We are already in Romania! Arrived here on June 29th. We will be doing various ministries in Romania
nd and we will be spending 10 days in Ukraine. Lord’s willing, we are returning on August 2 .
2 Corinthians 2:17 “For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God's word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ.”
This time we are traveling with a young lady from Michigan, Grace, who is also an artist. We are so excited to have her join us! She is most looking forward to our second part of the trip, to Ukraine. She was born there and this is the first time that she will be going back since she was a baby and adopted by a Christian family in the U.S. Grace will have her own story to tell! She is prepared to help children express their fears and feelings in art form, as well as share the Gospel with them.
Pray with us and for us! We are listing these requests first:
Safety in travel, as the checkpoints in both countries have increased, and the war continues in Ukraine. Traveling the Carpathian Mountains several times, in country travel safety.
Health for our team members. We have 7 other who are joining us from the U.S. plus translators from Romania, so we expect a team of 13; pray that everyone would stay healthy and be effective in working together.
Extra prayers needed for Gabi. She has recently injured her right shoulder, and was evaluated for repair surgery, which she is delaying until after the trip. She has a lot of pain in her left arm and shoulder, with reduced mobility. She also has a sprained ankle, so walking is more difficult.
PIEI meeting with all the missionaries and their families at the PIEI Center in Alba Iulia, Romania. Safety in travel to everyone coming and going from several parts of the country. Pray for an effective meeting, as there will be instruction and fellowship together with the national leadership and from the States.
Traveling to several mission points, working with orphan ministry and street evangelism.
Medical Optometry Team distributing eye glasses and doing one-on-one evangelism.
Pray for the PIEI Camp in Ukraine for kids, youth, and refugees. Pray for effective teaching-
learning, safety around the Camp site, and many decisions for Christ to be made, as this is an evangelistic Camp. Pray for the local - national leaders and teachers to work well together with our U.S. team.
Pray for all the national missionaries as they are booked with many summer outreach events for children and youth, as well as for families. Pray for a great harvest of people coming to know the Lord, and also for encouragement and spiritual growth among those who are in the faith.
Pray for the U.S. team to be effective, patient, and flexible, as many things might change in the schedule as last minute. May all be changed and lifted up in faith as a result of this trip!
Pray that all the sending churches represented by our team might benefit from being encouraged and grow in mission work, in supporting missions, in increasing their vision for outreach, helping and encouraging people to discover their spiritual gifts and use them to offer a helping hand to our national missionaries in a variety of ways; that they will get involved in future short term mission trips with our ministry and overall.
We are so thankful for our national leadership teams, both in Romania and Ukraine, who are preparing the way for our team to arrive. We are looking forward to serving alongside the national missionaries and letting the LORD lead us in a most effective partnership in reaching those who are in need.
Highlights of the Ministry Trip:
We spent a wonderful two days with our national missionaries Cornel and Nuți Fogoroșiu who brought several people from the village of Nou for a Couples Retreat at the PIEI Center in Alba Iulia. This was a first for them for such an event. The biblical teaching was challenging and people were touched. They had opportunities to share and the meetings were interactive. The outings in the historical citadel and fortress were interesting and welcomed with much enthusiasm. The meals and accommodations were so good and we all had a blessed time.
Meeting with the PIEI national Missionaries in Romania. We are looking forward to their arriving this afternoon at the PIEI Center in Alba Iulia. Several families are coming with the spouses and children. All the rooms have been cleaned, beds made, the meals selected. We are looking forward to a great time of fellowship and instruction, encouraging one another.
Visiting the field in several locations, evangelistic outreach. Mark 16:15 “And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.”
Working with the orphans, encouraging them, bringing them some joy.
Traveling through the beautiful country of Romania, Transylvania, with rolling hills, and crossing
the majestic Carpathian Mountains in getting to our several destinations, including driving up
from Romania to Ukraine and back.
PIEI Camp in Ukraine - a favorite evangelistic outreach event for all the PIEI missionaries in
Ukraine. We are so excited about doing this Camp. So many people are praying in preparation for it. Grace has prepared since last year for going and working with the kids at this camp also. Ask the Lord if you should be on the next trip and serve with your spiritual gifts to this Camp which we are scheduling every summer. Last year there were 150 kids, a lot of them of refugees’ families. More than half of them made decisions for Christ. Luke 18:16 But Jesus called them to him, saying, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God.”
Encouraging the PIEI national missionaries and their families in Ukraine. After the Camp we are meeting with all of them for a day of fellowship and worship.
Hebrew 6:10 “For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do.”
Serving with joy, Cornel and Gabi Stef
