July 2007

Focusing Upon Our Ladies and Children’s Bible Programs: 

This month we realized that we needed to turn our attention from construction and more toward preparations for this summer’s “Ladies Bible Studies and Children Programs.”  We have been waiting on school to let out and now that this is upon us we are preparing each day for the next ten weeks of intense teaching.

 Ladies Bible Study:  

Our Ladies Bible study will begin on July 10; this year we will be holding our studies in the Ferma Larga building. Both the Ferma Cojocna and Ferma Larga ladies will be participating together. This will be our first time to have both villages meeting together for weekly studies. In fact, last year we had two different studies, one at 10:00 a.m. and the other at 2:00 p.m. which in turn was an all day event. I believe after much prayer the Holy Spirit has impressed a need to teach on “What is Salvation.”  I know that many of the ladies have knowledge of Jesus but, I truly believe in my heart that they need an in-depth teaching on “Salvation.” God lead me to the teaching first through His Word using “I am the way, the truth, and the life” and from that verse the Bible study materials started to fall into place each day as I continued to study on “Salvation.”  Please pray along with us that the Holy Spirit will bring forth HIS Divine Revelation Knowledge unto these ladies as to the true meaning of the ultimate “Salvation” Himself, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.    

Children’s Programs:

 This year we will begin our “Children’s Programs” for the first time indoors. I cannot call myself a children’s church leader. On the other hand, God has a real way of getting us out of our comfort zone into new arenas where we must totally depend upon Him. (I guess I am getting very comfortable with all this construction.) Ha-ha!

 Anyway, at this point I am feeling a little inadequate with this new job of heading up the children’s programs full time. Nonetheless, I know that it isn’t anything about us but all about what HE can do through us. From the first of the year I started pulling out many of the quarterly teaching books that Ms. Lyn taught from over the pass few years. I was in hopes as I looked through them that I would get inspired on what God would have for us to teach this summer. Nevertheless, not anything felt right. As weeks and months passed I started praying, “God, I cannot do this but, my eyes are upon You. So, if you want the children’s program to be a success then YOU have to show what our topic will be.”  It wasn’t long that sure enough during the night my heart was stirred once again with the topic “What is Salvation.” Of course, aren’t we human beings funny sometimes? In our frail human mindset we are known to rumble before God. Well, maybe you don’t question God on things like I do when you feel uncomfortable with a situation, but I find that sometime I have this big need to let God know what I feel about ideas He is placing on my heart. I knew I had heard Him tell me the topic for the ladies study, but surely God wasn’t asking me to teach this same topic to the children. How would I be able to get materials for a ten week series that would hold the children’s attention? I had no children’s material any where on this subject. However, isn’t it really funny how God lets us run our mouths and HE just listens as we gab? Although, after you stop and finally ask with a sincere heart He then distinctly lets us know what is upon His heart. Indeed the Holy Spirit most definitely let me know that this subject was to be taught and that  the material would be provided. Incredibly, in one day on a Sunday afternoon I sit down at the computer and begin to type and before the evening was finished I had put together this year’s booklet, along with children’s skits and everything for the whole ten weeks. Actually, that same day I printed three copies of the booklet and have already given Trudy and Diana (our children’s church helpers) a copy to memorize. Isn’t God just super! My heart is really drawn toward teaching a greater understanding of this precious gift called “Salvation.”

 Computer Courses:

If you remember, I mentioned in a previous newsletter how I felt led to start teaching computer to the older children in the village. Please pray with us regarding these classes. This pass month I spent one day working on the used computers that we had accumulated at the foundation and was going to use for the courses. We were in hopes to have at least 5 computers set up for the classes and rotate the children each week who are eligible for the classes. Nevertheless, as of now we only have two of the computers working. The other three would not work. We really need at least five computers so that we can have a successful class. Please pray with us that we can get some extra funding to purchase a few good second hand computers to begin this course. I truly believe that we need to give the young people in these villages some kind of participle life skills.   

Please Continue to Pray: 

· Continue to pray with us regarding the high raise of inflation? I told you a little about the high cost of living that is continually on the rise. However, now with an even greater increase on gas it is putting a tow on the wallet. The gasoline prices in Romania have skyrocketed and for diesel we now pay $5.47 a gallon. Yet gas is even higher than the diesel. Somewhere these climbing prices must cease. 

· Continue to pray for the construction work on the building in Ferma Larga. 

· Continue to pray for the Ladies Bible Studies and children’s weekly programs. 

· Continue to pray for the weekly computer classes and our need for more computers. 

· Continue to pray for the team from “Wings of Faith” who are trying to schedule a team for October to help with more repairs on the Ferma Larga building. Pray that everything will come together for their travel plans.

 Thank you for your continued prayer and financial support.

 Yours in Christ,

Freddy and Rita