Death Wish

I received the following message below to show you the language in which the pain this person has gone through and that prompted her to write to our website. This is at least one reason why I desire to keep the website up and running when I get back to the states. You can see some of the pain that human ignorance of the Bible, particularly about human nature, has caused. The translation is below. I've responded to the email since.

"Imi doresc foarte mult sa mor...Cand eram mica am incercat sa ma sinucid consumand o cantitate foarte mare de alcool insa...nu am reusit.La varsta de 16 ani am fost lovita de o masina dar...am scapat doar cu o contuzie la genunchi.Am fost foarte suparata pe D-zeu ca m-a scapat cu viata dat fiind faptul ca El stia cat de mult imi doresc sa mor.Toata lumea imi spune ca sufar de depresie de aceea imi doresc sa mor dar...nu este deloc adevarat.Eu cred ca e vorba de un blestem sau poate sunt de vina parintii mei pt. ca nu m-au botezat la nastere,eu fiind pana azi nebotezata.Simt ca sunt speciala in ochii lui D-zeu dar nu inteleg de ce permite ca eu sa sufar atat de mult si nu-mi ofera si mie un pic de fericire" (name withheld)

"I very much want to die...When I was small I try to kill myself by consuming a very large quantity of alcohol. However, didn't succeed. At 16, I was hit by a car, but I escaped just with a contusion on my knees. I was very upset with God that he allow me to escape with my live because He knew how much I was to die. Everyone tells me that I suffer from depression; that is why I want to die, but it is not true at all. I think that it is about a curse or perhaps it is the fault of my parents becasue I was not baptized at birth, me being unbaptized until today. I feel that I am special in God's eyes, but I do not understand why he allows me to suffer so much and does not offer me a moment of happinness

Conference 2007

We had a pleasant time of fellowship at the conference. I will try to post some pictures if I can find some (didn't bring my camera ; ) Anyway, it was my last. I understand that the subject this year "Do not grow weary in well doing" was chosen in part for the specific encouragement of the brothers in Iasi.

Update: Our prayers have been answered concerning our landlords desire to ask us to deceive the bank. They found a solution that would leave us out of whatever deal they plan to make. We thank God that the pressure has been lifted from us and that our relationship with them remains the same.

Tomorrow we are driving to Bucharest for the conference for the churches of Christ in Romania. You may ask, "conference?" Well, you could call it a lectureship. I'm translating the word that the Romanians use for it. This one will be my final one.

Stephanie and I have begun to take inventory of our possessions here so that we can begin selling what we do not want to keep. We are planning to ship back only the essentials and make a fresh start once we move back to the states. We have decided to move back in January. The elders at Parsons will send a letter to all of our supporting congregations about it. The Hollands have applied for work at the Tompkinsville, KY congregation. If they are accepted, they will move around the same time. If not, they will stay until April or May.

We are also trying to prepare the Christians here for our departure. We ask that you keep us in your prayers as we make this big transition in our lives.

God bless,
Eric

Corruption

Just when we thought that we found a landlord that we can trust not to ask us to lie, I found today that is not true. Only this time, he and his family want to do the opposite of what previous two landlords did. Those landloards wanted more money, but wanted to declare less to the state so that they did not have to pay taxes. Well, our current landlord wants to declare more money, without actually paying more. Today, they asked if I would be willing to sign a contract that declares that I am paying them 2600 lei in rent per month, instead of 1300 lei so that they can get a loan from the bank for a house. They would actually pay taxes on the the 2600, which I suppose increased their chances for loan approval. As diplomatically as I could, I told them that I cannot sign a paper that declares that I have given them so much money, when in reality I have not. I told them I would be glad to help find a solution, but I could not lie. I am appalled to be asked to lie. We have a good relationship with them, having shared a meal in their home. I just pray that it does not affect their opinion of me since I would not be helping them. I told them that they have the prerogative to increase the rent (at least not before our present contract is up), but I did not say that I have the prerogative not to pay and then move. Our next move will not be here, but back to the U. S. Please keep us in prayer as we handle this situation.