Woman's Day

In the UK ,mother's day was recently celebrated but here in Moldova as in most of Eastern Europe one of the year's biggest national celebration days is 8th of March - woman's day.

We chose to mark the day by having our own 8th March meeting in the church on the Sunday.

Our programme was designed for ladies and the message was also about women in the bible finishing with the woman who broke the alabaster jar of ointment over Jesus and asking those present "What good work are you doing for Jesus"

Here the smallest children in our Sunday school are doing a programme of songs and poems mostly around the theme of mothers

We were also able to rejoice, as a church, in a specially meaningful event with Jana and her baby Cristean by praying a blessing on him for his future.

The event was particularly moving because Jana ,his mother, had been a member with us but had some time ago fallen away into sin.

However, 2 weeks ago when Brian Pile and others were with us from England ( see earlier blog ) God had moved among us powerfully and nearly 40 people came out to the front to get right with God in various ways.

Jana was one of those who came out to the front and in discussions with her this week it was clear that she was back in peace with God and full of joy rejoicing in His grace and the refreshing of her relationship with Him.

During the week we ran a mission for adolescents - 11-14 yrs.

Around 25-30 kids came each day with around 10 new kids in total during the week with 7 responding in total during that time

The leaders tried to do something different each day and on this day that had a restaurant with a meniu that the kids were able to order pop corn or jelly beans or ice cream etc

The leaders were the waitresses and waiters

Of course they also had games and competitions etc.

Can you guess was this game is that these lads are playing?

We were also very priviledged to have former heavyweight boxing champion of Romania Vasile Tofan with us to bring the word of God to us the week before Woman's day.

He gave part of his testimony and then also preached a little.

At 24 he had the world at his feet with the very real possibility of getting to the top of the world rankings for boxing but he ended up in prison in Germany instead.

There he was wonderfully saved and he now has an international minsitry preaching the gospel and particularly reaching out to those in prison.

It is great to be enjoying the Lord moving in so many ways in our churhces in these days