UK/IrelandTrip Report
August 2006
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Greetings in the name, which is above every name, the name of our lord Jesus Christ. First of all, I want to thank God and all those that supported us with prayers during this two weeks mission trip to the United Kingdom and Northern,Southern Ireland. I Constantin Lupancu from Golgotha Pentecostal Romanian Church and John Tibu from Ghetesmane Pentecostal Romanian Church went with a burden in our hearts to share the gospel of Jesus Christ and visit Romania Community in Western Europe. We are on the way to fulfill our vision that God put in our hearts years ago to connect a network prison ministry system to Chaplains for Christ international around the world. When we talk about God being a “missionary” God, we think of One who is reaching out in mercy to all needy people,regardless of ethnic background. God’s underlying purpose in the Bible is to restore lost men and women to a right relationship with Himself. This relationship was lost through sin at the fall of man.
Both of us were welcomed in London by the pastor, Cornel Nistor on July 26, 2006 who also drove at his home in Kenton,London – United Kingdom.
July 27, Thurs – the ministry began in London. At night service both of us worship God and have minister in Romanian Church from London with a message from Exodus 3:1 – 4 “ignite the fire and be on fire for God”. We are so impressed to see hundreds of young people that came in London from Romania to earn a better living but at the same time they are on fire for God and we pray that God throughout them will set up a fire and a passion in this country where many natives lost the interest for churches and for God. England which today is called United Kingdom years ago had many great missionary like David Livingstone, William Carey, Wesley, Whitefield and Spurgeon who fueled a desire to reach out to the lost around the world. Today Christianity in Great Britain or United Kingdom suffer a great lost of passion, enthusiasm and energy. It is in a serious decline.
July 28, Fri – we have visited Remar (rehabilitation of socially rejected people) United Kingdom from London which is a nongovermental organization founded in 1982 in Victoria, Alava (Northern Spain), was born from a desire to help all kids of people on the margins of society. We met with Jose Ma. Jorge who is responsible for Remar in London city, and saw the work that he is doing in this part of the world.
July 29, Sat – I contacted different prison ministry like Daylight Christian Prison Trust a conservative evangelical prison ministry working in the fields of evangelism and teaching , individual support for offenders and help after release. I discussed with Gerard Chrispin, who is the responsible for this ministry in London, and unfortunately he could not get the permission from the goverment to have us minister in London prison systems. Other groups that we contacted HM Prison Service Chaplaincy, HMP Ashwell Prison Service and London College of Theology and discuss with Tony Obayori about establishing a European Prison Ministry Institute and having partnership with our organization Chaplains for Christ International. I was very disapointed because of the coldness and lost of passion that this repersentative have for the ministry.
July 30, Sun – we divided and ministered in two churches from different communites. Constantin Lupancu traveled from London city to Nottingham city about three hour drive. In Nottingham city, Remar (rehabilitation center) had a meeting with drug addicts that had come off the streets, out of prisons, prostitution and delinquency and have been helped in their spiritual, physical, psychial, professional and family restoration. At this meeting where I was invited to speak there were people from London city, Liverpool city, Sheffield city, and Nottingham city where Remar has restoration centers. At night, I returned back to London. At the same time John Tibu, has been used by God to minister in the morning service at one Romanian church from London and in the afternoon at another Romanian church.
July 31, Mon – in the morning, we visited London city and important historical monuments like Westminister Abbey, a very old building over a thousand years old where kings and queens and important personality from England have been buried. Among the graves of Kings and Queens, we saw the place where David Livingstone was buried, a missionary who had heart for Africans his heart was buried in Africa where his desire was to save people, but his body was brought to England. At night, the same day we had a seminar with young Romanians that have a desire and heart for God and wants to be prepared to become evangelists and rich people from prisons and other areas where God may lead them. About 30 people came to this seminar and after completion we gave them a certificate.
