Dear Friends,
The Livada Blog can now be found at http://livadablog1.blogspot.com. The current address will no longer be updated, please see the new address for future updates. Thank you for following the ministry of Livada Orphan Care in Romania through this blog. We hope you will continue!
If you reach the blog through the Livada website, the address has already been updated for you and you will reach the new blog site automatically. Thanks.
Livada Orphan Care
Monday, February 8, 2010
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Prevention of Abandonment Ministry
In November of 2009 Fundatia LOC began a new ministry in the local community, the Prevention of Child Abandonment. The activities take place in Reghin, an area near Targu Mures with almost 2300 gypsies. Our objective is to improve the quality of life for the children and disadvantaged families, prevent school abandonment and prevent the child’s separation from his/her family.
Every week around 80 kids attend our social and educational programs divided in 2 groups by age: 3-8 years old and 9-14 years old. We also offer food, clothing and medical assistance for more families with difficult financial situations.
In December we organized three Christmas parties, two for the kids and one for their mothers. It was a special time enjoying lunch together, playing games, singing carols and opening gifts that brought joy to everyone’s heart.
We want to thank all who have made this ministry possible. Please pray for those who serve the Lord through this ministry and also for all the kids and their families.
Every week around 80 kids attend our social and educational programs divided in 2 groups by age: 3-8 years old and 9-14 years old. We also offer food, clothing and medical assistance for more families with difficult financial situations.
In December we organized three Christmas parties, two for the kids and one for their mothers. It was a special time enjoying lunch together, playing games, singing carols and opening gifts that brought joy to everyone’s heart.
We want to thank all who have made this ministry possible. Please pray for those who serve the Lord through this ministry and also for all the kids and their families.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Livada welcomes Vio Gaga
My name is Viorel Gaga, and I was born on January 15th 1961 in Arad, Romania. At the age of nineteen, I received Jesus Christ into my life as Lord and Savior. After high school I attended University and graduated with a degree in Chemistry. It was here that I met my future wife, Daniela, who was a student at the Economics University.
During our student years in Iasi we both were part of a Bible study and prayer group. We were married in 1986 and moved to Targu Mures.
For twelve years I was in charge of the youth program at First Baptist Church in Targu Mures. In the early 90’s I met Bruce Thomas for the first time, and worked with him as a volunteer for Reach Out Ministries in Christian discipleship camps.
In 1991 our family was blessed with our only son, Filip Daniel. In the same year I started my own business, a printing company, but last year, because of the financial crisis I had to close it. In December 2009 I was asked to be the Executive Director for Fundatia LOC. My goal as a director is that the vision of the foundation will be fulfilled in the lives of all our kids and especially that they will meet Jesus Christ as only way for their future.
Please pray for Vio and all of the staff of Livada in Romania as they continue to reach out to the children in our care as well as those God places in their paths from the orphanages and community. Thank you.
During our student years in Iasi we both were part of a Bible study and prayer group. We were married in 1986 and moved to Targu Mures.
For twelve years I was in charge of the youth program at First Baptist Church in Targu Mures. In the early 90’s I met Bruce Thomas for the first time, and worked with him as a volunteer for Reach Out Ministries in Christian discipleship camps.
In 1991 our family was blessed with our only son, Filip Daniel. In the same year I started my own business, a printing company, but last year, because of the financial crisis I had to close it. In December 2009 I was asked to be the Executive Director for Fundatia LOC. My goal as a director is that the vision of the foundation will be fulfilled in the lives of all our kids and especially that they will meet Jesus Christ as only way for their future.
Please pray for Vio and all of the staff of Livada in Romania as they continue to reach out to the children in our care as well as those God places in their paths from the orphanages and community. Thank you.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Happy Birthday Daniel!
On January 10, 2010 Daniel Simon celebrated his first birthday in his new foster family. Daniel has been living in foster care with the Iliesu family for almost one year. He feels better, has accommodated well, has made new friends, and even his behavior has improved.
He was also able to spend his birthday with his brothers, Sergiu and Madalin, who went to celebrate with Daniel and his family. They were so happy to be together! They ate cake, spent time talking, and took pictures together. Daniel was very thankful for the gifts that he received, but he was especially thankful that he had the opportunity to spend time with his brothers!
Thank you all so much for your continued investment and prayers in Daniel Simon. We thank God for the changes we have seen in him and that God provided a great family to help Daniel!
Friday, January 15, 2010
A Christmas Party for the Staff...
After a year full of growth, change and challenges, finally at Christmas the staff of Livada had the chance to get together and celebrate the joy of Christmas together.
We had a good time together playing games and talking with one another. We are grateful to all those who continue to support us and made this possible.
Please continue to pray for the staff of Livada/Fundatia LOC in the New Year!
