#1 Fan

It's Saturday afternoon here in TM and I am actually having some down time! The house is quiet and feels empty-moments like this are rare. 

It has been such a rewarding week. I mentioned earlier that the kids who came to camp were younger; their age made their need of having someone to love them very apparent. If you go to a park, or sporting event for young children, there will never be a shortage of "#1 Fans". Parents are (or should be) with their kids at all times. They are there to cheer them on, encourage them, hug them and tell them "good job!” The kids we had at camp this week have never experienced that kind of support or attention. I cherished every minute I had to be there for them and show them that I was their #1 Fan. 

My group had 5 kids-Larisa, Olga, Andrei, Ionel, and Cosmine.

Ionel had the most energy BY FAR and kept us on our toes much of the time. He loved to learn English words and enjoyed teaching me Romanian.

Larisa was our girly girl. She loved to do model poses for pictures and had the sweetest temperament.

Andrei is Larisa’s brother. He was obedient, attentive, and a GREAT listener. He also really loves to play basketball.

Olga was mature beyond her years. She has a heart for the Lord and absorbed everything we said like a sponge. She was the oldest in our group and was a strong leader.

Cosmine was my buddy for the week. He reminded me so much of Cole (Burdette). He was sweet and caring but he also had a fun silly side. Every day during free time he would come up to me and ask me to chase him and hug him.

(He has whipped cream on his face from a game we were playing)

The two American team members I had in my group, Angie and Rachel, were such a huge help! They were patient with me whenever I was unsure of the plan for the day and they never once complained. It was a pleasure being able to serve with them.  

One of my favorite moments this week happened after Ionel and Andrei got into a “fight”. They were both trying to get a piggy back ride from the same person when Ionel accidentally bumped Andrei in the nose, which then started to bleed. Andrei reacted out of pain and anger and hit Ionel. We got Andrei all fixed up and took him back to the group. After this incident Ionel and Andrei would not stop fighting with each other.

I took them both aside and said (with the help of a translator of course) that they needed to forgive each other for what had happened. I told them that I saw the whole thing and that Ionel had not meant to give Andrei a bloody nose. I also said that I was not right for Andrei to retaliate and hit Ionel. After a few minutes of talking about what happened, neither of them would apologize because they did not feel like the other person deserved an apology. I was then able to remind them of how God forgives us, even though we don’t deserve it, and that he loves us unconditionally. I asked them if they thought they could forgive each other because God has offered them forgiveness, even when they don’t deserve it...they both nodded, smiled, and gave each other a huge hug. It was such a good moment! They understood that we are sinners but God loves and forgives us anyway and then used that understanding to change how they acted in a tough situation-What a praise!

Here are a few pics from the week:

(Ionel and Cosmine)

(Slip&Slide at Vetca)

(Larisa & Olga)

(Hanging out with the LOC kids. This is Daniela)

In a few hours a new team of Americans will arrive and everything will start all over again. I'm looking forward to this week because one of my best friends is going to be here! Jessica Howard and her family will be coming with Dallas Bible. She has been one of my best friends since we were 6 so I'm excited to have the opportunity to serve with her in Romania for a week.