PIEI-Ukraine Missionaries Say Thank You

In all the years that we have worked with National Missionaries in Ukraine, they have never needed our support more than right now- and I am overjoyed that we have been able to rise to the challenge!

God in his wisdom placed our Ukrainian Nationals exactly where they were needed to be ready to minister to the thousands of refugees that have flooded the region of Noua Solita. About three weeks ago I was able to travel to Ukraine alongside a large shipment of goods from Romania. While I was there, I heard many stories of how the Ukrainian Nationals have felt tremendously blessed by the prayers and support from their American partners as well as their fellow missionaries across the border in Romania. They have worked together to supply, minister to, and be Jesus to the refugees.

The Ukrainian Nationals felt that it was very important to express their gratitude to all their partners around the world. You can listen to their stories in the video below.

In one week I will be returning to Ukraine with a team of 8 from Liberty Bible Church. While there we plan to minister to refugees, children, believers, and the nationals themselves so that their spirits may be replenished and their hearts be made glad.

Pray for our team, that we see the Spirit of God move in amazing and unexpected ways, and that we are protected from harm during our stay.

In Christ,

Cornel Stef

TRIP OF A LIFELINE

Carpathian Mountains

The day begins as a normal drive through the beautiful Carpathian Mountains of Romania with members of the PIEI – USA Partnership Committee for Romania-Ukraine. Cornel Stef (Chairman), Rodica Popa (Treasurer), Alex Popa (Member), and Walter Windsor (Missions Director – Romania) are responsible for all the funds you have provided to go directly to the refugees for food and supplies. We are all volunteers, giving of our resources to spread the Gospel. We are bringing with us another shipment of food and supplies from Romania.

The scenery is breathtaking, while the roads are filled with automobiles, horses, and wagons (there are no lights at night whatsoever on the wagons), and people are just walking along the road. The mountains give way to the Alluvial Plains near the border with Ukraine. The first indication that something is not right is the long line of trucks (two wide – for over three miles) waiting to get into Ukraine. As we are a humanitarian convoy, we have no trouble and no lines in which to wait, which brings the thought that things aren’t so bad after all. Once we are through customs and immigration (both sides – of course), we see another line of trucks waiting to cross from Ukraine into Romania. This line is only one deep; however, we soon discover it goes on and on for miles and miles.

The drive to the area churches is uneventful. There are no damaged buildings, no streams of people along the road, and no damaged property; just a quiet calm that seems to say, “prepare yourself.” We notice the gas stations and are curious why there are no prices on the signs. We soon learn it is because there is no fuel! We are traveling early on Sunday, so we think nothing of the closed businesses. We soon learn most have been closed since the start of the war!

We meet at one of the area churches served by the PIEI missionaries. Then we’re welcomed quite enthusiastically, given food and drink, and pray together before separating to go to various churches in the region. Cornel Stef and I are taken to a church located in a village called, Dynivtsi. The pastor’s home is a few minutes away, so we go there and are provided with more food and drink. We then have fellowship until it is time for church. It was interesting to note that everyone stands for every prayer, and a prayer is offered before AND after every meal.

Our church is quite beautiful, similar in size to a 150-congregation church; however, these churches are quite ornate. Everyone gathers for prayer in the sanctuary to begin the service, which lasts from 2.5 to 3 hours. The one thing that is exactly like our local USA church is that everyone shows up about 10 to 15 minutes after the service starts! If you are a foreign visitor, you will be asked to say a few words (30 minutes or more), and you must always accept. It is taken seriously that every Christian must always be ready to share the Gospel.

We always have an English and Romanian interpreter in Romania, so the message is quite easily translated. In Ukraine, people speak Romanian, Ukrainian, and/or Russian! This makes a 30-minute message last for two hours! WOW, this is a first for me. Even with all this translating, many of the congregation understood the message! There were many questions (some even in English) and comments as I learned more and more about these beautiful people and the challenges this war has presented.

Now, the difficult part of this report; the refugees! They are easy to pick out of the crowd in the church. The first thing I noticed was all the women and children! It came to me rather suddenly, “Where are the men?” Then I remembered they are either fighting, have passed away, or are prisoners. In most instances, the women and children do not have any information regarding their husbands/fathers. Many do not know if their men are alive, dead, or wounded! The fear of the unknown saturates their presence, and they grasp for any hope that the life they once knew might be restored.

The many children are full of life, joy, and happiness as they play together in the churchyard! They seem to have forgotten (of course, they have not) that their lives have been turned upside down. They play just like children here in the USA. Your heart breaks that life for them will most likely never be the same.

The impacts any war has on the parents drastically change the way they see their lives and ultimately can have devasting effects on the children. We see the mothers with characteristics of PTSD and other emotional issues which require counseling and support from those who assist in managing these psychological challenges.

