Dear Family and Friends,
Of course, by now I realize that I've done this all backwards. OK, I'm new at blogging. I didn't think about the fact that my blogs would be listed in the order I posted them...so that if you read through them the way they are arranged, you'll be going backwards. Oh well.....
Here is the last entry (if you want them in order, skip down to #1 and work your way up)
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I've been unable to write to you again since we were traveling from place to place in Romania. I'm home now. We got back last night, I spent a little time with my family and then passed out for about 11 hours of much needed sleep. There's a ton of stuff on my desk that needs attention -- as you can imagine -- but I had to take just a minute to jot a quick note of praise to God!
The Lord was with us every step of the way! After my last email we finished the conference in Brasov. The Lord helped in such a powerful way -- I really do think we were able to offer the students some help in dealing with sin and growing up into this new life that God has give through Christ. They were very appreciative and there were many tears as we left. Many pastors in Romania, it seems, do not shepherd in the sense that they do not take time to nurture the lives of the people. Many have become administrators. I do not mean to imply that they are not good men. I have met very many who are deeply committed to Christ. But they have taken on so many responsibilities -- often for administrating American backed "causes" and para-church endeavors -- that they are left with little or not time to be shepherds in any biblical sense of that term. So when we come and take time to teach and to talk with young people and pray with them, is a bit overwhelming for them. Pray God will bring biblical change to the churches in Romania -- they have picked up a lot of bad habits from American churches -- many of the same things we're concerned about here have been carried over there by the bucket load! I fear a lot of our "church growth" silly-ness has been imposed on them.
After Brasov we traveled across the tops of some of the most beautiful mountains I've ever seen -- snow covered peaks and 1800's type alpine villages for miles all around us. We then descended down in to Cumpalung to stay with a dear family -- one of the sweetest I've ever known. They were an important "pipleline" for Bibles and funds being smuggled into Romania back under communism (their daughter was one of our translators -- and boy is she good at what she does!). I preached to the church there. God really helped me to give a message on the reality of a God-sent conversion as opposed to someone merely making "a decision for Christ". When God does it, it's real. As I say, God really helped. The family we stayed with were thrilled. They are so tired of American "decisionism" and said they were so happy to finally hear the Gospel preached clearly. What a gracious God to let me experience such friendship and kindness!
From there we went to Putuasa (it means brimstone). A friend, Bro Mike Durham was supposed to preach there and we were to have supper with him -- as so often happens in Romania he was late so Bro Mike and I each spoke a few words to the congregation and then, just as our friend arrived had to leave to get back to Bucharest and prepare for our flight early the next day.
Got to Bucharest late -- about 11:30, could not sleep. Had to get up at 3 AM to get to the Airport by 4 AM. Flew for about 18 hours total -- got home, got some really wonderful sleep. And now......can't wait to see you all
God is so good to treat a sinner like me so very well for Christ's sake!
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