We greet you with grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Apostle Paul open every single of his letters with a similar greeting, only to Timothy he added mercy to his greetings of grace and peace, in both of his letters. So, 14 epistles, 14 greetings of grace and peace!
It is so fitting that still today, most of the born-again believers in Romania and Ukraine, and some other parts of the world continue to practice greeting each other with peace or peace of the Lord, but some have departed from this practice and no longer find it useful or necessary. One more thing that we leave behind and become more like the world in our daily practices.
“Grace to you and peace** from God our Father* and the Lord Jesus Christ.“ Romans 1:7, 1 Corinthians 1:3, 2 Corinthians 1:2, Galatians 1:3, Ephesians 1:2, Philippians 1:2, Colossians 1: 2b*, 1 Thess. 1:1b**, 2 Thess. 1:2, Titus 1:4, Philemon 1:3
“Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.” 1 and 2nd Timothy 1:3
Year 2020 has ended. Many people are thankful that this year is over! It had been a difficult one, perhaps the most difficult year of their lives for many people. We all shared some struggles and experienced some of these difficulties, no matter where we were. When we meet with someone and have news to share, sometimes we ask, do you want the good news first, or the bad news? This is something like that! With God in control of all things, there is always good news no matter how bad things get.
The Covid-19 Pandemic: everywhere. Yes, indeed, this was the number one thing that has, and continues to impact our lives. How did this impact our own lives? I am sure that we have so many similarities!
Unable to travel to Romania and Ukraine. We had several trips scheduled, starting with the month of March 2019. We purchased airfare to fly into Cluj, Romania in March, and were not able to go at all. We cancelled the remaining scheduled trips in June, July, and August.
The conference with the PIE missionaries was cancelled as well as several scheduled meetings with the committee. We cancelled camps both in Romania and Ukraine, and cancelled short term mission teams from the U.S. Cancellations left and right!
Restrictions on travel, social distancing, church cancellations in the U.S. and also in Europe. All kinds of restrictions on jobs, visits, shopping, curfew, meetings, etc.
The Presidential Election in the U.S. gone wild! No need to write much about that; we are exhausted just mentioning it. A country divided like never before. So much hate, so much corruption, all happening during the pandemic, and people wondering if we are living apocalyptic times!
For the first time since living in the U.S. we have experienced the government closing down the churches, not allowing worship and gathering of people. Fear has been at an all time high, people staying isolated in their homes due to fear.
“When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Your comfort delights my soul.” Psalm 94:19
As I am writing this text, this is the verse of the day from the Bible app, and I considered it so appropriate to quote it here:
“Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow's cause.” Isaiah 1:16-17
The good news: God is in control of all things!
Many people were able to hold on to their jobs and work from home. Both of our children continued to work from home during this pandemic. My wife and I are so thankful for our children who are grown now, and are both involved with us in the ministry. They grew up going on short term mission trips with us to Romania and Ukraine. Now they are helping us by serving as volunteers in the organizations, and also as financial contributors, partners in ministry.
Our son Jonathan has been involved with PIEI for several years. He is a member of the PIEI administrative committee, also a volunteer, and he was able to dedicate many hours and more work on the maintenance of the PIEI website, for all 13 countries / 17 ministries of PIEI. We are so thankful to the Lord for his humble nature, his amazing computer and people skills, and for his willingness to put in time and energy to serve with us. https://www.piei.org/
This summer we were blessed to have his oldest son, our grandson (3 1⁄2 yrs old) spend a week with us in Indiana all by himself, which was a huge thing for him to be away from his mom and dad during the pandemic, and we enjoyed having him so very much!
Our daughter Sarah is also involved with PIEI as a volunteer, she does all the online updates for Romania and Ukraine for all the missionaries. Just recently she helped out with our two new videos, and she is there for us whenever we need help.
https://www.piei.org/romania-mission-trips
She is also a supporting partner, she is not only contributing her time and talent to the ministry, but also is a financial contributor. Sarah lives 15 minutes from us, and she is always there for us, serving with joy, helping with love.
This Christmas season we spent two weeks together with both, Jonathan and his family (his wife and two boys) and with Sarah, and we had such a meaningful, blessed time!
We are so blessed with our family! For us the Bible verse from Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it” has become true and a tremendous blessing.
