Romania…

1-st

Holiday thoughts

I do not know if Holiday caught the train to France ... or a train to another destination ... but the Holiday has stop in Romania Train Station for our children. It is a well deserved reward for their efforts throughout the school year. Ana was in training camp for gymnastic - a good appreciation of her efforts of this year and her results in all competitions. Andrew and Matthew were helping their grandfather to build a terrace. Now when I write, our kids, are practicing their skills in swimming pool ... Compete every day, which they managed to swallow the largest amount of water during training. (Ana-Maria led yesterday!)

Goldie the Duckling

 

Goldie was yesterday after earthworms ... out of the bushes a ghost cat  from neighborhood caught in its sharp fangs our flock of fluff. Matthew was with Goldie scratching in soaked soil after earthworms. He was surprised by the cat, but with a quick reflex grabbed the cat from its rough back. Goldie's start to peep full of fear. Thrown down with abomination, the cat, practically fly in in the bush ready for new cat adventures. At dinner, our kids random thoughts and plotting revenge for all the cat’s family!

Parent workshops

 

This is a project for which we pray from a while ... Lord surprised us with a huge door opening for Gospel. A teacher, who participated in some of our events for families, she asked to speak to her director of the school and allow for us to talk in a front of the parents of her class about the subject: Parents - role models for their children. The school's director was so enthusiast and allowed us, as a test, to attend at the class with this topic for parents. But another teacher from same institution called us in her class, also, to give the same speech at her parent’s class. Therefore, 44 parents have heard the message of Adi on models chosen by children. Pray that in the autumn to find more schools in the country opens for this project.

Parenting

For three days, 21 missionary families attended at the first conference on parenting that we organized like FamilyLife Romania.In the parenting conference we were very encouraged by the comments of the families: “I liked to see practical things (projects for them). I learned that the anger has no place in the process of the discipline and the discipline means training for the future.” “I learned that I need to offer to my kids, choices and alternatives because they need to have liberty to choose. Also I learned that sometimes misbehaving could be because of some needs (hunger, tiredness, the lack of attention or love).  I want to take time to observe my kids to see what it gives misbehaving of my children.”

Always romantic

   

We started a cycle of family meetings in Cluj. We ate together, played, we laughed a lot, and the participants have testified that besides the fact that they had a good time together was, also, good for them to understand differences between men and women and this improved their marriage...

Under the influence

 

During his days as a heavy drinker, George got into a fight in a bar and killed a man. He was sentenced to ten years behind bars. Meanwhile, his wife not only raised their children, but she also found new life in Jesus. George heard of it while in prison and decided that when he got out, he would kill his wife for her conversion. But she invited him to go with her to a FamilyLife marriage conference.

"I went with bad intentions," said George. "I wanted revenge on those who had influenced my wife. But as I listened to the messages, I realized that God was speaking to me personally. At the end of the conference, I went to the FamilyLife leaders and asked them for help. I needed to know how to ask my wife for forgiveness and how to become a follower of Jesus. I began to go to church and to follow Jesus daily. My life is changed now. I’m no longer under the influence of alcohol, but of Jesus."

Huge opportunity

Yesterday I received a call from a teacher from a huge school in Cluj(the city where we live!).
This teacher with her ​​husband ... participated in a home group  for families. Their married life was radically transformed by God, her husband was baptized in January and they experience now the beauty of fellowship in Christ as a family ...

So, I wrote that she gave me the phone yesterday ... At the phone she announced me that wants to invite me to a meeting of parents(her class) ... she want from me to talk about parenting and their important role as models for children ... Other teachers from her school were delighted with what she want to do and they want the same thing. They talked with the school director and the school director was very excited by this idea. Tuesday she want to meet me in her office and to begin a lasting partnership that would help parents learn about their role in family life and how they can be models for their children.

I love this …

“The main lesson is the need to tell people the truth, because the world is so fragile and we are so inter-dependent, that any attempt to hide the truth ends in tragedy”, said the Russian head of state, during a ceremony at the Kremlin...Share the truth!

Gymnastic National Contest

One of the very good value in ​​gymnastic is your opportunity to compete against yourself and against others. Giving opportunity often losing in a sporting manner and win in a graceful manner ... this is the reason to choice gymnastic for Ana-Maria because we would be seen good qualities to develop in her character.

