My name is Stinea Timotei-Valentin (the one who honors God). I am 57 years old. I am married to Marilena. We have been blessed with 4 children, three girls and one boy, three sons-in-law, and 9 grandchildren. I have been working with PIEI as a missionary since 1991. Currently, I serve as the National Director of PIEI in Romania and pastor a small church in Victoria.
Education:
Pastoral Theology - Emanuel University Oradea Master of Arts
TCMI Vienna: LOVE THE SCRIPTURE, THE WORD OF GOD
I was called to ministry through the text from 2 Timothy 4:2 “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine”.
Thanks: I offer heartfelt thanks to God for His immeasurable grace and faithfulness, and for His caring provision for us, His servants, PIEI missionaries, in the year 2023.
Jesus said in John 10:16, "And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice, and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd."
I like to believe that in the mind of the Lord Jesus when He spoke of other sheep, we from Romania were included. And if this were not enough, I am comforted by His words in John 17:20; "Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word."
We Believe in Him Through His Word
We would like to mention some of how the Great Shepherd continued His work of "gathering His flock" in Romania. He faithfully builds His Church, calling souls to salvation and equipping them for every good work, to all those who receive and listen to Him.
Romania after COVID no longer resembles what it was before. That period marked many lives, both of unbelievers and believers. Like a sifting, the faith of some has been strengthened while others have lost it. It was not easy, and if it were not for the Great Shepherd of the sheep, how scattered we would have been? So, we owe it to Him that we still exist, and His work continues through us, you, and many others worldwide. A path we desire to be holy, dedicated, and effective is PIEI, both in Romania and everywhere else.
Missionary Service:
12 missionaries work in 28 mission locations, continuing in 2023 to serve the Lord through their sacrificial involvement in evangelization: in homes, places of worship, on the streets, outdoors, from person to person in small groups, or larger gatherings.
Listening to the Lord Jesus, we sought to share the Gospel with every creature, young and old, men and women... We used various legitimate methods to bring the Word to people.
I recall:
evangelization programs: visits to families, educational activities, teaching English and German, distributing Bibles and New Testaments, After School programs, VBS (Vacation Bible School), camps, excursions, events, and Bible studies.
Christian care for the poor, sick, widows, orphans, refugees, both in the country and in Ukraine.
I can say with all my heart that every PIEI missionary has been filled with passion in their area of work. Hundreds of children and young people have heard the Gospel, and hundreds of parents have come into contact with PIEI missionaries and the Gospel. We pray that this holy seed will sprout and bear fruit.
By God's grace, the missionaries had the opportunity to meet at the PIEI Christian center in Alba Iulia three times in 2023. Twice they were together with their families, a blessed and appreciated time for each of them. We focused on fellowship, Bible study, prayer, but also rest.
The issues related to the organization and legislation of our work have been placed on the table, so that each missionary works legally, respecting the country's updated laws. The last meeting focused on preserving and strengthening relationships among missionaries and the churches they serve.
In the Gospel of Matthew 4:21, it says that James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were mending (Katartizo - meaning uniting or restoring) their nets. Similarly, PIEI missionaries were encouraged to restore, meaning to bring their relationships in line with biblical principles, improving cooperation so that each one is involved in the life and work of others, according to the gifts received from the Holy Spirit.
Therefore, the PIEI mission will have several projects that will be carried out at the organization's level. Each missionary will lead one of these projects:
Aurel Rodean - sports evangelization
Botar Florin - evangelization in families
Nemes Traian - evangelization through meeting needs
Emanuel Joldos - evangelization of adolescents and young people
Petrut Daniel - evangelization through organizing camps and VBS
Cornel Fogorosiu - evangelization through working with families
Traian Chilau - discipleship and worker training
Gabi Cuc - evangelization through prayer
Florina Darvell - evangelization through working with women
Sfetcu Florin - evangelization through construction work
Mihail Geabou - evangelization through press and media
Timotei Stinea - evangelization through serving all, leadership, mentoring, and counseling.
Here are various ways of service that we invite you to join us in implementing. I know that there are many local works in which you are involved. I dare to ask and invite you to join us, based on a Scripture verse that the Lord speaks to those involved... "For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance."
