MERRY CHRISTmas (Craciun Fericit) !!!

"GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST, AND ON EARTH PEACE AMONG MEN WITH WHOM HE IS PLEASED"  Luke 2:14

We have had a very busy December as we had many outreaches/evangelisms through Christmas caroling around our city and the sharing of the Gospel and our testimonies.  We were blessed to be invited to share and participate at the handicapped fellowship that meets in the building behind our home.  The Lord opened doors for us to enter several hospitals, a group home for orphaned teenage girls, our City Hall, and the center of our busy city square.  More than 500 tracts were given out and at least 3 people prayed to receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior!

Singing in the Center at
the Town Square

JeJe & Elli 12/23
The manger scene in this photo
had "live"sheep in the pen.

The morning of December 22nd, boxes arrived from our loved ones at CCEA.  We received many boxes of hats/scarves and blankets from the CCEA ministry.  Just in time to be able to distribute at some of the locations we visited.  We had just given the remaining hats/scarves the previous week to the handicapped ministry for the gift packs.  GOD'S TIMING AND PROVISION IS ALWAYS PERFECT AND RIGHT ON TIME!  James and Elli enjoyed and extra special breakfast due to our friends packing a box of their favorite cereal in those boxes!

We also enjoyed a baseball camp/skills training on December 10 where everyone had a great time.  It was in preparation for upcoming Spring/Summer events and the response was awesome!  Everyone is excited to get together again soon (weather permitting).

There is a separate article highlighting this event in the lower portion of our blog.

Christmas Eve will be spent with our church family here.  We will have an evening candlelight church service, followed by fellowship/food in our home.  We are expecting about 40+ guests.  The young people from Prison Fellowship will stop by later in the evening to sing Christmas carols to us.

New Years Eve will have a party/fellowship in our home, singing worship to start the New Year.

We are very excited and blessed at all the Lord is doing.

Below are some of the photos from these outreaches and short paragraphs summing up what took place (be sure to catch the "Curve Ball" article below in our blog, to read something extra special the Lord did). 

NOTE:  We cant always take photos in hospitals and at certain ministry events where a camera would be a distraction/hindrance from the message or what God is doing - but we will do our best to take them whenever possible (Elli is growing into a great photographer).

CHRISTMAS FELLOWSHIP WITH OUR FRIENDS AT THE CARITATEA (Handicapped fellowship)

Our sweet friends

Gift bags were distributed that contained food, shampoo
and a hat/scarf set from the Stitches of Love Ministry at CCEA

We are always so blessed
in the time we spend with them.

A VISIT TO THE CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL (photos had to be taken quickly, no time for posing.  They only allow is in the halls and then to visit with whoever comes out of their rooms).

We were blessed to Visit a Private Home for Orphaned Girls (teenage). After singing Christmas carols, The Gospel was preached, Coleen shared her testimony and we ordered pizzas and were able to eat and spend time withe girls.  The home houses 7 girls.  Each girl received a hat/scarf and a blanket thanks to the Stitches of Love Ministry at CCEA.

BASEBALL FUNDAMENTALS WORKOUT & GAME

We gathered more than 20 friends and young people from our fellowship (who also brought a couple more friends) on cool Saturday to train them in baseball skills and play a game.  Many in this group will be a part of the Spring/Summer Baseball and sports camps that are coming up.  Final score:  Rangers 8, Yankees 6

A great time was had by all and we are all looking forward to the next session.  End of January or early February, depending on our weather (only snow or thunder storms will postpone baseball here!)

WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU GET THROWN A "Curve Ball"

It was a very "chilly" late afternoon (say in the mid 20'sF) as our Christmas caroling group gathered outside the Oncology Hospital.  It is a very large facility (see the photo below), usually having 4 patients to a room (the rooms measure about 15feet by 10feet) and when need - they will put two people to a bed (yes two!).  People travel from all over the country to receive medical care at this very facility in our city of Cluj.  JeJe's aunt Geta has been a patient there in recent months and will return after the New Year for further treatment (we pray for open doors to evangelize there).

This is the Oncology hospital from the front.

We had tried to get in the previous day to carol/evangelize and were told to return this day; unfortunately, when we returned, we met up with a very grumpy security guard who would not let us in - no worries:  when God throws you a "curve ball", you keep your cool, make the necessary adjustments in the batters box and NEVER take your eye off the ball.  We knew God had something else - more importantly someone else - He needed to hear the Gospel message.

We walked down the street and around the corner to the Neurology hospital, as one of the young men from the Prison Fellowship was a patient there and God opened the doors wide for us to enter.

Songs were sung and the message was shared.  When JeJe asked a group of patients' if they would like to receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, 3 of them replied "yes" and prayed to receive Jesus into their lives.  Glory to God in the Highest and may His peace be upon them this CHRISTmas.

His ways are not our ways; we just always need to be surrendered to what it is He is doing; moment by moment.

PRAISES & PRAYER REQUESTS DEC. 2011

PRAISES

* Thankful for the work we see the Lord doing in our children's lives as they step out on their own and reach out to others.  We know YOUR prayers matter!  Thank you for being faithful prayer warriors for our family.

* Thankful for the fruit we see the Lord bringing forward in the ministry.
*So thankful for all the hats/scarves and blankets that came from Stitches of Love ministry at CCEA.  So many people were touched/blessed by them in Jesus' name.
*  Praising God and so very thankful for a wonderful sending team and church that joins us in what we do for Jesus here in Romania.
*  Especially joyous over the sweet care boxes that arrived the week before Christmas and were filled with some "goodies" from the U.S. 
*  Thankful for the worship leader, and his family, that are now a part of our fellowship.
*  Thankful for what we see the Lord doing here and what He is doing in us.
*  Thankful for His love, grace, mercy, joy, peace, forgiveness and so much more.

PRAYER REQUESTS

* Clearing of mold in our home.  We discovered a huge amount of mold growing in the attic and east side of the home (walls and a closet under the stairs) when we pulled out Christmas boxes.  The house is only 2 years new and the family of the owners are scrambling to get it cleaned, fixed, etc. (poor ventilation and insulation).  JeJe has a very bad allergy to mold and has had several days of being ill having to go in and keep the areas sprayed with a treatment.  Pray for none of us to get sick and this to be resolved quickly and correctly.

* Upcoming outreaches in January - God to open  hearts to receive Him.
* Salvation for JeJe's aunt (Geta) and our other unsaved family members.
* God's continued leading for the building of His church here in Cluj. 
* Our family to glorify God in our lives as those around us come into contact with us, may our lives be strong witness for Him.
* Continue to have His heart for the lost and sensitivity to the Holy Spirit when sharing the Gospel (His Words on our lips).
*  Good health.  It is flu season.  Pray for us to stay/be healthy.