A Whirlwind of Activity

Over the last six weeks we have been very busy with various opportunities. It all started the second weekend of March as the International Church of Bucharest traveled to the mountains of Romania for it's annual weekend away. Once again many of those who call the church their church home while they are here in Romania attended this event. Many where encouraged in their faith and we were excited to see just how God used this time to bond the local body more closely together.

The church enjoying the weekend together in the Romanian mountains

The beautiful Romanian town of Busteni played host for the event this year

The end of March Naty and I had a chance to attend the International Baptist Convention's Annual Pastor's Conference. The event was hosted at a sight just outside of Pompeii, Italy. During our time in Italy we attend the pastors conference and were encouraged by some of the friendships we have developed over the years with other pastors and their wives in the convention. Our first few days in Italy were spent working with the committee in the convention directly responsible for the planting of new churches. There are four different regions represented for church planting and we are part of the southern team. Currently we are doing a study of different locations in southern Europe that could potentially be a sight for a new International Church plant. Please pray for these efforts. Pray that God will bless us by helping us clearly know which places He would have the convention potentially plant new churches.

Naty and I with the group of pastor's & leaders at the conference in Pompeii

Naty & I at the conference in Pompeii

The first of April has been full of activity. Saturday, April 7th my assistant at the church in Bucharest was united in marriage to a girl he met here in Romania. It was truly our privilege to be involved in the ceremony and we look forward to working alongside Jonathan and Lidia in the years to come here in the church in Bucharest. Please pray that God will bless their union and that He will use them to produce much fruit for God's glory.

The wedding ceremony

Naty and I with Jonathan & Lidia at their wedding reception

We celebrated Easter the next day, April 8th at the church in Bucharest. It was an extremely busy weekend, but we praise God that He blessed the weekend the way He did. Easter Sunday the building was full. There were 140 in attendance. There were several who attended who had never attended before. We were grateful to be able to share the gospel with many of them for the first time. We praise God for how He has been blessing the church here in Bucharest.

The beginning of worship Easter Sunday

The message Easter Sunday

A Long Deep Winter

The month of February gave us an unexpected blessing. The beginning of the month saw a winter storm come through Romania unlike any storm in 50 years. (That fact is according to the local news here in Romania) As a result, much of the activity in the country ground to a halt. We thought we would take a moment and share some of what we experienced.

Along the Romanian coast

A highway in eastern Romania

A quick update on Naty's dad. We wrote to you a month ago about the health of Naty's dad as his disease (Hepatitis C) has deteriorated. Currently he is in Italy undergoing additional tests in the hope that he will receive final approval for a liver transplant. We have been told that sometime by the middle of March we should receive word from the doctors there that will give us a better idea of exactly what to expect concerning his prognosis. We ask each of you to please continue to pray for him over the weeks to come.

Naty and her dad

As a result of the severe winter season here in Romania we were able to take advantage of the weather by finding ways to continue to promote growth and fellowship amongst the church by meeting with members of the church in their homes. These times were great times of encouragement to all who were able to attend. It was very cold outside and the snow was stacked high, but the fellowship was warm and relationships amongst brothers and sisters were enriched. Now as the snow begins to melt away we are continuing to encourage the body to develop deep abiding relationships in Christ, please pray that God will bless the church by truly making it a home to many who are a long way from their natural homes.

A time of fellowship in our home

A time of fellowship in the Oloidi's home
(IBC elders home)

Over the last few month's the leadership of the International Church have been working diligently on producing a 5 year strategic plan for the church. By God's enabling and grace much progress has been made. We hope that we will be able to present it to the church in the next month or so. We ask you to pray that God will bless this effort and that it will lay the foundation for God to produce much fruit through the church for his glory here in Romania in the years to come.

URGENT: Would You Pray With Us?

Today, Naty and I received that phone call we knew would come, but we were never looking forward to receiving it. This morning we were informed by doctors from Italy that Naty's dad has been consulting with that his disease (Hepatitis C) has progressed to its final stage. They informed him that a liver transplant was not only necessary to sustain life, but that he did not have much time to wait either. Currently her dad will be making a quick trip back to Moldova to put his affairs in order and then returning to Italy the following week where he will await a liver transplant as soon as a donor liver becomes available. It goes without saying that this is distressing to the whole family, but we do believe that our God is in control and that he is at work producing good through a very difficult circumstance (Romans 8:28). We are praying that God will be merciful to Andrei and allow him the opportunity to receive the medical treatment that he needs so that he might be able to continue his service to the Lord in building his Kingdom in Moldova. Yet, we also rest in the fact that God's will is always best and ultimately rejoice because we know that whatever God chooses to do that it will result in glory for God and growth for each of us, "And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen." (I Peter 5:10)

Therefore, during this time we covet your prayers. If you would agree to join with us in praying for Andrei, would you pray for the following:

1. That Naty's dad might have the physical strength to await the transplant if God is willing.
2. That Naty and her family might be comforted by God's sustaining grace.
3. That the additional expenses from Andrei's stay in Italy would be provided for. (God has provided for the costs of the transplant, but there will be additional expenses incurred in Italy while Andrei waits and lives there awaiting transplantation.)
4. That God would give Naty & I the strength to balance well the family and ministry responsibilities we have along with this new trial God has brought into our lives. We desire for God to be glorified no matter what He chooses to do. So please pray that God will enable us to use this trial to bring glory to his name.
5. Last, if God is willing, pray that a donor liver becomes available in a timely manner and that the transplant is successful.

