Serving Others – Romania Trip Fall 2024

“Through love serve one another.”  Galatians 5:13

God has called us for a second trip to Romania this year.  I am happy to say that Gabi and I are able to travel and go together this time. 

She was not able to go with me in July due to complications following a very difficult hip replacement surgery, and was in physical therapy most of this summer, with a lot of problems unable to sleep in a regular bed.  She has improved although some issues remain, but with God, all things are possible!  We hope that this time the trip will not be as demanding and she would be able to teach and visit with women and families with less demand for walking.

We are going to be joined by Alex and Rodica Popa, both members of the PIEI Romania partnership committee, who will be involved in administration and overall helping the ministry’s communication, function, and all the necessary aspects of a well working ministry involving national missionaries and support received from the U.S.

The Men

The highlight of this season’s ministry is for the men!  We are honored to sponsor several Father-Son Conferences in October with Pastor, Author, Speaker and Educator, Norm Wakefield and Elijah Ministries. Since 1997, Norm and Spirit of Elijah Ministries has ministered in 22 countries around the globe, being utilized by our Lord, instructing on how to live to love and walk worthy of the Lord Jesus Christ! We are very excited that Norm has been called to Romania and pray our Lord’s blessing on these sessions. We are looking forward to being in Craiova (Southern region of Romania), Sibiu area (Cisnadie), and our own PIEI Center in Alba Iulia for 2-3 days of conferences all taking place in October.

Gabi and the Women

As the men will be meeting at these conferences, Gabi is planning to meet with women at the same time for a relaxing time of fellowship, encouragement and challenges from the Word of God, and hands-on projects.  There are two new locations where she has not been so that she will meet these women for the very first time.  It is always so exciting to expand our ministry and do outreach to more locations and reach out to more people.  It is fascinating to see how the Lord plans our steps, if you are but willing to follow Him!

I, Cornel, as usually, will be Jack-Of-All-Trades, doing whatever is needed for everyone, from driving all the way down to the border with Bulgaria where we will be spending some time with one of our national missionary Gavril Cuc and his wife Vera and their ministry there, to administration role and everything in between!

The Girls!

As we will be traveling South we will stop on the way in Arges to see the orphan girls at the Tigveni Institution.  They are always eager to see Gabi whom they call mommy and she is always ready to see them, as they communicate often via messenger.  They are so precious, and we hope to encourage them and love on them, as they have been depleted of parental love and family all their lives. 

Please pray for our safety in traveling and for wisdom as we have all these meetings and visits.  Our desire is to share the love of Christ and be an encouragement everywhere we go, so that we would make a difference in people’s lives, as well as be an encouragement to our national team there in Romania.

PIEI Ukraine Missionaries coming to Romania

Lastly, we are looking forward to having several of our national missionaries from Ukraine travel to Romania and coming to meet with us.  How exciting!  They have been through so much, and this might just be a little break that they need to take their mind off this awful war, such a nightmare that they live with every day.  This would be a definite highlight of our trip!  Praying for them and for their safety as they will cross the border twice as they come and return back to Ukraine!  Please continue to pray for all our PIEI Ukraine missionaries, their families, and the ministry in Ukraine.  Pray that this war with Russia will end soon.

Our departure date is Thursday September 26.  Tomorrow we are packing our bags.

Joyfully serving,

Cornel and Gabi Stef

Ukraine Summer 2024

Dear Friends,

I cannot express enough gratitude for everyone who has supported the ministry in Ukraine this summer. Thank you to those who donated as well as those who prayed for us. I have a special thanks for those who went on a short-term mission trip to join the nationals.

This summer Ukraine held its annual Summer Camp. Over 140 kids from ages 7 to 17 stayed at Camp Candela for a week. While there they were split into 3 groups, each studying God’s word together with their leaders, some of whom came from the US. The students played games, worshipped, and grew in their walks with God, and 35 of them made the decision to accept Christ into their hearts! Praise the Lord!

A few other team members visited some villages to provide eye exams and prescription glasses to those who needed it. This was an important opportunity to reach unchurched people. For example, in the village of Dinauti, 110 people came to be served by the eyeglass ministry, and all but 2 were non-Christians. It was therefore of the utmost importance to the team that their focus was to fill spiritual needs as well as physical ones. The team counseled people, listened to their stories, prayed with them, and shared the Gospel. Through that ministry about 15 people chose to follow Christ!

It has been my privilege to see God at work through the partnership between our nationals and the short-term mission teams that answer God’s call every year. I pray that anyone who hears that call will answer it and see how God will bless their response.

In Christ,

Cornel Stef

Perspective of a STMT member

Dear friends,

Whenever I bring a short-term mission team to Romania, I pray for two things to happen.

