Salt and Light in the city 2010
Evangelism Project together with a Swiss team
From July 11- 25th we had two very busy but blessed weeks in which we saw God at work in our city, in the lives of the kids and families here, in the lives of the volunteers, and in our own personal lives. God is so good!
From July 11-17th we had a team from Switzerland join us here at the Centre for a bit of a 'build up' to the Salt and Light week. Each morning they helped us to run a kids holiday club with games and songs and skits and lessons here at the centre, attended daily by approx 110 kids. In the afternoons, as well as helping with various manual labour tasks and garbage pick ups, the group of Swiss and Romanian volunteers went to various villages and more challenging neighbourhoods, to run programs with the kids and young people.
We had a busy cross-over on the Saturday (July 17th), as the Swiss team prepared to leave, and the English team moved in. The homework room, sports room, computer room and sewing room were transformed into dormitories, and the Centre became a pretty happening place for the following week!
Salt and Light 2010 - 19 - 25th July
The 42 English folk, primarily from Leeds (St. Georges and the South of the River Project in South-West Leeds), came full of passion and enthusiasm, which greatly inspired all our Romanian volunteers! Together with volunteers from Hunedoara, we had a team of young people from Oltenia (in southern Romania) and from Resita (west). The week was full from start to finish, with each project seeing God's hand at work.
EVANGELISM
Fellowship and evangelism in park was an attraction especially for youth. After a busy day, the groups of volunteer meet in the Central Park and split for a half an hour in teams. While one team start singing, the other teams started walking around and give invitation for the evangelistic event. Then, all teams have gathered again and start a worship moment. In this time, people were walking around, wondering what’s going on, others stopped and watched, some even asked for details and wanted to know more about us. They also said that it’s amazing we could still sing in the time of crisis like this. We believe it was a good testimony in the city.
One-to-one evangelism
In the following lines please find the “field testimony “from one of the project leaders:
“I thank God for the opportunity to personally share His Gospel with over 50 men and women, children and youth and handed out more than 300 evangelism brochures and invitations for evangelism event that took place in Siderurgistul Hall in the final days of Salt & Light 2010 project in Hunedoara! I accompanied a team of dentist who treated Hunedoara people for free 4 days of S&L project. Firstly, I talked to patients and when I made sure they had enough interest to read an Evangelism brochure while waiting in line with interest. Then I stepped out of dentist office and approached those walking by the alley next to the office. Some of them were indifferent and too busy to talk about God, some – sceptical or even hostile. Although, I prayed for each and every one whom I approached on the alley.
However, join me in praise and prayer for those who were open and eager to listen to the Good News so that seed of the Word would bring much fruit in their lives. I was glad to hear at least five of them who would like to attend a church because they have been raised up by Christian parents but then for some reason left God and his church. An old educated man was so glad to finally learn an address where he could purchase a Bible for himself. So with much joy and satisfaction I gave him a New Testament and the address of Maranatha Baptist Church where all who want can continue with “follow up” steps. When he left I prayed that there would be no more obstacles for him to get a Scripture and thus an open way to salvation in Christ! “
Evening Evangelism Project – For the last 2 nights of the Salt and Light week, we rented out the Siderurgistul Hall and had some very special evangelistic events, involving times of worship and prayer, as well as an evangelistic message. We were pleased and excited to see how God was working in the hearts of many who attended these services. Together with the leaders of the churches involved in the project, we decided to suggest to the people who made a decission for Christ to follow up in the churches that invited them to the event. In each of the local church involved was organized a „follow up” course for new believers.
VBS:
Every morning, from Monday – Friday we were discovering with the kids that God's love is BIG, GREAT, FAB and STRONG!! We had up to 120 kids aged 5 – 14 and we started each day together as a big group where we sang songs (in Romanian and English), played games, prayed together and watched a sketch. Then we would break up into age groups to be easier to relate the lesson to the kids’ level. We sang more songs (especially God's Love is BIG) and play more games. The lessons based on a different Bible story each day, were aimed to reveal God’s expectations from us. There was a craft activity and snack times each day too, that kids enjoyed very much.
The volunteers from English team contribute to this blessed time with songs in English, crafts, and games. It was great to see the children worshipping God and learning more about who Jesus is and the friend He can be to them. We had loads of fun at the same time as getting to know more about God but also got to know the rest of the team really well as well.
