The Sign of the Cross

Constantine was the first Roman emperor to embrace the Christian faith (baptized on his death bed?) and this was attributed to a sign that he saw in the heavens on October 28, 312. As he prepared for a decisive battle, praying to the god of his father, Constantine is supposed to have seen a sign of the cross in the heavens along with an inscription that said "Conquer by This". After defeating Maxentius at the Milvian Bridge, Rome Constantine honored Christians bishops and opened a door for faith in Christ to be an acceptable religion in the Roman empire.

How does one interpret such stories and what would it mean to actually see a cross in the sky? Is it a sign from God or just the coincidental conjuntion of random cloud formations? What exactly is the "sign of the cross"?

While traveling to Romania in late September, 2006 I was trying to take pictures of the clouds and the sunrise at 30,000 feet when I witness my own "sign of the cross" just underneath the wing of the plane. I managed to take a few pictures before we passed it by and I do not mind sharing one or two with you - as I was impressed with the image. But, what did it mean?

The fact that I was on my way to Romania to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ would tend to make me want to "interpret" what I had seen as a SIGN from God. Was it an omen that good things would happen while I taught the scriptures in a country far away from my home? Or was it simply the vapor trails of two jets that had traveled in a perpendicular manner on that particular day, thus leaving a cross in their wake?

I do not write this to make a claim that God had sent me a sign in the heavens thus blessing my journey and assuring me that the gospel would be received by those I taught. But, I will not deny that I felt good just to see it in the clouds. Shortly after the cross I witnessed a rainbow there above the clouds. That, too, was special - and I managed to capture that also in a picture through the window. As you may have figured out by now, I am easily impressed by sunsets and sunrises. It does not take much to impress me when we are talking about God painting the heavens. But, was it God who put the sign of the cross there for me? Did HE arrange to have those jets crisscross at that particular time and altitude?

While in Romania I spoke with a young lady who explained to me why she made the "sign of the cross" according to her faith. I had witnessed many Romanians making this obviously religious gesture as they passed by the orthodox church. I had even watched a mother teaching her very young daughter how to make the sign of the cross, carefully guiding her daughter's hand in the proper motion. But, the girl who explained it to me put it this way: "I just feel good when I do it". Having been taught to make this sign from the time she was a little girl, it was something that made her feel good each time she let her hand and her heart make the sign of the cross.

What is my point? I am not sure I have one. I cannot confirm or refute historically what Constantine saw or did not see in the heavens on that particular day. Maybe he did see a cross. Or maybe he did not. I can show the pictures of the "sign of the cross" that I witnessed while flying in an airplane. But, I may not be able to convince you that such was from God. I am not convinced in my own heart that such was a sign from God. But, it did make me feel good to see it. As for those who make the sign of the cross according to the orthodox tradition, I can safely say that such is NOT a tradition found in the scriptures, but rather it originated with men long after the New Testament was written. But, I will not say that such has no benefit to the people who practice it and feel good because they do so. If they feel good from having made the sign of the cross, then maybe this will be of some benefit to them as they face their own challenges day to day.

I did not go to Romania to undermine or destroy their ancient traditions, nor was it my purpose to attack their way of worship. I may not agree with them on the "necessity" of such things as making the sign of the cross, but I do not oppose their doing so. My goal was to teach the Word of God and encourage everyone to place their faith in the truth revealed in the Holy Book. If their traditions are of human origin, I will be happy to explain the consequences of departing from the revealed truth of God to follow after the teachings of men (cf. Matthew 15:9). But, each individual has to make his own choice as to what he will believe and how he will practice it.

