sowing wind, reaping whirlwind
Using martial arts as a tool to preach the Gospel in Cahul, Moldova
Greetings, beloved, in the name of the Almighty, the Ancient of Days and the Saviour of men, the Lord Jesus Christ. “Behold he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen” (Revelation 1:7).
I begin typing as I sit here with Jamie at the Ataturk International Airport in Istanbul, Turkey, waiting for our flight back to Romania. ‘Twas a crowded and hectic subway journey just to get back here from the old city. Wow, we had quite a time in Istanbul . . . but wait, I must not get ahead of myself. Truly, much led up to this point, and the Lord has been very good. Thank you for all your prayers. Back on January 7th, Paul Langford and I left North Carolina and eventually landed in Bucharest, Romania’s capital, as fresh snow covered the ground. Early on in this missionary journey, we sowed the wind, having only a couple of contacts in Romania and Moldova that we had never formally met. We knew not exactly how all things would play out and to what extent we would have opportunity to proclaim the Gospel. Three weeks later, with Jamie and I preparing to return to the home in the morning, it is apparent that we have reaped the whirlwind (Hosea 8:7), and I do mean this in a glorious sense …
… Well, I didn’t get very far with this update back in Turkey, or afterward in Bucharest for that matter. Now, I sit here in my office, having safely returned to America more than a week ago. I apologize immensely for the lack of communication over the past month. So much happened in Eastern Europe; suitable internet access was limited; and the last thing I had time to do was pen one of my characteristic epistles. Upon returning home: unpacking, catching up on administrative headaches, getting tax-deductible receipts out to our financial contributors, and a few unforeseen circumstances have yielded little time to recap; but finally, I am getting around to it. There is so much to tell as I desire to give testimony of God’s provision, the preaching of the Gospel, and specific answers to your prayers regarding this latest missionary journey. Our labour over in Eastern Europe basically unfolded in three stages. This update, I suppose, will therefore cover the first stage—my adventures with Paul Langford in Moldova. The rest of the story will come out in two subsequent “issues”, so please be patient with me. As always, I write for the glory of God and for your encouragement and edification.
Before I get into the recap, I must humbly request your prayers on several fronts. First of all, Jamie’s mom (Vickie Crafton) has been having some health problems lately, and this week, we learned that she has a grapefruit-sized mass on one of her kidneys. The doctors express certainty that it is cancer and are afraid to do a biopsy for fear of causing the tumor to spread. We will be learning more in the coming days, and doctors are never the final say on the matter. Join with us as we pray that God will take away that mass before she goes in for more testing on February 16. We can already discern the sovereign hand of the Lord in this matter, and it is comforting to note so many Providences leading up to this discovery. The Lord never brings His children only part way through tribulation, and He certainly will not give them more than they can bear (I Corinthians 10:13). We are earnestly praying for healing and the faith to deal with this situation. Your prayers would be most appreciated.
Continue to pray for Jon Lane and Shawn Holes. There was a court hearing on January 13th regarding their arrest in South Dakota for handing out Gospel tracts. Nothing was decided that day, only court testimony and cross-examination. Thankfully, God answered our prayers, and these proceedings did not cause a problem for Jon coming to Romania. We went on to have an incredible time of ministry with the South Dakota Team in Romania and Moldova (I will write about this in the next update). Thanks for your past prayers in that matter As I understand it, the Christian attorneys representing these brothers staged their questions at the hearing in such a away that it allowed both Jon and Shawn to boldly preach the Gospel before the judge, the prosecution, and others in the courtroom. Currently, the judge is reviewing the case, and a ruling is expected in a couple of weeks. Really, if this judge finds them guilty of the ridiculous charges levied against them, she should be impeached. Keep praying.
Thankfully, John’s legal troubles stemming from the preaching of the Gospel in America didn’t prevent him from bringing a team to preach the Gospel with us in Romania.