Ana-Maria two days ago was at the Romanian National Championships of Gymnastics Sports Club. In a contest that was attended by fourteen gym clubs. I was in the hall to see the contest. Many of the girls fell on beam like Ana-Maria (Ana's favorite device is the beam!). They were hard to move on. This contest was a good opportunity for me and my daughter. It will snivel or she will rise, after a fail, and give the best to the next item on the floor or to the beam? We have seen failure can be a strong ally to plant the good qualities in her life. Is so needed to build a strong and robust character than a medal awarded by chance or unfair advantage.

For me, like a parent, to observe all reactions in my daughter after she fell on a beam and floor-was so amazing. She lost points on the score sheet, but in my eyes, she found a table on which was inscribed the highest grade of competition 14.000 a maximum note for champion attitude…O, Christ, you done everything well in me and in my daughter!

Transyvanian naked neck chicken has a featherless neck?

Scientists have cracked why the Transylvanian naked neck chicken has a featherless neck—and it isn't to give vampires easier access.
Read more: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/03/110315-transylvanian-naked-neck-chicken-churkeys-turkens-science/

The light under the blanket

 

Right now several highly publicized divorces in Romania are from Romanian VIP world. 

	Divorce one of the richest men in the country, Irinel, of his younger wife.
Also, a Latin music singer, Pepe, who divorced - his wife, Oana, cheated on him.

The darkness of the world is published for lifting media rating and is considered good the more sinful and darker is to increase the rating points.

These days we  talking with some couples  about the need to follow Christ to be followed by other couples. In the middle of our meeting (46 couples), an older family celebrated 43 years of marriage ... It was great to celebrate this event in their lives, but only us we knew and enjoy about this celebration! ... “Light” and her good works are sometimes hidden from the rest of the people with “body of saints”. We cover the light with a blanket of our “good intentions”.

In Cluj, in 2010, 18,007 divorces were pronounced and only 4363 were married ... need is urgent and huge.

Starting from this week we begin a series of meetings on: Always Romantic and this week is about the differences between girls and boys ... A encounter with good humorous and very good content. After this series of meetings we want to open several Home Builders groups, we want for couples from secular world to know the Lord and to transform their lives and their marriage.
	Meeting banner in Romanian language.

Family camp

For more than four years  we organizing Home Builders groups in Transylvania . This weekend we held an camp with several Home Builders groups from one particular church. The impulse received by them after this camp is so great that they want to engage more in ministry. Church seems transformed overnight. People serve one another, pray, share God's love to others ... they want more.
Here are some pictures from this camp ...

Family camp VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

A few thoughts on the topics that we have achieved in this camp. We approached the subjects with good questions that brought interactivity in the discussions.

Follow me

We gave the challenge to participants to follow Jesus and be followed by others.

Encourage your life partner to strength his/her self image.

We encouraged the men and women to be active in encouraging each other following passages from Scripture urges us to do so.

Preach brother! Preach...

Good to repent, after this mesage!

The facilities technology provide are considerable, but ...

 

One advertising videos for mobile phone company from Romania use humor on the situation between direct communication and technologic communication used by Smartphone or mobile phone.

That kind of joke is relevant right now because a bunch of families where the parents chat with children or send them a message to tell them that dinner is ready. Or send the SMS, MMS to change the diaper...to clean the table is need to call the wife from the restroom...Direct dialogue seems to be boring, outdated and on verge of extinction? It seems absurd, but many parents say are increasingly turning to the computer to have a coherent conversation with their children even being in their own house!

Communication technology tends sometimes to exceed the threshold of normality, because many people are found today in front of paradoxical situation changing a few words directly with members of their families.

As long as it is only a complementary part of the direct communication between people, technological communication without doubt is not a negative phenomenon.
It is clear that a conversation through a computer or Smartphone can’t replace direct communication between people.

What features are missing by communication technology? Mimicry, tactile, human perception of physical presence...

