Only one life

" Only one life
   That will soon be passed ;
   Only what you did for Christ
    It will matter in the afterlife "

     I just started reading one of John Piper's books , it's called " Don't waste your life " and after first pages I got so convicted by the Holy Spirit . I think the theme of this book is not to waste and not to pass the opportunities that God gives you to serve or to share the Gospel .

    This past period of time I was kind of stuck because I don't know for sure what God wants me to do and where He wants me to be , but I'm starting to give up on this way of thinking , and like a song says " While I'm waiting I will serve you " . So , like John Piper says in his book , I am praying that I wouldn't pass any opportunity that God gives me to serve or to share the Gospel here in Pitesti where He had putted me for now . 



     Prayer requests
- my daily walk with the Lord
- my family
-the ministry in Razboieni
-the church in Bircii
- the parents that come to the program



    You can see some pictures below to make an idea of what went on lately in Pitesti :)

this passed month there were three World Race teams in our church in Pitesti , we had a good time together

the world race team together with the kids in our program

one of the parents with her kids ( you can pray for this woman's little kid because he just got sick and he's not doing very good )

me giving lessons in drums :)

one of the World Race girl got baptized during her time in Pitesti

some of the parents that come with the kids at the program

planning the bible study for the kids

worship ( the kids really enjoy the worship time )

praying time

worship team :)

some of the drawings that the kids made ( they are very talented )

while the World Race teams were here, we had some English classes for the kids

we started to study the fruits of the spirit

one of the boys , his name is Petrisor , he is just beautiful , like all the kids

some American girls teaching the kids a song

in Bircii ( my hometown ) we had Thanksgiving in the church

me and my brothers Sami ( the little one ) and Gabi

Soccer in Ukraine

With God.s will I was able to go with Florin Soare and his wife, Avery in Odessa, Ukraine, for the past two weeks . It was a blessed and wonderful time . I had the chance to see again lots of friends in Odessa and to meet and talk with few of them .

   The reason we went there is a soccer camp organized by some of the missionaries that work in Odessa, and we went to help with that . The camp was great ; There were some non-believers guys and it was a great opportunity for us to minister to them and to get to know them and build relationships in order to be able to talk them about Christ . I shared my testimony and it was great to see the guys listening and after that some of the guys shaking my hand . I was so happy when of the non-believer guys stood up in front in the last night and he shared about his life and I was so surprised because he had a similar life story with mine and he said he could understand me . It was great , I was and still praying for that guy, his name is Andrew .

   There are some pictures below , I invite you to watch them and to get an idea of what happened in the camp .

  Prayer requests :- my family ; we are going through a hard time spiritually and not only right now

                            - the ministry in Pitesti, the Roma kids

                            - the church here in my hometown , please pray that God will give everybody wisdom and

                              a clear view of how the church of Christ should look like

                            - me, for my relationship with God and also for wisdom

Vlad, I think he was the youngest guy

this was my team, except the guy in the left

we had fun with some team building games

I love this game

me with Alex and Vlad in the back

starting one of the official games

picture on webcam , big smiles

in the camp facility there was this small beach, very beautiful

this is Sergey ( yellow shirt ),  one of the I.M missionaries that serve at the Living Hope church in Odessa, and Eric, an American soccer trainer that helped us to learn the rules and also fair play

more games..

Sergey with Caleb Torres , one of the organizers

the whole team

Sasha , preaching on the the Gospel night

After the soccer camp I had the opportunity to go for a day only, ( because I was sick after the camp ) to an English club with some Ukrainian kids

New home ...

