God Is Working in Romania

What a wonderful week we had in Romania!  Tuesday we met with the church leaders at Simi and Gabi's apartment for Bible study, discussion and encouragement.

These young men and their wives are dedicated to God and to ministering to others. It is a privilege to serve them.

Saturday, Mike taught four sessions on church leadership.  Twenty leaders and potential leaders attended for training and inspiration.  They responded with many good questions and comments.

We appreciate Relu and the other interpreters who have helped us during our time in Romania.

Those who attended the seminar had a delicious lunch together and some good fellowship.

Late Saturday afternoon, we joined about 200 other people for the March for Life in support of the unborn.  Many local churches participated in Gherla as well as all around Romania.

We were glad to march along in celebration of life.

Sunday, God's presence was awesome in the church service.  Mike preached a powerful sermon on water baptism and commitment to Christ and to each other.  The service ended with the entire congregation praying for those in need.

It is beautiful when the Body of Christ cares for one another.

We will be returning to Hungary later this week.  We thank the Lord that we were able to serve our friends in Gherla.

Another Week in Gherla

We woke up to snow this morning in Gherla.

This week in Romania we talked and prayed with the church leaders and many other members of the Open Bible Church in Gherla.  We attended church services and a birthday party.

Last Monday Nancy missed the ladies' Bible study because she was sick.  It may be possible that the poppy seed pastries that she enjoyed so much on Sunday were the source of her trouble.  From now on, she will eat poppy seed treats sparingly. 

Friday we had another date in nearby Cluj.  We decided to try the Pizza Hut there and had a good time.  The pizza tasted like Pizza Hut pizza and they had a salad bar, too, a rare treat here.  Our Coke was served without ice from glass bottles as is common here, but it was cold.  What was most fun was remembering our first date many years ago and the Pizza Hut in Des Moines where we ate that cold January evening.

Saturday and early Sunday morning were very rainy, but the rain stopped in time for church.  We are staying just across the street from the church, though, so rain would not have inconvenienced us anyway.  We sensed the presence of the Holy Spirit in the entire service.  Cristian, who had just returned from working in England, preached and many people came forward for prayer afterward. It is such a pleasure to watch God work in people's lives!

After church we were invited again to Meri's home for a delicious lunch and then at four o'clock we were invited to help celebrate Amadea's 10th birthday.  Lots of children and several parents were there to enjoy playing, talking and eating home made pizza and cake.  Amadea's parents are Cristian, who preached that morning, and Mihaela, who has done interpreting for Mike's sermons.  They asked us to pray a blessing for Amadea, which we were happy to do.

Amadea on her 10th birthday.

We have another busy week ahead of us.  Thank you for your prayers.  God hears and answers!

Good Week in Gherla

Our first full week in Gherla was a good one.  Nancy attended a ladies' Bible study, Mike led a training meeting with church leaders, we met with some church members, attended Thursday night and Sunday morning worship and even made a trip into Cluj (45 kilometers away) for some Starbucks Coffee.

Tuesday meeting with some of the church leaders

Participating in a dedication

Sunday lunch with two ladies from the church

We enjoyed exercising in the park, trying to find what we needed in stores, and being invited to lunch.  The best part has been experiencing the presence and guidance of God in what we do.  In fact, we can do nothing without him.  But that is great, because God is good and with him we can do all things.

First Weekend in Romania

We had a great first weekend in Romania.  Friday afternoon we arrived and were greeted by our friends Simi and Gabi and their son. They showed us the apartment across from the church that they had found for us and helped us unpack our car.  The apartment is a modern, one-bedroom, third-floor apartment with an American-sized refrigerator in a tiny kitchen.  We are directly above a gym, so we hear some noise from them during the day and early evening, but it is working out great for us.

Saturday we settled in, went grocery shopping and prepared for Sunday.  Grocery shopping reminded us of shopping for the first time in Hungary.  Some things were familiar, but we had to guess on a few items.  Mike successfully found sour cream even though it looked like the yogurt next to it.

Sunday we enjoyed the presence of the Lord, beautiful worship, an encouraging sermon by Mike with the interpretation by Relu, and the joy of being with our Romanian brothers and sisters.  After service we met with the church board to outline our plans for the coming month.

We are looking forward to a wonderful time here in Gherla this month.  Please pray with us for God to work through us for the building up of the church and the leaders here.