Aug 1,Tues – early in the morning pastor, Cornel Nistor drove us to Leeds Castle, “the loveliest castle in the world” which has been a Norman stronghold, a royal residence for 6 medieval queens, a palace of Henry VIll,and a retreat for powerful and influenced people. From there we drove to Canterbury Catherdral – the headquarter of the Anglican Communion throughout the world. We were welcomed to get inside of the beauty building which has been built during the late 6th century when the Romans built the city as a capital of the Saxon kingdom of Kent, and Augustine and his fellow missionaries based thier work on bring christianity back to England. At night on our way back to London we stopped at Dover which is a port at the North Sea and the English Channel.
Aug. 2, Wed – this day together with the pastor Cornel Nistru we tried to get into a prison in Chelmsford called HM Prison where there was about 600 juvinels and we were told that a few Romanians were held in that prison. We even persisted to get permission to visit some inmates, but we weren’t allowed because of the strict rules that United Kingdom has. In the afternoon we went to a hospital in London where we visited a young Romanian brother that is afflicted with leucemia and is in the hospital for a couple pf weeks. We pray for him and encourage him to trust in God.
Aug. 3, Thurs – early in the morning we flew from London to Belfast – Northern Ireland. In Beldfast we visited prison fellowship ministry where I talked with Robin Scott who is responsible for the prison ministry in Northern Ireland. Christine Thompson who is the staff for this ministry presented to us the great work and accomplishment that God is doing to this country where the prison population increased and the chaplains and volunteers are taking the oppurtunities to win many souls to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Many former prisoners have come to the centre for support and encouragement following their release. This is a motivation for aftercare programs vitual for this country and others where inmates need to folow up to get rooted and discipled in the christian faith. After the meeting we had a tour in the Belfast city where we were able to see many important sites from Irish history ,and also the place where Titanic ship was built and launched. At night John Hrisca drove us from Belfast to Dublin – Southern Ireland.
Aug. 4, Fri – we were welcomed in Dublin city by David’s and Hristca’s families originally from Romania that immigrated years ago to this country for a better living. At night we ministered at a Romanian church called, ” The Mount of Zion” there were about 200Â people that worshiped God. We have visited a Romanian teenager in a hospital in Dublin. We pray and encourage him.
Aug. 5, Sat – in the morning we had a tour in the beautiful capital of southern Ireland – Dublin. During our tour in the city I met with Sam Adams a former inmate who was saved in a prison of Belfast. Now being released from prison he is helding a street evanghlelism in the downtown of     Dublin where a lot of people hear the gospel of Jesus Christ that is preached by him or other believers from his team. We are saved by God to save other people. In the afternoon I had an oppourtunity to meet pastor Amos Ngagi a missionary originally from Kenya, Africa who is involved in the acts of compassion community, and service chaplains ministry in the Southern Ireland. I was very impressed by his testimony how God is using him and his ministry to restore and to save lives in Ireland. He was very interesting and set an affiliation with our organization Chaplains for Christ International, and also to set up another trip to have a prison training seminar with the workers in Ireland. He is interested to make the necessary arrangements to have a mission trip in Kenya city Nirobi and we have to pray about for God’s will.Saturday night I presented a seminar with the brothers and sisters that want to get involved in the ministry -” have a passion for God and for the lost souls”
Aug. 6, Sun – we like to be with people that are hungry for God. This morning we ministered and worshiped God in a Romanian church called “Mount of Zion” there was about 250 people. At night service we went to another church in Dublin called, “Betel” there was about 400 people originally from Romania that came together to worship and have communion with Jesus’s sacrements (bread and wine.) We were used by God to minister from the word of God to the congregation and exorted them to seek holiness and to remind what Christ has done for us.
Aug. 7 Mon – early in the morning we flew from Dublin back to London where pastor Cornel Nistru picked us up from the airport and to the city where we had another tour and we were able to view different historical monuments from Great Britain. In the afternoon we met and we had fellowship with friends from Romania that had settled in London.
Aug. 8 Tues. – early in the morning we flew back from London to Chicago and we thank God for protecting us and bringing us back home safely. Nor could we have done or achieved anything whatsoever without the help of God who gave us the vision, the strength, and the love which overcomes every obstacle. All praise and glory to him.