Finally, please pray for us and Full Proof Gospel Ministries in the coming days. I am mulling over some hard decisions regarding upcoming work, and the days to embark are fast approaching. Pray that the Lord leads us in a plain path and that we will not be “unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is” (Ephesians 5:17). I must say, things are a bit financially strained for FPGM at this time, and the failing economy has caused us to lose some committed monthly support. Please pray that the Lord makes provision. Again, we are finding our monthly operating budget to exceed our level of committed monthly support. To what extent we continue our labor in 2009 will be determined by how the Lord provides in this matter. Where the Lord seems to be leading involves financial obstacles, and I am struggling with the decision to proceed down that path. Thankfully, He has proven to us time and time again that He never guides where He does not provide (Philippians 4:19). As I have said a few times before, I will mention again with some reservation: If the Lord should lead you to support Full Proof Gospel Ministries on a monthly basis, even if but a small sum, it will be most appreciated; and we commit to use such for making the Gospel of Jesus Christ an unavoidable issue for as many people as possible all around the world and just around the corner. If you financially contributed to our work in 2008, THANK YOU. Your sacrifices are not taken for granted, and these make you fellow-helpers to the biblical truth we endeavor to proclaim and a valuable part of a Christ-centered fellowship of prayer warriors, financial supporters, missionaries, local churches, and Bible-believers. With grateful hearts, we are honored that you are a part of this fellowship, and what I will describe below regarding our latest missionary journey is YOUR spiritual fruit.
So, back to Eastern Europe: Paul and I landed in Romania and were picked up at the airport by the family of a young Romanian pastor from Pucioasa. This would be the first of many such provisions from the Lord, and I rejoice to now call friends and fellow-laborers many that aforetime I knew not from Adam. That night, we crashed in a guesthouse, and as Paul and I went searching for food in the bitter cold of late night and early morning, we began scattering seeds, drawing from our large supply of Romanian tracts and eager to lighten our load. God gave us boldness from the beginning to witness in a completely new culture where we hadn’t the slightest clue about anything. Things were much different than the South Asian culture to which I am accustomed, and I must admit that the first few days had me homesick for Nepal. The next morning, Pastor Nicolae, with his wife and daughter, drove us the 300 km over to Cahul in Moldova. This was an incredible blessing as it saved us from a long and slow overnight bus and allowed time for sweet Christian fellowship. I had trusted the Lord to bring things together for the next week when the team from South Dakota would arrive in Bucharest. As it turned out, this team would be working with Nicolae and his church up in Pucioasa, so the ride to Moldova proved to be ordained of the Lord. The countryside was bleak and frozen, and the Dakota-like plains were dotted with ugly Soviet-style industrial monstrosities. A few seeds were scattered here and there. As we neared Moldova, I welcomed the plateaued hills and winding roads that hugged the Romanian side of the border. The border crossing with all those tracts and Bibles was surprisingly easy, and they didn’t even search our bags. The fact that so much could change in the less than twenty years since the USSR is astounding, a true testament to the grace and sovereign hand of Almighty God.
Giving Out Gospel Tracts on the streets of Bucharest, Romania
Moldova, a small landlocked country, used to be part of Romania until it was occupied by the Soviet Union during World War II. It would later become a Republic in the USSR and Soviet efforts to break the cultural ties between Romanians and Moldovans resulted in mass deportations of the population to Siberia, a forced influx of Russian and Ukrainian peoples, a push toward the use of the Russian language as opposed to native Romanian, and large-scale industrialization in a traditionally agricultural region. All of these factors, along with the breakup of the USSR in 1991 and the resulting cessation of Soviet capital and industry, have solidified Moldova as one of Eastern Europe’s poorest countries. On top of all this, the eastern strip of Moldova that lies on the far bank of the Dniester River considers itself independent, is occupied by the Russian Army against the will of the Moldovan government, and is a haven for the Russian mafia. Foreigners are warned to stay out of the Transnistria, and many Moldovans are afraid to travel there. Today, the Communist Party remains a strong force in the government, and the future of this country looks bleak. Nevertheless, after years of persecution under Soviet Communism, believers now experience much more freedom, can worship openly and establish Evangelical churches, and enjoy an open door for evangelism and the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This open door, like in Nepal, could swing shut at any time. Moldova, as we experienced it in Cahul, a decent-sized town near the Romanian border, could be very depressing. Old and drab Soviet-style architecture and high-rise apartment buildings were common, and the ghosts of Communism still hung around. Then, there was the Orthodox Religion. I want take the time to recap the history of the Orthodox Church, its formal break with Roman Catholicism in A.D. 1054, the minutiae that distinguishes Eastern Orthodoxy from Catholicism, or the shades of difference between the Greek, Russian, and Romanian Orthodox Churches. Suffice it to say that when Paul and