It has been over a year and a half of prayer and preparation since the Lord first confirmed to us His calling for us to return to Romania and serve Him. At first, He didn't give much detail – we just knew He was asking us to return. As we have spent time praying over the past year, He has made the vision clearer and united our hearts for the ministry He has for us.
Our vision is to reach all of Romania for Jesus Christ - and any other parts of Europe He wants to touch. We are moving to Timisoara, Romania because this is where we believe the Lord wants us to launch our ministry. It is the second largest city in Romania and is heavily populated with University students and highly educated professionals (doctors, lawyers, engineers, teachers, etc.). We believe the Lord wants us to reach a new generation for Him.
We previously served in a small, very poor, coal mining town of Romania. What we saw and experienced there overwhelmed us at times. JeJe attended the Calvary Chapel Bible College from 1994 to 1995, then served as an associate pastor in a Calvary Chapel church near his hometown of Petrila, Romania – in the town of Petrosani. Coleen was a Calvary Chapel missionary, who went on her first short term trip to Petrosani, Romania in September of 1995 then would be sent out by her then home church (a Calvary Chapel in South Orange County) in February of 1997.
The work in Romania is greater than the two of us. A country where at least 75% of the population is considered to be living at poverty level or above. It has a reputation for being one of the most corrupt countries in the world – despite being freed from communist power since December 1989. There are more than 100,000 orphan children on record. Thousands more live in the streets or are sold into child slavery or prostitution. An elderly person cannot receive decent medical care without paying additional “hidden” funds in the form of bribes, and most do not have the financial means to make it day to day let alone pay to be in a nursing home. Many treat the elderly as a burden.
If you are a handicapped child, the country does not have the means to properly care for you and unless you happen to have parents who truly love Jesus and are willing to care for you, you will end up institutionalized. An example of this would be quadriplegic and autistic children being placed in mental institutions.
Recently, there has been a large rise in the suicide rate of teenagers. Children are being raised by one or NO parents, as the parent(s) are leaving the country to find work - leaving children behind (the government has now made it illegal for any underage child to be at home alone). They believe that if they could just earn more money as "cheap" labor in another country (often housing with many others in a small apartment) - they could live a better life.
Recently, there has been a large rise in the suicide rate of teenagers. Children are being raised by one or NO parents, as the parent(s) are leaving the country to find work - leaving children behind (the government has now made it illegal for any underage child to be at home alone). They believe that if they could just earn more money as "cheap" labor in another country (often housing with many others in a small apartment) - they could live a better life.
We know that God has a higher plan for their lives and wants to give them hope and a future with Him (Jeremiah 29:11-13). We also know He wants both parents to be trusting in Him to provide for them and to raise their children in the love and fear of the Lord.
Again, the work in Romania is so much bigger than the two of us. That is why our calling is clear: The Lord wants us to preach His Word and love the people. The only way Romania will change is by the power of the Holy Spirit working in man and changing the hearts of the people; so that righteous people would rise up and be equipped to do good works for His Kingdom, to plant more churches, to love the fatherless and widowed, and to be doing business for the glory of God (no more politicians, police and doctors refusing to work without bribes). This can only happen through the preaching of His Word in Spirit and in Truth.
“For we know faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.”
By doing this we pray the following objectives will be accomplished:
- Plant a Calvary Chapel Church in Timisoara, Romania
- Teach the Word that others would be equipped to serve and glorify God and do great works for His Kingdom
- Reach the people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ with a focus on reaching a new generation not influenced by communism (through music, sports, and dramas).
- Plant more Calvary Chapels
- To have Calvary Chapel Timisoara be a “launching” pad for missionaries/ministry servants.
May we surrender to the power of the Holy Spirit and may everything we do be for the Glory and furtherance of Jesus Christ and His Kingdom.
