Evangelism with Children and Baptism at the Church in Nou

We have been blessed this month to have a time of evangelism with the children. All the children were excited to hear the gospel, which presents God as a great Creator who made everything and holds all things in His hand. We had a time together where we enjoyed sweet-boiled corn. All the children were amazed that such sweet corn existed.  

But the greatest part was talking about the Lord Jesus, who came into our world and made forgiveness possible for all of us, and that is the sweetest message. He loves children too and gladly welcomes them into His arms.

By the Lord's grace, we also had a baptism where a sister professed her faith in the Lord through water baptism. It was a blessed day, with the church hall full, and the greatest joy was that many people heard the gospel.  

All of the sister's children, grandchildren, and sisters attended church for the first time.  

We pray that the Lord will move their hearts.  

Two people told me that they also want to follow the Lord—Angela and Maria. Glory to Him!  

We thank God for this time of grace, in which we can freely proclaim the gospel.  

May His name be blessed!

Cornel Fogorosiu - PIEI Romania Missionary

Blessings of VBS

With God's help, we had a week of VBS (Vacation Bible School) at the church in Nou.

We had a team of volunteers who worked with the children.

Two girls from the church helped with this work.

Every day we had between 40 and 65 children who participated in the groups focused on specific activities.

They began with a time of worship together, then split into groups.

Some were in the lesson being taught, others in the group learning key verses, others doing crafts, and others playing sports.

Most of the children were from Orthodox families, and their parents do not attend any church.

This is a great opportunity to show the children what God has done and what He can do in their lives.

The church was also involved.

Several sisters made sure to prepare something good for all the children and volunteers and served them with much love.

We pray that the Lord will work in their minds and hearts and help them love the Lord with all their hearts.

At the end of the week, on Sunday, some of the children presented a program of songs and verses they learned at VBS.

We give glory to the Lord for this work and pray that it will bear fruit for His glory.

Be blessed, and we thank you for all you do for us.

Cornel Fogorosiu - PIEI Romania Missionary

A time of fellowship with the families

Through the grace of God, we were able to organize an outing with the families from Nou at the PIEI center in Alba Iulia.

The purpose of the meeting was to be together for a weekend to break away from the daily routine and relax, then to see the biblical way in which husbands and wives should live together and to worship together before the Lord.

We had the joy of being together with ten families.

Five were from the church and five were from outside the church.

This time Sister Anita Olila from Gracespring Church in Michigan, USA, was with us.

Before the meeting at the center, Sister Anita spent some time with us as a family and then at the Grace Church in Nou.

We thank the sister as well as the church for the prayer support and financial support that we have enjoyed for a long time.

May the Lord reward you for all you do.

The meeting in Alba was a great blessing for all.

The brothers and sisters from the church were greatly encouraged, and those from outside were examined in their hearts by what they heard and saw.

We were able to get closer to each other to know each other better and to be more motivated to pray for each other in a specific way for specific problems.

We believe that the Lord will work and will cause us to see the result of His work in all our lives.

From those outside the church, we learned: "This is the true way in which we should live, being different from how we live."

We continue to pray for them.

My wife and I were then invited to a meeting with the families from Victoria City on the topic of raising and disciplining children, organized by Brother Timotei Stanea.

It is of great importance to help each other in ministry, being aware of the gift that God has placed in each of us for the benefit of others.

For all things, we must thank God, recognizing that all we are is only through His grace.

With humility in Christ Jesus.

Cornel Fogorosiu - PIEI Romania Missionary

Teaching and Fellowship

Through God's grace, we rejoiced both in our family and in the church during the celebration of the birth of Jesus.

We had the joy of being together as a family, and Ema and Taylor came from America, making our time together wonderful. In the church, all brothers and sisters rejoiced in the fellowship of the Word, and especially the children had a special program on the theme of the birth of Jesus. We were delighted to see many of the parents of the children, some of them attending church for the first time. We pray to the Lord to continue working in their hearts. We are happy to see people deciding to follow the Lord, such as Victoria and Ioan, who come with great joy, and we believe they will influence others, especially in their households.

