Romania

Impact Romania - transforming lives

The project has two elements:

• Impact on Romania Mission Teams; voluntary short term teams travelling to Romania to run summer camps for teenagers and to support the work of the social programme run by a charity called Fundatia Integro.
• Impact on Romania Aid; a project working alongside Fundatia Integro as they assist needy families in overcoming the very difficult situations they are facing due to a lack of shelter, food, clothing, medicines, identity cards and birth certificates.

Hear Phil Barnards Romania Update - 30th Nov 08

Impact on Romania Mission Teams

In 2001, 2002 and 2005 teams from the churches travelled to an area near Târgu Mures to assist in the running of Christian summer camps for teenagers.

The purpose of the camps is to spread the love of Jesus through building relationships with the teenagers, getting to know them and also sharing something with them from our own lives. The main ethos of the camps is evangelism and discipleship.

As a team we lead activities ranging from Art and Craft to Basketball, Football, English lessons and Volleyball as well as leading small groups through which there is an opportunity for the teenagers to learn more about Jesus and the Christian faith. During the week members of the team also speak in sessions, run seminars, lead worship, share testimonies and present dramas. As a team we are fully involving in running the camps alongside the Romanian leadership and it is an opportunity for members of the Impact team to stretch their own Christian faith as well as sharing it with the local teenagers.

Impact on Romania Aid

Impact on Romania Aid supports Fundatia Integro through prayer and finances, as apart from the camps, they are regularly engaged in year-round social projects.

One of these projects, Bridge of Love, meets the immediate needs of families in crisis situations in order to demonstrate the love of Jesus. The social programme is managed by Geta Rastei, a qualified lawyer, who works with a team of 20 local volunteers among three target groups:

• The residents in Lunca Bradului, the village where the summer camps are held, unemployment rates are 97%.
• Poor families in Târgu Mures, the city base of Fundatia Integro, where unemployment is 45% and many families live in poverty.
• The poor Gypsy families who are living in an isolated region of Târgu Mures named 'The Cold Valley' with unemployment at 99%.