The Tully's Eastern European Report: A Long Time Coming

As we report to you at this time we must begin by asking for your understanding and forgiveness. Over the last few months our ministry schedule has kept us very busy. As a result, it has been very difficult for us to find the time necessary to give you a proper update and we wish this was not the case. So as we bring you up to date, please understand that we are very sorry for the delay in getting this out to you. Now let us take a moment and share with you all that we have been doing since our last report.

Much of the month of August was spent in preparation for and the execution of a bible school that had as its goal a group we have never been able to reach before. As you know from one of our prior updates we have started a ministry that is reaching out to many of the families and children from those who are less fortunate and disaffected in the area around the church. Since this ministries inception we have seen some real tangible progress made. The best evidence of this is the success of our project in August. August 26 – 28 we conducted a bible school specifically focused on these children. By the end of the week we had as many as 75 children from the neighborhood attend. We were thrilled as this opened the door to meet many of the children’s care givers as well. We say ‘care givers’ because many of these children are being raised by someone other than their parents. Once the bible school concluded, we were thrilled by the doors of ministry that had been opened into each of these children’s lives.

These are many of the children who attended

Naty with some of the children from the bible school

This is a video we used in the church to encourage involvement

(It will give you a bit of an idea what took place)

Late in the month of August we also had the opportunity to participate in the summer camps in Moldova. This was a great summer once again as many young people throughout the south of Moldova attended. Many of them heard the gospel for the first time and for those who knew Christ prior to attending the camp their faith was strengthened.

Camp in Moldova this summer

In early September the church hosted its annual ‘Welcome Back Barbecue’ once again. This is always a wonderful time of fellowship and getting reacquainted as many who have been traveling return to Romania. During this event we had a chance to not only see old friends, but we also had the chance to make new ones as well. One family we met for the first time is a new family from China. In the city of Bucharest there are several thousands of people from China living here. We have prayed for some time for an open door into that community and this family is proving to be such. Since the barbecue they have been attending the church and we hope that as we continue to build this relationship with them that we will be able to use this open door to extend our reach into the Chinese community in Bucharest. Please pray along with us that God guide us as we seek to find greater inroads into this culture.

Catching up with old friends at the barbecue

These are our new friends from China that we met at the barbecue

Later in September we had the opportunity to experience a very special event. Jonathan & Lidia Moore-Crispin, whom we are very privileged to partner with in the ministry here in Bucharest, had their first son dedicated to the Lord’s service. We were thrilled for both of them when Joseph was born in April and even more thrilled to participate in this important event in their lives as well. We pray that God will bring Joseph to the place where he will trust Christ as Savior and Lord early in life. We will also pray as he grows up that God will use him mightily to accomplish his will and purposes in this world.

With Jonathan and his in-laws at their son Joseph's dedication

Sunday, September 21^st was our annual ‘Ministry Fair’ at the International Church. This event has grown to represent the various opportunities that God has given the church to reach out into the community. Currently God has given members of the church opportunities to serve with organizations such as Hospice of Hope (helping those with terminal illnesses), Open Door (reaching those effected by human trafficking), Touched Romania (helping disadvantaged children in the city) and Casa Ioana (helping the homeless). These are unique opportunities to not only serve, but as God opens the door, to share the gospel. During this event we also have the opportunity to expose the congregation to various ways in which they can serve in the church as well. Please pray for our members as they continue to seek to make a difference in the city of Bucharest.

This is the video we used to encourage involvement in Sunday School

(It will give you a bit of an idea of what happens each Sunday)

In the month of October Naty and I spent two weeks in Germany attending the International Baptist Convention’s Annual Meeting. The event took place in Ramstein, Germany this year. At the event both Naty and I participated in many ways. Naty has been asked to serve on a committee that is developing a strategic plan for the convention for the next decade. In addition to this, she serves as the coordinator for the women’s ministry team. For quite some time I have also been involved in various ways. Currently I serve as the coordinator for the conventions current missional relationship with the Baptist union of Moldova. In addition to this, I also serve on the church ministry health team and one of the teams in charge of seeing new international churches planted in the south of Europe. As you can see, these responsibilities keep us very busy. While we were there, we had to report to the conventions members concerning our involvement. We pray as we continue our involvement in the IBC that God will continue to use this relationship to open further doors for ministry.