Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Mari's Passion




In October Mari was invited to Chisinau to speak to a ladies meeting that is run by Isus Salvatorul church and held in the Emanuel clinic chapel.


The meeting takes place every month
and draws ladies from dirrerent denominations with around 40 usually coming.






Eugenia, on the left in the grey jacket and white blouse runs the meetings.

She does ministries for the baptist churhces throughout Moldova.

She gave Mari the subject to share on - Passion in mariage -

Mari addressed the subject over 2 meetings; one in October and one in November.


At times you could hear a pin drop as
my wife touched on subjects that clearly all the ladies would like to hear more about


Afterwards I was asked what I thought about Mari's talks


"It's the longest I've ever listened to Mari without interupting her" I said
Mari says to know how the talks really went we would need to ask the husbands. As for me I've had a smle on my fce ever since

Pastor Mark

Monday, November 16, 2009

New liver new heart

Thought I would share a story ( without pictures ).

About 9 months ago one of our members called on our church for prayer for her married daughter living in Serbia who was not a Christian.
Tanya, had contracted Hep B twenty years ago while living in Moldova and now, at 39, according to her doctors had just a short time to live.
Her only hope was to get a liver transplant.
As a church we began to pray and fast for her to receive a liver transplant.

Not long afterwards a liver became available, she had the operation and everything went so well that she was out of hospital care within 2 months.

At the end of October she was with us in the church and shared of her experiences - it was moving for all that were there.
We were away but the following Sunday Tanya came to speak to us after the meeting wanting to get right with God.

We came to meet her the following day at her mum's and explained the gospel in detail to her step by step.

When we came to talk about how Jesus had died on the cross to take our sins giving his life so that we could live she began to weep profusely.

Soon it became clear why. A young man of 20 years of age died in a car accident and because of his death and the heart breaking suffering and gracious gift of the boy's parents she received a new liver and thus a new life.
She saw the even greater sacrifices of Jesus and His Father, when He, a man without sin, willingly and consciously gave His life dying on the cross in her place for her sins to give her a new life.

With tears she put her trust in what Jesus had done for her on the cross and asked the risen Jesus to come into her life as her Lord and Saviour.

Moments later we read John 6:47 together "Truly, truly, I tell you, whoever believes in Me has etrenal life"

"Did you believe in Him just now?" I asked her"
"Yes" she said
"According to this verse what does the Bible say you have?" I asked?

She read the verse again
"Eternal life" she said, joy replacing the tears

"When do you have it?" I asked
She looked at the verse again
"Now!" she said with a mixture of incredulity and thankfulness on her face

It was a special moment for us too

Pastor Mark

Monday, November 9, 2009

Missions in the South 4-8 Nov




A series of missions have been taking place right across the South of Moldova during 4-8 Novemeber.
We had one at Gotesti to which we called different preachers for each night while I went to other churhces to preach the gospel
This is one of the churches we went to - Antonesti - and here Maricica and 3 of the girls from our church at Gotesti are doing a programme of songs and a testimony before I came onto preach

I also had the priviledge of being invited to preach on Saturday night at the church in Vad lui Isaac where around 150 came.
This is Jonathan and Richard who are living and ministering in Bucuresti. They took part in the service sharing 2 songs



There were 5 people who gave their lives to the Lord in an appeal after the message including Cristina and Eugenia pictured here.

This was a particularly special moment for me to have participated in - the occassion when they both gave their whole lives to Christ. Both girls had gone to school in Gotesti for 3 years living with Iulian during that time and coming to the church at Gotesti. Despite many opportunities they had not given their lives to Christ but we always felt they were close.



Meanwhile, we also had John Dyson, my pastor and one of our trustees, over with us along with Geoff Collier a member in my home church.
They had come to preach and give testimony, respectively in various other venues in the mission week of the South.

Unfortunately since we were never in the same place I have no photos of Geoff giving testimony and only this one of John preaching at Gotesti with Igor translating at the baptism meeting on Sunday evening in Gotesti.
Natasa and Colia were the 2 that got baptised and both gave their testimony in the meeting




Igor assisted in the baptism as he is the youth leader and largely responsibile for the discipling of both Natasa and Colia




Colia could not get the smile off his face from start to finish


His brother Viorel was baptised last year and both are very active servants of the Lord already

Pastor Mark

Trip to Kinmel Bay



In October, Mari and I were invited to come to Kinmel Bay Evangelical church in North Wales.


This is the Sunday morning meeting to which around 150 come regularly.



We were sharing about the work in Moldova and particularly about churhces in UK partnering with churches in Moldova which Kinmel Bay are interested in doing.


This is Gwyn Parry the pastor preaching and the lady in the background on the right is his wife Eunice.




We had a great time with them on the Saturday when we arrived each sharing about our experiences in the ministry.
Later in the evening we shared with the leadership team about 2 church plants in Moldova that they are considering partnering with - part supporting the pastor and partnering in the work of the church in various ways. They listened intently and put the kind of questions that encouraged us as to how serious thy were about their about their partnership plans



We stayed with Alan and Maureen Tuttle, a lovely and intersting couple

Before retiring he was a professional children's entertainer


And he still had the knack
On the way out we took the flight from Liverpool airport which is named John Lennon airport after the famous assasinated Beatle

His statute stands in the hall on the way to departures.



It was quite a moving moment to think of his life, times and death
Pastor Mark