2020 Team Is Set!

We are very excited that our 2020 team is all set and our tickets have been purchased. We have been monitoring the Covid situation in Romania and are praying that this health crisis ends soon and everyone can get back to their normal routine. At this point, we are still planning on going. Pray that the doors will be open in August. So thankful we decided to go later this year! God knew. Check out the team by clicking on the word "team" above or by going to the "About the 2020 Team" in the menu bar.

Ekklesia Concert In Arad

We were very fortunate to be able to attend this inspiring concert. They had about 100 people in the choir and 40 in the orchestra. We got to go with a great group of young people from Betel Baptist. One of the young ladies, Doro, was in the choir 🙂. She did a great job!

Our group
(Thanks Jathan for being our selfie guy)

Black Friday Romanian Style

It is the custom here in Romania to have church services every day during the week leading up to Easter (Passion Week). Romanians celebrate Easter a week later than the United States does, so we have the honor to be here to be part of this celebration. On Black Friday (Good Friday in the U.S.) we spoke and sang in three different churches. It was a wonderful day, long, but wonderful! The pictures below are from Friday. You can also watch one of the many testimonies given during the day.

Pastor John

Great Time of Worship

Thursday night we visited fellow believers in Cherelus at Biserica Ghetsimani! We had a great time of worship and fellowship. One of our favorite experiences in worship is when we can worship in two languages at once. This happens during both of these songs and is most noticeable in the second one. Enjoy!   

Centered On Christ

Sarah Heffington

One thing I have come to enjoy is listening to praise songs in Romanian. I can understand more of the language now, even though I am not even close to fluent. A Romanian group that covers many American praise songs just released Set My Heart by Vertical Worship. 

These lyrics are what I am striving towards living in, centered on Christ, especially as we prepare for our trip:

You make a way when none is found

You tell the roaring ocean to bow

I believe You're moving even now

Right here, right now

I have set my heart

Set my, set my heart on You

You have every part of me

I set my heart on You

It is never our team that accomplishes any ministry, it is God's faithfulness that works through and in spite of us. Please pray that our whole team is grounded in truth, humility, and open to the ways God will move this year!

Planning and Preparing

Maura Elkins

Hello, This is my first time being part of a mission team overseas and I am thrilled to be a part of this journey. I'm not always on time, definitely not always organized, but I like to plan. There is such a joy that comes from waiting down the tasks for the day and plans for my life. 

Yet the Lord's plans are often quite different from mine and my dreams don't always line up with His. When I was asked to consider being a part of this trip my heart was quite hesitant. This was most certainly not in my plans! Through prayer and counsel the Lord gave a clear, "Yes, you should go!" The Lord is so amazing and has provided this opportunity to worship with believers from across the globe and share my testimony. It is a joy to give my time and plans to share His love and proclaim His goodness in Romania. 

It has been a marvelous time preparing and planning for this trip. I've enjoyed getting my passport, travel luggage, and preparing my heart to see the wonderful things that the Lord will do in April. Please pray that the team will be free in giving and bold in sharing the Gospel. All glory to God! He truly deserves the praise!

Excited!

Casey Elkins

As I prepare for this upcoming mission trip to Romania I am reminded how much I need to spiritually prepare. Along with packing my suitcase for travel I am packing my own heart with truths and reminders. I'm seeking to know more of God so that I can be better equipped to minister to others. I am grateful that God's grace is far stronger than my fears and shortcomings. I know from the deepest places in my heart that as I ask God for wisdom, strength, and the right words to say, that the one who created me and cares for me will provide.

I am so excited to be on this team! I can't wait to see new places and experience new things. There is also so much more to this trip than taking part in a new adventure. My mission on this trip is to ultimately glorify a good God and fellowship with other believers on the other side of the world. I am thankful for the opportunity to express to others why I love Jesus and why He loves us immeasurably.

I am so happy to serve alongside this team as we work together to share the love of Jesus Christ with everyone we meet. I would like to earnestly ask for your prayers for my team and me as we prepare to go out in just a few weeks. Please pray that God will do great things through us for His glory.

Good Place Spiritually

As far as planning for this trip, I have been working a lot and have also begun some more lengthy Bible studies so that I will be in a good place spiritually. Often with very important things, like this trip, it is hard for me to think about it until it is on the very near horizon. Most often this is a blessing because I tend to worry. In all honesty the extra work has helped me in keeping me calm and relaxed. 

The fact that this year's group is larger than last years is exciting and I am looking forward to seeing what God will do in and through the team on this year's trip!

Bonding Time

We had a great weekend preparing for the upcoming trip to Romania! The team talked, laughed, prayed, sang, and generally got to know each other. 

We are all truly excited to see what God will do this year. Each year is such a unique and special trip and we expect this year to be no exception.

Please continue to pray as the time draws near!

FEAR NOT!

Peyton Elkins

Hello Everyone! I am very excited to be joining this team for their next trip to Romania! I can hardly believe that I will have the chance to travel around the world to meet with believers and share the Gospel—it'll be a new experience for me! In my excitement, brand new luggage and a small stash of toiletries have already found their way into my house. my ticket is purchased, my passport has arrived, funds are being raised, and I am trying to get ahead on my schoolwork. however, as important as it is to have a passport and deodorant, nothing is more important than being spiritually prepared. You see, my excitement is definitely mixed with a lot of fear. I'll be sharing what God has done in my life with strangers who come from a different culture. My flesh keeps telling me that I simply cannot do it or that even if I do, nothing I say will really matter.

