How would I summarize the week of Christmas Hope 2018?
I don’t think it is possible to summarize the week. It can only be described in moments.
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.
