A Departing Toast: Round Two

Round two.  I feel like I'm going to see the squeal to one of my favorite movies.  Like I'm hoping it's better than the last one, but still having all of the familiarity of the first one. Complete with all of the old characters, yet introducing new faces to the plot.  However, before I begin my dreaming, I want to take the time to say goodbye to today's reality.

When I had first come back to The States, everyone was warning me of this attitude I would develop.  An attitude of disgust to Americans. But...I had a different experience.

Instead, I became aware of how much the everyday American needed help. How there was a mission field at our front door. From our neighbor to co. workers, family to friends, strangers to enemies, etc. we all need help.  We all need saving from something...and I found my heart breaking for those around me.  Everywhere I looked, I saw possible ministries, outreaches, and mentoring moments.  What I found was that the whole world was broken, and not one was less broken than the other.

So here is to all of those who are doing their part to to mend our world:

   To my XMC family, what a phenomenal group!  You guys make me so proud of the insignia we have as Christians.  You guys take nothing for granted and proudly wear your purpose.  Keep changing the world, one soul at a time!

    To My Christ Church family, and specifically Elevate Youth Ministries, I love ya'll so much. I just know that so much good is going to continue to come out of you! I was so blown away how the Elevate students raised enough money to buy a missionary a vehicle.  It just goes to show that Christ Church as a whole is a missions minded church with a heart for reaching the lost.

     To my Crowley Rec Center family, you guys have made good health an attainable goal. Each of you guys goes above and beyond the call of your job. From volunteer work to planning events, each of you have made it a priority to help people be good stewards of the body given to them. You guys are phenomenal encouragers.

      To all of those who have partnered with me in my missions work, I wouldn't have been able to do it without ya'll.

       And to my Family-family. From Texas to Utah and parents to siblings, ya'll are the greatest!  I would have never gotten to this point without you guys. I couldn't have asked for more a supportive family.  I'm going to miss you guys.

There were so many more that I could have listed above, but I 'll stop here. I value your time as much as mine.

So with this imaginary glass, I toast to all of those who seek to change our world, one person at a time. I raise my glass to all of those who don't just dream of hope, but bring it to those who need it the most. I take off my hat and tip it to all of those who have joined the most epic story that anyone could ever dream of weaving. I love ya'll, and can't wait to see you guys on my return.  

PointingUpwards. Texas

Discipleship.  All ministry boils down to this.  Without this one element ministries collapse, compromise becomes the standard, and new converts are left to the wolves.  In the end, every form of successful ministry boils down to discipleship.

I remember getting off the plane and feeling relaxed.  It was strange hearing English spoken around me and being able to approach anybody and not have to translate words in your head.  Every person greeting you with a smile and saying, "Welcome to America."  I remember curling up in bed, and for the first time realizing that I would be living in Texas for the next few months.  I was then faced with a decision.  For the next few months, what would I be doing?

"Discipleship." was my firm confident answer.  I would do as I had done in Louisiana and Romania; search out those hearts God had given me and then farm with every tool available to me.  Reach into heart after heart, getting involved in peoples messes, taking what I've learned, and washing others feet with it.  I'm not gonna lie, I've thoroughly enjoyed it!

To see God move in my country, home church, and community has been such a blessing!  Working as a janitor at the Crowley Rec Center has been a blessing!  Having the opportunity to volunteer at Elevate on Wednesdays is such a blessing!  Being able to disciple young people...has been the best blessing.  A blessing I treasure with all of my heart.

For me, I am happiest when I'm where God has called me.  Right now he has me in Texas and I'm having so much fun being at my Father's work here...but soon I'll be in Romania.  And when I'm there, I will be happiest being at my Father's work there...but right now I'm here in Texas...

...Just doing what He has taught me to do...

...Going where he calls me...

...And then...

...Pointing Upwards.

A Departing Toast

Through my life, I have made many homes.  From Texas to South Korea, from South Korea to Texas, from Texas to Louisiana, and now from Louisiana to Romania, I have moved.  And each time God made that place home for me.  My home no longer is The States.  My home is the center of God's perfect will.  That is my home.

However, I can't deny the family and home I have found here in Romania.  The lessons I've learned and those who impacted my life have written themselves on my heart.  And this year...I got to see God move powerfully!

I've learned about the authority God has placed in us...and how powerful that is.

I've learned more about the power the gospel, and how that simple encouragement of "Jesus loves you" can mess someone up so bad.

I've learned that time set aside for one person, will disturb eternity and change its future.

To the Petre family I would like to thank you all for all of your amazing hospitality.  You treated me like family and welcomed me into your home without hesitancy.

To David, we will always be like Jonathan and David...Let's go slay a giant together.

To the Arsene family, thank you also for your amazing hospitality.  I still remember when you guys feed me in March of 2010 when the volcano exploded.

To Sorin, you really are a man of God with destiny and a future.

To Florin and Liz, thank you for being awesome inspirations in my life.

To Mihai Tudor, Bro, you were a good friend of mine this year.  I'm gonna miss our coffee afternoons.

To Pastor Mihai, thank you for being such a supportive senior pastor this year.  We couldn't have functioned well without that.

