Mission Trip to Pakistan & United Arab Emirates
November 12-23, 2009
As we are on the long trip back from Pakistan we started gathering our thoughts and writing down some of the great experiences God brought upon us. FG and I went on one of the riskiest trip we have taken so far in our ministry years, but with great risks God brought great fulfillment. Going to a Muslim nation with the Gospel was a very hard decision to make, especially with the country of Pakistan being ravaged by war and suicide bombers. However, where there is an element of risk involved only faith in God compels us, and calls us to conquer our fears and go for His glory.
We had an open invitation for Pakistan for a couple years and after getting in contact with a brother from US, who had to leave Pakistan because of persecution, I was compelled to go. Soon we read in our newspapers about the tragic attacks on the Christian community in Gojra, Pakistan where 8 people were burned to death in their homes. This amplified the call of God to answer to the cry of the Christians in Pakistan. Proverbs 21:13 says: “Whoever shuts his ears to the cry of the poor will also cry himself and not be heardâ€.
After seeking God with prayer and fasting we received the confirmation and confidence from God to go. Our trip began November 12, questioning in our hearts if we will see this return day of November 23, 2009. After a 13-hour flight we reached Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE). Another 4-hour flight took us into Lahore, Pakistan. We have never seen our contacts before but a big welcome sign together with the smiles and friendly manner of our contacts made us feel comfortable and well received.
Our first night we spent at Christian Fellowship of Pakistan Church in Lahore. After having lunch at a local Christian family we headed towards Shantinagar, where the bulk of our ministry in Pakistan was prepared.  Shantinagar is a village of about 10,000 in which many Christian families reside. This attracted an attack in 1997 from a Muslim sponsored mob of 20,000 to 30,000 people. They burned over 300 houses, 16 churches, 270 vehicles, etc. thus affecting more than 1,000 Christian families. We made a short stop at Shaiwal and because it was getting late, and travel during the night is dangerous, we stopped to sleep at a family in Khanewal. That same night we visited a Christian bible college sponsored by FCBC, the organization we worked with in Pakistan. We meet the principal Elvin Wilson who gave us a tour and answered our questions regarding the curriculum and the student body. Under Wilson’s watch the college is doing a great job at preparing the new pastors, evangelists, and leaders for the expansion of kingdom of God in that area of Pakistan.
Because of the time change; the next day was Sunday already. Half an hour trip took us from Khanewal to Shantinagar. As we were entering the village group of 3 motorcycles approached our van while the people where waving their guns. We thought we might be under attack but our host assured us this is just our escort into town, to provide more security. The local church waited for us with big celebrations, which included gunshots fired into the air, flowers and some of the local festivity traditions. We were introduced with great delight and respect to the local people, pastors, and music leaders. Above all, we felt the presence of the Holy Spirit uniting us in on
e accord. Still we were uncomfortable, and did not have the full liberty in the spirit because of all the guns and security precautions. We trusted in God’s protection as our life insurance. A lady from the church called our translator and said she had a dream to share with us. She was in charge of preparing everything for us and was expecting our arrival the previous night. She had food and accommodations ready and was afraid something happened to us on our way since we did not come. After midnight she went to sleep worrying, but God gave her a clear vision. In the vision she saw our faces and before us flames of fire which spread into the church. Psalm 97:3 says: “Fire goes before Himâ€. Psalm 104:4 also says: “Who makes His angels spirits, His ministers a flame of fire.â€Â As she was telling the vision a big anointing from the Holy Spirit came down, broke the spirit of fear, gave confidence, and increased our strength so we can minister with boldness and courage.
Because of limited time and to avoid exposure we were lead by the Holy Spirit to have a seminary with all the pastors in the area. This way we were able to reach to more people than it would have otherwise been possible. Nayyar Asghar, the national director of FCBC, and a true man of God, arranged this 3-day meeting. He got in contact with all the pastors and students in the area, set up housing, food distribution, and accommodations for about 150 people who attended. Our seminar was from 10 AM to 4 PM Monday through Wednesday, including lunch and tea break.
The title of the seminary was Supernatural Living Through the Power of the Holy Spirit, but we tailor our messages for the needs of the local churches through the guidance of the Holy Spirit. People were blessed by the impartation, the presence, and the anointing of the Holy Spirit and leadership teaching. We were encouraged by the testimony of many pastors and students who came to thank us for this opportunity and to tell us how much they were inspired by the seminary and the presence of God. Last day we issued certifications to all pastors attending. These were received with much joy.
