As I write this blog it is exactly 3 days and 17 hours until my sister, Linda arrives to visit me.   

Sunday evening I pick up Debbie from Klamath Falls Assembly who will be working with our team for the rest of the summer.  The day after Linda arrives we head off to camp to work in a village.  We will have a few days of R&R and sight seeing.  Now don't think I put everyone who visits me to work LOL.  She wanted to see what I do and help.  I'm very excited.

Well I have 45 minutes till I need to catch a cab to the train station.  I'm heading over to Timisoara on a night train to attend a wedding saturday and then come back on Sunday.  The next two weeks will be pretty crazy but very good. 

I'll keep you all posted

Tamara

www.henkes.ministryhome.org

We completed our first Kids camp for the summer.  It turned out just fine and we all had a blast and of course, most importantly the kids heard about Jesus. 

Here are a few of the highlights:

• If it weren't for our 4 Wheel Drive STL vehicles we would have had to rent a horse and cart to bring all our ministry supplies and luggage into the camp as the road to the camp had been flooded.  I'm serious - the camp director had it all planned out if we didn't make it through.  Although the water receded the roads were so muddy.  However, it would have made for a great newsletter story but nonetheless STL came through and we made it.  Here is a short film of us driving towards the camp several days after we arrived to camp.  They had already done lots of work to the road but it was still a bit challenging at some points.  Okay the reality of it, we needed to get away a bit and we had a little fun in the mud   Thanks STL for giving us a little fun too LOL
• We were told that the majority of the campers were kids (11-13 years old) with about 40% being older teenagers - we show up and this is not true.  Majority were older youth while a smaller portion were as young as 5 years old and up.  We had brought a colleague who works with youth and we ended up doing separate activities and services for them to make it age appropriate.  Thank you JJ and Pablo for all your help. 
• I was stretched beyond imaginable as we made an agreement that we would only speak Romanian in front of the campers and as much as I could even when we weren't in front of the campers just so not to slip into English as a habit.  All of our services were all in Romanian and I did several parts up front.  All I can say is that my brain hurts now
• Sharing a room with 4 teenage girls leaves one with very little sleep   Actually all of our youth volunteers who came with us were phenomenal.
• We found out towards the end of the camp that if we had not come there would have been not much spiritual teaching for the kids and youth.  From my understanding last year there was none.  We have been invited to return back next summer.  Thank you for those who support this ministry and enabled these kids to be taught about the love of Jesus.

Here are a few pics:

The front of the lodge we stayed at and where we held most of our kids programs.  Like the nice little "cliff".  We were so worried about the kids and watching out for them that one of our youth volunteers nearly fell over during a skit. 

The view from our balcany.

Another view from balcony

And this was the good bridge equipped with metal beams and all.  Washed out by the flood.  We didn't dare drive over the bad bridge so we had to walk and haul all our stuff.  Good thing for lots of youth!

The road to the camp AFTER the repairs made from flood.

Every opportunity they got, our youth played volleyball.

Our kids during a stamp art project.

Bogdan and Nadina - two of our youth volunteers

Adriana, another youth volunteer

                                                                       Nane, youth volunteer

they couldn't get enough of this.

Nadina and Remus during volleyball game. 

We could not do outreaches like this without the help of so many youth volunteers who travel all over with us.  It is important that the Romanian youth are mostly upfront and we all speak Romanian so this is not perceived to be an "American" religion.  It would be impossible for Jan and I do do all the work ourselves and we are so grateful for the help of these youth and our prayer is for their calling to continue serving children here in Romania and we are blessed to be a part of their lives. 

Well I am preparing for another camp next week and my sister arrives on Tuesday!!!!!  I'm so excited.  She'll be helping me with camp and then we'll take a few days of R&R to visit together and see some sites.

PRAYER REQUEST:  My 19 year old niece is preparing for surgery to remove a large tumor on her ovary.  Please pray all will go well and her ovary can be saved.  Thank you!

Tamara

www.henkes.ministryhome.org

As of right now the kids camp is on but is being postponed until Tuesday and we are praying that the roads will be cleared.  however, word has it that it had rained even more.  However alot can happen in the next few days and of course we are all prepared and ready to go.   

The plan as of now:    Rather than driving our 9 passanger field van (which may not do too well in wet, muddy, flooded mountain roads) we will take two STL Toyota's, mine and my colleague's.  We are praying that with 4-wheel drive we can pass through.  If we can't the worse case scenario is that we have to hike in the last kilometer around the flooded area.  This sounds like an adventure but with sound systems, puppet stages, props, teaching aid, lots of candy, sports equipment and so much more not to mention our own luggage for a weeks stay, I think we should have some good newsletter stories when this is all done  

I'll keep you posted

Tamara

www.henkes.ministryhome.org 

The latest report I just read was that 70 towns are underwater and 300 people have been evacuated and searchers are looking for a 15 year old boy who fell in a river. 