Honestly, this list could go on.  There are so many special people here: Claudiu, Bogdan, all the Ludesti guys, Oana, Carmin, etc.  There hasn't been a single person that I wouldn't toast to.  And so as to not keep everyone from their day, I salute you.

The naked were clothed, the hungry fed, the lost found, the oppressed freed, and the sick healed.  God moved in every way he promised in his word.  He has been my adventure this year...and I'm excited for the next year.  What happed here was only the beginning...and this makes me thrilled.

So, with this I toast:

Romania Pentru Isus Hristos!!! (Romania for Christ)

The Count Down Ends...Graduation

Well, tomorrow our first year students graduate, and the very first year of MCR will be over.  I'll be heading home early Wednesday morning, as will the rest of our team depart to their homes.  It's a bitter sweet moment.  There is excitement about graduation, but we've done so much ministry and life together that goodbyes are kinda hard.  And, as this countdown is ending, we have had another great week of ministry.

Starting with this past weekend, Thursday-Sunday, we had Experience Master's.  This was an opportunity for high school graduates to check out our program and the ministry we do.  One of the ways we showcased our ministry was through a program we called Mission Experience.  This was an interactive drama that toured through our building from scene to scene. 

When the Experience Master's students entered the first room, they found themselves in a typical gypsy home with a character named Valentine.  Valentine, played by David, was a gypsy boy caught up in racism, and how that lead to him stealing and his eventual involvement in sex trafficking.  In the third scene, Diana, played by Oana, was kidnaped by Valentine.  Then, she led the audience to her room with her customer waiting for her.  There she told about what she had seen in that home, and how a twelve year old girl had been killed trying to escape.  As the exchange of money happened, the last character, Alin, played by Sorin, was introduced.  His story told about how his parents had abandoned him to work in England for more money.  So he had a pocket full of money and looked for love in all the wrong places.  This is just a very basic overview of what we did.
The reason I tell you about this, is because it was the highlight of the week for many of our visitors...because all of this was based on real stories of people we minister to on a regular basis.  They even got to meet Valentine at one of the micro kids.  One girl said this, "I always looked down on prostitutes, and men who did those things.  I never thought that what they need was love.  The drama caused me to think in a totally different way."  As the drama closed Florin told our visitors about what we were doing as a Master's Commission to bring justice to these issues...many were crying as their eyes were opened to the truth.

That weekend we also ministered in a youth camp in front of hundreds of youth.  We did our last Micro Kids in Teist, and supported Eugen in the last youth night Master's Commission will be part of till next year.  As always, God moved and lives were touched.

To wrap up a tough but rewarding year, we took all of our students out to the beach, for a final time together.  We hugged each other, worshiped with one another, and prayed together.  I'm gonna really miss these guys...and I can't wait to do ministry with them next year!
So tomorrow night the countdown ends as does this first year of ministry.  However, our heart to see God move powerfully doesn't change.  Though we all may head our separate ways, our ministry will still continue.

Thanks again for all of your support.

10...9...8...7...6...5...4...3...2...

The Countdown Continues...Crossroads Missions Team

This past week was a great week of ministry for us.  As each day brings me closer and closer to my return to the USA, I have seen God move in increasingly amazing ways.  This week, we had the privilege of ministering with the Crossroads Mission Team from California!  I love it when we host teams because of the community and the amount of ministry we get to do.  More hands working, means more ground is prepared at one time.  This group that partnered with us was a phenomenal group, and our ministry this week was powerful!  Three events from this week that I want to highlight are the Teist ministry, evangelism, and youth ministry outreaches.

As we do every week, we did a Micro Kids at both Ludesti and Teist.  Both of these Micro Kids were very successful and unique.  I was put on car guard duty in Teist and was, therefore, held back from Micro Kids.  What was cool about this, though, is that I got to connect on a much deeper level with many of the adults from the village.  I was able to communicate with them on a very friendly level.  So much of ministry is based on relationships.  It's how you see needs and then know how to fill them.  It's the start of knowing how to pour out good into hearts and understand them more clearly.  Let's be honest, the people we let affect our lives the most are the ones we love the most.

It was also my joy to do a food drive, with the mission team, there in Teist.  We gave out bags of food to the thirty-five homes in the village and were able to talk about God's love for them.  As we left each home we blessed them with a prayer, reminding them of how important they are to God.

We also did more evangelism this week and many more people gave their hearts to God.  The story I would like to highlight here, however, doesn't come from one of our scheduled times of evangelism.  The day the mission team had shown up, God had challenged me with this scripture: “Those of us who are strong and able in the faith need to step in and lend a hand to those who falter, and not just do what is most convenient for us. Strength is for service, not status. Each one of us needs to look after the good of the people around us, asking ourselves, "How can I help? (Romans 15)” God really began to challenge me to take those moments of ministry that are extremely inconvenient for me.  Like when I’m rushing from place to place, or when it really costs me something.  Ministry costs you in general, but it seems like God rewards great sacrifice.  Example: Jesus dying on the cross for us.  Nothing can be more inconvenient than dying.  And yet in his great sacrifice, his reward was all of mankind.

So, when I was in a rush to make it to a friend’s house, and a guy stopped me because he heard me speaking English, I stopped.  This guy was about to leave Romania for work in Italy, and very depressed.  He was sitting on the sidewalk sharing his last beer with his friends, when he called out to me.  As soon as we began speaking, he spilled his woes to me.