I walked into an Orthodox Cathedral in Cahul, it reeked of man-made religion. This experience was strangely similar to being inside of a Buddhist monastery, a Hindu temple, or a Catholic Church. Man’s religion, it’s all the same: damning bondage. Jesus Christ and His Gospel is not religion, thank God. The priest in this particular church was very suspicious of us and was either disgustingly ignorant concerning the history of Eastern Orthodoxy or else willfully reserved. He basically ignored our questions. There were lots of icons for sale there, and poor Moldovans will spend lots of money for these. Icons are not three-dimensional statues like what the Catholics esteem. That, according to the Orthodox, would be idolatry. Flat renditions on paintings or mosaics, on the other hand, are OK. You can kiss them, revere them, pray to them. It’s only idolatry if the object of your reverence is 3D, or so says the Orthodox Church. The religions of man can be so ridiculous. Pope, Patriarch: What’s the difference? They are just men in need of a Saviour like you and me. Traditions of man: nonsensical garbage (Colossians 2:8). So many are deceived by the rudiments of religion. Moldova was no different. And, oh yes, there were many we saw carrying the prayer beads: just like the Catholics do, just like the Buddhists do, just like the Muslims do. Oh how badly the world is in need of the Gospel message (i.e. repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ—Acts 20:21). Thank God that He has a faithful Remnant and that His message continues to go forth. We would experience that Faithful Remnant firsthand in Cahul.
All manmade religion is the same—dead, ridiculous, and bondage
There, Paul and I hooked up with Anatol Dunas, the pastor of Emmanuel Church, a local body of believers supported by one of our partnering churches in North Carolina. For the next five days, we would be extremely busy--a whirlwind of public proclamation and fellowship with genuine believers. The Lord was very good.
First, there were the marital arts demonstrations. Nicolae, Pastor Anatol’s brother, is a bold believer and a fine Tae Kwon Do instructor. He heads up several martial arts schools and brought Paul and me in to teach marital arts technique and boldly preach the Gospel. Overall, we visited four separate classes. At the main school, we performed a demonstration of our style, including knife and gun defense technique. This seemed to really impress the students. That, in turn, paved the way for bold preaching later and appreciative acceptance of Gospel tracts, Bibles, and fresh socks from America. Nicolae was a superb translator and proved to be a bold witness himself. In fact, it was plainly obvious that he was motivated by sharing Christ through his martial arts teaching. Paul and I were both encouraged and convicted. Later, we would visit three more dojos, smaller classes run by some of Nicolae’s black belts. There, we also taught technique and preached the Word of God. At Newton Martial Arts, our dojo in Newton, NC, we are adamant that martial arts technique is to be an absolute last resort for the protection of oneself or for the protection of those who cannot protect themselves. Even so, the use of such is never to go beyond self-defense; and sometimes, the best type of self-defense is no defense at all. One sees this truth in Matthew 5:39, and I can sincerely say that putting this principle into practice on several occasions in my life probably saved my life. Anyway, the gist of our message to the Moldovan students was just that: Sometimes, the best type of self-defense is no defense at all. What a bridge to the Gospel this proved to be, for one who was mightier than the mightiest warrior demonstrated this for the benefit of others: Jesus Christ, the Lord of Glory and Creator of all, chose not to defend Himself when He had all the power to do so (Matthew 26:53; John 10:17-18). And, this restraint paved the way for the salvation of men (John 12:32). “Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift” (II Corinthians 9:15). Here is a snippet of some of our preaching in one of the dojos:
That week, Paul and I would also meet for several hours with all of Nicolae’s black belts and a few of his highest ranking students. These were very intrigued by our self-defense technique, particularly our approaches for dealing with knife or gun attacks; so, we rejoiced to be able to pass some of this knowledge on to others. These things really caused me to reflect with gratitude concerning all that I have learned over the years and the things instilled in me by my sensei, Larry Beal. I thank God for this man who never saw martial arts as a means to make a buck and taught solid, practical technique in a Christian context. I have truly been blessed. Back in 1991, I traveled to the Soviet Union with a United States Government ambassador program. At the time, I was a yellow belt—very early on in my martial arts training. I remember asking Sensei Beal to promote me to green belt before my trip, but he refused, knowing that I was not ready. I was angered and actually thought about quitting. At that time, I was also a false convert, lost and bound for hell. I remember that my plane flight from Moscow to Rostov on Don in the Ukraine almost crashed. The landing gear would not come down. But for the grace of God, I could have died and gone to hell. In 1991, I went to the Soviet Union unconcerned about the things of God and having no care for the souls of men. Moreover, I was bored with martial arts and on the verge of giving it up altogether. Then, I never would have dreamed that I would be back in the former Soviet Union almost eighteen years later as a fourth degree black belt teaching martial arts and preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The sovereign grace and Providence of the Lord will never cease to amaze me (Isaiah 55:9).
