Leaning on Xueing in Love

Cornell, Xueing, Madalina and Violeta

We had a great meeting with Americans, Romanians and Chinese all at the Greek restaurant. We talked about Buddist, Orthodox, God, Jesus and anything else that came up....It was awesome!
This was another interesting day for us. I invited Violeta, Madalina and Cornell all new repenters to meet with Xueing. At the end we took this picture and Madalina decided to give her a big hug. It was very interesting to hear these two new believers...Madalina and Violeta (with in the last two weeks gave there lifes to Christ)...defend there faith. Xueing kept asking question after question and has decided that Christianity is just too narrow for her. She is going to look into the historical evidence and then make a decision. She doesn't seem to be moving towards Christ at all but Christ is moving towards her. She asked these new believers many questions, actually even Cornell is really only six months old spiritually speaking. He gave his life to Christ the same week that Bogdon did. Any way we talked about everything under the sun. It was sad to see her moving away from the claims of Christ. One of the main things that keeps her from following Him is the fact that almost no one in China knows about Him and if he really existed they would know about this, .....pray for Xueing as she leaves Galati tomorrow morning. I gave her three extremely good books to study that are centered on WHY we believe what we belive.

I was so proud of Vileta and Madalina as just two weeks ago when we were on lesson five in the John Studies they still had not surrended to Christ. Last week when we did lesson one in the Faith Power book they said that they had made a decision for Christ and that they were reading there Bibles now. So today just four days after this lesson they acted, talked and responded to Xueing as repenters and tried to defend their new faith. IT WAS GREAT!

On the Zone 6 front...Bogdon has had two more people tell him that they want to repent. One is Paula's brother and the other is Paula's sister. Actually a couple more have come forward to repent in the valley also.....(PTL)

Pray for Xueing -I really fell in love (like that of a father you wise guys) with this wonderful young lady from Beijing....I pray that someday God will show her mercy and grant her repentance!!

Karla and Xueying

This is a beautiful young Chinese girl named Xueying (shoe ying) that has suddenly became very interested in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She has been working in Galati now for two months and Robert noticed that she was not from here and introduced himself to her. They became friends and last Sunday he invited her to church. I began to tell her how the world has great respect for the "Christians" in China. I told her about the time we had several exchange students back in our Christian school in America. On the way into church she asked, "you mean Jesus was really a man who existed?" This was not the way that conversations usually begin here in Orthodoxy land.

I "skipped church" and just stood outside and began to tell her about Jesus. "The sermon inside was how people refuse to come in the church and just stand out in the hall!" I found out later of course as I was a "very bad boy" trying to lead this Chinese girl to Christ and not into the building! Any way she asked me questions like, "Why did he become a man?" "Did he have to become a sacrifice for our sins?" "Did someone make Him do this or was it His will?" "But we are told that the Christan faith is hostile to the environment and the animals." "How do you know that the Bible is the Word of God?" This went on for about three hours after church. She came over and had lunch with us and kept asking questions.

I happened to have a book written by Ergun Mehmet Caner,( one of the leading apologetic teachers in America and teaches at Liberty University) called When Worldviews Collide. She looked at the part on Buddhism and was amazed. She is not a Buddhist and sees that they are only after money and that they make too many idols. I showed her Romans chapter one and she said, "This is just like my country!" Any way she left on Sunday promising to come back.

So last night I had her watch a documentary on "The Questions of Origins" and for the first time admitted that the theory of evolution had some real problems but she could not see that creation had any proof either. But she had her note pad here on her left and was taking notes. She will be taking a copy of this documentary with her. I also gave her a book on "What Darwin didn't know" and the book from Ergun Caner. I asked her if she had room for all this in her luggage? "Of course I will make room for all of this" This young woman is at the top of her social class. She comes from a very successful family and is a biology major (at the top of her class but with extreme grace and humility she mentioned this) ..with a great desire to make the world a better place.

She said it seems like Christ was a weak man if he tells us to "turn the other cheek" and "to love our enemy" this is not possible! I explained that in her country she they have Matial Artists that are sooooo very powerful that refuse to hurt anybody because it shows more power when you DON'T use it. She exclaimed, "How did you know that this is a sort of secret in our country, what you see on the TV is NOT what martial arts is about!"

