Dear Faithful Friends,
During the summer of 2006, I was hosting a friend and donor of H2H International in Romania. We had just sent off our large summer ministry teams to various orphanages and were scrambling with logistical arrangements for the teams’ housing and meals in Bucharest. The facilities that we had rented in past years were raising their prices and restricting the dates available for us to use them. We realized that we needed to find a more permanent solution to hosting our short- term teams, so we began a search of houses and apartments throughout the city.
As my friend and I viewed countless places, we were dismayed to find locations without the needed facilities or with a price ticket that was way out of H2H’s reach. It also seemed that as soon as the sellers realized we were Americans interested in their property, the price would double.
Feeling very discouraged, I agreed to look at one more house a realtor had lined up for us. As we waited on the side of the road for the realtor to lead us to the house, my friend asked me to describe the perfect facility for an H2H Team House. I quickly rattled off, “Eight bedrooms, eight bathrooms, large kitchen, dining room capable of serving 50 people, storage space for our ministry materials, a safe location for our vehicles, and places for team members and H2H missionaries to relax and escape for a few moments by themselves.” The realtor arrived shortly after and led us to a large house down the street. Within moments of entering the home, we realized that we had walked into the future H2H Team House. The large dining and living rooms looked perfect for hosting lots of people. The surrounding gardens and back yard swimming pool provided many places for team members to hang out. The entire basement was converted to a large storage facility- larger than the deposit we were currently renting for our ministry materials. As we climbed up and down the stairs, I kept a running total of the rooms- eight bedrooms, and seven bathrooms- close enough!
Fast forward several months and our donor friend agreed to invest in the H2H Team House with the added investments of several other donors. Through creative financing, we arranged a way to move into the Team House the following fall. Since then, we have improved on the building, moved our ministry materials to the basement, furnished the house, and even added that eighth bathroom!
For the last two years, H2H teams have based their ministry trips out of the Team House. Each Tenderfoot Team resides there, visiting the nearby baby hospitals, orphanages, and Girls Transition House during the day and returning at night for dinner and debriefing. Our Summer Ministry Teams start out at the Team House, getting orientated to Romania, gathering their ministry supplies, and preparing for the summer. The Team House has also become a central meeting place for our missionary staff, providing a place to play games, hold staff meetings, plan curriculum, or just relax on a weekend off. The girls from the Transition House have honed their service and cleaning skills by assisting Jodi and Jennifer with scrubbing the floors and making the beds for incoming teams. And remember Marinela, the girl who completed the Transition Program after being rescued from a prostitiution ring? She just completed her high schcool exams and used the pool at the Team House to practice for her swimming class!
The H2H Team House has become a home for so many without a home. This past year our missionaries took small groups of orphans on “field trips” to the Team House for swimming parties and picnics. After Ionut Laptuca’s funeral, dozens of Romanian orphans met at the Team House to begin to process the events of the day and look for help from our staff. In September, our entire missionary staff enjoyed a week of training at the Team House with special speakers and teachers and treats from home. The value of the Team House has become immeasurable in terms of a monetary figure as it has truly become a home to so many.
I write all this at a time when we are in danger of losing the Team House. The original investor has recently informed us that they will be unable to continue their payments. In order to stay in the House, H2H needs $155,000 by September 2008 for the final balloon payment. There is an additional $200,000 owed to other private investors that will also need to be paid in the near future.
Already there is a combined investment in the team house of $600,000. We are confident that God did not lead us on a path to lose this investment but to show us His glory in resolving this. We are soliciting donations to offset the immediate need of the $155,000. This is monumental task, and we feel that it would be wise to secure funds from as many sources as possible. We are asking for large donations due to the short time we have to raise the funds. If we are not able to raise the funds through donations, then we will explore a loan to pay off the note on the house.
Would you be willing to make a donation to offset the final balloon payment on the Team House? Or would you be interested in investing in the Team House in the form of a long-term loan? Again, we are confident that God will provide in a way that truly reveals His glory. We look forward to sharing the blessing of the Team House with many more team members, full-time missionaries, and Romanian orphans, but we need your help to do this.
If you would like more information on the H2H Team House or would like to discuss a possible investment, please contact me directly at 760.789.8798 or at
jim@h2hint.org.
Thank you for your continued partnership with H2H International!
Jim Sorrels
President
H2H International
