A Year Ends, A New Year Begins

The second to the last weekend of November the church here in Bucharest hosted its annual men’s retreat. This year we were honored to have Doug Marksberry a missionary from Kentucky come and be our guest teacher for the men who attended. The men who attended represented 7 different countries. The theme this year was, ‘Becoming God’s Kind of Leader’. We were thrilled by what we saw take place in many of the men’s lives who attended. As the retreat came to a close, many of the men developed a means through Facebook to continue to encourage each other towards this sort of growth.  Please keep these men in prayer as they endeavor to become the type of leaders God would have them be at home, on the job and in the world.

The men who attended this years retreat

The end of November we celebrated Thanksgiving as a church. This is an exciting time to come together as a congregation to give thanks and to worship and celebrate all that God has done in our lives. When you have so many from various cultures celebrate God’s goodness, it certainly makes for an exciting event. There was turkey with all the sides and even pumpkin pie, but the fellowship was even better. We praise God for his faithfulness and goodness in 2014.

Some of those from around the world who celebrated Thanksgiving

As we entered the month of December we celebrated Christmas with the community Saturday, December 13th. Once again this was one of the highlights of the year for the church as almost 130 attended to celebrate the birth of Jesus. We not only were thrilled to have some many in attendance, we were also thrilled to have so many visitors. We are thankful that God opened the door to clearly share the gospel with so many that evening. Now we pray that God will use this event to cause many of those who visited to come to trust Christ for forgiveness of sins and eternal life. Please pray with us that God will complete the work that he started in many of these people’s lives.

The IBC Christmas choir singing at this years celebration

A bit later in the month we had the opportunity as a church to continue an outreach project that we have had the privilege to engage in every year since we have been part of the church. We had the opportunity to bring shoebox gifts to all the children of a local shelter called 'Casa Ioana'. When we delivered the gifts we had an opportunity to share the gospel, as well as, inside each gift was a clear explanation of the gospel. We pray God will use this to cause some to receive God’s gift of eternal life. 

One of the children from Casa Ioana

Finally, Naty and I want to thank each of you for your participation in the work of ministry here in Romania and Moldova. It is a fact that we could not do this work without God enabling us to do this, it is also just as true that we couldn't do it without your generosity as well. We pray that each of you are being blessed and that God is richly rewarding each of you for your generosity towards the work and towards the work of God's Kingdom in Eastern Europe.

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.

Pastor and leaders from around the International Baptist Convention

Bill talking to the IBC about our missions partnership with Moldova

Keeping Moving Forward

It has been some time since we have reported in to each of you.  We praise God for the opportunities and the work that He is doing around us.  One such opportunity that we have reported to you about many time over the last few years is the opportunity to work with our brothers and sisters here in Romania and Moldova in the area of biblical counseling.  April 28 - May 3 we had the opportunity to assist David Selvey from Faith Church in Lafayette, IN in training pastors and leaders in Cahul, Moldova.  This group has committed to a three year process of becoming equipped to do biblical counseling.  Most of them are already doing a counseling within there local churches.  May 9, 10 we had an opportunity to assist the group of young leaders and students who are studying to do the same in Timisoara, Romania.  We praise God for raising a new generation who are so eager to make a difference in other people's lives through biblical counseling.

With David Selvey in Moldova doing biblical counseling training

Over the last 6 months or so of 2014 the church in Bucharest has seen an unprecedented form or growth. We have seen the birth of 3 new little boys and we are aware of at least 3 more that will arrive in the next 3 to 4 months as well.  So have said, 'tongue in cheek'; "If you cannot grow from outside, grow it from inside". That certainly is not a philosophy that we would want to adopt, yet on the other hand, we are thrilled by the way God has blessed so many families within our fellowship over the last few months.  To encourage a few of the mothers who have already had their children many of the ladies got together and had a baby shower for them.  This was a great time of fun and fellowship for everyone who attended.  We pray that God will help each of these families to fully take advantage of the unique opportunity that they have been given to teach each of these little children to love the Lord with all their hearts.

The women of the church at the baby shower for these mothers

This is a second baby shower for another expectant mother

One of the families who have experienced this blessing is my assistant Jonathan and his wife Lidia.  This spring the experienced the birth of their first son, who they named Joseph.  This has been a source of great joy for them and great excitement for the church.

