“I’ve never felt as loved as I do here at camp.”
This is what one young girl confided in me when she attended a camp hosted by Remember the Children last year.
For the past decade, Remember the Children has shared a meaningful journey with Azusa Pacific University, united by a commitment to investing in the next generation of leaders. Together, we’ve seen classrooms become launchpads as students step into cross-cultural ministry and discover how God can use their lives in ways they never imagined.
Over Christmas we visited a small home where several girls with developmental challenges live together. The house is modest—just three rooms—but it’s filled with warmth thanks to the devoted caregivers who serve them every day….Not long after Christmas, their stove and oven stopped working. With no resources to replace it, the home’s director reached out. A message came to me with a smile: “Santa has one more request.”
On New Year’s Eve in Romania, children bundle up against the cold, tie bells around their waists, and walk from house to house. They recite Plugușorul—a traditional blessing meant to bring luck, protection, and a good year ahead. Smiles are shared, coins are exchanged, and for a moment, hope feels close…
I want to share the rich and heartfelt history of Christmas with Remember the Children in Romania—a journey that began in the late 1990s through our deep partnership with Caminul Felix Children’s Homes.
Our mission started with a simple goal: to find sponsors for each of the 100 children in their care so we could provide new outfits, essential toiletries, and special treats that would brighten their Christmas. Every year, we packed 75-pound army duffel bags filled with carefully chosen gifts and traveled to Romania, eagerly anticipating the celebration that awaited.
For more than 25 years, Remember the Children has helped make Christmas a season of hope for orphaned and at-risk children across Romania. This cherished tradition continued again this year as Alan Meneely and a team of seven traveled to northwest Romania—ready to bring joy, encouragement, and Christ-centered love to hundreds of children.
Whether there are individual friends of RTC at your church or your church as a whole supports RTC, it would be a blessing to visit you. We are passionate about partnering with churches, and we hope our ministry creates opportunities for your congregation to see, know, and reach those in need across the world.
What a joy it was to meet new friends and see familiar faces at ICOM 2023. One particular encounter with a couple who were around in the early days of RTC was used by God as an encouragement and reminder. Take some time to read the story below as Andy recounts an experience from 25 years ago that God seems to still be writing and rewriting today.
Christ is risen indeed! There is so much to celebrate in this fact. Jesus was the lamb found worthy, the perfect and forever sacrifice, and the only one death could not hold. As you gather with family and rejoice with your congregation this blessed Sunday, my prayer is that you may gain a deeper understanding of the reality of Jesus' worthy sacrifice.
One of our favorite things to hear is how God brought specific people to Remember the Children. Why are they involved? What ignites the passion in their hearts?
We were excited to hear from Melissa Bolton, a long-time supporter of RtC who has gone on mission trips with us. She’ll share why she is involved in this ministry. We hope it’s an encouragement to you!