Out of Abuse & Into the Alps

Ends of the Earth Cycling
Dec 13, 2022
4 min read

Updated: Dec 14, 2022

Written By: David Wehrle, Outreach Tours Coordinator

Romanian youth enjoy Misso Link International's Alpinis in the Carpathian Alps

During the last week of March 2021, Ends of the Earth Cycling held our Tenth Annual Key West Bike Ride bringing together 44 cyclists from across the country and globe who together rode more than 14,000 miles over five days and raised over $46,000 to promote and resource youth ministry in Romania.

With the help of Ends of the Earth Cycling and New International, Missio Link International was able to provide the girls of Deborah House together with the mothers and children of Mitspa House a Christian Camping experience at Alpinis from July 18-30, 2022. In the gorgeous Romanian Alps, the girls took part in many outdoor activities, learned new things, sang, and ventured to Arka Park. The girls were also invited to the Village Museum in Sibiu for workshops on pottery, sculpture and painting on wood.

“We wanted to offer the at-risk children and youth whom we serve through our MLI programs a Christian summer camp experience at Alpinis. Seven new girls were added to the group at Deborah and Mitspa Houses this year, and after the lockdown and online school, this time together provided a good experience. This was an opportunity to share the love of Christ with them through activities, Bible Studies, hikes and rest. After a difficult period, we wanted them to experience renewal, rest and a transformation,” says Emil Toader, President of MLI and pastor of the Holy Trinity Church of Timisoara, Romania.

The recent expansion of MLI’s Alpinis Center made it possible for 23 girls from Deborah house, along with two mothers with babies from Mitspa House to attend summer camp along with two other youth groups from churches in Romania. It provided the girls with a wonderful opportunity to interact with Christian youth from beyond their own community.

If you are a part of our Ends of the Earth Cycling family, you helped make all of this possible!

Alpinis

The vision of Alpinis, Missio Link International’s retreat center in the Carpathian Alps, is to reach youth with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and to help them to grow as disciples of Christ through camps, retreats and outdoor ministry. MLI assists and works closely with local churches in the use of camps and outdoors as a way to evangelize, model ministry and develop new leaders. MLI also serves and works with at-risk children and youth on a daily basis. Alpinis is integrated in this ongoing work, and MLI has always seen the great impact of the Gospel in the lives of youth participating in camps there. MLI sees camps as tools in transforming and shaping lives of youth by facilitating an encounter with the Gospel.

Deborah and Mitspa House1

In a village near Timisoara, a house represents a place of hope for over 100 girls. They are girls whose childhood was taken away too soon. They are all victims of abuse or human trafficking. In Romania, you can count on one hand the number of centers offering help to those who have been exploited like these girls have. Even the one in Timisoara would not be able to function if there were not the a great number of people supporting it with donations and sponsorships. At Deborah House, young girls who were previously victims of various forms of abuse receive the help they need to start a new life, and everything starts with rebuilding their self-esteem.

The banner on the gate to Deborah House reads: "Everything will be fine!"

"Everything will be fine!” is the message that greets one as soon as they enter the Deborah House gate and look up. It is a house that intentionally looks ordinary so that it does not stand out from the rest. Sometimes visitors are also greeted by the two puppies who also live there. Behind the house, there is an orchard with flowering trees and two greenhouses.

Since 2002, almost 150 children and youth, all victims of abuse and human trafficking, have been helped to start a new life at the Deborah House.

"The greatest satisfaction is when you see them doing well. You learn to live with abuse just like you learn to live with a chronic illness. It has no treatment, but if you negotiate with it, you can live", says Lorena Rusovan, the founder of Deborah House.

Currently, Deborah House has two centers that deal with young victims of abuse and human trafficking, both located near Timisoara, plus another one dedicated to underage mothers called Mitspa House. In fact, Deborah House is the first center in Romania specialized in assisting young victims of severe abuse, including human trafficking.

"In total, we have 24 girls, all minors, 12 in each center, plus three mothers with three babies in the third center. The girls are between the ages of 9 and 19," explains the coordinator of Casa Deborah.

And behind the three centers is a real army of people. "We have employed psychologists, social workers, case managers… they are people involved in what it means to raise a child in a balanced style," explains the coordinator of Debora House. All mobilized with the aim of helping minors to start a new life.

Only 11% of the annual budget of the program is provided by the Romanian government. However, girls living at Casa Debora benefit from the best conditions because the center's activity is supported by donations and sponsorships. The girls live two-to-a-room and each room has access to its own bathroom. Upstairs, there is a huge reading room as well as a recreation area. Most importantly, each house has house parents who live with the girls and care for them as if they were their own children.