Paul’s Story

 

Paul is from a village close to the Children’s Home. I first met Paul in 2015 while the team was delivering shoeboxes to his village. I remember it being one of the most chaotic deliveries I have ever been a part of, and we were almost out of shoeboxes so I was handing out Bibles. I saw Paul standing in the middle of the chaos with nothing in his hands so I walked over and placed the Bible in his hands. Four years later Paul would be one of the new kids who joined us for summer camp. One of our staff members were talking with him about how he likes Bread of Life and he responded with “he loves it because he likes to ride bikes and gets to go to school.” He said, “When I get older, I want to go to Bucharest like Vasile”. Vasile is his older brother who recently moved to our YTP boys apartment.

May-Newsletter1.6 Paul has such a sweet smile. He is tough on the outside, but his spirit is soft. He is good at practicing kindness towards others. I asked the tutor who is responsible for Paul’s group to describe Paul and this is what she shared with me, “Paul is 8 years old. He has burning black eyes and brown hair. He is such a good kid. Paul likes to draw, paint, and write! He likes to play with his friends, ride a bike, and learn new things! He wants to be a policeman when he grows up. He likes to eat sweets and he is good at sharing with his friends.” His favorite thing to do is learn about God and go to Bible lessons.

It is quite amazing to see the growth in these kids. I talk about that a lot, but I see God in the growth. I see God in the perfect timing, and I have so much comfort in knowing that God sees these kids. When Paul came to camp with us last summer it was his first time being with BOL. I remember him being more closed off than the other kids, like he was covered with a hard shell on the outside. This is totally different than the Paul I see today when I greet him. He has adjusted to life in our home and he radiates positivity and hope.

El Roi, the God who sees you. I am thankful for a God who sees these kids and cares about the smallest details in their life.

“She gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her: ‘You are the God who sees me,

‘ for she said, ‘I have now seen the One who sees me.”
Genesis 16:13 (NIV)

Thank you for your interest in Bread of Life Ministries. We have been able to accomplish a lot with the help of our supporters around the world. There is still more for us to do. Please prayerfully consider how you might help support Bread of Life as we provide support to children and families in need.

Become A Partner

Other articles you may be interested in

Child with shoebox gift
By BOL Team • September 24, 2026
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.
By BOL Team • September 24, 2026
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. 
By Luminita Panican BOL -YTP Coordinator • September 24, 2026
At the beginning of the journey, the word that best described these kids was helplessness. When you start life in an environment shaped by severe hardship, the future feels less like a promise and more like a threat. For the five young people in our community who graduated high school this summer, the starting line was a painful one. Behind their eyes lay realities too heavy for any child to carry: a girl who had to find her courage within an abusive family, and boys who grew up without the warm embrace of a mother. For them, education and finishing school seemed like a distant dream.