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