The nights were spent in evangelistic meetings. Those took place in a big tent, which was set up especially for those gatherings. Every night police surrounded the tent to discourage retaliation, but many people from the village did not come for fears of attacks. Nevertheless, The Spirit of God was not afraid of attacks and was present there.  I was inspired by God to give the testimony of how a Hindi police officer, which I meet in India, came to Christ. The police officers outside the tent listened very careful and the next night came to talk to us on our way to the meeting. First came a chief of the local police and asked to pray for him as bad spirits, noises, disturbed his house and there was fear. He sought help from Muslim priests to no avail. I told him the solution for his problem is Jesus who can destroy the work of the devil; I explained him the Gospel and prayed for deliverance. After the meeting another police officer came. He had a tumor on his throat and wanted healing, as the doctors could not help him. I presented him Jesus who has the healing power and we came in agreement to trust Jesus and believe in a miracle. We left the results to God as we were departing the next day, and believe the presence of God was there to do the work he has promised us will do when we call upon him.
Wednesday afternoon we went to Gojra where we had our long time internet contact. He had joined us at the Seminary. In August a mob of 10,000 attacked the Christian community in Gojra, destroying over 100 homes, killing by burning 8 people (including children) and injuring many more. Through our contact we were able to visit the 3 houses of the most affected families. They were terrified by fear and the discrimination they had to face daily. The government started rebuilding some of the houses but for the families who lost the loved ones this was no consolation. We encouraged them to have faith in God, who can give comfort and by whom we can overcome anything that comes our way. We also reminded them of the hope we have that the dead are not dead but alive with Christ, and that one-day we will see them again in glory. Together with our condolences and comforting words we gave them some financial support.
We were then guided to the tent camp, which was set up for families who lost their homes, which were now in a slow rebuilding process sponsored by the government. It was night and chili outside and these families lived in tents with no real protection from the cold, no bathroom, no running water. The situation was heart breaking, and we felt the need to help somehow as we went from tent to tent. The news of us being there spread quickly and soon found ourselves surrounded by a large group of people. Because it was night and the crowds were pushing, just like they did in other times with Jesus, we together with our host felt this could quickly become a problem. The best solution was to leave quickly before any trouble escalated. We left with the pain of these people deeply imprinted on our hearts.
From Borja we headed toward Youngsonabad where FCBC has a children school for about 400 students. They also provide housing, food, and clothing for 40 orphans. As we arrived there at midnight we were exhausted spiritually and physically but God rejuvenated us the next day through the excitement of the children as they filled up the schoolyard, and they prayed and sang together.  Somehow their innocence contrasted so much with the dullness, fear, and evil we had experienced the previous night. After speaking to the students we spent a blessed time with the founder of the school, Rev. Nathaniel Barkat who shared with us many testimonies of how God has worked in his life. Despite the persecution and discrimination that runs rampant in that country we could see the rivers of living water flowing out of his love for Jesus Christ.
After being strengthen and encouraged by such a man of God we headed back to Lahore and from there to Abu Dhabi which is a city close to Dubai, UAE. God prompted on old contact from India to tell us he is in Dubai and invited us to have fellowship with some of the churches in Dubai. There we attended a house meeting of about 30 people, where we saw the glory of God come on the faces of the congregation. It was yet another way God was strengthening us after an exhausting trip. Besides great buildings built by men, in Dubai God has built a powerful church, made of great men and women. We also shared the word of God at Emirates Christian Pentecostal Church where we connected spiritually with our Indian brothers and sisters in Christ.
Even though this mission trip required great sacrifice, great physical effort, and difficult spiritual warfare, now looking back we are thankful for what God has done through our weak vessels. Instead of being discouraged and ungrateful we have a great spiritual joy and fulfillment. This mission trip changed and revolutionized our life and brought spiritual vitality that will help us to live the spiritual life to the fullest. We experienced the power of God in the name of Jesus just like the disciples experienced in Luke chapter 10. We thank God who gave us the opportunity to minister in this hostile environment as lambs among wolfs, and for the work he did among the people of Pakistan. This reenergized both our and their commitment to live ready to go where the Lord will send us and to do what he wants us to do. We want to encourage you to live a life with passion for souls and to lead other to spiritual life.
Constantin Lupancu
Because of dire experiences in the 2008 China trip and other grim reports on religious persecution in China I was very disturbed in the morning to find out we are sharing the hotel with over 200 policemen in training and that our Christian hosts who came to pick us up in cars were loudly talking about how the Bible distribution would occur. Among the people who accompanied us was the lady who kept the bibles in her apartment until our arrival (seen at the bottom right corner) and Xie Gong (lady with the purse) who was instrumental in founding and growing many of the churches we visited in the Baoji area. Pastor Xie Gong is 67 years old and has dedicated her life for the churches around Baoji. There were other ladies in the leadership of the churches who came with us daily in our 2 rented vans, for which they arranged.