A Night of Teaching & Preaching with a group of Moldovan Black Belts
Martial arts was not the only aspect of our labor in Moldova. This was interspersed with much street evangelism and some testimony and preaching at Emmanuel Church in Cahul. On a Saturday evening, we preached at a youth meeting where some lost were in attendance. The young people were reserved and hard to read but received us well. They actually paid attention for the duration and were not climbing up the walls and rolling their eyes like typical American spoiled brats. Truly, this was an indictment against the conventional youth of American churchianity. I shake my head in shame even now. That night, the lost heard the Gospel preached with a sharp edge, and the the saved were exhorted unto boldness and obedience. The next day, the Lord’s Day, I was honored to preach to all the believers gathered at Emmanuel Church.
On this missionary journey, I would be given opportunity to proclaim in five churches, and my message would be the same: Be a bold witness for Jesus Christ. This is what it means to be filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 4:31). Being a bold witness is not inviting someone to church, simply being nice, chickening out with the Gospel under the guise of “building relationships, or “lifestyle evangelism.” No, to be filled with the Holy Spirit and to be a bold witness is to be unashamed of the exclusivity of the Gospel message (i.e. Jesus Christ as the only way to eternal salvation—Romans 1:16-17; Acts 4:12); to preach (the God-ordained method for carrying the Gospel throughout the world--I Corinthians 1:10,18); to go forth with intent, ever ready and willing to make the Gospel of Jesus Christ the topic of conversation (II Corinthians 4:13; I Peter 3:15); to be ready and willing to suffer (Philippians 1:29; II Timothy 3:12); and to be motivated by obedience as opposed to results (Mark 16:15-16; John 6:44; I Corinthians 3:7). The truth of the matter is this: Jesus Christ’s last commandment to his followers before ascending back to heaven was “Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). This Great Commission appears four other times in the New Testament (Matthew 28:19-20; Luke 24:46-48; John 20:21; Acts 1:8), and it was no good suggestion. It was a command that God expects believers to obey.
Well, what does it look like to faithfully carry out the Great Commission? The Book of Acts shows us how the earliest disciples understood and carried out this command, and more than anything else, it is a model of how we, too, should be obedient to our Lord. From beginning to end, Acts shows the labor of the earliest disciples to be clothed in bold evangelism. This, my friends, is the foundation of the Great Commission, the evidence of the filling of the Holy Spirit (Acts 4:31); and without bold evangelism, you cannot have genuine discipleship, genuine church planting, or genuine New Testament ministry.
As I preached, I spoke of the false religion of American churchianity as an example of what results when the foundation of the Great Commission is neglected and disdained. I also warned the believers to exercise great caution with so-called “Christian teachings” and “Christian teachers” that are popular in America. I implored: “Be instructed by the Word of God and the Holy Spirit, and heed the godly leaders that the Lord has put over you in your churches. The United States is not the source of truth, and much of what American churchianity has to offer will do you far more harm than good.” I went on to speak of the coming persecution in America for the genuine believers. Not a few were shocked by tales of Christians being arrested around my country simply for passing out Gospel tracts or being a witness of the Gospel. “I do not believe this,” one man said, “America is a Christian nation, it is the land of freedom.” Sadly, I had to enlighten this brother with harsh reality. Needless to say, Officers George, Nowatka, and Yoder of the Hickory Police Department got lots of publicity in three different countries. I am sure these never would have imagined such when they put me and my brother in handcuffs back in June of last year simply because we were distributing Gospel tracts in the town square. Scattered amongst the believers there in Moldova and in churches where I preached in Romania were elderly Christians who undoubtedly remembered the days of persecution under Communism, my so-called sufferings paling in comparison to what these could assuredly recount. Perhaps it was they who should have been teaching us about boldness and faithfulness to proclaim the Gospel. Anyway, I pleaded with the brethren to pray for the churches in America, not that we would be delivered from persecution necessarily, but that persecution would make us strong and bold as it did for those behind the Iron Curtain just a few decades ago. God’s will be done.
