Sharing Christmas in Bucuresti With Marius

Marius is from the Betesda Home for Boys in Galati. It has been a pleasure to have him in our home to celebrate Christmas. Marius brought much joy and laughter to our celebration. One of his requests was to practice the English alphabet, practice we did. When it came time for Marius to approach the white board, unlike Romanian tradition we had to open the windows. Suddenly he became quite warm (perhaps nerves!), Marius even removed his pullover sweater. Randy and I both had a laugh over his hot flash.

As you can see from the pictures, it was fun to watch Marius open his gifts. He had never heard of, much less eaten pecan pie. It was quite a treat for him, I can't remember how many pieces of the pie he consumed. Randy and Marius took a long ride on the subway (Metro). This was a first for Marius also. He was very excited and impressed with the experience. While they were out and about, they went to the mall at Piata Unirii, another first for Marius. At the Mall he posed beside Santa for a picture. Christmas evening the two of them rode the tram-vi out to Baneasa Airport, Marius had never seen an airplane. They were able to watch a couple of big planes take off from the airport; but didn't get to see any land. This was very exciting for Marius. Future plans include a trip to tour The Peoples Palace and whatever else they can squeeze in. Marius had decided he really likes Bucuresti, and has already asked if he can come back next Christmas. I have enjoyed cooking for him and Randy, my pantry is almost empty...tomorrow it's off to Kaufland!

Marius has been a blessing to us and we hope that it has been a blessing for him to be here in our home for Christmas.

Happy Birthday

Our CHRISTmas gift.

I know that you are expecting a blog about Jesus and CHRISTmas, but today is also Romanian independence day. And you are not going to see a blog about that either. Instead you will see a blog about someone born some 2000 years after Jesus on December 25. He is the champion origami maker for his age in this part of the world.
Dorian is the son of Laura and Roland, our friends from Galati, here is a video filmed at the Galati Botanical Garden cultural center in Galati. His work has also been displayed at the National Children’s Theater in Bucuresti.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DORIAN

CHRISTmas in Bucuresti

A Christmas Message

1John 1:5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

As time goes on things become increasingly clearer to me.
Matthew begins his gospel with these words:
Mat 1:1 The book of the generation of Jesus Christ…..
He began hundreds of years before Jesus and went through the generations to the Christ and then told of the events that he, Matthew witnessed.

Mark’s good news starts:
Mar 1:1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God;
Mar 1:2 As it is written in the prophets…..
At that point Mark writes of John, God’s messenger, and the meeting of John and Jesus at the Jordan River.

Luke writes to his friend Theophilus that he:
Luke 1:4 That thou mightest know the certainty of those things…
Then Luke begins with the physical lives of John and Jesus.

John’s good news goes much farther back then any of the others:
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Shortly afterward John the writer begins with the accounts of John the baptizer.

All these accounts of this, the greatest event, are done to give proof of the life of Christ. We get all caught up in the baby Jesus this time each year, but the real story is His life, His death and His resurrection.
What becomes more clear to me is the fact that we need to follow the examples of these men. Be like Luke, take time to tell your friends that Jesus saves. Be like Paul tell everyone you meet that Jesus paid our sin debt. Have you told anyone today? This week? This month? This year?

Paul wrote to the church in Rome and said:
Rom 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
There are a lot of folks that believe in their heart’s but never a word comes out of their mouth’s. Look at this verse, if you confess and believe then you are saved. Jesus said if you are ashamed of Him, He will also be ashamed of you. You do not want you savior to be ashamed of you!
For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it.
For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?…
(If)Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; (Then)of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels. Mark 8:35-38

It is time that we do as Jesus told us to do:
Mar 8:34 And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
If you are a Christian, then this life is not about you, it is about Jesus. Remember the whole life of Jesus, the gift from God the Father, and the promise that lives in you, God the Holy Spirit. Make a new years resolution that you can keep, confess that Jesus is your Lord before people. Tell your family that Jesus saves, tell your friends about the hope that lives in you, tell you enemies that Jesus loves them too.

Make this your new years verse, live by it. Do not deceive yourself:
James 1:22 (KJV)But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. (CEV) Obey God's message! Don't fool yourselves by just listening to it.

Let me restate my opening thought; as time goes on things become increasingly clearer to me. Jesus is the Way, The Truth, and The Life no one goes to the Father in heaven except though Jesus.

Thank you all for praying for us this year, may God bless you for those prayers.
Just two sinners saved by grace, Randy and Teresa Myers

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow!

Well folks, we may not get the white Christmas I have been dreaming of, but we are having a beautiful snowfall today! It is amazing how this white frosty powder falling from the sky hides all the ugliness of the city so quickly. Just as astonishing is the way it muffles all the traffic noise, the clickity-clack from the tram-vi as it makes its way down the tracks on the street outside, the honking of the cars seems almost undetectable, wow I really like this stuff! This is the day Randy pulled out the thermal underwear before he went outside, so it seems ole man winter has officially arrived in Bucuresti. I don't mind, I'm a winter person. All I have to do to get warmed up is think about the HOT fires my Dad used to build in our wood heating stove! Man could he build a fire, those were the good ole days, what precious memories I have.

As I set here working on this blog and watching the snowfall from my office window, once again those words; white as snow, white as snow, white as snow come to my mind. When I was a little girl I helped my Mom with our laundry. Our sheets were always so white, white as snow. Mom kept them white as snow by using an agent called bluing in the rinse water. After she put the bluing in the water it looked like Easter egg dye. I just knew those sheets were going to turn blue. They never did, they always came out so nice and white, white as snow! There was an agent applied to our sins that washed them white like snow as well. However, it wasn't something so simple as bluing. What washes our sins white as snow? The blood of Jesus Christ.

