(Before highlighting the Lord's work to which He has called me please know that I am the pastor of PIEI's first church. Over years the Lord also has widened my ministry to include gospel-oriented mission organizations working in collaboration for His church in wider Romania. This has been a great blessing as well as growing me to become acquainted with resources to advance His kingdom. As PIEI's national director I feel God's calling to return the investment in me as PIEI's first missionary. Therefore, my reports to you will always be multi-faceted.)
In April I started a Bible course for sisters in the churches entitled "The Fulfilled Woman." I was helped by Sister Sorina Zaharia, who works with Choose Life! Every Sunday afternoon, the women met online and spent time in the Bible as well as sharing thoughts, experiences, and prayer requests. They spent the last lesson together at the church in Victoria, where they enjoyed a meal together. I thanked the sister and her husband with whom I established a partnership for new areas. PIEI missionaries will benefit during this year from the potential support of this couple in meetings and courses.
Pray that we will be able to organize training, courses, and events for PIEI’s mission points
Pray that the Lord will prepare hearts for Bible study, and for personal growth in Christian maturity
In Visul de Sus, Maramureș I visited where a Place of Prayer church has been built. I am involved on behalf of the Baptist Christian Community in a partnership project with International Cooperating Ministres. We support churches in their construction projects. This partnership has proved to be a great blessing for 14 Baptist, Pentecostal and Plymouth Brethren churches in agreement in the Gospel. The psalmist says, "As they pass through the Valley of Baka, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools.” (Psalm 84:6) I want my passage through this world to leave behind “sustainable transformations.” That is to bring added value and blessings with whom I interact. Below are photos from recent projects.
Pray that the Lord will provide the necessary resources for the ongoing projects in Viseul de Sus, Craiova, Daneș, Vânători, Geoagiu
Pray that the time will come when people will be able to go to these places of worship without restrictions and without fear
Pray that the brothers and sisters will grow in calling people to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and to repentance
Apart from pastoring and with the involvment of the Victoria church leadership, we partner with Mission Without Borders through which we have several projects: After School, Family-to-Family, and Child Rescue Int. /Local Baptist Comunity
Before the feast of the Resurrection in April as a church we shared the Gospel, we discussed the purpose of the feast with parents and their children. (The Orthodox Church is the established church in Romania.) We explained the truth of the Gospel and consequences of the embracing or rejecting the Gospel. We sang, we prayed and gifts were shared.
Other Projects:
Spring brings the agricultural project. We work with eight families, helping them to learn successive growing techniques to grow vegetables. What they produce belongs to them, and after four years they receive a fully equipped solarium to continue what they have learned.
The After School Project:
Five days a week we are involved in preparing hot food for needy families. We seek to encourage them and support them emotionally. We want to be an authentic model for what it means to be a Christian. We are involved with all that we are and have, desiring to be obedient to God according to "It is more blessed to give than to receive." (Acts 20:35) God has led my life in such a way as to teach me to “Rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep.” (Romans 12:15) We currently provide daily food to 35 children through this project.
Pray that the lives of children and parents will be impacted by God through this ministry
Pray that the Lord will bless those who give and sacrifice so that His purposes are accomplished
I began a study group of six men, including one who is not a member of the Victoria church, my son Timothy, and the others are brothers. I have entrusted the work to my son-in-law, to encourage his desire to develop ministry in his life. I am a participant. This is actually a prototype out of which we hope to have a pattern for small group study to offer PIEI missionaries. Some of the brothers from PIEI took the training with me offered by Choose Life! The study, called Ascension, considers the call to be a brave man.
Pray that our lives will be transformed by the Word studied
Pray that relationships between fathers and children will be in accordance with Scripture
Pray that every man will be responsible and fulfill the mandate entrusted to him by God
Pray that the sons will find in their fathers the biblical model of manhood and the necessary support in the maturation process
Regarding the family: We want to be in the will of God in who we are and in what we do for which we thank the Lord. My son, Timothy, at the age of 17 has turned to the Lord. I had the joy of kneeling with him and praying. He to be forgiven and saved by the Lord Jesus, and I to thank God for answering prayer. Thank you everyone who prayed for his salvation.
Yours in the Lord Jesus,
Timotei Stanea – PIEI National Director
