Operation World

Many of you are familiar with the book Operation World, which serves as both a religion information resource and prayer guide for every country in the world. It is a tremendous resource for understanding the state of Christianity around the world, with statistics, history, and prayer requests. Currently, the authors have asked us at OC International to prepare the information on Romania. Thus, we have been updating our research and networking the Christians around the country to compile information about the state of evangelical Christianity in Romania. I have contributed some of the prayer requests especially related to youth issues. It is a great honor for our organization to be asked to be a part of this global project. If you have never glanced at this book, I highly recommend you pick up a copy and I assure you that you will be challenged by the immensity of the unfinished task that lies ahead of us: to make disciples of all nations. We certainly live in a world in much need of the Gospel.

Funny Street Signs

Here are some funny street signs in the Lipscani district of the city. This one says, The Street where we kick the ball with the boys
Translation: The Street where I kissed Mimi

Translation: The Street where Grandma stays

A Strole through the Park

My block apartment in Bucureşti: or what I like to call my Commie-Condo!The picturesque view of my block from the park across the street
Where I go to play tennis with friends (also in the park across the street)...it's pretty much all clay courts in EuropeUnlike in States, where you can usually find local school courts to play tennis, you have to pay by the hour to rent a court in Romania--nothing comes cheap here--and nothing is free. So, if you can just go down to the local school, shoot hoops, hit the rackets, etc., consider yourself blessed. Here we have to make sure we have a big group, so we can split the cost.

This is where I go swimming across the street. The Romanian Olympic Team trains here also.

The lake and restaurant in the park across the street...usually the fountains are on and shine various colors at night

There are plenty of parks in Bucureşti with lots of playground equipment for kids, like this one across from where I live

Meet the Parents

My parents were in Romania for a week. It was SOO nice to be able to spend some time with them. For sure, I miss them dearly. We were able to tour Bucureşti and visit the beautiful Romanian countryside. It's not often I get time with my parents, so I thank God for every opportunity. I can't say enough how good it was to see them. I already miss them :(

Visiting the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Parcul Carol

We stopped along the shores of Lake Bicaz in the northern Romanian county of Neamţ. The lake has a huge dam and is 40 kilometers long.

This is a highway literally cut through rock called cheilei bicazului (the keys of Bicaz). You could reach out your hand and literally touch the rock. Beautiful!
Just as the scriptures say: a city on a hill cannot be hidden! I love the churches that dot the Romanian valleys, such as this Orthodox church
My dad rowing on Lacul Roşu

Lacul Roşu

My mom got a big kick out of driving in Romania and the way highways are shared with horse and wagon....

and cows!

And here are my favorite people in the world: my parents together with the Tamaş family, my American and Romanian families. We had a wonderful afternoon visiting, sharing pictures, laughing, and eating!

What a Beautiful Country!

Romania is full of scenic drives

Churches dominate the skyline at dusk in Cluj-Napoca

Traditional houses and haystacks in the countryside

My Romania: a life of contrasts

Interestingly, the EU (European Union) laws adopted in Bucureşti say that peasants from the countryside are no longer allowed in the city with their wagons and horses. Driving on the highways in Romania is a kind of like watching two time periods living side by side. I have never seen more Mercedes and BMW's in my life than in Romania. But then you pass these and get behind a horse and wagon. Or, you see a field with a large combine, followed by a field with people working with a horse and plow. Thus, Romania is truly a life of contrasts.

This one says it all!

A Taste of Romanian Cuisine

The traditional big Romanian meal involves several courses. Here is a sample: Any big Romanian meal has several courses, and it always starts with soup. My personal favorite is Ciorba de Perişoare, or sour meatball soup. I love soup. In fact, in the States when there is a big meal, I always feel cheated when there is no soup. Romanians make very good soups, and this is one of the best. Unlike in the States, where people often put everything on the table and pass the plates, in Romania, everything is done by courses. We do not have Thanksgiving in Romania, but if we did, I would imagine it would involve several courses and look something like this: first pass out the jello-salad. After everyone finishes, pass out the green-bean hotdish. After everyone finishes that, pass out the potatoes, etc. You get the idea. But really--shouldn't Thanksgiving also have soup? May I suggest Ciorba de Perişoare???