In the first week of the new year, the church engaged in a week of prayer, and every evening we joined in fellowship with a church in our area. We visited three churches, and they also came to ours on different evenings. We experienced the unity of the early church that "devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and prayer. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved" (Acts 2:42, 47).

The theme of the week was "the growth and maturity of the church." We were all encouraged through the word and prayer, and each evening concluded with fellowship at the table together. It was a great blessing to see how brothers and sisters got involved every time. This is the most precious time to encourage one another and pray for each other.

We pray that this year will be a year of growth and maturity for the church and salvation for many more people. May you be blessed, and we thank you for your "partnership in the gospel."

Cornel Fogorosiu - PIEI Romania Missionary

Joy in Heaven and the Church

By the grace of God, in the church of Nou, yet another soul has been saved from the kingdom of darkness and brought into the Kingdom of God. We know that heaven has great joy for a single sinner who repents. Together with heaven, we rejoiced with Ema Turoiu, who decided to confess Jesus as her personal Savior by stepping into the waters of baptism. She grew up in a family of believers in the church, attended Sunday school as a child, and is now in a Christian high school in Sibiu. Ema is the fourth generation of believers in her family. Her great-grandmother was the first believer in Nou, followed by her grandmother and grandfather, then her parents, and now her. Praise the Lord for the wonderful way He has worked in this family.

Seeing how the Lord makes the seed of His Word bear fruit is a joy. It was a blessed day in which many friends who came to witness her baptism had the opportunity to hear the gospel. We pray that the Lord will work in their hearts and lead them to follow Christ. Two people confessed to me that they have also made this decision: Ioan and Victoria. We pray that the Lord will help them to be steadfast and overcome all the temptations that come their way.

Thank you for being close to us in prayer and financially! God bless you!

Cornel Fogorosiu - PIEI Romania Missionary

Theme Of Gratitude

The month of October was a blessed time in which we focused on how to thank God for His blessings, both material and spiritual.

For four Sundays, we gathered together with nearby churches, and each Sunday we met at a different church location. It was a time of worshipping God through prayer, song, and the Word. Each time, we also had fellowship together around a meal. God blessed us with good weather, allowing us to sit outside for our meals.

We were joyful to see many people from outside the church join us for this celebration and listen to the gospel. We pray that the Lord works in their hearts. For the church, it was a time of joy and encouragement, where many of us rededicated our entire lives to the Lord.

The motto of the meetings was: "Always give thanks to God for all things, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ." Both prayers and songs, as well as the sermons, were focused on this theme of gratitude.

In all these meetings, we experienced once again the truth of "how good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity."

We also had the joy of hearing that a woman who was with us for the first time made the decision to follow the Lord. Her name is Victoria. In the following meetings, she came with us even to another location and confessed to me, "I have never in my life experienced such great joy." We pray for her family to also come to the Lord.

For all these things, it is fitting to thank the Lord with all our hearts.

During this time, we also had a meeting with the families of the missionaries from the PIE organization. The brothers from the USA were present as well: Cornel Stef, Alex, and Rodica. We had a wonderful time together for two days in Alba Iulia. We shared our experiences from the work we do, prayed for one another, and had time to get to know each other better, both in our joys and the challenges we face.

Thank you for all the support we receive from you.

Blessings to you all!

Cornel Fogorosiu - PIEI Romania Missionary

Camp And VBS

At the beginning of the summer, we had a camp with families. Five families from the church and five from outside the church spent a wonderful time together at the PIE Center in Alba Iulia. We were delighted that the Stef family from the USA, Cornel, and Gabi came and were with us. We were all thrilled with what happened there. We had a special fellowship together in prayer, at meals, and even in the walks we took there. It was a time when we formed friendships among ourselves, especially with those outside the church. They were impressed by the way the Scripture teaches us to live in family, in our relationships, and in our behavior. It was wonderful to see how people had the courage to share the problems they face and how we could advise and pray for each other. We believe the Lord will work in their hearts, and they have asked us to have more outings like this together. We learned how important it is to get close to those around us and help them know the Lord, looking at us and listening to the Word we profess.