The good news is that we witness the food and supplies you have provided being distributed every day to the refugees. They are very thankful to have these necessities for themselves and their families. It amazed me how no one was complaining. Everyone was very appreciative and wanted anyone who donated to know how much it meant to have someone care enough to make sure they had food for their families. Along with the food, the PIEI missionaries work to share the love of Jesus and build relationships, finding additional ways to serve. Some people require medications; some need transportation, and most just want someone to lean on! We want Jesus to be the one the refugees can count on to love them, care about them, and support them through this conflict.

The best news is that God is alive and well in Ukraine! He is bringing new souls into His Kingdom and using PIEI missionaries to demonstrate the love of Christ to everyone, no matter their situation. This war is truly evil; however, God has shown us how He can use evil to bring His People together for the Kingdom! Everywhere you see evil in this conflict, you can see God working to bring His Greater Good to the hearts of humanity.

There are many stories from the war which would break your heart! The worst of humanity is being showered on these people. Torn from family and friends in the current conflict areas, most do not have news of those left behind. The people in the war zones controlled by the Russians are cut off with no communication, no money (forced to only use rubles), no one to turn to, and literally no hope for an end to this conflict. It is quite a different experience to see the impacts of war on these people rather than only seeing what is reported on television.

Where do we go from here? We will continue to ask for your help as this conflict progresses. Once the war ends, rebuilding will be required, and lives will demand support in all areas of life as we know it. We pray that those He has called will continue to work alongside us! PIEI cannot do this without you! We are here to serve, and we pray for those who can give of their time, treasure, and talents to bring peace to the people of Ukraine! May God Bring His Workers to the Harvest! Join the Lifeline for the experience of your Lifetime. God has called us; has He called you?

Walter Windsor- Missions Director, PIEI-Romania

www.PIEI.org/ukraine

The Bread of Life

This week the nationals in both Romania and Ukraine came together in an amazing way to work together and supply over 500 refugees being hosted by our Ukrainian missionaries.

PIEI-Romania National Director Timotei Stanea, along with Eugen Stef, Emmanuel Joldos, and Mike Dima, organized a massive shipment of food and supplies to send to Ukraine. One of the things that they discovered is that if they filled their vehicles with flour, the load would actually be too heavy to drive. So, the nationals coordinated with bakers in Romania who volunteered to use some of the flour to make bread the right before they left. This way they could fill any empty space in the vehicles with fresh baked bread to send to the refugees.

The Romanian nationals were met at the Ukrainian border by PIEI-Ukraine National Director Pavel Petihacny and Grigory Kiorescu. From there they all drove together to Noua Sulita, a city that is the most centralized between all the areas served by PIEI, and meet with all the other Ukrainian Nationals as well as some of the refugees.

As they met together, they broke bread and had a meal in recognition of the importance of unity during these troubled times. They also shared their stories and experiences. For example, Valery Popov explained how the government has charged citizens who have not evacuated to sew bullet-proof vests for their soldiers, and showed some of the vests he has already made.

When the meal was over, each Ukrainian National took supplies and bread back to the refugees that they have been working with.

This is just one of many examples of the important work that our missionaries in Romania and Ukraine are doing to help those in need during a time of war. Your prayers and donations have been such a blessing and has made stories like this one possible. However, the work continues to grow as the war spreads to Moldova and other areas.

Please share what you have read so that others can learn about the work we are doing. We are still in need of any donations, prayers, and support that you can provide.

God Bless!

Cornel Stef

Serving Jesus in the Ukraine

‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

A few words from the Ukrainian Refugees: “We are primarily mothers, daughters, children, and grandmothers, ripped from our homes with only a few minutes’ notice. The most helpless of us barely had a few minutes to pack up whatever we could carry in our hands! Out in the streets, with explosions and soldiers everywhere, what should we do, which way should we go?

Where is the fighting? Is anywhere safe? Where are our husbands, fathers, and the men with whom we share our lives? Should we go West or South; we do not know! The bombardment continues and we are not sure if one of these rockets will fall on us.”

“Some had a car to take us quickly, some walked for a while, some took a bus, and some got on the train. All of us were constantly thinking these may be the last moments or days of our lives.”

Some of them eventually found refuge in the Southern part of Ukraine, in the city of Chernivtsi, and some crossed the border into Romania. In the Chernivtsi area, our national ministry of Partners In Evangelism International has nine National Missionaries who have worked and served 24 churches over the past 35 years.

At the beginning of this war, as people were leaving from all the areas, we asked

these missionaries if they would want to come to Romania with their families and find refuge in the city of Alba Iulia at the PIEI Center - Romania Headquarters. However, when they were flooded with thousands of refugees who came to them from Kiev, Nicolaiev, from the

East side of the country, they found themselves overwhelmed with a sea of humanity that was in so much need. God called them to forget about themselves and start hosting the refugees, taking care of them, filling their own homes, some in the churches, some in the schools, and in other public places. 

