From summer camps to a September full of open doors
This past summer and the month of September have been two very busy periods for us and for the Chedes Agape center.
A summer of service, finally as a family
In previous years, serving at the summer camps was a separate ministry for us. Lavinia was working, I went to the camps on my own, and Noa often stayed with her grandparents. We didn’t like our family being split up during the busiest time of the year, and we began to pray that God would give us the opportunity to serve together. The answer came with our move to Chedes Agape a year ago: this was the first summer all three of us could take part in the camps full time.
It was a tiring summer, but the tiredness was different from previous years. Before, we chose locations based on the needs we perceived and tried to organize almost everything ourselves. This year we mostly went where we had been invited. There, local people were actively involved and shared the responsibility with us. We came to understand how important it is to share the ministry with local churches and communities.
One of our greatest joys was seeing Noa accept Jesus as her Savior during the first camp, along with many other children. We were also encouraged by the young people who chose to dedicate their summer to serving, by new relationships with brothers and sisters from other communities, and by the church, which stood by us in prayer the whole time.
September: the work didn’t stop
Once the summer camps were over, we continued to be present in the lives of the children and families we work with. Here is what happened this month.
120 backpacks for the start of school. A group of volunteers from Rhema Church in Iași brought us 120 backpacks, which we distributed together in five villages. After this experience, the church leaders asked to learn more about our work and would like to send volunteers regularly for our children’s programs.
Support for two young people. Thanks to a sponsorship, we helped two young people who have chosen to follow Jesus cover their back-to-school expenses. One of them has just started high school in Iași, and for his family, room and board cost almost half of their monthly income. We are considering supporting him with about 100 euros a month so he can continue his studies.
A well for a family without water. During the summer, this same family had been left without water. I contacted the brother who had dug the well at our center, and he agreed to dig one for them too, in the Lord’s Name, without asking for payment. The well is about 20 meters deep. The work would have cost around 9,000 RON (about 1,800 euros), an amount the family could never have afforded.
The work in Suseni continues. At the end of the camps, we sent reports to our friends in America. One of them was moved by the work in Suseni, where sister Mariana continues to care for the children, and decided to support it. We have signed a sponsorship agreement with Mariana: what began as a summer camp now continues thanks to a local person.
A house completed, but the needs continue. We finished building a house for a family in Tatomirești. Right at this time, the father suffered a stroke, and we don’t yet know whether he will be able to return to work. We will continue to stand by this family.
A new beginning after prison. In 2025 I was put in touch with a young man who had met Christ in the Craiova penitentiary. For about a year he called me almost every day, and I was able to walk alongside him in his faith. On September 14 he was released and, having nowhere to go, he stayed with us for a week. We went together to Laza, where he shared his testimony. On September 21 I took him to Suceava, to the Fight For Freedom association, where he will receive help to reintegrate and find work. He has already enrolled in a three-year Bible course and is preparing for baptism. Before he left, I gave him a laptop, which he is already using to study.
Shoes and boots for the children. Before we left Fight For Freedom, one of the leaders filled our van with shoes and boots for the children in our villages: an unexpected and very practical gift.
A new van. Our old van broke down often and now has a cracked cylinder head. God has allowed us to buy a new 9-seat van, which we need to safely bring the children from the five villages to our educational, social, spiritual and recreational activities.
People, not projects
Behind every activity there are real people: a child who needs a backpack, a young man who wants to keep studying, a family without water, another facing a sudden illness, a man starting over after prison. I thank all of you who chose to be part of this work this summer and in September: volunteers, churches, sponsors and friends.
I ask you to pray for my health: during the last camp I had dizziness and malaise, which still return when I make prolonged efforts, and I will soon have a medical check-up. Please also pray for the family in Tatomirești, for the young man now in Suceava, and for the work in Suseni.
God bless you all,
The Zlatan Family
Denis, Lavinia and Noa
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Causale: Famiglia Zlatan