In the same vein, God has opened new doors for PIEI, offering the opportunity for a broader work towards winning Romania for Christ. Thus, PIEI RO has a Christian Center in the center of Romania, in Alba Iulia, where efforts are being made to be a "sacred tool" used for:
God's glory
Welcoming short-term mission teams
Christian involvement in the surrounding church community
Education
Conferences
Sports
Rest
Offices
We look confidently towards the future and hope that by 2025, PIEI International will be able to have a meeting with the participation of all fathers belonging to the PIEI organization worldwide.
Christian Center
Location: Podari
An open door for work
It is a property that owns two hectares of land, a building with 12 rooms, a kitchen, a bathroom, and a meeting room - all with utilities. In 2023, the entire roof of the building was replaced, and renovation work inside the building began. It is desired that the place be used by missionaries from the southern part of the country and by the surrounding churches, as well as by mission teams coming to support missionary work.
Location: Necrilesti
Another open door
A wonderful place where we want to have a camp, a place where individuals, families, and churches, can retreat, seeking the Lord: in prayer, meditation, counseling, studies, and rest.
City: Victoria
Another open door, provided by the Lord for the establishment of a camp for children, adolescents, and young people, which PIEI desires and through which it aims to reach and impact all of Romania and perhaps even the ends of the earth. For now, we have encountered a legal obstacle. We face difficulties in finalizing the documents and obtaining the construction permit. We pray and seek solutions and support in overcoming the situation. We have a construction plan, and we desire to see it realized.
Working together, PIEI aims to be a support and a co-worker for churches that do not belong to PIEI families, but belong to the Lord like us. 26 Pastors and their wives were invited to a dinner by the PIEI organization. An opportunity to develop and strengthen relationships with them and to find ways to work together. We had a beautiful fellowship, blessed by the Lord, and the possibility of opening another field of ministry for the mission.
A youth meeting and a prayer meeting of the sisters from the Community of Baptist Christian Churches in Sibiu will take place in November, which are the first fruits of this Fellowship.
External Mission: PIEI Romania has stood by the missionaries and the work of PIEI in Ukraine, our brothers, who are going through difficult times and are being heavily called upon to cope with the large number of refugees who have come to their area of work. They support even the soldiers on the front line with food and protective clothing during battles. They offer the Word of God in the form of the New Testament to those who fight.
Short-term Mission
We have been blessed by the presence of mission teams that have been involved in various areas of service alongside the missionaries:
Construction projects in Podari, led by Brother Walter.
Distribution of eyeglasses.
Working with children and families, including meetings with PIEI missionaries.
Brother Florin Sfetcu said: "Mission teams have helped me the most and the best." So we invite and await you to consider, among all the choices you make, to be a part of a short-term mission team in Romania, working together with us, according to the gifts and power that the Lord has given you.
Obstacles:
We believe that if these were lacking, something would not have gone well. The Apostle Paul tells Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:12, "Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted."
Directly or indirectly, the accusation of proselytism continues (accusing us of stealing the sheep). We are called false teachers, wolves in sheep's clothing. People are urged to stay away from us and not associate with us. In some places, they are threatened that if they have relations with born-again believers, they will not benefit from religious rites, etc.
Materialism and pleasures continue to blind the eyes of those of our kin, causing them to avoid the saving Word for them. The media focuses its attacks on the Church in general. The education of children is subjected to assaults in various ways by organizations that do not love the Lord.
The weak testimony of some believers discredits the work of the Lord. And many other obstacles can be listed that the evil one has raised in the path of the Gospel. However, we thank the LORD that HE defends His flock, and the chosen ones will never be snatched out of His hands.
Prayers and Requests:
"Whatever you ask for yourselves" and perhaps it can stand before the Lord wherever you are asking, ask for us. This is what we do for you.
We thank all of you who carry us in prayer, who financially support the work in Romania, who have been a part of mission teams and paid a price for it, not only financially but also physically and spiritually.
We also thank those of you who will want and choose to get involved in the future in any of the mentioned things above. We invite you to come alongside us, and together in Romania, let's be fellow workers with God.
Timotei Stinea – PIEI National Director