Isa 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags

If you have never accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, we pray that you would do so. There is no sin too big or bad that He can not forgive. Jesus is standing at your hearts door knocking, open the door and let Him come in.

Isa 1:18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

Jesus Christ can wash your sins white as snow, open the door and let Him come in.

I'm Dreaming Of A White Christmas

As far back as I can remember I've been crazy about snow. I become as excited as a small child on Christmas morning any time I see that first snowflake fall. Randy has some difficulty understanding my infatuation with this white, cold, frozen glittery blanket that covers the ground. It doesn't seem too promising there will be a white Christmas in Bucuresti this Christmas, however we all know weathermen aren't always correct in their predictions; so I'm still hoping.

I can explain a large portion of my fondness for this creation, snow. God gave us the different seasons to enjoy, each of them have their own distinct beauties for our enjoyment and pleasure. Winter is my favorite season, you guessed it; because of the snow. I am going to use another person's words to express the reason for my excitement and adoration for snow. These words are a true picture of what snow brings to my mind when I have the privilege and opportunity to view the splendor and beauty of this mantle of white:

"Every snowflake came to earth as a picture of our Savior’s birth, because they are sent from up above and remind us of God’s care and love.

Each one is so intricate and small because Christ see the details of us all, and just as two are never the same the Lord knows and calls us each by name.

Snowflakes gently cover the world in white and hide what’s unlovely from our sight, showing us how He covers our sin and gives us His grace when we come to Him.

So may every snowflake bring Christ to mind and in every bit of white may you find a reason to celebrate anew and a reminder of his love for you."

Have you ever compared yourself to a snowflake, God made you completely different from everyone else; all of us are unique and individually designed, yet He knows every infinite detail about each of us. God knows our strengths, weaknesses, talents, thoughts, our needs before we ever ask, every sin we have or will commit, and yet He loves us. His desire is that none perish, that's why God sent his only son to earth, born in a manger to die on a cross; so the world could have eternal life.

Isa 1:18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

Whether or not you have a White Christmas, our prayer is that you make room in your heart for the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ the one who can wash your sins white as snow. He is the reason for the season, and the reason we celebrate.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year
Randy and Teresa Myers

Hope Across the Street !

Today I went with two colleagues, Bob and Richard to see some work being done in the Ferentari area of Bucuresti. We are told this is the poorest part of Bucuresti. Bob had talked to Ovidiu, the director of the foundation, at Holy Trinity Church here in Bucuresti.
We found the reports about the area to be correct as far as the poverty is concerned. But we did find hope in all the hopelessness, The Philip House Foundation. This is a operating kindergarten which doubles as a outreach for the community.
The workers here help older children with their home work and give them lunch each school day. Ovidiu told us they spend about $300 each day on food, which is mainly rice and potatoes. The out reach is operated from funding he gets from donations, mostly locally. The building is owned by the city and is only open to the foundation because they operate the kindergarten. The foundation gets sponsors for some of the kindergartners because they do not have the money to go to the school and the kindergarten must maintain at least 100 students.
The building has a dental office and a doctors office that are open when ever either one donates their time to work in them. There is also a small kitchen and a lunch room as while as a class room. We saw that they had some computers but were told that they did not work so no one is able to learn how to use them.
In spite of the short comings this is one great ministry. Even though they are not allowed to do direct evangelizing everyone in this community can see God’s love in the people who work here. Please pray that this ministry will be blessed by our Father in the coming year.

Also Ovidiu told us teams are welcome, besides clinic teams, a VBS team would be helpful in this area, he can use about any type of team.
Their web site is:
http://www.caminul-phillip.ro/

Unto Us A Child Was Born

Randy and I want to wish our family, faithful prayer partners and dear friends a Merry Christmas. This is my favorite time of the year. I am always so humbled each year when I consider the love of God through his gift to the world in the birth of Jesus.

During my lifetime, I have had many beautifully wrapped and bedazzled gifts under the Christmas tree. Oh how they catch the eye and spark the imagination of our Granddaughter Emma! When our children were small Christmas couldn't arrive quick enough. The beautiful lights and all the decorations are breathtaking and I do so enjoy the excitement of it all myself.

Our prayer this Christmas season is in all the hustle and bustle, in all the festivities, in all the comings and goings, gift buying, gift wrapping, house cleaning, getting ready for guests, preparing to travel and cooking that wonderful Christmas dinner; that we do not fail to remember something of great importance.......

Luk 2:10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
Luk 2:11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

Jesus Christ is the reason we celebrate Christmas. God sent his son to earth that special day gift wrapped in the body of a precious baby boy; the Savior of the World. Jesus, a gift for anyone who will accept Him.

Once again, we wish you a very Merry Christmas from our hearts to yours and may God bless you with a New Year filled with happiness and health.

Randy and Teresa

Who do you Admire?

From time to time I look at the blogs of the people I know, trying to keep up with them and what is happening in their lives. Recently I was reading the blog of a young person that Teresa and I have grown to love and I was somewhat concerned with a statement made there, “I admire him”. The “him” was a person who was active in helping others, which is a great thing to do. Paul says in Romans:

If our gift is to speak God's message, we should do it according to the faith that we have; if it is to serve, we should serve; if it is to teach, we should teach; if it is to encourage others, we should do so. Whoever shares with others should do it generously; whoever has authority should work hard; whoever shows kindness to others should do it cheerfully. Romans 12:6-8


What concerns me is people admiring people. That is like one painting admiring another painting. How many people admire of the painting of Mona Lisa but rarely admire the talent of Leonardo Da Vinci. And if they do admire Da Vinci do they ever admire the creator who gave Da Vinci those talents?

Rom 1:25 They exchange the truth about God for a lie; they worship and serve what God has created instead of the Creator himself, who is to be praised forever! Amen

Worshiping and serving created things leads to other sins (see Romans chapter 1) and some religions are basic on this sin:

Deu 5:7 " 'Worship no god but Me.

