Received With Open Arms

”A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling” -Psalms 68:5

With the help of brother Beni T, I went again to the orphans from Abrud bringing treats for the holidays (sweets, fruits, clothes and shoes). The children took them with open arms and embraced me. It seems I may be the only one who brings them gifts at the holidays.

I told them of the birth of the Lord Jesus, how He was born in a humble manger. How angels told the wonderful news to shepherds, and how they went to see the baby. How three wise men came with gifts for the Son of God. I had a wonderful time celebrating with these children. Each of them also received a book with many pictures of the life of Jesus Christ.

Pray for us to have a blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year. With love my family wishes you a blessed Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Thank you for your prayer and financial support in 2021.

Florin Botar - PIEI Romania Missionary

Sisters with Unsaved Family Members

We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. -Psalms 33:20

Both in Ponorel and in Sohodol there are older sisters who cannot come to church for reasons of health, which is why I visit them every week, and bring them the Lord’s Supper every month. Both Sister Aurelia and Sister Marioara have in their house their son with a daughter-in-law who are unbelievers. Sister Fica has in the house her daughter and her son-in-law who are unbelievers (in the photo with the Holy Supper  at sister Fica who is ill and not been able to come to church for a long time). The list goes on.

At every visit with these families there are moments of sincere worship. We sing as we can with the help of the Lord, and often I have the opportunity to speak from the Gospel to the unbelievers. It is a special time of questions and answers from the Bible.

Prayer Requests:

• The steps of my family to be protected every day

• The unfaithful from the families of believers to be blessed with repentance

• For the winter period to be a good time of evangelization in families

• For the orphans from Abrud 

May Jehova Jire bless you with chosen blessings for all that you have given for us! You are in our hearts. Holy greetings!

Florin Botar, PIEI-Romania Missionary

Holy Fellowship

“… giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ… " (Ephesians 5:20)

I happily participated with the sisters from the church of Ponorel at the church in Campeni in a holy fellowship meeting with Sister Gabriela Stef. For all the people present, sister Gabriela had wonderful words from Holy Scripture and the teachings reached our hearts. The next day (Sunday) at the church in Ponorel we had the Feast of Thanksgiving, a powerful time to praise God and give thanks for all His blessings.

Our hearts have been overwhelmed with gratitude to Heavenly Father even though we live in troubled times. We had singing brothers from Gura Rosiei, and brother Joldos Emanuel was the main preacher. There were unbelievers at this meeting who listened carefully to God's Word. At the end we had a fellowship with everyone present (sisters from the church prepared sandwiches, cakes and soft juices).

Prayer Requests:

• For my family to bring with all our hearts the praise of the Lord

• For Nicu, Lenuta and Ioan from Sohodol (unbelievers)

• For Craciun and Iulica and Todor with their whole family from Ponorel (unbelievers)

• For Dani and Timotei (two orphans) from Ponorel

We are full of gratitude for your spiritual and financial love for us. May the Lord Jehovah reward you with special blessings. 

Florin Botar - PIEI Romania Missionary

No Other Way

"And we have seen and testify that the Father sent the Son as the Savior of the world" (1 John 4:14).

With Brother Todor we evangelized from door-to-door at Dole (a group of houses near Ponorel). No believers live there. The theme of this evangelism was "Jesus, our personal Savior," and that each of us needs salvation because our sin separates us from God.

Among the families we visited were Mr. Nelu and his wife Varuta. This visit moved my heart. Mr. Nelu was operated three years ago on his neck for cancer. The fact that he lives is a miracle. When his wife said that only God helps him, he started crying (he can't talk because he has a pipe down his throat, but his wife can read his lips). We talked with them about the Lord Jesus, that He loves us so much, and there is no other way to the "house" of God. At the end of the meeting we prayed together.

Prayer Requests:

- For the hand of Heavenly Father to protect my family every day

- For unsaved people in Dole (I want to visit them regularly)

- For the two localities where I serve the Lord (Ponorel and Sohodol)

- For the Brazesti mission point

- For orphans and their educators in Abrud

May Jehovah Jire bless you and give you chosen blessings every day. We are full of gratitude for the love you have for us!

Florin Botar - PIEI Romania Missionary

Devine Grace

"Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!" [Psalm 133:1]

My wife Magda and I had three wonderful days (August 5-6) at the PIEI conference in the Christian Center in Alba Iulia. Our souls have been blessed with an outpouring of divine grace. Cornel Stef, Walter, April and the PIEI Romania Committee (Jenu Stef, Timotei Stanea, Emanuel Joldos and others) were a great encouragement for all of us PIEI missionaries in Romania. I really needed this encouragement because spiritual work in Romania has not been easy on me.