A generation of a foreign parents

 

He sat on a log next to his friend in the school yard. He studies in a little school in the mountain village. His parents are away like many other parents in this country. He saw them twice a year ... from time to time he talk with them at the phone grabbing those promises of a new and fancy gift from foreign country. He feels that he has no power. Tired he wants to lie down to. His vision blurred. He fell in the grass. The friend was scared and cried hysterically ... One of the teachers raised the child from the grass. They called an ambulance. He went into a deep coma... His parents came to his hospital bed just enough to see him and hope for a miracle. But miracle appeared in their house nine years ago when this son were born. Emilian Rades after ten days of coma he died. A congenital aneurysm slew him. In Romania 85 000 children grow up without their parents because they work in different countries in Europe.

Class room entry-his colleagues stick on a wall their tribute for Emilian Rades. Here is one of them.(click on a picture to increase the picture)

Marriage in danger

 

A dynamic and accessible faster mode for divorces between partners who have no children was one of the solutions to release the legal system in Romania ... Now it's enough to fill out a form, a piece of paper, and you are divorced.In Cluj-Napoca, the city where I live, 18,000 couples were divorced in 2010. Only 4363 couples were married.

Some news with images

	Prepare for pasturage-Bees leave the hives ... it's time to clean the body, strengthen their wings.  I want to be clean and sanctified by the truth at you word ready for every good work ...
First blades of grass After a hard winter the sun have more power… God give me a tongue like this grass, to speak the truth(sword) at your word in this cold world!
	We start to see melted snow -flows in a small streams. O, please God melt my heart and flood other lives with living waters…
Our lovely duck “Limbi” . We expect to have little ducklings in April. Rise much more fruit for your glory! Bring them under your wings…
	People ignite dry grass and weeds to prepare the soil for a new plentiful crop. O, Lord, clean out your threshing floor…burn out the chaff…bring your plentiful wheat in your storehouse! Come, Lord Jesus!

iGoogle

Andrew told me yesterday that he take all the time 4SL brochure with him and look at the chart with the train as many times as inclined to be guided in his life by the emotions.

iGoogle

Cristina share the gospel in greek cafeteria

Cristina is now down town center Cluj-Napoca. Sharing the Gospel with 30 students (in front of girls).
She tells the girls about how to hide with Christ in God (Colossians 3.3), so if a young man need to look for them is need to find God first and then to discover them in Christ.

Ask More than Once

John Lennox (bigquestions.com)

Amazing news about Helen

Helen was baptized. Thank you for your prayer. At her baptism ceremony they came: husband, children, daughter and one of the cousins. I see on her sun’s face a lot of excitement and joy for his mother. He liked to be for the first time in a Baptist church.

But I know you're curious to know what God has done in her husband life that threatened to divorce just some days before!

Her husband came to baptism ceremony... seemed disgruntled and unhappy, but... Helen told me that when they had a time alone, after the baptism ceremony, he took her in his arms and said: “Know that you were the prettiest women form the church. Now I love you even more than in a past!”

We are so glad of transformation that God brings in her family! Today in just 3 hours we have Bible study in their home! WOW!

I do not know what you understand from this story, but I know that you are wonderful people and that God will hear your prayers. This change is the fruit of your prayers.

Oh, how much I want to be near you and put my arms around you to appreciate you and to show my gratitude!


Here is the Helen's family!

Ana blowing shofar

Ana-Maria blowing in shofar in the morning...

Rodica

Rodica is a little confuse...in interview after her baptism she say:
"Today it was a miracle...I was saved. I was baptized."

Catalina

Eugen

Vlad

Helen like other romanian womens

These days I met Helen and I helped her to prepare her testimony. She shares with many people about Christ.

Helen's story is the story of many women in Romania who consistently go to another country to work for their family. She told me that there is more time to read.

"I did not understand anything of what I read from Bible. Neither in the church I did not understand anything."- she told me recently(3 months ago!).

She came to the study group for women often inconsistent because of her departures.

However, in our discussions in women’s group she heard that when you read the Scripture would be good to pray before and then you read. She heard, also, it's good to meditate on and to study the Word of God. She found all that in her travels abroad. Stand and care of elderly people in other country. She told me how God puts His word in her heart and mind, the readied passages of the day.

He recently came back into the country. He joined in first Sunday in the Baptist church in her neighborhood. She understood that there will be a baptism ceremony. She said that, to her family, wants to be baptized. Children were encouraged her but her husband threatened to divorce.

"If baptize you know that there is no way being together. The day you are baptized I bring the paper for divorce"-he said.