Preparing food for so many takes much effort and everyone is involved in preparation. The refugees are here now! The Christian community, congregations of believers, friends, and every church in the area, heeded the call and contributed. All were mobilized to help these people in need. The missionaries knew this was their opportunity to show the love of Christ in action to their “neighbors”. “Love God with all your heart and mind and your neighbor as yourself.”

Therefore, instead of leaving the country themselves, they are using this opportunity to serve God by serving others. The mission field has come to them! Their verse is from

Romans 14:8-9, “if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.  For to this end Christ died and lived again, that He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.” They were all in agreement that this was their mission field where God had placed them, and they would not leave.

The city of Chernivtsi currently has more than 70,000 refugees, and the missionaries with their churches are serving about 1,500 of them. Locally there is little food and no money.

All resources must come from outside Ukraine to this area. PIEI – Romania’s National Director, Timotei Stanea, Jenu Stef, and several others were led to support their missionary brothers in Ukraine. PIEI – USA donors were contacted and very generously supported a project of taking food to the refugees in Ukraine. If they could not come to us, we would go to them!

In Romania, urgently gaining approval from Ukraine to enter the country in Romania, at the PIEI Center, refugee families came to stay and there they are being fed, clothed, and cared for. The challenges have only just begun as many refugees have medical issues. The Romanian government is assisting with the major issues (cancer, heart conditions, etc.). However, PIEI personnel continue to transport people to the doctor, hospitals, pharmacy, etc.

One major issue is language barrier. We have limited access to Ukrainian speakers. Most refugees come from the northern part of Ukraine, and they only speak Ukrainian or Russian. Pray we can solve this issue quickly. I am sure you can imagine how it feels to have cancer, need continuing treatment, and be unable to communicate. Many refugees have psychological issues relating to the war. The language issue complicates this situation, and we need prayer for our Lord to present solutions.

With humanitarian aid, funds from the USA, along with local church donations, were put together. Then three vans with trailers were driven to Ukraine with food and other essential items for the refugees. This God-sized effort was tremendously successful. As the PIEI – Romania missionaries experienced overwhelming demand, they have decided to make regular trips with food. This food is not only for the refugees supported by our missionaries; it is offered to the local churches and anyone in need through these evil times.

PIEI – USA is supporting these efforts with the funds that have been generously provided. It will continue to support our Romanian and Ukrainian missionaries and the refugees as our Lord continues to supply the resources. While most of the refugees are non-Christians, the missionaries rejoice as several have accepted Christ as their Savior. Every morning they have Bible devotional time together. Even the children are eager to hear the stories from the Bible. All the refugees in the Chernivtsi area are under the care of missionaries who speak all three languages fluently: Russian, Ukrainian, and Romanian. 

We will be participating in a city-wide service for all the Ukrainian refugees this Sunday. This is wonderful news because Ukrainians will get together, speak the same language, and sing in one language. They will have fellowship and the opportunity to spread the gospel to those who aren’t Christians. Pray that we can all use this crisis as an opportunity to bring people to Christ. We praise the Lord for our loving and dedicated national missionaries who are serving selflessly for the glory and honor of God and for the spreading of the Good News of the Gospel of our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ.

With Love Cornel- PIEI-Chairman for Romania and Ukraine

God's Will Amidst the Turmoil - Teaching the Message of Salvation

Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Whatever happens, give thanks, because it is God’s will in Christ Jesus that you do this. -1 Thess. 5:16-18

As the whole world watches Ukraine with bated breath, those most affected can feel the cloud of war approaching. The threat and uncertainty is creating turmoil in the country and those around it, but our missionaries stand firm in the knowledge that God is in control, and that His Will will prevail.

Every month we have a virtual meeting with all the missionaries in Ukraine and Romania. The tension between countries has reached into people’s homes and villages, breeding uncertainty and worry. And yet, God is using that turmoil to help people be more receptive to Him. The missionaries are always telling us stories that demonstrate how God uses the darkest of times to speak into the hearts of men (and women).

All the churches in Ukraine are fasting and praying every week about the political situation. They pray that war will not come, but also that they will remain faithful and be a good witness to others, regardless of the outcome. I encourage us all to pray with them.

The radio station in Ukraine uses the airwaves to speak the Gospel of Truth into homes across the country. At the Biblical Institute, Pavel Petihachy and others are training the next generation of pastors and church planters to follow the examples of the apostles described in the book of Acts. Discipleship has been a priority during these times, and other ministries are also going surprisingly well. Recently the missionaries were able to serve about 200 orphans with a time of music, Bible teaching, and gifts.