He said, “There’s no hope in Romania.  We’re all poor and everyone hurts one another.  How can you have any hope for this place?”

My reply, “Because I have Jesus.  He is my hope.”  Hope is the acknowledgment of promises, and thank God that we serve a God, who keeps all of his promises.  There is no hope without promises. 

And so I began to share Christ with this man.  God moved on this man’s heart, and he gave it to Christ.  Right there, with his beer and friends on both sides of him, we got to pray.  Here is where I began to see a great smile stretch across his face.

“I’m excited I get to go to Italy!” he said, “It’s God’s plan for me.”  For eight months, I have gotten to see what a blessing sacrifice is.  When you slow down, observe, and give out of inconvenience, you are rewarded with moments like this.  You get to see the five loaves and two fishes feed five thousand people!

We also did a lot of youth ministry.  One event I want I want to highlight here is the Noua Creatie youth group opening in Moreni.  Eugen, the pastor that we help with the youth group in Targoviste, opened his own church in Moreni, and we, with the Crossroads Church mission team, got to be part of it!  Pastor Travis from Crossroads was the speaker, and at this event our conservative estimate says seven youth gave their hearts to Christ!!!  This was a phenomenal start for the church and we couldn’t have done it without this team.  Let me just say that I really liked them.

There are so many more stories about last week, but I’ll tell you guys more when I get back in America.  It still blows my mind that God called me here as a missionary…and it blows my mind to think that in about two weeks I’ll be back in America, only to be shipped back out in January.  God is amazing!!! 

Thanks again for all of your continual support, can’t wait to see you all, and God bless!     

The Countdown Begins...

I have a question that I would like to ask you.  First, think about every gift God has given you.  Think about every talent you have...and now, let's say that if you wanted to be a Christian, you would have to give up your God given calling.  Tell me, would you still choose to follow God?

You see, the Bible tells a story about a master who divides talents (sums of money) to three servants.  All but one multiplies what he was given.  That one is then throne out of the master's presence...so now tell me, would you still follow God if the church told you that you couldn't multiply your gifts?  Put yourself in the shoes of a boy who loves to act or a girl who loves to dance...and is now told the call of God on his life is a sin.  As a Master's Commission, this is one stigma we constantly find; and a legalistic bondage that we are breaking.

Last week a group of Americans came to Targoviste to do a crusade.  We got to help them out by helping invite the city.  In the process of doing so, we received a lot of favor.  Enough favor, that were given the rare chance to do a very risky thing...perform a drama.  The drama we did was the same drama we did on tour.  This drama was about the effects of spiritual oppression on the country, and how God was raising up young people to serve him.  As we performed, some people walked out.

It wasn't because they were offended by the content, but merely that it was a drama...and drama was a sin.  However, the next day, one of the lead Romanian pastors said this, "I know a lot of people walked out when Master's Commission did their drama.  But you cannot deny that the Holy Spirit fell.  If this was wrong, then God wouldn't have come down.  We know that it was right, because of how he moved during the drama."

God really has had his hand on this drama.  When we were on tour I remember people crying, because they knew that what was said was true.  I remember seeing people come to know Christ because of what God did through that drama.  And, that night, The Holy Spirit moved on people's hearts.

I tell you this story to give a platform of what I want to say next.  This year I was a missionary, who was discovering what works, what doesn't work, and what needs to be done in Romania.  Well, this wasn't a one-time go people.  A few months ago God confirmed in me that I would be coming back next year.  I know now that I will be coming back with these two forms of ministries in mind: fine arts, and men.

From the previous story before, it's obvious why there is a need for a fine arts ministry.  One of the things I've noticed is that Romanians are a very artistic driven culture, and are deeply touched by the arts.  Music, acting, dancing, etc. make the big impacts on their lives.  Many Romanians won't become Christians, because they find a lot of fulfillment in doing what God has made them to do, and won't give it up.  There are no Christian dance teams, so they dance in the clubs. I could go down the list but I think you have the idea.  So I really want to give Christians a platform to exercise the talents God has given them.

I will be writing tour again for Master’s Commission Romania, working on the media side of things, getting films, sound, etc. together and developing a core team for fine arts ministry.  One of my visions for next year that I'm really seeking the Lord out on, is a fine arts competition as part of three big events related to the arts.  As more planning, counsel, and prayer go into this I'll have a better idea of what I can and will do.  These are just some ideas that feel right in my heart right now.

I also will be coming back to found and build a men's ministry known as ISI.  Since before my first year of Master’s Commission in The States, God has been speaking to me about starting a men's ministry.  I personally never thought it would be so soon, or me be so young.  However, it has been confirmed in me and my counsel that now is the time to get it rolling.  My deep attention to men’s ministry was spurred from something I saw during one of the crusade nights.

In the park there was a free concert that I felt the need to see.  Somehow, I felt like it would be important.  The first act of the show was a very seductively dressed woman, who did not hide her agenda.  During the concert the night before many people were talking during the performance, but that night, they were all silent.

I had heard that Tarvoviste was the center for many of the mafia rings of Romania from a first year and friend of mine, David.  I had heard from Pastor Shawn that pornography dominated the male culture.  I had heard people talk about the rise of gang violence and abuse.  I had heard these things but had never truly seen these things until that woman walked up on stage.  And then in that moment I saw it...all of it...