First, I pray that the team blesses our missionaries above and beyond what we could plan for. I hope that the team is able to encourage our nationals, building relationships and providing spiritual rejuvenation.

Second, I pray that the team is able to see God at work in their own lives throughout and after their trip. My goal is for team members to be transformed by their experiences and grow in their walk with the Lord.

Short-term missions with long-term impact— on BOTH sides.

Isaac Reeve is one such young man who has just returned from a one month trip to Romania. It was his first time there, but he is a member of Oak Ridge Community Church in St. Joseph, MI, which has partnered with PIEI for a long time. He has decided to share his experiences and perspective on his time in Romania below. I hope that his story encourages you to consider what God might do with you and for you if you choose to join a future trip…

In Christ,

Cornel Stef

Isaac Reeve’s Story

I spent almost a year preparing for my month-long mission trip to Romania. I wrote sermons, prepared my testimony, and joined video meetings with my team every month. Fundraising started late February, and my church was able to raise enough money for myself and another team member, Nancy Ruckstaetter. We joined the first of several teams to go to Romania this summer and arrived on July 2nd. The other members of our team were Cornel Stef, Helen Williams, and Melodee Battenschlag.

For the first few days, I was a part of Daniel Petrut’s VBS in the PIEI center in Alba Iulia. I tagged along with two of the VBS leaders, Adi and Cornel. Since the weather prevented us from going outside, they played various indoor games and activities. I was able to spend time with one of the kids who is very fluent in English. His name is Ben, but we called him Benni. 

I also spent some of that week at a camp in Salistea . The missionary Emmanuel Joldos was running the camp along with various other leaders. There were also two believers from Switzerland, David Meghet and Tabea Spurgen, who were there doing missions in Romania. Both can speak fluent Swiss, German, and Romanian. David was able to speak English very well and we worked with two interpreters, George and Elias.

While I was there I led the kids in stretches and saw how they participated in Bible verse memorization and discussions about Biblical topics. We even had a day trip to Jurassic World Transylvania! I joined Emmanuel Joldos, David Meghet, and George in playing soccer with some of the kids.

That night around the campfire I shared my testimony. The next day was the last day of the camp, so parents came and attended a ceremony for all the children. There were prizes and gifts for them to take home. They had a slideshow showing all the activities the children were involved in and we took a group photo before everyone left.

After the camp in Salistea, I returned for one last day at the VBS in Alba Iulia. Then Nancy and I were picked up by Cornel Fogorosiu. He brought us to his house in Sibiu where we met his wife Nuti (her real name is Anna) and then took us to see two cathedrals. One of the bell towers overlooked the whole city. Cornel Fogorosiu and I ascended all the way to the top and were rewarded with a fantastic view of the city!

Cornel Fogorosiu is the pastor of two village churches, one in the village of Nou with about 50 members and the other in Hasag, which only has about 10 right now. He invited me to preach at both churches on Sunday. In the morning we started with the larger church. Between the two church services Cornel Fogorosiu, Nuti, Nancy, and I visited four different families. The first family offered us lunch. In the second family the wife attends the church but her husband and son do not. The third family we visited was a sister from the church who is impoverished. She lives in a single room shack and has major health problems. The fourth family was an old married couple. The husband struggles with lung cancer. We prayed with them or for them all before we left each house.

After our time with the Fogorosiu family, Nancy and I were taken to Victoria. Nancy stayed there to do women’s ministry, but I crossed the Carpathian mountains with Pastor Timotei Stanea and a member of his church. We headed south to the town of Curtea de Arges where PIEI has a camp and the missionary Traian Chilau pastors several churches.

We met up with Pastor Timotei’s son Tim and a group of Germans. The Germans were sent by the Biblical Mission organization. They were a fun and hard-working youth group led by Abraham Neufeld. I helped some of them paint one of the churches. The next day we chopped some wood for the poor widows in an impoverished village in the countryside. We also had a chance to play a couple games of volleyball at the local high school. 

When we arrived at the camp in Arges, Cornel Stef joined us and brought some folks from his home church of Liberty Bible Church in Indiana. That team included Pastor Joe Kutolski, Dave and Carol Beckwith, and Mark Buffington. Dave and Carol stayed in Arges with Traian Chilau to work with orphan girls while the rest of us drove to Gabi Cuc’s home south of Craiova. Pastor Joe and Cornel Stef left Tim, Mark, and I with Gabi Cuc while they headed to Victoria.

