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Jessica Kane
Professor Sheila Fielding
WRTC 103
20 September 2015
The Forgotten Ones in Romania

Taken: 9-20-2015. Smiling down upon the children in Romania I long to visit again.

At the age of 16, I began my first adventure of fulfilling my dreams by traveling across
the country on a mission trip. Along with 10 others, my team and I worked side by side with the
organization Remember the Children in Oradea, Romania. Together we conquered many battles
that varied from renovating hospital rooms, traveling to a gypsy village, and visiting orphanages.
Romania taught me a lot about myself, my surroundings, and my community. Learning happens
in a variety of ways, but the best lessons in life are learned from experience. Volunteering around

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the globe can have large scale effects on ones life, such as broadening perspectives, revealing
passions, and challenging comfort zones.
Andy Baker founded Remember the Children after being spiritually, emotionally, and
physically moved while visiting his close friend from Caminul Felix in Oradea. With many other
locations outside of Romania, Caminul Felix is an organization that houses abandoned children
in healthy and safe environments with a godly mother and father as a host. Andys friend, Mircea
Toca, took him to visit orphanages in Oradea where he had a firsthand look at the childrens
malnourishment, torn clothing, abandonment, and need for love. Saying goodbye, Mircea hugged
Andy and whispered in his ear, Remember the Children (qtd. in History and Vision). From that
moment, Andy Baker began his pursuit to spread the gospel and bring faith, hope, and love to
Romanias forgotten ones.
Remember the Children pursues many goals to maintain a strong foundation and
organization. They are looking to communicate the needs of the Romanian people and discover
other opportunities to help and supply finances, resources, and people to be placed in crosscultural evangelism and effective ministry in Romania. They have a goal to team build and create
a coordinated network of individuals, missions, and ministries (sec. 4 History and Vision). They
have strong believes in helping one another, in God, the Bible, the power of prayer, and
spreading the gospel to those around it while incorporating it into their daily lives. The core team
is small but the list of volunteers and helpers is endless.
I first heard about this trip and organization through my high school ministry at Northside
Christian Church. Since traveling to Europe on a mission trip had always been a dream of mine, I
did not hesitate to jump at the opportunity. I was required to fill out a six page application and
after I was accepted, I had to attend monthly information and training meetings one year prior to

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my journey. I was required to personally raise $740, receive $740 in donations from my friends
and family, and the church contributed the other $740. Andy rarely accepts high school students
to work alongside him, so it was a long and difficult process to ensure we were prepared.
We began our mission work on the second day in Romania by working in a hospital.
Skilled doctors and nurses work hard in this building that is well over 100 years old. My team
paired up with another team of Romanians working with the church. Together we conquered four
different rooms by taping, scraping, priming, and painting the walls, floors, and ceiling. Shortly
after we began, a nurse stood in the doorway watching us intently. She asked, Where are you
from? and we explained that we were high school students from the United States. Then she, as
many others in the past, asked, Why would you do this? Our response truly amazes them; the
answer is simple: "Jesus" (qtd. in From Coast to Coasts to Romania). We continued our
strenuous work with long hours and minimal breaks throughout the days to accomplish our tasks
in such a very small timeframe. After we finished, the results were astonishing. The head of the
hospital spoke to us with gratitude and the look on her face was in awe. It was a feeling of
accomplishment I will never forget.
During the renovation, I had the opportunity to speak closely with one of the Romanians.
His name was Mihai, and he shared his testimony with me, which affected and touched me in
more ways than I can explain. Mihai was addicted to heroin for ten years and smuggled drugs in
and out of the country. He had hit the lowest point of his life and could not find any means of
returning. After an incredibly huge fight with his mother, threatening to take her life if her son
did not quit using heroin, Mihai found his life swirling and coming to an end. After another year,
he finally went to rehab and got his life together. Now, a dozen years later, he is looking into
starting his own organization for troubled teens in need of a safe haven and guide. Mihai was

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possibly one of the sweetest, most humble men I have met, and it blew my mind after hearing his
powerful story. It broadened my perspective on how I look at others and how the story every
individual carries is one worth hearing. Also, it was a reminder not to judge a book by its cover.
Mihai and I are still very close and keep in touch about the goals we shared for our future.
While visiting the many orphanages in Romania, I was left with a hole in my heart.
Seeing so many beautiful, talented, and smiling children left unwanted broke me inside but also
helped me realize my true passion. As we walked through the doors, the children immediately
came to us with loving, open arms. I was in charge of leading crafts, songs, and a skit during our
visits. We spoke to the children in what little Romanian we knew, and they quickly fell in love
with us as much as we fell in love with them. I specifically remember working with two children,
Verduut and Christie. They were best friends, but I could tell Christie was timid. The first day he
did not say much, but as I kept pursuing, he slowly began to open up to me. Christie was one of
the most kindhearted boys I met, and he made me laugh like no other. The head of the orphanage
explained to me how both of Christie's parents were in jail for abusing drugs and that he was
incredibly shy and lonely because of it. He then praised me for how I worked with the two
together and said he had never seen Christie as open with anyone as he was with me. We went to
the orphanage for three days and on the last day as I said my painful goodbyes to my two new
friends, I realized I had a true passion for children and one day I would continue this work in the
orphanage.
Many comfort zones were challenged during my time in Romania, but the one I
remembered best is when I voluntarily spoke in front of an entire church. Public speaking is one
of my biggest fears, and I conquered it the last Sunday we were in Oradea. Three other team
members and I spoke of our powerful experience working with Remember the Children and the

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impact it had on us. As I walked upon the stage, my palms were sweating and the butterflies in
my stomach were going crazy. I grabbed the microphone and as I looked into the audience, I
suddenly felt at peace with what I was about to say. I made four main points in my speech, that
we are blessed so we can bless others and we do not need materialistic items to be happy. I saw
so many children and elders with nothing and they had the biggest smiles on their faces. Living
in the United States, it is almost as if everyone has everything, but no one can find a reason to be
truly happy. Then, I talked about how nothing is stronger than the power of prayer, and how my
mission trip does not end at the church or when I leave Romania. Life is full of opportunities and
decisions, and on stage I decided I want to live a life where I help others because nothing is as
rewarding as doing good for someone else.
With my faith, values, and morals, it is incredibly important to me to help those who are
less fortunate or forgotten. By caring for others and sharing my love and compassion, I want to
leave a mark on the world and positively impact as many people as I can. Going to Romania was
an experience I will never forget and never fail to talk about with people I meet. It was
emotionally rewarding as well as exhausting. My true passions were revealed for helping
children, my comfort zones were challenged in many ways, and it broadened my perspective on
the people I meet and the places I go. I am already looking into when I can return to my home
away from home. I spent two weeks in a foreign place where I knew no one and could not even
understand the language, but nothing has been the same ever since.

From Coast to Coast to Romania. Remember the Children, Maryland, n.d. Web. 19 Sept. 2015.