The Last Night in Galati

This is a photo taken our last night in Galati at a dinner at the Geddies' apartment in the Training Center. We are all sporting the shirts Troy made for us. When we came to Galati this year I had several questions that I was seeking answers to in my life. When we left a month later, those questions I had were answered. One particular question/concern was answered during our KDT study of Abraham one evening. The answer came when Troy was expounding on Abraham sacrificing Issac in obedience to God. Abraham's faith was so secure that if he would have sacrificed Issac, he knew God would bring him back to life because of the promise He made with him. Then Troy answered my question (unknowingly) when he said, "It was God's problem not Abraham's." Abraham's job was to be obedient and do what He had called him to do. This is what God is telling me to do...be obedient and the rest is my problem. Such an easy answer but a difficult thing to do...especially when we try to help God out when He really doesn't need our help. Be obedient and wait on God's timing.

I am currently at our associational church camp at Grand Oak's until Friday. My photos are on Andrew's computer and my daughter's camera. When I return home Friday, I will begin to post a few final blogs on our mission trip.

Zone 12

Last night Randy's team met with the pastor of a church in z12 to take him and two of his members into the streets to prayer walk and SJWF. After prayer walking the area of the zone he wanted to concentrate on, we broke into three team and continued there. The group I was in (pastor and Costell) talked with two and then three men sitting outside their apartment bloc. It was a good encounter with these three men. The other teams reported similar results. God is working in this city through the committed believers living here.

Making Disciples

When we walk to our many sources of transportation on the way across the street from a Romanian Orthodox church on the sidewalk is this: Flowers, and a metallic picture of Christ. I have not figured out if it is a memorial or an offering of some type. I thought it was different, so I snapped the photo.

Troy leading a study in a recent repenters's home.

Troy is training members of his national team to do the studies.

We are in Anna Marie's (Paula's sister) home doing a couple of the Bible studies with her. She is a recent repenter and she is interested in learning more about God's Word.

Larissa and Whitney throwing the seeds in a park in z4.

Last night in z4 down one of the many side streets I found this symbol on one of the many houses. This is not something you see on a regular basis here in Galati.

After all the day's events have come to a close many of us assemble in the upper room in the Training Center around 8:30 pm. For the past two weeks or so, Troy has been taking us through Bible studies of the series of Kingdom Doctrinal Tracks. There are slides (studies) beginning with Kingdom of Light/Darkness, Adam, Abraham, Moses, Revelation, and many books of the Bible. To download a copy, go to Troy's new web page, www.Wemakedisciples.com and click on the icon KDT (English) for your free copy to study. It is an in depth series which will truly open your eyes!

The Lessons Continue

Whitney is helping two of the girls at Bestha with their reading during our session yesterday.

Last night I accompanied Randy and Costel to a man's home located at the edge of Z4 to follow up on Bible studies. His name was Gheorhe, and he couldn't remember the last study he did with Troy last time. So we did the first one in the study on John the Baptist.

Gheorhe is on the left and Costel is on the right. I snapped this photo in the beginning which endred up being a good thing. We were at his home for two hours because he kept asking questions...he is searching for a relationship with Jesus Christ. He hasn't found it yet, but he is navigating down the right path. We pray that his spiritually blind eyes will be opened and he will receive the free gift God offers all that earnestly call upon His name in true repentance.

Church In The Valley

Church in The Valley this morning with its new face lift. Bogdon spoke, the children colored,

and the two young men (that age going to work in the Valley) Emmy and Florine introduced themselves. There is a circus in town until 3, August...just wondering if any of the clowns have shoes like Debbie wore at the rodeo earlier this Spring?

After church, a quick lunch...can you guess where? Then the hike back home.

Cola, Crosses And Chicken

Adria one of Romania's two cola products...the other called American. This one tasted between a cola and a diet cola and the other Randy says is too sweet. Well there you have it...the two ends of the spectrum and right in the center is the best...an ice cold Coke Classic! We were out in z4 running down Bible studies and this was the only cola product at this little shop.

Two young men came in today to help Bogdon in the Valley...Emmy and Elvis. Emmy was here last year about a week after our team left Galati.

Pastor Titi ask Justin and I to speak at their youth meeting tonight. I began with The Great Commission, presented the Disciple's Cross, and the parable of The Sower found in Mark 4. Justin followed with a passage from Romans 12:1-2. I was honored for being ask to share with their youth group.