Gabi Cuc pastors a church in the village of Caciulatesti. He also witnesses to the children in a juvenile detention center. His wife, Verra Cuc, supports him. We visited a few members from Gabi Cuc’s church, and on Sunday Mark and I both had the privilege of preaching at the church while Tim translated for us. That night we took a train back to the PIEI Center in Alba Iulia.

That week the center hosted a retreat for the missionaries and their wives. Mike Dima (the local PIEI administrator) and his wife Alice were pivotal in feeding the missionaries as well as ensuring everyone’s needs were met. Dave Beckwith (from Liberty Bible Church) gave lectures on anger management and his wife Carol planned activities for the missionaries’ wives to engage in. Pastor Joe lead a Bible study through the first few chapters in 1 Corinthians with a great deal of thoughtful discussion and engagement.

I helped two other young men from Liberty, Levi and Enoch, who helped entertain the missionaries’ children during the retreat. We play soccer with them and had a time of worship led by Enoch who can play the guitar. There was also short lesson for the kids.

The final day of the retreat we all headed to the new PIEI camp that is currently under construction in Necrilesti. The missionaries and many other brothers and sisters in Christ joined together in fellowship as we dedicated the camp. Pastor Timotei, Pastor Joe Kotulski, and Eugen Stef (the PIEI-Romania vice-president) all gave messages. Cornel Fogorosiu and Cornel Stef led us in worship.

After the retreat Tim and I headed to Victoria. Pastor Timotei went before us and brought two brothers from Alabama, Dave and Jerry. Dave is a retired minister and Jerry is a teacher in his church. Pastor Timotei took Dave and Jerry to visit the missionaries down south while Tim and I went on a hike with Costel and John, Pastor Timotei’s son-in-laws.

When Pastor Timotei came back with Dave and Jerry we visited Cornel Fogorosiu and Nuti again. This time we were able to learn about their ministry and pray with them. Later we also visited the missionaries Relu Rodean and Florin Botar along with their wives. We spent some time hearing about their ministries, praying with them, and giving encouragement.

Dave, Jerry and I preached at Pastor Timotei’s church in Victoria on two different Sundays. Tim acted as my translator, while Costel was Dave and Jerry’s translator. It was quite encouraging and edifying to be with them in worship.

Dave and Jerry left first, but I had one last adventure with Pastor Timotei and Tim. Chip Iacob, a brother from Romania who lives in the States, offered to give sweet corn to PIEI’s missionaries. We went near the area of Brashov to pick up about 700 ears of corn, then returned to Victoria to put them all in bags for the missionaries to use for their ministries.

After passing out the sweet corn, it was finally time to saying goodbye to Pastor Timotei, his wife, and Tim. Of all the teams, Cornel Stef and I were the first to arrive but the last to leave, and we travelled safely back to the States together.

It is clear God is working in Romania. The missionaries are dedicated to their work and are passionate about what they do. The love of God is evident in them. While I began as a stranger, all the missionaries and the brothers and sisters who worked alongside them treated me like family. The brothers and sisters in Romania embody John 13:35 and Galatians 3:28-29. We were all able to come together and worship our Lord God and Savior, Christ Jesus. 

By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. -John 13:35

There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. -Galatians 3:28-29

Isaac Reeve

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click on the link below if you may be interested in going on a short-term mission trip.

Ministry Update

Dear brothers and sisters,

Greetings from Romania

I would like to start by telling you that we, the team that serves in Romania, have made it safe to our location at PIEI Center Alba Iulia.  We have already concluded a week of VBS under the leadership of our missionary Daniel Petrut. Today we are expecting another group from  my church, Liberty Bible Church, including pastor Joe. Their purpose for this trip is to support leaders in the local ministry and encourage them.

 I am so thankful for all your prayers and love, and also grateful for the loves of our brothers in Romania showed us when meeting with us. I believe in the power of the fervent prayer cause I have to testify that from luggages that have made it in time to reaching every flight in time, everything went well and I have seen God’s hand over us, protecting and caring for us. So, thank you and God bless each and everyone of you. We are so excited to see how God will work this time, how God is going to use everyone’s gift for the people we will interact with.  One of the tools God has provided for us in Reaching Romania for Christ, is the Necrilesti Camp, a camp located 45 minutes away from PIEI Center Alba Iulia. 

Liberty Bible Church Team

This camp has a cabin that required intervention to the basic structure and support pillars that were affected by mold. So, we started a rehabilitation work on the entire resistance structure of the building by decommissioning the legs affected by mold and replacing them with legs from a cement  structure. Developing and deepening into the rehabilitation works, we have realized that in order to bring the building to a good operational status, and also taking into account the geographical area, the construction manager advised us that a technical room is necessary to this location. The techinical room must include water heating pumps, cooling storage place for food, which will also serve the future 2 more cabins that we are thinking to build to support the  work of the camp as well as counseling or retreat for pastors and service teams and even more. The costs of all this reaches high to a sum of 150,000.00 USD.

