Romania Missions

Now that another trip to Romania has been completed I am once again in the "Evaluation" and "Future-Seeking" mode of thinking. This is the 6th trip I have taken to Romania, 4 of which I have planned and led myself. Many times when I return from one of these trips I am so exhausted that even thinking about going back in a year seemed too difficult. This year it is different for me. I have not returned home exhausted but am actually renewed with many thoughts about the next phase of ministry in Romania.

God is revealing a renewed sense of His Vision for this work. With our existing partnership in tact, we now have the opportunity to partner with a dynamic ministry where Missions is a regular part of their DNA. I have struggled with trying to provide leadership where the cultural dynamics are so different than they are here in our country. I believe we all want the same things but there is a differentiation in how to go about accomplishing the dream.

At this time I believe God wants us to begin planning on taking two trips to Romania in 2011. I also believe it is time to share the opportunities for Mission work in this part of Romania with other Mission-Minded churches so that more resources can be accessed. Our small band of Believers have been able to accomplish some things in Romania. But, there is so much more that needs to be done; much more than our small group can resource.

It is nothing short of miraculous what God has already done in and through us in this Romanian partnership. I stand amazed that a simple country boy like me has been able to travel around this world and meet some wonderful people who are so close to my heart now. I feel as though I have family all over the world. I was in Brazil on a mission trip in 1990 and a few months ago my translator while on that trip found me online. We have been talking periodically since then. Our hearts were knit together by our partnership in the Gospel Ministry 20 years ago and those feelings of brotherhood are still strong.

Please join me in praying for the work that still needs to be done in the village of Sanger, in Northern Romania. This is a place where opportunities and blessings await those who have a desire to serve God with any talents you may have. No one is too old (we have taken people in their 70's) and no one is too young (our last trip included an 8 year old boy). There is always something for everyone to do. As I have stated in the past, if you have any interest in being a part of Romanian Missions please let me know. You can email me: chuck@connectingpointchurch.cc. Please don't hesitate to follow God's call. You will not regret it!

Musing on Romania

As I write this blog our team is preparing to start our long journey back home. We have spent the better part of two days enjoying some great fellowship, eating some great food, and just having fun with our Romanian partners in this ministry. I have not watched any television since our arrival in Cluj last week. When you are not constantly in front of the TV it is amazing how much time there is to share in people’s lives. Our Romanian friends love to laugh and sing. They play some silly games but it is fun just to watch how people react. I laugh so deeply when I am hanging out with these precious people.

I believe our worship experience here in Cluj was a blessing for our team yesterday. We shared in the evening service with our Romanian partners who worked in the camps with us. Matt, Jennifer McCurley and Justin shared their testimonies. They did a great job. Then we attempted to sing “Our God is a Mighty God” in Romanian. That was interesting. I was asked to share a message about how important it is for us to build a strong Christian foundation into our children. They had so many children present and their children’s choir, praise ensemble (older children singing with microphones) and a young girl who played the violin blessed our hearts. They have so many gifted children in their church. It was a great service!

This is the time when my thoughts are dominated by evaluating the work here in Romania. I ask myself many times how long this partnership will continue and how much further the Lord would have me to go with it. When I am at home I get overwhelmed many times by the costs of taking these trips. This makes me think it is something I should stop doing. Then, when I am here I feel like the Lord wants me to go and share the vision with many of my Pastor friends and ask for their support. I would love to see more churches get involved in bringing teams here to do ministry.

Since my perspective is always different upon returning to the American lifestyle, I am resolved in my heart and mind today that God is in charge of the things that are unknown to us. As long as God continues to make the needs here known and continues to provide resources for the work that needs to be done, I will continue to do whatever He instructs. I have been to Romania enough times now that I can be assured that my motivation for continuing is not just to get the opportunity to travel and see the world (even though this is something I do love). God has spoken deeply into my heart while here in this great country. He has convicted me concerning my own personal walk with Him and the amount of time I am spending in His Word. In the past I would spend hours studying God's Word in preparation for preaching. This is something that has been neglected and I will be changing this.

I have also been convicted how accepting we are in our churches of things that are highly offensive to our Holy God. The more we compromise on His holiness the less of His power we will see. We need to learn a lesson from our Romanian brothers and sisters on praying both in our personal times with God and in our worship services. It is ironic that we are coming here to help them and in reality we are the ones who need to be helped.

Update from Sanger

Another week of working in the village of Sanger, Romania has come to an end. The weeks do pass by very quickly but after everything is finished, I am very exhausted and ready to start the long journey towards home. We leave this small farming community and head back to Cluj which is one of the larger cities in the country of Romania. We will spend the rest of our Saturday and Sunday with some very precious and hospitable friends. We will worship with one of the fastest growing churches in Romania (Christian churches). The Pastor and I have become wonderful friends. He has graciously welcomed me into his home and allowed me to preach in his pulpit each time I have come to Romania. I always look forward to seeing him and his family.

Many times when I am at home I think how difficult it is to make this journey. For those who come, great financial sacrifice is made. This includes not only the costs involved in making this journey but also the loss of income while we are here. Each time we come I have men who are self-employed to come and help me with construction. Not only are they giving up two weeks of gainful employment but their employees also have to make a sacrifice. Considering all these costs it makes me wonder if this is something I should continue. Then I come back and hug some of the most loving children I’ve ever been around. I witness genuine, deep-seated JOY among Christians who have so little of the world’s possessions. I listen to people pray and, even though I cannot understand a word they say, I am moved beyond description. They pour their hearts out to God in prayer.

I many times think how far we have come to help our Brothers and Sisters in Christ and to share God’s loving salvation with any who will listen. Our journey (one way) is a little over 5,000 miles. But it is actually God Himself who traveled the greatest distance to help us. He came all the way from eternity, from the realms of His own glorious Kingdom so that we might have a way to be made right with our Creator. His reward for traveling such a long distance was scorn, rejection, persecution, suffering and death. In light of our Lord’s great sacrifice I realize how little I have done by coming to this country to help people who have now become very precious to my heart.

It never fails that when I come here my blessings are much more pronounced than the ones received by those whom we are here to assist. The Bible says that it is more blessed to give than to receive. There is no doubt that this is the TRUTH! The future for this village in Romania is growing brighter because of God’s goodness to me and so many other Believers I am privileged to share my earthly journey with.

I hope this is only the beginning of greater things to come in Romania. I hope to go back home and fervently strive to raise funds and recruit laborers so that we can make this dream of a Christian camp and retreat center a reality in the village of Sanger. With a place for young people to come any time they want to play, learn about the love of God through Christ, and grow up with concerned, caring adults the Kingdom of Heaven will grow stronger in this oppressed section in Northern Europe. I ask for your prayers and am not ashamed to ask for your financial support. And, if you want a renewed perspective on how blessed we are in America, make plans to make this journey with us – perhaps as soon as May or June of next year.