I am impressed by anyone who is willing to publically express their faith. I like that think that I am not ashamed to own Christ as my Lord - and that I, too, am willing to publically state my faith before men. If I do not make the sign of the cross when I pass a church building, it is not because I do not believe in Jesus. I trust Him with all of me and willingly declare my allegiance to the Son of God. However, to follow Jesus I am committed to following His teaching. He does not teach me to make the "sign of the cross". Rather, He commands me to follow Him, bearing my cross daily. I am content to do what HE teaches without adding the traditions of men to my burden. His yoke is light and easy. That is enough for me. I will follow Jesus.

updating the blog

Now that I am home and have a little more flexibility with the computer, I plan to update this blog with some images from the trip to Romania. If you are returning to see if there has been any more information added, you might want to scroll down and take a look.

Also, as some of you may notice, I shaved my beard and head while I was in Romania. For those of you who know me this may be a surprise. Many of you have never seen my face without a beard. In fact I have children who are grown who have never seen my face. I do not know how long this will last, but for now this is how I look. Reactions have been mixed. I have to admit that it took a while for me to get used to it myself.

While in Romania I had thought to send a picture back to the US to give people a little warning. I wanted to mention that I had met with a man, a dear friend that I had not seen for 25 years. But, conditions did not allow me to send such a message as the last week was extremely busy. As it was I was fortunate that those who picked me up at the airport had a cell phone and could call me - at the same time they were looking at me - to verify that I was indeed who I was. For sure, I am who I am.

alan

last week in Romania

Romanian Report - October 24, 2006

I am on the airplane... on my way home and finally I have a few minutes to breathe, to sit down and to write a few words. How can I describe the last week in Romania? In a few words, it was a very busy time. I worked in the park with James on Monday. I traveled to Falfani on Tuesdayto be with the Tanase family to celebrate Mr. and Mrs. Tanase's 50th wedding anniversary. Then it was back to Constanta on Thursday. On Friday I taught the first part of a series on "teaching". Then on Saturday morning I finished the series with two more lessons. On Saturday evening we had a get together at the Badara home. On Sunday we had our afternoon worship and then I traveled to Bucuresti late in the evening. On Monday evening I met with George and Valentina Micu. On Tuesday morning I took the first plane out of Bucuresti... and here I am. I am now somewhere over the Atlantic and hoping the wireless connection will work (so far it has not).

I wish I could adequately describe the events that have transpired over the past week, even over the past month. There are so many things to report. I was encouraged by some of the things I saw, and yet I was also concerned about some other things. It appears that the church in Constanta will face some real challenges after the first of the year. At that time James Hamilton will move back to the United States and the few brethren that will remain in Constanta will have to decide what they will do and how they will manage without James. One major concern for them will be under what conditions will they continue to meet as a congregation, as James is considering selling his house (where they presently meet). It is a real interesting situation and whatever decisions they make will have a long term impact on the work there.

There will be a real temptation to look to America for a "financial" solution to their needs. Perhaps that will be the manner in which they will seek to resolve the matter of who will preach for them and where they will meet. I have tried to encourage them all to trust in God and work hard in the gospel, letting God give the increase. It is hard for them to realize that it will be in God where they will find their every need satisfied. This is so hard for them when they see the American preacher leaving and the real possibility of their "church building" being sold.

I was encouraged by the faithfulness of the few Christians in Falfani - and by the one Christian lady in Pitesti. These are standing firm in their faith despite the small number of saints in each place (3 Christians in Falfani - with 1 to move to the US at the end of the year and Mr. Tanase in deteriorating health. It is possible that Mrs. Tanase will be alone again in the village at some point in the future. -- 1 lady in Pitesti). Their optimism and stedfastness was a tremendous encouragement to me and I hope that I was able to be of some encouragement to them.

Several brethren in Romania were also an encouragement to me as they came to Constanta for the short conference (studies on teaching). Liviu from Bucuresti and Elena from Falfani came to be with the church as we spent a weekend in intensive study. Vali was host to Liviu (and myself), while the Hamiltons were host to Elena. These two brethren were an encouragement not only to me, but to all the brethren in Constanta. It was a good weekend for Bible study.