A common appetizer: Salata de vinete is an eggplant spread with mayonnaise and spices served with tomatoes on bread. This has always been something that women have really loved when enjoying Romanian food.

Appetizer #2: salata de boeuf. It is a mayonnaise and mustard salad with potatoes, beef, pickles, carrots, peas. It is often served on bread or with hard-boiled eggs.

The Romanian delicacy: sarmale (pronounced sar-mall-ey) is sour cabbage stuffed with a mixture of rice, and minced pork and beef. It is steamed for over 24 hours and served with a smothering of sour cream. The yellow stuff in the background is called mamaliga, kind of a corn-bread mush often served with a pork sauce or cheese and sour cream.

And nothing better to top off a good Romanian meal than gogoşi: home-made Romanian donuts sprinkled in powdered sugar and dipped in Romanian fruit jams. I love 'em"!

Bunavestire Music Team

I have always loved music! At my church here in Bucuresti, I am involved in the Praise and Worship Team with my best friend. I have enjoyed singing a wide variety of music, from modern praise melodies to traditional Romanian hymns, as well as Romanian call and response pieces. Some of the Romanian hymns are simply beautiful. Our director, Slavic, is an insanely talented musician who is able to spice things up by adding new rhythms and arrangements to traditional pieces and even adds authentic Romanian instruments, such as the nye (a wooden-wind pipe). In addition, my best friend Cat is unbelievably gifted at the piano (he never has to look at the music--that is how well his ears are trained and how well he plays). With that level of talent, we are able to create some truly wonderful music. For me, it is just a blessing to be able to sing with such talented people and to serve the church with the gift of music. I have learned a lot vocally and am growing as a singer. Hence, I simply love being a part of our church's music ministry.

Adolescents Conference

Went to a conference on adolescent ministry the other night and heard a great speaker, Ken Rudolph, from a church in the United States. He challenged us that often we think that the power of the devil is more powerful than that of God and that sometimes Christians can become such defeatists that we think that God simply wants us to be miserable. Yet, nothing could be further from the truth. God loves us so immensely that he gave us His one and only son, that through believing in His very son, we would be saved. And if that weren't enough, He extends grace to us in abundance. Ken Rudolph looked specifically at Romans 8, where the Apostle Paul poses several questions for us, such as that if God is for us, who can be against us (v. 31)? Think about it. How often do we so easily think that the world is against us and forget that God is greater than any roadblock, and much, much greater than our sin. Something I walked away from was Rudolph's declaration that nowhere is God's grace and boundless love more evident than when we, as Christians, go out into the real world, roll up our sleeves, and minister amongst the lost. We can stay a whole lifetime inside church walls---comfortable. But if we never get out there and adhere to His call to proclaim His glory throughout this world, we are only preventing ourselves from really seeing the extent of His grace and love. It was a good message and a wonderful time of worship and prayer. I always enjoy those kind of evenings!

By Popular Demand...more Romanian Chorul Music

Many of you have asked me to post more songs performed by Romanian evangelical choirs. Here is the Emmanuel Bible Institute in Oradea, Romania perfoming a song called "The Newborn Child" at a Christmas concert last year.

Prima cantare Biserica Emanuel Oradea

Here's another song performed by the choir, entitled "O stea" or "O Star" that guided the wisemen to Jesus.

The Lighter Side

Only in Romania.... Yup!

Beautiful parking job there guys!
Dacia: the ultimate moving truck!
and sooooo multi-functional :)

Well...it's one way to store your bike
On the left is the men's bathroom (squattie-pottie), on the right is the women's bathroom, & in the center it says "office"......hmmmmmm

This guy brought his own chair for the tram ride

The sign translates: For this brand of cheese you are permitted to take only two blocks per person. Hmm? Maybe it's reverse psychology

I love this one: Do not throw your garbage or else you'll get a ticket and a beating!