We thank you in advance for your prayers. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us. We trust that God is blessing each of you richly.

The Holiday's In Bucharest

Naty and I Consider ourselves very blessed to have had a wonderful Christmas together here in Bucharest. We celebrated Christ's birth together as well as with the International Church that morning. We were thrilled to have had a good crowd for worship even though many members of the church were traveling back to their home cultures during this time. We trust that each of you had a blessed celebration of Christmas with your family and friends.

Celebrating Christmas In Bucharest

As we enter the New Year we praise God for the continued growth of the International Church. Throughout the fall and through the holiday season we saw attendance at the church pickup by almost 25%. We thank God that He continues to open the door of opportunity and we are constantly asking him for help to be good stewards of each opportunity. For those of us who are part of the church we praise him for continually bringing this way such a diverse group of people from so many different cultures. Recently a photo was taken of the worship team from the church. In the photo you see a true representation of the church's diversity. Below in the photo you see Naty playing piano (from Romania), Jonathan playing guitar (from England), Daisy singing (from Philippines), Ida singing (from Indonesia), Adolf playing bass (from Cameroon) and Chebike playing drums (from Nigeria). We praise God for the diversity of the church. We truly believe this in a small way is similar to what we will all experience one day in heaven.

The Worship Team From The International Church

A few years back the International Church was blessed to have a young man from England by the name of Jonathan Moore-Crispin come along side us in Bucharest and join us in the work at the church to help with the teenagers, young adults and music ministry. Through the years he has proven to be very useful in the work of the ministry and Naty and I consider ourselves very blessed to have him here. He has not only been active in the work of ministry here in the city, he has also been used by God to help with ministry in the villages of Romania as well. When Jonathan arrived, he was single and quite please to serve the Lord as a single man. Yet, recently God has moved in a very special way in his life and Naty and I are thrilled for for him also. He recently became engaged to a girl from Romania who loves Christ and the work of ministry. They both are excited about what God is doing at the church and we look forward to serving with both Jonathan and Lidia for the foreseeable future as God allows them to serve here in Romania. We praise God for his provision in Jonathan's life and the new friend and partner in the ministry He has given Naty and I.

Jonathan and His Fiance Lidia

As we have talked with many around the world during the holiday season we learned that we were experiencing a very mild winter. Temperatures were mostly between 40 - 50 F and we had not see a flake of snow at that point this season. This all change this past week temperatures fell into the teens and in about a 24 hour period we received approximately a foot of snow. We praise God He has given us a warm dry place out of the elements during such times as these. We also pray that God will allow temperatures to warm soon. The reason is that the church doesn't have much parking. At the moment the parking that is available is mostly berried in the snow. Therefore, we ask you to pray along with us that the snow will melt quickly making it easy for the members of the church to attend and park for worship.

Winter Has Officially Arrived In Bucharest

Celebrating God's Goodness

The end of October Naty and I had the privilege to go to Rome to represent the International Church at the International Baptist Conventions Annual Meeting. While we were there we continued our work with the missions committee and we were excited to learn that there will be a new relationship forged between the convention and the Baptist Union of Moldova starting this next year. This was a thrill for us because of our heart for and investment in the Republic of Moldova over the years. For quite some time we have been praying that God would open doors such as this to assist in the work in Moldova. Now once again it appears as though the Lord is opening a very significant door of opportunity to make a profound difference in the lives of those that we have been given the opportunity to serve through the years in Moldova. We ask you to pray along with us that God will bless this unique relationship between the International Baptist Convention and the Baptist Union of Moldova. Pray that it will bear much fruit for the glory of God and his Kingdom.

Naty, her dad (a Moldovan Pastor), and I sharing with the
convention about the new relationship with the Baptist Union of Moldova

Naty and I enjoying a moment of relaxation in Rome

In November I was given a unique opportunity in Moldova. We were invited to come and participate in the baptism of new believers there. This is always an exciting opportunity, but this one was different than before. This time I was asked to not just give the message that night, I was asked as well to actually baptize our new brothers in Christ being baptized that night. It was a very encouraging evening for both Naty and I and we pray that God will now finish the work of grace He has started in each of their lives (Philippians 1:6). Please pray for each one baptized that night, pray that God will raise each of them up and use them for the glory of God in Moldova.

