Summer 2020

But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.(Galatians 4:4-5)

On Sundays we are currently studying the book of Galatians. The Galations were trapped in a battle with those who insisted that new believers must follow the Jewish Law. Here Paul clearly teaches that this teaching was wrong. Praise the Lord that through the redemption we have in Jesus Christ, we have been saved from sin’s penalty, death, and we have become co-heirs with His Son! (Rom. 8:16-17) We are thus freed from the requirements of the Law that existed prior to Christ’s death.

Ministry during COVID-19

Ministry during the COVID-19 pandemic has presented new challenges for us as it has for all of you. However, Dave made the most of the lock-down for 3+ months by streaming our Sunday services and teen meetings online using Facebook Live. Some have been watching who would not have otherwise come. Dave has also been able to work 1-2 days each week, as the weather allows, maintaining the church property.

Romania began its COVID-19 journey on March 16, and 60 days of a state of emergency followed. We are at the end of our second month of a state of alert, which is now being extended because of a spike in positive cases over the past two weeks. The government did relax restrictions on church meetings in June, beginning with outdoor activities and expanding to indoor gatherings where participants maintain social distancing and wear face masks. We thus resumed our Sunday services for adults and teens on June 28, and we held our first youth group meeting on July 2. We carefully screen every person entering the building, and each person is required to use hand sanitizer and wear a face mask. Unfortunately, we have not been able to resume children’s ministries given the current restrictions.

One of the biggest challenges we face in our ministry is doing our part to prevent an outbreak in the Roma community. At the same time, the incidence of the virus in our area has remained relatively low, for which we are very thankful. Sadly, this has led some to dismiss the government recommendations and restrictions as unnecessary or treat them with skepticism.

Travel Restrictions

Travel in and out of Romania and throughout the EU has remained unpredictable as each country imposes different rules. Fortunately, many of those we know who were wanting to leave for seasonal work in the spring were eventually able to make their way to their respective countries. We are also having an especially wet spring/summer thus far, which has been good for the mushroom season. Many in Luncsoara have family members working in the mushroom processing plant in our area.

Travel restrictions are also affecting our teammates’ plans to return to the field in early August. Pray that the Warners would be able to secure new flights and that they would remain healthy throughout their travels and transition back to Romania.

May the Lord work through all of us in the midst of trials!

Dave, Ruth, Celeste, and Amber

Special Message from Ruth

One of the wonderful things about ministry is that when you can no longer serve the Lord in the way you are accustomed, He gives you another way to serve Him! When I was no longer able to teach the Roma children at church, God quickly gave me several other ways to minister to them.

During the lock-down, I have been teaching the children by creating my own video lessons, one for the older children and one for the little ones. During the eight days of the Easter season, I prepared daily videos on Jesus’ final week, using some nested, wooden eggs as a creative visual aid. Then in the seven weeks between Easter and Pentecost, another celebrated Romanian holiday, I focused on Jesus’ days on earth before His ascension, our understanding of heaven, and the coming of the Holy Spirit.

These months have also allowed me to focus on some ministry projects that are time-intensive. For example, I organized and inventoried ministry materials, developed a future VBS program, and prepared various children’s Christmas gifts. Some of those projects include repairing jewelry and making bracelets, writing instructions for games, and changing donated Bible board books from English into Romanian. I even canned 22 jars of strawberry jam for Christmas ministry gifts and, for another ministry organization, proofread teaching materials that had been translated from English into Romanian.