I figure that in that moment no one was trying to hide their struggles but willfully gave themselves over...and in that moment of all their open doors...God opened up my eyes to see things as they really were.  I could see the signs of gang and mafia life.  I could see the signs of the abused girls.  I could see the signs of drugs.  I could see the hypnotic effect of what hours of pornography can do to a man.

I may be a man of God...but I am still a man.  So I grabbed a youth student who was with me and left.  That whole day, and days to come, I was haunted by the bondage I had seen that night...and I sought God out, asking him to free those men.  So, I really do have a heart for starting this men's ministry, ISI, here next year.

As time goes by I will be keeping you updated on how everything is going as I prepare to launch these ministries next year, and how the Master's Commission Romania program is doing.  I say this, because on July 27 I will be heading back to The States to see my family, meet with ya'll, and earn more funds for next year's ministry. In the meantime, please keep the last month of my stay here in your prayers.  God is doing a lot in people's hearts during this last crunch time of our stay.  We want our First years to finish strong.  And we desire to see God to continue to move in incredible ways!

Also keep our upcoming events in your prayers too.  We are hosting another American team, and we will be taking them with us during our ministry in the girl's home, nursing home, youth nights, food drives, etc.  This group is a phenomenal group, and I really want to see God do some amazing things in them and through them.  For those who have gone on a mission's trip before, you know that if you're open to God, he'll do some amazing things in and through you.  After they leave we will be doing an event called "Experience Master's."  This gives young people a chance to experience master's commission, and the ministry we do, as a student for about four days.  Our hope is that this will build our program as well as motivate young people to change their communities.

Thank you for all of your support.  If you live in Texas or Louisiana, I will be seeing you really soon and can't wait to meet with you and tell you more, face to face, about what God is doing here!  God bless. 

   

Mission: Albania

I never thought I'd be a missionary in a foreign country, going on a mission trip to another foreign country.  However, last week we had a Master's Commission mission trip to Albania.  One of the goals we have for our students is to expose them to the mission field in other countries.  God does tell us in his word to go and make disciples of all nations.  He commissions us to go out in our communities, nation, and world to spread the life transforming gospel of Jesus Christ!  Every week our students lead and run local ministries.  Every so often we put on outreaches to the nation of Romania, and now we have just gotten back from our missions trip to Albania! Our vision for this trip was to come underneath a local missionary there, Sean Mason, and help equip the youth with tools.  Whether it be for their worship team, school, etc. 

The first three days we modeled Micro Kids for a ministry that helps kids with school.  We showed new ways of learning, that we had found successful in our Micro Kids.  For those three days not only did we do Micro Kids, but we loved on them like they were families.  These kids grew so attached to us that a group of girls had taken one of our first years, Carmen Marin, into their home, where they practically treated her like royalty.  It wasn't just the kids who grew attached, though.

On Wednesday we climbed a mountain with the Mission Emanuel Youth to get better connected with the young people under Sean Mason.  Megan Dean filmed a part of this adventure:

 also have to brag on our first years.  There was this one guy that worked at one of our favorite restaurants.  One day when we were walking back from dinner, our guys saw him and began to share the gospel with him.  He was very open, receiving, and hungry for it!  They came home excited about what God had done!  One of our first year girls even got to share the gospel with a Muslim girl!  Our students never once treated our mission trip to Albania as a vacation.  Every second they were ready to spread the gospel!

On Thursday, Liz Cucu, Niki Mirela, and I were guests on a Christian radio station to talk about our mission in Albania, Master's Commission Romania, and then give a word of encouragement.  I got to give a word of encouragement on the life transforming power of the gospel, and how it had transformed my life!  I have to say, that this is one of my favorite subjects to talk about right now.  What was also cool is that this message reached not only Albania, but Macedonia too!

This same day we helped train the worship team in practical tools of worship.  Sorin worked with a guy named Armando, teaching him how to play the drums.  While the girls worked with a girl, teaching her how to play the guitar!

God moved greatly in us on this Missions Trip.  We got to meet needs and support our fellow Christians across the world.  For one of our students it was the first time she had left the country!  We accomplish what we set out to do: we supported our Christian family, and got to expose our students to a possible mission field!  Glory to God, and thanks for all of your prayers and support!

Faith+Hope+Love+Team Passion

Since my last blog, we have done three big events amidst our regular weekly ministries.  These three events were so successful that we are planning to make them part of our ministry next year!  The first event was our youth retreat: Credinta, Speranta, si Dragostea (faith, hope, and love), the second event: Kids Day outreach, and the third: The Team Passion Outreach

Here are some photos from the youth event:

We only had room for forty youth, and the roster filled up so fast that we had to turn many away.  We had invited all the young people that we had ministered to since we've been here and these are the first forty to have signed up.  They had a blast.

Bianca and I were over the games...and let's just say we held nothing back.  All the young people were split up into teams of faith, hope, and love, and battled it out in the competitions for the title of Youth Retreat Winner!  I forget what team won, or I would have told you.