The situation with George and Valentina Micu is difficult. Several months ago they left the church in Bucuresti to begin a "new work" (another local church) also in Bucuresti. Their departure caused a reaction on the part of the brethren who remained in the church in Bucuresti. Approximately one month after they had departed the Micu's were warned that if they tried to start a new work, they would be disciplined. The church in Bucuresti sent them a letter stating that they had no "right" to begin a new work in Bucuresti and that such a decision was only to be made by the church in Bucuresti. An appeal was made to Acts 13 wherein it was argued that only the church (not individuals) had a right to determine when to start a new work, where it was to be started and who would be involved in such an effort. It was on this basis that the Micu family were marked and are now considered to be unfaithful. The stated reason is because they left the local church in Bucuresti to begin another work in Bucuresti - without permission.

I believe this was a decision taken in error on the part of the brethren in Bucuresti and I wish that they would reconsider their decision and let the Micu's depart in peace. It is a difficult thing for a church to exercise church discipline even when there are the clearest of reasons for the punishment. But, it seems that to withdraw all fellowship from those who wish to start another work in the same town is without a scriptural foundation. If there is more to the situation, then perhaps in time it will come to light. But, as things stand at the present time, it is my opinion that a great injustice is being done.

The work in Romania faces great challenges, as does the work in every place. How can one build a strong church that will be self-sufficient, independent and capable of making its own decisions and doing its own work? That is the question that needs a sound scriptural answer. The work in Romania will progress, or be hindered by the way we answer such questions and by the manner in which we approach the work. May God guide us with His wisdom when we undertake to help these brethren in their faith.

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Yesterday I safely arrived home after a very long day of travel. I will update this blog for now and maybe soon I will return to add more information concerning the work that was done in Romania over the past four weeks. For those of you who have read and or commented, thank you for your interest in Romania. May God's will be done... there and everywhere.

In Him
alan

more evangelism

Romania report - 10-16-2006 - ABW

It is Monday night and the weather has changed from sunny and pleasant to rainy and cold. If things continue like this it will mean the end of our work in the park, as people will not be willing to stand in the cold to watch a powerpoint presentation. If we can find another location where we can be inside and protected from the weather, we may try to do some more work with the laptop in Constanta. As things look now, perhaps with the end of summer we will also see the end of laptop evangelism in the park.

How do you assess such efforts? Perhaps in time we will be able to look back and see if any lasting good comes from the work we did. I know this much, as far as I am concerned it has been encouraging to see the good reactions of some who are attracted to the presentations. This is something I will look forward to doing again in the future.

On Saturday James and I went into town and tried to find a good location to set up and present the gospel. We found what appeared to be a prime location right in the center of the main shopping area - we set the computer on a bench and waited for someone to show some interest. An older man (Jehovah Witness) stopped and watched the presentation and then talked some before leaving. But, the next couple who stopped were truly interested in the message we had to present. It was a man and his wife (she was very pregnant) and they stood in the wind until the short presentation was finished. He was Baptist and she was Pentecostal, but their interest in the Word of God transcended their differences in faith. I spoke to them briefly about the one true church and how that we can all just be Christians and the message seemed to resonate with them. We got their contact information and I hope to be able to contact them again in the near future.

Another interesting thing happened today - a marvel due to the speed of the internet and the nearly instant communication that is possible on the world wide web. Iota Cocione had been talking to a friend of his and wrote me an email to ask if I could talk to this friend. I called and set up an appointment with the friend, Gabi and talked with him at length about the gospel. This was made possible through internet and cell phone connections that fifteen years ago would have been practically unknown to us. I marvel at the speed by which communications can arrive through an email address or by a cell phone. After talking with Gabi I left it for him to decide if he wanted to pursue further discussions with us and I hope he will attend our Bible study on Thursday night.

This evening we met at George and Rodica Badara's home for dinner. The whole church was invited and everyone came. George cooked on the grill and the food was great. It was a cold day outside, but inside the house the company was warm and the conversation was delightful. I enjoy very much spending such time with the Christians here as it gives everyone a chance to be together in a more relaxed atmosphere that we usually expect at church. It is this kind of interaction that provides a foundation for deeper friendships among brethren. I hope this kind of hospitality can prevail among the saints here in Romania and in every place.