Naty with Lidia and her Joseph

Late this spring Naty and several ladies from our church attended the annual Women's Conference that took place in Budapest, Hungary.  The event is organized annually by the Women's Ministry Team of the International Baptist Convention.  Naty currently has the opportunity to serve the convention as part of this team.  This years conference became a meeting point for many women who are currently part of the church and some who have moved on to other places around the world.  For these women it was a joy to reconnect and rekindle old friendships, while at the same time, being able to enjoy the spiritual sustenance that was available at this years conference.  Everyone who attended were challenged and grateful for this time together.

Some past and present women of IBC Bucharest

Coming later this summer the church has taken on the challenge of reaching out to our community in totally unprecedented way.  There are many poor and disadvantaged families that live within less than a mile of our building.  They do not speak English, but we also believe that it is not an accident that God has put us here either.  So late in August, the 28 - 30 to be exact, as a congregation we are doing an outreach program that directly targets the children of these families.  As we do this we will be inviting the parents to participate as well. Yet to do this well, we will have to enlist the help of several other brothers and sisters from other Romanian churches in the area that will more naturally be able to minister to these families in their own language without translation.  So we are collaborating with other Romanian Baptist churches in our area in this project.  Please pray that God will bless this effort with fruit that will last.  Second pray that God will enable us to be gracious hosts and those who work well with our Romania brothers and sisters who will be joining us in this effort.  Below you can watch a short clip we are using to encourage those in our fellowship to get involved in this project.

This is the clip we are using to ask for help!

Finally, we would like to thank each of you once again for standing with us in the work that God is doing here in Romania and Moldova.  We not only consider it an honor to work with the dear people we get to work with here, we also consider it an honor to represent our Lord Jesus Christ to these people and to represent each of you.  We do pray that God is meeting each of your needs according to his riches in glory, Philippians 4:19.  We also pray that God is blessing richly for the great sacrifices you have made.

Grateful To Be Busy In The Work of God's Kingdom

Over time the church has continuously tried to take advantage of various opportunities to minister to the expat community. This year the church organized an elegant Valentine's Day dinner for couples in and out of the church so as to extend the reach of our church in our community.  It was an evening full of great food, amazing live music, flowers, games and wonderful fellowship.  We were thrilled to be able to connect with families from the church, as well as, to create a bridge of friendship with many outside the church.

Enjoying the evening with the couples who attended

The worship team provided the entertainment

The end of February, we had a visit from our dear friends Scott and Sandy Chadwick, the pastor and wife from the International church in Sofia, Bulgaria. It was great to spend time together and to show them what's going on in the church in Bucharest. All International churches have similarities: we all minister to the expat community from many nations around the world, yet each church is uniquely different.  It was great to spend time encouraging each other toward greater effectiveness in the work of God's Kingdom.

Enjoying a bite to eat with our friends

Once a year, in March, the church has a weekend away in the Romanian mountains. Everybody arrives Saturday morning and we have lunch together, then we have free time where families and young adults can connect while hiking the mountains or doing other things together, then we have dinner followed by games. Sunday morning after breakfast, we all meet for worship in a room with glass windows surrounding two walls, with the background of the snow capped mountains. It is an amazing site as we worship Christ together.  This year we had the joy of having one of our former elders from Nigeria and his family join for the retreat.  Currently the live in Geneva due to work but it was great to have them join us this year as brother Sunday Oloidi brought us the morning message.

The church together in the Romanian mountains

The church building is strategically located about a mile from the city center, but our neighborhood is not a rich one. We have a lot of poor Roma families with a lot of children right down the street.  The children have been coming to church for a few years, but we wished we could focus on them in a more effective way since most of them speak Romanian. Therefore, we've had a desire to start a kids club for them on Saturdays, but we just didn't have the people to lead it and help serve to make it go. By God's grace, this year He has brought an amazing team of about 20 people from the church to serve the community.  God brought a leader, a young woman named Jennifer from Canada and the rest of the team are from the UK, United States, Romania, Nigeria, the Philippines, Malaysia, Moldova, Angola, South America, Mongolia.  It's wonderful to see over 11 nations, brought to Romania for various reasons, coming together to impact our neighborhood. Please pray that God will work in the lives of the children and their parents to see them come to know Christ in a personal way.

