets. Me and 4 other people joined the camp and it was there that God spoke to Paul and Julie to invite me to take part in a puppet tour in Nottingham and this is how it all began. It's been ten years and after all this time we were serving in Somesu Rece with children. God has indeed blessed the ministry and we can serve Him weekly in 2 children 's clubs, a young people's group, a girls discipleship group, 2 puppet tours a year in over 65 schools, kindergartens and orphanages, summer camps, children 's and adults' open airs and the new thing: Church for Kids. I wonder what God has in store for us in 2010 and in 10 years to come.
The summer camps of 2009 were full of events from unexpected accidents to wonders of healings and encounters with God. We followed a movie theme this year applied on Bible passages and here are some of the children's testemonies from camp 1 and 2:
Raluca Totu, 14 – This camp was amazing, it changed me completely by the fact that I understood that I need to cherish my family more, I learned how to choose the right friends for me so it changed my life completely. I would love to do this again! I loved the leaders andd I met loads of new kids. I loved it!
Tobias, 10 – this camp was good for me – just like a meeting with God.
Iulia Roxana Berki , 14 – All I can say is that this has been my second camp and here is where I felt the love of God and his companionship. And when I cry, it is for joy because I have felt his presence. I love it how you pray for us and explain everythins si clearly. I love you and I hope to be strong enough and determined to go towards heaven.
Giulia, 10 – this camp meant a lot to me, I played, danced, I learned a lot about God and now I love God, we sang a lot, I learned how to forgive, and we prayed, I learned how to say thank you to God.
Jordan Alexander, 20 ani, USAThis camp has been an awesome experience for me. Despite my skepticism at the beginning and the obvious language barrier. I've really managed to bond with some of these kids. I've Also felt god truly for the first time in at least 5 years. And it has been wonderful watching and hearing these kids truly and earnestly worship god to the point of tears and falling to there knees which I did as well for the first time in I don’t know when. So thank you for letting me join you here.
It is such a privilege to have a group of young people to care for for 6 days. You get to spend with them roughly the amount of time you get to spend in a whole year. In to the same extent God can touch their lives and relationships can go deeper. The challenge in the week's drama series in for them as well as for us: to go towards the Mountain of Happiness with our guide J.C. Or to redirect ourselves towards The Valley of Destruction. People that have tasted the mountain can no longer be happy in the Valley. Others have already chosen Valley D. and find it difficult to even consider a change of direction since it would cost them everything. Still the Holy Spirit brakes even the most hardened hearts; here are some of the testimonies from camp 3:
Danut Moisi, 15 – Camp rulzz! First of all, food was excellent! I love games and competition, and to be part of a team, to notice how different we all are, in the way we behave or worship God. Other people's desire to be with God makes me want that too. Each
year the camp is my opportunity to get closer to God.
Marius Armancu, 16 – After such a long time I finally felt God's presence again. Some problems in my relationship with God seem to just vanish when I come to camp. But when I go home, I know that the devil is fighting to destroy what God built. Tonight I made the best decision of my life, to open my heart so that He can rule there. I want everybody to be happy with my Father.
We had a great time with a family coming from Australia in August, they joined us to do training and evangelism: Dave and Win Night and their son Chris. They ran 2 sketch board seminars and open airs. A very useful time!
Below pictures of open airs and sketch board trainig
We thought we were up for a more relaxed time after the summer programme but it didn't quite work out that way. We went with other 2 friend on quad bikes in the mountain and Lidia broke her arm in 2 places. A rather difficult time followed, I became the housewife for 3 months, and after the cast was off she recuperated for another 2-3 months. Both the autumn and the winter puppet tour had to be suspended. Please pray that her arm will be completely healed.
On the 6th of September we praised God as Doru Jucan got baptized , one of the young people that we are working with. Here is what he says:
“I was born in an orthodox family, ever since I was a child I started drinking and smoking, I continued like this until I was 12 when I attended an evangelistic meeting and I gave my life to Jesus and promised to stop living the way I did. At the age of 13 I met Traian and Lidia and ever since I started going to the young people's group with them. I went to camp with them when I was 14 and God touched me again and changed my life. After I cam back home, I feel into my old habits again. And then one day I was at home and listening to Delirious Majesty song. Your grace has found me just as I am... I thought about where would I go if I died, I thanked Jesus for dying for me and asked for his strength to change. Then I got baptized and I promised Jesus to live for him for the rest of my life”.
Below picture of Doru with Traian and Lidia on his baptism day
Below: Church for Kids loggo
Church for Kids is one of the biggest projects that God placed on our hearts. We did 3 days of regular Holiday Club in September with an average on 200 kids and then for two days we had Church for kids. We had 360 children and 40 leaders in September and we did it again on Christmas with 700 children. The atmosphere was great, the Holy Spirit touched many children. We want to do this again every school holiday, please pray that we have the energy and financial and human resources that we need. Children also raise money, it was for Sudan this year, they raised 1200 lei (approx 285 Euros), which is the minimum wage in Romania doubled.
Here are some of the children's testimonies:“Tonight we sang Sweet Jesus and I felt my whole body shiver. I felt the infinite
power and love of God”“When Kate prayed for me, my heart opened”“I learned that we shouldn't choose on our own, we should ask God”
A leader said: “”I prayed for one of the children and in the end I told him he can go and sit down, but he said he wanted to pray also for the girl with the broken arm. And he said: Mister Jesus, please heal Lidia help her arm stop aching, and help her continue to love you until she is all grown up”
Thank you for supporting us financially and in prayer. Please continue to pray for the different aspects of the ministry and for a complete healing of Lidia's arm.God willing, I intend to start a discipleship group with some of the young men we work with so I will be needing prayer also. Be blessed!
In Him, Traian and Lidia Opruta, OAC Ministries, Romania <><