She also said that it was unfair for God to test Abraham. This from Genesis 22. I said why did you take a TOFL test? She said, because she wanted to go to America. I said so if you pass the test you get a reward right! "She responded, "Oh, I see, there is a reward for us in heaven if we believe!

She keeps saying that she feels like it was not chance that her plane ticket was cancelled, that she didn't go into the country side this last weekend as she had all the other weekends she was here. She even said. "If I decide to follow Jesus I must change....words you don't hear anymore from the western world! She said, What if I wait to decide to follow Jesus until I can be certian because if I give my life to Christ I must follow him and be a missionary to my people! They have almost NO way of knowing all that you have told me. This is the first time I have every heard any of this. She also said that she though it was great that we prayed! At the end of the night we prayed that God would use her in a big way to reach her people. "Did you memorize that prayer?" "How did you learn to pray that way? It made my entire body shake and my skin felt funny!" What an amazing thing to hear after praying with so many others that don't feel a thing. It is obvious to me that God's hand is on this young lady in a powerful way. I told her about Abraham and she said...."but this is all just ledgend isn't it!" My people say everything is just ledgend but some of this must be true......

This young girl lives in Beijing China....30 million people...a city with as many people as live in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Missippi, The Carolina's, and Virginia! But we "need to reach our own first" before we think of 30 million lost people ,(this in just one city and is not counting the 2 billion, 1/3 of the earths population that live in the countryof China) people without Jesus. In China "each year" the number of people that live in New York City, 7.5 million people, die without ever hearing the Gospel one time in their life. And we freaked out when 2500 people died on Sept, 11th! God help us to quit being so self centered! Rev 3:17 and no I am not sorry if this offends you....I am amazed that we are so incredibly selfish and ask God to show mercy on ALL of us!

Work Continues Slow but Steady

This is the Training Center in Zone 6. Bogdon has given it a face lift. He is really trying hard to get the training center into full activity. Paula, Roxanna, Narchisa, Catilina, Roxanna have been doing many bible studies and visiting peoples houses. The work is going well with woman and children. Not so well with the men as to be expected but Bogdon is making some contacts and has two or three young men that are showing interest. I think that the young man from the Modoi family named Necu is a true repenter now. Bogdon led him to Christ last week although now Necu is being told that we are a cult and that he needs to stay away from us. This is too bad and has discouraged Bogdon a great deal. But overall things are moving. The "appearance" of making great progress is almost always distroyed in a week or two when people go back to what they were doing. It is actually very discouraging work being a church planter. I am amazed how I seem to only report the victories (this is because I see so much by faith and not by sight)making every thing seem like cake! Well ,nothing could be futher from the truth. Pray for the work in the valley.....Oh, Bogdon's other sister, Nicoleta has now repented! She gave her life to Christ two days ago. PTL

We prayer walk Zone 6 every morning from 7 to 8. Then Bogdon and I go through the Galati plan one step at a time. It has been very encouraging for him and ME!

This young lady's name is Mihielia, we talked to her over in Zone 9 last night for almost two hours. She listened...didn't say too much....asked some questions. She is very skeptical of the ressurection because she is a historian and the De Vinci Code almost prooved that Jesus was not really ressurected in her mind. We showed her many, many verses in the Bible and told her she just needed to repent and give her life to Christ. She agreed to start reading her Bible. We, being Cornell who is a new repenter, have been talking to many people in the apartment that CCSBA as agreed to help us with. Last week we talked to Violetta, who we think actually gave her life to Christ, Madalina who is very close to doing the same. We spoke to two more young men who listened and said they would come back to do lessons with us.

Mihai my Zone 9 leader has sort of caught on fire lately. He seems to have really gotten a hold of the Cell Church vision. I pray that God will show him exactly how we can take some of the next critical steps. Many people in Holy Trinity are now showing interest in this style of church including Pastor Ovi who has already been looking into this and is a big fan of small groups.

I go over to Zone 9 every night from 7-9 and do witnessing and Bible studies. This has been very fruitful. We are working now with Ilian who is having a terrible time leaving drinking behind but his entire family welcomes us into their home and they all seem to want to change the direction of their lives.

We also have leaders training every Saturday in the apartment. Mihia, Bogdan and I are getting together from 8 to 10 each week. This is to study exactly how a Cell Church works. We are studying the 2nd Reformantion paragraph by paragraph. We also have started a small group their on Fridays for young singles. We have eight there now.

