Romania

In 1989 there were up to 250,000 children living in government institutions in Romania, with more on the streets and in private orphanages. While basic conditions have improved thanks to support from western organizations, thousands of children still live in government institutions, or on the street. Kidstown partnered with its first orphanage in Romania in 1996, and today supports 10 homes in the country. There are still many children affected by Romania’s turbulent past, but Kidstown is helping provide a future of hope for these children.

To Sponsors: A Special Request

October 17, 2014 by Kidstown Staff

Dear Kidstown Sponsors,

Wanted to take a few minutes to write specifically to you. I’ve spent the last week visiting a number of our supported orphanages; orphanages which each one of you, through your finances and prayers, are likewise partnering with. The financial support is unquestionably important, for without it these children homes would be hard pressed to carry on. But the emotional component we often tend to minimize.

The children at these homes are like kids anywhere else. They go to school, experience sibling rivalry, and like sports and TV. But these kids have suffered more than most kids, having come out of backgrounds of abandonment or severe poverty, or out of families which simply fell apart. These kids, although receiving love and care from the orphanage leaders and staff, would surely benefit from an occassional communique from you, their family-by-extension. Even a short note written on the back of a postcard is likely to make significant impact in the life of your orphan. So – would you do that? Maybe you can swing by your local RiteAid or Walgreens, pick up a postcard, and scribble a few lines to your son or daughter abroad. We’ll take care of delivering it. It’ll do wonders, trust me on that.

Part II of my request pertains to the orphanage leaders. These men and women are the true unsung heroes. They labor day-in and day-out, giving sacrificially of their time, resources, and energy for the sake of the little ones entrusted into their care. I have seen the stress in their eyes, have sensed their longing for our encouragement, and even seen desperation bubble to the surface as they struggle to carry out this weighty task. Perhaps we can come alongside them in greater ways. Like with your orphan, maybe you can take a few minutes to write a card to the orphanage leaders. Tell them they are appreciated. Tell them you’re praying for them. Tell them that God will not, in any circumstance, abandon them or the work that He’s entrusted to them. Will you do that?

On behalf of the kids and the leaders alike, thanks. Thanks for supporting. Thanks for praying. Thanks for reaching out with your friendship and words of encouragement. It means the world.

Prayer: an effective way to engage

October 9, 2014 by Kidstown Staff

Dear Kidstown Friends,

When you hear the phrase, “helping orphans” what’s the first thing that comes to mind? If you’re like me, writing a check tops the list. We are conditioned to equate “helping” with financial support. Don’t get me wrong: supplying orphanages with finances so that shelter, food, clothing, and an education can be provided for the children is much needed and a valuable, effective way of engaging. Financial support is a good thing.

However, it’s not the only thing. Prayer is another facet of orphan ministry, one which has as much, if not more, potential to impact and change these young lives. Prayer is rooted in a belief that God can, and will, act on behalf of these kids. Prayer is an acknowledgment that God can do more for them than we can. Prayer takes orphan ministry to a whole new level as we join God in what He’s doing (and wants to do) for, in, and through these orphans.

I’m a dad. I have two biological kids: Nicole is 10, and Elliot is 7. God has blessed me with these two smart, likable children which have unlimited potential. As I think about them (and the 1,100 orphans which in a way are also my kids) I want the best for them. I want them to succeed, to be happy, and to have a good life. But there are three things which I desire even more for them.

First, that they KNOW God. I want all of my kids, biological and orphan, to have a face-to-face encounter with the living God and to step across the line of faith by placing their trust in Him as their personal Savior and Lord. If they did this…talk about a step in the right direction! You can help…by praying for your sponsored orphan, that God will draw them to Christ, that their heart will be tender, and that they will take that step of faith.

Secondly, that they will GROW in their walk with God. Just like parents enjoy watching children grow from babies into toddlers, then from toddlers into youth, then on to the teen years, and finally into adults – likewise may we long to see our orphans grow in their relationship with Christ. Far more important than good report cards, certificates and diplomas, or high-paying jobs is a genuine, growing walk with God. Again, you can help…by praying for your sponsored orphan, that they will have a hunger for God and that God will help them to grow in their walk with Him.

