Europe

ROMANIA – GERMANY – NETHERLANDS – BELGIUM – FRANCE

February 19 – March 12, 2009

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father
and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
(Mathew 28:19-20)

 

Greetings to you all in the most precious name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

By the Grace of our Lord, we had the opportunity to minister once again. At this time, Pavel Sav and I departed from Chicago together with my parents and two nephews towards Romania. We arrived in Bucharest, RO and our contacts were waiting for us. A representative from the ‘Zacchaeus Mission’ named Tamara Ulmeanu, Dinica Ioan and other representatives from ‘Rock of Ages’; Alin Cucu drove us from the airport to our first city, Giulesti, RO where we ministered to a group of about ninety male youth from a juvenile prison. Afterwards we ministered to the prison’s female youth group and we gave both groups food and other goods. At night Alin Cucu drove us to Braila, a city close to the Danube River.

On Saturday February 21^st in the morning together with Vasile Tofan, former boxing champion of Romania who was saved in a prison by Jesus Christ, ministered with us in a juvenile prison in Tichilesti, RO. Even though it was a Saturday, the director and personnel came from they homes to meet and give us a tour of the prison. There were about sixty-five youth that came to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ and some of them broke up into tears and repented. The director introduced us to the beautiful crafts and woodwork the youth created. In the afternoon, we drove to Galati, RO where we ministered to the about seventy-five inmates that came to hear the good news of Salvation. Guards and personnel from the education department of the prison attended this meeting and we prayed at the end for all of them that God’s peace will protect their hearts and minds in Jesus Christ. The atmosphere of peace settled in that place and people left with a joy in their hearts and their hope was restored.

On Sunday February 22^nd, we had the privilege to minister to a prison in Braila on this morning. Even the guards did not want to allow many of the inmates to hear the good news but after former inmate Vasile Tofan, currently a minister of the Word of God, complained about why they restrained some inmates from attending. After their discussion with Vasile, they allowed all of those that wanted to come. Adrian Burghelia, a former inmate that was saved in the prison by Jesus Christ while serving for aggravated battery and theft, being delivered by the Power of the Holy Spirit – is going back to prisons to minister to the inmates with songs and words of exhortation from the Bible. Despite the arguments that were with the rude guards, God created a powerful atmosphere of Joy, Happiness, Love and Peace. The atmosphere created by God through the songs of worship was so sweet and we saw the yolk broken in many hearts. Many inmates almost refused to leave the gathering towards the end, when the guards dismissed the service. We were very blessed by this atmosphere in God’s presence. In the afternoon we visited a place where former inmates Vasile Tofan, Alin Cucu and Adrian Burghelia are planning to re-build a recovery site for inmates that don’t have a place to live after their sentence. In the evening, we ministered in a Christian church called Golgotha in Braila, where Pastor Daniel Buzatu welcomed us for worship. Many members were restored and refreshed that evening by the presence of the Holy Spirit. After the service, we visited peasant families from the area of Braila and offered them goods in the Name of our Lord. Many families were affected by the economical recession. Later that night after a delicious dinner prepared by Alin Cucu’s wife, we drove to the city of Vaslui where our representatives, Pastors Ioan Florea and Petrica Postu were waiting for us and accommodated us at their home for the night.

On Monday February 23^rd, they drove us to Piatra Neamt, the northern part of Moldova, where Pastor and overseer Liviu Axinte welcomed us in the region. He has organized a revival and evangelism in all the state of Piatra Neamt and Bacau. He invited speakers from all over the country to minister in over sixty villages for one week for this event. It happened that our trip accommodated this event and on Monday night, we ministered in the village of Telea. Hundreds of people overfilled the church to hear the Gospel. Even the mayor of the village attended and spoke words of appreciation for the Christian community. Later that same night, Daniel Ursulean from Suceava came and drove us to Suceava (north-east part of Romania) where my parents settled and waited for us.