It was am honor to preach in Moldovan churches and to warn believers about listening to what comes out of American churches.
During our time in Cahul, Paul and I hit the streets and distributed many Gospel tracts. Sometimes, it was brutally cold, but people were out and about. There were many conversations, and brothers and sisters from the local church proved to be very bold translators. At first, we felt somewhat stupid—Pastor Anatol would approach small groups of people and introduce us as sportsmen from America. He would then turn to us and say, “Ok, you preach Gospel.” So implored, we spoke of the Creator, the Garden of Eden, the Law of God, the Cross, God becoming flesh, and eternal salvation upon repentance and faith. The “Evangecube,” a visual tool I sometimes use, came in very handy. ‘Twas a bit strange in Moldova: The people seemed very introverted and a bit taken aback by our greetings and initiations. Unlike Finland and the UK, however, very few refused the tracts or our message. Images of so many faces come to mind from these outings. We witnessed to the mayor of the town, some police officers, lots of taxi drivers, students from the university, the two caretakers of the town Christmas tree (Moldovans leave up their Christmas decorations far longer than Americans, partly because the Romanian Orthodox Church follows the Julian calendar, so Christmas traditionally falls on January 8th), and whoever else the Lord put into our path--rich and poor, young and old.
We also gave out a lot of socks in the name of the Lord Jesus on the streets of Cahul and in a nearby village or two. This proved a great bridge to the Gospel. Let me pause and thank Twin City Knitting of Conover, NC for donating more than nine dozen pairs of tube socks for this work. It was quite a job to strategically pack and carry over all those socks and Gospel materials, but we were sure thankful that we did. The people on the streets loved the socks, and the believers at Emmanuel Church were thrilled to receive a sizable supply of Gospel tracts, Bibles, and other Christian materials in Romanian, Russian, and English. Having seen the boldness of these believers, there is not a doubt in my mind that all these materials will go out. Obtaining solid Gospel tracts and Bibles is expensive in Moldova and getting these in quantity is more than difficult. Very few things in ministry give me more joy than being able to supply believers with stockpiles of materials for evangelism, especially when I know that these can use them in their cultures far better than I or my evangelism teams can.
It was a blessing to share the Gospel on the streets, or on the ice, and to give out socks in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Several incidents are worth mentioning. One afternoon, Nicolae took us out to Mantra, a village on the outskirts of town. I was again confronted with the fact that village life all over the globe is basically the same. There were are few people out and about in the frigid air--a couple of students, an old man at the well, some village women. Tracts went out. Eventually, we made our way out to a frozen lake where some kids were playing ice hockey. We walked way out there and preached the Gospel with boldness. All the kids stopped playing and listened as Nicolae translated. We then gave them tracts and fresh socks. It was glorious. Had we so desired, we probably could have walked across the frozen water all the way to the Romanian frontier. Here is a little video of this preaching:
Another day, we targeted a small market. Several paused to listen as I drank tea and started sharing amongst a few vendors. One man openly rejected the truth that salvation in Jesus Christ is a free gift. He could not accept this and stormed off. ‘Twas a good thing actually—it sparked the interest of others as I explained how salvation is free (i.e. Romans 3:23-26).
Anatol took advantage of our presence, utilizing a very bold and interesting strategy. Later, when I brought my wife and the South Dakota team back to Cahul, we would again employ this tactic. Several believers in his church have unbelieving relatives who are closed to the Gospel. Because we were “visiting sportsmen from America,” we could gain entrance into these homes and speak boldly. Perhaps, Anatol thought, these would listen to us. I really admired the boldness in this. Anyway, to make a long story short, Paul and a Moldovan brother visited one such family and shared the Gospel there. Anatol took me to meet Nicolae, a former Soviet Army officer who served in Afghanistan. His son had recently become a Christian and was attending Emmanuel Church. An influential businessman, Nicolae had recently been involved in a head-on collision while driving his car. He should have been dead but escaped with only a broken femur. It was snapped in half; I saw the X-ray. Nicolae, accustomed to running around and being very busy with little time for the things of God, was now bed-ridden and humbled. In those moments, as he lay inert, he was confronted with the reality of God’s judgment and the balm of the Gospel message. The Lord gave me great boldness as I used the “Evangecube” to illustrate. To Anatol’s amazement, he actually listened and did not kick us out of his house. I gave him some socks in the end, and he allowed me to pray for his healing and salvation right there in the bedroom. This, my friends, was a divine appointment. Please pray for Nicolae. Back in 1991, when I visited the Soviet Union as a punk teenager with little care for the things of God, I met a young man who had also served in the Soviet Army in Afghanistan. In fact, he gave me his desert uniform jacket with the hammer and sickle on the gold-plated buttons. I still have it. Then, I never thought about sharing Christ and am ashamed even now as I think back. This time, however, the Lord gave me another opportunity, and again, it involved a former soldier who served in Afghanistan. I can only marvel.