Thirdly, that they will SERVE God. Mainline culture whispers into our ears that life is about us. God says otherwise. We were never meant to live for ourselves, but for God and His purposes. If all of our kids would choose to live a life of service to God, imagine what He would do through them! He could change the landscape of a village, a region, even a country due to His kids engaging life His way. You can help…by praying that God will place in the heart of your sponsored orphan a desire to serve Him, and that He will deploy these kids (even now) into His service.

To know God. To grow in God. To serve God. I hope that most, maybe all, of you would agree that these embody the highest and the best that we can hope, dream, and desire for our orphans. If so, then we need to pray, for only with God’s help can they come to pass.

Want to engage in effective orphan ministry? Keep writing those checks, but don’t forget to pray!

Romania VBS – Faith & Fun!

July 7, 2014 by Kidstown Staff

Dear Kidstown Friends,

There are many deterrents to spiritual growth. A key one to be wary of is: stagnation. How do we know if we have stagnated in our walk with God? Bible stories that once brimmed with life are now dull and boring. Scripture passages that once elicited attention now lull to sleep. Worship of God which once elevated the soul now has no impact. Stagnation: a danger each Christian should be on the look-out for.

One way to avoid stagnation is to experience the Gospel in new and fresh ways. It is here that we can discover God in ways that we never knew, or have long-since forgotten. It is here that golden nuggets of truth can be grasped and key insights surface.

In our work with orphans, we hold dear the opportunity to share Jesus with them and to help them to grow in their faith. But, like us, they also struggle with stagnated faith. They, like us, sometimes need a spiritual jolt to get going again. What a better way to do this then to create a summer experience focused on faith and fun?

A team from the Seattle area has recently traveled the 5,600 miles to Timisoara, Romania where they will spend this week focused on a Vacation Bible School. 30-40 youngsters will arrive to camp in about a day…and the fun will begin! Games, bonfires, and late nights will all be part-and-parcel of this camp experience. But more importantly than all the fun will be the re-painting of the Gospel message for them. They will see and hear the Good News from a new vantage point, giving the Holy Spirit opportunity to work in their hearts and lives!

You can help in this endeavor by praying. You can pray that the kids will have ears to hear. You can pray that God will help the VBS team to be focused and Spirit-led. You can pray for an atmosphere of peace. You can pray against any distraction or disturbance that might hinder the important work. Thanks in advance for participating in this way!

The Father’s Heart

May 2, 2014 by Kidstown Staff

Dear Kidstown Friends,

A few days ago, as I rode my bike through the vibrant green forest, enjoying the fresh air and warm sunshine, God showed up. He touched a nerve in my heart and it caused me to think, and I want to share some of that with you today.

Each of us is a son or a daughter. Each of us therefore has an earthly father from whom we deeply desire recognition, approval, and love. This is the way God has encripted our emotional DNA, and so we naturally yearn for these things. Jesus also is a Son. He, too, has a Father. Jesus, like us, also longed for His Father’s recognition, approval, and love. In short, we all deeply long for “the father’s heart”: the assurance that our father knows us, loves us, accepts us, is proud of us, and is fully behind us.

How does this relate to our work with orphans? Throughout Scripture we see a repeated theme of caring for, defending, and helping the fatherless (see Deuteronomy 10:18, Psalm 10:14, Psalm 68:5, Isaiah 1:17). It is evident that God’s “father’s heart” extends not only to His own Son, but also to these kids that have no earthly father of their own. And how exactly does God convey His love and care to these orphans? One way is through YOU and ME. We are God’s representatives, sent to do His work, which includes helping orphans.

Take a moment and think about how impactful your father was/is in your life. Now think about the orphans that we are helping over in Romania, India, and Nepal. Some of these kids don’t know who their father is. Some may only have a vague remembrance. Some may only want to forget. In any case, these kids still have that deep thirst for a “father’s heart” towards them.

Do you sponsor an orphan? Why not make it a priority to sit down once or twice a year and write a note to your child? Let your orphan know that YOU know them, and that GOD knows them. Let your orphan know that YOU love them, and that GOD loves them. Let your orphan know that YOU believe in them, and that GOD believes in them. And as you do, your orphan will capture the fragrance of “the father’s heart” towards them.