On Sunday August 8, I went to the church meeting in Ponorel (Rock of Salvation) with Cornel Stef, Walter, April, and the Joldos family. We felt God's hand at work in the hearts of all those present. After dinner I was with the US team in Sohodol (another community where I serve) on visits to three families: sister Vetuta and her son Dan; sister Dorica: and Sister Zorita and her son Adi. The families were pleasantly impressed by the group's encouragement and American support.

Prayer Requests:

• For my family, to fully taste the goodness of God.

• That the spiritual work in Ponorel, Sohodol and the Brazesti mission point would progress and for many souls to find salvation.

• For working with orphans in Abrud.

• For working with very poor families in my area (unbelievers).

• For a door-to-door evangelism work with five families of unbelievers in Dole (near Ponorel).

Thank you very much for being with me through prayers and material support. Thanks to the PIEI organization that loves us so much and serves us all the time. May God reward you!

With love in the Lord Jesus,

Florin Botar - PIEI Romania Missionary

An Open Heart

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ -Matthew 25:40

Every time I work with orphans my heart is moved; I am overwhelmed by their love. They would like me to stay all day with them. Especially the children from "Abrud". I always bring them sweets, fruits, new shoes and new clothes (this time with the help of brother Beni T ). They come around me and hug me and I can't reject them. I just pray: God have mercy on me that none of them have the virus. But the Lord is good, great and I am in His hand!

There are two orphans from ''Ponorel'' locality , (Dani & Timi) - I visit them and help them with sweets, fruits and food. They have a sister, Lydia, who takes care of them.

Also recently I visited several families from the church in ''Ponorel'' and ''Sohodol'' localites. Some of them have unbelievers in their families. Craciun and Iulica (from ''Ponorel''), who are particularly interested in the Gospel, attracted my attention. Also Radu and Dan (''Sohodol''), who are unbelievers but with an open heart to the Word of God.

Prayer Requests:

- Good health and strength in the work for the whole family

- For the son of sister Zorita - ''Sohodol'' (Adi, who is unbeliever)

- For Nicu and Lenuta (''Sohohol'', who are unbelievers)

- For orphans from ''Abrud'' and their educator women

- For the ''Brazesti'' mission point

May Jehovah protect you every day and in the wonderful work you do for us! Holy greetings in His name,

Florin Botar, PIEI - Romania Missionary

Obedience to God

Jesus said, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that hears my word, and believes on him that sent me, he has eternal life and does not come to judgment but has passed from death to life " (John 5:24)

Obedience to God and turning to Him with repentance was the theme of evangelism from house to house to the Brazesti mission. In this work I was helped by my wife Magda and brother Buiu. We passed out many New Testaments and the evangelical brochure "Answers for life". In some situations I was able to talk to unbelieving people from Brazesti; in other cases I left a New Testament and brochure for them at the gate.

A shocking case I encountered was the young Dorin (the man with the cane) who had lost a leg (he had a wooden prosthesis leg for several years). He confessed to me how God helped him in all this great trouble and how he was encouraged by his grandmother, who was a faithful woman. I talked to him for a few minutes about the Lord Jesus and the salvation He gives as a gift. Dorin told me that he was interested in the two books I gave him and that he wants to know more.

Prayer Requests

• for my family - power in the work of the Lord

• for Ponorel, Sohodol and the Brazesti mission point, for people to repent to the Lord

• for Vasile (Ponorel), a man in the church, he is sick in bed

• for sister Vetuta (Sohodol), she has Covid-19

• for children who started school

• for orphans from Abrud and their educators

May the Lord Jehovah protect you! Thank you for the part you take in advancing the gospel in our area.

PIEI Missionary - Florin Botar

Serving The Lord in Apuseni/Romania

"He is the Father of orphans and the Protector of widows, the God who dwells in His holy place."

(Psalm 68: 5)

With a heart full of joy, I thank God for His great mercy to us.

We also thank you brothers and sisters at HCBC for overwhelming us with so much love.

Your spiritual and financial well-being is a great blessing to us as a family and to God's work in

this area of the Apuseni mountains / Romania - we love you with an unspeakable love in the Lord Jesus Christ.

    Lately I have helped two orphanages (8 of them I was helped by Fr. Ben T) and an 84-year-old widow from my area working with food, clothes and shoes. With all the restrictions that are due to the pandemic. orphans hug me tightly and said:

"You are our father, we love you very much." I have so much empathy for them that my heart breaks.

