Thursday - November 11, 2010
Dear Pastors, Churches, Friends and Loved Ones:

“All that are with me salute thee. Greet them that love us in the faith. Grace be with you all. Amen” (Titus 3:15).

    We held a meeting in Timisoara with several university students who are really interested in the doctrine of grace and church truth.  The meeting was very good.  We believe these young men are saved and genuinely interested in the Word of God.  We ask you to join us in prayer for them.  We also had blessed times in Filiasi.  We visited the people there twice this month.  The last time, in spite of the very cold room (there was no heat in there), the meeting and fellowship lasted for more than 5 hours.

    We made another trip last week to the north of the country.  We met with several brothers in Cluj.  We met with our supplier for the print shop.  The director and many of the employees are members of Baptist Union churches.  They receive and distribute our literature pretty regularly.  They also run a printing house.  Since we finished the translation of Verduin’s The Reformers and Their Stepchildren (the book about the Anabaptists), we wanted to check for a price of printing it with them. He offered us a great price, $ 1,650/1,000 copies.  Better than we expected.

    The literature work is going well.  Cobb’s Baptist Church Manual is already being distributed.  I am getting ready to finish formatting The Trail of Blood as well as the final proofing of Verduin’s book.  We hope to have both books ready for distribution by next month.  We are doing our best to squeeze the cost of Verduin’s book in this month’s budget.

    Again I want to express our thankfulness and appreciation to you for supporting the work in Romania with your prayers and finances.
    Brother Raul
 

   From Brother Curtis:
    Dear Ones in Christ,
    ENCOURAGING NEWS FROM ROMANIA:  We are delighted at what God is doing in Romania!  God is blessing His Word and the work of Brother Raul, Brother Aurel and Sister Miriam!  With Janet and me “out of the way” they have more time for the actual work as they do not have to be looking after us – especially me.  The support funds are also put to a better use as our medical expenses do not come out of the work funds since we are now in Oklahoma.  Please keep all of us in your prayers!

    MARK YOUR CHECKS:  I would urge all of you to continue supporting the work in Romania.  Some of you are now helping us with work funds here in Oklahoma and we do appreciate that help.  Janet and I have just enough to live on from our Social Security pensions and will use this support only for the mission work itself.  Help our Church out in their bookkeeping, please!  If your checks are not marked “Oklahoma” the funds will be directed by our Church to the Romania work.  That is where most work is going on and where the bulk of funds are needed.  If you have special funds to help print Verduin’s book, they will be greatly appreciated.

    OUR MOVE TO OKLAHOMA:  Janet and I had wonderful help getting moved.  Our pastor and his wife and two brothers from our Church loaded our things into a rented U Haul truck and drove to Poteau.  They unloaded our things, put up rods and curtains, etc., before heading back to Louisiana.  We are so very thankful for their kind and generous help in so many ways!  And the fellowship along the way was GREAT!  I was able to drive our van all the way from Denham Springs to Poteau.  We had one blowout on the left rear of the van, so we thought it wise to get new tires on the van and have done so.  God kept us all safe as the Brothers replaced the blown-out tire beside a busy Interstate.

    Our house is small, but well insulated and we think quite nice.  It is certainly better than we deserve.  We have not gotten completely unpacked yet as we have been busy with other things, too.  We are living near the outskirts of town and our neighbors tell us that deer and an occasional bear are sometimes seen early in the mornings.  About dusk one evening we were out in the yard and heard the coyotes “yipping” in the nearby woods.  We have been doing what we can towards getting acquainted with the people here.  Everyone is friendly, it seems, and so we are seeking to have a witness for the Lord and His truth daily.  We have been having our own services each Lord’s Day, but no one has joined us yet.  We cannot accommodate many in our little house, so are looking for another place to meet if the Lord be pleased to add to our number.  Pray, please, that God will direct our words and steps in all these matters.

    ABOUT POTEAU:   I suppose it is the same everywhere in this part of the U.S.  There is a lot of religion here – of all kinds.  I fear that most of the people think they are going to Heaven based upon their own goodness – perhaps I should say their own supposed goodness as they see themselves.  I have been invited to attend two local churches and tried to use these conversations to testify to the truth in a kind and clear way.  Most of the churches, it seems, are intent on attracting crowds with all sorts of entertainment and gimmicks aimed at all ages – especially the young people.  Pray for us that we may “adorn” the Gospel in all our speech and behavior – all for the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.  We believe it is the Word of God that men need to hear!

    MEDICAL:  Just after our arrival in Louisiana I began to come down with a cold or sinusitis.  It has lasted longer than a month and still lingers.  I do not think I have ever been this sick with this type of ailment ever before in my life.  I went to the Choctaw clinic because of it.  However, after doing blood work they were more concerned that my hemoglobin was down to 8 and so wanted me to go to the Choctaw hospital at Talihina, which I did.  There they gave me 2 units of blood and sent me home.  I am feeling better now.  Janet has not had adequate medical care these many years, but we are getting her to doctors now.  She has been seen by one specialist who was able to help her some.  She now has a family practitioner also and is to be seen by other specialists next week to try to get her help with her vision and constant dizziness.  While her family doctor is here in Poteau, we must travel about 25 miles each way to Ft. Smith, AR where specialists are located.  Please pray that she will get real help with her several medical problems.

    LITERATURE WORK:  There are four of us who now will be working on literature translation and production.  I will be working with Brother Raul in editing and checking our translations as needed.  Brother Aurel keeps the print shop, mailing, etc., going.  Now we have help from Sister Miriam who, along with her duties as a homemaker, finds time to do computer recordkeeping as well as working in the print shop.  She has learned to run the Risograph, the collator, the folder-stapler, and even “man-handles” the lever-operated paper cutter.  It is gratifying to know that our literature is still very much being sought for and distributed widely in several countries.

    I am out of space!  Thank you all for your faithful financial and prayer support of both the work in Romania and our new efforts here in Poteau.  Please keep praying for all of us who are directly involved in these mission works!  And, THANK YOU, again, for your faithful praying and giving.  You are the means God is using to enable these efforts to go forward

    In the cause of God and truth.
    Curtis & Janet Pugh
    curtis@abaptistvoice.com
 

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