Photo cred: Nat Reeves. Our front yard 🙂
FAMILY.
We don’t all get to experience the beauty of family as Christ designed it BUT for those who do, its importance is quite unmeasured.
Caminul Felix (translates, Happy Home) is a community of families that believe that providing abandoned and neglected children a home and a family is the start to life. They very much follow the picture of family that is modeled in scripture. And the picture they paint is absolutely GORGEOUS.
The Vision of Felix Family Villages is to meet the physical, spiritual, emotional and social needs of the orphaned and abandoned children of the world, in a loving environment.
Village 2, where we live.
There are a total of 16 couples here. Couples who so selflessly applied for something that would cost them the rest of their lives. They applied to be ‘Mom and Dad‘. After being excepted for this position they move into a new home and (over a period of time) are given 15-20 kids whom they call their own.
Kids don’t hop from home to home,
They don’t have a transitional phase,
They don’t get kicked to the streets when they are 18,
They become part of a family.
“Love is stronger than blood. Neither genes nor rules decide the identity of family. Family is based on the loving commitment to one another. That is what Felix Family Villages gives.”
This is not just a foster care community or an orphanage, its a place of like minded families who take in and include these children as their family. It is not just for a short amount of time or for a transition, it is a lifelong commitment. Each set of parents governs their own home….just like a real mom and dad would. The kids are pushed to study and learn and improve themselves.
If the kids so wish to go to college they are supported through that. If they wish to get training at the mechanic shop, the farm, or the sewing shop that is located on the facility, they have the chance to grow in those areas as well.
They all go to regular churches, and regular school…..all at their parents discretion, just like a real family.
The kids aren’t up for adoption……
……..thats not the goal here. Their goal is to give all 200 kids who live here a mom and dad, brothers and sisters, and a home.
I’m in love with the idea behind this place
One of the ways that this organization helps support the homes here, is with their farm. As it turns out that is going to be one of our biggest ministries this month.
FARM MINISTRY. Awesome I know.
(side note, while some of us work the farm, the rest do construction on the transitional housing for the kids that grow up, we will also be visiting the homes and hanging out with the kids. The kids won’t be our primary ministry though, because Caminul Felix believes so firmly in Family – how would you feel if short term teams always invaded your home? haha)
Anyway, back to me being a farmer…
We pull out our country accents, slip on our boots (figuratively of course…cause pppssshh, we don’t have room in our packs for such unnecessary things) and we head to the barn.
We may or may not have been wearing every article of clothing we owned due to the 22 degree weather.
We did what we were told……odds and ends here and there. Sweeping, shoveling, moving….singing, humming, and enjoying every minute of it.
Ignore me in this picture, haha.
These sort of things are often looked at as the dirty work, the insignificant things that just ARE. But hey, they have to get done and even though things like this might seem little….Its often in the little things that Christ can show up the greatest. IF YOU EXPECT HIM that is. If your not expecting Him, you just might miss what He wants to do in that day. So as we shovel manure, and make friends with all the cows…….
……I still expect God to move. I expect DIVINE INTERACTIONS with people who need encouragement and hope. I expect HEALING to break out, I expect COMMUNITY to be built. And the list goes on. We are JUST starting to jump into ministry and I’m already pumped. We don’t know ALL that we will be doing yet, but I’m excited to share with you all the full extent of what we will be doing as we find out ourselves!!
In other news…
When any of our teammates are stressed at all, we do a pile. It is fun, we laugh, and it really releases some of the tension. It’s done in both public and private, and only occasionally results in injury 😉
Me and my closest being cute in Buchuresti last week 🙂
What a beautiful place to work! – I only wish they kept a supply of down comforters ooats and boots available for visting teams .
I know you are working hard but what a blessing.
Still praying for you –
Love,
Marjorie K
Dear Stephanie, I am flabbergasted at the beauty of the places you are ministering in. What a marvelous opportunity for you to “see the world” while serving the Lord. We pray constantly for protection for you and the group asking God to surround you with His armor and care.
About scooping cow poop. Years ago I worked for a laundry which wasn’t the most exciting job, but I learned the verse
“Whatever you do do it as unto the Lord”. Then I pressed sheets and washed clothes for Jesus,how cool was that! So whatever He asks you to do, you’re doing it for Him and no one else. Bless you, Peg
Dear Steph,
Sounds like a wonderful place to be doing ministry. They have a great philosophy and vision for loving God’s children, not to mention their willing sacrifice and commitment. I can see how you’ll fit right in!
I like the “pile” idea. I think I’ll talk to your dad about incorporating that at Trinity (ha! ha!)
As far as the cow poop scooping — well, the Lord had to do something to keep you all humble after that shooting star experience!
I’m going to pray that it doesn’t get any colder there (since you’re already wearing everything you own), and I will believe that God will mercifully answer that prayer.
Keep your expectations high! God will not disappoint you.
“Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love,
for I have put my trust in You. Show me the way I
should go, for to you I lift up my soul.” (Ps. 143:8)
Love,
Angela Martine