The hardest hit area is near where our kids camp is supposed to be starting on Monday.  The only road that leads to this camp site is flooded.  There was a kids camp prior to ours and the kids in that camp had to have soldiers come and evacuate them.  The camp site is fine it's just the road into it that is bad.  We are still praying about our outreach in that area.  If we can't get to the camp site then we may possibly do day camps instead at the church. 

Please be in prayer.  However we just found out that a local councilman's car was at the camp site and is now his car is stuck there.  So it's hopeful that he will put pressure to have the roads cleared very soon and we may still be able to have our camp. 

Tamara

www.henkes.ministryhome.org

 Summer is in full swing and our teams are busy with children's outreaches throughout several gysy villages.  This past weekend we did 4 children's programs in 2 days.  Unless you actually experience these outreaches it is difficult to even do them justice with a few words and pictures.  These children were so excited about these programs for them that they arrived a couple of hours early to be sure they don't miss it.  Regardless what time we tell them they are there hours ahead waiting patiently.   Here are some pics from the outreaches:

traveling from village to village we don't have much time to put everything away so here is one way to make good use of our speed the light vehicles. 

The look on this boys face says it all!!!

Waiting anxiously to start program.

Some special visitors - kids love 'em

young and old love the program

Memory Verse Games.

paying close attention to lesson

Pastor, his wife and one of their children.  This little girl is waiting for a heart surgery.  Please pray for the family, it is very difficult and expensive for them.  We are doing all we can to help them. 

On another note:

A good reason why I should have stayed home on Monday (today):

~Arrive at bank to withdrawl some money which was sent via wire for donations to a church here and to also receive my bank card which was on order. 

~I arrive and wait patiently in one line.  I'm told I have to go to one other line for my bank card and yet another to receive money.

~I go to second line and wait patiently and when my turn comes I'm told by cashier that she would be back in a little bit.   I wait and I wait and wait and wait and notice other line moving rapidly.

~I switch to third line and at that time a guy and two security guards show up with a large bag of money for the cashier to count.  We all wait and wait and wait.  Just as she finishes counting this huge pile of money other cashier finally returns but everyone behind me runs over to her line so I'm left waiting.  I finally come up to the window and explain what I need and I'm told that I didn't fill it out completely and I need a "stamp" from the cashier I had been to previously.

~I walk away a bit stumped and not sure what to do so I go to my now 4th line and wait and wait and wait (with a little less patience).  I call Costel whom I'm supposed to be meeting with in 10 minutes and explain and of course he understands.  The first cashier I was with had left for lunch so I then attempt to explain what happened to yet another woman.  I ask if she can help me understand the process and what I need to do in the future.  She is very helpful but then informs me that the amount of money I'm requesting is too much because of course the bank must receive a commission for the transaction.  The withdrawal form is filled out and has the appropriate "stamp" on it.  (Stamps are very important here) 

~I'm now going to my 5th line and wait.  My turn comes up and I'm with yet a different cashier.  Meanwhile I'm a bit flustered and this cashier is asking me to sign the correction to the amount on the form and I can't even understand simple Romanian but she is patient and explains clearly and I finally figure out what she's asking. 

~I receive money and leave and now I'm late for my 1:00 meeting.   Oh I forgot to mention I never did get my bank card unless I wanted to wait even longer in a 6th line.  I deferred that mission for another day.

~I hop on metrou (subway) to rush to my next meeting.  I'm 45 minutes late but he is very understanding.  We meet and now I'm 35 minutes late to my language class which fortunatelly is close to where my meeting was so I'm walking very quickly with books in very hot weather.  I'm dripping sweat when I arrive.  My teacher is very awesome and patient. 

~We have a good lesson and together we walk towards our stations.  We depart at her tram station and I head towards my subway station.  I'm walking across the street when coming towards me is a very heavy set man making very loud and weird noises who then flashes me.     I'm praying for God to erase that image from my mind.   

I make it onto the subway and 45 minutes later I'm home.  I dive into a bowl of ice cream cause honestly I think I deserve it. 

Tamara

www.henkes.ministryhome.org

I would like to thank you for those who were praying for my friend Chad who was in a car accident.  The last update I received was that catheter and IV and pain pump have been removed.  He's still drugged up on pain meds though.  However he still has a chest tube in.  He did send an email to us and he's been walking a little at the hospital.  Thank you for your prayers.

I gave in and finally went in to see my first dentist here in Romania.  I was a bit nervous as I had heard horror stories.  Through recommendations I found a place called "Dent-a-America".  It has all the newest equipment and training.  The cleaning went very well, however I still have a tooth ache which we haven't resolved yet.  Overall it was a good experience. 