Know any tree huggers? Know anyone who trusts the stars instead of God? How about devil worshipers? Anyone who puts other people ahead of God?

Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Mat 6:19-21

Where do you spend your time? A girl friend, or a boy friend?
Where do you spend your money? A boat, traveling, or shopping?
We all should get serious about what we do with our resources:
And He said to them, Watch and keep yourselves from covetousness. For a man's life is not in the abundance of the things which he possesses. Luke 12:15
"But God said to him, 'You fool! I will demand your life from you tonight! Now who will get what you've accumulated?' That's how it is when a person has material riches but is not rich in his relationship with God." Luke 12:20-21

Admiration of other people and physical things, should never be given priority in our lives. Even in our prayer life:
"So do not start worrying: 'Where will my food come from? or my drink? or my clothes?' (These are the things the pagans are always concerned about.) Your Father in heaven knows that you need all these things. Instead, be concerned above everything else with the Kingdom of God and with what he requires of you, and he will provide you with all these other things. Mat 6:31-33

John 14:15 "If you love me, you will obey my commandments.
John 15:14 And you are my friends if you do what I command you.
John 3:36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever disobeys the Son will not have life, but will remain under God's punishment.
James 1:22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
Romans 8:8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

Da Mario

Act 1:8 But when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will be filled with power, and you will be witnesses for me in Jerusalem, in all of Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

Ristorante Da Mario is approximately a 3 minute walk from our apartment. You will not find it in Jerusalem, Judea or Samaria. Ristorante Da Mario is located in Bucuresti, Romania; practically a stone's throw from the entrance of our block.

Last evening Randy and Dawn Nicholas came over for a visit and to give Randy N. the opportunity to work on our computers. Dawn and I spent the evening watching an old movie and visiting, while the men took care of the technology problems at hand. On completion of the repair work, the four of us headed to Da Mario for pizza.

Randy and I have been looking for a local establishment to start visiting and setting a pattern or routine for people to become familiar with our faces. Da Mario has become our destination to meet at least once weekly for dinner and follow immediately with Bible study. Randy and Dawn Nicholas joined us last night for the initial study. The service was good and the pizza was great. As in any restaurant, when we had finished our meal, the waiter cleared our table. We opened our Bibles and began reading from Colossians.

Col 3:16 Christ's message in all its richness must live in your hearts. Teach and instruct one another with all wisdom. Sing psalms, hymns, and sacred songs; sing to God with thanksgiving in your hearts.
Col 3:17 Everything you do or say, then, should be done in the name of the Lord Jesus, as you give thanks through him to God the Father.

From Colossians we went to many other chapters and verses as we continued our study for an hour. On three different occasions, our waiter and a waitress came by our table to see what we were doing. That's what this tool is all about, to get someone's attention, someone's curiosity stirred up, someone interested in who and what we are talking about. In today's busy society, you have to reach the lost where they are, even if it means when they take time from their schedule to stop for a meal.

Please be in prayer for Randy and me as we continue to search for new avenues to reach out to and witness to the lost in Bucuresti, our Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria.

Give Thanks

Emma Marie

Vivy, Daniela and Flori

Psa 95:2 Let us come before him with thanksgiving and sing joyful songs of praise.

Last Thursday Randy and I joined 7 other Missionary couples to celebrate Thanksgiving. One couple joined us from Moldova and another couple will soon be moving to Braila. We had a wonderful time of fellowship and a great thanksgiving feast with all the trimmings!

As I reflect on our blessings from God, quickly I realize how impossible it would be to count them all. My salvation, my marriage, health, family....on and on and on. The pictures I have attached to this blog are just 2 blessings that I chose to expound upon. In January we were truly blessed to become Grandparents to a precious little girl named Emma Marie. Instantly she won our hearts. What a pleasure and absolute joy it has been to be Grandparents, even at long distance. Randy and I are so thankful God has given man the knowledge to develop computer technology and skype which allows us to interact with Emma very frequently. It is our desire to have a spiritual influence upon her life as well as her 8 year old sister Kimber's. As Grandparents, we want to see our Grandchildren accept Jesus Christ as their Savior. Please pray for Randy and me that God will help us to be the Godly Grandparents that Emma and Kimber deserve. We are indeed so very thankful for Emma Marie and Kimber to be a part of our lives.

Vivy, Daniela and Flori are only 3 of the young ladies from Galati who were in the weekly Bible study group at my apartment in Galati. They came to Bucuresti and spent the night with Randy and me. What a joy to have them in our home. I miss this group of young ladies, as well as Katie, Gabby, Andrea and Larisa who aren't shown in the picture. All of these young ladies are very special, they have grown and matured in their walk with the Lord in the nearly 2 years that I have known them. I am very proud of them and their love for God and their willingness to serve him. They have been a blessing to my life. God richly blessed me when He brought them into my home each week, I will be forever thankful.

I am truly blessed and so thankful, God is so good. I hope each of you took time out of your busy schedule to ponder over all your many blessings.

Emanuel Baptist Christian Church

BISERICA CRESTINA BAPTISTA EMANUEL

Randy and I would like to introduce you to what we will consider our home church while we are here in Bucuresti. Emanuel Baptist Christian Church is located in the Southeast section of the city, this area is tagged "Berceni". Vali Radu is the Pastor of this flock of approximately one hundred. EBCC's congregation greets you with a firm hand shake and a very warm welcome that truly encourages you to sit down, enjoy the service, praise and fellowship.

Pastor Ovi of Holy Trinity in Galati and Pastor Vali are acquainted with one another.
As we said goodbye to Pastor Ovi and thanked him for all his help while we were in Galati, we told him we were attending Emanuel Church, he was pleased.