Thank you, and God bless you.

Matthew

New Year Re-focus

January 23, 2014 by Kidstown Staff

Dear Kidstown Friends,

As we enter 2014, we can with anticipation look forward to what God has in store for us! He is at work, and He is asking us to join Him!

Any successful business-man, marksman, or fighter-pilot knows that a clearly defined objective is key to success. Same holds true for us at Kidstown. And, the good news is that God has indeed given us clear focus and a specific objective!

1. Reach out and help orphans in practical ways. This is the backbone of what we are about here at Kidstown. Providing for food, clothing, shelter, medical attention, education, and one-time needs. Also befriending the children and praying for them. This is the compassionate facet of our “objective”.

2. Share Jesus with them and help them to grow in their faith. In addition to giving children a “cup of cold water”, we also want to give them the “Living Water”! We want them to know Jesus, accept Jesus, and grow deep in their walk with Jesus. Prayer is key to this process…something each of us can do! This is the evangelistic facet of our “objective”.

3. Recognize their potential of being salt & light among their own peoples…and then pray for this! God loves these kids, wants to see them helped in practical ways, and wants to see them know and grow in Him. But He also wants to send them out as His witnesses in their own societies and among their own peoples. As we pray in this respect, we agree with Matthew 9:38, and with confidence we can believe God to answer. This is the missional facet of our “objective”.

Compassionate…Evangelistic…Missional. This is what God has called us to be, and the objective which He has challenged us to achieve. God wants to do great things FOR, IN, and THROUGH orphans! Let’s join Him!

God bless each of you this New Year 2014!

The Sower, the Seed, and Starbucks

January 16, 2014October 5, 2013 by Kidstown Staff

Dear Kidstown Friends,

The time in Romania is coming to a close. Seven of us have had the opportunity to see and experience amazing things: some encouraging, some heart-breaking, and some clear evidence of a God at work. It is our hope that we can convey a bit of this to you in our emails and Facebook posts so that you also can participate in the tremendous Kingdom activity we have witnessed over the course of the last few weeks.

Today I visited the Casa Otniel. Some of you sponsor a child here. Some of you
have personally visited this place. Over the last 15 years, the Casa Otniel has
been home to 36 kids, 20 which currently live here. Of the 16 which have moved on,
non are homeless. Most attend church. Some have moved to Western Europe to live
and work. A few come back from time to time to reconnect with their orphanage
family.

One boy is named Gabi. He is now in his early 20’s…maybe 22. He comes from a
broken family. He has a brother. 14 years ago, when he was only 9 or 10, he
somehow landed at the Casa Otniel. His brother, however, did not. Gabi was loved
and cared for by the Otniel leadership. He was sent to school. He was taught about
a God who loved him and had plans for him. Over the years, Gabi became a role model
for the younger kids. He successfully finished his education. Then, a few months
ago, Gabi left the nest. He and two other boys from the same orphanage banded
together and rented an apartment. Gabi secured his first full-time job
at…Starbucks! He doesn’t smoke, doesn’t drink, and continues to go to church.
Sounds like a success story to me, and only half the book is written.

His brother, conversely, two years older and unfortunate enough to not have the Casa
Otniel living opportunity, fell on much harder times. He has cycled in and out of
prison over the last 14 years. His future isn’t so bright.

Two brothers. Two roads. Two outcomes.

The leaders of the Casa Otniel, apart from the sovereign hand of God, are the key
players in this story. They are the ones who patiently tilled the soil of Gabi’s
heart, carefully planting therein seeds of love, confidence, and worth, and
faithfully watered those seeds as he grew, questioned, and probably even rebelled.
Then, when harvest season came, the fruit of their labor was evidenced by the
emergence of a young man whose future is bright. A young man who God wants to grow,
bless, and develop, and to use to accomplish His purposes here in Romania.

Ever look at the photo of the orphan you are sponsoring and ask yourself, “is it
really worth it?” Let me assure you, God is using your dollars, your postcards, and
your prayers in the lives of the kids you have chosen. You, like the Casa Otniel
leaders, are sowing seeds into the lives of children. Keep at it! Just because you
don’t see the results now doesn’t mean you won’t someday.

