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September
2000 Prayer Letter
It is great to be in touch with you again. I trust that God has blessed you greatly and together we can rejoice for everything He is and does for us.
Let me share some of the experiences that God took me through and the marvelous way He works in our lives.
OPEN DOOR
After getting back to Romania I prayed and waited for God to give me the specific steps He wanted me to take in fulfilling my mission.
In about two or three days, He allowed me to try Him and see His plan unfold to me.
Realizing that almost all the people would be at work or at school in the mornings I tried to see how I could be used best at this time.
While walking through town I just stopped by some of the schools and saw that they had some openings for the English
language classes. The Lord kind of struck me about getting in contact with the children and young people and
as a teacher I would have a stronger impact. It was interesting how God worked things out for me from behind the scenes in spite of the lack of
information and slackness in organization of the Romanian system. Through different sources I found out about a last english test that was
going to take place for those vacant positions as English teachers. Through a phone call placed by "chance" I found out two days before the test when
and where the test would be given. Without any time to prepare, I took the test and had a high score that made me one of those that could take a place
to serve as an English teacher. As a result of that I entered in one of the High Schools in
Negresti as the English teacher.
Now I rejoice that God helped me be and influence among those about thirty different teachers and over 400 students in that High School.
Praise the Lord. In this first week I started getting acquainted with some of them and after befriending them and winning their trust, I believe that
God will give me opportunities to share the gospel with them.
STRATEGY
After I advance a week or two in the teaching system, I am praying about planning extra english courses opened to all the students of all the schools
in Negresti. That will have a great impact in town and a plus for the time
when the gospel will be presented. The Lord brought in my path a man that graduated from
Maramures Bible College, in Sighet (one of our first graduates), to be able to follow the
Biblical principle to go two by two witnessing. We already started to distribute John and Romans on the streets. Some of
them were eager and we heard comments from people that said that they got
tired of the Jehovah's Witnesses passing out their literature. Some Jehovah Witnesses refused to take the John and Romans saying that they have "their
own gospel" and how true that is. They have their own gospel but not the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Please pray as we work and plan for a weekend of evangelistic services either at the end of October or the beginning of November when the people
have less work in the fields and are free to come and hear the gospel.
ANSWERED PRAYERS
God answered my prayers so far and through these testing I see my faith increasing. Though it is very hard in
Negresti to find an apartment to rent since all of them are for sale only, God helped me get a two room apartment
for me just a few days ago. That will increase my impact in town. The ministry of teaching in
Maramures Bible College is going great. God has done another miracle. From a man that worried about schedule conflicts
between my teaching responsibilities in Negresti and Sighet, God let me see
His hand at work and the way the High School was able to set up their schedule made it that I have two days free during the week even though I
have approximately 22 hours of teaching there. Now I can teach all three courses in the Bible College.
Knowing that spiritual attacks will come very soon as I invade Satan's territory, please continue to pray for me and hope with me in the victories
that God will win for us.
Thank you very much for trusting me as a worker in the mission field.
Your support is vital as the gospel is going out in Negresti. May God bless you as you serve Him there in the States and I pray that
you will also sow and reap for the Lord Jesus Christ.
October 2000 Prayer Letter
It is amazing how great God is and how wonderfully He works. Since I came to
Negresti things seem to have changed in the spiritual realm. The work of breaking the ground and preparing it for the gospel continues.
In this letter I would like to share with you a few experiences that strengthened my faith and it will strengthened yours also.
A few weeks after I came to Romania I received a
drafting paper from the army. It was just after the Lord provided the place for me to live and
serve. When all things were going according to the plan and being ready to launch out, this obstacle appears.
At this point there were questions like: "How come Lord? Did you call me here and then move me to another place?."
It took me a few days to realize that God is in total control over my life
whether I am in Negresti or in the Army. The day to report to the army came and with only a little bit of hope I
stepped in the Commanders Office. There they asked me if I wanted to go to a
specific place somewhere in the area, but I replied that a delay would work better for me.
Based on the fact that there was no other English teacher in
the High School, my request was granted. So the Lord taught me that in spite of opposition He overrules any order
given by men.
At school the Principal was glad that I would continue teaching and now the
work can continue. Two different classes requested extra English classes and
the Principal agreed to it. It is just a matter of time that classes will start.
Beside the extracurricular classes there are parents that asked me to help their children with English both at school and at home. The schedule already
full will get busier. This is the way right now that God uses to let the people know me and opening the door in their homes.
The teachers in the High School are puzzled at the fact that I left America
and returned to Romania. One of the teachers asked me if there is a difference between the religions existent in our country. My answer to her
was that they believe differently and sometimes opposite the way a man goes to heaven. While some say is through Mary, saints, good works or a religion,
the Bible says that the way to heaven is through Jesus Christ alone.
After witnessing to her she asks me, "How does a person grow after you are born again?" I told her that growth comes through biblical prayer, bible
study and fellowship with the believers. Please pray that God will open the door of the hearts of all those teachers
and students. For now it is best to work with them one on one and witness to
them individually rather than having massive evangelistic meetings. That will happened Lord willing in the Spring.
There are a few prayer requests and needs that I wish you would consider:
1. Pray for power and wisdom to witness
2. Pray for a house or a more adequate place to meet with prospective converts. In my fourth floor apartment it is not best to have more than
three or four coming.
3. Pray and help with purchasing a car before winter. Transportation to and from
Negresti area is very needy. Most of the times the way of traveling is
by hitch hiking.
Thank you so much again in Christ's name for your prayers and finances to
the work of spreading the gospel to Romania. May God richly bless and help you as well in your work for Him in the
States.
April 2001
Prayer Letter
"It is wonderful knowing that we have the hope of eternal life. Let me share with you one of the best one-on-one witnessing opportunities I have experienced. While visiting the philosophy teacher at the high school where I teach, a lengthy spiritual discussion developed about faith. For him, faith has no object and as long as a person believes in himself he has salvation and as long as man controls his will he’ll be fine spiritually. After referring to the Koran and the Muslim religion which he appreciates though has not accepted, I pointed out verses from the Word of God that refuted his concept of salvation. The teacher tried to prove that Jesus was merely a man and teacher, not God, and never claimed deity or desired the worship of Christians. This was one of my favorite subjects in college. I showed him that Jesus did not stop the blind man from worshiping Him when he was healed in the Gospel of John; God has given Him a name above any other name that the entire creation must worship Him (Phil. 2:8-11). At that point, he got upset and asked me to quit making reference to the Bible because it has no authority and he did not like the apostle Paul at all. The discussion lasted three hours and I am very sure there will be other opportunities to share the Gospel with him. At school, we were given teaching material for 10th grade on worshiping. I was able to present them Christianity from the Bible point of view-the Trinity, Christ’s dual nature (human and divine) and His reason for coming to earth. Please pray for them as they have two assignments: to speak about their faith and its difference from other faiths; and to bring arguments and write an essay. Pray for me that I will be a wise mediator in their speech presentations. The Easter program will take place next Thursday, at 1 P.M. The students involved in the play need help since they are not acquainted with the
"thou’s and canst and cometh" of the old English. Pray that it will be a strong testimony to the students who are not used to the things of God, only as profanity. God has given opportunities for me to preach in churches in the area without a pastor, at an evangelistic meeting and teaching in the college at
Sighet. Thank you for your help and input in the ministry to Negresti Oas."
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