On Tuesday I plan to travel to Falfani. My trip will take me through Bucuresti and Pitesti. But, I will not stop to see the brethren there. This will be a quick trip to spend one full day with the Tanase family before I return to Constanta for the weekend. I have been asked to help the family celebrate the 50th wedding anniversary for Vasile and Ana Tanase. It is the orthodox custom for the priest to come on such occasions and "remarry" (renew their vows) them. But, since they are Christians and no longer part of the orthodox tradition, they have asked me to say a few words for them and this I will do. It will give me an opportunity to teach on marriage and this I will do for the benefit of those who will be present.

I have very mixed feelings about this trip to Falfani as I expect it may be the last time I see Vasile Tanase in this life. I have great hope for him since he obeyed the gospel. I have great hope for those in his family who are Christians. But, being a Christian does not lessen the pain of separation that comes when one who is dear to us leaves this world. I will try to fill up this last day that I have with him with all the fond memories that I can manage and hope to see him again when I leave this world. That is the hope we share as Christians, that of meeting again in heaven when this life is over and eternity stretches on forever and ever. If we do not succeed in serving God faithfully so that He will save us with His abundant grace, then nothing else we do here in this life will matter in the day of judgment. May God accept our sacrifice of self and forgive our sins through the blood of Jesus, His Son... in whose name we pray always.

in Him,
alan

powerpoint in the park

Sunday - October 15, 2005

Romania report - 10-14-2006 - ABW

It is late Saturday night and I am preparing for bed. It has been a long day, a long week - but, a profitable one in many ways. James and I have been working some each day in the parks, trying to present the gospel to those who are willing to watch a powerpoint presentation on "how to become a Christian."

On Friday we presented the presentation several times to different young people. They showed great interest and with one small group we even had an opportunity to read Ecclesiastes 12 and examine Solomon's conclusion on the purpose of life. Today we talked with a Jehovah's witness and then later, to a young couple who were Baptist / Pentecostal. They showed tremendous interest in what we were doing and I hope to get in touch with them again soon.

We have been handing out a flyer that says we will be studying "Jacob's ladder" on Sunday. That is what I plan to teach if visitors come... and perhaps even if it is only the brethren from the church here. It is an encouraging lesson from several perspectives.

I have been busy almost all the time since I have been here in Constanta. Friday morning I decided to try to catch the sunrise on the Black Sea. I succeeded and got a few pictures. More than that I met a young couple who were there early in the morning and they gave me their email address. Since I have been here I have been taking pictures of people and then if they will give me an email address, I will send them the picture. It is a way to make a contact and perhaps something good will come of it. So far I have sent pictures to a couple who were just married, a couple who had a labrador retriever puppy (I took the picture of the puppy), a young couple who saw the same sunrise I saw and a couple of young girls who watched the powerpoint presentation and asked a lot of questions.

The weather here has been extremely pleasant for October. The days have been sunny and this has allowed us to be in the park with the laptop. They have been saying it will rain, but it has not so far. I think maybe next week we will see a change in the weather. It is already getting colder here just in the last few days. I expect that sometime things will turn cold and wet.

Today I had an opportunity to play some basketball with some of the locals. It was interesting and I enjoyed the exercise. It was good to be able to get out a little bit just to relax. Tomorrow (Sunday) will start a new week and I expect there will be little time to relax.

I appreciate the encouragement from those of you who write. I wish I could reply to all of your letters in detail, but I do not have such a ready access to email. I am using James' computer when I am there at his house, but I just sign on and check the mail and sign off pretty quick. I send short notes when I can. I guess we will just have to talk when I get home.

Next week I plan to make a quick trip back to Falfani for a day. Wednesday is the 50th wedding anniversary for Mr. and Mrs. Tanase. The family has asked me to do a ceremony for them - to renew their vows - and this will give me another opportunity to teach there. One of their daughters from Spain is home visiting. I hope to be able to talk to her about the gospel while I am there.

