The summer has come to a close, and we have been busy!  There is nothing quite like summer ministry with the kids- there is so much free time to play and talk.  God uses little and big moments in the summer to grow relationships and show His love.

A small glimpse into the inner working of my mind. When I hear summer time I immediately begin to hear DJ Jazzy Jeff and Will Smith singing in the annals of my mind. This then leads me into a playlist of increasingly minuscule and loosely related songs until I finally realize I am in my own world, and I then casually ease back into the conversation at hand.



Back to the conversation at hand... camps, and lots of them. The past 3 weeks have been a whirlwind of camps with the littlest of littles and the rough and gruff teens. We started camps with a group of 20 kids under the age of 6 as well as a second group of 20 kids ages 7-13! The cuteness levels were off the charts and hearts were melted at alarming rates! We had great support from the Bridgeway team who came prepared with skits and games to keep the kids enthralled.

boarding the train to the next activity!

a classic- duck duck goose

through the hoop!

vbs cutie!

play time!

After each day of camps we took the kids in small groups to the pool for some grub and pool party action.

swim time!

hangin' in the kiddie pool

boogie boarding!

nothing like a good chicken fight

jumping in!

ready to swim

watch out!

super prepared

We then moved on to another ministry site where we were able to bring the world of knights, castles, and kings all to life. On top of the Kingdom theme we incorporated some very important information about God's kingdom. The kids got a hands on experience of living life as poverty stricken families from Mexico, as well as learning about child-headed homes in Swaziland.

learning about wash houses

working together

trying to fit!

experiencing what it's like to walk for water

it's heavy!

It was an amazing opportunity to see the kids open up and think about the difficulties that others live through. But what really made the camp super special is the connection the kids are able to make with the kids in Swaziland and Mexico. Through the Wave Church SD the kids were able to send bracelets and cards of encouragement to the children of Mexico. Through a partnership with our friend Morgan McKeown we were able to send necklaces and cards to the kids of Swaziland. The kids here in Romania are anxiously awaiting a response from the kids that they learned about and prayed for.

While we may all be from different countries and have different backgrounds, God's kingdom unites us all.

Peace, Love, and Jesus
-s

There is something about picking up a book and escaping into another world.  Whether it be a world filled with wizards and wands, a time long ago, or a love story- there is something magical about reading.
 
This is the gift we want to give our children here.  That they could experience the joy of reading, and be able to utilize that skill to empower and better their lives.

Throughout this year, we have worked with the kids in small groups to help them improve their abilities and confidence in reading.  They have worked so hard and come a long way!








 The kids don't always get a chance to shine, but seeing them take pride in reading their book is such a blessing.

The last couple of weeks the kids have been on spring vacation. We have spent that time preparing lessons and activities that were out of the ordinary for them- trying to give them new experiences that make being a kid so fun!

We had two days of special science and art lessons taught by us and our Scottish counter part, Kirsteen. The kids loved doing science experiments- especially making chemical reactions and slime!


We had art lessons on pattern, color and perspective. The kids were so quiet as they diligently worked on their masterpieces. They enjoy being creative and trying new things!


We celebrated March and April birthdays with cupcakes and presents!


We had a couple of special events with the kids from Kirsteen's music class. We got to chaperone a group of kids at the movie theater and Pizza Hut. We watched a 3D movie, the Croods, and it was most of the kids' first time at a theater, let alone a 3D movie! We all had a great time!


We also took the younger music classes to McDonald's (always a hit!) and watched Brave. They got to choose their own happy meals and were so excited.


We put together some sporty activities, volleyball, frisbee, and yoga. They had never heard of yoga, but enjoyed doing different poses- and coming up with some of their own!



This past week was our favorite so far in Romania. We set up reward parties for our reading classes. We took small groups of them from the orphanage and brought them to our house to play just dance, cards, make and eat a yummy meal, and watch a movie. They really enjoyed getting special time and attention- and they loved helping make their dinner, it was probably their favorite part!





Quote from the week from little Marian, who said during dinner, "You guys are like our moms!"
"Steven too?!"
"Yeah!"
Best compliment we could ever receive.
{h}