ROMANIA 1996

CHILDREN’S RALLY



In 1996, my wife Merle, our 19-year-old son Jeremy, and I conducted a children's rally in Buzau Romania. We would like to share a little about our trip that led up to the story, “The Rainbow Story.’

The mission trip started off with going to one of the orphanages in Buzau, Romania. There were many babies and also many toddlers that were in different quarters. This was a very clean and orderly orphanage with loving, caring workers that cared for all of the children. As in all the orphanages, there are never enough help to care for all the children so some went wanting.

There were many children there that were physically and mentally handicapped. Parents would bring them there and leave them because they could not support them or they were handicapped. In Romania, a lot of handicapped people are looked down on. They can not do work or make money other than putting them out on the streets to beg.

Some of the babies were lying in their cribs in soiled linens. As I picked them up and held them close, I could feel the tears starting to trickle down my cheek. The children were starved for attention. The ones that were big enough would cry and hold up their hands for you to pick them back up. It was a heart breaking thing to just to have to walk away. We wanted to bring them all back home with us.

As I walked around and took pictures and video of the children, I notice a little boy would come out of a door way and when he saw me looking at him, he would run back and hide. He didn’t understand who those people were that didn’t speak like they did. So many stories came out of that orphanage.

As we were making plans for the rally, we had to really be careful how we said or express our words as we visit the children because most of the families were of the Orthodox belief. The people thought we were trying to change their religion and the parents protected their children. The Romanian Orthodox looked at us as a cult religion. That is the reason we called it a children’s rally instead of a children revival or church.

We had to be careful how we shared the Gospel and showed them how much Jesus loved them and wants them to be with Him in Heaven one day. We had to show them how much we love them and want to teach them about what the Bible says. We want to make sure they knew they needed an personal relationship with the Lord Jesus in order to go to Heaven.

We did the rally in the evenings from Monday though Friday. On Sunday evening, we all came back together with all of the church and did a special program.

During the day, with our interpreters, we go into the parks, streets, around the flats, any where we saw children and ask them to come to the rally. In turn, they would go and tell their friends and invite them to come. It was amazing how many would show up.

Each evening there would be children coming from every direction. The church would be full. We would have to hunt chairs for them to sit on. The pews were packed so full there was no more room. There were a sea of hungry children wanting to learn what we had for them. What an awesome site!

Our team were, Claudia, Georgana, Iuliana, Jeremy our son, Merle, my wife, Andrea, Michael, Lucy (the Clown), and myself.
Every evening, we would have a packed church. At one time we thought we were going to have to take it to the yard because of no room to sit them. After Monday night, around 60% of the children would be new but the church would still be full. The reason for that was, the children would go home and share with their parents about giving their lives to Jesus or where there had been. The parents would not allow for the children to return. That was so sad. Some of these children would walk from across town. Most of the children would walk, some would ride their bikes, some would ride the bus, and some parents would bring them. That was a plus.

During the service, the team would teach the children Bible verses, songs, and even a Jesus cheer. That’s right, a Jesus cheer. Give me a “J”, give me an “E”, give me an “S”, give me a “U”, and give me an “S”. Then I would say, “What do you have?” They would scream from the top of their voices…”JESUS!!!” Then I would ask, “WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH HIM?” Again…..”LIVE FOR HIM!!!!!” They would holler so loud, you could hear a block away. (SMILE)

You had to be there to see the joy, the laughter, their hunger and need being taken care of. The love of Jesus flowing out of their little lives. One day we arrived around Four pm and children were there waiting for the six o’clock service. The children enjoyed so much learning the songs and listening to the Bible stories from the Bible, they wanting to get there early to get front seats. WOW! Can we learn anything from this??? Do we get to church or Sunday school early to get the front seat to hear the GOSPEL? Shame on me…. us. Then after it was over, they didn’t want to go home. So, we would take them out in the yard for games and treats.

The Sunday night after the rally had ended on Friday, we planned for the children to come back and show the church what had taken place during the week.

After all the adults came in and we asked them to sit at the back, we had the children to march in singing as they found their seats toward the front. We wanted to show the church the value in going to the parks, streets, and anywhere you could find children and invite them in. And they did come.

God had given me a message for the adults how Jesus loves the children and we should go and visit the parents and invite them to know that Jesus is the only way to go to Heaven. Also, we shared with them how to start a children’s ministry. We supplied them with materials to continue the work.

It was an unforgettable two weeks in June of 1996 with my wife and son at my side. Then I went back in September of 1996 alone and did another children’s rally and that is when the “RAINBOW STORY” came to pass. Be sure to read it on our webpage.