In the period of February 19-20, 2017, ADRA Europe attended projects coordinated by ADRA Romania in Total Member Involvement. Packages were offered to children who achieved good grades in school as part of the ADRA project "Back to school” and ADRA Europe also attended the inauguration of a house in the project "10 houses in 10 days", in Brăila county.
During the visit, Joao Martins, Director of ADRA Europe, and Robert Georgescu, Director of ADRA Romania, met Ted N.C. Wilson, President of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church, at the international level. In this period, being familiar with the projects developed and impressed by those implemented by ADRA Romania, Ted N.C. Wilson wanted to express his appreciation for the beautiful way in which ADRA develops projects for complete healing and salvation. They are able to achieve this with the support of public authorities and the prayers of the Adventist Church, at the local and national European, as well as international, levels.
“The engagement of lay people in Total Member Involvement is so important to what we are seeing happen in the world Church,” said Ted Wilson, Adventist Church president.
”I am very pleased to participate in this event because I saw what should happen everywhere, anywhere, in Romania, Europe, and even worldwide. As Christians, we are called to get involved in society and to help people. Jesus was very clear. His purpose was to help people in need: the poor, the inmates, those with various disabilities, any category of persons who need our help. The Church will have a significant impact in society when Jesus’ example is reflected through us, through good facts, through actions of love and kindness. I hope that ADRA Romania will continue this work in which many Adventist church members are involved, to be a dynamic activity that increases and reaches everyone in the church and in society," said Mario Brito, President of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Europe.
"Every house built represents an outstretched hand for those who are in a desperate situation. Each brick is nothing more than a word spoken in a different form. Each roof is an outstretched hand to the one who is in that house. On this occasion, I would like to thank the ADRA Romania team, to all those involved in such a project, who want God to be the One to further inspire each person involved so that many souls can be changed. This way they can enjoy not only a beautiful house here on Earth, but also a house in the Kingdom of God," said Stefan Tomoiagă, President Seventh-day Adventist Church in Romania.
"It is wonderful to see how the local church members and pastors are involved in Romania, in supporting ADRA's ministry of love and compassion to those that are in need. It was a pleasure to witness the committed motivation of church members and the joy in the faces of those that were blessed by their loving Christian action,” said Joao Martins, Executive Director of ADRA Europe.
"February can be rightly called ‘time of joy’ in ADRA's activities, that joy that you experience when, instead of tears, you see smiles on the faces of those who may have forgotten to hope. In the event “10 houses in 10 days”, we saw joy, excitement, gratitude, hope, and faith, on the side of the beneficiaries and also from the donors and volunteers. This motivates us and empowers us to fulfill the mission that God has entrusted to us. Thank you to the partners, sponsors and volunteers for the help offered in this project through direct involvement in the construction of this house, but also because they submitted to the feeling that there are people to whom it matters," said Robert Georgescu, Executive Director of ADRA Romania.
In the period of February 13-24, 2017, ADRA Romania, in partnership with the Seventh-Day Adventist Church, inaugurated the 10 houses in 10 days in different locations of the country. The ADRA event "10 houses in 10 days" was held within the project "Finally home!" which aims to improve living conditions for families at risk by building social housing. This project was developed in partnership with local authorities and the funding comes from both individuals and legal authorities. The houses inaugurated were valued at over 70,500 euros. Through this project, 64 people received a new shelter, with the support of at least 350 ADRA volunteers and in partnership with more than 10 municipalities and 10 educational units.
In the project ”I want to school”, for the school year 2016-2017, ADRA Romania supports the education of 460 children, from all over the country, giving them food, school supplies, hygiene items and clothing on a monthly basis. The 460 children have good grades at school but they need to be supported in order to attend school.
Also in February 2017, ADRA Romania, again in partnership with Seventh-day Adventist Church, has distributed 7,000 packages and prepared gifts for children and young people from disadvantaged families in the project "Children helping children". The project beneficiaries were poor families, disadvantaged single parents or children in foster care or orphanages, which were selected by local volunteers of the project. The ADRA project ”Children helping children” aims to promote volunteering and social responsibility among children and young people all across the country. Through this project, other 14,000 parents or tutors were indirect beneficiaries of the support of at least 8,100 children and young people, in partnership with ADRA volunteers and more than 250 municipalities and 500 schools.
Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) Romania is part of the ADRA International network, one of the most widespread non-governmental organizations in the world, active in 139 countries and led by a philosophy that combines compassion with the practical, for people in need, without making racial, ethnic, political or religious distinctions. ADRA Romania improves the quality of life for those in need and invests in the potential of people through initiatives of community development, focusing on five main areas: economic development, education and basic health, combating domestic violence, assisting victims of natural disasters, and assisting disadvantaged social categories. They are led by the following motto: "Changing the world, one life at a time."
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is recognized by the Romanian state, a state with other operating churches, for its transparency and the actions of geared towards social, medical, educational and religious freedom. "Total Member Involvement” is a global challenge in the Adventist Church that seeks the involvement of every believer, every church and every administrative entity, in each project for the good of the neighbors, to fulfill their needs as the model of Jesus Christ.