Chapel at a Christian Seminary

Right now a big part of what I am doing in Romania is NETWORKING! This week I attended chapel at a Christian Seminary and was able to meet some people who are interested in doing more to help the needs of the youth in Romania's evangelical churches. I also attended an all-day Seminar on the "Kairos" course, which is similar to the Perspectives Course on the World Christian Movement. It's exciting to see efforts being made to increase awareness among Romanian Christians about their role in the Great Commission. The theme behind the "Kairos" Project comes from Genesis Chapter 12th--that we are Blessed to be a Blessing. I couldn't agree more!

At the Chapel service, I was able to catch up with a lot of good friends, including Mattei and Betty, who recently got married. Mattei is from Council Bluffs, Iowa and works via the internet in Bucharest for Deaf Missions. He is quite the artist! His wife Beatrice (Betty) is in her last year of studies at Seminary. I also caught up with my friend Marta (pictured with me) who is Betty's younger sister. Marta also studies in Seminary and nannies the four kids of my teammates, the Mitchell's, from Pennsylvania. I cannot say enough what a blessing and joy it is for me to be worshiping with my friends at chapel in Romanian and hear their very authentic and genuine prayers. That, my friends, truly feeds my soul!

Ahh, life in Romania...who can beat it?

Cows kind of do whatever they want in Romania

Just, a joke!

Nice lock!

This is a more common sight than you would think

This one made me laugh!

Well, it's one way to transport potatoes

Romanians are CRAZZZZY about Football

Last night was what the Romanian media called "The match of the century" between two Romanian soccer teams who are in the quaterfinals of the European Soccer Championship. This is the first time that two teams from the same country have qualified, so Romanians are quite proud. However, they will tell you that they think it is unfair that the two Romanian teams have to meet in the quaterfinals, rather than playing in separate brackets to potentially meet up in the championship. Anyway, the two teams are Bucharest Steaua (Stars) and Bucharest Rapid. Depending on what area of the city you live in--everyone in that zone will be for a particular team. If you think American football is popular in the States, than you have NO IDEA how big soccer is in Europe. Everyone, and I mean everyone is on the streets waving their flags, chanting, and honking their horns when their team scores a goal. It's complete pandimonium! It's also pretty dangerous to be say, a Steaua fan in the Rapid area of the city. Well, since I was in Romania and am a big Steaua fan, of course, I had to watch the match! It ended in a 1-1 tie! They play again next week in the other team's stadium (Steaua's) for the right to advance on to the semi-finals of the European Championships. Lupta Steaua!!!!!!! (Go Stars!)

Dinner with the Radan Family

The other night I had a wonderful time visiting with the Radan family: Ela (left), Mama Radan, and Daniel. Ela (left) teaches English at a school in Bucharest and has one of the biggest hearts and passions for Christian ministry of anyone I have ever met. This past year, she has done a great job in helping me with my Romanian language skills over email. This has been a tough year for her family, and without getting into too many details, let me just say what a privilege it is to be amongst a family that always puts the Lord first, even in the midst of extreme adversity.

Look Who I Found!

What a blessing it is to have so many friends in Romania who have made me feel right at home. I had a BLAST visiting with the Tamas family and my dear friend Catalin (We call him CAT for short). Cat is a great musician and is in his last year studying at a music high school. Whenever we get together, Cat and I love to teach each other new praise songs and even write our own music. His family lives on the outskirts of Bucharest and have a beautiful garden, dog, and home. They are a truly hospitable family who love the LORD. Cat's Dad helps with the Baptist Evangelical Alliance in Romania and has been involved with several church plants. In addition, he has helped construct many churches around Romania. Cat's brother, Florin (below), is in Seminary and has already been working as a missionary with several organizations. He currently helps lead junior-high youth at a church outside of Bucharest.. And their mother? Well, what a joy she is! She is a great cook and I must admit that I enjoyed stuffing my face with Romanian specialities--including sarmale (stuffed cabbage rolls). I even got to bring some home. I plan to visit the Tamas family often! They're the best! And last, but not least, another visitor dropped by my little (temporary) studio: none other than my friend Emi Panca. Like Florin, Emi has studied at a local Bucharest Seminary and hopes to do more missions work. Right now, he is working with an organization called, Open Hearts Ministry, which works with handicap children. Emi and I have worked together in camps and I have helped his Dad build a fence at their home in the Prahova Valley, which is about an hour north of Bucharest. They grow a lot of fruit there, and last summer I was able to come home with several jars full of homemade Gem de Zmeura, Raspberry Jam! And if you know anything about me, you know that I really love raspberies. I have a feeling that I will be seeing a lot more of Emi in the future! Stay tuned for details.... Yes, it is great to have so many Romanian friends already. I'll try to post pictures of my guests and outings.