We had a good time together playing games and talking with one another. We are grateful to all those who continue to support us and made this possible.
Please continue to pray for the staff of Livada/Fundatia LOC in the New Year!
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
A Party at Church...
All the kids gathered together to celebrate Christmas a few days before at our church in town. They were excited to get dressed up, and know that once they walked in the door a fun time awaited them.
They played games, did a white elephant gift exchange with each other, decorated cupcakes, and ended the afternoon with a Christmas movie, popcorn and a coke! They had never done a white elephant exchange.
Some were thrilled with their gifts, like candy bars, soccer balls, or even a little spending money...others looked at their gifts like we were crazy...like 2 double cheeseburgers, granny panties, or a funny hat. They had a great time spending the afternoon all together as they eagerly anticipated Christmas!
They played games, did a white elephant gift exchange with each other, decorated cupcakes, and ended the afternoon with a Christmas movie, popcorn and a coke! They had never done a white elephant exchange.
Some were thrilled with their gifts, like candy bars, soccer balls, or even a little spending money...others looked at their gifts like we were crazy...like 2 double cheeseburgers, granny panties, or a funny hat. They had a great time spending the afternoon all together as they eagerly anticipated Christmas!
Sledding with Casa Ana-Nadia...
More fun sledding adventures, this time with Casa Ana-Nadia.
We spent the day driving to a hillside filled with lots and lots of snow. However, it was meant for skiers only, so we had to walk about a mile to another hill...but the only place to sled was a road! All was great and the kids were having a ball until the big rig with freshly cuts logs came down the road! Everyone was safe and out of the way, but we learned to watch ahead for traffic on this mostly empty road.
We still managed to get a few runs in between the cars and trucks. Jeff & Jenny McDonnell's little boy, Jack, had a great time too as he laughed and watched the kids come down the hill and just miss each other as they crash landed!
We had a mini snowball fight right before we left. The kids had a wonderful day getting out of the ordinary rhythm of being in town, sledding, and being with their "family."
We spent the day driving to a hillside filled with lots and lots of snow. However, it was meant for skiers only, so we had to walk about a mile to another hill...but the only place to sled was a road! All was great and the kids were having a ball until the big rig with freshly cuts logs came down the road! Everyone was safe and out of the way, but we learned to watch ahead for traffic on this mostly empty road.
We still managed to get a few runs in between the cars and trucks. Jeff & Jenny McDonnell's little boy, Jack, had a great time too as he laughed and watched the kids come down the hill and just miss each other as they crash landed!
We had a mini snowball fight right before we left. The kids had a wonderful day getting out of the ordinary rhythm of being in town, sledding, and being with their "family."
Mentor & Graduates' Christmas...
It was a wonderful time once again this year, when staff, mentor teenagers and also graduates came together as a family to celebrate Christmas. It was a busy time getting ready for the holidays that culminated with the Christmas Eve party and cooking contest.
Both boys and girls did a great job, giving the jury a hard time deciding who was the winner. It was a special time together having lunch, playing different games, sharing stories, opening gifts and having fun.
Our annual “money tree” gift came with a contest, so the kids had to figure out how much money we put on the “special tree”. This year Maria was the lucky winner, taking home not only the money but the tree also.
Most of the graduate teenagers missed our wonderful Christmas party this year because they had to work on Christmas Eve, but thanks to our wonderful sponsors we shared a special dinner together as an extended family.
We want to thank all our sponsors that made this blessed time possible. Please continue to pray for all of the young adults in the Mentor Program and also for those who have graduated and are now living and working independently.
Both boys and girls did a great job, giving the jury a hard time deciding who was the winner. It was a special time together having lunch, playing different games, sharing stories, opening gifts and having fun.
Our annual “money tree” gift came with a contest, so the kids had to figure out how much money we put on the “special tree”. This year Maria was the lucky winner, taking home not only the money but the tree also.
Most of the graduate teenagers missed our wonderful Christmas party this year because they had to work on Christmas Eve, but thanks to our wonderful sponsors we shared a special dinner together as an extended family.
We want to thank all our sponsors that made this blessed time possible. Please continue to pray for all of the young adults in the Mentor Program and also for those who have graduated and are now living and working independently.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
La Multi Ani!!!
La multi ani (Happy New Year) from Romania! So far, every New Year’s Eve has looked a little different for the kids of Livada Orphan Care. As they grow and mature, we have tried to adapt their celebration to be something fun and exciting for them! This year we started out by having a party at one of the houses that all the kids came to. We had music and started our night out by singing, dancing and laughing together. Then, the older kids went into town with Jeff and one of our Romanian educators, Adi. They close the center of town down so no cars can drive through. There is a stage set up, and all night different musical groups from around Romania put on concerts. Right before midnight, there is a big firework show. They spent the night listening to music, walking around town, spending time with each other and school friends, and enjoying the New Year’s atmosphere!
