Tuesday: Gypsy Children's Camp Batesti

Last year, Barna, Judith, Bonnie and I talked about the need for the Gypsy children in Acas and especially Tiream to have a week of camp.   Teleios Ministry partnered with them and others to make the camp a reality.   Barna and Judith are Child Evangelism Fellowship missionaries in the Satu Mare area and serve in other larger roles in CEF in Romania and Eastern Europe.  They are very active in the Satu Mare church.   (Barna often translates for Bonnie and I when we are in the area).   They have already led a youth camp and children’s camp in July.  

The camp was in Batesti about an hour and half from Satu Mare.   We met an amazing Romanian couple whose vision it was to have the camping facilities.   Out of her vision as a school teacher to reach others for Christ 33 years ago, the camp facilities came.   There prayer is that each week someone would decide to follow Jesus Christ.   The facilities are amazing and demonstrate the power of a God-given vision.

Thirty five children and ten staff came to camp.  Bonnie led in the Bible story for the day on the Good Shepherd.  Then camp crafts, a series of organized games built around “Minute to Win-It” type games, a mission story, and a creative learning time based on the days story.    The camp staff does double or triple duty preparing and setting up for meals, helping with crafts, assisting with the games, and staying with the children—a full week of work.  

One really interesting thing was watching the cook (who just got home from two months of picking strawberries in Germany) prepare a roasted eggplant spread—it was delicious.  
The children/young people were a real joy--So well behaved and enthusiastic.   I know that I have said it many times in the blogs—we had a great time and a blessed time.

We arrived home to an surprise, Blanka told us not use the water—no washing hands, showers, etc.   Sure enough, the curious among us checked it out and brown water flowed freely from the the Satu Mare taps.   As Zoltan Vekas would say, “This is Romania.”    This lasted into Wednesday.  Wednesday morning I let the water run a while and it was clear.   I announced that I was taking a shower.   I got in the shower and was greeted with the brown water that left and interesting residue in the tub.   No shower tonight.   We were treated with brown water for most of the day on Wednesday.   Finally on Wednesday night, I gave it try—the water remained clear for the whole shower.