Baoji is surrounded by hills, mountains and lots of small towns where people make a living by agriculture. For many generations they have cut large parts of the hills and transformed them into flat agricultural land. Caves are cut into the high side of the mountain and transformed into homes where some people still live. It was harvest time and most believers were in the fields. We were told that it sometimes takes hours before they could descend and ascend many hills to get to the nearest church. Therefore, we met only with the leaders/pastors of the churches and some people who lived in proximity. We worshiped, prayed, laid hands on the sick, and most importantly gave them the word of God: The Bible.
Shuang Baiyang Church started with just $5 and 48 people. Now they were numbering at about 180 and growing. They were very grateful for the Bibles as they could not afford to buy literature for the new believers. In 1998 they bought land and started working on building their place of worship. By 2002 they had finished their building all by volunteer work. They had built a house for people that came from far away so they could stay for a couple of days and study the bible together. As most peasants have only crops and no money, they had to borrow money for the church construction which they are repaying quarterly. Their love for Christ was evident in their singing, praying and hospitality. They did not let us leave until we received their gifts in nuts, beans seeds, and cucumbers. The Bibles and small gift we brought were received with great joy and thankfulness.
Xinjie (New Street) Church began in 1978 with 10 people in an old English church which was later tarred down by the government. They received a new property on which they built the current church which had 250 members. Because their old church was torn down, we asked them about persecution, they answered that there is none and that they could worship freely. They also said that the people in the mountain get together in their houses during the week and on Sunday they come down to the church for service and to eat together. I rejoiced at their smile and strong, YES we believe, after we read from Acts 2 – the day of the Pentecost.
Ganyu (Mountain) Church is well deserving of its name, as it is right in the heart of the mountains, almost at the very top. The small parcel they received from the government was not big enough to build a church so they cut the mountain over a period of 3 years and then built their church. They numbered over 100 members. About 20 lived in the town at the bottom of the mountain where they meet during the week in a small house of a lovely sister in Christ. We left a box of Bibles at the church and one in the small town where they direly needed them for the new believers.
Guchuan Church started in 1995 with 2 people when our host Xie Gong went to pray with another believer for a sick person in that town. The sick person got well and some people believed. Later someone came to Pastor Xie Gong who had inflated hands. They were hurting so bad she could not touch anything. When Pastor Xie Gong washed her hands she did not hurt at all, and two days later the hands were back to normal. Some turned to Christ. Later, another 15 families believed after a diabetic was healed. A local lady told us another story about how she had cancer and only had 3.5 yaunn (50 cents). After a dream she had she gave 2 yaunn to the church and used the 1.5 left for one piece of medicine to treat her cancer. Right after taking the medicine she was healed. Pastor Xie Gong continued visiting this town twice a week until the church grew stronger and a local leader was established.
What a joy to see the gospel of Jesus Christ go forward with power and penetrate in places that otherwise would have never opened to Christian beliefs. They brought forth some other sick people and we prayed for them. The presence of God was there. Later we visited a family where Willie prayed over the wife who had cancer. Even still, we pray God will receive her tears and accord her healing because of our Lord Jesus. Later we asked them about governmental interference in their church activities or beliefs and they said there is none as the government itself sold them the land to build the church. They laughed when we mentioned pastors being imprisoned for being Christians. Praise God for the liberty he accorded!
Baofu Road Church in Baoji started in a house with 5 members (first lady from the right was one of the founders) 15 years ago and now it has over 500 people. Our hosts told us this church meets every night, and we should visit it while we were in the city. When we got there they were having bible study on the first level and choir practice on the second level. The choir was singing so beautifully about their love for Jesus, how good of a friend He is, and how they will never let go of Him. I was so much reminded of the days when I grew up in Romania. It was the same atmosphere, only the faces and the language were different. One of the leaders, Sidney, who was holding the Bible study, came to talk to us when he was done. He spoke English so we could talk without translation. He had become a Christian through a professor at a university and now he had given up his job to dedicate himself fully to the ministry.
Shijaai Church was founded and pastured by a family who has been Christian for the last 5 generations. There was a 79-year-old lady (I will call her Grandma) whose grandparents converted to Christianity when the British arrived. Since she was 15 she helped her father spread the Gospel. She said she would cry because people will not listen nor believe, when told about Jesus. They made fun of her and told her she was crazy because she did not wear earrings and bond her feet like everyone else. When communists came to power they took her Bible away and told her not to believe. Because she did not give in, they did not pay her for work and would not sell her anything. But God took care of her needs through other people. With a heartbreaking expression on her face, Grandma said those were such bad times she does not want to remember them.
