Beginning July 24, 13 teenagers from Tigru Mures, Romania, will be enjoying the hospitality of Brockport area residents. For two weeks they will be guests of the youth group at Christ Community Church in Brockport.

The visitors will see Niagara Falls, "Kingdom Bound" at Darien Lake, and a Rhinos soccer game, among other area attractions. With their teen hosts, they will partake in outreach programs in local churches and at the gazebo at Charlotte Beach. The outreach programs will feature seven of the visitors performing contemporary Christian music.

For seven years the Brockport church's youth group has taken a two-week missionary trip to a church in a different country, organized by youth pastor, James M. Hinman. They work on projects serving the church and the people in the area. Last year they visited Tigru Mures.

The Romanian students they visited expressed interest in seeing America. The main obstacle to meeting that wish was finances. The average family income in the Tigru Mures of Romania is $70 per month. To make the visit possible, each of the 40 Brockport teen hosts raised funds by selling plants. Other fund raising events in the church have also been held. "The (Romanian) teens we visited were amazed and could not believe that we would make the sacrifice necessary (for the visit)," Hinman said.

Hinman's sister, Jody Hinman, has made several trips to Tigru Mures since graduating from Roberts Wesleyan College in 1997. She recently returned from a year of service sponsored by the Christ Community Church. She worked with its sister church as a youth leader, and served the street children as well as people of a nearby Gypsy village. "In Romania they had nothing and were so appreciative of what you would give them," Jody Hinman said. "They would give you the shirt off their back."

Maria Lazar is an 18 year-old native of Tigru Mures who returned with Jody Hinman in advance of the other 12 teens who will arrive later in July. She was eager to come. "People may ask why do you want to go so bad and see," Lazer said. "I came to see the people, how they live, think, eat; it is very different. God has blessed me with this."

For additional information or to contribute to the project, call James M. Hinman at Christ Community Church: 637-3979.