However, the most important thing was how powerfully God's Spirit moved at this camp.  Out of the 50 people that were there, I counted at least 6 young people give their heart or recommit their lives to Christ.  And in the last session we got to pray and minister to all forty young people.  That session was amazing.  In fact, you could talk to every one of those students and they will tell you something that God had done in their heart that night!

Some young people decided that they were going to change their world.  Others began to weep with a desire to see more of God.  And then there were those who found themselves free!!!

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Then there was the Kid' Day event, where we went to one of my personal favorite places to minister, Ludesti.  Here are some pictures from it:

Ludesti is one of the sights where we do Micro Kids, and in honor of National Kids Day, we did something special for them.  We took them all out to a field and played games with them, gave out candy, and showed each and every one of them unconditional love.

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And then there was the Team Passion Event which we just got finished with yesterday.  Here are some pictures from it:

In Master's Commission Romania: we are broken down into two teams.  In Team Justice there is Bianca Doll, David Petre, and Oana Neacsu.  In Team Passion there is Sorin Arsene, Carmin Marin, Megan Dean, and I.  Each team was given the funds for whatever outreach we chose.  Here is Team Passion:

  

Plus an awesome man of God named Bogdan.  He's the guy in the grey polo.

When I asked our students what they would like to do, Carmin didn't hesitate to express her desire to see all the people in the hospital get saved.  I remember her saying, "Every day there are new people coming, because every day people are dying.  And I want to see them get saved and healed, for real!"

If you guys could keep her dad in your prayers.  He has cancer right now and we're praying for healing.  It's this thing that has given Carmin such an exposure to the hospital.  We ministered in the Cancer Care Wing.

Let me start of by saying this.  Hospitals here are like nothing I have ever experienced.  There's no privacy.  Rooms would have multiple people in them, and they were coed.  Faucets on the walls were hooked up to IVs on the walls, and the sanitization process was not the best.  What really broke my heart, was when I found out that the people in this hospital weren't coming for a chance to be cured...but to wait to die.  Carmin had talked to one room of people that admitted this.  They said that they had been at a better hospital in Bucharest, but because they had no chance of living, they sent them to wait out their days in Targoviste at a less prestigious hospital.  Everyone was crying.  However, amidst all of this darkness, God's Spirit moved powerfully!

We know for a fact that at least 14 of 20 accepted Christ as their personal Lord and Savior!  With every person we left a New Testament Bible, and everyone was reading them!  They were hungry for every word and intrigued about them.  This ministry was so successful we are talking about how to make it a regular part of our ministry next year!

I'll personally never forget praying for one guy as his wife walked into the room.  She began to cry, thanking us repeatedly.  Things like this don't happen much here in Romania, so when it does, it means the world to them.  That day, 14 people were snatched out of the grip of an eternity away from God and will be sitting before his throne!  Man, Glory to God!_______________________________________________________________________________

Next big thing on our calendar is a missions trip to Albania we are taking our students on.  We want our students to experience every single type of ministry, and we want to make connections for them, so that they can be prepared for ministry outside of Master's Commission.  So please be praying for our trip: First for the move of God, that the lost will come to know God, and then for direction in everything we do!  We want to do God's will according to his standards!

Giving to the Giftless

               In March, we opened up our 2^nd Micro Kids site in a small gypsy village about five min. from where we live.  I am happy to say that it has been very successful!  Every week we do worship, a Bible lesson, puppets, drama, etc.  Needless to say, these kids are always ecstatic!  Most importantly, however, they get to hear God’s word!

                In this village, not one person can read, making it hard to know God’s Word or find a job.  The whole village lives in a state of poverty, barely able to feed themselves.  When we did a food drive to the town, they lost their minds.  No one had done this for them before.  Being both gypsy and in poverty, their society looks down on them, few willing to reach out and help them.  This is how we have decided to be the light of Christ to them, by helping them with their most basic needs…needs that they are unable to meet.

                Last Saturday we did a shoe drive for the kids of this gypsy village, called “Beautiful Feet”.  Our director of the Master’s Commission program, Florin Cucu, was the first one to notice this need.  I became aware of it at a Micro Kids.

                One Saturday, as we began to play games with the kids, I stepped on a broken chunk of glass.  It was at that moment that I began to look around where I was standing…and as far as I could see, broken glass littered the ground.  My heart just about stopped every time I watched a kid step on a chunk of glass…yet, they still played on.  One little boy had a gash on his foot, which had become black from the dirt shoved in it.  Many of these children walked around like this during the snowy winter…barefoot on ice.  

                Jesus says in Matthew 25:40 (New International Version, ©2011) “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’  We wanted to be the hands and feet of Christ, reaching out to the least of these.  And so, we put shoes on these kids!

                Now, once again imagine this: You are an uneducated gypsy, living in Romania.  All your life, and all your parent’s life, not one person was willing to help you.  You’ve been told, “You’re a gypsy.  No one will help you.  If you want to live you have to steal.  You steal, or you go naked.  You steal, or you go hungry.  You steal, or you die.”  And, the biggest denomination in Romania does virtually nothing to help you.

                Now, imagine this: Someone comes claiming, in the name of Christ, that they have a free gift for you.  A gift you cannot buy.  A gift…something entirely different…a gift…something you didn’t have to steal…Imagine how radicle this is to the ears.  The village wasn’t really sure how to handle this.