The initial planning meeting for our new community ministry

The end of March we both traveled to the IBC Pastor's conference which was held this year in beautiful Mallorca, Spain.  We are very grateful to serve a church that is willing to do what it can to help us attend such events.  These are great times to get your batteries recharged and to rub elbows with others who are in the very same shoes as you.  We greatly enjoyed this time away.  We are grateful for the time of encouragement and rest that came from it.

Naty and I enjoying a nice meal in Spain

Finally, I had the opportunity to join the IBC once again in scouting out new cities for potential new International English language churches here in Europe.  This year I joined a pastor from one of our IBC churches in Naples, Italy and three other pastors from Wisconsin.  We went to Valencia, Spain a city that has almost 2,500,000 people in the total area including all of its outlying area's.  While there we had the opportunity to visit with Spanish pastors, other missionaries and other expat's just to determine the viability of a potential new church there.  At this time, the English community does not seem to be as strong as we might have thought it would be.  So keep the IBC in prayer as we determine if this city and many other cities around the world would be spots for new churches.

The team in Valencia, Spain

Much To Celebrate During The Holiday Season

About 8 weeks ago most of the men of the church participated in a men's retreat that focused on being pure in a world full of temptation.  A friend of ours came from Italy and led the retreat.  He challenged the men in a practical way to embrace the challenge of being like Christ in this area of their lives each day.  Many of those who attended said this was a very important time for them.  One said, "Before I came I did not think this would be very helpful, yet now I am committed to trying to find victory in this area of my life."  We praise God for what he did during this time away.

The men who attended this years men's retreat

While the men were gone for their weekend-away, the women's ministry decided to have a day where the ladies could meet for a cook-out, followed by a time of worship and encouragement to challenge each to always have an attitude of gratefulness.  So for both the men and women of IBC that weekend was a blessing for all.

The moth of December created even more reason to celebrate as the church witnessed the baptism of 4 young adults Diana and Eliza from Romania and Gideon and Esther from Nigeria.  It has been encouraging to see the work that Christ is doing in each of their lives.

Diana was one of those baptized in December

Every year the church has it's Christmas program at the beginning of the month, because later in the month many of our families travel to their home countries. We enjoyed our Christmas choir, children's program and a variety of Christmas carols sang in Hebrew, French, Romanian, Nigerian and of course in English.  All this was followed by a time of fellowship at the church. It was a packed house and we are thrilled that we once again had such a good opportunity to share the gospel with so many.

This years Christmas program involved many different cultures

In the Christmas spirit and with a desire to minister to our community, the church organized a shoe-box project that helped more than 30 children receive a gift this year. Once we had fully collected all the gifts a few families from of our church joined us as we distributed the gifts to the shelter.  Those who joined us sang some carols and spent extra time with each child and their parents.  It is a thrill for us to see the church becoming more and more involved with those in need in our community.

The children of Casa Ioana were thrilled by their gifts

As we entered into the New Year we were given the opportunity to travel across Romania to the city of Timisoara to partner with some friends there in the work of training others to do biblical counseling.  This time was well spent as we saw almost 30 come to participate in the training.  We hope that God will bless the work and that there will be some who will complete the training over time so that they will become skilled in helping others through biblical counseling themselves.  So please keep each of these individual's in your prayers as they train to become effective in helping others with their problems through the scriptures.

Training new biblical counselors in Timisoara

On a personal note, we would like to update you that my mom's recovery (Naty's mom) is slow, but moving in the right direction, we believe.  We would ask you to continue to pray for her and pray that God will continue to give the doctors wisdom to help her in her recovery.  We are grateful for each of you and your partnership through the years.  We pray that God will bless each of you with a very fruitful New Year!