She was such a sweet lady. While she told us her story she sang the songs in the story, she recited the poems in the story, and at the end she sang Oh Happy Day in English. She showed us her Christian material she had kept hidden. Some were as old as 1935. Grandma had 6 sons who were all believers. They built a building behind the church where they could hold Sunday school classes and host a children summer camp. Later we ate at one of her sons houses. The food was delicious and the friendliness was wonderful. As we left there were tears in Grandma’s eyes as she asked us to not forget them and return.
After a friendly welcome and some breakfast we were told by our translator that we have to go to meet the local Minister of Religious Affiars, Mr. Ma. He was the one involved in the interrogations that took place in the 2008 mission trip, and now we were going back to sign in with him before any activity. Because he was aware of our coming he invited Mr. Cheng, his boss, and officials from 3 other counties to meet with us. I felt intense pressure as we walked in the meeting room with the 7 governmental officials and 3 church representatives but as soon as we started talking I felt very peaceful. Mr. Ma wanted to know what our itinerary was, and what interests have brought us back to that area. Willie explained that we were there to give more Bibles and help the local churches progress and grow, which will work for the benefit of the entire area. One of the projects Willie discussed with him was his plan to bring two young Chinese men he had met on his previous trip to China, to study at Moody Bible Institute. Willie showed them the application and discussed with the officials what it will take for these students to come to the US.
In the Ling Shi area we fellowshipped with some of the churches visited in the last trip, plus others such as: Yuchen Church, Yanan Church, Zhangjazunag Village Church. It was encouraging to hear again the stories of God’s work and to see the growth in the numbers of believers. Constantin and Willie had made a donation last year to Yanan Church and now they were very excited to show us how the money was used to improve the place of worship. It was quite amazing what they did. The Ling Shi Christian Church was numbering over 400 believers, but the building they were meeting in was not fit for more than 100 people, if even that. The government was tearing down the entire area where the church was because it was very old and the coal industry left its very big marks of pollution on it. A new land was reassigned to the church on a top of a hill with very nice view. The leader of the church asked us to send architectural plans so they could build a nice church for the Ling Shi people. We brought Bibles to all the churches and encouraged them to stay strong in the faith.
After a period of complete ban of religious life, in 1979 China restored the right for Christians to hold their own religious beliefs and to engage in regular worship. Many of the churches we visited where started within couple years of 1979 and now there are new churches constantly being organized and built. These are the so called “registered churches”, which have chosen to comply with the government regulations for registration of places to worship. There are churches which choose not to register – the underground church. Most if not all churches we been to were registered therefore it is hard to understand the reason for not registering. It seems that it has to do more with a theological disagreement of any civil registration which may be due to the long time hostility between the government and church. A similar position was taken by many Romanian believers who had lived through the harsh times of communism there. Sadly, the unregistered seem to still be a target for the Chinese government.
As we have seen believers in Baoji are living their Christian life with no interference but this is not to say there is no persecution at all in China. The laws in China protect the people religious rights, but China is a country of 1.3 billion people. The interpretations of local government may differ from province to province or city to city. If in Baoji the officials did not worry of us being present there, in Ling Shi we had to go register and explain why we are there. The Communist Party is very suspicious of any activity against them therefore foreigners are not allowed to proselytize. As we were told, the Catholic Church is having more trouble than the Protestant Church because of their outside allegiance to the Pope. Other religious groups like Falun Gong are being shut down, the reason being a lot more than simply religious belief; hence please use discernment when reading/watching the news.
I pray the information found here would open many eyes as to what the situation is in China. It may not be the freedom we find in US but God has opened the door enough for His gospel to go forward just as it went for all the centuries before: through a life well lived, and one-to-one. The great challenge for the Church in China is not freedom anymore, but the lack of leadership and Bibles. During the Cultural Revolution many leaders were put in jail and no training of new leaders happened. The current training of pastors does not sustain the great growth of the Chinese church. Even more many poor believers in China’s rural areas simply cannot afford even the cheapest Bible. So scarce is God’s precious Word that any one Bible distributed may eventually be used by hundreds of people. Some churches don’t even have one Bible for their entire congregation.