Biserica Crestina Baptista Emanuel and Pastor Vali has asked us to partner with them to instruct and encourage the congregation in evangelism. Pastor Vali is very eager to get out into the community of Berceni which encompasses the church and work with Randy to train his people how to evangelize the neighborhood for Christ.I will be involved in Bible study groups. There will be a group with the college age young ladies of the church and also a Bible study with the women of the church. The goal for these young ladies and women is to invite lost friends to the meetings.
We are extremely excited to receive this invitation to be a part of something of such importance as teaching and disciplining others.

Please pray for us as begin this new ministry. Pray that as God goes before us we will always follow his footsteps, that we will be a Christ like example to those following our leadership. Pray for Emanuel Baptist Christian Church and their burden to reach out to the lost in the community that many seeds will be planted and that they will see lost souls saved.

This Is Not Disney World

This is one of the remaining original gates of the wall that once protected the old City of Brasov, Romania. The town of Brasov was founded by Teutonic Knights at the beginning of the 13th century, no, this isn't Disney World!

Randy and I have recently moved to Bucuresti. Our team mates Bob and Margie Craig are hosting a short-term mission team from their hometown Hannibal, MO. Last week they wanted to take the team on a one day excursion to Brasov for a visit to the Black Church. The Black Church earned it's name from the great fire of the 1600's which destroyed the entire city and left the church severely damaged and covered with soot. We were invited to join the team for the day and thoroughly enjoyed the fellowship with people whose hearts are for "Missions" and sacrifice so much to come and work along side those of us on the field toward the advancement of God's Kingdom.

During the week in Bucuresti Bob, Margie, the team from Hannibal, Randy and Jeremy worked on the streets with the college students. This is Bob's target group. They made many contacts, passed out gospel tracts, talked to the students about Jesus Christ, and handed out New Testaments. There are up to 250,000 college students in the city of Bucuresti, pray for Bob and Margie as they work to develop relationships and start Bible studies with some of these students.

Randy and I would ask that you pray for us as we develop our new ministry here as well. We have attended a very nice, warm and friendly church here in Bucuresti. Randy is planning to meet with the Pastor to see just how he can work with him to be an asset to his church and community. Our team leader, Richard Clark has been more than helpful and encouraging since our arrival. He has assured us of nationals available and willing to help us with our ministry for translation and encouraged us to use them as much as necessary. We are excited to get out and get things rolling. Winter in rolling in and soon our work will be mostly limited to the metro down in the subways. We covet your prayers and thank you for your faithfulness in lifting us up to our Heavenly Father.

Randy and Dawn Nicholas

Randy and I have had the privilege of meeting Randy and Dawn Nicholas, who arrived in Bucuresti about the same time we returned from the States. On this cold blustery evening we had taken them to Kaufland for a supply of groceries and snacks for their upcoming language classes.

Randy and Dawn were one of the last Masters units that will be coming out of The Mission Board. Due to the economic crisis and how it effected the Southern Baptist Lottie Moon Christmas Offering of 2008, many changes and cut-backs have been made. At this point in time there will no longer be a Masters Program. They are both very thankful to have made it in before the final cut was made. Randy and Dawn, after completing their language course, will work in Braila, Romania with Troy Geddess.

During their remaining time here in Bucuresti, it is a pleasure to worship, fellowship and form a new friendship with these nice people from Tennessee.

We ask that you would make it a matter of prayer that each and every one of you would dig as deep into your pockets as you can for the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering this year. There is much at stake and many missionaries that want to remain on the field serving the Lord. We thank you for all your prayers.

Sharing Jesus With The C.I.A.

Mat 19:14 Jesus said, "Let the children come to me and do not stop them, because the Kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."

Last Wednesday night, Sept. 16Th, I had the privilege of being the guest at the C.I.A. meeting at Bethel Baptist Church in Kansas City, MO. Kimber, Emma's big sister invited me to come speak to her class. Each member of the class received a badge for getting to meet and interview a "real live missionary"!

I was warned by Michelle, their leader, that the group thought I was a celebrity. I assured them that I was an ordinary person just like them, no one special; just a person that loves Jesus and had answered the call the go and tell the good news about Jesus Christ to men and women and boy and girls in Romania.

The boys and girls watched a 5 minute dvd with pictures of Romania, I talked a while and then we had a question and answer session. They were very attentive to the dvd, asked very pertinent questions and were a very polite audience.

I presented each of the children with a bracelet from Romania and asked them to pray for Randy and I and the people of Romania each time they meet on Wednesday night. I was richly blessed to share with these precious children about God's work going on in Romania. Who knows, God could call out one of these children to be a missionary someday.

Home

My Pastor Donny Emmons (on the right) and my associations Director of Missions Matt Tanner. I am very blessed to have these Godly men in my life. They are great encouragers.

Hello everyone, I know it has been some time since you have heard from us here on the blog or by emails.
We arrived in Kansas City to meet our family who lives there which includes Emma. We have been having a great time getting to know her. We have been traveling a lot to be with other family and friends. We still have several stops to make.
It has been good to get to go to some of our churches who pray for us, but we have only had time to visit a few of them. This past Sunday I was at our home church Living Word and at our old home Lone Hill. I had previously been to FBC Cameron, FBC Charlestown, and am planning on being at First Liberty this Wednesday. We have been encouraged at every stop so far. Our family and friends are taking very good care of us. I want to thank them all for the kindness and love that they have shown for us.

Our Bags Are Packed...We're Ready To GO!

This picture is a little exaggerated, we don't have THAT many bags! However, 2 days ahead of our flight time and we are packed!

