Newsletter JANUARY 2015 Security Code N - No Restrictions
FEATURING NEWS
*New Book *Bus4Life *Looking Back 2014
PRAY
*OM RO Team *Until the ends of the earth *Come to Romania! *Power Up Logos Hope
GIVE
*Christmas Project *Feeding the poor *Ghimbav Headquarters
GO
*1 year - Missionary Training Program
LOOKING BACK 2014 2014 WAS A GREAT YEAR FOR US AS A TEAM! We are thankful for so many things: *all the people that have heard The Gospel through our Outreach Programs *our team that serves in Romania *our missionaries abroad (7 people serving in 6 countries) *the 3 girls that are to return soon from the
NEW BOOK
We are happy to announce that Rafael’s first book is now out! The book is called “Stumbling in the wind” and it captures the story of Job and a few other people that have gone through different types of suffering in their lives. “From the middle of the storm God decides to answer to Job, and Job, brought to silence, understands WHO is The One assisting him in his suffering. And the truth sets him free... I hope that by sharing our experiences, this book will become a bandage for the broken hearts“ (Rafael Năstase)
NEW BUS
We are happy to announce that OM Finland has purchased a new Bus that will soon be released for ministry! At the moment the new bus is going through a refurbishing stage, as it needs small adjustments to be able to become ready for use! We are looking forward to start a new year and start using this great new tool to see lives transformed!
mission field *all the Romanian believers that have trusted The Lord and took a step of faith to go beyond the borders in short term missions! *all the churches and individuals that became our partners this year and especially for those who have walked along side us for many years now *our associates serving with Sports and
Medical Outreaches *the Roma ministry in Giurgiu, the Dobrogea Ministry and the Bod Church Planting!
“For this I will praise you, O LORD, among the nations, and sing to your name!” Psalm 18:49 ESV
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PRAY
OM RO Team
Until the ends of the earth
COME to Romania!
Power Up Logos Hope
We already started to plan for next year and we realized once more how much we need new people to join our team! Ministry is growing but people willing to volunteer become harder to find by the day. In a world of so many possibilities, there are less and less people who seek a missionary life. Most of Romanians struggle to find jobs, the young generation are going overseas to find work. The ones that stay, stay because they already have responsibilities here that they need to take care of. In this context, challenging someone to become a full-time volunteer seems the craziest thing to do! *Pray for economical stability in Romania! *Pray for more workers in OM RO for next year! *Pray for us to be able to do all the ministry we planned for!
We have planned a few awesome summer outreaches! If God is calling you to join us for 2 weeks in Romania we would love to hear from you! Here are the dates and the programs available: 2-11 July KidsGames Dobrogea 16-26 July KidsGames Hunedoara 8-15 August Dental/Medical Outreach Piteşti 9-19 August KidsGames Braşov/Bod 14-24 August Village Outreach Olt/Corabia *Pray for the people joining our summer teams to be used by God in mighty ways to reach the hearts of Romanians! *Pray for open doors and for all the preparation ahead!
“It was Tuesday morning, when, as usual on this day, we were traveling to the slum in Mamelodi, There is great poverty and sadness everywhere. After half an hour of walking we arrived at a small donut shop. Smels like oil as they deep-fry the donuts. In the meantime the lady is also preparing some small packages with nyaope, a well known drug here in South Africa. The shop is geting full of costumers, young men that live only to taste again and again the powerful drug. As we pray for them, we also start chatting and encouraging them to seek the one that can give them true life, Jesus Christ!” (Short story from Mirela’s Newsletter) *Pray for Ema still serving in South Africa, as she ministers to the young generation in the slums! Also pray for Mirela who just came back after one year in SA!
Logos Hope has started the final PowerUp phase in the DryDock of Singapore! The huge amount of work will last for about 6 months: October - March and will consist in changing the main generator. During this time the non-professional crew will fly in small teams to different countries and serve together with the local OM Teams. *Pray for strenght for the workers onboard the ship and in the shipyard! *Pray for the teams spread all over the world doing ministry, sharing about the love of God, about the ship and also trying to invite new people to join the Logos Hope!