Sharing with Nicolae, a former Soviet Army Officer who served in Afghanistan
Pastor Anatol and his Family in Cahul
Sadly, our time in Cahul eventually came to an end. Paul and I bought a couple of seats on a night van going back to Bucharest. The ride was a miserable seven hours. The driver did not want to arrive at our destination too early, so he drove a mere 35 mph on open freeway. Why couldn’t we just stop at an all-night cafe or something and kill time? The culture shock was getting to me. Something I noticed about the Romanians and Moldovans: They deal with cold outside by cranking up the heat inside their homes and vehicles to ridiculous levels. There were times when it was brutally cold outside but so hot inside (they heat their homes with natural gas), that I found myself wanting to run out into the night with nothing but my underwear and a t-shirt. The van ride to Bucharest was no different. The heat inside that vehicle was vomit-inducing, and the driver ran it at full-blast the entire journey. He spoke no English and could not comprehend “Turn the heat down” even when I started shedding layers left and right. He just sat there and drove, all bundled up and acting comfortable. I tried everything to block a vent in the front seat that wouldn’t close. Stuffing my beanie and scarf in there worked for awhile, but then these almost caught fire. Once, when we stopped for a potty break, I opened the door to gasp in the cold night air. The driver got upset with me and complained that the other passengers would get cold. This cultural idiosyncrasy had me dangerously close to a spiritual meltdown. I dealt with it by stepping outside the van and forcing myself to stand there in short-sleeves until we were ready to leave (about twenty minutes). I figured: the longer I freeze in the single-digit cold, the longer it will take me to thaw-out in that sweltering van. Maybe, just maybe, we’d be in Bucharest before the nausea returned. The other passengers and the driver looked at me like I was deranged, and Paul just snickered. As a result of these antics, I caught a cold the next day that wouldn’t leave me until I returned to the United States. Culture shock can truly lead a person to do regrettable things.
The van ride wasn’t all bad, however. Paul and I found ourselves in the midst of a unique irony when we crossed the border back into Romania. The Romanian Border Officer was visibly suspicious of us. “Get out of the vehicle, and open your bags,” he barked. The man was especially curious about a briefcase that Paul had packed inside of his larger suitcase. The briefcase was full of Gospel tracts and a few Bibles. Upon inspecting these materials, the officer remarked: “Oh, you must be working with a church. That is good. I don’t need to see anything else. You are free to continue on. Have a nice night.” In that moment, I chuckled when I considered how different that scenario would have transpired 20 years ago under Communism. Things sure have changed in that part of the world, and this in itself means there is hope yet for the godless West.
