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Later that day we met with many families that we had never visited with before. The families had been invited by the vice-mayor of Ileanda and the Roma representative to the community center in the heart of town. We received a very warm welcome from the families and the town officials. It was an extraordinary time meeting the new families but also a very special honor for me when Pastor Randy delivered a message to the people before they received their food packets. After the message he gave an invitation and over half the room stood to pray the sinner’s prayer. Praise Jesus! However, the day was not quite over. We still had 12 families that we needed to deliver food packets to in the small village of Bizusa. Each time we go to Bizusa we receive such a warm welcome. The families are so thankful and gracious even though they have very little. Their hearts are peaceful and their spirits joyful. One lady that we had been talking with suddenly began to sing a song about her love for God. What a pleasure to hear this lady singing to the top of her voice about God’s goodness and mercy. After Bizusa the Roma representative sped us on to a few families scattered around Ileanda who needed food packets and who had not been able to come to the center earlier in the day. Our Roma leader darted from house to house sprinting down the highway with the American flag raised high as he waved us on to the next site. Talk about hilarious!!! It was a glorious day; we had witnessed a lot of joy from simple food packets of oil, butter, meal, flour, bread, noodles, and tomato sauce and some candy for the kids. Many acted as though they had just been given a month’s worth of groceries. Day 2: The next day the team helped us map a new
village that had been brought to our attention by the mayor of Messeni de
Jos, that has gypsy village attached to it. We needed to do a needs
assessment of the village and gather information on each family so that in the
future we might be able to help them meet some of their needs. It
turned out to be another memorable day!!! The mayor proceeded to lead us to
the village in his little Dacia. It wasn’t long before we realized that we
could not make it up the hill and we were forced to stop at the bottom and get
out and walk. The road looked something like a pig wallow, mud that went up
mid-way your shin bone almost. The horses and wagons had left tracks like
gullies from the countless trips of going back and forth from town. It was
hard to even get traction to get up that hill on foot because your shoes kept
getting sucked into the mud and you sometimes found yourself sliding backwards
rather than going forward, not to mention the tight wire balancing act to keep
from going face down in the mud which by the way was mixed with who knows
what. While we were all walking an amazing thing caught our eye. We could not help to notice that Mr. mayor was not sliding nor was he sinking in this mud. It was almost like he was walking above the surface, which caused us to question, “What kind of mayor is this?” I soon learned afterwards in meeting with him that he and the vice-mayor indeed were not the normal mayor's office staff like many others that I had collaborated with in the past. In fact, when we asked them what we as a Foundation might help they with, they answered that their greatest needs at the moment were spiritual teaching and hygiene. The mayor pointed out that until the families were taught solid spiritual principles their lifestyles would never change. This took me completely by surprise because normally we have to slowly work our way into asking the mayors for permission to minister spiritually to their people. The day’s trek through all that mud was certainly worth it al to hear that their office was looking for what we wanted to share - spiritual help for these families. Now it seems that the rest is up to us! So please be praying that God gives us the help to accomplish the project. Day 3: We all loaded in the van for a day in Ferma Larga. This is the village where we are purchasing the building in hopes of planting a church. Mr. Henry Salters who is an engineer along with Mark Dedman were able to do some evaluations on the building so that we can have an idea of the extent of the renovation needed to make the building useable. While they concentrated on the building, the other team members were involved in helping with the children’s program. Day 4: It was Easter Sunday in Romania and Pastor Randy had been invited to preach two morning messages in two nearby churches in Cluj. At 9:30 he ministered in Deus and at 11:00 he preached in Macicas. As always he did an extraordinary job bringing a message of hope and the Romanians received his word with gladness. After church, one of the families invited us to dinner, and the team got to experience a typical Romanian dinner. It was a joyous time. We all laughed together as we were served the traditional chicken, roasted lamb, and mashed potatoes. After dinner we were asked by one of the church members at Macicas if we would come to her house and pray for her husband. He was very sick and she believed in the power of prayer. We all made our way to their home where once again the Romanian hospitality was opened to us with all kinds of cakes and sweets. The team ministered prayer to the elderly man. As Pastor and the team prayed the entire room seemed to be filled with the presence of God in a mighty way. Afterwards the team fellowshipped with the gentleman and Mrs. Maria, his wife, took me aside and insisted that I take fresh buffalo milk, eggs, and jars of pickled peppers home with us. While we were talking, I sensed there was something on her mind so I began to ask her if she was okay. She said that she too was sick and was about to undergo some medical tests. She had previously undergone surgery for breast cancer and was now undergoing tests for more cancer symptoms. She had been given a prescription by the doctor but the medicine was too expense for her to purchase. I took her prescription with me to check to see if she could get it cheaper somewhere else. Indeed it was very expensive, almost $100.00! I wondered after purchasing the medicine for her how the elderly people make it on such small pensions (under $100.00 a month) and how they can afford paying such amounts for their medicines. My heart goes out to the elderly not only here but everywhere. I have noticed they are the last to get any help at all. Day 5: To top off what I call a great week with our
church family, we scheduled Pastor Randy to preach an Easter message in the
village of Ferma Larga. As soon as we arrived many of the ladies started
bringing us more cakes and dyed Easter eggs. The children gathered around
and some of us sat down on the hillside and played with the children until
service began while Mr. Salters and Mark did some more measuring on the
building. As soon as I sat down I heard the Holy Spirit say, “Rita, have you
gone down in the valley to the houses below to invite those people?”