By the grace of God we had the privilege to visit the country of Haiti between the dates of May 30 and June 5, 2009. It was an answer to an email received through our website, but not only that, we believe it was an answer to the call of God for us to visit Haiti. Brother Constantin received an email from a pastor with which there was no previous contact. Previously we made plans to go to El Salvador, but the doors did not open for ministry there. The Spirit of God in pulsed Constantin’s heart to go to Haiti.
Haiti is located in the Caribbean on the island called Hispaniola and it shares it with a wealthier neighbor: the Dominican Republic. It is the most densely populated and the poorest country in the West Hemisphere. After Columbus discovered the island in 1492 it became a Spanish Colony. The hard work and new diseases brought by the Spaniards killed most native Indians: Arawaks. In 1697 it became a French colony and it brought more wealth to the French empire then India to England. Slaves imported by the hundreds of thousands from Africa did most of the work. The atrocious treatments of the slaves lead to a revolt that resulted into an independent country called Haiti in 1801. It was the first independent black republic.
We read in the book of Acts that the disciples of Jesus Christ acted as they received guidance and leading from the Holy Spirit. This is true today as it was at that time because God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. This trip to Haiti was a proven testimony that the Holy Spirit empowers, gives guidance to all that obey Him. In Acts 16 we read that Paul was led through a vision to go and help people from Macedonia. The same Holy Spirit that worked then, impulsed my spirit when I received an email from pastor Joseph Jules Jasmin who I never heard of or met before. I sensed in my spirit an urge that I need to go there on the day of the Pentecost. I did not understand all this guidance but by faith in God, I rushed to buy the tickets and made all the arrangements to arrive there before the Pentecost day.
When I arrived at the airport on May 31st and our contacts waited for us in a 4Runner truck and we headed to Gonaives. We arrived in a city close to Gonaives around midnight and rested that night. On Sunday morning, the day of remembrance of Pentecost, we left early in the morning to reach the church service at New Covenant Christian Church in Gonaives, Haiti. The church was located in an area that was greatly affected by last year’s hurricane storm. Even the old church was demolished and now the church held a service in a rented home. The leaders of the church welcomed us and the pastor who speaks Creol, French and English, introduced us to the church and translated our message. The church was established and founded a couple of years ago. They were very open and sincere people. They worshiped God with all their hearts and know His Word but they did not have experience of the event of Pentecost, which means manifestation of the baptism in the Holy Spirit.
There we were on that special day to inspire them and teach them that the experience of the baptism in the Holy Spirit can be real to them as it was real for the disciples of Jesus in the upper room. There I could understand why God prompted us to go there on that special day because God knows their spiritual desires and needs. We prayed with them and asked them to seek the Lord’s face and not give up until the Lord Jesus will baptize them all in the Holy Spirit. The pastors and leaders were touched by the message and a fire burned in their hearts. After the church service, we went to the local prison from Gonaives City. The deacons had already purchased cold drinks, food and hygienic products for about 300 inmates with the money that we gave for that purpose from the mission. We arrived at the prison that was surrounded by United Nation police from Pakistan that was very friendly to us and to the local people. One prison cell had about 140 inmates. We ministered to them from the Word of God, prayed for them and encouraged them to seek the Lord; the only way, truth, and life. Some of them were very sick and laid down at the gate of the prison with wounds on their bodies which broke our hearts. We ministered to about 300 inmates and about 6 guards and gave them goods and food. In the afternoon we visited pastor Jasmin’s family and gave them a love offering.
In the morning, we visited the part of the city that was very devastated by the hurricane. Families that lost their homes or had their homes with many feets of mud lived there in less damaged homes. We prayed for them and encouraged them to seek the Lord who can help them and keep them healthy. We see the youth’s desire and need to have a school in that community but we could not accomplish that need. Instead we prayed for them and asked that God would supply them with a school because many of them were completely illiterate. They looked at us as an answer to their needs but we told them we are simply messengers to show them that God cares for them and loves them. At night, we had an evangelist service in open air outside the church and invited all the people in the area to come. Over 100 people and children attended and listened to the messages and worship team.
