Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Thankful

Since we just finished celebrating Thanksgiving, we thought we'd put up a few pictures of some recent visits with friends for whom we are thankful.
 
 
At the end of October, we enjoyed spending our team retreat near the beautiful city of Sighisoara.

 
We were privileged to visit several friends in the western part of the country in their ministry settings last week (the week of Thanksgiving).  Here we are with our friend Brodie, who serves at a Christian family-based orphanage community called Caminul Felix.

 
We spent one evening with our dear friend Susan, who is a missionary with Greater Europe Mission.

 
We welcomed our friends, Jeff & Lauren, to Timisoara.  When we saw them, they had only been in Romania for one week! 

 
We had an amazing American-style Thanksgiving dinner with several friends, new and old.

 
One of the greatest highlights of our trip was seeing our friend Lynn.  Lynn is returning to the States after 5+ years as a missionary in Timisoara.  We will miss you, Lynn!
 
"Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
    and his courts with praise!
    Give thanks to him; bless his name!
For the Lord is good;
    his steadfast love endures forever,
    and his faithfulness to all generations."
 - Psalm 100:4-5

Sunday, October 27, 2013

September/October Highlights :)

Here are a few highlights from September and October!

In September, we were blessed to take a relaxing vacation at a hotel along Bulgaria's Black Sea coast.

 
Entering Bulgaria!

 
This was our view for most of our five days in Bulgaria - relaxing by the pool.  :)

 
Our hotel was right on the beach!
 

After our time in Bulgaria, we traveled to Constanta, Romania, where our church held its first baptism!

 
We arrived Friday night and saw the sunset from this skylift.  :)

 
 
Jessica with our friend, Laura.

 
From left to right: our pastor Beni, Liliana, Andrei, Octavian, and our assistant pastor Alex
The three in the middle were all baptized in the Black Sea!
 
 
Here we are with our friend, Andrei, after he was baptized!
 

September 26 was Cameron's 28th birthday!  We celebrated by walking through a beautiful park and eating dinner at Hard Rock Café.


 

Our wonderful friends and small group leaders from North Carolina, Matt & Lindsey, came to visit us in October!
 
Eating breakfast together in our living room.

 
We took the Bucharest City Bus Tour for the first time after living here for a year.  It was really fun!  Here we are with the People's Palace (the main government building) behind us near the city center.

 
At Bran/Dracula's Castle.

 
Peles Palace


 
Matt, who is getting his Masters in Biblical Counseling, was asked to speak at the Baptist Seminary in Bucharest.

 
We celebrated Lindsey's birthday at Hard Rock Café.  :)


Also while Matt & Lindsey were visiting, we had our first official small group meeting in our home.


Jessica has been helping our friend, Adela, teach songs in English to the children's choir at "Grace Church."

Last Saturday, we were privileged to help our colleagues in a village they are working in.  The village is about an hour north of Bucharest. 
 
 
While on our way to the village, we found ourselves surrounded by a herd of cows in the road!

 
Cameron went with Dwayne to invite people to the free medical clinic we were having.

 
This lady is a member of the Baptist church in the village.  Even though she lives in tough circumstances, she is full of joy and always smiling.

 
Jessica helped with the eyeglasses/spiritual counseling station.  We gave free (donated) eyeglasses to those who needed them and asked how we could pray for each person who came to the clinic.


The evening after we came back from the village, we had the incredible opportunity to share with the young adults of our church about our story, our ministry, and some practical evangelistic tools they can use to reach out to the city of Bucharest for Christ.
 
 

Yesterday, we traveled back to Alexandria to visit the children's ministry that was started after the Wild West VBS (from our last post).  Jessica painted faces, and Cameron played a lot of basketball.  It was great to see them again!



 

 
 
 
 
"And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up."
 - Galatians 6:9
 

Saturday, August 24, 2013

VBS in the Wild West

This past week, we were honored to be a part of an American-style Vacation Bible School in Alexandria, Romania (2 hours southwest of Bucharest).  Jessica led the music and Cameron led the games.  Here are some pictures!  (P.S. Many of these were taken by other people on our team.)

 
The whole VBS team!

 
Registration

 
Pastor Mihai and his wife, Ema


 
Ready to sing?

 
Cameron & Adi (a seminary student who is interning with us for the month of August)

 
 
Jessica couldn't believe what they chose for the morning song...Country Roads!





 Games!




 
 
Friday evening program for the parents.

 
We had about 75 people come for the Friday evening program!  :)
 
 
Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me
and do not hinder them, for to such belongs
the kingdom of heaven.”
 
                                       - Mathew 19:14