So I asked Corina and the other team members if they
Building: On June 10th we will supposedly find out if the commission approved our offer on the building in Ferma Larga. If so our work is cut out for us. We will have an immense task ahead just cleaning all the debris out of the building. Keep us in your prayers! Pray for wisdom in finalizing this deal. Your prayers are needed more than you will ever know as we pursue God’s will in planting this church. We need heavenly wisdom from God as He directs our every step in teaching HIS WORD to the people. Pray that God will use us in a mighty way to present Jesus Christ personally to these families not only through the teaching of HIS Word but also through our daily lives and actions. Furthermore, we will need your prayers for financial help to come forth. With the expansion of the ministry into other areas, the responsibilities are greater and so is the need for greater financial help to carry the gospel each week. Be in prayer that God will raise up more supporters so that we can continue to carry the gospel of Jesus Christ. Thank you all for your continued support! Your financial help is greatly appreciated. Yours in Christ, Freddy and Rita |
It was
our pleasure to host our own First Assembly team this month. Pastor Randy Reid
along with Wendell Mims, Henry Salters, Mark Dedman and Carol Dedman came the
first week of May to help us with ministry in some of the surrounding villages
of Cluj. The first day they were in Romania the team took food to 126 families
in Ileanda whose names had been submitted to our office by the Roma (gypsy)
representative. First we distributed in Rascol, a gypsy village of about 48
families that we have been working with for sometime. We went door to door with
food packets and once again visited with the families personally, sharing our
faith in Jesus Christ, and praying with the families about their needs.
The more we climbed, the worse it got. I praised God for my boots but even
with those on I wasn’t sure that with one more step I wouldn’t be totally
shoeless. Despite all this the team was still more than willing to press on to
the top and help us gather all the information we needed to assist these
families and to pray with the families about situations. Pastor Randy who had
been carrying Manny through the mud all the way from the van suddenly slipped
and both went down into the mud. Regrettably, Pastor Randy did not realize
that Manny had made many trips into muddy villages and was actually very good
in maneuvering her way around in the mud. Of course if you had a chance to be
carried instead of walking in the mud, which would you choose? I noticed after
this mishap that Pastor Randy decided that Manny would be better off fending
for herself and I watched Manny reach down and roll up her pants legs and then
speed away while all of the rest of us struggled to make it through the miry
path. A little later Pastor Randy saw the green pasture at the top of the hill
and set his sights on getting up to the top. Talk about sportsmanship! I think
we all had our hopes set on reaching those green pastures just ahead as soon
as we could. Yes, days like that causes you to truly embrace God even more as
He leads you to those green pastures. Yet, I could not help to think as I
looked down from the top of that pastureland that soon we would have to make
our way back down. I prayed, “Oh Lord, please help us make it one more time
down through this mud and mire.”
would
be willing to walk to the houses in the valley to invite the families to the
evening service. Everyone willingly volunteered. As Pastor Randy and the other
team members went from house to house they were again given doses of
Romanian hospitality. One man invited them inside his house and proceeded to
crack his Easter egg on Pastor Randy’s egg and then indicated that they had to
now eat the eggs. This was indeed a milestone for Pastor Randy to overcome since
he doesn’t even eat eggs in America. Way to go Pastor Randy we are very
proud of you!!! I think that out of all the team members, Pastor Randy
experienced a lot of new “avenues”, certainly more than he anticipated. But I
must say that in the end his sacrifices paid off! Just as the evening service
was beginning we noticed that 2 of the men from the houses that the team had
visited with were making their way up the hill all dressed up in their Sunday
best for the service. I watched them as they listened intently to the message
Pastor was delivering and when he gave the invitation the two men came forward
to receive Jesus as Lord and Savior. Praise the glorious Name of Jesus! What a
way to end the week and what a way to begin our summer outreaches! To God be all
the glory! It was a very great week and God used this team in an extraordinary
way! Thanks team for your willingness to come and serve.