Tuesday morning, we had a seminar where we presented the chaplains for Christ materials for inspiration and information about jail ministry to provoke them to reach people in the prison. Also, another part of the seminary was a presentation of the Holy Spirit baptism and manifestation. The purpose of this was to ignite the fire in them and especially in the leaders and pastors that they might continue the ministry with passion and full of the Holy Spirit. After the seminar, we visited pastor Jean Inera’s home and prayed for his family. We had an evangelistic meeting at night at the church of Marose where Jean Inera is pastor. It was a blessed night where God presence manifested in that crowd of adults and many children. They were singing to God with all their heart in the same way that the crowd was singing when Jesus entered Jerusalem. Jesus said, “…Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings you have perfected praise?” [Mathew 21:16]
Early Wednesday morning, we drove to visit the prison of St. Marc in the state of Artibonite, Haiti. There we went from cell to cell to minister to about 250 inmates and guards. We purchased about 148 bibles and distributed to them along with other necessary products. The guards and director of the prison were very friendly and invited us to come again. There were a few inmates that committed to change their life. One of them was a young boy and he stayed there for 4 years and now they want to release him but there was an amount of money to be paid and I asked the director of the sum and if it was true. He answered, “If $60 can be paid this inmate can be free today.” And so we freed him. A former chaplain was also incarcerated for another sum of about $2,800 but we could not honor that and the director said the sum is only to set him free sooner, and not a requirement. This reminded us about our salvation, we were all prisoners of sin; deserving eternal punishment, but Jesus came and paid the penalty for the wages of sin. We don’t have to suffer the consequences of our sin, because Jesus has paid for it so that we can be free and whom the Son makes free, is free indeed. “For the redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceases forever” [Psalm 49:8]
with him in 2000 when he told me about this mission. Now the time came and I remembered that his heart was moved with compassion to help churches in Haiti. In my time of preparation for the Haiti mission, I contacted him and he gave me some contacts in Peredo, Jacmel but he did not have the names or phone numbers. So we contacted the local pastor from Jacmel and he researched for us and found the women pastor (that was about 60 years old when brother Ionel Negrila was involved) was still alive. The church was named by Ionel Negrila “The Remnants of the House of David” and is still in function today. On the way over there I encountered road problems 
due to the mountain area. Our car broke down just before reaching Jacmel. Pastor Sanon Medid of Agape Church from Jacmel answered our call and came with a mechanic and towed our car. On that night pastor Sanon brought us to his home where we had dinner. After dinner, Pastor Sanon engaged himself to bring us to Peredo (a village in the mountains). The road was flooded just before we reached Peredo and we got stuck in the water around midnight where I told the pastor to turn around. Unfortunately, we could not see the church in Peredo for which purpose pastor Ionel Negrila gave a love offer of $200 to help the orphans in that church. But I gave the money to pastor Sanon Medid and he was going to go back when the weather permitted and complete the task.
By the Grace of our Lord, we had the opportunity to minister once again. At this time, Pavel Sav and I departed from Chicago together with my parents and two nephews towards Romania. We arrived in Bucharest, RO and our contacts were waiting for us. A representative from the ‘Zacchaeus Mission’ named Tamara Ulmeanu, Dinica Ioan and other representatives from ‘Rock of Ages’; Alin Cucu drove us from the airport to our first city, Giulesti, RO where we ministered to a group of about ninety male youth from a juvenile prison. Afterwards we ministered to the prison’s female youth group and we gave both groups food and other goods. At night Alin Cucu drove us to Braila, a city close to the Danube River.
On Sunday February 22nd, we had the privilege to minister to a prison in Braila on this morning. Even the guards did not want to allow many of the inmates to hear the good news but after former inmate Vasile Tofan, currently a minister of the Word of God, complained about why they restrained some inmates from attending. After their discussion with Vasile, they allowed all of those that wanted to come. Adrian Burghelia, a former inmate that was saved in the prison by Jesus Christ while serving for aggravated battery and theft, being delivered by the Power of the Holy Spirit – is going back to prisons to minister to the inmates with songs and words of exhortation from the Bible. Despite the arguments that were with the rude guards, God created a powerful atmosphere of Joy, Happiness, Love and Peace. The atmosphere created by God through the songs of worship was so sweet and we saw the yolk broken in many hearts. Many inmates almost refused to leave the gathering towards the end, when the guards dismissed the service. We were very blessed by this atmosphere in God’s presence. In the afternoon we visited a place where former inmates Vasile Tofan, Alin Cucu and Adrian Burghelia are planning to re-build a recovery site for inmates that don’t have a place to live after their sentence. In the evening, we ministered in a Christian church called Golgotha in Braila, where Pastor Daniel Buzatu welcomed us for worship. Many members were restored and refreshed that evening by the presence of the Holy Spirit. After the service, we visited peasant families from the area of Braila and offered them goods in the Name of our Lord. Many families were affected by the economical recession. Later that night after a delicious dinner prepared by Alin Cucu’s wife, we drove to the city of Vaslui where our representatives, Pastors Ioan Florea and Petrica Postu were waiting for us and accommodated us at their home for the night.