I made it!

Well, I arrived in Bucharest on March 21st and was greeted by my boss and some of my good Romanian friends. My teammates threw a pizza celebration in honor of my arrival and my "Send Mike a Pizza a Month" campaignn. We all joined hands and sang the old hymn Great is Thy Faithfulness, prayed, and enjoyed a nice time of fellowship. My teammates made me feel especially welcome. Oh, and the pizza was good too!

Meet my Language Tutor

One of my main orders of business right now in Bucharest is to continue to improve my Romanian language skills. Every morning I will be meeting with Lidia, our team's langauge tutor. Today I just had my first language session with her and by all indications, I must say that I am simply going to LOVE my language sessions. Lidia is a good teacher and very funny as well. She is going to drill me hard on grammar! She's already given me homework. Yeah!

My place in Bucharest

The outside of the building where I live in a studio

The area around where I am stayingInside the studio......

I Have a Date!

I will be departing for Bucharest, Romania on Monday, March 20th from the Minneapolis Airport! Slava Domnului! (Praise the Lord).

On March 5th, I had a very nice send-off and commissioning service at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Princeton, MN, where I grew up. They dedicated a hand-made prayer shawl for me and people signed a cloth that will be made into a lap quilt. Thank you Immanuel for your prayers and support!

I will be commissioned by Calvary Baptist Church on Sunday March 19th at both the 9:00 & 10:30 services, with a small reception (with food) after the last service. You are all invited to send me off before I leave the following day--I would love to see you!

Please pray that I am prepared both spiritually and physically. And please pray for me as I work to raise the last pledges towards my monthly support requirement.

Mike

Send Mike A Pizza A Month Campaign

I am currently trying to raise the last bit of monthly pledges I need to reach 100 percent of my monthly support requirement. Once I am on the field, I have a monthly support requirement to reach each month. Currently, I am looking to raise about $600 more in monthly support. The price of a pizza dinner one night a month for a typical family (say around $30) goes a LONG way to helping support a missionary on the field. This is my current support need:

• 15 families/individuals supporting my ministry at $30 a month
• Or, 6 families/individuals supporting me at $100 a month
• Or, any combination
• If you would like to join my monthly support network, please let me know (MichaelLundell@oci.org) or send a note to OC International's address listed below indicating that you would like to join my monthly support network or visit the OC International Website.

Many have asked, and yes, OC International does offer automated giving through automated checking account withdrawal or credit card payment. This process can be set up on our Website at www.onechallenge.org (or click on the links to the right of this page). You can also send checks written out to OC International (Memo Line: Michael Lundell) and sent to:

OC International

P.O. Box 36900

Colorado Springs, CO 80936

Yes, your donations go to my account and are tax deductible. OC will send a detailed receipt. Your donations and monthly pledges are much needed, appreciated, and a TRUE BLESSING AND PRIVILEGE.

My Romanian Family

The "Tinca's" have become my adopted Romanian family. I first met them during the summer of 2002, when I stayed at their apartment for a summer while assisting with orphan outreach with the Buckner Organization in Targu Mures, Romania (northern Transylvania). Since then, I have always made time to visit my Romanian family. From left to right: Cipri (who is like a brother to me), Eunice, Valer, and Margareta. They are some of the most hospitable people you could ever meet and Mother Tinca is one of the best cooks in all of Romania (I'm serious!). I never cease to leave their apartment without stuffing my face first. But as you all know, I love food! The Tinca's are also a great example to me of faithfulness and Christlikeness. They have accepted me into their family with open arms and they pray for me regularly. I praise God for them!

