The Salem Sunday School's first lesson of the new year focused on
"Peacemakers." On February 1st we had a guest speaker Tim Olafson
come and share his experiences with orphan ministries in Romania. He and his wife have made several trips there on behalf of Go Therefore, an organization dedicated to bringing God's love to the orphans on Romania. On these mission trips they visited orphanages in the hopes of giving the children there an opportunity to experience Christian love.
There are about 80 thousand orphans in Romania. These children, from babies to 18 year olds, are cared for by the state. That is, the government provides for their physical needs. The folks that run the orphanages have very little hug, reassure or nurture these children.
That is what the people from Go Therefore ministries hope to do. They do Bible school type programs for a week at a time. They see that there are monthly birthday parties with cake and cards. Go Therefore is beginning a program that will provide group homes for post 18 year olds who are not pursuing further education, so that they can train for jobs and do not have to return to the streets in order to survive.
Tim was a very enthusiastic person. He is always willing to share his story and would love to come back to Salem and share with anyone else who might like to learn more. If you would be interested in contacting Tim or might like to try a mission trip he would be overjoyed to help you get going. Call Pastor Randy or Ellen & Jon Whitcomb for details.
|
Staff