I had a great chance to witness to a young lady from China last Sunday and agian to night. I will give you more on her later. Her name is Shaiung or something of the sort. She was the most interesting person for me to talk to in all of Europe. She is from a Buddist background and HOW DIFFERENT were her questions. "You mean Jesus really existed?" "We don't think this unconditional love is a good thing" and "In my city are 30 million people" (Bejing) It made the Zone 9 we are trying to reach which is 1/60th the size look like a shoe box. We will get to talk to her again. "She said, I hope and can find a believer when I get back to Bejing" She leaves in five days!

"Unde este Whitney si Morgan" is the cry of these young kids that were impacted in a big way this last summer by Cameron First. I tell them that they will be back next summer and they say, "Ohhhhhh we miss them!" Then they sing a song that Whitney taught them about Jesus. What a great mark you left on these young Romanian children. It was a great idea to bring your children Pastor Jay! Lanny and Whitney were practically residents by the time they left here.

Good news for Randy and Teresa Myers from Living Word Baptist. They have been accepted on paper and will go to ILC soon for the three day interview. We are praying that they can come help us in the valley. This is the second family from Living Word Baptist Church to join the IMB. We have others that are serving the Lord on the foriegn misison field also. Praise the Lord for a mission minded church when so many of our American churches have bascially stuck their head in the sand and use the "we must reach our own first" excuse to avoid the Great Commission. We praise the Lord for our Pastor David Groves who has just resigned and is now working full time to get people on the field with short term missions. He is with International Gospel Outreach now and will take any body any where. May the Lord bless his heart and open many doors for him.

God bless ALL.....

Luminita Invites Us Over ...

This group of people just showed up out of no where to one our Bible studies in the valley at Gina's house. We had a great time as we had 10 americans, 10 people from the local baptist church and 10 people from the valley. This is where I found out about Luminita. This lady has some terminal disease that can not be cured in Europe. A doctor from America has said he can help. We are praying that we can get her to the states and get her a transplant or something of the sort. I am not involved in this at all other then prayer support and watching God work through it. I want to be ready when the time comes to do more if I can. Well, she invited us up to their apartment last Sunday.

She has started a foundation for the gypsies and the poor here in the city. She has a real heart for the poor and has helped many people in the city and surrounding villages. She works at the mayor's office and has many great connections. She asked Christina if we would come over and do Bible studies with her and her friends. There were around ten to twelve people there. It was incredible. This is exactly why I came over here with my family. This was a great night for me. They want to continue the studies at their apartment over in Zone 13. I don't have a leader there but it is the next place we were going to move our team to. We are very excited about this group. They are all Orthodox believers but are very friendly to us.

There were about four men and eight woman there. We had a great first lesson in the book of John, "People who knew Jesus." They want to do more....I told them I could keep them busy for three to four years. They then told us that they work in over 15 villages and want us to see their work. They said it would be great for us to do Bible Studies in those villages. I was so amazed. I have discovered that if we concentrate on the people here in the city......they all have a village. So any way praise the Lord for such a great opportunity. I am so thankful for this group.

Pray that we will be faithful to present the true Gospel to these Orthodox believers and that God will grant them repentance.....

Bogdon and Eguina Baptised

Today was a wonderful day at church. Nine people were baptised into the Holy Trinity membership. Seven woman and two men. Bodgon and his mother Eguina were two of them. We were very proud of all the canidates for baptism and enjoyed the service.



Bogdon was really happy afterwards. He has been working very hard in the valley as has his wife and sister. They are leading three or four groups and Bogdon is attenting leadership training on Saturdays. I really am amazed at what God has done in the lives of my friends.

They were able to take communion for the first time today after baptism. Bogdon was in seveth heaven after the service! Well, I intend to be posting more often now as I have recovered from the summer a little bit. I am extremely busy trying to do several things at the same time. So as of now I knew you would want to see these pictures. Living Word Baptist can remember the first day we ever met Bogdon clear back in 2004! He was born again this April 3rd just four months ago. God has big plans for him though....I pray he will continue to be faithful to his work in the valley. Well, praise the Lord for today!

Pastor Ovi lifts these new members to the Lord in prayer...