So Mike, what will you be doing in Romania?

The future of the Church in Romania lies with the youth. They are a generation that has shown interest in evangelism, missions, and ultimately transforming their country for Christ. Still, they are a population that has felt isolated and marginalized from the local Church, for good reason. There is a major need for the Church in Romania to begin reaching out and making the youth an integral and contributing component of the Body of Christ. If the Romanian Church is to awaken to its responsibility to play a part in the Great Commission, it is imperative that it addresses the great divide that exists between the Church and Romanian youth.

My job with OC International in Romania is centered on discipling, equipping, and mobilizing Romania’s youth to effective Christian witness and ministry through the local church (across denominations). My heart is to see Romania’s youth embraced and valued by the local church so that they become an integral and contributing component of the Body of Christ in Romania. My ministry will consist of several components:

• Meeting regularly with various church leaders discussing the importance of youth ministry, strategies, events, etc. It's important to have leaders being a part of the youth movement in Romania. In order for youth ministry to be effective, church leaders ought to be behind it.
• Networking and partnering with church youth leaders around Bucharest, Romania to share prayers, encouragement, resources and ultimately work together to reach the youth of Romania for Christ
• Discipling Romania’s youth by building real and authentic relationships through various small groups, activities, etc.
• Equipping Romania’s youth for ministry through work in evangelistic Bible camps, conferences, retreats, Bible training, small groups, church activities, & orphanages
• Mobilizing Romania’s youth for missions both in and outside of Romania

Romania: a storybook land

A lot of people ask me what Romania is like, and I guess one of the best ways to describe this beautiful country is to say that Romania is a country of dichotomies. The green, lush countryside of Romania is exceptionally beautiful and largely untouched. It is here that one of the main modes of transportation is horse and wagon and people still tend to their fields with a horse and plow. Life is much slower than the hustle and bustle of Romania's urban centers, but the rural villages are also a place of peace and tranquility. People sit outside their homes on a hot summer day and say hello to those on the street. This lifestyle, however, is in juxtaposition to the fast-paced "on-the-go" speed of Romania's urban centers. Bucharest, Romania's capital, is a metropolitan area slightly bigger than the Twin Cities. The city was once known as "The Paris of the East" for its wide boulevards, lively culture, and renowned restaurants. After decades of communism, that distinction has faded away. Today, much of Bucharest reflects the architecture and design of the communist system outlined by Romania's former totalitarian dictator, Nicolae Ceausescu. Concrete block apartments, the staple of the communist regime, still dominate the urban skylines of Romania. I will be living in one of these block apartments. Bucharest has a very nice, extensive transportation system, complete with a large Subway, above-ground tram, taxis on every street corner, buses, and inter-city vans. The city is also home to some beautiful parks, lakes, and intriguing tourist spots. The second largest building in the world, the People's Palace, is located in Bucharest's central square. Ceausescu built it largely for himself, and it is one of the most opulent buildings I have ever seen. I believe that almost all of the materials came from within the country. Many Romanians will tell you that Ceausescu robbed the country in order to build his palace. Currently, the building is used by thee Romanian government and is open to the public for tours (although they don't show you even half of the building). Still, it's certainly worth visiting. Bucharest is indeed a very busy city, in transition. New shopping centers, glass high-rises, and western restaurants seem to be springing up all over the place. But it's also a fun city, that has its own charms. I like Bucharest a lot, but it's not my favorite city of Romania. I like getting out in the Carpathian mountains and visiting some of the ancient medieval Romanian cities, where yes, the legend of Dracula originated. It's in some of these cities that I think a lot of Romanian culture and tradition is evident. So, there is much more I could say about Romania: e tara frumoasa (a beautiful country). In the months and years ahead, I look forward to telling and showing you a lot more about my beloved country.