Vacation Bible School (VBS):

With the help of the Lord, we had a week at the church in Nou where the children from the community participated in lessons prepared especially for them. Every day we had between 60 and 80 children. They were divided into age groups and into workshops specially prepared for each. We had a team of 13 volunteers who served with great dedication to all these children. Everything had a great impact on their hearts, and we also spoke with their parents who were amazed by their children's enthusiasm. We pray that the Lord blesses both the children and their parents.

At the beginning of the school year, we also had a special day with the children attending Sunday school. My wife, Nuti, took care of this. It was a time of relaxation and celebration together with games and food. They wanted such a party, and they were delighted that we made time for them. We pray that the Lord bless them at school, their families, and church.

As a family, we went through a trial this summer. I was in the hospital for spine surgery, and for two months, I was in recovery and had to stay home. Thank God that I am well, and I have started my activities again, but with great care in driving and exertion. In all things, we see the hand of the Lord who watches over us and carries us through everything. May He be praised for all.

Cornel Fogorosiu - PIEI Romania Missionary

Heaven Rejoices

The Lord always answers prayer, blessed be His name! When we pray, we must have the conviction that the Lord hears us and does what is best for us, even if it may not be what we expect. He has His own timing and controls all the circumstances in our lives, making everything work for our good and His glory.

I have two examples where we can see how God works. Two sisters testified through water baptism just a week ago. Sister Marioara had a faithful mother who prayed for her two daughters and believed that the Lord would visit them even after her death. After two years, one of the sisters received the Lord as her Savior, and Marioara, after six years, began to seek the Lord.

It was a terrible struggle, even though she knew it was the right way. God visited her in various ways. One of the two sons died at the age of 27, and the older one divorced his wife, saying, "I am angry with God for all these things He is doing to me." She began shouting at God, and He sent me to share the Gospel with her. She was a teacher at the school where I taught religion, and I approached her. She told me that her mother prayed for her until she passed away.

She started coming to church and received the Lord, finding peace in all these situations. Now she prays for her husband and child who do not know God. Glory to Him. 

Sister Camelia received the sad news a year ago that she had lung cancer. Her sister in England called her there for treatment. The doctors there gave her only three months to live. Her mother-in-law, who is a sister in the church, told her to pray to God because only He can do something. Until now, she did not want to hear about God. After a month of treatment, she said, "If I return to Romania (home), I will repent," even though she had not been to church at all before. After two months, she came back home, and everyone was discouraged and didn't know what to do.

On the first Sunday, she told her children and husband, "I want to go to the gathering to repent." They were surprised by her decision but didn't give it much importance. However, she told me her story and her decision. We prayed for the Lord to show His glory in her life.

Now, it has been ten months, and the latest check-up results were surprisingly good. She now says, "I can die because I have gained eternal life." God has answered prayers.

The entire church, together with heaven, rejoiced at this celebration of how wonderfully God works.

Cornel Fogorosiu - PIEI Romania Missionary

Challenges and Opportunities

Through God’s grace at the end of 2022, we have been pleased to fulfill our call to serve both among brothers and outside of those who do not know God. He is the one who gives us challenges of all kinds, and helps us to turn them into opportunities, to share the good news of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.

In addition to serving the brothers from our church, we made more visits to the sick in their homes, helping them to be partners in the Lord's supper as in the church. Our hearts were moved once again to see the physical pain they were going through, but also the longing for fellowship with the brothers in the house of God.

We have done this in many families, and experience with the brothers the joy that the sick have when they are visited. One sister said: "Brother please tell the brothers and sisters that we are waiting for them with great joy, why are they not coming?"

I took this message as a great challenge to us as the church. "Let's look for the orphans and widows in their troubles, and keep ourselves untainted from the world." James. 1:27 

These visits were also opportunities to put into practice, trying to fulfill part of their needs but also preaching the gospel of those in their homes. The celebration of the birth of the Lord Jesus was another chalange that we used as an opportunity to visit around the houses, which are open to us during this time. We looked to go especially to the families that let the kids come to church and attend Sunday school.

