LOC Kid Sergiu Receives Christ!

From Summer Intern Julia Wilkie's blog...

He loves you NO MATTER WHAT.

 

I can’t believe week 6 of camp is over! This summer is going by so fast! Just one more week of camp!! This week we were with the Orphans from Reghin and Sarmas group homes. It was such a special week for me because a lot of these kids are special needs. I had 3 kids with special needs on my team this week and I really connected with one. His name is Vali. He is 18 years old but has the mental age of probably an 8 year old. All week he followed close behind me with his fingers in his mouth, rocking back and forth and saying the only two English words he knew, “Goody, goody!” I found out quickly he loved my hair. Anytime I would turn my back he would have his face and mouth in my hair! It may have been pretty gross but I found it very humorous most of the time. We had to dress up one kid from our team as a Security Guard and of course Vali insisted it be him. So on his chest we labeled him as “Goody, Goody Security!” lol Friday we went to the zoo and all day long I had to run everywhere to keep up with Vali because he was so excited! He LOVED the animals! And yet almost got himself killed a few times trying to crawl over the fences to feed the animals! We took team pictures the last day, and right when the camera flashed Vali laid a big wet kiss right on my cheek! Caught perfectly on camera! But sadly I can’t post pictures of these kids on the internet, so anyone who wants to see will have to find me with my photo album when I get home. Vali was my highlight and laughter everyday this week. I sure am going to miss him!

Tuesday we had to say goodbye to Justin, Jeff, Jenny, and Jack who all went back to America. So it was a late night at the LOC houses. One of the boys, Sergiu, pulled me aside to talk for a little while. So as we sat on the grass underneath the stars, he began asking me about God. He told me, “I am only 14 years old, I am too young to understand how to be good. I make mistakes. In my heart I know I am not a good person and I am not good enough for Jesus to want to come into my heart. When Jesus comes into your heart you have to be perfect and I am not perfect.” I sat and talked with him forever about how there is not checklist on how good you have to be to be saved. You will make mistakes before you ask Jesus into your heart and you will make mistakes after you ask Jesus into your heart. No one is perfect. And that’s why we have Jesus. Because God knows we are not perfect, so he gave us a way to heaven through Jesus Christ. It doesn’t matter if you are the worst person in the world or the nicest person in the world. Jesus wants to come into your heart either way. Its that easy. He loves you NO MATTER WHAT.

By the end of the night, I was holding Sergiu’s hand as he prayed in Romanian for Jesus to come into his heart!!! My eyes welled with tears as I prayed to myself for Sergiu and this wonderful moment I was able to share with him! I know that I had nothing to do with his Salvation. Many people before had planted the seeds, I was just blessed to be there to see the flower bloom! He was SO happy! He couldn’t quit hugging me and sharing his news with everyone! Praise God! I am so proud of Sergiu! I love all the LOC kids SOOO much! And am so thankful for Livadas work they have done in each of their lives!