Support in prayer

-for my family to be worthy of God's love

-for Ciprian and Ana (Sohodol) a young family strongly tested by the disease (arthritis)

-for Marin, Marinela and Ionut (Ponorel) who are not far from the Kingdom of God

-for Morcan Ilie, Gherman and Catana-unbelievers from the Brazesti mission point

-for an evangelism on the street in the Brazesti village-mission point-in month of May

May the Lord Jehovah protect you!

He is alive! He's really alive!

Have a blessed Easter with peace and joy

Missionary PIEI-Botar Florin

Ambassadors for Christ

Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.” (2 Corinthians 5:20)

Luminesti is a community on the mountain adjacent to Ponorel. There we held a special evangelistic meeting, which God blessed. Children and adults listened with great interest to God’s Word. For the children we prepared two episodes of the Christian drawings “The Book of Books”; (David and Goliath and Daniel in the pit with lions). The children were attentive and interested throughout.

The theme for adults was “Be reconciled to God”; a message about the love of the heavenly Father and salvation offered as a gift through the sacrifice of Jesus.

A reason for joy: Brother Mircea (deacon of the church in Ponorel) came to the church fellowship after a long, serious battle with Covid-19. Glory be to the Lord!

Thank YOU for your prayers and financial support. May Jehovah Jire protect you.

PRAYER REQUESTS

•  For heavenly protection for my whole family

•  For young and old from Ponorel and Sohodol to grow in things of the Lord

•  For the Luminesti community’s spiritual awakening

•  For the mission point Brazesti and new opportunities to preach the Gospel

Florin Botar -PIEI Missionary

Blessed be the Heavenly Father

Blessed be the Heavenly Father, who to this day is healthy and can carry the gospel to many families in our area.

So far this winter has not been very difficult, every day we entrust our lives to the Hand of God. I had in the church from Ponorel 19 sick brothers of Covid who still do not feel well, and also there are brothers and sisters from Ponorel and Sohodol, who have other illnesses and cannot come to church. I always visit them, study the Bible with them, sing and pray together and take them the Lord's Supper. Good news is also brought to the unbelievers in these families.

I recently brought sweets, fruits, and food for 5 poor children (without a father) and to widows from my work area. They received these gifts with tears in their eyes.

Prayer requests:

-for special guidance in this pandemic weather

-for Ciprian and Ana, a family recently returned to the Lord (Sohodol)

-for brother Mircea (Ponorel) who was hospitalized with Covid-19 for more than 3 weeks and is now very weak. He is the deacon of the church in Ponorel - we all pray for him

-for sisters Aurelia and Marioara (Ponorel) who cannot come to church due to other illnesses (not Covid-19)

-for sister Fica-for several months can not come to church, sick (Sohodol)

May Jehovah-Jireh protect you, and we greatly appreciate your spiritual and material support!

With holy love,

Florin Botar, PIEI-Romania Missionary

Thanksgiving

'And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.' Colossians 3:17

Dear brothers and sisters,

In Ponorel church and also in Sohodol church we've gladly celebrated Thanksgiving Day. We offered our gratitude to Him for everything that he has done for us during this year. We exalted His Holy Name from the bottom of our hearts.

During this pandemic period I had the opportunity to share the Gospel with 5 kids at the school from Ponorel.

May Jehova-Jireh keep you safe! You definitely have a special place in our hearts.

Thank you for your support!

Florin Botar, PIEI-Romania Missionary

The Lord is my Rock

I love you, Lord; you are my strength. ​The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. PS 18:1-2 NLT

Dear brothers and sisters,

In this crucial and crisis times the Gospel has to be imparted to people with power. In Ponorel and also in Sohodol, at church there are several unbelievers who come and they are not far from the Kingdom of God.

Every time I go with the Lord’s Supper at those who are sick I can share the Good News with their families.

In each month there is a burden on my heart for those who are poor. This time I went to Ponorel to Dani and Timi, two orphans, who have disabilities issues also.

Prayer Requests:

• for the unbelievers in the families of the brothers and sisters in the church (people who are not far from salvation)

• for the opening of the mission point in Brazesti (Closed due to the pandemic)

• for orphans from Abrud and their educators

• for children who have started school

• divine protection

With all the love in the Name of the Lord Jesus I wish you full grace. You are in our hearts!

