There is a window of opportunity opened to us right now in Romania . The evangelical church is comprised primarily of the elderly. EuroTeam Outreach is reaching out to children and young families through Imagin'air (children ages 5 to 11), TEFL (teaching English to all ages, but mainly the younger generation), and Tip.com (a computer course). Very typically, the Orthodox Church, which is the state church, does not want people to participate in our outreaches and will openly forbid people to go.
The Orthodox priest told people to not attend our Imagin'air classes this summer. Only 8 kids showed up the first day, making it difficult to do our planned activities. So our EuroTeam Imagin'air team became pro-active. Since one of our Imagin'air team members was a professional clown, the team went to the local park and “clowned around.” God sent children! Before long, the park was full of enthusiastic children. Our Imagin'air team finished the week of kids' ministry with 45 kids in attendance.
Ilsa was one of the students in our TEFL class. She was a typical, young Romanian: she knew about God but didn't know God personally. In addition to our daily chapel talks where the gospel is presented, our TEFL teachers ask their English students to write their thoughts and questions in a daily journal in English . Ilsa asked some deep questions in her journal and the TEFL teacher pointed her toward God. Later, our Christian Romanian translator shared Christ with her in her own language and invited her to church. On the following Sunday, Ilsa came to church and accepted the Lord during the pastor's altar call.
EuroTeam did a TiP.com course in another Romanian town. Over seven years ago, God had told the pastor to build a church building, although there were only three people in the church. When our team came this summer there were still only three people in the church. On the outset of the TiP.com teams arrival, the Orthodox priest had forbade village people to participate in this computer course. The pastor, with TiP.com team members, banned together and prayed, standing against Satan's desire to keep people away from the church. God had the victory indeed and sent people. During the TiP.com project ten people faithfully attended the classes and even attended the church! The pastor was so happy to have additional people visit the church. He gave each of these TiP.com students a Bible and will follow-up on these ten new contacts!
