Our meeting at the PIEI Center is remembered to have taken place under the good hands of our God.
This year we met with all the missionaries with their families in joy and peace. For three days our Romanian missionaries and families gathered from:
Alba: Stef family
Alexandria: Geabou family
Beciu: Sfetcu family
Maldaeni: Moldoveanu family
Draganesti-Olt: Darvell family
Caciulatesti: Cuc family
Curtea de Arges: brother Traian
Victoria: Stanea family
Alba: Joldos family
Telna: Nemes family
Mihalt family: Petrut family
Campeni family: brother Rodean
Sohodol: brother Botar
Our context of Christian work is developed and supported by PIEI Romania in both the southern and central areas of Romania. In these localities where the Word and Christian testimony are present. In these places God has men of faith, doing His will, wanting and engaging in presentation of the gospel and making disciples of the Lord Jesus.
With us was a mission team from the United States, coordinated by brother Cornel Stef, president of PIEI. Returning from a missionary trip to Ukraine, and exhausted, they sacrificed themselves to spend time with us sharing from their calling, gifts, and ministry they do in States.
The main focus was that each missionary and his family could enjoy a special time of rest, and fellowship, by way of encouragement given in the Scripture.
We learned about the work that each one is doing in the place where God called him, about the blessings and challenges of the work, and experiences through which God has led each one. In all this working maturity, wisdom, and joys in the Lord Jesus as well as tears, which are not forgotten but known by God.
The messages from the Scripture by pastor Kevin Cram of the Liberty Bible Church deeply touched our hearts and minds in a particular way that some of the missionaries said, "We really needed this."
We were encouraged by the Word that God chose to work with us ("some clay vessels") in which He laid His treasure.
2 Corinthians 4:7-15 comforted us, strengthened us, motivating us to do the mission work with greater enthusiasm.
Brother David, who does counseling work in his church, willingly giving up any personal comfort to serve us, also encouraged and urged us through his messages and examples. It was helpful to hear that the "heroes of faith" of Hebrews 11 did not reach perfection as God also calls future generations of women and men of faith, in which we may know the same status.
The sisters also had a special time with the sisters from the mission team: Carole, Martha, Sarah and Elizabeth.
Willingly serving in Ukraine, they also encouraged our Romanian sisters by sharing their thoughts, experiences and teaching, creating bridges between human souls of different cultures under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
The last night we were urged to take note of the importance of rest in our lives regarding the sabbath from a perspective somewhat different from the contemporary Romanian context. We were guided to understand that the sabbath recognizes the Lord as Master of creation and Savior rather than emphasizing a day of the week. Sabbath rest transcends the material sphere by emphasizing the importance of communion with the Lord of the sabbath and the honor of His name.
We parted thanking God for these few days in kneeling before Him, thanking Him for all things, asking Him for His companionship, help and strength for the work He calls us to do.
In addition to His presence, we have returned to our field of work, acknowledging blessings from the blessings received, which are poured into the souls of all those who are the sons of peace and in whose blessings they desire to dwell.
Stanea Timotei - PIEI National Director