This Friday and Saturday we have 4 children's outreach programs we'll be doing.  Typically if we travel to a village area we try to do a couple of outreaches in one day since we are making the trip out there.  Our focus will be on prayer. 

Our ministry team have been moving our office.  Of course we had to wait until the weather neared 100 degrees   It'll be nice once it's all done but there is so much work to be done.  It's an old house that needs a lot of TLC.  We have storage area for children's ministry resources so I was able to get all my CM stuff out of my apartment.  Right now we've been unpacking and organzing all our resources and ministry supplies. 

This month is already packed with 7 children's outreaches, a weeklong camp, me speaking at the international church and moving/organizing our children's ministry office.   

Be blessed my friends

Tamara

www.henkes.ministryhome.org

 Never imagined I would miss the firework stands on every street corner and American flags everywhere.  But it has been nice so far as I have received notes from my Romanian friends wishing me a blessed 4th of July.  I began my day at 6 AM with a phone call to my niece who is visiting her grandpa for the weekend (my father).  We spoke for a half hour and I got to catch up with everything happening with her 7 year old life   Part of our conversation went something like this:

me:  do you like school?

Isabel:  yes it's okay but I don't like recess or lunch?

me:  why not?

Isabel:  There are a couple of boys that chase me and my friends everywhere.

me:  Isabel, you know that when a boy chases a girl it usually means he likes her.

Isabel:  ewwww. 

Isabel and me at a sleepover before I left for Romania.

Happy 4th everyone!!!

Tamara

www.henkes.ministryhome.org

I know it's been so long since I've written and I will try to keep up on it more.  Basically this past month has been packed with training seminars, children's evangelistic outreaches and more.  We had our annual Southeastern Europe retreat over in Croatia this year.  Several of us here stayed a couple of extra days for some much needed R&R.  Now I'm back into the full swing of things.

I have some urgent prayer requests:

1)  A good friend in the states was recently in a terrible car accident.   I know Chad through a support group for siblings who have lost a brother/sister in the military.  Chad had lost his brother in the war.   His condition is very serious and these next couple of days are crucial.  Please pray for his recovery and strength for his wife Katie and his parents and family.

2)  My sister has recently received orders to be deployed overseas.  Not completely certain if it will be Iraq or Afganistan.  She'll either leave in October or January depending on the assignment.  Please pray for God's plan and will to be done and the decisions made by her superiors which will impact where she goes.  Pray for her protection and pray for peace for us, her family and complete trust in the Lord that her life is in His hands.  I'm excited that she'll be coming to Romania in August to visit me before she leaves. 

3)   Some have maybe read in the news about the controversial ruling made with regards to an 11 year old girl here in Romania and the decision to abort her pregnancy which came as a result of a rape by her uncle.  My understanding is that she will have the abortion.  Please pray for this precious child who really doesn't understand what is going on and for her complete healing (physical, emotional and spiritual.)  My heart breaks for both these babies!!

Blessings

Tamara

www.henkes.ministryhome.org

MY LITTLE BROTHER ~ MY HERO!

For some this is a 3 day holiday to enjoy a day off.  For others (like my family along with thousands of others) this Monday May 26th Memorial Day  is a day with much deeper meaning.  Please remember all who have fallen so that we can all enjoy the freedoms that we live under every day. 

Salem Oregon has created a memorial for solders killed in action in Iraq and Afganistan.  Before the unveiling on veterens day 2006, the Salem news did an article.  This picture was taken from the article.  Look closely at the last name.  My brother, Richard J. Henkes II.

photo from AP

I also want to point out a phenomenal work that one man does to honor fallen soldiers.  I met him at Rich's funeral.  He didn't know Rich personally but he came to honor his sacrifice as did so many others. 

Q has put together a website honoring all fallen soldiers of Iraq and Afghanistan war.  You can find it at www.iraqwarheroes.org     Rich's TRIBUTE is here and if you scroll down to bottom you can click on site for more pictures of military service.  Thank you Q for putting this together for us. 

I know so many have and continue to pray for our family and from the bottom of my heart - thank you. 

Tamara

www.henkes.ministryhome.org

Our children's ministry team just spent the day with a group from the states to film our ministry for Speed The Light.  This is a ministry outreach which the youth in Assemblies of God all throughout the states who raise money to help missionaries around the world with vehicles and soundsystem equipment, copy machines - you name it which help to advance the gospel all around the world.  This is especially meaningful to me personally because without my car I would not be able to load it up full, haul a bunch of Romanian youth and drive to remote villages to have evangelistic outreaches, kids camps, train children's workers etc...   

Here is a link to their blog HERE if you would like to see what was taking place here.  If you scroll down to the bottom they have a video blog also.  They visited other ministries with my colleagues this week so you can see their ministies in action. 

Thank you Speed the Light!!    

Tamara

www.henkes.ministryhome.org