I will be back in Constanta Thursday for the Bible study and for the series on teaching that we have planned for Friday and Saturday. Then the following Sunday will be my last before I go to Bucuresti... and then home.

Keep us all in your prayers.

in Him,
alan

more studies - in Constanta

Romania 10-12-2006 report ABW

I watched the sun rise over the buildings in Constanta today. It was a good start to what I hope will be another good day here in Constanta. Yesterday was special.

James and I returned to the park yesterday to talk with people about the gospel. I set up my laptop with a presentation on "how to become a Christian". Because this presentation was considerably shorter than the one I had used previously, I was able to show it three times to different people. Each time I had a good reaction from those who viewed it. I want to say that I appreciate James and the way he gets the names and contact information from the people who show interest. I feel that his presence is essential to this kind of work for many reasons. I am glad that he is with me in the park.

We did have an interesting discussion with an Adventist in the park during our final presentation. I was teaching a young lady that James had invited to view the presentation when an older man walked up and wanted to teach her about the sabbath. The discussion was warm (not heated) and very contradictory, as we did not agree on the matter of sabbath keeping today. Near the end of our discussion I asked him if he was willing to debate the issue in a public forum and he said he would get back to me. We will see if he will call.

Tonight I am planning to teach a lesson on the subject of "God's commands". I am working on translating the outline and presentation so that these materials can remain here in the hands of the brethren. I can see how that good teaching material translated into the Romanian language will be of long term benefit to the work here. I want to do as much as I can while I am here.

Last night the men from the church in Constanta gathered together and we studied the subject of "holiness". I tried to compare the way that God had called the Levites to service in the OT and the manner in which they were sanctified and expected to sanctify God in the eyes of the people - with the manner in which Christians are supposed to live today. Without sanctification we will not see God - Hebrews 12:14. Near the end of the lesson I tried to encourage them to be strong in the face of the coming challenges. I exhorted them to be resolved to work hard after James will leave - and to recognize that even though the church may be small in number, when God is with us everything will work out for good.

Now that the sun is high in the morning sky, let me close this report and finish my translation. Then it is back to the park (we will try a different park today). I am so looking forward to being there again. May God arrange it to put us together with those who have a heart searching for truth.

in Him,
alan

evangelism in Constanta

Romania - October 11, 2006 - a report

Things have been busy here in Constanta. I have met with the men in the church several times and yesterday a few of us went out into the park to preach the gospel to passersby. My time spent with James has been profitable. I feel like there are many challenges ahead for the church here in Constanta, but with God's help everything can work out for good - even if it is hard.

As I have already noted many of the discussions we have had involve what will happen with the church here after James will leave in January 2007. I can see that this is a serious concern for the Christians here. If I can it will be my purpose to try to prepare them to trust in God more completely and to commit themselves more fully to being all that they can be as Christians. There are some good hearts here and they will need encouragement as they face their challenges.

Yesterday, I went into the park with James and George. I took my laptop (17 inch screen) and ran a presentation on it (powerpoint). The lesson was entitled "Ai murit cu Hristos?" (Have you died with Christ). We had a number of people stop and look - and several who stayed and interacted with us with the lesson. I began the presentation by asking a young boy if he had time to watch a presentation on the computer. This was only the beginning.

For about an hour people came and went. The young boy helped me by reading the passages on the screen. At the beginning the park security (two men in uniform) came by to see what was going on. I tried to involve them in the lesson and they responded, but left after their curiosity was satisfied that we were not doing anything wrong. But, the highlight of the lesson was a young man who stayed through the whole presentation. We even made an appointment with him to study later that evening. He came and we studied through two more presentations and several charts. I hope the Word of God will find a place in his heart. He promised he would come again next week.