The needs are so many, the costs are so high, but I believe that a soul that finds the Lord it’s worth every costs we can pay, considering that Christ gave His  life for us, the higher price someone could ever pay. Back over 40 years ago, coming to America, i have never thought of having a high standard of life, but rather I’ve always thought on how can I serve God back in the country I have come from - Matthew 16:24 - Then said Jesus unto His disciples, if any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever desire to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.  For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

On July 20th, i will lead a group of 5 people to Cernauti, Ukraine, where along with local leaders will be involved in a full time camp ministry. Our group will serve  leading bible study classes, having eye glass ministry and helping with other activities in the camp.

Please consider praying that God will provide us with great weather, protection as we serve in a country where war is going on, pray for the youth that attend the  camp that they may have an open heart to the word of the Gospel.

PRAYER REQUEST

*Pray for the safety of the teams coming and going

*Pray that the Necrilesti Camp becomes functional

*Pray for the missionaries as they serve faithfully for so many years

*Pray for more workers to join us in the great harvest

*Pray for the war to end in Ukraine, many lives are in danger

Cornel Stef Chair for Romania and Ukraine

Gearing up for 2024 Summer Mission Trips

Dear brothers and sisters,

Yet another summer has arrived, and we know that this time of year provides a great opportunity to share the Gospel with children and students. We are therefore blessed to have four different teams scheduled for short-term mission trips this July in order to encourage and support our nationals in this work!

Our first team is made of people from all over the United States who have come together to help the nationals put on a large Vacation Bible School at the Christian Center. Children from many of the neighboring villages will be driven to Alba Iulia every day for worship, Bible Study, games, crafts, and more. Bringing the villages together instead of doing VBS in each separate location has several advantages. First of all, it allows the team to help share the Gospel with children of many villages at the same time instead of repeating the work in different locations. It also saves the team energy by hosting VBS once instead of several times, so that all the children can get their best efforts and the team can use the extra time to support other ministries as well. Finally, it promotes unity among the nationals as they too can come together and help each other with their ministry, which is such an encouragement for men and women who so often lead village ministries on their own.

Our second team from Indiana will have the exciting opportunity to officially open the Mountain Top Retreat that we have been working on all year! Although there is still a lot of work to be done, our goal is to bring the first group of teens to the retreat in mid-July. We are hopeful that this retreat from every day life will give teens time to reflect on the character of God and build each other up in the faith. For some, the retreat will be the place they say “yes” to following Christ. For others, it will be another step in their spiritual journey. We can’t wait to see what God has in store for this new ministry!

A third team will be heading to Ukraine at the end of July to help with their annual Summer Camp. However, there are also a lot of other goals for this team. Because of the continuing war in Ukraine, the people and nationals there find it easy to succumb to feelings of discouragement and even despair. As they visit churches and encourage the missionaries, the team would also like to spread the hope we have in Jesus Christ through passing out Bibles, prayer, and counseling. They will also provide medical services by supplying eyeglasses to people who suffer from vision impairment.

Finally, we have a couple of people who have been to Romania many times and will be returning for a “vision trip”. Their goal will be to visit the nationals, pray for them, and bring them encouragement. They will spend time together in reflection, making sure that the vision for the future remains aligned with the mission that God has given them.

All of the teams will dedicate some of their time visiting with the nationals. Our missionaries pour their spirits into so many people, so it is a privilege to pour the life-giving Spirit back into them!

Prayer Requests

• Pray for safety as all of our teams travel in the air and on the road.

• Pray that all the team members and nationals are able to stay healthy this summer so that the work can be done without interruption.

• Pray that all of our teams are effective in their efforts to support the various ministries in Romania and Ukraine.

• Pray for the children and youth who will be attending VBS, retreats, and camp this summer, that God will touch their hearts and transform their lives.

• Pray that the people of Ukraine find hope in Christ when they feel despair and discover the peace of salvation in a time of war.

• Pray that the nationals are encouraged and rejuvenated by the short-term mission teams.

Our hope for you all is that you will find a way to partner with PIEI this summer. We ask that you keep the nationals and short-term mission teams in your prayers, for prayer is fuel for God’s glorious light. If you want to support the work financially, you can click on the donate buttons below. If you feel God calling you to go to the mission field yourself, you don’t have to wait until next summer! You can fill out an application any time and someone will contact you to see if there is a way for you to serve.

In Christ,

Cornel and Gabi Stef