October 2009

It’s been for several years now that an Evangelical congregation from a German town named Halle Westfalen started coming to Romania and organizing so called work camps there during the autumn school holiday. Our 45 member group consists of specialists and volunteer helpers, many of whom are adolescents. Our leader is Bernd Eimterbäumer who is the minister of the congregation. This year we came for the first time to Ozd to help around the Bonus Pastor’s Therapy Centre.

We first contacted each other one year ago. We had renovated the youth centre of the IKE (Christian Youth Movement) in Geoagiu-Bai and we finished most of the work there, so we were looking for a new mission. At that time we heard about the Therapy Centre and one of our specialists visited Ozd right away. Later on, during the year our minister and some of our specialists traveled to the place once again to plan our work camp and to get acquainted with the people there. Then in October our time came and we traveled to Ozd by a large bus and a minibus.

In order to have income for the Therapy Centre, there is a plan to transform the castle into a facility for a conference center. The work could be financed by European Union funds but this is a distant plan in the future. Until then, there are urgent restoration needs, which would stop the deterioration of the castle. Our team worked on this. We supplemented the gutters around the castle and put in more diverters so that the rain can flow away from the walls. We installed new electric cable to bring light into the darkness, installed new windows, changed the main entrance door and built new stairs inside the building. We dug a pit around the wet walls of the Therapy Centre, we re-isolated them and installed ground outflow pipes. In addition we built a water pump house and did some other minor work, too.

Besides the work we had several interesting meetings with local residents, among them the clients of course. On the third evening they visited us (in the Castle) and told us about their lives. On an other morning we met the clients again on the occasion of a friendly football match which was followed by having lunch together. On one of the evenings we recalled our nice memories about the work camps up to now by watching a slide show. We got acquainted with Brendon, who turned his back on his ten years of a successful banker career and moved to Ozd with his wife and five children to support the Therapy Centre with his volunteer work.

On one of the evenings the pastor of the Therapy Centre, Levente Horvath (the founder of the Foundation) visited us. He told us about a story when a former client once made a remark: there is only a one way road to Ozd, after Ozd there is no other road to go further. For him this symbolically meant that here lives took a 180° turn, radically changed, and this is the only way to get back home.

This is a beautiful simile – some things have changed in us too during the work camp. It was again a fantastic experience to be guests in Romania and we are already happy to plan seeing this place again next year. Because we would like with all of our heart to come back.

July 2009

In 2003 a few of us, mainly from Budapest, set off for the first time to help with Bonus Pastor’s work in Ozd. A few years later we paid another visit to the castle with a different group. We worked on whatever the current group leader told us to do. Then in the summer of 2009 we were able to take part in various parts of the work again. This was a new group, but the feeling of togetherness was the same I had always felt when I was doing volunteer work with my fellow brothers and sisters.

This year we started with scything the grass in the place where we would have to bury the sewage tank for the environmentally-friendly showers and toilets. Next day our group was divided into two groups, with one of them starting to demolish a small building in the garden of the Wheeler family while the others prepared the ground next to the Therapy Centre for building a tool shed. We worked every morning in unusually hot weather and then we went to have a tasty lunch in brick dust up to our ears. After a small break we continued our work, sometimes changing worksites to avoid getting bored. To dig the base of the tool shed was tough work; it took two days for two girls and four boys. Then we started to pour the concrete and erect the steel frame. We talked over each phase of the work which was very useful. We went only for a week and during that time we demolished the small garden shed, selected the bricks which were still in good condition and brought them to the Therapy Centre. We also succeeded in making the 6x6 meter (18x18 foot) base of the tool shed. On the last day we weeded out the vegetable garden by way of rest. Before our departure we came to feel that one week is certainly not enough time for such an amount of work and that we should stay longer. However, we couldn't, because many of us had to return to our jobs.

		All in all, we saw good progress in the building work. In addition, we became acquainted with the therapist and the residents of the Therapy Centre, who invited us at the beginning of the week for a fantastic “gulyas” lunch, and then another day for a “mici” (grilled sausage) dinner. I can still remember the smell of it.

This year our small group had accommodation in the Therapy Centre and in this way we had a better look into the everyday life of the residents. In their free time we had the opportunity to chat with them and we noticed that there is a fine order and tidiness inside the walls of the old 'granary'. Having a talk with some of them, they admitted that they have a tight schedule for every minute, which is good and useful, too. Everybody has his own task depending on the stage he is in – according to the order of arrival at the Centre. There are “old” residents and “freshmen” too. There is always somebody who is in charge of opening the building’s entrance door early in the morning; there are some who do the cooking diligently for all the residents of the Therapy Centre. There are some who do the gardening, others who repair the tools. And because the therapy has its base in God’s Word, spiritual recovery is the other key element beside the work.

It’s always a great experience for me to listen to life stories. One of the clients told me his story about how he got to Ozd. When he arrived, he could hardly talk because alcohol had had such a bad effect on him. There were moments when he wanted to give up the struggle and leave the therapy program, but for an inexplicable reason he still stayed. Today he is fluent in his talk, he is in charge of several parts of the work and has plans regarding his future. He wishes to retrieve his relationship with his daughters, with his family. And most important for him is that he has found his way back to God, who stayed beside him all the time but he didn’t notice it. As he was talking, his frank words were followed by his tears. This is the situation where I realize that everybody needs a second chance – it’s worth SAVING lives!

Looking from outside, the clients take part in a very intensive program. They learn what is useful for everybody to know: to be honest with themselves, with God and with their fellow human beings. They can learn to communicate, to help each other, and also to show and express their feelings toward each other. It’s also wonderful that they have a staff from whom they can ask help, each of the clients has a mentor, who guides them and with whom they can discuss their questions. We were together with the clients during some of the devotions. We think it’s very important that they have opportunities to quiet their minds before God’s living Word, which is like a sharp sword and has great power to change lives.

I’m thankful that the Lord is working in Transylvania, in Ozd, and received us as His helpers. We helped as we could, as a volunteer workgroup. Blessed be His name for everything!
Éva Elek , Budapest (Hungary)