As you can imagine, there is always some jealousy when the big kids head off for a night of excitement and the little kids have to stay behind, but this year, that was not the case. We decided to take the little kids into town for the fireworks as well, but….before we headed into town we had a CRAZY party with them at the houses! We had fun music from camp that they all know dances to, and lots of English songs that we sang to like we were rock stars☺ Then right before we got ready to go to town, we popped open some fake, kid’s champagne that they have here! When making a toast, one of the kids threw their drink on someone else…and then the party really began! We had a full on “champagne”/coke war that was so much fun! The aftermath was not so pretty! After the fun, we headed into town and enjoyed the fireworks along with the big kids.
Once all the kids got back home, we all hung out together again and had a great time. The kids stayed up all night and are still telling stories about the fun they had!
Thank you for your continued investment in Livada Orphan Care as we head into the New Year. May God bless you in the coming year as you continue to be a blessing to us!
As you can imagine, there is always some jealousy when the big kids head off for a night of excitement and the little kids have to stay behind, but this year, that was not the case. We decided to take the little kids into town for the fireworks as well, but….before we headed into town we had a CRAZY party with them at the houses! We had fun music from camp that they all know dances to, and lots of English songs that we sang to like we were rock stars☺ Then right before we got ready to go to town, we popped open some fake, kid’s champagne that they have here! When making a toast, one of the kids threw their drink on someone else…and then the party really began! We had a full on “champagne”/coke war that was so much fun! The aftermath was not so pretty! After the fun, we headed into town and enjoyed the fireworks along with the big kids.
Once all the kids got back home, we all hung out together again and had a great time. The kids stayed up all night and are still telling stories about the fun they had!
Thank you for your continued investment in Livada Orphan Care as we head into the New Year. May God bless you in the coming year as you continue to be a blessing to us!
Lots of Snow... Lots of Fun!
For the past few weeks, the kids have had a break from school for winter vacation! Vacation time is always full of lots of fun and exciting activities…and this year has been no exception. Of course, the week before Christmas there was tons of snow, but the kids were still in school. The week of winter break, most of the snow in the area had melted away. However, one night we had a big snowfall, and the next day we took off with the kids and educators from Casa Rebeca to make the most of the snow and went sledding. We drove about an hour and a half from town where it was colder than it is in TM. We enjoyed the day, but we were freezing and could hardly feel our toes and fingers by the time we got home!
The next day, there was still some snow on the ground, and we were able to visit a park in town where they built a manmade sledding hill! We had a blast tubing down the “hill” and were so sad to see the day end! The kids got to go two at a time, make trains, go down on their bellies, and loved every second of it! Their laughter filled the entire park!
The festivities that winter brings have been fun and exciting, but we are ready to get back into the routine of school and normalcy! Please pray for the kids as they adjust back to normal life after a time full of fun, laughter, and lots and lots of activities!
The next day, there was still some snow on the ground, and we were able to visit a park in town where they built a manmade sledding hill! We had a blast tubing down the “hill” and were so sad to see the day end! The kids got to go two at a time, make trains, go down on their bellies, and loved every second of it! Their laughter filled the entire park!
The festivities that winter brings have been fun and exciting, but we are ready to get back into the routine of school and normalcy! Please pray for the kids as they adjust back to normal life after a time full of fun, laughter, and lots and lots of activities!
2nd Annual Christmas Cooking Competition...
On December 29 we held the 2nd Annual Christmas Cooking Competition at our group homes. The kids loved it! A few days before, they were allowed to make a dinner plan with their educators and the cook at the houses. They made a budget, ingredient list and decided what three items they would prepare.
The rules were that the children in each home had to cook everything themselves... they had to make a salad, main dish and dessert and it had to be ready to serve at 7 PM on the 29th. Each house did a fabulous job and were very excited as we all gathered together to enjoy their creations!
The kids were all proud of their meals and the adults took turns observing and tasting as judges; then it was time for all to join in and enjoy this wonderful meal together. As the adults tallied their votes, the kids put on music and danced the night away. After a very close competition, Casa Rebeca won by ONE point!
This is always a fun activity and a great learning experience for the kids in working together and building important life skills for later!
The rules were that the children in each home had to cook everything themselves... they had to make a salad, main dish and dessert and it had to be ready to serve at 7 PM on the 29th. Each house did a fabulous job and were very excited as we all gathered together to enjoy their creations!
The kids were all proud of their meals and the adults took turns observing and tasting as judges; then it was time for all to join in and enjoy this wonderful meal together. As the adults tallied their votes, the kids put on music and danced the night away. After a very close competition, Casa Rebeca won by ONE point!
