God of Immanuel who gave us the sign of recovery

"Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs – he wants to please his commanding officer." (2.Timothy 2:3,4)

2008 was a year of hardship and training but a year in which God gave us the sign of recovery for our house church. After coworker gave birth a stillborn child in her last pregnancy in Nov. 2007, she suffered very much from mental shock and hypochondria and also from respiratory distress which seemed to be an aftereffect of caesarian section. I struggled to endure this time of hardship hoping God who works for the good of those who have been called according to his purpose in all things taking desperately hold of Romans 8:28 and 8:32 putting these verses on my office desk. Bonn UBF coworker’s practical serving of love and prayer support and comfort from many senior missionaries encouraged us a lot in that period. Especially when I was just about to give up solving coworker’s respiratory distress problem because any hospital in Bucharest couldn’t explain clearly the reason and solution, coworker recovered suddenly from her breathing problem without any medical treatment thanks to God’s servants’ prayer support from all over the world. I could understand a little more the heart of God who had to sacrifice his one and only son instead of me and I made up my mind newly to hope only the kingdom of God and to serve this mission more purely with fear of God putting down all human hope on my coworker and son. But meanwhile there was works of Satan that Bogdan whom I served four years and who swore many times to be good coworker for Romania UBF pioneering ministry got marry to one sister and informed to me later and M. felt in human love with one American by internet and planed to emigrate to USA after graduation in Feb. in 2009. But I couldn’t help them absolutely because I was tied down to coworker’s health problems and passing through spiritual depression period. I was suffered in and out of house and company due to the failure of delivery of 1st child, coworker’s breathing problem, burden on ministry, difficulties in raising disciples, power struggle and human conflict in company and loneliness in mission field to be exhausted spiritually and physically.

On the other hand God allowed coworker to remain pregnant again in May, and coworker started to recover spiritually and physically very rapidly. I started to pray that God help my house church with easy birth this time to experience God who works for the good in all things in spite of training from time to time and to recover fully from hurts and failure due to the stillbirth of first baby more than son itself. And God gave signs of recovery in many sectors of my life. God blessed my life in company to promote to manage level in an abnormal way, and will send back wicked human-centered boss who gave me many stresses to hinder ministry to Korea and will send Christian bosses and a boss with good character from same hometown. Through this God is allowing more free office environment decreasing unnecessary stresses to serving ministry well. In March God allowed us small but well located apartment near Univ. of Agriculture (Verterinary Medicine) campus as bible center and front line camp for pioneering ministry. In the beginning stage of pioneering ministry I used to try to evangelize company colleagues and friends. Bogdan and Madalina are among them, but from 1st semester(autumn) of 2008 we decided to get new students sheep through visiting campus of Univ. of Agriculture (Verterinary Medicine) and dormitory (where also ASE(Univ. of Economy) students are living) and fishing once a week. Then we could meet some students with spiritual hope such as George (Business Administration 1), Lucian (Veterinary medicine), Nicu (Environment protection 5), Alina and so on. And God allowed us students from Republic of Moldova such as Diana (Univ. of Politics/ public relations 3), Marina (Univ. of Politics/Political Science 3) and Mariana (high school 1) who is Diana’s younger sister. On the other hand in the company I got an opportunity to evangelize Eduard (Univ. of polytechnic / graduated) who is new staff in my department and praying for the invitation to Spring Bible conference and Summer Bible conference in 2009. And when I try to invite Toma(Univ. of Economy/ graduated) who is colleague in the office and Irinia, his wife to 2009 summer bible conference, God granted him spiritual desire to read carefully some instruction books of UBF and they promised to participate. And Edy who is one of my old Romanian friend and attending Baptist church decided to participate to summer bible conference and to save money for expenses. May God invite at least 10 young people to 2009 summer bible conference. When I look back 2008, I thank God specially for Bogdan’s and Madalina’s participation to Macedonia Spring conference to learn God love and mercy through the parable of the lost son and have fellowship with coworkers from Bulgarian, Serbia, Macedonia and Greece. On 13 and 14 Dec. we arranged Christmas Bible cafe for the first time in our pioneering ministry and tried to invite students. God blessed this Bible cafe to bring 3 students (Madalina, Bogdan and Nicu) and one Christian family (George and Laura) helped voluntarily this ministry with special songs and we shared the joy and grace of Jesus’ coming for our sins. Through this Christmas Bible cafe there was a work of Holy Spirit in Bogdan and Madalina to decide to continue again 1 to 1 bible study regularly. While I serve Christmas Bible Cafe I could notice that God is intervining in Madalina’s life to have personal relationship with her. At fisrt, when we were worried with the number of sheep to come, Madalina couldn’t enter her new apartment because of 10 month delay in construction and registration and finally had trouble with her worldly friends with whom she was living together and she cannot help but to request help to us to live together in our apartment not only to participate in Bible Cafe but also to help this ministry with ownership. Secondly, she tried to get visa to emigrate to USA seeking human love with one American but failed to get visa as we prayed and cried all night. In this process Madalina accepted that even though she plans her path, God is the one who leads her life finally and decided to continue 1 to 1 bible study and house church bible study with shepherdess Monica JUNG. May God save Madalina who is fluent in Spanish and French also and let her live as bible teacher and shepherdess of students.

Romania UBF planned to serve invitation for Bible Cafe, Spring conference in Serbia and Int’l summer bible conference under basic direction of visiting campus and fishing once a week for the Univ. of Agriculture (Veterinary Medicine) and dormitory of ASE(Univ. of Economy) to get new sheep with spiritual desire and serving 1 to 1 bible studies with current sheep. Especially we pray for new bible students such as Alina, Marina, Diana, Mariana, Nicu, Lucian to study bible regularly. Among them Marina, Diana and Mariana are from Republic of Molova where official language is Romanian. May God use them preciously for salvation work in Republic of Moldova. And May God have mercy on Bogdan and Veronica’s family so that they may be used for pioneering ministry preciously as coworking family. May God of Immanuel be with us also in 2009 to show his grace abundantly. We start 2009 with key verse, 2 Timothy 4:2 “Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage-with great patience and careful instruction.” May God help me to deliver heart moving Romanian message and raise up one responsible and voluntary Romanian leader for this ministry.

Prayer topics:
1) At least 1 house church for 84 universities (56 public / 28 private) by 2020
2) New bible students from Univ. of Agriculture and Veterinary Medine and ASE(Univ. of Economy) by evangelization every Saturday
3) To raise up disciples among student in Romania and Republic of Moldova through 1 to 1 bible study, GBS and Bible Café
4) Shepherdess Monica JUNG’s easy birth (Mar. 2009)
5) 2009 summer bible conference (to invite at least 10 students)
6) Spiritual growth Bogdan/Veronica, Madalina, Diana, Marina, Mariana, Nicu, George, Eduard