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GIVE Christmas Project
back in Finland! Also a big Thank You to the This was a very special project for our team in new volunteers we had with us this weeks: OM Romania! We’ve been doing Fund Raising Ovi&Delia (RO), Ruslan (KZ) and Gerdien (NL). for the Christmas Presents for many months They were amazing in going the extra mile, carrying the tons of stuf and work late hours in advance, so when the time came to finally start the engine an GO it was a very just to see these kids happy! exciting moment! There were many people involved with us and we would like to thank each one for donating for this project to take place! Especially we would like to thank the group of people that participated to the R4TW Half Marathon in October: your efforts (and your sponsors efforts, too) have been greatly appreciated by We have traveled from Brasov, to Constanta, the churches who received the finances for Giurgiu and Buzau! Every day for two weeks we got to spend some time with the children Christmas! and share the Nativity Story with them! First the Kingdom of God and second the Material gifts!
was an amazing time for me! I got to do many things that took me out of my comfort zone and I have learn so much through this! It was for the first time when I shared my testimony to a church full of people and I was surprised that so many came afterwards to me saying they could relate with what I shared! It encouraged me to share my life with people more and more even when I will go back home!”
As you know, we are currently offering a warm meal, every week, to poor people from villages in the South of Romania. Two churches are already opening their doors to receive these people and feed them! Our desire for this year is to be able to do the same for at least two more villages! If you would like to consider supporting this ministry with a financial gift, you can do that online at www.om.org/en/give, specifying “Romania - Feeding the Poor Project”
Ghimbav
Feeding the poor
Everywhere we went, we have been received with great joy by everyone! The faces of the children looking into the little bags were priceless! Delia, one of the volunteers said: “I almost started to cry when a little girl came to me to say Thank You: We have also enjoyed spending time with the she gave me a hug Christians in these areas - there are not many and kissed my hand like she has received the churches and believers have to travel a lot to greatest present in her life! It deeply impacted get to the closest church. So most of them me to experience this!” We have spent a few days to prepare all the would host small groups of people, especially packages! Shopping, loading, unloading, children in their homes for the programs! It We traveled in 14 villages, apx 1500km, takcounting and arranging everything in the was a great example of hospitality and the ing 879 children gifts, 140 food parcels for right bags was not an easy task! But we had way they lived out their faith reminded us adults, plus 3 tones of potatoes! There were some more funds used for Christmas Packtons of fun together with the tons of goodies about the first believers in the old days! ages, but because we did not have enough we had to wrap up! Ovi, another volunteers said: “This program time with the Bus4Life to go and deliver all ourselves, we left the distribution part to our Bus4Life was a big blessing to us, because it partners in the different areas of Romania! helped carry and deliver everything! Without the big vehicle and the great driver, this projThank you for your generosity and for the ect would have been much harder to take to care you keep in your hearts for Romania! completion! Thank you Esa and Bus4Life Team God has blessed us in Ghimbav with a beautiful house as our headquarters! We’ve put in a lot of work and finances over the last years to renovate the old farm and bring it to it’s maximum capacity for ministry. We’ve come a long way already, but this year we look again at the big challenges lying ahead. Your generosity can bring us one step closer to turning our dreams about this house into reality! Give online at www.om.org/en/ give, specifying “Romania - Admin”
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N R A LE to E V I L a e lik T
N A V R SE
Join us for 1 YEAR in the new Missionary Training Program and 1. Learn
To understand not only the language and culture of Romania but also how to be better equipped for serving the church and society wherever we are.
2. Live
To learn - with each other and from each other - what it means to live as authentic followers of Christ in this world.
3. Serve
To live with the people from society and serve them in a holistic way together with the local church.
As the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.
“
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Matthew 20:28 (ESV)
GO OM works in over 120 countries around the world! If you are interested in joining any of these ministries or the Logos Hope, please contact your closest OM Office! You can find more opportunities at: www.om.org/en/opportunities
info.ro@om.org
www.om.org
You can find us on: facebook/OM Romania, twitter/OMRomania, instagram/omromania Or at our headquarters: Str.Morii 109 GHIMBAV, BV; Tel: 004-0268-253-613 OM Romania is an organization in total dependence of the generosity of believers who would like to get involved in the work God is doing in Romania. If you would also like to be involved and support one of the projects or one of our missionaries you can contact your closest OM Office, mentioning “your name + the project/missionary in Romania”. Or you can donate online at: www.om.org/en/give