New Year Brings Big Changes to the House on the Rock

Originally published in the Veritas View newsletter, Winter 2025

On December 20, the doors of the coffee shop at the House on the Rock were closed for the last time, signaling that a major transition was coming for the entire building. 

Since its opening in 2001, the House on the Rock has served as the Education Center for Veritas and the Romanian Studies Program. Veritas founder Dorothy Tarrant recognized that the 17th century building’s location on the historic square of the Sighisoara citadel would give Veritas unique opportunities for ministry. 

The International Café opened in 2002 with the purpose of generating income to support Veritas programs. Following the pandemic, however, the café has struggled to make a profit. After much discussion over the past couple years and carefully considering various options, the Veritas Board of Directors made the difficult decision at its November 2024 meeting to close the café and rent out the entire building. The rental income will support the Veritas social programs with greater consistency than the profits from the café were ever able to do. 

We are grateful to Adela Hermann, who has managed the renamed House on the Rock Café since 2022. Adela joined the Veritas team in 2011 to work with Romanian Studies Program students. She later became the Coordinator of Educational Services and led youth educational programs such as English camp, It Takes Courage, and Ceai & Chat. As café manager, Adela provided job opportunities for several young people who she trained to work in the café. Her interaction with clients and staff alike demonstrated her Christian faith and values. We wish Adela God’s blessing as she begins life’s next chapter. 

The board decided to rent the entire House on the Rock building to Mark and Raluca Tudose, who will creatively use the space for promoting traditional Romanian handcrafts. Mark (“the Spoonman”) opened his first gift shop in the basement of House on the Rock in 2012 and is looking forward to carrying on the values that have guided the use of the House on the Rock building over the years.

Veritas is a NCM-partner organization, a Nazarene Child Development Center, and a participant in the NCM Child Sponsorship program. For more information, visit www.veritas.ro/en. 

NCM Child Development Conference

Andrea Domahidi had the distinct privilege of representing Veritas at the Holistic Child Development Conference, an event that was meticulously organized by Nazarene Compassionate Ministries (NCM) in Sri Lanka. This conference was held July 15-20 at the picturesque Suriya Resort, located in Waikkal, Colombo, Sri Lanka. 

During this experience-packed week, Andrea engaged in a variety of hands-on sessions and interactive activities that provided a deep insight into the many aspects of child development. These sessions not only focused on the developmental needs of children, but also emphasized the important role of Christian ministers in serving their communities and promoting growth in a spiritual context.

The experience was made even more unique by the diverse group of participants. Andrea was among 24 people from 13 countries, different cultures, and perspectives from three continents. This international gathering facilitated meaningful discussions and exchange of ideas, allowing Andrea to expand her understanding of holistic child development within a global framework. Overall, it was a transformative experience that strengthened her commitment to the mission of Veritas and to the well-being of children worldwide.

Originally published in the 2024 Veritas Retrospective & Winter 2025 Veritas View newsletter.

Veritas is a NCM-partner organization, a Nazarene Child Development Center, and a participant in the NCM Child Sponsorship program. For more information, visit www.veritas.ro/en. 

Meet the Berkhouts

Andre and Brenda Berkhout are preparing for deployment as missionaries to Romania, to fill the newly-created role of NCM Coordinator. They will serve on sponsored deployment. Click here to become a supporter.

Andre and Brenda Berkhout are from North Holland, Zaanstad, the Netherlands. They have three grown-up children, two of whom are married.

Brenda has a master degree in mental healthcare and has worked at several mental health institutions, in the women's shelter in Amsterdam of the Salvation Army and an outpatient clinic of GGZ de Hoop (addiction treatment) in Amersfoort. She has also had various training as a counsellor/coach.

Andre has a long experience in ICT as a functional application manager. In addition, Andre did a bachelor’s degree education, first for a year of theology and then switched to do three years of missionary work at the Evangelical College.

In their marriage, they have always been ready to support others and share their lives. When the children were small, they were foster parents and took care of foster children alongside their own children. Together, they have been active in marriage ministry in their church for a long time and have assisted several couples as volunteers.

They have always had a heart for missions but due to various circumstances it was not yet the right time. When the children were grown up, they started talking to Overseas Mission Fellowship in 2018. After a long process and Covid, they left for Thailand in early 2023 to serve for a year in northeast Thailand, the Isaan. Meanwhile, they had started the trajectory with Global Mission Nazarene with the intention of being sent out after the OMF deployment.

In Thailand, they worked with students (teaching English, Bible studies and coaching) and visited the community with the Thai pastor and his wife. These were mainly the poor, sick and elderly in the neighbourhoods. They also started a kids' club with the neighbourhood children. They saw much blessing from this work.

After a year, they returned to the Netherlands and put the continuation of their mission completely in God's hands. For Andre and Brenda, this period was good preparation for the next step. Andre and Brenda trusted that however things will proceed, God knows best what is appropriate.

Reposted from https://give.nazarene.org/category/region/eurasia/abberkhout. 

Advent & Christmas Graphics

Advent is just around the corner! Prepare for the season with this new collection of Advent and Christmas graphics created by the global church to support your celebrations in your local church and community.

Whether you are organizing worship services, seasonal events, or social media outreach, these graphics are designed to capture the hope, peace, and joy of Advent. Be sure to tag us in your posts—we are excited to see how churches around our region will celebrate this holy season together.

Click the link below to explore and download these resources on our website here, and more languages to be added soon!

German PaXan Group Volunteers at Veritas

Originally published in the Veritas e-newsletter:

We are grateful to the five volunteers of the PaXan Group from Germany who carried out the major renovation of the Club Impreuna building and courtyard.

The PaXan Group volunteers not only renovated the space in an exceptional way, but they also brought with them a positive energy, building genuine bonds with our beneficiaries.

Along with the renovation, the group arranged activities where they actively engaged with the elderly and people with disabilities, through games, creative workshops, and simple conversations that brought smiles on everyone's faces.

We are grateful for the involvement of the PaXan volunteers and look forward to continuing to work with them in the future, knowing that their hard work and dedication have made a real difference in the lives of those who attend Club Together.

***

Note: The name "paXan" is derived from pax (Latin for peace) and Pack's an! (German for "Go do it!" or "Get active!").

A paXan team of Nazarene young adults previously ministered in Sighisoara in 2014. Click here to read about that trip.

Professional Development of our Faculty

Originally Published in EuNC's In Touch Newsletter - October 2024.

Congratulations to Rev. Paula Creely on receiving her Master of Arts degree in Transformational Leadership from Nazarene Theological Seminary. The graduation took place in Kansas City, Missouri, USA in May 2024.

A Conversation with Dorothy Tarrant and Lora Wooster

Dorothy Tarrant and Lora Wooster reflect on the lasting impact of the Romanian Studies Program, established by Eastern Nazarene College.

This video was recorded for alumni and friends of the program gathered at ENC's Legacy Celebration in October 2024.