Pouring Into the Next Generation: Local couple leads Christian summer camp in their Moldovan hometown

For Kate Stepaniuc and Ghenadie Bitco, family is everything. But it's not just their own family of three they are looking out for, but rather the family at large -- their community -- both here in Southeast Missouri and across the ocean in their home country of Moldova. Their mission is simple: to help children make better choices in life, to understand their identity and to invest in their community. They believe that when we are separate, we are weak; we are always better together.

It's a message rooted deep in faith and one that has developed over the years, beginning in the earliest memories of their childhoods.

Stepaniuc, the youngest of three kids, worked alongside her parents on her family's farm in Costesti, Moldova. Through labor and hard work, she was taught what it takes to make something of a life but knew she would need an education to create a better path. Her studies took her to the Free International University of Moldova where she earned a Bachelor's degree in mass communication, but her desire for a higher education left her wanting more. With the help of several kind-hearted people, she came to the United States to pursue Master and PhD degrees in mass communication from the University of Southern Mississippi. It was in 2018 that Stepaniuc became the assistant professor for the mass media department at Southeast Missouri State University, moving her family to Cape Girardeau, a place she now calls home.

Stepaniuc, Bitco and their 2-year-old son George stand for a photo in their Cape Girardeau kitchen. (Photo by Aaron Eisenhauer)

For Bitco, education was of less importance, as most days he was just trying to survive. Growing up under the roof of an alcoholic and often abusive father, he learned to defend himself physically and began to fight. By 12 years old, it was not unusual for him to be smoking and drinking alcohol with his friends or hanging out late at the local club. It wasn't until he was introduced to a different way of life through the art of taekwondo that he found a positive outlet for his body and mind.

He says his taekwondo instructor "taught us how to worship God. For every belt we earned, we studied a book of the Bible. I thought he was from another planet, but I pushed myself to study the Word and realized that God exists in this world."

Under the leadership of Alexei Tentiuc -- a world champion of taekwondo under the International Taekwondo Federation, Bitco climbed the ranks in taekwondo and also continued his education, going on to finish high school and complete a Bachelor's degree in physical education for coaching and management. Along the way, he began to give back to his community, teaching the next generations the two things that changed his life: taekwondo and the Bible.

Though their childhoods were very different, Stepaniuc and Bitco both developed a relationship with Christ and then found each other, first at age 14 and then seriously at age 26.

"We had to mature on our own," says Stepaniuc, who believes that in order to have peace and a good understanding of life, you need to have a deep-rooted connection or a belief in something other than yourself.

Children learn and play in a variety of activities at Stepaniuc and Bitco’s 2019 summer camp in Moldova. (Submitted photo)

For her and Bitco, that is God. Their faith, along with a strong work ethic and sense of responsibility to help others, is the reason they began hosting summer day camps for youth in their hometown of Moldova in 2014.

Each using their own skill sets, Stepaniuc and Bitco teach what they know best -- English and taekwondo -- to more than 150 children each summer. Through educational workshops, physical activity and lots of silly, energizing sing-a-longs, the Stepaniucs are impacting the next generation by teaching them that there are tools -- like love, kindness and goodness -- that are better than fists.

"Our greatest hope is that we are able to teach these children to live life to the best of their ability. To love their parents. Make change in their community. Help each other when in need. To not limit yourself," Stepaniuc says.

At the end of each camp season, Stepaniuc and Bitco take time to reflect, analyze and reorganize their systems, building upon their original foundation and setting new goals so that each year is an improvement on the last. This has led to the development and production of a book, written by Stepaniuc and her sister Valentina Curbet, called "English with Val and Kate." The book is filled with biblical stories and also features personal testimony about how people have shaped their individual lives. Through the sale of this book, they hope to educate readers on the beauty of Moldova and build patriotism within their country while providing sustainable income for the camp and their families back home.

As visionaries and dreamers, Stepaniuc and Bitco are always looking forward, wanting to grow a team that supports the mission and believes in the work they are doing. But they know it starts within their own family, and they are not afraid. If they mess up, they will get back up and go again. They will enjoy every moment and continue to believe in each other's talents and skills as they both find their place in this world.

"Doing all you can is what matters," says Stepaniuc, and pouring into the next generation is "the identity of our family."

Whether it's a strong family unit or a strong community, both begin with the strength of the individual members. Knowing who you are, believing that each person is inherently good and working both in mind and body to make today better than yesterday are the little moments that matter. As a community, as a nation and as a world, Stepaniuc and Bitco show us: we are all better together.