One of the coolest things that happened in the camp was the baptism last day. Our goal was for this to be something very simple. We want people to get to know about God, salvation, life with him and then, if they want to believe they can be baptized. So, by the end of the last day we had four people wanting to take this step.
As we met at the swimming pool, I was talking to the four that want to be baptized when three more girls came up and asked if they can join. I asked them about their faith and they said they believed in Jesus for eternal life. So then we had seven. After I started explaining to the crowd what baptism meant, two more guys showed saying that are ready to be baptized too. It was great!
We started the baptism. There was so much excitement. People were shivering as they came into the water and it was not because it was cold. It was a wonderful hot day. There was just some kind of awe. One girl started crying when I asked her if she believed she would spend eternity in heaven because of Jesus' death. As I baptized the last person, one more guy came into the water. I said: I didn't think you were going to be baptized. He responded: I did not think that either. So I asked him about his faith, and he said he believed. So I baptized him.
As soon as he got out of the water, one of the guys from the American team came up saying that he wants to be baptized as well. So he came into the water. It was so cool. So simple and so meaningful. People get it, believe and are baptized. The crowd was cheering and clapping, both believers and everybody else. It was like they all got a taste of what true faith and community are like. I totally loved it.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Camp Metroland
We're back home. Back from the incredible six days of the camp. At times I can't believe this is over. All the work, all the stress, all the excitement - all in the past. We're back in the office and can't stop talking about the camp. Everybody's sharing stories, laughing, watching videos and looking at the pictures. Facebook has become the central place for people sharing and commenting on each other's pictures. Everybody wants to go back. We are getting so much positive feedback. People want to make sure they get to go next year. Hopefully, there will be one in 2010. There has to be.
There was a team of high-school students from Buckhead Church in Atlanta, GA that came to help us with the camp. They helped us raise the money and also partnered with us to make this camp fun and meaningful. They did a great job! We will definitely do this again with them.
This is just an intro post just to let you all know what's going on and I think there might be more coming from me and other guys sharing about all that happened in the camp.
Here's the final video we did showing different images of the camp. There's some talk in Russian in the beginning, so please be patient with it. I think you will love the rest.
There was a team of high-school students from Buckhead Church in Atlanta, GA that came to help us with the camp. They helped us raise the money and also partnered with us to make this camp fun and meaningful. They did a great job! We will definitely do this again with them.
This is just an intro post just to let you all know what's going on and I think there might be more coming from me and other guys sharing about all that happened in the camp.
Here's the final video we did showing different images of the camp. There's some talk in Russian in the beginning, so please be patient with it. I think you will love the rest.
You can see more camp videos on our Metroland page.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Orphanage kids and the NP team
Pretty often the things that seem so usual to us turn out to be the things we can’t imagine our life without. And it’s hard to believe that someone else can live peacefully without something that you have. Two teams, one from Chisinau and one from Atlanta, have organized a big project for the kids and also for the teachers of the orphanage.
I would like to share with you what we’ve all experienced during these projects.
The first project was held June, 13, 2009. The goal was to spend some time with the kids and their teachers in a natural and a free atmosphere. So we organized a trip to the Zoo. For sure that was the best way for the US team to begin a relationship with the kids. We’ve spent two hours together; we’ve watched the animals, inflated balloons and popped them with great pleasure. Also we’ve had a great time jumping on trampoline, rolling down from the slides, and having fun on the swings. All of that was a pleasure to us and made the kids incredibly happy.
The next project was held June, 15. I’d like to mention that we’ve worked hard on it, and it took a lot of our strength, time, ideas, and preparation. We’ve called it A Fairytale Town, since we wanted to create a fairytale atmosphere in which each and every child would feel like they are in a fairytale. We wanted every kid to get the proper attention. 35 people took part in this project; they all were dressed up and their faces were decorated. Every person had their own zone they had to be in charge of. For instance, there was a track for cars, a magical place where a child could make a wish, a zone for asphalt pictures, a trampoline zone, and many others. In whole there were about 20 zones of that kind.