They were pleased and some of the parents came to church for Christmas, and were able to hear the gospel. It was a blessed holiday by the Lord and the children received gifts. We pray to God that He will work in the hearts of men and help them receive Christ as Savior and Lord in their lives. We praise the Lord for all this and pray that He helps us to be faithful to the end. Thank you for joining us in this great service. Blessings to all of you!

Cornel Fogorosiu - PIEI Romania Missionary

God Blesses Work Done in His Name

Dear brothers in Christ

I wish to share with you how God blesses the work we do in His name. Although the challenges of recent times have been increasing, both during the pandemic and after, we thank God that He encourages us and gives us a lot of reasons for joy.

One of these was the baptism that we had in the Grace of the New church . We thank God for eighteen-year-old Alex who testified in the water of baptism that the Lord Jesus is his personal Savior. He has come to church at Sunday school since he was six years old, and he also has attended religious classes at the school in the village where I teach religion.

We are happy to see the fruits of the service and want to give the Lord all the glory. Another reason for joy was to see many young men and many of Alex's relatives come to the baptism and listened to the gospel on this occasion.

There were so many that some of the brothers and sisters had to stand or be in the church hallway. The church was full, and I had the opportunity to interact with many. We give glory to God for everything he does in people's lives and for the opportunities we have to preach the gospel in this time.

Prayer Requests:

• For Alex to be a good testimony among the young and the family 

• For his parents and relatives who heard the Gospel

• For children who come to Sunday school 

• For the sick: brother Ghita who is sick and can barely see with one eye; for sister Elizabeth is paralyzed and sits on bed 

• For families in which only one has turned to the Lord. We have ten sisters who pray for their unsaved husbands.

Thank you in the name of the Lord for all your prayer and financial support.God bless you!

Cornel Fogorosiu - PIEI Romania Missionary

God Will Take Care

We thank God for the help we experienced this month. He was with us and guarded us on the journey we made to America to our children Ema and Taylor in Charlotte in North Carolina.

God’s hand protected us on our return when we were in isolation. Because of covid-19, we went through a hard trial. Our brother-in-law Daniel Ispas, and husband of my wife's sister in America contacted Covid-19. He was in the hospital for two weeks, where he was intubated. 

The Lord was by our side and helped us through this situation. We experienced again that He is present and gives us the strength and peace we need in such situations. May His name be praised for everything! 

We had in several families in the church who were isolated because they were positive for Covid-19. We thank God they've made it through and all are well. We have a few brothers who can't come to church because they're sick. We visited them at their homes, we prayed together, and I believe the Lord gives them strength and faith. We also pray for those who care for them, that the Lord gives them strength and patience, and above all to help them know Christ as their Savior. Sister Dochia, sister Elizabeth and brother Ghita are sick.

Thank you for your prayers!

Cornel Fogorosiu - PIEI Romania Missionary

Blessings and Thanksgiving

To begin I want to bless the Lord for His grace that He pours over us.

We were blessed by the visit of our brothers from America: Brothers Walter, Cornel and Gaby Stef along with Alex and Rodica, but also by brother Timotei Stinea. We had a beautiful fellowship both in the family and in the church Harul from Nou. Their dedication to serving the brothers and sisters of different churches gives us an even greater impetus for our service. The messages they brought were well received by the brothers and sisters in the church. We're sorry that they went through isolation due to contact with Covid-19. We prayed for them, and the Lord worked in a wonderful way. We praise the Lord that it all ended well, and they got home safely!

The Lord blessed our thanksgiving gathering. It was a time of prayer and praise in which I blessed the Lord for all His blessings, both physical and spiritual. The children’s ministry sang as well as recited poetry and scripture verses. We pray the Lord grows them in His knowledge. We also pray for their parents who do not know the Lord. Some of the children who come are from Orthodox families. We thank God for the unbelievers who were with us and listened to the Gospel; we pray that the Lord will work in their hearts. A few families were sick with Covid-19, but the Lord helped them get through it.

May the Lord's name be blessed for all!