Combating this dangerous lie is perhaps the most important thing I can do before I leave. So, I have been looking through God's Word, searching for His commands to "fear not." Many of the verses I found go on to say why the person being addressed need not fear—because God is with them. Genesis 26:24, Joshua 1:9, Isaiah 41:10, Jeremiah 1:8, and many other verses call on specific people to take courage because God is with them and will not leave them. These words make me strong when I remember what Jesus said to his disciples, and to me, before He left the earth, "I am with you always, to the end of the age" (Matt 28:20). I know that the Lord will be with our team as we journey to Romania. I know that I need not be afraid because His Spirit will give me the words I need to say. I know that God does not want me to be afraid, "for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control" (2 Tim 1:7).

Please pray for our team as we ready ourselves, physically, mentally, and spiritually for our trip in the spring. Please pray that we will be fearless, not because of the strength and abilities we think we possess, but because God is with us. 

As the Time Draws Near

Mamie Edmonston

As the countdown until the trip to Romania gets shorter, I am asking the lord to prepare my heart for all that He has in store.

I've been on a mission trip once before, and out of the country many times, but I know this is going to be very different than those trips. Unknowns aren't my favorite, but this trip is not about me. 

I'm looking forward to meeting other believers who love the same Jesus but live thousands of miles away. Sometimes I wonder how on earth God can use me and my simple testimony to impact anyone, but He knows exactly which conversations I need to have  to share His light. Once again, it's NOT about me, it's only about Jesus and his unfailing love.

Please pray for us as the date to embark draws nearer. Pray for the words we will speak and the relationships that will be made and strengthened. To God be the glory forever and ever amen.

(You can learn more about Mamie by reading her Team bio.)

The 2019 Team is Set!

We are very excited to announce that the 2019 team is set and getting ready to go! We will be traveling about three weeks earlier this year than normal. We will leave at the end of April in stead of May. We have four new team members this year and three returning, in addition to the two team leaders. Please check out the pictures and bios on the TEAM page. We will be posting more updates as the time drawn near and then updates from Romania as the opportunities allow. Thanks for all your support and prayers!

Sunday Morning and Evening

What a nice way to finish off this marvelous trip! We worshipped in Firi Tiez in the morning. You can listen to Emily's testimony below. We were also blessed to hear some children sing and recite Bible verses and poems. 

Sunday night we were delighted to be at Bethel in Arad. It was a great time of worship! Our team sang with the youth and we also heard their youth and some children sing. There were some technical difficulties with the video but there are a few clips and they are well worth watching! 

After church we had dinner and a time of games and fellowship. What a great way to end our two week trip. Thanks to every one who has been praying. We have seen God at work!

Mountain Tops and Bran Castle

The team saw many beautiful sights while driving on the Transfagarasan, which is the highest road in Romania. It was sunny and beautiful, it rained, it hailed, but most of all it was an experience of God's handiwork. The following day they took a tour of the Bran Castle. This is such an interesting historical sight. The grand finale after lunch was papanache. This is a fried dough, similar to a doughnut covered in a sweet sour cream sauce and fruit preserves. The close-up photo of panache is served without the cream sauce. However, the apricot preserves were excellent as the sole accompaniment! 

Reuniting in Motru

The team had such a good time reuniting with fellow believers in the Baptist church in Motru.  It was an encouraging time of worship, sharing, and fellowship. The Spirit was obviously present and we were all very blessed. After the service we had fun time of eating and singing together.    

Emily sharing

Team enjoying food and fellowship

Two wonderful ladies

Romanian dessert cakes - yum!

Sunday Morning at Nuziman

We had a wonderful time of worship and teaching at Nuziman on Sunday morning! 

We hope you enjoy the following video clips of the church members singing for us. You can also watch two testimonies from Jathan and Annika. We hope you are blessed!

Fun Day with the Youth from Bethel

On Friday we took a beautiful drive out to a wonderful farm retreat and spent the day visiting, playing, eating, and singing! We celebrated one of our team members birthdays - Emily. We also almost go to pet some cows that walked past our car as we were attempting to drive down the road! We love Romania!

Notice the crate of fresh cherries! The trees are loaded with them.

There was lots of volleyball!

Fun talking with these young ladies!

We are glad someone was there to play the Cajon!

Emily's birthday cake! Beautiful and delicious!

Emily is surprised by her cake and having happy birthday sung to her in Romanian as well as English!

After the picnic we went over to Pastor Cristi and Alina's house and had some pizza and fun conversation! What a blessing for them to have their home completed.

Visit to Gethsemane Church

Some of our friends from Gethsemane Church

We had such a good time visiting our friends in Cherelus! We had a great service and lively worship. Below are a few video clips and photos from our time together. 

 

In this clip listen closely as we worship God in English and Romanian at the same time. It is always such blessing when this happens. There are truly no words to describe it!

Sarah asks in this testimony, "What are you living for?"

Meeting Old Friends and Making New Ones

The team had a great time touring, sitting in classes, singing with and talking to friends, old and new, at the Baptist High School in Arad.

The following video combines two short segments from songs that the students sung for us (our apologies for the choppy cut). It was a great time and we look forward to seeing them again.

Later in the evening we went to a village church in Sepreus and enjoyed their wonderful hospitality and shared in singing and testimonies. God has been very good!

Emily giving her testimony with David translating

Pastor Nelu Balog addressing the congregation

We had a visit with some friends in their grand house!