On Tuesday February 24^th, we drove from Suceava to Iasi to minister in the Iasi Prison because I received a letter from an inmate here while I was in Chicago about the impact that the Gospel has done in his life in one of our previous mission trips there. On our way to Iasi, I stopped to the village Oniceni where I built a church years ago with God’s help and now the owner that donated the land for the church had just passed away and it so happened to attend the funeral service. This village extremely rejected Christ believers years ago before I started the church even when I dedicated the church to the Lord, the orthodox priest from the village told the people that whosoever enters the church, won’t be buried by him and people were afraid to come. Now, the man that took the courage to donate that land, whose some of his children were first saved and have a heart for the Lord, survived through this time of opposition. This funeral was a privilege to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ to almost all the people from the village since they all came and filled the area and streets. Some came by the curiosity of seeing how the first funeral was taking place among Christians and they were impressed by the powerful messages, worship and songs sang by the choir from Suceava. God is making his way even in a village where people doubted there was any hope for Salvation. I believe the impact that the Word of God preached with the occasion of this funeral will change many lives in this village. In the afternoon we arrived in the prison of Iasi and ministered there to about sixty inmates. The general director of the prison and assistant director Carmen Matei welcomed us even though we arrived on short-notice. But they saw that only the power of the Gospel can really transform a life. Inmates are hopeless and need someone to minister to them with love and care. Hygienic necessities were given to inmates that attended the meeting. We prayed for all of them and left the in the care of our Lord, Jesus Christ. In the evening, we had a meeting with Pastor Emil Cailean from the city Iasi and visited his church site. Later that evening, we drove back to Suceava and had a late dinner with Barsan Nicolae and Valentina’s family.

On Wednesday February 25^th, we went to Botosani (further north) where we ministered in the prison there to about seventy inmates. Goods also were also given for their personal needs. In the afternoon, we drove to the village of Radauti-Prut the northern part of Romania, which shares borders with Ukraine. A big flood swept this village in the summer of 2008 from the Prut River where seventy percent of the homes were demolished. People were living in temporary homes. We helped them with money. Our rep from the area, Pastor Viorel Ignat, led us in this region and many families were helped in the Mitoc Prut village where we started to build a church one year ago.

On Thursday February 26^th, we drove to Tibeni, another village that was affected by the same flood and destroyed many homes. Here I visited one of my uncles, Constantin and Silvia Iacoban who described that the flood came about two meters high and destroyed all his goods and agriculture machines were taken away by the flood. Next we went to village Satu Mare, where I was born and helped a family to restore their home from a fire. Christian brothers were also helping them at the time. Later that afternoon we went to city Radauti, where we visited sick persons in a hospital. One of my cousins, Viorel Donisan, was patient at that hospital at the time and we prayed for him and his situation that God would restore his health. Pavel Sav ministered to a church in Dornesti later that evening. I was able to visit my cousins and in-laws in Romania.

On Friday February 27^th, we drove to Bistrita in the morning towards Cluj and at night we arrived in Starciu-Salaj where brother Pavel Sav was born. Brothers and sisters from that village came during a special evening service to seek the Lord and receive from Him joy and happiness. We had seen all people with their faces shine with God’s presence. We spent the night at one family’s home where we were welcomed with so much love.

On Saturday February 28^th, we drove to Arad and in the evening arrived in Timisoara from there to Ghiroda where Pavel’s brother resides and pastors a church.

On Sunday March 1^st, we attended the local church in Ghiroda and had communion and preached ‘Christ’s work of Redemption for Mankind’. Many lives were touched and delivered of their guilt and received communion with Christ. In the afternoon, I ministered in a small church in Germata Vii, a village close to Timisoara. Pavel ministered to Rechas and Remetea Churches.

On Monday March 2^nd, we ministered to the prison in Timisoara where Dinica Ioan that came from Bucharest and other ministers from Timisoara accompanied us. Songs of worship were sung and created an atmosphere of Joy and Peace rested on each of those sixty-five inmates that came to hear us with the message of Salvation of encouragement from the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Many of them dedicated and some re-dedicated their lives to Christ. We went to the village of Comlosu Mare that noon where they held a special evening service. This village is on the far western part of Romania – close to the Serbian border.

 On Tuesday March 3^rd, we flew from Timisoara to Frankfurt, Germany where Doru Simon from Holland, Netherlands picked us up with his car and drove us to his home in Sittard, South Holland. Sittard (Limburgish: Zitterd) is a city in the Dutch province of Limburg, which is the southernmost province of the Netherlands.