Folk needless to say, this is a time of which we have eagerly been anticipating. Randy and I are both so excited. It's like Christmas in our apartment,we've made a list and we've checked it twice. How dreadful it would be if we left behind even one of the special little things we have picked up for Emma, our precious Granddaughter! Not to mention all the other important things we mustn't forget.
Randy and I are going to enjoy every minute with our family and friends back in the States. We both have been blessed with wonderful Christian families and friends who have been an important prayer support for us these last 17 months on the mission field. Spending time with them will be a refreshing soothing ointment to our body and souls.

On another note, are you ready to go? When your time comes to travel, are you ready? Do you have your ticket, your boarding pass are you clear to proceed with no problems? I'm talking on a spiritual level, when you die and leave this world, are you going to spend eternity in Heaven with Jesus Christ or eternity in Hell with Satan? Have you checked the destination on your ticket? I'd advise you to do some serious soul searching, the Bible says our life is but a vapor. Your appointed time for travel from this world could arrive at any second and catch you not prepared! Choose for yourself where your destination will be. God's word also tells us that it is not His desire that any man should perish.

Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Please heed the word of God, be ready, be prepared when your time arrives for travel...Be ready to go!

I'm Leaving On A Jet Plane

Late January 2008 was the last time we saw many of our friends and family. September 1, 2009 we will board a plane for our mid term trip home to visit those we left behind some eighteen months ago. It seems like a lifetime ago in some ways and yet it has passed rather quickly in other ways. The old saying I've heard all my life "you don't miss the water till the well runs dry" certainly has made itself brilliantly clear to me. I didn't realize how much I loved and cherished my family until I was in the position where I couldn't hop in the van and go visit them anytime I had the urge. Oh, but our God is so gracious, loving and compassionate. Morning by morning His mercy was there for Randy and me to carry us through each day.

We have started throwing things into suitcases, preparing for our voyage. It's amazing the quantity of stuff we have bought for Emma! Needless to say our adrenalin is reaching a higher mark each day. We are anxiously awaiting the moment of arrival at the airport in Kansas City, MO. Among those waiting to greet us will be Emma, our first grandchild. Emma was born in January. She is 7 months old, we have seen her numerous occasions on skype, talked and laughed with her and have enjoyed her so very much. However, we haven't had the joy of holding that precious bundle in our arms. I have warned our children who will be there that I will try not to be an embarrassment to them.....but whether I will be able to contain myself is another story. I just wonder who will reach Emma first......me or Randy? It is wonderful to be Grandparents, even though it has been from a long distance. Our little blue-eyed gift from God has captured our hearts without a doubt.

Of course, we are very excited to see our children too! We have missed them terribly. We are looking forward to a blessed visit with all of them. We are praying that God will have used this time apart as a tool to strengthen our relationship with our children, cause our love to have grown deeper (if that was possible)and to be a bold witness to each one of them.

Pray for us as we make this very happily anticipated trip home. We want to have a wonderful time of rest, fun and reunion with our family and friends. Most importantly we want everything we say and do to bring glory to God.

Preparing To Go Home

Over the next 6 weeks Teresa and I will travel over 13,000 miles (21000 kilometers) to be with our family and friends. Some of these we have been blessed to have gotten mail from, to have talked to on the phone, seen and talked to on the computer, and even been visited by here in Galati. We are very thankful for the technology that allows us these opportunities to communicate with all of them. But there are many which we have not been in direct contact with, these include some of the most important people in our lives, those who are praying to our Father and asking on our behalves for things like understanding, wisdom, courage, boldness, safety, strength, health, and only God knows what else. Of course many of the people we have had contact with have also prayed a great many times for us as well, but they know how much they mean to us, I want to thank those who only take time to pray for us right now for they too are near to our hearts.
We are here to be ambassadors for Christ, which we were at home as well, but here we really are in front of people representing the Kingdom of God. Not only is this a humbling position to find yourself in, it is also a spot where you have to regularly think, am I able to do this?
What comes to my mind is that the best way to be an ambassador is to represent in the same likeness of the person or Kingdom that you were sent from. Ours is the Kingdom of God, and God is love.
That brings me back to those who show God’s love by praying for us, we would not be able to show God’s love through all the pressures of being here if people were not praying for us! Thank you forever, those who take time to ask our Father to watch over us, it is by His power we are able to carry on!
So I ask you to continue to pray for us as we travel that we can encourage others to serve God and lead others to Him and His saving power.
I thank my God for you every time I think of you; and every time I pray for you all, I pray with joy because of the way in which you have helped me in the work of the gospel from the very first day until now. Phi 3-5

2Co 5:20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.

Joh 13:34-35 And now I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
If you have love for one another, then everyone will know that you are my disciples."

1Jo 4:16 We have known and believed that God loves us. God is love. Those who live in God's love live in God, and God lives in them.

2Th 3:1 Finally, our friends, pray for us that the Lord's message may continue to spread rapidly and be received with honor, just as it was among you.
2Th 3:2 Pray also that God will rescue us from wicked and evil people; for not everyone believes the message.

Would You Call These Feet Beautiful?

Rom 10:15 .... How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!


Names and faces aren't important in this blog. Romans 10:15 makes it very clear, the heart of this blog is the "feet". This picture was taken while Randy and I were in 8 weeks of training prior to entering the mission field. The feet you see belong to members who shared the same quad we lived in for those 2 months. During that period of time, we became like family. At the completion of the training session and commissioning service, it was time to say a difficult good bye once again.

Each one of us had attended all the classes, completed our assignments, joined in the worship services and we felt we were ready for the mission field. Everyone was anxious to leave for their place of service, but at the same time there was a little dread of leaving that place of peace and security we had called home for 8 weeks.