                The shoe drive went well.  However, towards the end, their inability to believe that the gift was free took over.  To insure that every kid got a pair, we had to surround our bag of shoes from hands trying to steal a free gift.  I remember at one time having to hold back two young men from the village, one in each arm.  They kept saying to me in Romanian, “What are you doing?!  Come on man!?” trying to break through my arms.  Knowing that what they were doing was a survival instinct that had been taught as a virtue to them since birth, all I could say, with a heavy heart, was, “I’m sorry brother ‘Imi pare rau frate’.”

                You know, this really got me thinking.  Christ’s gift of salvation is free.  He’s standing there handing it out…and yet, because of the way our culture has raised us, we try stealing the gift through our good works.  All our life we’ve been taught that the good go to heaven, and the bad to hell.  When the truth is, we all need the gift before us.  We can call the mud on our feet shoes, but we all are barefoot.  However, if we just submit ourselves to God’s way, we wouldn’t find ourselves being held back from the gift that is being freely given.

                There were still some kids who did not receive shoes that day because of size conversions, so we will be doing this again.  However, this shoe drive, a display of selfless love, did affect the people.  In a good way, of course.  And this selfless act, though it may seam confusing to them at first, I believe will change them!

                Please pray for safety and for the regeneration process at work in their hearts.  You can really see the change that has taken place in the village because of God’s Spirit and the ministry we’ve done there.  As a team, we all really have heart for that place and want to see these people come to know more of God, and be everything he created them to be.

                Also keep our Youth Camp, coming up later this week, in your prayers.  We’ll be having youth from all over Romania come and we want to see God’s will done.  Our mission, as usual, is twofold: Compel Christians to change their community, and to bring others into the saving way of Jesus Christ.

                Thanks for all of your prayers and support.  Your partnership’s evidence is found in the countless needs that have been met, and the many who have heard the message of Jesus Christ.  God bless.  

About a Boy Named Peter

I want to tell you about a boy named Peter.  When the XMC team came down last month we began to take Romania by storm.  Every day was filled with ministry (tour, girl's home, Micro Kids, old folk's home, food drives, etc.) but one of the most powerful things that happened was us meeting this boy named Peter.

We were all at the bank when a young boy came up and asked us for money.  Now, my personal policy is to never hand out money, but to always offer food.  If they are truly hungry, then they accept food, and I have an opportunity to minister to them.  This little boy was hesitant to take food and preferred the money...mainly because just a few steps down was an internet cafe, and his troupe was out of funds.  Luis, however, noticed an older kid standing off in the dark, and that he had sent this little kid towards us.  Under the leading of Luis, we went to meet this kid...a fourteen year old named Peter.

I didn't think much of this interaction.  I guess you could say that the clouds didn't open up or no miracle marked the moment.  Luis just gave a simple invitation to church...and to Luis' great joy, Peter came!

To my great joy, the next service after the XMC students left, Peter was still coming.  At that point, I knew that it was my, and my guys' responsibility to take over the spiritual wellbeing of his life.  Let me just say, that one of the most exciting things is watching God transform someone!  This is probably my most favorite part of ministry!

Since that day, 3 weeks ago, Peter has confessed to being a child of God, began studying his Bible, coming regularly for prayer, and is walking out a transformed life!  A life that is showing in everything he does.  Not to long ago, one of our first year students, Sorin Arsene, got a call from Peter's mom.

Crying she told him, "I just wanted to tell you guys thank you!  Because of what you've been doing Peter has been off the streets and he's been changing!  I can feel God moving at our home now..." and she began to express the change that was happening in the family...which all started because one person invited someone to church.

So, I want to ask you this question, "Who is God calling you to reach out to?"  You know, Jesus said to his disciple, "Come and follow me."  and then he told us, "go and make disciples of all nations."  Who is God calling you to disciple?  Who are you calling out to, saying, "Come follow me as I follow Christ."  Because one of the things that makes God smile most, is when we plant his seed, and partner with him in the harvest…

…Creating something, that doesn't just stop with one person, but over takes the garden...

                                 ___________________________________________

Please continue to pray direction and guidance for our team, as we not only lead people to Christ but guide them in their walk with Him!

And so it Ends...Tour

And so, tour continued...We had safe trips, made great memories, and watched the Spirit of God move on the hearts of people!  Since my last post we went evangelizing, did another Micro Kids, ministered in a home for girls rescued from sex trafficking, and ministered in three more services!  Let me just say this, "SLAVA DOMNULUI!!! (Glory to God)

The body of Christ is a powerful thing!  Our XMC family and us (MCR) had seamlessly become one moving entity this tour and have been reaching out to Romania.  From old folk's home, to the streets of Targoviste, God has been moving!

In evangelism, new relationships were made with people who did not know Christ.  At Micro Kids many made confessions of Christ as their savior.  Healing was brought to the heats at the girl's home, as our Master's girls taught them the value they have in Christ!  The sad thing is that I could probably spend one post on each of these testimonies, and don't have the time to go into each of these.  The one thing I would like to focus on, however, are the different churches we ministered in.

Why?