On Monday February 23rd, they drove us to Piatra Neamt, the northern part of Moldova, where Pastor and overseer Liviu Axinte welcomed us in the region. He has organized a revival and evangelism in all the state of Piatra Neamt and Bacau. He invited speakers from all over the country to minister in over sixty villages for one week for this event. It happened that our trip accommodated this event and on Monday night, we ministered in the village of Telea. Hundreds of people overfilled the church to hear the Gospel. Even the mayor of the village attended and spoke words of appreciation for the Christian community. Later that same night, Daniel Ursulean from Suceava came and drove us to Suceava (north-east part of Romania) where my parents settled and waited for us.
On Tuesday February 24th, we drove from Suceava to Iasi to minister in the Iasi Prison because I received a letter from an inmate here while I was in Chicago about the impact that the Gospel has done in his life in one of our previous mission trips there. On our way to Iasi, I stopped to the village Oniceni where I built a church years ago with God’s help and now the owner that donated the land for the church had just passed away and it so happened to attend the funeral service. This village extremely rejected Christ believers years ago before I started the church even when I dedicated the church to the Lord, the orthodox priest from the village told the people that whosoever enters the church, won’t be buried by him and people were afraid to come. Now, the man that took the courage to donate that land, whose some of his children were first saved and have a heart for the Lord, survived through this time of opposition. This funeral was a privilege to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ to almost all the people from the village since they all came and filled the area and streets. Some came by the curiosity of seeing how the first funeral was taking place among Christians and they were impressed by the powerful messages, worship and songs sang by the choir from Suceava. God is making his way even in a village where people doubted there was any hope for Salvation. I believe the impact that the Word of God preached with the occasion of this funeral will change many lives in this village. In the afternoon we arrived in the prison of Iasi and ministered there to about sixty inmates. The general director of the prison and assistant director Carmen Matei welcomed us even though we arrived on short-notice. But they saw that only the power of the Gospel can really transform a life. Inmates are hopeless and need someone to minister to them with love and care. Hygienic necessities were given to inmates that attended the meeting. We prayed for all of them and left the in the care of our Lord, Jesus Christ. In the evening, we had a meeting with Pastor Emil Cailean from the city Iasi and visited his church site. Later that evening, we drove back to Suceava and had a late dinner with Barsan Nicolae and Valentina’s family.
On Wednesday February 25th, we went to Botosani (further north) where we ministered in the prison there to about seventy inmates. Goods also were also given for their personal needs. In the afternoon, we drove to the village of Radauti-Prut the northern part of Romania, which shares borders with Ukraine. A big flood swept this village in the summer of 2008 from the Prut River where seventy percent of the homes were demolished. People were living in temporary homes. We helped them with money. Our rep from the area, Pastor Viorel Ignat, led us in this region and many families were helped in the Mitoc Prut village where we started to build a church one year ago.
On Thursday February 26th, we drove to Tibeni, another village that was affected by the same flood and destroyed many homes. Here I visited one of my uncles, Constantin and Silvia Iacoban who described that the flood came about two meters high and destroyed all his goods and agriculture machines were taken away by the flood. Next we went to village Satu Mare, where I was born and helped a family to restore their home from a fire. Christian brothers were also helping them at the time. Later that afternoon we went to city Radauti, where we visited sick persons in a hospital. One of my cousins, Viorel Donisan, was patient at that hospital at the time and we prayed for him and his situation that God would restore his health. Pavel Sav ministered to a church in Dornesti later that evening. I was able to visit my cousins and in-laws in Romania.
On Thursday March 5th, we left to Belgium where we arrived by car and Gheorghe Lupancu awaited us and held a tour for us in the city of Brussel (Capital of Belgium). In the evening, we attended a service in a Romanian community church where about 800 Romanian’s worshipped God and had fellowship. I was surprised to meet some of my nephews that worked there and they had experienced the power of transformation in their life. I have never met them before that evening. We slept in Belgium’s capital that night.
On the morning of Friday March 6th, we departed for France and arrived in Paris around noon. We toured the city and in the evening we went to a prayer meeting in Paris International Church. Romanians working in France gather together in this church and usually number around 600. Pastor Grighore Creta had a special night of prayer and seeking the power of the Holy Spirit where youth came to seek the power of God with fervent prayer until even the ceilings of that room in the church were humid but their hearts were hot for God.