Since that time, all those beautiful feet have been scattered to the corners of the earth. Each unit or individual sent out to proclaim the gospel and bring glad tidings of good things. We have had the privilege of seeing some of these fellow servants of the Lord at various meetings since our time together in training. It is always a blessing to see them and have a time of sharing our stories. All of us have had very similar experiences of difficult times, joyous times and praises of how God has richly blessed. It's the same determining factor that keeps all these feet on the mission field: You must remember Your Call, Your Commitment...

Rom 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Rom 10:14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
Rom 10:15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written,...

I am so thankful that Randy and I received the call and made the commitment. Please pray for us as we continue to keep our feet pressed toward the goal.

Consider The Lilies

Mat 6:28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
Mat 6:29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

I took this picture early this morning while Randy and I were out prayer walking. When I saw these flowers it brought back precious memories. As a child growing up my parents always had beautiful flowers in our yard. As a matter of fact, we had the same purple flowers that are in this picture, my Mom called them "Sweet Williams".
I remember them being near our bedroom window. At night the breeze would carry their sweet aroma all through the house, it was wonderful.

God's creation is magnificent. As we continued our walk, we passed through the courtyard of an Orthodox Church. The courtyard was full of gorgeous flowers in full bloom. There were benches scattered along the path that meandered through the flowers. It was so tempting to sit down in the cool of the morning and just take in God's handiwork and listen to the birds singing so happily.

Mat 6:30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

I can't even begin to imagine the love my Lord and Savior has for me. He cares for his creation, the birds of the air, the grass and the flowers; but oh, how much more he loves me. Each morning as we prayer walk, I'm thankful for the beautiful creation God has given us to enjoy, however I am much more grateful for his never ending and unconditional love.

The Beautiful Gate

Act 3:1 Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour.
Act 3:2 And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple;
Act 3:3 Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms.
Act 3:4 And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us.
Act 3:5 And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them.
Act 3:6 Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.

Randy and I have passed this old gate several times during our prayer walking in the early morning hours. On each occasion we approach the gate, I can't help but spend several seconds gazing at it's beauty. Yes it's old, weathered and starting to show evidence of wear and tear from the elements attacking it constantly, but there is still beauty in the gate. It is one of my favorite sites in the city, not elaborate or elegant; but to my eyes and soul it is lovely. When I am standing at this gate, in my spirit of prayer; it is as though I am in a different location completely. For a short time, I have entered a place of refuge, peace and welcoming.

Act 3:7 And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.
Act 3:8 And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.
Act 3:9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God:
Act 3:10 And they knew that it was he which sat for alms at the Beautiful gate of the temple: and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him.

I doubt that anyone has ever been healed at this gate on this little insignificant street in Galati. If it did happen, there certainly would be many filled with wonder and amazement.

Act 3:12 And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk?
Act 3:13 The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go.

The truth of the matter is the city of Galati is full of wounded, crippled and hurting people. I am not referring to the physical body, but rather to the spiritual condition. They are lost, eternally lost.

As children of God it is our responsibility to pray for the lost of this world. If we do not pray for them, they have no hope for salvation. The lost are in the same condition as the lame man in the scriptures above, he needed "fixed" spiritually and physically. Jesus Christ is the only one who can do that. We must be lifting the lost up in prayer to Our Heavenly Father for their salvation. We can never give up! Each time I pass this old rugged beautiful gate I'll be praying for the lost, please join Randy and me in prayer for the thousands lost in this city.

Marius and Mihai

Today Marius was out with Ene, Mihai and me as we were doing Share Jesus Without Fear on the streets of Galati. Marius tells of a meeting with two older men.

F.A.R.M. Team

We worked with the F.A.R.M. guys this week . That is far and away Roma missions. In the photo the two F.A.R.M. guys are Floin, in the red shirt, and Eni, in the white shirt in front. Eni was here last summer too.
They told Mihai that they were having trouble getting into new homes in the valley, so he started working with them after work. Marius, Unati, Costel, and I joined them on Wednesday and they have several people to visit now.





In this picture we had just finished giving Troy our reports after a couple of hours in zone 4, near the center of town. No more then everyone was done reporting in, then Mihai, Marius, and Unati were at it again Sharing Jesus Without Fear.
We had a good evening and have several visits to be made in this area as well.

Jewish Synagogue in Galati

The Jewish Synagogue


The Star of David on the Jewish Synagogue


Ten Commandments on top of the Jewish Synagogue

Luk 2:25 At that time there was a man named Simeon living in Jerusalem. He was a good, God-fearing man and was waiting for Israel to be saved. The Holy Spirit was with him
Luk 2:26 and had assured him that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's promised Messiah.

We have been told there are only a few men who attend the Synagogue in Galati. One of the men is a former neighbor of Troy's. Most of you are familiar with Sarah, also a former neighbor. As a matter of fact, many of you pray for Sarah on a regular basis. Sarah has lived well up into her 90s, she has lost her sight and has great difficulty hearing now days. A few of you from the team with LWBC visited with Sarah on one or two of your trips. Her health is failing, as to be expected, and there is doubt that she can comprehend what is being said to her. On one of the last visits that she did respond coherently, she made it clear her Messiah had not returned.

Randy and I are asking that you continue to pray for Sarah. The confusion and lack of comprehension she is experiencing is probably due to her age. Even Medical doctors are not sure how much is understood by someone suffering from a coma, this is not the case with Sarah. The Bible tells us that God's word does not return void. Pray that the Holy Spirit would speak to Sarah and that she would respond before it is too late.

Luke 1:18 Now this is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary was engaged to be married to Joseph. But while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant by the Holy Spirit. GNB
Luke 2:23 So they went and lived in town called Nazareth. This fulfilled what was spoken by the prophets concerning the Messiah: "He will be called a Nazarene." GNB

Strait is The Gate and Narrow is The Way

Mat 7:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it KJV

A few weeks ago Randy and I were in Athens, Greece. Even down in the city there are many ruins still standing of the ancient city of Athens. Like so many times, different scenes bring scriptures to my mind. As Randy and I walked past the remains of an entrance to an old ruin, I thought of the gate. Making our way up the narrow street readily reminded me of "narrow is the way". Matthew 7:14 seemed to jump off the page when I looked again at these snap shots.