Cornel and Nuti Fogorosiu - PIEI Romania Missionaries

Two Aspects of Our Ministry

Peace be upon you!

I want to draw your attention to two aspects of our ministry. The first is visiting sick brothers from the church. We have many sick brothers who can no longer come to church. They are happy and encouraged when we visit them. One brother, Ghita Blanga, can barely see and has been at home for more than ten years. He is in a pretty good spiritual state and listening to the Word of God. (He has the whole Bible recorded on tape.) Recently he fell and suffered a shoulder injury for two days. He told me that he is waiting for the Lord to take him home. He prays for his children and grandchildren to receive the Lord and not endure eternal torment.

We have a paralyzed sister, Veta. She has been in bed for more than two years and has told me that she lacks church fellowship. None of her children have the Lord as their Savior, and that hurts her the most. The only thing she can do is pray for them every day. Every time we pray with those we visit, I and they believe that the Lord is the One who gives them peace and strengthens them in faith while waiting for their day to meet Him.

The second aspect of ministry I want to highlight is our work with school children. The school year has begun and I am thankful to the Lord that the work at school is moving forward. I say this because I no longer teach in school. The Lord has heard our prayers, and now there is a young brother who has taken up the religion classes. This year we also have students who finished 8th grade, and we help them get to high school or a vocational school. We pay for their transportation by bus.

We pray that the Lord will bless all things we do, and in all of them His glory shines. May He be blessed for His grace!

Cornel Fogorosiu - PIEI Romania Missionary

Searching Hearts

We bless the Name of the Lord for the grace of which we are daily partakers!

We are blessed to be able to share the gospel of Jesus, both in the congregation and outside. With the help of the Lord, we rejoiced in the fellowship of the church, where we also had brothers who visited us and strengthened our souls in our holy faith. The word of the Lord is alive, and through it we strengthen our faith and hope. We read Peter's epistle and were especially encouraged to stand firm in trials, looking to our model Christ, who suffered and left us an example to follow in His footsteps.

We enjoyed all the brothers who attended the church meetings, but also the fact that there were friends who were moved by this word. I also made a few visits to my brothers, but especially to friends. I was gladly received in their homes. I had the opportunity to pray with them for their specific problems, to talk and listen to their questions, and even to see what the Lord says in His Word. We pray that the Lord will touch them by His Holy Spirit. We believe that God will cause their hearts to be further searched.

At home people are much more open, and it is a grace to be received with the gospel. I also visited two sick sisters who can no longer come to the meeting.

Prayer Requests:

--- for friends: Beza Razvan and Dana's wife who is pregnant.

--- for Stela and Violeta to be determined and not to turn away from the Lord

--- for the sick: Sister Dochia, Sister Maria and Sister Elisabeta

We were glad to be visited at home by the brethren of America and to share with them in our work. May the Lord be glorified in all!

Cornel and Nuti Fogorosiu - PIEI Romania Missionaries

Couples Turning to the Lord

By the grace of God we have been blessed in this period in our ministry.

It was a time of searching after last month's baptism in the New Church. Many friends who visit the church are moved by the Spirit of God, and some of them have decided to follow the Lord. It is a great joy to see how the Lord works in people’s lives.

A woman who has not frequented the house of the Lord for a long time has now returned after solving her problem with her husband. They have lived without being married for almost 25 years. Now they took this step knowing that they were living in sin. It was a great wonder for those who knew them, and she confessed that she wanted to follow the Lord with all her heart. We pray for her, her name is Stella. At the same time, her son Razvan and Dana's wife started coming to the meeting and are very much convicted in their hearts. May the Lord give them strength to follow Him.

The other situation is almost the same with Violeta. She decided to follow the Lord and prayed for her husband Ionut to come to the Lord as well. It is interesting that he has his mother and sister in the congregation, but his wife has no one in her family at church.

We also give glory to God for working with the children in the church, and during this time my wife Nuti is doing lessons with the children at Sunday school. I was glad that one of the girls who finished the 7th grade managed to enter the Christian high school in Sibiu. It is a great joy both for the family and for the church. We pray to the Lord to bless her.