One interesting event that happened while we were in the park was when a man who had been interacting with us took an article out of his bag to show us what Jesus looked like. It was a picture of a young boy that was supposedly taken from computer models of the images found on the shroud of Turin. Accompanying the article was also several pictures of the shroud. As he introduced this into the discussion, I used the opportunity to show how the scriptures will protect us from false teaching and error. By turning to John 20:7-8 and showing what the Bible says about the "linen clothes" - and pointing out that the shroud of Turin does NOT conform to the scriptural description - I was able to convince those standing by that the shroud was "un fals" (false).

I am looking forward to returning to the parks with the laptop. I have determined that the presentation I used yesterday is too long and in some ways too complicated. Even though it is a good study for those who are well acquainted with the Bible, it seems a bit much for many who have little or no Bible knowledge. I am trying to get some different material translated while I am here and we hope to be using that while we are preaching in the park.

I am finding that preaching in the Romanian language has its challenges (for me). I can express myself well enough to be understood, but it is easy for the Romanians to know that I am not a Romanian. But, they do not know immediately "what" I am. Some have expressed the idea that I must be a Romanian who left the country and now I have come back - and for this reason my grammar is not always correct. Others have suggested I am from Turkey, or from somewhere in Europe. A few will guess that I am from America. I do not mind them guessing about my origins as long as they will listen to the message I am trying to bring to them. It is the Word of God that will save men's souls - and this is true in whatever language it is preached.

I have made a small flyer to handout today, it is an announcement for a lesson I plan to preach Sunday if we have visitors. I will talk about Jacob's ladder and show in the scriptures how Jesus is OUR ladder to heaven. If we do not have any visitors, I will likely preach on a different topic, something designed to address more specifically the needs of the brethren here. There are many needs, not the least of which is to do more evangelism. But, if visitors come as a result of our handouts, Jacob's ladder will be the topic for Sunday.

The men here have agreed to meet on a Friday and Saturday (October 20-21) for special studies on the subject of "how to become better teachers". I learned that they had been exposed to similar material recently, but I hope the lessons I have will complement their prior studies. After discussing it with James, I believe the approach of my material will be somewhat different. I asked if they wanted these lessons because this had been one of the concerns that they had expressed to me, that of becoming better prepared to teach and preach the gospel.

The weather has been wonderful so far with cool temperatures and sunny days. The moon has been wonderful each evening (when it was not hiding behind the clouds). I hope the days will remain nice enough to allow us to work more in the park. I hope the message of God will shine brightly from our efforts and reach the hearts of the people. That is all that I can hope for... that someone will turn back to God and a soul will be saved. To that end we pour ourselves out for Christ.

in Him
alan

in Constanta

Ro 2006 report - 10-8-2006

It is Sunday night and my day is nearing an end. It was a good day here in Constanta. The weather is cooling off, but it has not rained yet. The wind is threatening to bring some rain, but so far it has been nice. Last night the moon was full, but hiding behind the clouds. Tonight it is dark outside - and I have not seen the moon as of yet.

But, this is not a weather report, so let me say something about my time here in Constanta so far. I feel like the church here has welcomed me and the Christians are open to my teaching. Today I preached a lesson on how to revitalize the local church. Vali helped me with some of the terminology and I delivered the lesson in Romanian. I feel it was well received and several said that it was what they needed to hear. I hope that the Word of God will work in all of our hearts to help us fulfill God's plan for His church.

After church tonight all of the Christians stayed and we ate together. The visit was very good and I enjoyed talking with James and Ellen and with all the brethren here. I am looking forward to more times together with them before I leave later in the month. I hope to have time to study with them as it is my purpose here to build them up in their faith.

James has already announced that he will leave in the early part of January 2007. This is presenting a real challenge to the work here. At present there are three men in the church - Vali, Doru and George. With them is George's family - a wife, Rodica, and three children. James, Ellen and Ronnie make up the rest of the church, but as I said they will be leaving soon. From a numerical standpoint things do not look so good for the future of the church here. But, from a spiritual standpoint these few can do so much with the help of the True God in heaven who can do more than they can conceive. Only time will tell what kind of commitment they have made to serve God and how it will hold up in the face of adversity. For surely adversity will come upon this little group here.