This Sunday Helen decides to be baptized. Pray for Helen to have peace in her house. To be a strong witness for Christ in the rest of her life.

God is unveiling His masterpiece of redemption before our eyes!

Daniel, a blond boy with long, thick hair… He liked to show off whenever I entered his room. I met him in Iasi 12 years ago. He knew how to play guitar, but his interest for God or Scripture was not too big. When we were spending time together playing the guitar and talking about God, we each time started to talk also about extra terrestrials and human colonization from the outside. It seamed like no idea about God and His plan of redemption could reach his sinful heart and mind. We parted though with regret when he finished college and went back to the East of the country, in Suceava. I bought him a New Testament and wrote some words on the front page. While saying goodbye he took me in his strong arms for a hug…
Many years passed before I heard from him again. Two weeks ago I heard his voice on the phone. He is the executive director for operations on the ground in the airport of Bacau , another big city in the East of Romania. He is married to Carmen and has a 6 years old boy who imitates him in everything…
Passionate about fishing, he was one of the ones who led, until recently, the Association for Amateur Fishermen in Bacau . Not long after graduating, cleaning up his things, he found the New Testament I had given him. The discussions he had with me and with one other colleague came back to his mind, and life circumstances forced him this time to get closer to the Word. He begun to read, and was impressed by the personality and the way our Lord Jesus lived. One evening, he put his trust in Jesus as Lord and Savior. He begun to read even more from the Bible and also go to church. Last year he attended the conference that Josh McDowell held in Romania , and it had a wonderful impact into his life as a father. (In the picture is Daniel and his son Razvan.)
His passion for fishing took much of his time. One day, near the water, he realized he was spending so much time to catch fish, but he did nothing to „fish” souls of people. He decided to sell all his fishing tools and with that money to do something for the Lord. He had good and expansive tools, and so he earned a big sum of money. He rented an expansive hall in a hotel in Bacau and there he organized a seminary on emotional intelligence and he invited me as a speaker there. There were leader students who came, leaders from other organizations in Bacau , colleagues some of his bosses... He wanted to fish with good bait the „big fish in the pond” ... and so he did.
These days, Daniel is meeting people at the conference and tells them the Gospel. Each time he meets someone he tells me how the meeting went, and I help him from the distance to improve his method. He told the Gospel already to 2 people and is helping other Christians to tell it. He was telling into an e-mail to the ones who are his disciples: “ I spoke for about an hour and a half to a person I met. We remained friends and we both liked the discussion. We agreed that until Wednesday he takes the personal decision to follow the Lord, to pray and read 3 chapters from the Gospel of John. Don’t forget!!! Pray before the meetings that the Lord opens the heart of the person, prepares the place, be with you and give you wisdom!”
12 years ago he wasn’t interested, today he is a fisher of men and makes disciples...
It is because of people like Daniel that we have committed our lives to sharing the life-changing message of Christ with Romanian peoples. God is at work, drawing students, families to Himself and transforming a generation of future and present leaders.

AFTER TWENTY YEARS…

I met Dorin, a "Goth rock” fan, who is a very good English speaker that understands the words from the songs which he appreciates. Recently, Dorin, had a suicide attempt. He ate a toxic plant that inflamed his tongue and was on the brink of death by suffocation.
20 years ago I was a "Death Metal" fan. I thought that that period of my life could not bring anything good in the new life that I have now. I didn’t think that the knowledge of rock history would be helpful someday in meetings with people like Dorin. I told him about the music he listens and then we bent over the pages of the Scripture. I was glad I was able to tell the gospel to Dorin. In the end I gave him the booklet (containing the gospel) that we have read together.
Dorin went home and told his mother about the conversation we had with him. His mother immediately came to talk to us. She was desperate. She didn’t know how to handle Dorin’s suicide attempt ...she was so scared! Cristina proclaimed the Gospel, and in the end, together, we gave her some advice on how to treat Dorin.
Just before our departure Dorin's father came to us. He said he came to greet his wife. We talked a little about the Lord with him and I encouraged him to read the brochure that we gave Dorin. It was so emotional! We barely broke from them! Pray for this family so that the salvation to come in their house and their lives to be changed in the way that they would become a strong example to those who know them!