Sunday, May 08, 2011

MEMBER OF THE MONTH:

Dear Pastors and Churches,
 

First of all, I want to thank you for your faithful support and earnest prayers for the work here in Romania. Your laboring with us is the means God uses to keep us going.

The member of our Church that I shall introduce in this letter is Aurel Munteanu from Filiasi. He is married to Estera (Esther) and they have a three year old son, Stefan (Steven). This month Aurel will be 35. He works in construction, but does not have a permanent job. Aurel was baptized in July, 2005 and was a charter member of our Church. Now he is a licensed preacher of it. Traveling on foot, at his own expense, of course, he has distributed literature in more than 100 cities, towns and villages in Romania. He does a great job spreading the truth over the Internet with his blogs, http://aurelmunteanu.wordpress.com and http://ovocebaptistainoltenia.wordpress.com. He covets our prayers for his family, the salvation of the lost in it, for his town and for sufficient work to support his family.

The printing work is going well. We reprinted three publications (Spurgeon’s Barley Field on Fire; Creation or Evolution by Gerald Counts and I Am Looking for Sinners by Brother Curtis), 2,000 copies each. We also printed the new catalog that will go out this current month. The Reformers and Their Stepchildren is now available and we started distributing it. We also have translated a new sermon by Spurgeon, Salvation, Altogether by Grace. Several new people requested literature this past month, besides those who distribute regularly.

In April we made four mission trips: two to Filiasi, a two day trip to Rosiori and one to Cluj. We drove to Cluj to pick up the book from the printing house, but we took advantage of this opportunity and visited several brethren there. In Rosiori, Miriam, Aurel and I were lodged at Brother George’s small but welcoming place. We had great fellowhip there. Sunday morning another family came for service and worship and we spent several hours having fellowship and answering questions.

Our church has voted to donate $100 to the new Riso fund. We do not know how long the old Riso will be working, since the parts in it are pretty worn, and if it quits, all the printing will stop. Our church will try to donate faithfully to this fund, according to our ability.

Getting acquainted with Romania: This month, both the Orthodox and the Catholic Easter was celebrated on the same day. In the Orthodox church, the custom is that people fast on Black Friday and are sober. The more strict ones do not even smile on that day. Saturday night there is a special service called “the Resurrection.” Around midnight, the priest brings his candle before the people and says, “Come ye, and receive light.” Those closest to the priest take fire (which is supposed to have been brought from Jerusalem) to their candles and pass it on to the people next to them, until everybody there received their spiritual (?!?) light. After this, making sure the fire does not to go out, they start marching several times around the church building, led by the priests, with some men carrying an empty casket on their shoulders. This, it is said, is to show that there is no body in it, that Christ has risen. The universal greeting for Easter season is: “Cristos a inviat!” [Christ has risen!] and the answer is “Adevarat a-nviat” [Truly has he risen!]. The Union Baptists took many of the traditions of the Orthodox Church regarding their celebration of Easter. They give our Church all kinds of names because we do not celebrate it, but they cannot point to any scripture to condemn us, and therefore, our consciences are at peace.

Please continue to pray for us!
Brother Raul

Greetings from Oklahoma!

Thanksgiving:  Our prayers have gone up to God for you all as you stand with us both in the Romania work and also here in Poteau.  And we want you to know of our appreciation and gratitude to each of you for your financial help and most of all for your prayers for all occupied in our mission efforts.  Thank you!

Janet’s condition:  I know that many of you want to know about Janet.  She continues much as before in her locked-in-state, although this past week she evidently hemorrhaged internally and threw up some blood.  She was taken by ambulance to hospital in Ft. Smith, AR where they did nothing for her.  After 42 hours observation she was sent back to the nursing home and seems to be doing well.  She is often alert and somewhat responsive, keeping her eyes open and watching me as I speak to her.  I go daily to see her unless hindered by absolutely necessary things or my own illness.  I read from the Bible to her and we pray together.  I also keep her updated on who has called, sent e-mails, cards, letters, etc.  Thank you for your evidences of genuine love for us!  I am sure that I speak for her in this word of thanks as well as for myself.

Poteau work:  The ads I have been putting in the local papers – brief articles, really – continue to spark at least some interest.  I get phone calls from people with questions or comments weekly.  Surprisingly, most are favorable, though the pastors seem not to appreciate my stand for free grace.  I have heard from one couple that believe in sovereign grace and hope this week to get to meet with them.  The brother has been injured in a farm tractor incident and is unable to work.  Perhaps together with these two we can begin holding public services.  We have not found a place to rent as yet, but haven’t felt the need yet, so we wait on the Lord to lead and know He will supply when the time comes.

My health is perhaps a bit better or at least I am managing somewhat better, making myself rest more than I think I should.  Stress and too much activity seem to cause my hemoglobin to drop.  Friday the 13^th of this month I am to undergo the extraction of bone marrow from my hip for analysis.  Appreciate your prayers!

It seems I am always out of space before I am spun dry!  Please do accept our thanks and appreciation for your gifts, cards, e-mails, letters, phone calls, and especially your prayers on our behalf!  God bless you all!

Curtis Pugh
curtis@abaptistvoice.com
 

Preaching Baptist Baptism, the Blood, the Book, and the Blessed Hope

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