At 4:00 am, we finally arrived in Bucharest. Do you remember Nicolae from Pucioasa who initially drove us to Moldova? Well, his brother, Slavic, picked us up at the bus stop and brought Paul and me back to his apartment where we crashed for the night. Though the place was extremely small, he and his wife welcomed us in and gave up their bed to strangers. I was humbled by this show of Christian charity, something we had enjoyed often since our initial arrival. In fact, thinking back on this, I am a bit sad. The fellowship and partnership we had with the believers there and later in Romania and Turkey was notable. In these believers, I tasted true charity, a hospitality and a love for us as strangers that made even “Southern hospitality” seem to be a surface-level sham. I miss this. I have always appreciated the word “charity” in the King James Bible. When Jamie and I were married, I Corinthians 13:4-7 was read aloud during the ceremony. I refused to allow the preacher to substitute “love” for “charity” as found in the passage. The reason is because the Bible properly makes a distinction between charity and love. When one examines every New Testament reference where these words are found, it is easy to see that “charity” is a term reserved for the special love relationship that can and should exist between believers, members of the Body of Christ. Despite modern-day connotations of this word, charity is distinct from all other types of love and is far more than what we typically comprehend as American Christians. In Romania and Moldova, the believers gave me a better understanding of this. Across the board, these were so hospitable and accommodating toward us, mere strangers following the same Saviour. Sacrifices were made so that Paul and I were well fed and had comfortable places to sleep. We were forced to spend little money, and we were constantly encouraged in numerous opportunities to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I could not possibly say enough about Anatol & Nicolae Dunas, Geul, Ruslan, Nicolae & Slavic Vulpe, their families, and many others. These taught me much about Christian charity and the Body of Christ as it is supposed to be (see Acts 2:42-47; 4:32-35). Thank you, dear brethren. Know this: The Bible says that those who take care of traveling preachers on their journeys, though they be strangers, do well. May the Lord bless you all tenfold, no, an hundredfold.
These precious believers gave up their beds for us in a tiny apartment in Bucharest.
Before Paul departed for home, we had a day to walk the avenues in Bucharest, sowing seeds of the Gospel. That night, Jamie arrived after a long delay in London coupled with a bout of sickness. It was late, and we were all very hungry. From the guesthouse where Paul and I stayed our first night in Eastern Europe, we strolled down a familiar sidewalk and came upon a familiar vendor, a Turkish man selling shaormas (similar to Greek gyros). His culinary creations again hit the spot, and for a second time we spoke the Gospel in our broken Romanian and his broken English. Though short and sweet, I sensed the appointment to be divine. From there, we watched young people ice skate in the park, saturated a marketplace closed for the night, and prepared to part ways a few hours later. Paul returned home safely. As for us, however, our work had only just begun.
Praise God that Jamie finally arrived in Romania. We went right out in the cold to celebrate over some shaormas.
Before I close (I know this update has been really long), please remember Pastor Anatol and his church in your prayers. The Lord provided these believers with a beautiful building in which to worship not too long ago. It is simple, yet charming, a bright yellow color that stands in stark contrast to the drab Soviet-style architecture dominating Cahul. Since I returned from Eastern Europe, Anatol was approached by a government inspector and accused of not having “official permission” to use this building. The church was fined and told to cease using the edifice until “official permission” (whatever that means) was granted. Apparently, this has something to do with the basement of the church being unfinished, and corrupt political officials see this as an opportunity to elicit bribes and stymie the ministries of this bold body of believers in Cahul. Pastor Anatol has been told that the basement must be finished before any type of official permission will be granted. Unfortunately, Emmanuel church has not the laborers or the funds for this project at the moment. This whole building was erected in faith without debt, and progress has been only as the Lord provided. Now, the Evil One is trying to extinguish this beacon of light in a spiritually dark and forlorn land. I shudder to think that these troubles are a direct result of our evangelistic boldness in Cahul or a result of the characteristic boldness of these believers as they live out Christ in their everyday lives. Pray for them.
Wow, this draft is ten pages! I must sign off, and as I do, my mind is flooded with recollections of Moldovan villages, roads full of potholes, Soviet high-rise apartment buildings, bitter cold afternoons, loads of Romanian and Russian Gospel tracts needing to be stamped, frozen lakes, pungent sheep cheese, homemade fruit juice, Orthodox shrines, lots of meat and potatoes, Christmas lights up long after Christmas, cold and depressing Soviet-era gyms used for martial arts classes, my quest for donkey sausage, warm fellowship with brothers and sisters in Christ, and a myriad of opportunities to proclaim the Gospel in a plethora of circumstances. Your prayers were answered; my prayers were answered. Glory to God. We sowed wind, but we reaped a whirlwind.
One of many images that come to mind from my time in Moldova
During my last day in Moldova with Paul Langford, I met a leader from a Russian-speaking church in Istanbul, Turkey. Little did I know, but this rendezvous would ultimately result in me preaching at his church and would forever tie Jamie and me to a sixteen-hundred-year-old city, Hezbollah, and Iran. But, this fascinating story will have to wait for another day. And, I still have to tell you all about Romania. The Lord is good, very good.
Stay tuned . . .
For the Word of God and the Testimony of Jesus Christ,
Jesse Boyd