Baptizing one of our new brothers in Christ

On December 10th the International Church once again hosted its annual Christmas Celebration. It was a thrilling night for everyone involved. Over the last months of the year we have seen a significant amount of numerical growth at the church (praise God!). As a result we were excited to see a full house the night of the 10th. Over 30 children participated in our children's Christmas program. In addition, we also enjoyed special Christmas presentations from our brothers and sisters from many different cultures; Romania, Indonesia, Nigeria just to name a few. Many who attended brought guests with them who were introduced to the gospel for the first time as they heard the true story of Christmas. We are prayerful that the seeds that were planted by this evening will bear much fruit in the future.

IBC Christmas Celebration 2011

Naty and I want to take a moment and thank each of you for your friendship and partnership through the years. You have proven to be one of our greatest blessings as we count our blessings this Christmas. We pray that God will make known to you and yours his rich and abiding presence this Christmas. May God bless you all and we wish you a very Merry Christmas and a very fruitful New Year!

Merry Christmas to each of you!

So Many Reasons To Give Thanks

Recently, September 25th, Naty and I celebrated seven years of marriage together. We are so grateful that God brought us together and we celebrate the opportunities He has given us to minister to the peoples of the world through the International Church. We also celebrate the opportunities He has given us to work with those here in Romania and Moldova. If God is willing, we look forward to several more years full of opportunities to serve the Lord in the work He has called us too.

Naty and I enjoying a nice evening together as we celebrated 7 years together

Some of you may recall in our last report how we described a new initiative of the International Church where the church is meeting once monthly for a time of fellowship, worship and prayer. This monthly event is called "Family Night." We thought you might enjoy being able to experience a bit of family night with those here in Bucharest who attend.

Listen to Family Night at the International Church

Earlier in the year the International Baptist Convention asked Naty to join the leadership of the committee specifically designated to plan activities and direction for the ministries designated for women throughout the convention. She was grateful for being asked to serve in such a way and after a time of prayer and consideration she agreed to accept the invitation, but she did so with the understanding that the challenge is great. She understood that unless the Lord helps her do what He has given her the opportunity to do that she will have a difficult time completing the task given her. Therefore, she asks each of you to pray that God will help her complete this task and that she will complete it well.

Naty with the Women's Ministry Team of the convention

Over the years of ministry in the international community here in Bucharest God has opened many doors of ministry to many different cultures. One of the cultures that we are so grateful for the opportunity to serve in is the Nigerian community. Over the years we have gotten to know the Nigerian Ambassador to Romanian and his wife. It has been a joy for us to know them and fellowship with them as they have a strong growing relationship with Jesus Christ. Last year the ambassador agreed to join the leadership team of the International Church and we are so grateful for the leadership that he has provided to the church. Last month the ambassador and his wife hosted a celebration of Nigerian culture and heritage in Bucharest. We were honored to be invited and to celebrate along with them this great culture.

Naty and I with the ambassador and his wife at the Nigerian Celebration

Kicking Off The New School Year Right

The International Church began a new monthly event the first Friday of August that has become very important in the life of the church very quickly. We instituted our first "Family Night". The purpose of this event that takes place on the the first Friday evening of the month is to give the church a regular opportunity to come together for the purpose of fellowship, worship and prayer. The evening begins by the church sharing a pot luck dinner together. It is followed by a concerted time of worship and prayer. Those who attend responded very warmly to the event and look forward to being part of it in the months to come. We are very excited about this. We have been striving to find more ways to bring the church together for the purpose of seeking the Lord in prayer and we believe with the Lord's blessing that Family Night will assist the church in that effort. Please pray that God will bless Family Night in the months to come.

The church enjoying the meal together

The church spending time in worship and prayer

As we have mentioned before, we started working with a local Romanian Church plant in our community this past spring. We have been excited about the progress this church has been making over the summer. We are also excited about the growth in fellowship that has taken place between the International Church and the Romanian Church. The International Church seems to have really made strides in looking outward to how we can have a more profound effect upon the community of Bucharest. Our relationship with this church plant is just one way that we have seen this recently. We ask you to pray for this church plant. Pray that God will bless their work as they endeavor to reach the Romanian community with the gospel. Pray also for the pastor and his family that all their needs will be met.

Emmanuel, Lidia and Samuel Dejou
Pastor of Romanian church plant

This past Sunday we celebrated our annual 'Welcome Back Barbecue'. It was a fantastic time of fellowship in the life of the church. The Romanian church plant also joined us. According to the estimates of those who attended we believe that there were approximately 130 in attendance. All who attended enjoyed all the wonderful food and the fellowship seemed to join everyone together in the bond of Christ. Please continue to pray that God would continue to bless the congregation with the spirit of unity that has bound us together in Christ.

The men of the church preparing the barbecue

The church thanking the Lord for the feast He provided

Let the festivities begin!