I am also so blessed to have a great relationship with the PIE Partnership Committee for Romania and
Ukraine. We’ve been meeting more often than ordinary during this pandemic. Our meetings have been mostly on Google Meet, but we also met in person in Chicago for prayer meetings a few times.
For those of you who might not know, please meet our US Partnership committee:
Cornel Stef, Alex and Rodica Popa, Walter Windsor, Liviu Dragomir, and Daniel Stef.
One of the new things in 2020 was a change in the leadership of the PIE national committee in Romania. After much prayer and leading of the Holy Spirit, we are so blessed and happy to announce that our new committee has been elected, and we could not be more pleased! https://www.piei.org/about-timotei-stanea
The president remains Eugen Stef, he has been the president from the beginning, so we have stability!
We have a new National Director: Pastor Timotei Stânea. Pastor Timotei was PIE’s first national missionary in Romania when we first started the ministry! He has a long-lasting history with PIE, a tremendous leadership experience as a regional church leader, has a master in theology (please visit his new page at ). Timotei has a big heart for PIE-Romania, and is not intimidated by the current pandemic. He is motivating our national missionaries, has already visited them in their field of ministry, and is very resourceful in finding new ways of outreach that are effective during this time so that the missionaries can carry out their evangelistic call even in times as these.
There are two new members of the national committee:
Tani Nemes: a PIE-Romania national missionary for several years; https://www.piei.org/tani-nemes. He has been a very effective missionary, has a central location and has worked closely with the committee in the past, and has hosted the general annual PIE conference two years ago. We are so blessed that he has stepped up to become a member of the committee. Check out his page on the piei’s website.
Emanuel Joldos is the newest and the youngest member of the committee. He has two masters in Theology, a heart of reaching the young people, and is centrally located. Emanuel is very proficient in English, and will be a great asset to the committee. You can find his page on the piei’s website for more info. https://www.piei.org/about-emanuel-joldos
As for me, I am busy with communication on a daily basis.
I am in constant communication with our partnership committee, and with Timotei I meet on a weekly basis. I am very encouraged to see that he is very resourceful and has already contacted pastors and churches in the larger community, and plans to reach out and expand our national relationships, also starting teaching online and explore whatever possible means in order to do outreach and equipping.
I am also conferencing with the missionaries. I am so thankful for the technology that is allowing us to talk and see each other.
Gabi keeps busy as well! She talks to the girls at the Orphanage several times a week. A few of them call her “mommy”! They often feel scared of the virus and also scared of being tested. They feel so much better after talking to her. They share Scripture verses, they share their daily struggles, and were so happy to receive their Christmas packages we sent to them that arrived two days before Christmas! So much joy!
Missionary Traian and his wife were sick with the Covid-19 virus, but God was gracious to heal them! Several of the girls were sick also, were isolated in the Orphanage’s infirmary, but they all recovered completely. We praised the Lord for his healing power and mercy! Brother Traian and his wife have been, as they do every year, busy packing Christmas gifts and going out and giving numerous gifts to everyone, in the poor villages, mainly to the underprivileged Ethnic groups that he ministers to in remote locations by the mountains.
We have been involved in our own local church in NW Indiana, where we have a tremendous supportive church. We are part of our church prayer team, and our church has been praying for our ministry, and especially for our leadership transition during this time. We hope that as soon as this viral epidemic will be under control, we’ll have another team from our own church to go with us to Romania. Gabi continues to do translation work and is involved in communication and prayer.
It’s winter, and during these winter months we are staying in Florida, mostly because it helps Gabi to feel better with her bad arthritis. We have a wonderful church here in SW Florida that we also consider our church, we are so blessed to be part of it, and hope to sometime form a team to go to Romania with us also. Gabi has enjoyed being part of the ladies’ Bible study group, getting to know the women, who have been so generous in giving. We have both been so encouraged each time we attend.
We have plans to take several teams to Romania this year. We hope and pray that we will be able to travel as early as the beginning of March, followed by trip in June, July, and August. However, the Lord thoughts and His
ways we must follow, not our own plans. As He leads, we will follow!
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord.” Isaiah 55:8
We are so excited about feasting from His Word, sweeter than honey, the Living Word of God, who has become Flesh and dwelt among us! To Him we give all the praise!
Yours, for the sake of the Gospel
Chairman for PIEI-Romania/Ukraine
Cornel and Gabi