This is always a fun activity and a great learning experience for the kids in working together and building important life skills for later!
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!
This Christmas season was especially special for all of us here at Fundatia LOC who have the privilege of working with the 300+ kids who are still under the care of the state. As most of you know, we have not had the opportunity of seeing these kids at all since our camp program this summer. Normally, we have the chance to see all of these kids on a weekly or biweekly basis, so it has been very difficult to not see them, spend time with them, know how they are doing, and continue sharing God's love with them. However, this Christmas, we were given the opportunity to do a separate party at each location all over Mures County. Praise the Lord!
Thanks to several individuals who sent money and gifts and to Samaritan's Purse who donated shoeboxes full of toys, candy, clothes, toiletries, etc, each child received their own gift at the end of all of our parties. Each party was like a reunion full of laughter, hugs, smiles, and fun. We were extremely blessed by the opportunity to spend time with each of the kids that we, and so many of you, have had the opportunity to invest in over the years.
We are so thankful for your generosity and prayers which helped make each of these parties a possibility. Please continue to pray that our Follow Up and Camp programs that we run throughout the year will be approved so that we can continue to show God's love and ours to each of the orphan children of Mures County who so desperately need love. Thanks for being a part of the biggest Christmas gift that the staff of our Follow Up ministries received this year...seeing, investing in, and loving on these precious kids!!
Thanks to several individuals who sent money and gifts and to Samaritan's Purse who donated shoeboxes full of toys, candy, clothes, toiletries, etc, each child received their own gift at the end of all of our parties. Each party was like a reunion full of laughter, hugs, smiles, and fun. We were extremely blessed by the opportunity to spend time with each of the kids that we, and so many of you, have had the opportunity to invest in over the years.
We are so thankful for your generosity and prayers which helped make each of these parties a possibility. Please continue to pray that our Follow Up and Camp programs that we run throughout the year will be approved so that we can continue to show God's love and ours to each of the orphan children of Mures County who so desperately need love. Thanks for being a part of the biggest Christmas gift that the staff of our Follow Up ministries received this year...seeing, investing in, and loving on these precious kids!!
Friday, December 25, 2009
Merry Christmas from Romania!!!
After a late night of Christmas caroling to all the moms, educators, friends and more (a Romanian Christmas Eve tradition)... there was a little rest and then it was time for the excitement that every child awaits...
We wish you a Merry Christmas from Romania! It was a joyful Christmas morning of receiving flip flops and bathing suits... an odd winter gift, but a great preview of things to come this summer as the BIG gift for this year was a trip to the beach this summer!!!
There was also a little treat for the winter too... One of the favorite winter past times for all our kids is sledding and each child received their own sled for use in the winter snow!
We are so thankful for all of our child sponsors and friends who gave this Christmas to make not only this day MERRY, but to keep the JOY alive as the kids await their trip to the Black Sea this summer! You are all a blessing to us and we pray that you have a blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year!
We will be posting another "Christmas Blog" around July or August when the kids enjoy their gift again!
We wish you a Merry Christmas from Romania! It was a joyful Christmas morning of receiving flip flops and bathing suits... an odd winter gift, but a great preview of things to come this summer as the BIG gift for this year was a trip to the beach this summer!!!
There was also a little treat for the winter too... One of the favorite winter past times for all our kids is sledding and each child received their own sled for use in the winter snow!
We are so thankful for all of our child sponsors and friends who gave this Christmas to make not only this day MERRY, but to keep the JOY alive as the kids await their trip to the Black Sea this summer! You are all a blessing to us and we pray that you have a blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year!
We will be posting another "Christmas Blog" around July or August when the kids enjoy their gift again!
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Help us make it a Merry Christmas!
Will you help to make it a Merry Christmas this year for all of the kids in the care of Livada? No, these pictures don't look like winter fun... but, both of our group homes and all of our apartments have asked for only one thing this year for Christmas... A Family Vacation to the Beach next summer!!!
It has been four years since our last Family Vacation with our kids to the Black Sea. We took them there the first year they were with us to help build a family atmosphere and to give them happy childhood memories to look back on as they came out of their past of abandonment and life in the orphanage. Well, it was a HUGE success then and has been a repeat request each year since then.
This year when we began to talk about needs and wants for Christmas many of the kids said that they would rather only get a stocking on Christmas and make their big gift a trip back to the Sea this summer. The idea spread like wildfire and so this is our request.
If you usually send gifts for the kids at Christmas or if you usually send a monetary gift towards Christmas... This year we ask you to send it to help towards the family beach trip to be held this summer!
You can give through paypal on our website www.livada.org or you can send a check to Livada Orphan Care P.O. Box 1771 Windsor, CA 95492... just mark Christmas in the memo line! Thanks so much for helping us make this Christmas Wish Come True!
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