Mr. Filipovici

"I am learning both the Bible and English and my thoughts are changing". This is the essence of what my Bible student Mr. Filipovici said to me last Tuesday during our Bible study. I have been studying with him for over a year and I have seen his enthusiasm grow from just wanting to learn English to wanting to learn more about the Bible. I have not gotten into deeper study with him yet. It will come in the second series of lessons. However, I am patient. I would rather that he take his time soaking in God's word than for me to ruin it by giving him too much at once. This is pretty much typical of studying with those raised in Eastern Orthodoxy. Mr. Filipovici has said that when the temperatures get cooler he would come to worship some time. He has yet to make that step, but I tried to drop some hints Tuesday. I showed him the living room where we worship and the songbooks that we use. I beg you to pray for him. His heart is the most open of all my and Stephanie's students.

Songs

May you be encouraged with the songs on the following page: http://www.austinvillecoc.org/music.html

Have a great weekend!

Summer's End, Fall Begins

At the beginning of September we and the Hollands spent two days at the Black Sea where we were able to wind down from a long, hot and busy summer. I will post pictures later.

Last week, Ethan and Nathaniel started school. Ethan is in Romanian second grade and Nathaniel is in the preparatory class. Romanian children usually start first grade around 7 years old. On the side, the boys are being homeschooled in American subjects. Ethan is in third grade and Nathaniel in first.

Alina Badea is a Christian from Bucharest. She will be with us until next May. She will spend her time proofreading material and translating books and material that we plan to have printed. We plan to print the following books: Help and Healing for People Who Hurt by Tom Holland; God, the Bible and Common Sense by Thomas Warren; The Church of Christ by Everett Ferguson; Commentary on 1 and 2 Thessalonians by Earl Edwards; and From Riches to Poverty to Glory (a harmony of the gospels) by H. B. Frank.

We continue to study from the Romanian Bible Academy material.

I am preaching a series from 1, 2 Timothy and Titus.

We continue our one-on-one English/Bible studies. I have three students now. Stephanie has divided her ten students among Alina and Rachel Holland. Please pray that hearts will be open to accept the gospel.

All of the men are now in Iasi. Sister Granic is in Palermo, Italy, where she works. She attends worship services there in Palermo. Florin continues his work at Selgros (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selgros). Benone returned from the Black Sea coast where he worked as a cook for a hotel restaurant. Mihail has been looking for a job for few months now. He is now working a couple of weeks in another town.

Costel has recuperated from the ordeal with his hand. I am not sure when he will receive a prosthesis. He might need another procedure done to ensure that he can get one that fits. I am not sure at this point what his work situation is now. Beginning in November, he will take a course on environmental ecology.

Benone and Costel have agreed to begin taking over the editing and printing of our magazine Apa Vie. They have also begun sharing in the teaching of the adult Bible class. Please continue to pray for all the Christians in Iasi as we prepare for our departure next May.

I, too, have begun an independent study as part of the MDIV graduate program. I am writing a 50+ page paper on icons in the Orthodox church. This paper will present a history of the controversy, will study the Orthodox rational for icon worship, and will present a Biblical evaluation and how such a study will help the church in Romania. This paper will not be a simple tract, but an indepth study of the subject with extensive research. In the future, I intend to translate it into Romanian. I pray that it will receive a good response by the Romanian brethren. I ask for your prayers as well.

man nutrisystem

Have a laugh

You might not see anything related to missions in this post, unless you think that a good belly laugh helps your stress level seriously drop. Warning: very contagious.