Taking Advantage of The Opportunities

A few weeks ago we had the privilege to attend the annual meeting for the churches that are part of the International Baptist Convention.  This year it was held in Sofia, Bulgaria.  Bill had a few responsibilities during the conference.  God gave him the opportunity to lead the Missions Ministry Team and the strategic partnership with Moldova meeting's the IBC had while we were there.  At the end of the week the pastor from our sister church in Sofia, Scot Chadwick, asked Bill to share with the congregation there on Sunday.  The make-up of this church is also very international. As a result, it has the opportunity to minister to a lot of refugee's coming from Iran, Pakistan, and Nigeria.  For many of them they are in a foreign land, with a different language, and a new culture with its own challenges.  Some are running from persecution back home hoping to find something better in Bulgaria.  Yet, once they arrive they find things rather unfriendly and unfair.  In Bill's message he shared about Ruth and Naomi and it seemed to encourage many.  It was about how Ruth and Naomi at one point in both of their lives were facing the challenges of a foreign culture, while dealing with loss and hardship.  Even though both faced similar trials, they responded differently to them. Naomi chose to become bitter, yet Ruth chose to trust God and follow where He led her.

Bill sharing with the church in Sofia, Bulgaria

On a different occasion recently God opened the door for Bill to attend the British School’s regular time of assembly with the children of the grade school.  He was asked to speak with them about the theme of Thanksgiving.  Bill was very excited to have had this opportunity as he was able to share with the children that God is the source of all we have and therefore, it is only right for us to praise and thank him.  We trust that this time will be used to open even greater doors of opportunity to the families of the British School.  Please pray for open doors of opportunity there.

Bill sharing with the children of the British School

Every week God has allowed for many of the expats wives to meet on Wednesday mornings for a time of fellowship, but mainly for a time of studying God's Word!  It's an amazing group! The group can be as big as 30 ladies from more than 15 nations. We come from very different backgrounds and we welcome non-believers as well. We've had a lot of Buddhist attend the group. What makes it amazing is that we are so different, but yet we all agree to stick to the Scriptures and seek the answers God has for us in his word.  As one woman from Korea recently said to me, this Bible study was a haven for her in Bucharest. This was quite an amazing statement since she comes from a Buddhist background. She told me when her and her husband recently moved to Moscow that she was going to look for another bible study group instead of a Buddhist temple. I want to ask you to please pray for these precious ladies.  For those who know Christ, pray that they will grow closer to him and for those who do not that they will make a decision to follow him.

The women's study in Bucharest

On a personal note, we continue to praise God for how he has blessed my dad with a new liver to save his life.  He is so alive and has so much energy, that we can't keep up with him. We do though have a prayer request for my mother's health.  She has severe problems with her back.  Different doctors told her that her only option was back surgery. They told her if she chose not to have it that it was very likely that she would become paralyzed by one of her vertebra severing nerves in her back. So we praise God that a week ago she under went a success procedure repairing the damage in her back. You ask why do we ask for prayer?We ask you to pray that God will help provide for the medical bill's my parents now owe as a result of this surgery. For them it is a great deal of money. Pray for God's provision in their lives.

My mom in the hospital after successful back surgery

  

Miles, Miles & More Miles

After covering  over 12.000 miles and over 15 states in a little over three months, Bill and I have finally arrived back home in Romania after our long trip in the United States.  While we were there we visited with family, friends and several churches.  The end of August we returned back to Bucharest.

September 8th, the church enjoyed its annual welcome back BBQ.  We had great weather, lots of food and wonderful fellowship.  This year, it's the first time the members of the church organized the event on their own. The day started with everyone meeting for a short service at the church, where Bill presented an overview of who the church is, what we believe in and how someone can get connect it.  Then, we actually tried to connect over lunch in the park. We also had special guests with us from the home office of our mission agency Global Outreach.  Lyle and Rose have been with us to see the ministry but they came with a servant's heart helping us to get ready for the BBQ as we were still trying to get over the jet lag.

September 9th-13th, Bill taught counseling training classes to a core group of pastors and their wives in the south of Moldova.  These are people that have been exposed to counseling before through partnering with the Counseling Ministry of Faith Church, Lafayette.  This partnership is continuing, but it is more focused on leaders that are actually doing counseling now.

September 15th, the church had the Annual Ministry Fair.  This is a time for new comers to find out how they can be involved in the church and how to make a difference in the community.  We had 5 different guests present the ministry opportunity in the community:

  1. Hospices of Hope who ministers to terminally ill adults and children.  The hospice is a new concept in Romania.  It is a Christian organization.