On Wednesday March 4^th, we went to visit the local prison in the area but unfortunately we were not granted any access because of the restriction they have against foreigners. However, we met with the pastor of the church and the chaplain of that area.

On Thursday March 5^th, we left to Belgium where we arrived by car and Gheorghe Lupancu awaited us and held a tour for us in the city of Brussel (Capital of Belgium). In the evening, we attended a service in a Romanian community church where about 800 Romanian’s worshipped God and had fellowship. I was surprised to meet some of my nephews that worked there and they had experienced the power of transformation in their life. I have never met them before that evening. We slept in Belgium’s capital that night.

On the morning of Friday March 6^th, we departed for France and arrived in Paris around noon. We toured the city and in the evening we went to a prayer meeting in Paris International Church. Romanians working in France gather together in this church and usually number around 600. Pastor Grighore Creta had a special night of prayer and seeking the power of the Holy Spirit where youth came to seek the power of God with fervent prayer until even the ceilings of that room in the church were humid but their hearts were hot for God.

On Saturday March 7^th, we drove to Germany where we found Petrica Lorentiu and his wife Victoria in Venwegen close to Aachen in the southern part of Germany. Petrica had an accident earlier and damaged his spine to the point where he became crippled. When we arrived in his home he was with his bible open seeking God. We brought him a message of encouragement to focus more on what he has and not on what he has immobilized. After our time of discussion with him and his wife, Petrica expressed his desire to be closer with God and to receive the baptism in water. He that believes in Jesus and is baptized will be saved but he that doesn’t will be condemned.

On Sunday March 8^th, we attended morning service in a Dutch church in Schinnen, Limburg. I brought them our greetings and brother Doru Simon interpreted for me in Dutch. In the afternoon we went to the only Romanian church in Eindhoven, Holland. Here they have fellowship service every other week since members come a long way to worship God in the Romanian language. It was a blessed afternoon service, which brought encouragement to about 70 people that came from far away. Many were touched by God’s presence and received blessings of Joy, Peace & Happiness. Even healings were performed when we prayed for the sick.
On Monday morning March 9^th, we returned back to Venwegen where we fulfilled Petrica Lorentiu’s desire and commitment to be baptized into Christ in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Together with Doru Simon, a deacon and leader from Holland, Petrica received the baptism that Jesus has commanded to every believer. His wife Victoria was also willing to receive the baptism in water in the month of May this year when the church in Holland will have such an event. We left them with words of hope in God that restores not only the spirit but also the body that was damaged when Petrica had the accident. He believes that God can heal him and make him whole for which we prayed. We returned back to Holland in the afternoon and we met with Arlin Meyer, an American missionary in Holland, and spoke about our vision to have a prison ministry in this area. He is involved with recovering those that are addicted to drugs and alcohol in the area of Limburg. They have purchased a monastery for the purpose of a recovery home in Maastricht, the city in which the European Union was formed in the year 2000. Holland is a very spiritually dead country which needs a revival.

On Tuesday March 10^th, Beny Simon drove us to Rostock, northern Germany in a city called Greifswald where Viorel Puscasu is held in a nursing home due to his paralyzed condition. He was shot in his upper spine 15 years ago in Germany from which he can now only move his head. From his condition, he is seeking God to restore his spiritual relationship with the Creator who can restore his damaged body parts. We encouraged him to seek Him with all his heart, mind and soul and to have a passion for Him. The local pastors Merja & Jarmo Palomaki, originally from Finland, came to meet us and allowed us to stay in his parsonage home for the night.

On Wednesday morning March 11^th, we left Greifswald and headed to Berlin where we visited the Berlin ruins of the former communist wall that divided western from eastern Germany till 1989. From there we went to Frankfurt and we stayed overnight to Gabriel Salanta’s family, an Automobile businessman & Romanian church leader in Germany, where we had a great time of fellowship with his family and other friends that came to meet us.

On the morning of Thursday March 12^th, we departed from Frankfurt to Chicago with Lufthansa airline and arrived safely home. For all this we are so grateful to our Lord who made it possible, lead us and protected our families and us. Even now as I write this report, my heart goes to those countries of Western Europe and I pray that God will send His Spirit to revive the cold hearts there.