Living Hope Center in Targu Jiu, Romania, has been impacting the lives of needy children since 2001. Founded by a young Romanian pastor, Adrian Dreana, and his wife Lavinia, Living Hope Center has provided food, tutoring, summer camps, Christ-centered family ministry, and a brighter future to hundreds of at-risk children and their families.
The Living Hope Center is ministering to children and families in two ways: through its tutoring program and its extracurricular activities.
Tutoring Program
The Romanian school system is notoriously rigorous, and children who can't keep up are often left behind. Many children whose parents are poor, hurting, or absent don't get the help and parental guidance they need to succeed in school. This is an especially pronounced problem in the poor and spiritually dark southern region of Romania.
LHC's tutoring program welcomes such at-risk children to its facility every school day. The kids receive a good meal and tutoring in their homework from a well-qualified teacher. In addition to their regular schoolwork, they also receive instruction in "extras" such as English, etiquette, and even cooking!
The difference that the tutoring program makes in a child's life can be dramatic. Children who were once labeled "retarded" by their teachers quickly begin to excel and move toward the top of their classes. Children who were once shy and withdrawn suddenly blossom with self-confidence and joy. And as the children learn more about the love of Christ, their families often notice the change as well.
Extracurricular Activities
In addition to the tutoring program, LHC opens its doors to the wider community for sports camps, gymnastics classes, English camps, summer camps, and the like. Its grounds now boast a wonderful American-built playset and mini-golf course . . . rarities indeed in a place like Targu Jiu! LHC's goal is to create an environment where families can come and be together.
Toward that end, LHC recently opened a family conference center in the basement of its facility. It plans to offer conferences on such family life issues as marriage, parenting, career choices, and finances. In all these ways, LHC is enriching the local community, strengthening families, and opening doors for the Gospel.
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