The girls of Campenita...

About five years ago, Livada had the opportunity to partner with the state to open one of their first group homes as they began to move children out of the large orphanages in our county. This home was opened in Campenita with nine sweet girls from the "Big Blue" special needs orphanage. The "parents" for this house have poured into these girls and taught them life skills as well as little things that they could use to earn a living.... making jewelery, painting, basket making, etc.




Many of these girls have very limited intellect, but all of them have grown over the past five years in this home filled with love and patience into sweet young adults. These girls have had follow up programs in their home over the past several years and this year they participated in Club FUEL on Saturday mornings.

Please continue to pray for these girls and for their "parents" as they grow older and learn to be as independent as possible. They are so thankful for all that is done for them and with them. It is a blessing to see how far these girls have come in a safe and loving environment after being in Big Blue for so many years. Thank you to all of you who invest in our general ministry needs and camp ministry as it allows us to invest in the lives of these sweet girls as well as so many others in state care.

Happy Birthday Marian...

Marian from Casa Rebeca had a birthday this weekend! He saved up his money recently to buy a used computer for when he moves into a mentor apartment later this summer. We helped him along with the monitor and keyboard for his birthday. He was thrilled! It is amazing how our "little kids" are growing up! Marian will move into a mentor apartment soon and as much as he is looking forward to it, we know that he will miss his "big family" at Casa Rebeca and will be back often. Pray for Marian's transition, for a great relationship with his mentor and for him to learn all that he needs too in this next stage of life!





The fun continued after the party with a trip to town with the Allen Bible Church team that was in town to see "Prince Caspian!" The first Narnia movie is a favorite with our kids, so this was an added birthday treat. Thank you to all of you who make birthdays for our kids here in Romania such a special time. We are so thankful for all our sponsors!

More from Vetca...

Here they are... the Olympic Athletes of Week 1 at Vetca! They are a great bunch and have been loving camp this week. One boy said that we should just stay for a month since it is so fun! One of our new Romanian volunteers said that this is the first time in her life that she has heard people talk about and sing about God. The first time in her life that she has ever done something that is just to help someone else. Not only is camp potentially life changing for the kids, but it also is a great opportunity to share the love of Christ with those high school students from the community who come to help each week.


Basketball, volleyball, talks during free time, going for walks and playing together are all opportunities to bond with the kids, let them know they are loved and of course to talk about how special they are to their Creator. The kids this week have been so thankful and have thrived on all the one on one attention they receive.



We are so thankful for the Allen Bible Church team from Texas who is here with us this week for camp for all their help in providing for these kids to be able to come to camp, for coming and loving on them and for their church who is praying for them while they are here and for all the kids they will have the opportunity to reach out to.


Thank you for your prayers for all that is going on at camp this summer as well as for the daily ministry taking place as we raise 37 kids and teens in town... it is not just camp with them, it is life and we are thankful for all of you who partner with us in both these areas of ministry!

At home with Madalin...

As many of you know, Madalin has been in the care of Livada for almost three years now along with his two brothers, Daniel and Sergiu. For many reasons it was not best to have Madalin stay in one of our group homes and so he has been in foster care with us for the past two years with Nico & Zoli. This young couple took care of Madalin in their home, while he continued to receive counseling and visits with his brothers.


We want to thank Nico & Zoli for their two years of service as foster parents for Madalin and for their sacrifice of time, love and patience with him.

As Nico & Zoli have transitioned out of caring for Madalin we have found a new family that has taken him in and is welcoming him as part of the family. Please pray for this time of transition as Madalin learns a different way of life outside of town and in a more rural setting.



As you can see Madalin longs to have a father figure. Soon after we entered the house he found his place next to his "Dad" and put his arm around his shoulder. His new "Dad" has been working alongside him to teach him how to take care of the animals and the crops that they raise on their land. These life skills will be a big help to Madalin in the future.


Please continue to pray for Madalin. Pray that he will bond with this family and accept the loving discipline of his new "family" as they train him up. Pray that he will find friends in his new area and that God will used this family to help heal his heart.

Welcome to the Olympics...

The kids arrived at Camp Vetca today for the Olympics... I am sure that some of you hadn't heard that the Olympics were moved from Bejing to Vetca this summer... Well, just take a look at these athletes!



The teams of children, interns, volunteers and our visiting team where all given countries... The participating countries at the Vetca Olympics this year are... Romania, Germany, The USA, France, China, Brazil, Canada & The United Kingdom! Each olympic athlete received a water bottle for the games, checked in for their olympic tent housing and then worked with their fellow athletes to create a team flag!





As you can see... the spirits are up... the kids are ready...and the game of Whiffle Ball, our first olympic event was not played exactly right, but it was quite a hit!