Our Romanian Saint

If you have never heard of the name Richard Wurmbrand, then you have some research to do. He is an amazing man of faith to whom all Christians in Romania owe a great deal of gratitude. Here is his biography taken from his minstry Voice of the Martyrs:

Many people called him the ‘Voice of the Underground Church’ and others referred to him as the ‘Iron Curtain St. Paul.’ This humble man who began the ministry of The Voice of the Martyrs was the Rev. Richard Wurmbrand, who passed away February 17, 2001. Richard’s life was a partnership with the equally amazing Sabina who he married on October 26, 1936.
Richard Wurmbrand was born the youngest of four boys in a Jewish family on March 24, 1909, in Bucharest, Romania. Gifted intellectually and fluent in nine languages, Richard was active in leftist politics and worked as a stockbroker.
After their marriage, Richard and Sabina were converted to Christ in 1938, chiefly because of the influence of a German carpenter, Mr. Wolfkes. They joined the Anglican Mission to the Jews in Bucharest. Richard was ordained, first as an Anglican, and then after World War II, as a Lutheran minister.
During World War II, Richard and Sabina saw an opportunity for evangelism among the occupying German forces. They preached in the bomb shelters and rescued Jewish children out of the ghettos. Richard and Sabina were repeatedly arrested and beaten and, at least once, were nearly executed. Sabina lost her Jewish family in Nazi concentration camps.
In 1945 Romanian Communists seized power and a million ‘invited’ Russian troops poured into the country. Pastor Wurmbrand ministered to his oppressed countrymen and engaged in bold evangelism to the Russian soldiers.
That same year, Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand attended the Congress of Cults organized by the Romanian Communist government. Many religious leaders came forward to praise Communism and to swear loyalty to the new regime. Sabina said, “Richard, stand up and wash away this shame from the face of Christ.” Richard warned, “If I do so, you’ll lose your husband.” She replied, “I don’t wish to have a coward as a husband.” Thus Richard declared to the 4,000 delegates, whose speeches were broadcast to the whole nation, that their duty is to glorify God and Christ alone.
Between 1945 and 1947, Richard distributed one million Gospels to Russian troops, the books often disguised as Communist propaganda. Richard also smuggled Gospels into Russia. On December 30, 1947, the People’s Republic of Romania was proclaimed.
Richard Wurmbrand kidnappedOn February 29, 1948, the secret police arrested Richard while on his way to church and took him to their headquarters. He was locked in a solitary cell and assigned as ‘Prisoner Number 1.’
In 1950, his wife Sabina was also imprisoned. She was forced to serve as a laborer on the Danube Canal project, leaving their nine-year-old son Mihai alone and homeless. Following her release in 1953, the Romanian authorities informed her that Richard had died in prison.
A doctor masquerading as a Communist Party member discovered Richard alive in prison. In a general amnesty, Richard was released in 1956 after serving eight-and-a-half years in prison. He was warned never to preach again. While in prison, he went through horrific tortures at the hands of the brutal secret police. Despite the treatments and the warnings he received from his persecutors, Richard resumed his work with the ‘underground’ churches after his release.
He was re-arrested in 1959 through the conspiracy of an associate, and sentenced to 25 years. He was accused of preaching ideas contrary to Communist doctrine. Due to increased political pressure from Western countries, Richard was granted another amnesty and released in 1964.
In December 1965, the Norwegian Mission to the Jews and the Hebrew Christian Alliance paid $10,000 in ransom to the Communist government to allow the Wurmbrand family to leave Romania. Reluctant to leave Romania, Richard was convinced by other underground church leaders to leave and become a ‘voice’ to the world for the underground church. Richard, Sabina, and their son Mihai left Romania for Norway and then traveled on to England.
The birth of a unique ministryRichard began his ministry of being a voice for persecuted Christians in England with Rev. Stuart Harris, where he also wrote his testimony of persecution, Tortured for Christ. Later, Richard moved on to the United States, and in 1965 he appeared before a U.S. Senate Internal Security Subcommittee, where he stripped to the waist and revealed eighteen deep torture wounds on his body. To this day he is the only man to be allowed to be partially naked at the U.S. capitol. His story spread rapidly, leading to more and more speaking engagements.
In 1967, the Wurmbrands officially began a ministry committed to serving the persecuted church, called Jesus to the Communist World (later named The Voice of the Martyrs). In the same year, Richard released his book, Tortured for Christ.
In October, the first monthly issue of The Voice of the Martyrs newsletter was published in the USA. By the mid-1980s his work was established in 80 restricted nations with offices in 30 countries around the world.
In 1990, after the fall of Nicolae Ceausescu in December 1989, Richard and Sabina returned to Romania after 25 years in exile and were warmly received. A printing facility and bookstore were opened in Bucharest, and the officials of the city offered storage below the palace of Ceausescu, the very site where Richard had been held in solitary confinement.
Richard retired from the day-to-day work of The Voice of the Martyrs in 1992, but he continued as a consultant and member of the board of directors, maintaining a keen interest in the work until his death.
During his ministry, Richard wrote 18 books in English and others in Romanian, some of which have been translated into 38 different languages. His most well-known book is Tortured for Christ. He received numerous honors and citations for his work during his lifetime.
Richard will be remembered with great affection as an outstanding man of God, passionate for the cause of Christ, powerful in evangelism, and persevering in suffering for the sake of Jesus who he loved. Sabina, who passed away August 11, 2000, will be remembered as a woman of great integrity, mighty faith and serene godliness.