For all we give glory to the Lord!

Cornel Fogorosiu, PIEI-Romania Missionary

New Baptism

By the grace of God, we had the joy in the New Church to have a New Testament baptism! An 18-year-old sister set out on the path of the Lord with great joy. She came with her parents from Germany to Nou to stay with her grandparents and here she received the Lord Jesus as Savior.

It was a blessed opportunity for evangelism, in which many people heard the Word of God. We ask for the Lord to work salvation in the hearts of all these people.

Even if we are in times of restrictions, our joy was to see the church full and to praise the Lord who still works in the hearts of men today.

Cornel Fogorosiu, PIEI-Romania Missionary

Strong Mothers in the Work of God

Peace! My name is Nuți Fogoroșiu, and my husband, Cornel, and I serve in two churches around Sibiu: Nou and Hasag

I serve in the Sunday School where we teach children from God's Word, sing, and pray together. Most children come from Orthodox families. I'm glad they can hear the Gospel.

On different occasions (Christmas, Easter, Mother's Day or Thanksgiving) we prepare a program with songs, poems or skits when children invite their parents.The children are happy to present in front of the church what they have prepared. We pray that the Lord will work in the hearts of children, and also in the hearts of their parents.

My husband and I seek to be close to our brothers' families and even to other families who do not know God. We make visits in which we encourage and share the Gospel with them, pray with them and invite them to fellowship with the church.

 God has blessed our family with four boys and two girls: Reuben, Adalia, David, Andrew, Emma, ​​and Timothy. Three of them are still with us, Ema is married to Taylor, and they live in North Carolina, USA and Adalia lives in Sibiu. Our son, Andrei, was married to Emanuela for three years, but in August 2020 the Lord called him home. It was a difficult time for us as a family but we believe that the Lord considered that he had finished his run, leaving a good example by the way he lived. We live with the hope of reunion when we are with the Lord and with our loved ones for eternity.

I have been unemployed for a year, and I had more time to be with my husband in the ministry. It’s a privilege to be in the service of the Lord, and we want to continue to serve with joy.

Thank you for being with us. We pray that the Lord will reward you.

God bless you!

Nuți and Cornel Fogoroșiu - PIEI Missionaries

A Family's Trial of Faith

The son of a Sister from Nou (his name is Dan) recently had a stroke.

He was hospitalized in an emergency and they operated on his brain. We prayed with his family and the church and he has been home for a week now. He is in the process of recovery now and he is better. Thank God!!!

The sadness is that no one in his family is reconciled to the Lord. He and his wife have a daughter and two grandchildren, but only the mother and father are believers. I went to his house and we prayed and told them that God was seeking them. This trial of illness made them think and on Sunday they came to church with their husband and children but also his brothers and sisters. It was the first time they had all come. They were moved to hear how the church prayed for their family.

We continue to pray that the Lord will work in this family and bring both physical and spiritual healing.

Cornel Fogorosiu, PIEI-Romania Missionary

Remember the Prince of Peace

Dear ones,

First we greet you all in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

This year has been a year full of events behind us. Who would have ever thought of that. A year with losses for loved ones, illness and rehabilitation, stress, fear and distance between the people we love. Fortunately we have a God who is with us, and 'walks' with us in this strange time.

Particularly now we think of the baby Jesus, the Son of God who came on this earth for all of us as Light, Prince of peace, the Savior of all our troubles.

Let us put all our cares in His hand so that we can receive His peace and encourage each other with it. We wish you blessed days during these holidays and a year 2021 with health and peace.

With love,

Cornel Fogorosiu, PIEI-Romania Missionary

Quarantine

Lately, many brothers and sisters have been sick with Covid in the hospital or in solitary confinement at home, and we have been cold and Nuti even had a fever for a day and was without taste and smell for about two days.

We stayed at home and treated each other at home. Now Sibiu is in quarantine and you are not allowed to leave except with a statement and for special reasons.

We pray for all who are sick that the Lord will have mercy on them.

May the Lord be with you!

Cornel Fogorosiu, PIEI-Romania Missionary