Buckner International: News

By Matt Dobyns

Mission trips are often called “life-changing experiences.” This truly is the case with a small group of people from Illinois.

What began as a simple mission trip in October 2006 to distribute shoes to orphan children in Romania with Buckner International became much more. Tim Oloffson, a trip participant, spent the last night of the mission trip asking God to use his service to help the orphaned children he met in Romania.

“I wasn’t really sure what I needed to do,” Oloffson said, “but I knew I had to do something.”

This is where his ministry began. It started small, selling Christmas ornaments to raise funds for the Zau orphanage in Romania and praying – often.

“God began to answer our prayers,” Theresa Oloffson, Tim’s wife, said. “Soon we had raised thousands of dollars and we were able to fund weekly visits by a mentor for the children of Zau so they could learn life skills each week”

This husband and wife team soon answered the call which God had put on their hearts and began to organize another trip to Romania.

“After praying for these kids every day, there was no way I could just give up what we were doing,” Tim said, acknowledging that this became his rally cry as they began to organize a camp trip for the orphanage.

Months of planning proved fruitful when 14 individuals, gathered from all over the United States, drove up to the camp in the mountains in Romania.

“The months spent gathering humanitarian aid, planning activities for the week of Vacation Bible School and raising money in order to cover the costs of the trip were well worth it,” mission trip member Tim Friesma said. “We were ready to meet the kids and share the love Jesus has given us.”

“I didn’t want the week to end,” Lindsi McCaw said, with tears in her eyes, as the group loaded the bus to leave at the end of the week. “I just wanted to continue to share the Gospel and the love of Jesus with these kids.”

On the trip back to the United States, the group talked about doing more for the kids. They talked about the possibilities to provide hope and basic life skills for the children of the Zau orphanage in Romania and the greater desire to help orphans worldwide live successful, joy-filled lives. Soon after landing in the United States, they began working to form an organization with that exact purpose in mind.

“The two Bible verses that continued to come up were James 1:27 and Matthew 28:19: that pure and faultless religion is to look after the orphan and widow in their distress and to Go Therefore…and make disciples of all nations” Oloffson said. “So we set out to do exactly that. And that’s when Go Therefore…Orphan Ministry was born.”

Go Therefore…Orphan Ministry quickly structured programs for the Zau orphanage and also began working on big ideas to help them even after the left the orphanage. It was at this point that Oloffson turned to Buckner for more support.

“While we were working with the Buckner staff in Romani, we heard of the dream to implement transitional housing for the young adults when they left the orphanage. We knew right away we wanted to be a part of that project” Oloffson said.

Go Therefore…Orphan Ministry works in collaboration with Buckner International to carry out its ministry. They currently have programs operating to recognize achievements and build relationships with the orphans in Romania. They are also in the process of opening the first transitional housing program in an area where the need is great.

If you would like more information about these programs and projects or want to be involved with this ministry, visit the ministry’s Web site at www.gothereforeorphanministry.org.