If you get a chance, I highly recommend reading Tortured for Christ, but will warn you that it is real and graphic.

A slice of OC International's work

One of the things we do here at Oc International is mobilize local Christians to be active in their communities, active in outreach, and ultimately, we help to equip and mobilize Romanian Christians to actively respond to their role in the Great Commission. We here at OC International feel that Jesus never intended Matthew 28:18-20 to be the "Great Suggestion." We helped to translate Neal Pirolo's book Serving as Senders into Romanian, and my colleague Russ Mitchell wrote the opening forward. The book is a practical guide for churches and Christian leaders about how to support missions through education, evangelism, prayer, financial support, and by ultimately going to share the good news. The book has been used throughout Romania in churches, Bible institutes, and foundations. Just an example of some of the work we are doing at OC International in Romania.

Casa Poporului

Just came across this photo of the people's palace in Bucureşti, which was built by Romania's former commnunist dictator Nicolae Ceauşescu as his office (he never did, nor ever intended to live there). It is the second largest building in the world after the Pentagon. Thought this picture helped to capture how massive it is.

Food for thought....

Just been doing some reading and came across some quotes that I really like and thought I would share:

Live as though Christ died yesterday, rose from the grave today, and is coming back tomorrow. --Theodore Epp

No one can ignore Jesus forever--anonymous

Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than going to the garage makes you a car --Laurence J. Peter

To be like Christ is to be a Christian. -- Daniel Webster

Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire? --Corrie Ten Boom (Holocaust survivor...my sister is named after Corrie Ten Boom)

It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible! --President George Washington

The Bible is the best of all books, for it is the word of God and teaches us the way to be happy in this world and in the next. Continue therefore to read it and to regulate your life by its precepts. --John Jay - 1st Chief-Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court (all I can say is BOY HAVE TIMES CHANGED.....)

The ATM Machine

One of my favorite phrases to tell people when they come to Bucharest is that"it's not good or bad, it's just different." That about sums it up in this photo. Bucharest is constantly in construction and this is an example of the old part of the city where they are re-building the pedestrian street. The ATM is still working, just take your life into your hands! Below is an old Roman Empire archeological dig..... can you believe I live in a place THAT old!?!? COOL.... This is just one more reason I adore my beloved Romania--it's just fun and interesting!

Romania: Simply Beautiful

take a look for yourself why so many people consider Romania one of the most beautiful countries in Europe.

New Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church

The Romanian Orthodox Church recently elected a new patriarch. He is said to be an ecumenist--which is good news to us who work amongst the evangelical churches in Romania. In a country where nearly 90 percent of the population identifies itself with the Orthodox Church, it is music to our ears that the Orthodox Church in Romania might be moe open to working with us rather than against us in spreading the Gospel of Christ. The Romanian Orthodox Church is the second biggest in the Orthodox world, after Russia. Many evangelicals in Romania have been notably frightened of the influence the Romanian Orthodox Church has on Romanian society and politics: they have extreme political influence (no president in Romania can win the presidency without some type of blessing from the Orthodox leadership), and were extremely involved in the activities of the secret police in Romania under Ceauşescu's communist leadership. The Orthodox Church has made efforts in the past to be declared the state religion, in effect, making it almost impossible for evangelicals to get a building liscence to construct a church. The Orthodox Church has a long, rich history, that has been clouded by much controversy and corruption in the Romanian context. This is an extremely ritualistic and superstitious society--largely due to the influence of the Romanian Orthodox Church. So much can be said about their influence on Romania. But, we in the evangleical circles are glad to hear that the new patriarch has already made it his goal to work towards building bridges with Christians throughout Europe. Below is an article from the Associated Press:

The Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church on September 12 elected a new patriarch -- 56-year-old Moldovan Metropolitan and Archbishop Daniel Ciubotea, who was regarded as the favorite among the candidates.Ciubotea is seen as a modernizer within the church, but his reputation has been tainted with accusations that he had ties to the country's communist-era secret police. Ciubotea, who becomes the sixth patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, expressed his gratitude to the Holy Synod upon his election. "We only want to thank the Holy Synod and the members of the Electoral Religious Commission for the trust they put in me," he said. The Holy Synod chose Ciubotea from three candidates: Ciubotea, Cluj Archbishop Bartolomeu Anania, and the bishop of Covasna and Harghita, Ioan Selejan. The three were narrowed down from the initial pool of 30 high-ranking members of the clergy. Ciubotea had been serving as the interim patriarch after the death of the previous Patriarch, Teoctist, in late July 2007. Western Education, Suspicious Background Western-educated Ciubotea is known as a "modernist" who has supported reforms and has been open toward the ecumenical movement. He has also angered many traditional monasteries in Romania's eastern region of Moldavia. Ciubotea spent a long time in the West, studying theology and working in various Catholic and Protestant institutions. But it is that background that has cast a shadow on Ciubotea's reputation. Many in Romania have said he was allowed to live abroad because of his collaboration with Romania's feared secret police, the Securitate. Mircea Dinescu, a representative of the Romanian national council that studies the Securitate archives, recently announced that the council knows of a group of top Orthodox clerics who had collaborated with the secret police. Dinescu did not disclose any names, but media reports have said that Ciubotea was one of those implicated. The council invited two of the candidates, Ciubotea and Anania, for an interview, but they refused. After the elections, the council today announced that it might fully disclose its findings about collaboration between the clergy and the secret police. Ciubotea wasn't the only candidate who was suspected of having a murky history. Similar accusations were also made toward the 86-year-old Anania. From 1965-76 he held important positions in the hierarchy of the Romanian Orthodox Church in the United States. A former Securitate head, Ioan Mihai Pacepa, who defected to the West in the late 1970s, has said that Bartolomeu was sent to the United States with a "mission." The third candidate, 56-year-old Selejan, was the only one not sullied by accusations of involvement with the secret police. No Acknowledgment Of Collaboration The issue of collaboration between the Securitate and the clergy has received much public attention in Romania. The late Patriarch Teoctist was criticized by many for opposing investigations into clergy members who had been accused of collaboration. After the fall of the communist regime, the church did not acknowledge the extent of the clergy's collaboration, nor did it remove tainted officials. Alexi Kshutashvili, a Georgian theology expert living in Romania, says the issue of collaboration is a difficult one. "The Romanian media often talk about this -- that those members of the clergy who were allowed to study abroad, in Western countries, during the communist period, were in some way affiliated with the secret police, at least on the level of signing some declaration of collaboration," Kshutashvili said. "Now to say that one was an agent of the secret police is another thing, and is difficult to say," he continued. But Kshutashvili said it is known that Ciubotea "did enjoy certain support from the political establishment, including these [latest] elections." RFE/RL's Bucharest correspondent Sabina Fati says some people are not happy with the close ties between the church and the government even today. The church receives most of its funding from the state -- and, according to Fati, the clergy often interferes in the political process. "The church in turn helps the state -- most blatantly during the electoral campaign, when clerics openly support one or another candidate," Fati said. Romania's Orthodox Church has regained its popular and influential position in postcommunist Romania. Almost 87 percent of the country's population identifies with the denomination. But Fati says that the country's clergy are not held in particularly high regard. Opinion polls show that "70 percent of believers do not really trust the priests," Fati said. The new patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church will be inaugurated in three weeks.