In August, 2007, Hope 4 Kids International traveled back into Romania and spent most of their time working in the villages of Cheresig and Lazareni.

Although the villages are drastically different in comparison, one thing remains the same: Gypsies are discarded and treated like third class citizens. Discrimination and prejudice are so widespread that obtaining medical attention is very difficult and interacting with Gypsies is almost unheard of for the Romanians.

Hope 4 Kids has many partners in Romania trying to increase the living conditions of the villages namely Pastor and Director Dorel and social worker Ionnia. Four years ago Dorel came into Cheresig facing a challenge in front of him. The Gypsies had surrendered to a culture that existed on harsh living conditions. Rows of dilapidated homes on the verge of collapse lined the road and hygiene of the villagers were non-existent. Prevalent smoking led to low life expectancies and few lived past the age of forty-five. The few homes that had electricity exploited outrageous fees from their neighbors that needed to connect from time to time. The village was in a state of desperation until Dorel realized the hearts of the Gypsies needed to be changed in order to transform the village. Romanians have a popular quote they use in referring to Gypsies, “You cannot change the old horse, because it is already old.” Meaning, you cannot teach an old dog new tricks. If that was the case, than Dorel was the Horse Whisperer.

Dorel began showing the Gypsies the unconditional love of Jesus through his actions by feeding them   and addressing their physical needs. He preached the Gospel and taught them to love their neighbors.  Slowly, Gypsies turned their hearts over to God. When Dorel taught them that “Christians do not act like this and that they do not live like this,” the transformation began. Gypsies fixed up their homes and they started to take pride in where they lived. Now when you walk through the village, brightly colored homes with fresh coats of paint adorned the street. Freshly planted flowers lined the walkways and curtains hung in every window. Some homes even had white picket fences around them!  Most importantly, children were clean, well behaved and smiles lit up their faces. Neighbors were friendly waving at every passerby.

Hope 4 Kids had a party for all of the sponsored kids in Cheresig during their visit. The team fed them lunch, hosted a VBS and enjoyed connecting with the children all afternoon. Some of the activities included making eternity bracelets, playing soccer and taking family Polaroid photos. The team presented the kids with toothbrushes and  hundreds of hand-made finger puppets the previous team acquired in Peru. After a fun-filled day, the team and the kids went on a walk through Cheresig. They stopped by for visits with the families and escorted every child home. The kids were so anxious to show off their home and family. The proud look on their faces could never be forgotten. Each family invited team members into their homes for a special tour. The team was so delighted to see how charming and immaculate they were inside! Beds were made, floors were swept and wall hangings of Jesus decorated the walls. The love of God was very evident in the village of Cheresig!