The third project, held on June, 16th, was dedicated to the teachers of the orphanage. We’ve invited them to a Moldovan cuisine restaurant. It was interesting to watch the teachers get ready for the evening; They worried about the way they look, and that was funny. All the teachers were very beautiful. For me they looked very feminine and they wanted to be noticed, to look beautiful. We wanted to thank them for all their hard work on everyday basics. Actually I think their job differs from any other. It’s not easy to love and to protect kids who are not their own, and to be a mom to those who actually have another mother.
Looking back I feel really happy and grateful to everyone who participated and gave all their strength, who has given their free time to make someone else happy. Pretty often they stay unnoticed. I would like to give special thanks to the team from US, to Kelly, Monica, Christy, Kent, Dominic, Deb, and Janice. Your participation in this project was a great encouragement to us all. Thank you for each minute that you’ve spent with everyone. Thank you for your financial help – we wouldn’t have been able to do all that without you. Thank you for every smile that you’ve given to each child. Thank you for your desire to be and to help in a place where it’s hard to help, and thank you for your desire to give a party for the teachers as an encouragement. Thank you for being able to spend time with us.
I would also like to thank my team; Ira, Ann, Kate, Alyona, and Sveta are the girls who are a part of that team. You are very special to me. I understand that I can’t express everything there is inside of me, no words can describe how precious you are to me. I really love you and I thank you for every minute you spend with me and the kids from the orphanage. Thank you for your love and desire to do something good.
Yulya.
I would like to share with you what we’ve all experienced during these projects.
The first project was held June, 13, 2009. The goal was to spend some time with the kids and their teachers in a natural and a free atmosphere. So we organized a trip to the Zoo. For sure that was the best way for the US team to begin a relationship with the kids. We’ve spent two hours together; we’ve watched the animals, inflated balloons and popped them with great pleasure. Also we’ve had a great time jumping on trampoline, rolling down from the slides, and having fun on the swings. All of that was a pleasure to us and made the kids incredibly happy.
The next project was held June, 15. I’d like to mention that we’ve worked hard on it, and it took a lot of our strength, time, ideas, and preparation. We’ve called it A Fairytale Town, since we wanted to create a fairytale atmosphere in which each and every child would feel like they are in a fairytale. We wanted every kid to get the proper attention. 35 people took part in this project; they all were dressed up and their faces were decorated. Every person had their own zone they had to be in charge of. For instance, there was a track for cars, a magical place where a child could make a wish, a zone for asphalt pictures, a trampoline zone, and many others. In whole there were about 20 zones of that kind.
The third project, held on June, 16th, was dedicated to the teachers of the orphanage. We’ve invited them to a Moldovan cuisine restaurant. It was interesting to watch the teachers get ready for the evening; They worried about the way they look, and that was funny. All the teachers were very beautiful. For me they looked very feminine and they wanted to be noticed, to look beautiful. We wanted to thank them for all their hard work on everyday basics. Actually I think their job differs from any other. It’s not easy to love and to protect kids who are not their own, and to be a mom to those who actually have another mother.
Looking back I feel really happy and grateful to everyone who participated and gave all their strength, who has given their free time to make someone else happy. Pretty often they stay unnoticed. I would like to give special thanks to the team from US, to Kelly, Monica, Christy, Kent, Dominic, Deb, and Janice. Your participation in this project was a great encouragement to us all. Thank you for each minute that you’ve spent with everyone. Thank you for your financial help – we wouldn’t have been able to do all that without you. Thank you for every smile that you’ve given to each child. Thank you for your desire to be and to help in a place where it’s hard to help, and thank you for your desire to give a party for the teachers as an encouragement. Thank you for being able to spend time with us.
I would also like to thank my team; Ira, Ann, Kate, Alyona, and Sveta are the girls who are a part of that team. You are very special to me. I understand that I can’t express everything there is inside of me, no words can describe how precious you are to me. I really love you and I thank you for every minute you spend with me and the kids from the orphanage. Thank you for your love and desire to do something good.
Yulya.
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