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Much of the day was about making contact with a few families whose children hopefully will come to the Kids Camp in Holbav and introducing them to the team.

These families are several kilometres from Holbav, so some of us were driven part way by Sami while the rest walked, then Sami came back for those walking. And this distance is walked twice every day by the children of all ages.

We were then at the house of the first family. They were very welcoming and fed us, which was generous to a team of nine people – and helped us to stay out of the torrential rain! (And then gave the members of the team without coats something waterproof!) They already knew Sami and Cornelia, but the rest of us were strangers. From there we walked a good distance to another four houses.

All these houses only had electricity because of government help to install solar panels and batteries. Only one had running water. All the families welcomed us, which was humbling. They clearly know and love Sami and Cornelia.

Back at the Pentecostal church in Holbav, where the Kids Camp will be held, we saw where we would be working with the kids and then were given some food by a lovely old couple from that church. We also met up today with two OM missionaries from Brazil who joined us for the visits.

Back to the church flat in Brașov, where we shopped for food and footballs and prepared materials for the first day of the Kids Camp – the theme for tomorrow is ‘God has the desire and power to free his people‘.

Matt’s reflection

To inspire or to be inspired? I knew we were coming to Romania to share our faith and inspire others but this trip and particularly today has been a very humbling experience and I’ve been really inspired by the Christ like serving attitude of Sami and the team. Today we met people who had only the most basic necessities, some without running water or the ability to read or write, but we were greeted by smiles, gratitude and such amazing hospitality. The church here in Romania are truly God’s hands and feet in this place and I feel a real conviction to live out my faith more intentionally, not just in what I say, but in how I serve others daily. What I’ve seen here has really spoken to me, and I don’t want to leave that behind when I return home.

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Jason’s Reflection

One of the most idyllic, captivating, beautiful, spectacular places of scenic beauty I’ve ever seen. Could be mistaken for a little piece of heaven on earth. As we walked into the cloud filled hills (which soon erupted their contents all over us), it became apparent that there was something else here, people and houses and shacks and a poverty that didn’t seem to echo the environment we had entered. As we went from house to house inviting them to a kids camp we’re running from Thursday to Saturday, I felt an anger and a discontentment in me towards the Lord. (We’ve worked it out since 🙏). These people have no running water, no sewage pipes to get rid of their waste, the rain downpour today may be the cleanest some of the people get, I wonder if they’re a set of people that Bucharest doesn’t remember.

Jeremiah sprung to mind about the Lords plans to prosper and not to harm. I said Lord where is the fairness here? Why do I live in England and have the things I have? The Holy Spirit convicted me… Job sprang to mind. Who am I to question God? How do I know what’s going on here?

And then it happened. If we’re willing to have a true honest conversation with God there’s so much wisdom to come. He opened my eyes, and instead of judging people by what they didn’t have, he encouraged me to have a look at what they did. Some of the most gorgeous smiles I’ve seen, a warmth and a generosity that just blew me away for people who “had so little”. A gratitude for just being seen and heard, for some chocolate biscuits….

Yes these people do need help and they need to find Christ for their eternal salvation, but my reflection today is that although it wasn’t conscious, I came in as the westerner looking down sympathetically at them, scared to breathe or talk because I have so many things they don’t. Well the truth is I have nothing more than them. Some physical possessions, but a mind and a spirit that’s trying its best to navigate through this challenging world we live in, please ladies and gents who read this, pray for the wonderful people of Holbav, for them to find Christ and for Sami and Cornelia who have done REMARKABLE work in Jesus name. A stark reminder today that Jesus is interested in our hearts, not our possessions, our deeds, our internal spirit. God bless the people of Holbav.

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Simon’s reflection

There was a mum with three daughters living in one of the homes. She kindly got up to meet us as she was sleeping after a night shift. The children now teenagers had clearly been on their own all the previous night… and then we learn this has been happening for at least the last 8 years. The three girls sleeping in this insecure home on their own night after night. Apparently a sister lived ‘up the road’ – but more often than not she was more likely to attack her sister with a knife…

As we left the homes of these brave, inspiring, generous people I simply want to thank God for them and pray that they would indeed find a hope and a future in Jesus. And I pray that this week we can be a very small link in what God is doing in this marvellous project!