I have proposed to have a short series of lessons on how to become better teachers. The men here seem to think that such would be profitable. I hope to be able to prepare some materials in Romanian to go with the lessons. We have even talked about inviting some of the brethren in other congregations to come an be with us for a night and part of the next day (Friday, Saturday). We will see how this develops.

As things stand now, I am staying with Vali and traveling back and forth to James' house for studies and the meetings of the church. It is not such a difficult trip, but it does take some time to go across town on a bus. I am getting the opportunity to travel on just about every kind of transportation that is available here in Romania. It makes one appreciate the freedom that comes with having your own car and being able to go where you want to go - when you want to go.

Let me close for now and say again that I appreciate so much the opportunity to be here. I thank God for the brethren who invited me to come here and the brethren who supported me to come here. May God be glorified by the efforts we make and all fruit that is borne be credited to your accounts. In everything let us give praise to our God for He is so good to us in every way.

In Him,
Alan

passing through Bucuresti

Romania - October 5, 2006 - a report

It is early monring in Bucuresti and I am awake. I will go to Constanta today on the train and the brethren there have their midweek Bible study on Thursday night. I am looking forward to being with them this evening and for the next few weeks.

Yesterday I traveled from Falfani to Pitesti, then from there to Bucuresti. I visited with the brethren here in Bucuresti during their midweek Bible study. Afterward I spent some time with Liviu. We talked some about the condition of the churches here in Romania.

It is my hope to be able to build up the faith of the brethren in Romania. I believe that I had a good opportunity to do such in both Falfani and Pitesti. I was encouraged by the faith that I found there, even though the number of Christians is extremely small, their tenacious approach to faith was encouraging even to me. t was my joy to spend a few days in Falfani with the Tanase family. Elena and her mother, Ana, are good examples of what the power of God's Word can do in the hearts of men and women who are willing to believe. The care they give to Vasile Tanase will make his last days a joy, as he is so loved and cared for by his children. I thank God that faith has come to this place and that the power of God has worked in this family to bring sons of God out of darkness toward a glory that awaits the faithful.

In retrospect the time spent in Pitesti was well spent, even if there was too little of it (time). I was there to teach Bible studies for three days (Saturday, Monday and Tuesday). It seemed as if Florena Predescu's house was a "grand central station" as people came and went continually. I had studies with young people and old people, with orthodox and "pocaiti" (baptists and pentecostals) and even with those who had no faith at all. I believe that anyone who will go to Pitesti to work in the gospel will find many opportunities to study with the help of Florena, as she is very involved in trying to bring the gospel to her city. Maybe God has opened a door in this place. Who will enter in to do the work?

As I reflect on the work here in Bucuresti, there remain a few Christians who are willing to speak to me and accept me here as their brother. I am always encouraged by Cezar and the way he receives me with warmth and friendship. He is an older man who has only a little time left here in this world. But, through his faith in Jesus Christ he has a better hope for the next life. Liviu is so young and yet, so mature in many ways. He was converted at a tender age (still a teenager), but has developed into a young man who has committed himself to serving God in his life. He told me of his decision to change jobs so that he would be able to attend Bible study on Wednesday nights. I am always impressed with the level of commitment and growth that I see in him. Of the others only Angela showed some measure of sincere welcome to see me visit here in Bucuresti. I am grateful for her and for the faith she has in God. I am grateful always to still be remembered by some for the work that I did here in the past. I hope the work in Bucuresti will prosper spiritually and that all will be diligent in their faith to serve God with sincerity and commitment.


