From Cornel and Gabi Stef: It was such a blessing to return to Romania post-Covid! Sometimes we forget to give thanks! We thank the Lord for His grace and mercy, and for making it so much easier to travel and do ministry. We had a young lady Grace from Michigan traveling with us, who had a strong desire to use her art talent during this trip. Upon our arrival in Alba Iulia at the PIEI Center we plunged into ministry right away. First we had a group from the village of Nou with missionary Cornel Fogorosiu and his wife Ana (Nuți) who organized a Couple’s Retreat! They had 5 Christian and 7 Non-Christian couples, for a very effective weekend of teaching, interaction, reflection, prayer time, and sight seeing the historical sites of the city.
The Second group was the PIEI National Missionaries and their families who came to the PIEI Center for a three day time of encouragement from the Word and fellowship. Several missionaries had encouraging messages. This is always a special time as we enjoy spending time with them, most of which we’ve known for decades.
We were happy to see a lot of activities going on with our missionaries. We joined missionary Tani Nemes and his wife Lili for a few days during their VBS program. Grace got involved with the British Team that was leading the VBS and Gabi went along to see how things were going. What a delight to see a well put together program, with much enthusiasm, and the Gospel being shared at the Center of it all. The Team stayed at the PIEI Center, and it was so nice to see such a wonderful partnership.
Traveling South we left Grace with a missionary couple in the city of Alexandria where she did a fantastic job in drawing and painting backdrops for VBS. Then together we went to visit the orphan girls in Arges. We were able to spend a day with them at a Camp site, where we had devotion time, singing, sharing, drawing with Grace, playing ball and outdoor activities, etc. They shared that for the first time in their lives the Institution where they lived most of their lives will be closed and they will be split up two by two and sent in different locations. It was such a blessing to see their spiritual maturity and how well they took this news. We talked about that once this happens, they will be missionaries to their new locations, as believers, spreading the Gospel in all these new places. God has prepared them for this new phase of their lives.
Returning to the PIEI Center through the magnificent Carpathian Mountains was an amazing trip. There we waited for other U.S. Team members to arrive so that we can have our Ukraine team that would go with us. There will be a separate update on the Ukraine ministry posted later on.
From PIEI-Romania National Team: ”It has been an incredible month for us here at PIEI Christian Center Romania. We had the opportunity to host a beautiful number of people from US along with our president, Cornel Stef and his wife Gabriela, as-well as our mission director Walter Windsor Cunningham. Some of the team members were here for the first time but some have been to their second coming. So basically we have spread in 2 teams that one followed a mission program down south to visit and help some of our missionaries like Florina Darvell and Florin Sfetcu and the other one head on to Ukraine for VBS and summer camp. We believe that God is speaking to everyone as they are lead to the mission field, and the reward is huge when it comes about saving souls. We are so encouraged to see people coming to Romania and giving a hand in the ministry, in spite of the age. Young and older, God is using everyone who chose to step out of their comffort zone. We are thankful to you who pray and support this ministry and we would like to leave this years with you as we close:
“Truly I tell you,” Jesus said to them, “ no one who has left home or wife or brothers or sisters or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age, and in the age to come eternal life.” Luke 18:29,30
We are so excited to tell you that after a long time waiting on the papers to be finalised, PIEI Romania owns the camp in Necrilesti, Alba county, and we are ready to move on with the next step: the reconstruction of the proper building. What does this mean? Well, on the back side of the house, there is a spring which is required to be moved out of the way of the house. The problem was that water got infiltrated into the wooden walls and the sustaining pillars which are of wood, and half size from the ground up needs replacement almost all around the cabin structure. Plus, the inside of the cabin is just mood, there is no floor. All in one, we are preparing for a huge operation of restoration, considering the fact that next year, we intend to have the first summer camp at the location. A team lead by our mission director, Walter Windsor Cunningham, has been this summer to the location to get some ideas and plans on how to start and what the costs are. If you feel lead by God to be part of this ministry donating, praying or getting involved, please consider contacting our staff or go to https://www.piei.org/camps. Thank you for praying and for recommending PIEI to others, as we are all laborers together with Christ. May God bless you.” Mike Dima
Cornel and Gabriela Stef- PIEI Romania