Well, our ministry in other churches is our means of recruitment for MCR (Master's Commission Romania).  If this year ends and no body joins next year, then our ministries stop too.  That means no Micro Kids, no ministry in the girl's home, old folks home, evangelism, etc.  And, if more people catch a hold of the vision God has given us, then we can also do more.  More people in MCR means that we can do multiple Micro Kids sights, can do more with the girl's home, etc.  It also means that more young people find that deep inescapable passion for Christ.

At every church we stopped at, young people were hungry for God, and many excepted Christ as their savior.  The elderly in their chairs wept as they heard unfiltered truth: They had given up their lives for Christ, and now God was calling this new generation to do the same.  Young people who were once satisfied to sit in their chairs and do nothing, now came up to us and wanted to be a part of something more!  I want to highlight the last church we stopped at...a Romanian mega church.

It was the biggest church we stopped at of about 300 people.  This was an incredible blessing!  Even more so, considering that the church its self was made up of predominantly young people from 18-25, and most of them out of college and looking for what they should do next.  Because of the economy it's hard for many of these kids to find solid jobs, being so young, and so they have little they're doing.  These young people we're incredibly perceptive and their enthusiasm was overwhelming!

Usually, when we think missionary work, we don't immediately associate promotionals as God's work...but if my ministry only stretches to the tip of my hand, then there is much darkness in our world.  However, if our ministry can reproduce ministry in others, then more of the world is changed...The seeds we plant overtake the garden, and so here we are sowing.  "Nimic Fara Dumnezeu!"  ("Nothing without God!" our tour motto.)

And so it Begins...Tour

So, to all of those who support me back home, I apologize for not having written a post in a while.  In our process of getting ready for tour, and preparing for our Crossroads Master's Commission family from Lafayette, Louisiana, I haven't had time to keep anyone back home in the loop.  However, let me say this: God is moving in this tour and changing Romania!

I remember when I got my first vision of a drama for tour.  I remember being in prayer and God inspiring me with this: The Romanian flag under the symbol of communistic oppression.  The flag was rippling and in the center was a red sickle and hammer.  I heard "ROMANIA!"  being chanted and Ceausescu’s name (the last communist dictator) mingled with the shouting.  Let me say this, "Romania has a beautiful history painted with the blood of the saints."

Last night, we got to honor all those who died for the cause of Christ and spur this next generation to multiply the legacy left for them by their saint's of old.  This is what I saw: Men making their way to the altar, declaring to God that they desire to reach their community for Christ.  I watched Romanian men who rarely show emotion weep at the altar as the Holy Spirit moved across the room.  The atmosphere was thick with The Spirit of God!

It was more than just a drama, a production, a performance.  I told my guys that if they did this drama and missed the heart of ministry, all the practices and late nights would be pointless, worthless, and ugly.  God would rather a little girl squeak out a few notes on a scratchy violin for Him, then watch a worship team with a perfect set list make a mockery of him on stage with their hearts and lives.  Thanks be to God, though, the dramas were excellent, the hearts were pure, and the Holy Spirit was ushered in!

I would like to get the video up to you sometime.

Beyond this we blessed a hungry gypsy village with a food drive, and around 45 people gave their hearts to Christ (this is a very conservative estimate.)! I was in a home with a woman who, knowing we were American, was rejecting Christ and asking for money for medication.  As much as I would have liked to help her out, I wasn't able to do this.  However, I looked at her and said, "I don't have the ability to buy you medicine.  But I got something better.  Suppose you get medicine, and your kid gets healed...but then he gets sick again, what good would it have been for me to buy that medicine.  But what i can give you is something eternal!"  I began telling her about how God loves her and her family and what He says about her in His word.  She began to choke up as God moved on her heart.

There has been even more crazy things happening!  Remember that Guy I told you all about that Sorin and I lead to Christ at a train station?  Well, as we were traveling we stopped in a random city to stretch our legs.  When I opened up the car door, he was standing infront of me.  I hadn't seen this guy in a few months but he recognized me instantly!  The coolest part though, is that he is still serving God!

And to think that this is only a small window of what God has been doing in this season here in Romania!  What we need from you though, is your continual prayers.  We'll be on tour for two more weeks and we're excited to see what God's going to do next!  Pray for the churches we minister in, the cities we evangelize in, the micro kid sights we visit, and please pray for health.  Some of the guys are feeling under the weather.

Let’s win this country for God!  Romania Pentru Hristos! (Romania for Christ)

PointingUpwards. Romania

So, to day I unveil the new name of my blog: PointingUpwards. Romania.  First off, "Why the change?"  Well, me being the last one to understand something, didn't realize that the Master's Commission's worship team back home  was named Justice Cry...So, to not bring any confusion to those searching for their ministry on Google, I was given good advice to make a name change.  After praying about it, God put this message on my heart: Pointing Upwards!

I'm not writing this blog to squeeze encouragement out of people.  These posts aren't for my praise.  I'm not here in Romania for a Europian adventure, and my ministry is weak on my own.  Sure, I can be a convincing individual and with fancy words sway hearts...but it all falls flat if God is not the one working in me and then through me.  I'm just a glove that He slips His hand into.  I'm just a window that He cleaned and now shines through.  I'm deaf, dumb, and blind without him...and so I want everyone to know that this blog is about His praise.