The heart gripping part of that verse is "and few there be that find it". As children of God, we are given the responsibility to do everything we can to help the lost find their way.

We live among people who are searching for something, they don't know what. They really are clueless as to what can bring them real joy, peace and security in this life. Please pray for Randy and I that we might be a lighthouse, putting forth a bright beam in order to help these precious people find the narrow way.

Excuses, Excuses, What's Yours?

Luk 14:18 But they all began, one after another, to make excuses. The first one told the servant, 'I have bought a field and must go and look at it; please accept my apologies.'
Luk 14:19 Another one said, 'I have bought five pairs of oxen and am on my way to try them out; please accept my apologies.'
Luk 14:20 Another one said, 'I have just gotten married, and for that reason I cannot come.' GNB

It is our pleasure to introduce Florin Ene to you. Florin is a young man who works with our team. His only way of communication is by sign language because he is deaf. This disadvantage does not hinder Florin from letting his love for Jesus shine.

In the picture above you see him handing out tracts on the sidewalk. Florin goes full steam ahead, letting very few get past him without putting the Good News in their hands. Occasionally he will get the opportunity to sign with another deaf person on the street. There is a large number of deaf living in Galati.

Florin could use his disadvantage as an excuse to stay home in his comfort zone and never work for Jesus. However, praise the Lord that's not what he has chosen to do. Florin has proven that God can use anybody that is willing to be used! What about you, why don't you follow Florin's example and be obedient to God's command.

Luk 14:21 The servant went back and told all this to his master. The master was furious and said to his servant, 'Hurry out to the streets and alleys of the town, and bring back the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.'
Luk 14:22 Soon the servant said, 'Your order has been carried out, sir, but there is room for more.'
Luk 14:23 So the master said to the servant, 'Go out to the country roads and lanes and make people come in, so that my house will be full. GNB

As a Deer Longs For a Stream of Cool Water

Psa 42:1 As a deer longs for a stream of cool water, so I long for you, O God. GNB

This is Wednesday, July 29th. Randy and I left the apartment at 6:30 a.m. to prayer walk in the cool of the morning. During our prayer walking this entrance gate caught my attention. Randy just happened to have the camera in his pocket and snapped this picture. I really like the gate, as I stood admiring the craftsmanship and artwork, the scripture in Psalms 42 came to my mind.

I also recalled a song we sung in church: "As the Deer Panteth For the Water". This is a beautiful song, it shares some blessed truths. God alone is our strength and shield. He should be our hearts desire. God is our friend and brother as well as our King. We should love Him more than anyone else, more than anything. God is more valuable than gold or silver. He alone can satisfy. God is the real joy giver, and the apple of our eye.

As a born again believer, this is the way you should feel about God. When you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you became a new person with a new heart. Your desires changed. You should have a burning desire to worship God. Just as the deer panteth for the cool stream of water, as a child of God you should have an unquenchable thirst for God.

Psa 42:8 May the LORD show his constant love during the day, so that I may have a song at night, a prayer to the God of my life.

To Everything There Is A Season

Ecc 3:1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

Ecc 3:2 a time to plant,

Ecc 3:4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh;

Ecc 3:5 a time to embrace,

Saturday evening, July 24th in temperatures nearing 105 degrees we bid our dear friends Lanny, Whitney and Andrew good bye until the "next time"!

It has been an incredible month. God always uses this team to bless Galati is a special way. If I'm not mistaken, with the exception of Sundays, Lanny was on the tennis court each morning by 8:00 a.m. Hitting the balls with whoever was there or playing tennis with anyone who felt up to the challenge! He made friends with a young boy named Costel that lives in our apartment building, naturally it was the game of tennis that brought them together. Lanny took the opportunity to share the gospel several times this summer while he was on the red clay courts. He is well known around the courts from his previous visits here and the tennis players always look forward to his return.

Whitney just finished her first year in college! We are hoping that her schedule will allow her to continue to return. Everyone here loves Whitney. She has a dynamic personality, beautiful smile and the love of Jesus shines from her face. She spent her summer teaching the girls at the Children's Home how to speak English, playing volley ball, attending youth meetings at the local Baptist Church, attending the young ladies Bible study group in my home and those are only some of the things I am aware of.

Andrew who is a computer whiz, spent much of his time setting up a much needed web page. What a great job he turned out!

In addition to the things mentioned above, Lanny, Whitney and Andrew spent time on the streets of the city with us, pounding the pavement looking for people to visit. They are not afraid to "Share Jesus Without Fear", hand out gospel tracts, prayer walk or whatever you ask of them. Cameron, you are a great team!

During these 4 short weeks you were here, you planted many seeds, we have indeed wept together as well as laughed and last night we embraced until the next time.

Continue to bless others and be blessed. We love you. Randy and Teresa

Work in Zone 12

Lanny posts again!

http://iveneverownedabox.blogspot.com/2009/07/zone-12.html

Or click on the link on the right of this page.

Using Your God Given Gift

Whitney teaching English at Betesda, the Girl's Home


Rom 12:6 So we are to use our different gifts in accordance with the grace that God has given us. If our gift is to speak God's message, we should do it according to the faith that we have;
Rom 12:7 if it is to serve, we should serve; if it is to teach, we should teach;


Wow, it's already July 21st. Where has the summer gone? What have you done during your summer vacation? Have you enjoyed your time away from school and study? Here is the clincher....did you use you God given talents to make a difference in someone's life this summer?