  2. Human Trafficking Shelter lead by Monica, a pastor's wife from Bucharest. The only Christian outreach to the victims that were trafficked.

  3. Touched Romania, a shelter for abused mothers.  They care for the moms and their children as they go through struggles. Also, they teach the mothers various skills to help them be more independent.

  4. Ioana's House a shelter for homeless people. For a limited time people can stay there.  They are helped to get legal status, a job, a place to live and children in school.

  5. Second Chance Romania teaches the unfortunate skills and creates job opportunities helping children go to school, providing a work place for some villages around Bucharest.

On a personal note, Bill and I have just celebrated our 9th anniversary.  God has been so gracious to us.  He has blessed us with a wonderful marriage and has made us great partners in the ministry.  All glory to God!

On The Move There & Here

Over the last few months God has allowed Bill to train Daniel from Nigeria for the ministry.  He came to Romania to study at a local university, but after he started to learn more about the Bible and how to study it on his own he then decided he wanted to go to seminary and be in the ministry full time.  What an amazing opportunity to influence a young person like this from Nigeria in the heart of Romania.  Please pray for Daniel that God will guide him and use him for his kingdom and that a door will be opened for him to study and prepare for the ministry. 

Daniel and Bill studying Bible Study Methods

Once a month Bill is equipping people from our church with the tools every Christian needs to be able to share their faith, to study the Scriptures and to live a godly life.  The end of April he taught us how you can give an overview of the Bible in just twelve words.  It was an amazing ride through the Old and New Testament.   

Bill teaching the overview of the bible

In May, several ladies and I (Naty) from our church attended the annual women’s conference organized by the International Baptist Convention.  God allowed me to be part of the Women’s Ministry Team representing the convention.  Each spring the convention organizes a conference to reach women from many International Churches across Europe and beyond.   This year, 150 ladies from over 20 nations gathered in the hometown of Corrie Ten Boom, in the Netherlands for a time of encouragement in God’s word.  This conference is so important because it ministers to ladies from all over the world who go through similar challenges brought by their transient life style either because of their own job that moves them every 2 years or because they follow their spouse when his job gets relocated.   Praise God for a blessed time and hearts that were restored!

Women’s ministry team for the Convention

Ladies from Bucharest in Corrie Ten Boom’s house

In the last few months the church has been exposed to a new ministry in Bucharest that works with women caught in human trafficking.  Monica, a pastor’s wife from Romania, found out about the grim reality of humanly trafficked women and with God’s help she opened up a safe house for them. Because of the lack of jobs, Romanian ladies go to work in Europe and many of them end up being caught up in this sort of tragic circumstance, but they don’t have anything waiting for them if they ever return to their former life.  This Christian safe house that just opened up ministers to those girls abused, that by God’s grace, are able to escape.   The church is learning how to better get involved in this great ministry opportunity.  Members of the church have already started being involved by providing dry foods, soil for the garden, volunteer work and a lot of prayer.  If you want to learn more about this unique ministry opportunity you may want to watch the movie ‘Nefarious’ which you can find in your local Christian bookstores.  Please pray for Monica, for the workers and for the women that will come through this safe house.     

Monica (in red) shares about the shelter at a Women’s Bible Study

Many of you have been praying for my dad as he was fighting hepatitis C.  This month we will celebrate one year since his liver transplant. While dad was in Italy, before even being on a transplant list, he started a Romanian/Moldovan church.  After one year the church has grown to approximately 60 members.  Recently, they brought in a Moldovan family to pastor the church. My dad has recovered very well and is now serving in the ministry in Moldova.  We thank you for your prayers for my dad over this past year.  

My dad with the new Moldovan church in Italy

On a personal note, Bill and I are now in the States visiting family, friends and ministry partners.  My older brother Vali, who lives in Atlanta, got married May 25^th.  What a great excuse to come back to the States!   While we are here we will be covering over 8000 miles by car and a few by plane visiting with families and speaking in churches.  If we don’t get the chance to thank you in person we would like to once again to express our gratitude for partnering with us in the ministry God has called us too in Eastern Europe. 

Vali (my brother) and Elizabeth on their Wedding Day