Please continue to pray for the children from the Campentia, Tarnaveni, Petelea & Santana group homes who are at camp this week. Pray that beyond the fun and games that they will learn the bigger lesson of moving towards Christ and training for the ultimate prize of life with Him! Pray for the staff and teams that will join us throughout the summer to stay healthy and full of energy and love from the Lord for each of these children!

Let the games begin!

Thank You Becky...

If you have been to Romania with us, you have most likely met Becky Kyle. She served as a summer intern for several years and moved to Romania to serve full time in 2003. She has served in leading girl's club for teenage girls in the state orphanages, helped to bring our Mentor Program to a deeper place and served as the Director of that program as well as spending many hours pouring into all the children in our care, both in the day to day and with special programs, games, events, vacations and more. She has blessed the staff by creatively planning holiday events and picnics for us all.


The staff as well as the children will miss Becky as she moves back to America this summer at the end of June. We have had a few parties where we have gathered her Romanian friends, old and new, to join us in remembering her years here together and wishing her well as she goes. The kids and teens all gathered yesterday and presented her with a book of letters telling her the ways they were thankful for her, what they had learned from her, the most fun memory with her and more. It was a special time for them to get to share their love and appreciation.




Please pray for Becky as she transitions back into life in America after serving faithfully in Romania for the past five years. Pray for the ministry and the children who will feel the loss of her in their lives each day. Pray for God to continue to raise up those who He chooses to come and serve in Romania as we move forward. We are so thankful for Becky!

CAMP VETCA is back...

Yes, Vetca is back and better than ever! The Coles, all the interns, the follow up staff, and others have been out at Vetca for the past two days putting up all the tents and getting things ready for the kids! Camp will begin with the first group of children next week and after two long days of work it is really looking like camp once again!



There were two teams of interns who worked putting up tents today with some experienced tent builders on each team... they had a good time "motivating each other" to work quickly and enjoy the day!




The girls give Work Week at Vetca a big "Thumbs Up!"


Hope I didn't make you dizzy with the quick panoramic tour of Vetca... as you can see, we have a new addition this year... the pavilion is up and will give shade, a dry place in the event of rain and a basketball court for free time fun! YEAH!

Please keep the Intern Team and the Coles in your prayers this week as they continue to work and prepare camp. Pray that all the details will come together, that the weather will stay nice so that they can get all the outdoor work done, that they will stay healthy and full of energy even with long days in the sun and most of all that God will continue to bond them together in unity and love that will spill over into the lives of the kids as they arrive next week!

LOC kids on family vacation...

As many of you know, not all family vacations are fancy or far away from home... sometimes they are just good times together right in your own back yard. Well this year, our kids are literally having a family vacation just like that! The fun started today with a day of playing together, watching a movie, and then having a camp fire in our own back yard!


All the kids from Casa Ana, Casa Nadia & Casa Rebeca (and even Casa Daniel) are "vacationing" together this year and they had a great time cooking out hot dogs and smores over an open fire. Sometimes the simplest vacations are the most fun!



Pray for our kids this week as we all spend time in a relaxed setting having fun together. Pray for safety, health, harmony and for good opportunities for conversations with them about life and the Lord.

Summer Interns 08...

Our Summer Intern Team for 2008 arrived on Thursday night! They are a group of college students and college grads who have come with a heart to serve and love the kids this summer! It has been a blessing to see the unity of spirit that this team has, even though most of them have known each other for less than a week. They have once again come with the attitude of "INAM"... It's not about me. They are looking out for number one... they just know that number one is Christ and what He wants to do through them this summer and not themselves.



It has been encouraging to see how quickly this group has jumped in with the kids too... whether that is the babies and toddlers at the baby hospital, the children and teens at Zau or the kids in our own group homes. If it means getting dirty, running around or just quietly drawing or taking a walk with kids... they are up for it and making a great effort (language skills or not) to connect with the staff, the kids and others they come in contact with. It is easy to see that God has brought this group together this summer and is going to work through them here in Romania and as each of them goes back to their homes, churches, schools and lives in the fall.




Please pray for the intern team as they work alongside our Romanian staff and teams this summer and get the chance to touch so many lives! You can keep up with their personal blogs about their experiences in Romania this summer. The link to all their blogs is found on our website at: http://www.livada.org/interns_08.htm

A Family Reunion...

Also, known as the LOC Spring Picnic... one of our staff called this year's picnic a family reunion and we like that! It really is like a family reunion as the whole Livada (Fundatia LOC) family gathers each spring... all the houses, all the kids, all the staff as well as teenagers present and graduated. It is fun to see everyone working together like a family... setting up, bringing food, grilling out, young and old spending time together and just enjoying the day. There are even games and prizes ! Who would want to miss a LOC family picnic!






Here is a little look at the fun of all of our very large family joined together for some, food & fun!