I do not know what I will find in Constanta and I am looking forward to being with the brethren there tonight. It is my desire to find a way to strengthen the faith of the brethren there, especially in the light of the challenges that they will soon face. James Hamilton has been there for quite a few years and the church meets in his home. He will be leaving Romania in January of 2007 and it is my understanding that he will sell the house. I am sure that the brethren there are concerned for their future and what they will do when James is gone. I hope to be able to encourage them all to stand fast in their faith and to hold the small congregation together in the face of whatever comes their way. We will see what will be.

As for me I feel good to be here. I am able to communicate with the people and it feels good personally to be able to teach again in the Romanian language. I realize that my language skills here are not perfect, but they are more than adequate. I am able to teach directly without a translator and this alone enables me to speak directly to the hearts of the people who are willing to study with me.

There was one study in particular where I was trying to teach an older lady about the subject of baptism. She had been baptized in the Baptist church here and did not want to hear anything that would suggest that her baptism might not be "adequate". As we began she was very defensive and even offended that anyone would suggest that maybe the baptism she had submitted to was NOT according to scripture. Slowly as the discussion unfolded and the scriptures were opened, she began to see how baptism is a "new birth" wherein one receives forgiveness of sins and comes out of the water with a new life. To my mind the study was like peeling back layers of misunderstanding to arrive at simple truth of God. In the end she thanked me for helping her understand better this truth of God. I pray that the gospel will not only lead her to a better understanding, but that she will make a full commitment to serving God in truth without compromising the pure gospel with the doctrines of men. Even as we talked and as I explained that the scriptures alone will only produce Christians, whereas other doctrines of men - and traditions of men - must be added to the gospel to get a Baptist, Orthodox, pentecostal or Catholic. Her reply that my approach was not practical, as there are so many different churches. I responded by showing her in the scriptures where Jesus said he would build just one - His own church, his body. That is where we left it in our study.

I will close today by saying that I am grateful for the opportunity to speak with people here about Jesus Christ. It seems that my first week has been profitable and I am looking forward to several more weeks of Bible studies and classes. May God be glorified in our efforts to serve Him.

In Him,
alan

In Falfani - and Pitesti

Romania - October 2, 2006 - a report

The time is flying here. I have been trying to regulate my sleep patterns to the time difference from the US to RO and as usual it has been a challenge. But, I am sure that by the time I have to fly back to the US near the end of October I will have adjusted to here. Then I will have to readjust to eastern standard time, once I get there.

I have been busy this past week with studies in Falfani and in Pitesti. Even as I write this now, early on Monday morning, I am preparing to go to Pitesti today for more Bible studies. I was there on Saturday for studies with Florena, her son (Stefan) and others. I promised her I would come again on Monday and Tuesday of this week to study with anyone she could persuade to listen to my lessons.

Yesterday we had the worship in Falfani. Marian came from Bucuresti with his son, Alex and also with Liviu and Florena. The time spent in prayer and song, Bible study and worship was for me... incredible. I thank God for the opportunity to be here and to participate again in the faith of my brethren here in Romania. I gave a lesson on what it means to have "A Friend in Jesus". That is one thing that brings us all together here - the fact that we have all chosen to follow Jesus. That makes us brothers and sisters in the family of God.

My schedule for this week is as follows: Monday and Tuesday I plan to have studies in Pitesti. Wednesday I will return to Bucuresti. On Thursday I plan to arrive in Constanta to begin my efforts there.

For now I am well, I am safe, I am happy to be here in Romania. May God bless our efforts to teach the message of salvation to those who are willing to hear. I have always believed that if we are ready to teach, God will find a way to put us in touch with those who are ready to listen. I am ready to preach the gospel here and I am confident that God will open a door for His Word in this place. I have been encouraged so far just to revisit places where the truth of the gospel has been accepted for years, to stay in the home of faithful Christians (Cezar Nistor - in Bucuresti; the Tanase family - in Falfani; Florena Predescu - in Pitesti). I look forward to greeting the brethren in Constanta later this week. May God bless us all with His unlimited goodness through Jesus Christ, His Son - whom we preach to the world, declaring salvation in His name.

peace and grace to you all
alan