This is a hot busy summer, also very productive for HRC. We just finished, few days ago, two summer camps. They were great opportunities for 65 children coming from social disadvantaged environments to join us, for 5 days, in a dream location – Paraul Rece, near Predeal. The enormous success of these events is due to the involvement of our friends and collaborators, giving time, money and energy so that everything to be perfect. We asked Ana-Maria Gusu, our summer camps volunteer for the second year in a raw, to share some of her impressions, after 2 weeks of hard work, in which she offered us an example of dedication and efficiency.

Hello everyone! I am Ana-Maria Gusu, one of the volunteers at the HRC summer camps. I want to share something from my experience with these special kids.

First of all, I want to tell you that one of the most difficult and important jobs that we had was to give back these kids their childhood, for only a week. Through games, sport and music we managed, as a team, to teach them new ways of having fun without violence and insults. We constantly faced problems with the kids with an aggressive behaviour, behavioural patterns that they learn from home. It’s hard to change a person in 5 days, but God worked in miraculous ways.

Personally, I felt for one of the kids there, her name is Roberta. She looked like a trouble-maker and behaved like one. After one day in which I had to run no-stop after her and hold her hand tightly something surprising happened: Roberta wanted to hold my hand and to stay close to me and she enjoyed falling asleep in the arms of other volunteers. (you can see her evolution in the photos below)

The love and care for these kids that we were showing started to be mutual, and we were overcome by their compassion. It was impossible for me to exit my room and not be hugged by some of the kids. It didn’t matter if my voice was fading or if I was sleepy, their energy was so contagious that it kept me going.

In our evening small groups we found out more about their life at home and about their family problems. One of the girls told me that she is humiliated and beaten at school and another girl shared how her cousins died. They know from a young age what sin is and the consequences of it by seeing bad examples around them and wanting something better. We thought them how to pray and to trust Jesus and I can’t wait to see them again!

Thank you for the opportunity to serve!

Thank you, Ana! Nothing will be possible without your sacrifice and hard work!