If you are following this series “Praying for the Balkans, Project”, you will find we are off track. We should be praying for Macedonia this week. The Romanian outreach I just came back from was intense, so seeking God and researching Macedonia will be scheduled for next week. Let me tell you about Romania and add some prayers at the end.
Thank you for your prayers. The outreach to Roma (gypsy) villages in Romania was a success. We were able to touch the lives of many. We targeted a village named Ormenis.
Here is a capsule of what we did.
The team of eleven people met at the airport in Bucharest on the afternoon of Thursday Jan. 12th. (Team: 7 from Texas and 4 from Berlin, Germany) We then proceeded to a Wallmart-type superstore where we begin to pick out coats, scarves, blankets, gloves and hats. We had twelve (12) overflowing shopping carts of items. After checking out we boxed them, loaded the vans and drove for about 3 to 4 hours upto Apata. We arrived at our hotel just around 10:30pm admitting we were very tired.
Friday morning we meet at our host church, City on a Hill (All this time I have been stating the church name wrong, it is City on a Hill not Church on a Hill). We had a time of meeting the team from the host church. Before we started sorting the clothing, we had a time of worship. My wife, Zuzanna (Susie), directed the sorting and re-boxing. (Her experience in retail clothing was so helpful) Also we sorted the boots and shoes that had been previously bought.
Friday afternoon we went to Ormenis, divided into teams and begin house to house evangelism in a poor part of the village. These people welcome you into their homes with no questions asked. (This type of evangelism would be really hard in America) It is amazing how humble and hospitable these people are. The team I led visited five homes. Our team prayed with ten people to receive Jesus. One of the homes that really touched me was where a middle aged couple lived. They could not afford electricity in their small home. Their son, daughter, son-in-law and their small child were present. The family was real sorrowful because their son/brother had just been sentenced to three years in prison. The mother was emotionally overcome by grief so we prayed with her and her imprisoned son. We then presented Jesus and ask if they would like to receive Him into their hearts. The mother and her daughter accepted Jesus. The sad part was that the men would not accept the Lord. To see someone reject the Lord like that was emotional to me.
Saturday we went back to Ormenis to distribute the items we brought. This was a massive operation where we again went house to house in the same area we had evangelized the day before. It was amazing to see the emotional response as these needy people received new coats, scarves, gloves, blankets, hats and shoes. Oh, yes, we also had some stuffed animals that my job had donated. With it snowing and the temperatures being below freezing, these items resulted in warmth for body and soul.
Sunday we ministered in the host church in Apata. In Romania, this is a large church for a village. Actually people are also bussed in and come on the train from other villages for the Sunday morning service. It was about a 3 to 4 hour service. The worship was great and our key speaker and team mate, Gary Billups gave an encouraging word.
The team flew out from Romania on Monday morning. We may never fully know how much Romanian lives were changed but we do know how our lives were changed. Although I was on the team that went last year, this year I think I received a deeper understanding of the spiritual and physical needs of the country.
For Prayer:
• Pray for the church, City on a Hill, as they now take on the task of doing following-up.
• Pray for this village of Ormenis. Pray that the seeds sewed will not be stolen by the enemy.
• Pray for European Initiative, who organized the outreach. May the staff be blessed as they continue to fulfill their vision to evangelize Europe. Lord, open the doors.
• Pray for those that gave to make this outreach possible.
Please leave a Comment or Reaction so we will know you Prayed.
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