A good group of youth gathered for their meeting tonight.

Whitney and I had Swarmas for dinner tonight. A Romanian classic food...roasted chicken, french fries, cabbage, (you pick the toppings, tomatoes peppers, pickles, ranch, jalapenos,and many more choices) and ranch dressing on mine all rolled up in a flour wrap...delicious!

Random Photos In The Park

After a very hot first half of the day (Whit and I were cooking in the Valley with Bogdon), a cold front moved in and allowed us to go for a walk with Paula and her children in one of the parks close to their home. At the far end of the park is a little shop. When we arrived there, Paula treated us to ice cream...thanks Paula! Below are some random photos.

A Hot Time In Galati Today

It has been cool and pleasant the past week, but today it was cooking with temps. in the upper 90's. But we continued to follow the plan for the day even though Whitney received a nice sunburn for her efforts.

Florine (left) is the first tennis player I have met that is a repenter. After prayer walking z4 and lunch Whitney and I went to Bogdon and Paula's home to leave for the valley.

These are three children from a family that Bogdon ministers to in the valley. Their mother left them with their father and relatives and just left them. We went with him to take clothes to this family. When we visited them today there they were in need of basic necessities of life: God took care of that through us. Bogdon is in the process of getting these children help through a foundation in the Valley just a short walk from their home.

This is where the children live behind this gate with approximately six other families that are related in some way (left). The church in the Valley Bogdon pastors at with its new face lift (right).

Bestha for young boys and girls where Whitney and I are helping the kids there with their English in the afternoon (left). Zone 4, where Randy and Teresa are working to throw the seeds of the gospel (right).

Randy literally has, "A lot of junk in his trunk." It is kinda disturbing to me (left). Storm brewing late in the afternoon and a thunderstorm later that evening blew in on Galati (right).

The next three photos were the team that went into zone 4 last night with several good encounters with the residents there.

We are covering the Kingdomal Doctrinal plan with Troy at night upstairs in the conference room. Whitney and I (along with the nationals and his family attending) are being blessed by Troy's in depth Bible perspective .

One More Suprise

This is Costel, a young tennis player that trains at Dacia. After hitting today I headed for Randy & Teresa's apartment. When I arrived, Costel was sitting on one of the benches in front of the building's entrance. I ask him if he lived her and he said yes...I said to him, in disbelief, "You are kidding me." He wasn't. I ask him what floor and he walked inside the doorway and pointed to the door on the immediate left. When I picked my jaw up off the floor, I told him my friends lived right up the steps in the apartment facing his entrance. I told Costel that I would like to introduce him to my friends...a coincidence, I think not!

Sewing Seeds At Dacia Tennis Center

This is the sidewalk that leads to the Dacia Tennis Club between several high rise apartments.

This is the main entrance.

Where the sidewalk T's there are immediately three red clay courts in front of you and three to the right.

My tools of the trade.

I had been hitting with several of the young male players for several hours and just to finish off the day I decided to end with some service practice. Ramona(17) (above photo) and Isabella (14) (bottom photo) were practicing their serve, so I joined them. After a few minutes, Ramona ask me why did I keep coming to Galati (I met her back in '04 first trip and have visited with her ever since)...This was the question I had been waiting for some one to ask me for quite a long time. So, I showed her my National Reading Campaign badge and told her that I am here encouraging the Romanian people to read their Bibles. Her res ponce was one of gratitude that I would do such a thing (she is Orthodox but her parents are not). I spoke with them for about twenty minutes using my personal testimony of how Jesus had transformed my life and used the Share Jesus Without Fear questions. At the end I ask them if they would like to know more about this matter...They both said yes, so I told them that Whitney and Laurel would meet with them after their training tomorrow morning around 10 am. My prayer is that the words spoken and the words yet to be spoken would speak to these two young ladies hearts.

This is my friend and head teaching professional Catalin. I have known him since my first trip to Galati in'04. Since that time we have become friends and the Monday I used the Share Jesus Without Questions for the first time. We set up lunch (you know, you gotta eat) and thereafter I shared the scriptures with him. Catlin is not Orthodox and is open to see what the Bible could say to him. When we finished, I ask him if this would be something he would like to pursue if some one could come at down times in his schedule...he said yes. When we were finished he drove me back to the Training Center and I introduced him to Justin. We are going to set up a meeting next week with him to begin level three classes. I also pray that God will soften his heart and open his spiritually blind eyes to the real truth found in God's Word.