    Last two weeks were crazy for me because I was asked by the landlord of the place I was living in to find another place in maximum two weeks . I didn.t understand why , but I had to do it . It was a real adventure to find a place to live , but God helped me and together with a friend , we find a place in Razboieni ( the Roma neighbourhood ) , the place where I am serving every Sunday night , and where almost all the kids that we are working with , are from . It.s a crazy , noisy and hard place to live in , but I know God has good reasons to put me here . It is a good opportunity also to serve more to this kids , and hopefully, with God.s will , to their parents also .
   Lately I am having a hard time being here , because sometimes I feel kind of lonely , but I know God wants me to get to the point where I will find all my peace and everything I need in Him .
   You can watch few pictures to get an idea about the place where I am living now , and about the ministry we are having . 



 prayer reasons :- my family ( they are going trough a hard time now ,because my dad is having a difficult     time at work because he got robbed again , someone stole again all his fuel from the truck and now he has to work to pay the fuel )
                         - the ministry here in Pitesti , especially for the older boys , sometimes they are very stubborn and we , as leaders need to stay in control and the boys need to understand that they have to show God respect, and to us at the same time  .
                         - Soccer camp in Ukraine . We are going at the end of this month in Ukraine for a soccer camp
                        - my spiritual growth
                        - support raising , ( if you know people that would like to be involved in some ministry , please let them know about the ministry here in Pitesti , I could use  and appreciate their support because I don.t have enough money in my I.M account for the next salary and I wouldn.t want to be in debt with them)
                         - the church back home

two of the boys trying to read the NT , even tough their reading is not very good

I am very happy to see that the boys got used with the fact that we need to pray

Marian ( white shirt ) and Ionut ( second from right ) with three of the boys

Because I am a student I can rent for free a very nice soccer field next to a shopping center , and often times we go for soccer with the boys , it.s a great time

these are my neighbours , this is a block build by the city for the poor and Roma people

This is the view from my balcony

the floor where our flat is

the kids playing with a dog

some kids on the street , most of them come for the program on Sunday nights and now I live in the same place with them , and every day they are ringing the door to say hi , or call me from the windows , it.s kind of crazy ...

    I was asked by the baptist church in the city I am serving in , what kind of ministry am I doing here , and if the ministry we have affects someone . They asked me this because they don.t agree with the ministry Living Hope church ( the church I serve ) , probably because it.s not a baptist church , I don.t know ....
    I said God is the one that changes hearts , i just want to do my best to spread the Gospel, and I do that by building relationships with the Roma kids, by loving them , showing that God loves them and they matter , they have a purpose in this life . And about our ministry affecting someone : young Roma kids are cleaning the soccer field in one of the city parks, two of the older teenagers just got a job , kids are sending me text messages to apologize for saying a bad word when they are angry , and so on....if this is not God.s work , I don.t know what it is...God is amazing and He changes life right at the moment you read this , we serve a mighty God , and sometimes I don.t fully understand it .
    You can watch some pictures to get an idea of what happened in Pitesti lately . God bless you and thank you for all your support .


    Prayer requests : -the church in Bircii ( my hometown ) , I think the Devil is trying his best to divide the church there even more  , please pray for unity and wisdom .
                              - the ministry here in Pitesti, for the Roma kids and their families
                              - for me , to be focused on God everyday , for my personal relationship with God
                              - support raising and wisdom to administrate the money I get more wisely .
                              - for the ministry that goes on in Romania

this past month we had two World Race teams helping us the ministry here,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

some of the kids that are coming at the program on Sunday nights

one of the World Race guy sharing his testimony

we organized a picnic for homeless people

it was a blessed time for them, and us at the same time

I don.t know how many of you know that there used to be a prison during communist time here in Pitesti, where they were taking young and smart men to wash their brain and make them give up their faith , we had the chance to go and visit this place and see and remember at the same time the sufferings of the people that were there

one of the places where they used to torture Christians

this is a monument remembrance of the people that died in the prison

some of the guys from the World Race and the guys that are serving at the church

working at the worship leader.s house

me with two of the Roma kids

there was a concert at the church with one of the Christians singers in Romania

me with Ica ( middle ), one of the Roma teenagers and Marius , a great guy that serves in the church