Tuesday, November 8, 2011

KIng's Together with Us in Outreach Mission



Every year around the end of October we have our annual outreach mission in our villages of Gotesti and Chircani. This year we had the joy of a team from my mum's church in N.I. - Kings Fellowship come out to share in the work of ministry for the mission and baptism. Also in the team was our good friend Mary Cottrell from St Michael's in Bristol.









Here they are singing a song in one of the evening evangelistic meetings.

The locals loved how they sang which was with such joy and power and the visitors from our villages burst out in loud applause every time they sang.

We had 9 in the team and split them up into 3 sometimes 4 smaller teams for the purpose of visiting various homes. They worked hard all week at this bringing love, sometimes aid into homes and sharing the gospel where the opportunity was afforded ( which was in most homes ). In one or two cases the hosts prayed for Christ to become their Saviour.

We visited together homes in Gotesti and Chircani and invited the hosts to come to the mission that we were holding in Gotesti each evening ( many came ) We also went to Hirtop and Plopi were we made various visits.

While in that part of the county we were invited to come into one of the schools and address the teachers - Phil shared a gospel message using the coloured wrist band and then Anne pictured here shared her experiences of the education system in UK ( she is a school inspector ). She was able to relate how her faith is worked out in the experiecnes of her job. The teachers really appreciated her and asked her to stay and talk with them more which she gladly did.




Our outreach mission week was in 2 parts - Mon-Wed was a youth mission. Here we see part of the evening involved playing various games. The youth also did a sketch each evening many of which had us in tears because of the power of them.

Then the gospel was preached by Phil Craig or John Shannon or myself. Around 20 young people made a response during the 3 days.

Those that responded from Gotesti and Chircani are being followed up with discipling by Igor.


Then from Thurs to Sunday we had the mission for all ages and again saw around 10 people make repsonses over the days of the mission.

Our good friends Volodia and Virginia Boncev (on left of picture) who pastor the church in Cantemir and Stefan and Veta Hanganu who pastor the church in Porumbesti ( front right) brought non Christians from their respective villages and are here pictured with Phil Craig (back left in white) and John Shannon (back right in white)



Sunday saw us end the week of evangelism with a baptism and dedication meeting.


The first part of the meeting was given over to Igor and Tanya who brought their second daughter Felicia for dedication. They committed themselves to bring her up in the fear and knowledge God and then we prayed the blessing that the Lord granted to be prayed over children as in Num 6:23-26.


Both of Igor and Tanya's mums were at the meeting which was great to see.

Then we had a programme of songs and testimonies where Vasia and Sergiu both gave their testimonies and Aliona and Anisoara sang. This was followed by a message from the Bible which spoke about how it is God's plan for us to each experience him personally - as the Bible says in Is 54;4 "Your maker is your husband"

The building was full with visitors from our villages but also from Porumbesti Cantemir,Plopi, and Hirtop.
Here Steopa from Chircani is being baptised by me with Ruslan assisting. The Lord has done a marvelous work in him as only this time last year he was a total captive of alcohol. However he came to the Lord received grace and forgiveness and has had his life completly changed. Interestingly I have known him for years as his wife is a memebr in Chircani church and I was talking to him a few weeks before his baptism. After speaking for a few minutes with him I said "Do you know Steopa I have known you for 10 years and spoke 100's of times with you but in all those years this is the first time I have had a converstaion with you when you have been sober. I never knew what an intelligent man you are." He replied with tears in his eyes that the drink has stolen many precious years off him. I told him that the Lord has spoken in His word that "H will restore the years that the locust has eaten." Pray for him as he has liver disease now.


Here is Sergiu being baptised. We are all having a chuckle as some wag nearby suggested we might need a step ladder to baptise him - he is around 6'6".

He had been a very wild living man before we first came into contact with him - he came to Karis Pizza one night very drunk and insisted that Mari stay and eat pizza with him - meanwhile Ruslan Larisa and I were in a another room having a very important meeting ( Mari insists were hiding from the drunken 6'6"Sergiu )

Anyway she talked much to him and he finally left but she shot up a prayer to the Lord saying well Lord even him you can save. "Is the arm of the Lord too short to save anyone" It isn't and in the Alpha course that followed Sergiu and Liuba his girlfriend were saved.

This was Sunday 23 Oct and Sunday 30 Oct he and Liuba were due to get married - watch this space

Pastor Mark

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