Florin Botar, PIEI-Romania Missionary

I Shout Joyfully to the Lord

How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of Heaven’s Armies. I long, yes, I faint with longing to enter the courts of the Lord. With my whole being, body and soul, I will shout joyfully to the living God. -Psalm 84:1-2 NLT

Dear brothers and sisters,

Blessed be the Lord that after a hard period when all of our ministry was closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic we are now able to meet again inside the church. Also I started the pastoral and evangelistic visits in Ponorel and Sohodol. In Brazesti, where we planted a church, the ministry is still closed because of the pandemic.

In the social area, I helped orphans (Abrud) and three widows (Dorica, Lenuta and Fica). The prices for groceries has increased very much during this period.

May Jehovah-Jireh keep you safe! Thank you for your support!

Botar Florin - PIEI Missionary

THE GOSPEL IS NOT HUMAN ORIGIN

I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel I preached is not of human origin. - Galatians 1:11

God blessed us with three days of evangelism in a special situation. It was in the funerals of sister Maria at Campeni. Each evening there were more than 50 unbelievers who listened carefully to the message of the Gospel. The daughter of the deceased sister and her husband promised to come to the church. (They were very touched by the Word of God).

At Baia de Aries I met a family (unbelievers) with four poor children. They didn’t have any clothes for Spring and Summer or food. We bought them clothes, shoes and food.

On March 8th at the church in Ponorel we prayed for the sisters in the church. It was a wonderful time of fellowship.

On our list of prayers is Brazesti village, a large village in which there are only two believers. We meet and encourage each other, raising prayers to the heavenly Father.

Prayer Requests:

• For total confidence in the One who is Yehova Ire - the Lord who cares.

• For my daughter, Ana Maria, who is in her last year in medicine with many heavy exams.

• For the three localities where I work: Ponorel, Sohodol and Brazesti (church planting).

• For the orphans from Abrud and their teachers.

Dear brothers and sisters, we carry you in our hearts and prayers daily. We appreciate you and thank you for your generosity every month.

Florin Botar - PIEI Missionary

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YOU DID IT TO ME

And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ - Matthew 25:40

Every time I go to orphans in Abrud (16 children in two family-type houses), I see that they have three hot meals a day, certain living conditions, but they are missing parental love. Often they take my hand they put it on their head to give them caress. I tell them how much I love them every time. I buy them sweets, fruits, clothes and shoes every time.

I tell them stories from the Bible. Most are at a low mental level - but they understand a lot, too. I also talk with their teachers.

In Ponorel, Sohodol and in Brazesti (where we want to plant a church) I carry with all my being the Good News of salvation in the sacrifice of Jesus. Several times at the Sohodol church an unbeliever, named Gheorghe, comes. He has a special love for the Bible. Together with the brothers and sisters from the church we stand by him, encourage him, and pray for him.

Prayer Requests:

• Blessing over my family (especially for my daughter Ana Maria - for her exams)

• Blessing for the faithful and unbelievers in Ponorel, Sohodol and Brazesti

• Special blessing for the orphans from Abrud and their teachers

Please receive all my appreciation and love for everything you do for us. May God repay you. You are a great blessing for His work in this area.

Florin Botar - PIEI Missionary

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CONFESSING JESUS

“..That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”

— Romans 10:9

Sister Lenuta from Sohodol is 84 years old, and she is a special believer. She lives somewhere on the hill, and I walk 45 minutes from the main road to her. She only comes to the church a maximum of two times per month, if she gets help. She lives alone, but in spite of advanced age she is very active and visits her neighbors. All are unbelievers and she brings them the Good News of salvation through the Lord Jesus. I am impressed by her faith and the gospel teaching she says so simply to unbelievers.

At sister Lenuta’s it is like in kindergarten. All the children from the neighbors come to her, and she gives them all kinds of sweets. She told me about a 5-6 year old child who was talking about his very bad parents. So she spoke to him about Jesus and started teaching him short prayers. Now that child has changed a lot.

On the other hand at the church in Ponorel there was great sadness in the family of sister Livia who went to the Lord at 57. She had two children with disabilities. No one expected this. Sister Livia wasn’t ill, but suddenly had a heart attack. For now a sister in the neighborhood takes care of her two disabled children.