On Saturday March 7th, we drove to Germany where we found Petrica Lorentiu and his wife Victoria in Venwegen close to Aachen in the southern part of Germany. Petrica had an accident earlier and damaged his spine to the point where he became crippled. When we arrived in his home he was with his bible open seeking God. We brought him a message of encouragement to focus more on what he has and not on what he has immobilized. After our time of discussion with him and his wife, Petrica expressed his desire to be closer with God and to receive the baptism in water. He that believes in Jesus and is baptized will be saved but he that doesn’t will be condemned.
Many were touched by God’s presence and received blessings of Joy, Peace & Happiness. Even healings were performed when we prayed for the sick.
On Monday morning March 9th, we returned back to Venwegen where we fulfilled Petrica Lorentiu’s desire and commitment to be baptized into Christ in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Together with Doru Simon, a deacon and leader from Holland, Petrica received the baptism that Jesus has commanded to every believer. His wife Victoria was also willing to receive the baptism in water in the month of May this year when the church in Holland will have such an event. We left them with words of hope in God that restores not only the spirit but also the body that was damaged when Petrica had the accident. He believes that God can heal him and make him whole for which we prayed. We returned back to Holland in the afternoon and we met with Arlin Meyer, an American missionary in Holland, and spoke about our vision to have a prison ministry in this area. He is involved with recovering those that are addicted to drugs and alcohol in the area of Limburg. They have purchased a monastery for the purpose of a recovery home in Maastricht, the city in which the European Union was formed in the year 2000. Holland is a very spiritually dead country which needs a revival.
On Wednesday morning March 11th, we left Greifswald and headed to Berlin where we visited the Berlin ruins of the former communist wall that divided western from eastern Germany till 1989. From there we went to Frankfurt and we stayed overnight to Gabriel Salanta’s family, an Automobile businessman & Romanian church leader in Germany, where we had a great time of fellowship with his family and other friends that came to meet us.
It gives me a great pleasure to get in touch with you while sharing with you the exciting mission trip through the dark Amazon jungle from which we just returned from safely. Pastor Jamie Flores, Edgar Garza, Eduardo Marroquin, Gerry Wolfe, Cornel Ianchici and Constantin Lupancu were given the opportunity to travel to the indigenous people of the Amazon rainforest/jungle. The light of Jesus Christ spiritually and literally shines over them. They live in the obscure and isolated parts of the jungle, very far from civilization and the modern world. The purpose of this trip to Peru was to do a documentary of the jungle life, bring school supplies and Christmas presents to children of EFATA (death/ mute kids) and the street kids from Iquitos (the nearest city to the jungle). This visit was very productive. I hope this report encourages you because you’ll see how your prayers and financial support are making a difference in the lives of people in Peru and the Amazon Jungle. The Lord also enables us to share the Light of Jesus wherever we went and this makes a big impact in their life.
We purchased tables and chairs for their classrooms and we equipped their pastor with a laptop, projector, digital camera and a motorcycle. We played volleyball with the kids and interviewed three of them for our documentary. We left at 6:30 p.m. and went to Iglesia Bautista at 7:30 p.m. We preached the word of God there and many people were delivered from strongholds of the past and received healing. The presence of God was unbelievable.
On Saturday, Nov. 22nd we visited the street kids. We ministered to them and fed them lunch. There were about 65 of them. Their ages ranged from 8 – 13 years. These kids got raped on the street. Some of them are homosexuals, thieves and prostitutes. Our hearts were broken to see how the devil operates in the lives of these kids. They told us that many foreigners go there to have sex with them and the kids do it just for food. Please help us pray for these street kids. We need to build a house where they can be secure and safe. Pray that God will provide resources for them to have food and transportation everyday, not just one day a week. They need to come to the YWAM base to hear the Word of God everyday.
That night we preached to a youth group in a church called Remanente. God’s presence was manifested again, and almost every kid came forward to the altar and asked for prayer. Some of them admitted to have been abused in their homes. They felt dirty and unworthy until that night when God healed them. Eduardo Marroquin shared his testimony and God used him in a mighty way. There are no words to express the presence of God that night.
Sunday morning we left by boat to the jungle into a community called San Jose. After a few hours of sailing through the Marion River, we arrived in one village where we built a water well months ago. Now the well needed to be repaired and so we took care of it. Then we sailed onto another village called Leoncio Prado where All for Him Ministry built a church sometime ago called Centro de Vida Cristiana Peru. We ministered at night in that church and three people came to accept the Light of His Word. One of which was delivered from witchcraft. There was a real manifestation of the Light that shined through the darkness that night. The glory of God shined in the church.
On Tuesday we rested after returning from the jungle. The next day we fed 55 kids from the street in the local Christian school. We left Iquitos that night to return to Chicago to our families for Thanksgiving Day.