Hey I ate pizza with you!

Last Sunday I had the2014-12-14 11.16.21 opportunity to speak at a Romanian Baptist Church in Brooklyn NY. While I was greeting some of the people a man looked at me and said, “Hey I know you I ate pizza with you one time.” The man did live in Constanta and I must have eating pizza with him years ago. I also met the uncle and aunt of Adi who is married to Felicia one of our daughters.  What a small world!

It was a great blessing to sing, speak and eat in Romanian! We enjoyed our time and are thankful for the opportunity to minister to Romanians no matter where.

Romanians rise up

IonasLast week before the Romanian presidential election, I was talking to a Romanian pastor who believed that the same old socialist communist regime would get elected that has ruled Romania for the past 25 years.  Yet last Sunday the young voters rose up and ousted the old regime and elected an outsider. The interesting thing, for a country that is 90% Eastern Orthodox, they elected a protestant Lutheran of German decent.

Klaus Iohannis was the mayor of Sibu and is now the new president of Romania. Not only are there political implication, there are significant religious implications in this election that I believe should give us some opportunities to spread the gospel. Pray for Romania and the new president and for revival in the churches.

Old friends in new places

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Last week I had the opportunity to catch up with two of my old professors from Bible College,  Herb Koonce and Jack Hackworth.  I had the honor of speaking at their churches and being able to present the work in Romania. It was an encouragement to see these men still striving to serve the Lord.

 

 

 

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I also had the privileged of speaking for one of my pastor friends from Rhode Island, Bob Williams. He is doing a great work in the inner city of Indianapolis Indiana.

 

 

Union Town PA

It does not seem possible that it has been 26 years since I graduated from Bible college, yet it has. We hear stories of those that we went to school with who have fallen away, but many have remained faithful to God’s Word and are still striving to build churches.

It was a great blessing to be with Bryan and Tamara Kelly in Union Town PA yesterday whom with I went to Bible College. Eleven years ago he came back to his home town and started a church.  Since then they have built a building and started two mission churches! It is a blessing to see people who have not changed but grown!  Next stop Columbus OH.

Sunday in Constanta

It was a blessing to see everybody at Anchor Baptist Church in Constanta. We had a meal with everybody after church, I made fresh bolognese sauce from the fresh tomatoes I bought in the open market.  Pastor Dorutu and everybody are doing a great job, continue to pray for them and for the church.

meal after Sunday services

meal after Sunday services

Burring the typewritter

There is a deburryingbate going on today in Romania about if the country was better off under Communism.  I came to Romania after the revolution so I cannot say for sure, but most people that cherish any form of freedom of expression say that in spite of the problems Romania has today, it is much better.  If you want to read a book about somebody that was there, I suggest burring the typewriter by Carman Bugan.  It is a scary reminder what can happen when a government gets out of control and no longer allows freedom of expression, something we should never let happen in America or in Romania again.

Este o dezbatere astăzi dacă e mai bine acum sau dacă a fost mai bine în timpul comnunismului. Eu am venit după revolutie și nu pot să spun dar cu cei cu care am vorbit care prețuiesc libertate de expresie, este mai bine în ciuda problemelor. O carte scrisă de cineva care a fost acolo este a îngropa mașina de scris de Carman Bugan și este o avertizare  despre ce se poate întâmpla când un guvern scapă subt control, ceva care nu trebuie repetat.

VBS at the villages

We had a tremendous week with the team from Merrimack Valley Baptist Church in Nashua NH. The teens sang, did skits and ran games for our VBS that we did in six different locations and we had over 200 kids.

The highlight however was at then end  of each program when they made balloon animals and swords for the kids! The kids could not get enough of it and I thought at one time I was going to have rescue them from the throng of kids by having them climb up the wall! It was a blessing to have these teens that have a great attitude and a heart for the kids, that even though they could not speak the language they communicated with high fives, hugs and smiles.

 

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