Prayer Requests:

• Especially for my daughter who has very heavy exams

• For the holidays ahead: a good reason to spread the Good News

• For the neighbours of sister Lenuta from Sohodol

• For orphaned children from Abrud (8 orphans in two separate family homes)

Florin Botar - PIEI Missionary

LOVE ABOVE WORDS

"No one has ever seen God; if we love one another God abides in us, and His love has become perfect in us" (1 John 4:12)

Magda and I enjoyed three special and blessed weeks with our brothers in the United States. First, we went to church in Hickory Corners, MI. There we felt a brotherly love that cannot be expressed in words, and our heart was moved to tears by their love. We stayed with several families and each family was a unique experience for us. I saw that they are busy with day-to-day work (from morning to evening), but when it’s time for church, they come to worship God. It is not a big church (they have 120 members), but they are people who love each other, and we were welcomed with love in their family.

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Second, at the beginning of November I took part in the annual PIEI meeting in Chicago, IL. This was a special time for Magda and myself. I was impressed by the work of the PIEI organization around the world, in what wonderful ways God uses this organization for the salvation of lost souls. An intense work is done to support national missionaries. I realized that making a connection between a missionary and a church in the USA and maintaining this connection requires a lot of time and effort. Also the supported missionary in country must respond positively to maintain this partnership

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I want to thank all those who made possible our visit to America, which was a dream come true for our family. May our Heavenly Father reward you with many blessings!

Florin Botar - PIEI Missionary

DAY BY DAY GUIDANCE

I thought this month of a verse from the book Exodus chapter 13, verse 21:
"And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night"

I felt His presence and guidance every day and this encouraged me greatly in the work.

In my ministry in the two localities (Ponorel and Sohodol) I met many believers and non-believers and I shared the Gospel. I want to remind two non-believers who come to the church in Sohodol after the evangelization event of August 29 (Vetuta and Gheorghe) two people who are very open to the Gospel.

I visited the small church in Valea Corii and together we had a special fellowship there, in the Word of God. On the same Sunday after the meal I visited the Morcan family from Brasesti and we prayed together for this village.

For the orphans from Abrud I had a special day when I bought them clothes and shoes for the winter.

With my wife Magda I visited a few families in Ponorel (families with special social situations) and we brought them food.

Prayer Requests:

• For health and wisdom in the work of the Lord

• For Vetuta and Gheorghe (non-believers in Sohodol)

• For orphaned children from Abrud and their teachers

• For the holiday of thanksgiving from the church in Ponorel (13 Oct, 5 pm after lunch), a great opportunity for evangelization

With all the love I greet you in the dear Name of Jesus,

Florin Botar - PIEI Missionary

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THE GOSPEL KNOWN TO EVERY PERSON

 “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.” - Mark 16: 15-16

August 25, 2019 was a blessed day, we celebrate 20 years after the opening of this church in Sohodol. A day in which the gospel of Jesus Christ was shared with power.
At guests we had many unbelievers from Sohodol, some listening for the first time the Word of
God.
We now have a "bridge" to these unbelievers and we can visit them and help them understand
God's salvation.
Thank you for all your support in prayer! We are honored to be partners in evangelism, we feel overwhelmed by your love.

Prayer Requests:

• For those who have heard the Gospel both in Sohodol and Ponorel

• For an evangelistic event in Valea Ciorii village in September

• To continue to evangelize the orphaned children and teachers from Abrud (guidance of the Holy Spirit)

• For health and Divine care for my whole family

Special blessings in the Name of Jesus,

Florin Botar - PIEI Missionary

A SWEET SURPRISE FOR THE ORPHANS IN ABRUD

It is such a great blessing for us to be partners in evangelism and an encouragement on the path of faith!

At the last visit to the two orphanage houses in Abrud, I thought that will be nice to bring them watermelon (they had not received anything like this this summer). Some of them were trembling with joy (this moved my heart to tears). I talked a lot with them and their teachers who are quite open to the Word of God.

Another great work that awaits us this month is the evangelization of August 25 from Sohodol (20 years have passed since the opening of this church). I and the whole church are praying. We want to bring over 50 guests from the village, non-believers (a strong call to repentance will be on that Sunday).

Also, this month we visited the family from Brazesti (Brother Morcan and Sister Paraschiva are the only believers in this big village) we prayed together and encouraged them to stay close to the Lord.
At Ponorel we discussed with Jicu, Marinela, Marin and Viorica all non-believers who are not far from the Way of salvation.

Prayer requests:

• For Brother Vasile - he is very ill (servant at Ponorel Church), and his wife, Emilia.

• For the August 25 event in Sohodol (Holy Spirit to research the souls of unbelievers and they seek salvation in the sacrifice of Jesus).

• For the orphans from Abrud and their teachers.

• For Brazesti village (a work of church planting).

Florin Botar - PIEI Missionary