Help kids in Eastern Europe go to camp!!!
I am appealing to all of
you in the Palisades Presbytery to assist a Young Adult Volunteer in
Mission working with Roma in the Szurte, Ukraine near the Hungarian
boarder. Kristin Nickel is a graduate of Davidson College and the
Central European University in Budapest. She has spent the last year
teaching and working with children of the Roma (also known to most of
us as “gypsiesâ€). I will let Kristin’s own words tell the story:
For the last few years, the Hungarian Reformed Church of Carpathia (the local church that sponsors hosts the volunteers here) has held a camp for Roma kids in the summer. This is a chance for them to get away from home, get to know other Roma kids from throughout the region, and to learn about God. The kids have been talking about the camp ALL YEAR, which demonstrates that it is a very important ministry. The Roma kids from Szürte (35 in all and us volunteers as well) will spend two weeks there this summer. During six weeks in June and July, this ministry will reach out to almost 400 Roma children from this area. For many of the kids, this is where they meet their role models among other Roma children or counselors. Many of the children first go to camp... and then start attending school. So the benefits of this ministry extend beyond the week of camp.
For the kids to come for the week, they have to pay a minimal fee (approximately the cost of three loaves of bread). The low level of this fee is incredibly important so that we are able to include all the children, even those coming from the poorest of families. Although the camps are sponsored by the local Reformed Church, they are usually financed from outside the region. This year somehow the funding has not arrived. The faithful leaders of the camp, Attila and Olivia Tomes, are planning the camp with great enthusiasm, but they have not received any of the money that they were promised. They are prayerfully planning this summer and asked all involved to pray as well.
I asked Attila and Olivia what the cost of the camp is. They told me that for one child to be there for the week, the entire cost is 22 dollars. I was shocked by this figure knowing how easy it would be to spend that money on something less meaningful. So I thought of my home communities and home churches and decided to try to help fundraise to make these camps a reality.
So if anyone would be interested in supporting this ministry, for every 22 dollars donated you can sponsor a child's week at camp. After the camp is over, you will receive an email with the picture of the child and a little about their history and experience at camp.
So if you and your church would like to help Krisitn make sure these kids get to go to camp with $22, $44, $88, $220, or $2,200, please make the check payable to First Presbyterian Church of North Haledon, and send your checks with “ROMA†on the memo line by July 1, 2006 to:
FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
202 Squaw Brook Road
North Haledon, NJ 07508
I will make sure the money gets forwarded to Kristin. Please also include an E-mail address so that you receive your picture and information about the camp experience.
Thank you for your support!!!
Peace,
Pastor Don Brown
(973) 423-1333
For the last few years, the Hungarian Reformed Church of Carpathia (the local church that sponsors hosts the volunteers here) has held a camp for Roma kids in the summer. This is a chance for them to get away from home, get to know other Roma kids from throughout the region, and to learn about God. The kids have been talking about the camp ALL YEAR, which demonstrates that it is a very important ministry. The Roma kids from Szürte (35 in all and us volunteers as well) will spend two weeks there this summer. During six weeks in June and July, this ministry will reach out to almost 400 Roma children from this area. For many of the kids, this is where they meet their role models among other Roma children or counselors. Many of the children first go to camp... and then start attending school. So the benefits of this ministry extend beyond the week of camp.
For the kids to come for the week, they have to pay a minimal fee (approximately the cost of three loaves of bread). The low level of this fee is incredibly important so that we are able to include all the children, even those coming from the poorest of families. Although the camps are sponsored by the local Reformed Church, they are usually financed from outside the region. This year somehow the funding has not arrived. The faithful leaders of the camp, Attila and Olivia Tomes, are planning the camp with great enthusiasm, but they have not received any of the money that they were promised. They are prayerfully planning this summer and asked all involved to pray as well.
I asked Attila and Olivia what the cost of the camp is. They told me that for one child to be there for the week, the entire cost is 22 dollars. I was shocked by this figure knowing how easy it would be to spend that money on something less meaningful. So I thought of my home communities and home churches and decided to try to help fundraise to make these camps a reality.
So if anyone would be interested in supporting this ministry, for every 22 dollars donated you can sponsor a child's week at camp. After the camp is over, you will receive an email with the picture of the child and a little about their history and experience at camp.
So if you and your church would like to help Krisitn make sure these kids get to go to camp with $22, $44, $88, $220, or $2,200, please make the check payable to First Presbyterian Church of North Haledon, and send your checks with “ROMA†on the memo line by July 1, 2006 to:
FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
202 Squaw Brook Road
North Haledon, NJ 07508
I will make sure the money gets forwarded to Kristin. Please also include an E-mail address so that you receive your picture and information about the camp experience.
Thank you for your support!!!
Peace,
Pastor Don Brown
(973) 423-1333
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