It's about Pointing Upward.  It's about people looking through the window and seeing the glorious light inside, that they might take a place by the fire!  It's about true worship; faith in action brings God the Glory He deserves.  In the end I will pass away and be forgotten...but when I leave, I wanna hear God say that I pointed them in the right direction!  The direction of someone who will never pass away...

So, I wanna say Slava Domnului (Glory to God)!  We relaunched a ministry that closed down some time ago called: Micro Kids (Meecrow kids).  It's a children’s ministry where we go into a village and invite all the children to a meeting place where we have games, a lesson, and worship.  Many of the parents come.  We have learned that one of the ways into a parent's heart is through blessing their children.  Back Home in Louisiana we did something similar and found that it gave us a doorway to minister to the community at large.  So, we took what we normally do back home and did it here; Master's Commission Romania Style!

Remember the church I wrote about in Ludesti that blessed us with English music?  Well, that church asked us to do our first ever micro kids there!  We went into the streets inviting all the children we saw, and 91 kids came!  This is not counting some of the parents and older siblings!

Our lesson was on God being number one in our life!  We had worship, dramas, games, and I gave the lesson intro.  Needless to say the kids had a blast.  The church wanted us to stay longer, kids were trying to bring their new American friends home with them, and the elderly were excited to see young people serving the Lord...That's what this is all about. If these children can grab a hold of Jesus now, man, they can escape many self-destructive experiences. 

When we began to go from house to house I saw some very interesting things.  I saw a group of men drinking beers and smoking cigarettes, married, yet trying to whistle at our girls.  Women on the verge of beating their children.  There was a certain innocents with this culture, I guessing from the lack of TV and computers, but at the same time, many of these kids probably don't have the best home life.  This is no different than America, but wherever there is a need for love, we want to be there.  And if these kids can get a hold of Jesus, than the future of that village will change.

Alcoholism won't exist, abuse will fade away, and faithfulness will be a standard for every marriage.  Our hope is that through our continued efforts people will begin to see who we're pointing at...and our world will change.  But it's God's light inside of us that will truly make the change...all we have to do is Point Upward!

Please pray that this ministry will continue to grow and that we'll get the deeds to other sights.  We want to expand this ministry but right now we are waiting on the government’s approval.  The Orthodox Church of Romania doesn't like it when other churches do things like this, and the government doesn't like to go against the wishes of the Orthodox Church.  So pray that we'll have their blessing, to get more involved in the community and meet more needs!  Also, continue to keep our preparation for tour in your prayers.

On the praise report side, we're all recovering very rapidly from our sicknesses, and as soon as Sorin gets over his cough, we'll all be good!  Thank you so much for your prayers and partnership with us!

Here are some pictures and a video of our first ever Micro Kids!

Guilt and Healing

So I'll admit, I've struggled with writing this blog.  When you're doing ministry you often deal with some very personal issues, and those things don't really need to be broad cast.  In these past two weeks, that's what we've really been dealing a lot with.

So, for the sake of those who have said, "Please don't tell anyone about this." I can't tell stories of what they have done, but I can tell of how awesome God is!  At one time I heard a pastor say this, "God can't cover, what you don't first uncover."  I have personally found this to be true and have watched this be true in others!

Guilt can be an awful thing that separates us from others.  It causes us to feel alone in our struggles and pushes people away from our heart.  No one truly gets to know who we are because we won't get to be totally vulnerable in front of them.  We're off on the side where the enemy can pick us off, one by one.  Before we know it, we're up to our ears in sin and drowning in our shame.

I feel like Americans tend to broad cast their sin whereas Romanians are a little more private.  This is not necessarily a bad thing considering that the reason for their privacy is linked to great remorse.  They feel the weight of what they've done and want it gone.  But sooner or later guilt eats you alive...it's not a noble thing to carry guilt...but it is honorable to humble oneself and admit that a mistake was made, and that help is needed.

Over these past two weeks I have been able to help people come against addictions, broken families, and guilt.  I have seen beautiful moments where someone has come to me and said, "I've never told anyone this before, and please don't say anything. Please."  Healing is an awesome thing.  You start off watching someone bent over by shame, hurt, regret...and as God begins to work in their heart you get to watch that person straighten up, smile, and pursue the best God has for them!  I love watching this process!

With all of this, there are some very exciting things we've been doing here!  One of those is preparing for tour.  Tour is something we do to spread the gospel and recut more people to Master's Commission!  If we finish this year and then it all stops, our ministry we started here won't grow.  It'll stop when we leave.  So, we've been preparing for tour, and let me tell you, it's gonna be good.  We've got dramas, music, and some good preaching!  We're all very excited about all of this and know that many will come to know Christ because of God's hand in it!

Were also partnering with a local youth pastor Eugen, to help start a youth night!  The last one we had was very successful and saw many people who don't normally come to church come!  One of the guys who came has really been hanging around great influences in the church and I think is about ready to give himself to God!  There is just something about people coming to know Christ that really gets my adrenaline going.

Anyway, please continue to keep us in your prayers.  Our team is really battling sickness right now so please pray for health.  Also, we really want God's hand in this tour and know that He'll make it powerful!  So pray for God's guidance.  Also pray for these youth nights we're helping Eugen put together.  Most young people won't come to church, especially one that's not orthodox, but they will come to a place where friends meet.

Once again thank you so much for partnering with us!  We couldn't be doing all of this without you support and prayers!