On July 4th a missions team of awesome people left the comfort of their homes and the familiarity of their routines to go and serve 40 Point of Hope students in Romania. Led by this missions team, the children got to experience a hope filled VBS program at Harghita Christian camp in the peaceful, beautiful Carpathian Mountains. Brianna Anderson was one of the volunteers on this life-changing mission trip! Here’s her story.

“This trip was amazing, eye opening, and just a Spirit filled trip! I feel so grateful and blessed that I was able to experience these children and bring happiness and hope to all of them that were able to attend the camp.

I will start out by how I saw and felt the Lord move in the kids and myself during camp. During the trip not only did we get to spend time with these children and be able to share the word of the Lord with them, but we also got to see for ourselves where these kids come from and what their day to day lives are like. After seeing all of this, to still see genuine smiles on these kid’s faces even under their circumstances and living situations just touched my heart! I could feel the Holy Spirit moving through these children, through the camp, and through all of us on the mission trip. The children just have such a love for the Lord and for everyone willing to give them any type of love and affection.

The children were all so amazing, and I built relationships with all of them. There were a few that really tugged at my heart strings whom I got to learn a lot about. It really makes you look at the life you live on a day to day basis and become aware of all the things that the Lord provides for us. When you go somewhere else that is less fortunate than our country, you see how much we have compared to these children who are struggling just to make it another day.

I feel like all of us on the mission trip made a difference while we were there. I realized there is so much we can all do here for these children to make a difference in their lives. By picking a child to sponsor, that helps provide them with being able to go to the Point of Hope school and get an education and learn bathing and basic hygiene as well. Most of these kids live without running water and bathrooms and haven’t ever been taught proper hygiene. Realizing that making a difference in these kid’s lives doesn’t have to stop just because I left Romania means the world to me. I can keep doing God’s work for these kids while I’m back home!

I also feel like my relationship with the Lord after this trip has definitely deepened. I mean how could it not? The hope and the faith that these children have in their lives no matter what makes me know that I can rely on the Lord and know that He is faithful in all things. I feel like a changed person and want to continue down the path which the Lord has laid upon my life. I have gained a new sense of hope.”

Brianna celebrated her birthday while she was in Romania!