Our Programs

There is something special about watching a child open a Christmas gift.  I have had the privilege of watching children receive Christmas shoeboxes many times over the years, but the excitement never gets old. A carefully wrapped box lands in their hands, and suddenly the air fills with anticipation and curiosity. Then you see smiles that seem to grow bigger with every item they discover. For some of these children, receiving a gift is not something they expect. They didn't earn it. They didn't do anything to deserve it. Someone they may never meet chose to give because they wanted that child to experience the joy of Christmas. Perhaps that is one reason these moments touch me so deeply.

What Is the BOL Christian Center? Some dreams start small. Ours started as an impossible one — a home in Bucharest where teenagers from broken, poverty stricken backgrounds could finally have a stable place to live, grow, and become who God made them to be. 

In Romania, more than three out of every four Roma children leave school before completing their education. For many, poverty decides their future long before they have the opportunity to dream. But sometimes, the first step toward breaking that cycle begins with something as simple as a backpack. 

“For I was hungry and you gave me food... I was a stranger and you welcomed me...” — Matthew 25:35 ESV This past February marked four years since the war dramatically changed the lives of millions of people in Ukraine. The world’s response has shifted over time — some still remain deeply engaged, while others have found it difficult to stay connected as the conflict continues.