We can learn a lesson from the farmer: keep sowing, keep watering, keep praying, and
then trust God for a great harvest!

Breaking the Cycle

October 23, 2013October 1, 2013 by Kidstown Staff

Our team was greeted this morning by a Pacific Northwest type of day: gray skies and a light, endless rain. This turned to snow. At least one inch of the white stuff came down on the picturesque mountain city of Brasov, in Southern Romania.

Known formerly as Kronstadt due to the large Saxon population which lived here prior to and shortly after WWII, Brasov architecture reflects its Germanic heritage. With surrounding forested hills, the famous Black Church, and the well-known Bran Castle (once belonging to Vlad Tepes, aka Dracula, thanks to Bram Stoker), Brasov is a sure stop on any tourist’s agenda.

A short distance from Brasov, however, perched atop a small hill, is a village. In that village God is at work, using two people to bring change to a community. Our primary focus, of course, is kids and as such our reason for visiting this community was to reconnect with a small orphanage which we have partnered with for the better part of the last decade. 25 kids live here. Most are under the age of 10. Most are there because their parents either didn’t want them or couldn’t take care of them.

As we sat with the orphanage leaders, discussing various topics as we munched on schnitzel and potatoes, a story emerged…a brilliant story…a story which, if done well, has the potential of changing a destructive dynamic. A story that I hope will be replicated in many orphanages.

The story is called “The Dream of Kati’s Doll”. Boiling it down, this is a well-thought-through and concerted effort to teach kids about responsibility, family, and stick-to-it-tive-ness. The concept: little girls and boys from the orphanage are paired up (mom and dad). They are given a doll which they “adopt” as their own child. They make clothes for the doll. The “dad” makes a crib for the doll to sleep in. They pray with the doll and take it to church. They even take the doll on vacation. They work together to care for the doll, just like real parents should. After six months, Stage II of “Kati’s Doll” is initiated: the kids are given a second doll. Now the first has a sibling. Psychologists are monitoring the kids to see how they are reacting and responding. This effort is due to run for at least one year.

Why is this such a brilliant idea and effort? Because it is breaking a cycle! You see, most of these kids are in an orphanage because their parents did not own up to their responsibility to be parents. They walked away from a precious gift God had entrusted to them, leaving their child to live and grow in an orphanage. That destructive model of abandonment that the kids in the orphanage know…and unless re-scripted, that is likely the model that they will follow when they grow up and have families of their own.

The “Kati’s Doll” effort is trying to do just that: to re-write the hard drive in the emotional CPU of these orphan kids and to enter a different code, one which values family, togetherness, and responsibility, and which repulses at the thought of abandonment.

I sat there today and marvelled at this plan…and how God might (will!) use it to change the course of these kids’ lives, to create future men and women who understand what it means to be responsible parents, and to deploy a future generation of Romanian young people who are dedicated to, and value, family.

Wow. Brilliance. God at work: through gifted and sensitive leaders, in young and tender lives, and for a better and stronger next-generation.

Want to help? Why not say a prayer, right now, that God will bless the seeds that are being planted in the lives of these kids, that these seeds will take root and grow, and yield an abundant harvest.

“Kati’s Dream”. Great idea, God!

Miracles Happen!

November 21, 2013April 15, 2013 by Kidstown Staff

Eszter is the director of the Emmaus Home orphanage in Bogata, Romania. She tells an amazing story of family reunification. Five years ago, the parents of Istvan and Kinga Santa were alcoholics. The dad came to Eszter’s father-in-law and told him that he had no job, no place to live, and no future for his children. His solution was to kill the children, then kill his wife, then kill himself. He believed that then the problem would be over. Eszter’s father-in-law counseled the dad to take his kids to the Emmaus Home. The dad listened, and Kinga and Istvan lived in the home for 3 years. During this time the parents came to know Christ, quit drinking, the dad got a job, and now the family is reunited again! Istvan and Kinga are proud of their parents for quitting alcohol. Istvan is studying agronomy and in his spare time works with his dad. Kinga is studying English in a very prestigious school in Tirgu Mures. Miracles do happen!