In Romania the Pandemic is still affecting the way the missionaries serve their communities. They are ministering to so many of their own people and family members also by officiating and attending multiple funeral services, which are so draining emotionally and physically.

Timotei Stanea , our PIEI national director in Romania has just recovered from Covid and is emerging after 2 weeks of quarantine. Many people are still wary of attending large group meetings, even for church. The missionaries have therefore adjusted their tactics, and instead of bringing people to the church they go out and meet the people where they are. The missionaries have had success in visiting homes, in discipleship, in Bible Studies, and in small groups. Evangelization is done on the street (when the weather is fine), or else through shops, town halls, and in people’s homes. Pray for the health and safety of the missionaries, that they have faith in God’s will and do their work with courage.

Gabi Cuc, the missionary in the village of Caculatesti, is helping his church plant two other churches- one of which is in Rotunda, a village with no Christians at all. Pray that the new church plants are able to bring the Gospel to their villages.

Bible Study on Zoom: Message of Salvation

Greetings!  I am so happy to write a few words about our first 2022 Women’s Bible Study on Zoom.

The ladies have been so eager to start, and until we got our kick-off in January 28, we continued our WhatsApp study group, which is uplifting, encouraging, and a source of prayers and fellowship with sisters in Christ.

Partners in Evangelism International is a ministry of evangelism around the world. However, evangelism is needed right at home, in our families, on our street, in our neighborhood, and everywhere.  Sharing the message of salvation is a calling and a responsibility of each believer, convicting of sin and making a decision for Christ is the work and the ministry of the Holy Spirit.  Our sisters are burdened with so many loved ones who need Christ, and each of us need to feel well equipped to share the gospel without feeling shy, or inadequate, or that someone else should do it.  

We need to be equipped so that each of us will be confident in sharing this life saving message – eternal life giving message of hope and love from the One who also saved us.

Apostle Paul taught the believers in Corinth both brothers and sisters about the Gospel, as first importance.

 Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.  For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures. -1 Corinthians: 1-5

There are several methods of teaching the message of the Gospel, but the message is the same, God is our Creator, He created you, He loves you; He is holy, eternal, and righteous.  We have a problem, which is sin, anything we think, we say, or do that displeases God is sin.  Sin separates us from God, who is holy. The punishment for sin is death, which is eternal separation from God.  “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23) and “for the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”(Romans 6:23).  God in His love, gave His one and only Son, Jesus Christ, without sin, to become sin for us, so that He willingly took the punishment of our sin upon Himself and gave His blood, died in our place so by believing in Him we can have our sins forgiven. “…without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” Hebrews 9:22 Jesus died and came back to life again, because He is “the Way, the Truth, and The Life”. In Him we can have Life Eternal.  

John 3:16  “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” is not just a bible verse for children, but it is an evangelistic bible verse with a condition and a promise.  The condition is for each of us: the “whoever” to believe in Him, Jesus, the Son of God.  God’s promise: will not perish (will not be separated from God) but have eternal life. 

Teaching and learning to share this message, to lead someone through the gospel truths, praying with the one who truly desires to accept the Lord Jesus as his or her Savior. Also knowing how to help the newly converted believer what steps to take in their process of spiritual growth are lessons we are learning in the safety and comfort of our sisterhood group, while also sharing our own stories how we came to faith in our Savior.   

I know that this is not a report, but how can one talk about the Message of Salvation without sharing the Message of Salvation?  God’s Word is powerful, may He touch everyone who reads it and produce change.  

Gabi Stef

what you can do to get involved

Some of the missionaries are struggling, and need your help. Florin Sfetcu is a PIEI missionary who became a Christian while living in Italy, and was called to return to his hometown in Romania and share the Gospel there. He does not currently have full financial support, and still needs about $1000 per month. A couple of weeks ago his car was in an accident, but he cannot afford any repairs. His wife Alina has also just given birth to their 5th child after a long and difficult C-section, her 5th C section. The doctors in Romania wanted to abort her baby, saying that is impossible to have so many children all with Cesarian operations. Florin, Alina and the whole family need our prayers that God is able to provide for all of their needs.

Another way to help the missionaries is to join a Short-Term Mission Team! This summer there are several different teams planning to go to Romania between May and August. We are hoping that those teams can help the missionaries with their ministries and provide much needed encouragement and fellowship. If you think God may be calling you to go to Romania this summer, email cornelstef@gmail.com so we can find the best team for you to join.

Whenever we talk to PIEI missionaries in any country, they always speak with such gratitude for their partners in the US. So much of their ministry would not be possible if they were working independently, but through PIEI those missionaries know that they are not alone, and there are people in the US and all over the world who provide prayer and support for what they do. I cannot express enough how much your involvement and encouragement means to the missionaries and their ministry. May your efforts continue to help spread the Good News around the world!

With love,

Cornel and Gabi Stef