Vladeasa Camps
Tackling the Issue
In 2003, Elpis started a summer camp for children on rented land, and after a very popular and successful summer, they purchased land in the hills outside of Dej, Romania. At the time, it was the only Christian camp available in the area. The land originally had no buildings on it, and the camp was strictly a day camp. A kitchen shelter was erected early on, and through the years it has been expanded into a large facility with an industrial kitchen, dorm rooms, and a great hall for groups to gather. Work is not yet finished, and progresses as donations and volunteer labor arrive.
Once the building is completed, Elpis hopes to use it for other activities such as family conferences, TUMI Bible training, and pastor conferences. Retreat centers like this are rare in Romania, and there are many possible uses once this is a year-round ministry tool.
ICE has partnered with Elpis for many years to help fund the construction and build out the vision for Vladeasa (named after the valley where the camp is located). Much work has been accomplished and we were able to use this beautiful building to host the 20th-anniversary celebration of Elpis. We still need to finish out the dorm rooms so people can stay overnight. Our hope is that once it’s finished, many groups will be able to come, enjoy the isolated beauty in the hills, and draw closer to God.
Currently, the children camps are only offered for grades 1-8 because of lack of funds. Elpis wants to offer a high-school camp, and they eventually want to offer overnight camps.
Please pray that God would grant the resources to finish the building and grounds, and that Elpis would have wisdom on how best to use the facility. Also pray that they would get the funding to offer camps to high school aged children and to offer overnight camps.