SPORTS:
A group of reformed pirates took over School number 8 each morning, and school number 11 each afternoon, leading various group games (scavenger hunts, relay races, leader hide and seek etc) and other sport activities. Each morning and afternoon we also had a fun and exciting time of singing, sketches, games and a lesson – all along a pirate theme. The English team did an amazing job of helping us understand how we can go from being a pirate cat, or mouse, to being a KING'S cat and mouse! Each morning we had about 50 kids, and in the afternoons about 90 who joined us for the activities, culminating in a giant sports day with a football tourney, kids races, face painting, balloons, awards and a final visit from the cat and mouse on the Saturday morning. One other exciting aspect of the Sports project, as how some of the kids and young adults with special needs who we work with during the year joined us during each session - it was amazing to see them included in the activities, and enjoying themselves!!
God's provision of great weather and a great team made for a week full of energy, fun and love at the Sports Project. Arrr!!!!
CLEAN CITY:
“So”, I said “We’re going to clean up the whole Hunedoara in 3 days?”
In fact the clean city program started at the doors of the Centre Bethleem. To bring a touch of TLC (Tender Love and Care) to the immediate surrounding area was our aim. Our group of about 30 people soon spread out and filled with countless bags with rubbish from every corner imaginable. We worked for three mornings of salt and light week and tried to make a superficial difference that makes folks ask, “why / what are they doing?”
Maybe we were never going to be able to clean the whole city, but there is something far more important that happens when Christians are present in the streets. They went and shared with people about God and began to make new connections and relationships that God can begin to work through. Even those who couldn’t speak a word of Romanian could begin to build and share with the children, who are wonderfully uninhibited by our lack of language knowledge. Somehow God can use His random acts of kindness to share his love through us, even in some cases, bring the gospel message.
Clean city wasn’t about cleaning the streets but it was entirely worth doing and should be done again. It brought the team together through countless hilarious moments. It brought the team together close to the community and ultimately brought God into the path of people who wouldn’t normally expect to find Him.
DENTIST:
This year we changed the location of this project. We discovered that in the new location, it was better than we could imagine. As usually we had a team of volunteer from all over the country. (10 dentists) which worked hard every day for making people from Hunedoara smile happily even after .
One of this project aims is to touch the people with the Gospel while they are on the doctors chair. That’s why all the doctors where Christians. Part of this program was to take the old people from the nursing home to the dentist and also the children from orphanages. So, we had some special days dedicated to them.
Each day was full of surprises and full of joy, we could see the mercy of God every time a patient amounted happy from dentist chair .
ORPHANAGE VISITS
One of the lovely projects of Salt & Light was the project “visiting the kids from Orphanage”. Every day, from Wednesday till Friday, a team of 10 people spent time with children from orphanage. I can’t explain in words the feelings that we had there…most of the children are kids with disabilities. Even they have parents, because of their disability; they are not taken home every weekend, or every month, not even every year. That’s more than sad. When we were there, (playing and giving some fruits or sweets) the kids were more than happy. They stayed in our arms and play with us and make us promise that we’ll come again to see them.
This project touched our hearts in a special way. We felt more than blessed that we could be there, even for such a short time. We tried to be Salt and Light for them and for the staff; we sang songs and we told them stories from the Bible. We had an unforgettable time there.
OLD PEOPLE HOME VISIT
This year we couldn’t be involved more than a day, in this project. Even so, we can say it was blessed time. Wednesday morning we prepared 45 bags with fruits, soaps, toothpastes, towels and shower gels and some other things and we went direct to old people home. When we got there, a bunch of grandmothers and grandfather sat outside on chairs waiting for us to come. We started to sing to them some songs, than, an English girl had a testimony and then one of the leaders that were with us, shared the Gospel for them to understand. It was a pleasure for us, to see their interest for the person of Jesus and also to be so friendly and kind with us. When I was there, I was thinking at my grandpa’s and also thought about the time when I’ll grow old. This experience was one of the best, for me. I understood also, from our leader’s message that God, in His providence, is with us during our life and will be even during this stage in our life, and for that we should be thankful and happy.
SPA AND BEAUTY:
This project is a special one, dedicated special to the poor woman from Micro 7 and Micro 6. Every day of Salt and Light, we had 5 hours to cut hair, make manicure, or put some facials. Together with an English team we created a little spa corner where daily we had around 30 ladies. While we where doing their nails or we were preparing them to facials, we took the opportunity to discuss about God, to create connections and friendships that will last not only a week but a long time. We had also the pleasure to speak with little children, girls (cause they came with their moms) about God and about what a Christian life means while we where tempest their hair.
At “Spa and Beauty” we help the women to become beauty not only on outside but, especially we try to help them to base their life on Jesus love. This was an opportunity that we had, to talk to some women that will never come to a church or to a place where usually Christians meet.
Salt and light is a project of our souls. We believe that God worked through and with us during those two weeks and also we know that He blessed us not only with so many wonderful and dedicated volunteer but also with people with open hearts for listening the Gospel.
At the end of this big project we only could say a big, great thank you to God and to the people who made this annually dream come true.