It has been a few days since I have had access to a computer so I will try to catch you up on the happenings here. The weather continues to be very nice, which is nice for me, but not good for the people here. They need rain badly. In addition they had a frost a couple of nights and the potato crops will suffer significantly. This is their main source of income and will present some serious problems down the road. Time will tell the extent of the damage.
Last Thursday I had the chance to go to the Danube River, which I had wanted to do for some time. It is only about 40 km away and we went through some wonderful country and villages. I have some pictures. The part of the Danube I saw was in a mostly industrial area and so it was not the most scenic spot, but it was still wonderful to see. Next Thursday we may take a little longer drive and go into Bulgaria. Then I can add one more country to my list!
The meetings continue to go well. Attendance is much higher on the weekends, but we are having some good results through the week as well. My emphasis this year is on getting the people to see their role as ministers and to build relationships with the community rather than relying on the pastors to do the work. Sound familiar? They are enjoying our time together. The love and caring of these people for me is beyond words. The fact that I have come to them for the third time is something very special to them. This is not an area that many people would choose to visit. I can't wait to show you some of the pictures.
What is amazing is the number of small companies that each district has attached to it. Peretu has five churches and four more companies, all trying to establish themselves like Maldaeini. This makes it almost impossible for the pastors to effectively work a village. In Peretu they spend two months out of every three just conducting communion services. I have conducted two so far and will have a third next Sabbath.
Last Sabbath I was picked up at 7:40 am. We drove to the first church in Contesti and I spoke at 8:30. Then I helped teach a class and spoke again to officiate the Lord's Supper at 11:00. At 4:00 we were off to Bragadiru for the service at 5:00 and then the 70 km drive to Maldaeni for the service that now is at 8:30. They had much music and testimonies and we didn't get out until 10:30 and I got home at 11:15 pm. Next Sabbath will be much the same, only different churches in the morning.
I am now in the home stretch with just one week remaining. I always have mixed emotions at this time. I am so anxious to be back home with the love of my life and all my family and also with you. At the same time, I always hate to say goodbye to these dear people. I want to go to Russia for evangelism next year and perhaps for two successive years, but I know I am going to want to come back here. This is truly a place that could benefit wonderfully from a medical team coming with me. Many of the members here have health problems and few have access to good medical care. Just some counseling and encouragement from a physician would be a great blessing. We'll have to see what we want to do two or three years down the road.
In Maldaeini I have begun telling a children's story each evening and it has been a great success. The adults and children alike are loving it and it makes it easier to engage them all.
Please continue to pray during this last week. There is much that needs to be done here. Romania is going through enormous changes and not all of it has a positive effect on the churches. They covet your prayers and your love.
By the way, the banners have been a huge success! They look at the pictures and try to understand the messages every night.
May God bless and keep you through each day. By the time you read this I will be into my final meeting in Maldaeini. Just send up a prayer for these dear people as you enjoy your worship there in Napa.
Please know, absence does make the heart grow fonder and I am anxious to be back with you, my precious family.
It's Monday morning, April 23. Six more days and I'll be on my way home! That is good news. To be sure, this trip has been eased by the warmer weather and comfortable accommodations, but it is still a very taxing grind of activity. I also find that schedules here do not translate exactly into schedules in America. Here they are subject to change at a moment's notice. As a result I am never too sure of what my agenda for the day will be. I just know that it will be long.
This week, being the final one, the competition is heavy for dinner appointments. I had two breakfast appointments today, due to a lack of communication. I declined one. This afternoon I must attend a "BBQ" (don't equate that with what you know necessarily) in Peretu and then will wait until 8:30 to begin the meeting in Maldaeini. One of the highlights there is the children. They are growing in number and they live for the children's story, as do the adults. This is an entirely new concept to them.
Attendance is holding well considering the work that they must do during the day. Please pray that they will receive some rain. Their crops are suffering from the frosts and the lackof rain and this will prove to be a great hardship for them down the road.
I send you sincere and loving greetings from all the churches I have preached in. I wish you could see their faces when I tell them that you send greetings and that you have promised to pray for them. They take that very seriously, so keep up the prayers.
I'll try to get one or two more updates to you before Sandy has to print this out. As you read this I will just be finishing up my work here for this trip and my heart will be happy with the thought of returning to you. Of course it is even happier with the thought of returning to Ingrid!
It is Tuesday afternoon, April 24. I have just spoken to the pastors in the Oltenia Conference. I shared with them the fact that you have been praying for me and for them every morning and evening and they were very touched. They send genuinely warm greetings to all of you.
The banners have been on display in Malaieni (correct spelling) since we began and I don't know who is enjoying them more; them or me. I read all the notes over and over again and think of each of you that signed. They are now preparing the return banner which I will bring back with me.
It looks a bit more like rain, but so far nothing. We'll see what the rest of the week brings. If the weather holds I may get to go to the Black Sea rather than Bulgaria. This would be a beautiful trip on pretty good highway and I should get some good pictures. But, I know that the plans can change on short notice.
Attendance during the week remains low, but we are concentrating on ministering to and encouraging the members and challenging them to allow the Holy Spirit to use them to do the work in the community.
Just five more days here and then I'll be on my way home with plenty on the schedule once I arrive. I am already feeling the effects of missing the people here for the next couple of years, but I'm looking forward to being back with you and thinking ahead to Russia next year.
You are never far from my thoughts and often in my prayers. With God there are no obstacles, just miracles waiting to happen. Keep the faith and hold the fort!
Jim McDonald will be with us on May 5. That will give me a bit more time to prepare my sharing of what has taken place here. I think we also have a funeral that day.
Not much time to write on April 25 now. Computer access is limited often. I am at the home of the Peretu pastor and just had a great dinner of cabbage, potatoes, and mushrooms. Actually it was truly very good and the "apple pie" was also.
I have been well fed. Ingrid will probably say, too well fed! The people are simply wonderful and I am not looking forward to leaving them behind, but I am certainly looking forward to being back home.
The meetings are all going well and attendance is back up. One of the highlights is the father of Pr. Florian. This is the man who would only come to church if I was preaching. He came last weekend and promised to attend on Sabbath again. His heart is very reachable, but he struggles with alcohol. We have made some great advances in his journey. Please continue to keep him in prayer.
Still no rain. This has been great for me, but bad for the farmers, which includes almost all of the church people here.
This is probably the last of the messages that will arrive in time for the VIP #383. I'll give a full report on the 12th. Until then, La Re Vaderi. (See you later!)