Whitney Lake and her Father Lanny take 4 weeks of their summer vacation to come to Romania to help those less fortunate and lost in darkness and hopelessness. Whitney is a college student and is considering a career as a teacher. The girls at Betesda have been blessed by her talent/gift of teaching these past weeks. Whitney has made learning English a fun adventure for them. At the same time Whitney has been helping the girls learn to speak English, she has been a shinning example of the love of Jesus Christ.

Whitney and Lanny, who has assisted in the English lessons, are true servants for the Lord. They give sacrifically out of a heart of love. As a result, they have made an impact on the lives of countless Romanians of all ages. After they leave to return home, people stop Randy and me of the street and ask us "When are Whitney and Lanny coming back?"

Are you using the gifts God has given you, or are you letting them go to waste? Consider using your gifts for the Glory of God. You will bless many people in the process and you will be blessed beyond measure.

Thank you Lanny and Whitney for everything you do.

Gheorghe

photo by Lanny
Last night we were able to make connections with Gheorghe (Troy‘s blog May 4). Costel, Lanny and I had been missing that connection recently with the exception of finding him when he was too busy to stop what he was doing and study the Bible with us. Troy has had at least two Bible studies with him, I was at one where Gheorghe asked many questions regarding his life and what God thought about the way his life was going. Last night was no exception, we started the study with the first lesson in the people who knew Jesus booklet, and soon had moved on into a much more personal look at how God was wanting us personally to live the life that God had given us.
Shortly after Costel had done an excellent and painstaken illustration of what a gift was, we move into the area of family relations. Gheorghe’s father is a drunk, and has been in that condition for 20 years. Gheorghe said that there is no peace in the home because of his fathers drinking. He had several questions regarding the Bible and God concerning his father. My first thought was God has turn that man over to his own desires, so I asked my trusty Bible search engine where that verse was, I got the answer in only a few seconds, Lanny said Romans 1.
(24) So God let them go ahead and do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other's bodies. (25) Instead of believing what they knew was the truth about God, they deliberately chose to believe lies. So they worshiped the things God made but not the Creator himself, who is to be praised forever. Amen.
We would say “He let the pig woller in the mud.” That is the point of this blog, if you are a child og God, God will correct you. If you are not a child of God and refuse to listen to His instruction, the 10 commandments
(see 1 Tim 1:8-10), He will let you have your sin and become like Gheorghe fathers a sinner (drunk) who looks and acts like the sin (drunkard, see Gal 5:20). Be very aware, they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Gal 5:21



1Ti 1:8 But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully;
1Ti 1:9 Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,
1Ti 1:10 For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;

43 Days and Counting!

But who's counting anyway? Grandpa Randy and Nanny Teresa, that's who! In case you haven't guessed, this is Emma Marie, our Granddaughter. Forty-three days from now will be the first time we get to hold her. Needless to say, we are a bit excited.

We arrived in Romania April 7th, 2008. The last time we saw most of our family and friends was in January, 2008. Today's date is Monday, July 20, 2009, so you see, it's been a spell since we were with our family and friends back home.

Randy and I were called to do God's work. The call was so evident to us and we wanted to be obedient to the Lord. We knew that God had a plan for our lives, in faith we would follow Him where His plan would lead. God's plans separated us from the ones we loved.

Do you remember the plan God had for his son Jesus? When Jesus was just 30 years old, in obedience to his Father he left his home and family that he loved to begin his ministry. When you are called to God's work and you follow in obedience, that call will lead you sometimes far away and separate you from your loved ones.

There is comfort to be found in answering the call and going wherever it may lead. It is true the journey may take you a great distance from your family and a brand new granddaughter, friends and a very special church back home. BUT all the distance in the world can never separate us from the love of Jesus Christ. He is our constant companion through every joy, victory, sorrow whatever we experience, He is there. We are never alone.

Yes, Randy and I get lonesome for our family and friends back home. However, we know beyond a shadow of a doubt that we have been called to share the Good News of Jesus Christ.
God has been faithful, His mercies are new each morning. We have learned to lean on Jesus.

Rom 8:35 Who, then, can separate us from the love of Christ? Can trouble do it, or hardship or persecution or hunger or poverty or danger or death?

Mihai on Mission With God

Mihai is on a mission trip this week, he will be teaching Jeremy’s church how to Share Jesus Without Fear on the streets of Bucuresti.
Please pray that Jeremy’s church will learn and use what Mihai shares with them this week and that many people will come to know Jesus as Mihai and Jeremy work at making disciples.

Pretty Feet

This morning July 15, Randy, Whitney, Larissa and I prayer walked zone 15, located at the north end of Galati, not far from the large Metro store. Actually zone 15 is more like a small village, it certainly has a 'you're out in the country' feel to it.

Down at the base of a large drop off there are train tracks which are visible in the picture above.
Adjacent to the tracks is Lacul Brat (Lake Brat). This is a very large lake.

On previous visits to zone 15 we noticed the majority of the people living in this area appeared to be senior citizens. However, there were several young school age children running and playing in the community. We learned from a conversation with one of the residents that the younger adults who live in the village have gone to other countries to find work and left their children behind with the grandparents. This same situation occurs all over the city of Galati as more and more people are leaving Romania to look for work.

There is something very unusual about zone 15. There is no Orthodox Church in the village. Normally there is a church on every corner. An Orthodox Priest does live in the village. We have not done a lot of work in zone 15 other than prayer walk and hand out gospel tracts. This is new territory for us. We are certain it is no different than any other area in the city we have worked. No doubt these people are lost and desperately need to hear the Good News about Jesus Christ and His free gift of salvation.

Please pray for us as we continue to venture into zone 15, show them the love of Jesus and take the opportunity to Share Jesus Without Fear with the lost.

Rom 10:14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard?

Rom 10:15 How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!