Words by: Dave Haas; Development & Communications Manager Romania
We’ve closed a wonderful and blessed summer with youth camps and the installation of our new regional leaders. In June we welcomed our new Regional Leaders, Roxana & Ionel Sandu (Roxy & Ionuț) natives to Bucharest, who served at the Craiova corps for over 10 years, successfully launching and growing that corps. They led with the love of God through their community and brought many wonderful new leaders into The Salvation Army also: Lt. Nicu in Bacau, and 3 cadets in training at the moment, and still a large amount of active volunteers at Craiova and community partnerships still wanting to work with The Salvation Army. We are blessed to welcome their leadership and guidance for Romania as we enter our 20th anniversary next year.
Throughout the summer, it’s an important time for us to work with our children, Bucharest, Craiova and Ploiesti hosted summer day camps lasting one week each. Bucharest worked with the children in it’s community themed on the Sky Highway of God. In Craiova we partnered with the government Child Protection Services to welcome some of the community’s orphans and at-risk children. This is an amazing ministry to them and to start a relationship to welcome them to our family and bring the gospel and love to them. Ploiesti had a mission team from the UK come plan and lead their week long day camp. The team, Mission Romania, all the way from the Southend Corps, has supported us for years, each November they dedicate their time to drive trucks all the way from the UK to Romania, loaded with Christmas gifts for children.
To finish the summer, we had a week-long Regional Youth Camp in the mountains near Sibiu. Youth from all over Romania participating in activities and spiritual mentoring, closing each day with praise and worship and recollection that day. It was an amazing opportunity to preach the love of Christ to these individuals and seeing the diversity unite and work together as one body of Chris for a hopeful future and long-lasting friendships.