Curtis Pugh
Missionary to Romania
Sponsored by the Grace Bible Baptist Church
 26080 Wax Road
Denham Springs, LA, 70726
Elder Jerry Dodson Sr. - Pastor
(225) 664 – 3223
jerrydodsonsr@wmconnect.com
www.geocities.com/heartland/grove/3718
Field address: Curtis Pugh
str. Izvor nr. 3
Bocsa, C-S, 325300
Romania
Telephone: 011 40 255 555 136
E-mail: curtis@xnet.ro
 

PRAYER LETTER FOR DECEMBER, 2006

Monday, January 15, 2007
Dear Pastors and Churches:
“All that are with me salute thee. Greet them that love us in the faith. Grace be with you all. Amen” (Titus 3:15).
    Greetings to all of you from Romania!  It is hard to believe that we are fifteen days into the new year!  It is exciting to walk step by step with the Lord, not knowing what is ahead, but knowing that He knows – and that He is in absolute control!  What a Savior!
   Winter Theological School: The Winter School continues well with good interest and participation.  We have been planning a trip to the east and now have “double reasons” to go.  I write this because the Brothers there are all convinced they should become independent!  It seems that one or two of them have enough understanding of church-truth so that they see that they need to be scripturally baptized and organized into a New Testament Church.  They have asked that we come and teach them for at least 3 or 4 days on this great subject so that they can understand what the Bible says!  So, although I have been in bed for a little more than a week with my latest “spell” of fever, spots, knots, headaches, and painful muscles, I am happy to be up once again.  I must begin preparing notes to thoroughly cover the subject of the New Testament Church so that they might be established in the truth.  Brother Tom Ross’ book has arrived and should be a great help to me in this! Please pray for these 8 men who are attending the School!  God must enlighten them and then give them grace to stand for what they see.  At least one will loose financial support and a nice meetinghouse if he becomes independent.  As the Romanian Baptist Union becomes more and more ecumenical we believe some others will be “forced” to decide whether to stay in or “come out.”
   New Legislation: While the new Romanian legislation regarding denominations has some bad things in it for those who want to establish new denominations and get them recognition from the government, we rejoice in that there is nothing in it to harm us – so far.  Of course we are NOT interested in forming any kind of denominational organization and would not take money from the government and so this part of the law does not affect us at all.  The anti-proselyting parts of the law that had concerned us were omitted from the legislation that passed the Romanian parliament.  There is one somewhat vague and general part that might someday be used against us.  It forbids “defaming” any religious group or denomination or religious symbol and could be conceivably used against anyone (including us) who stands against the false gospel and paganism of crosses, steeples, icons, statues, holy water, saints, infant baptism, relics, religious processions, holidays, etc.  But get this: while the law forbids “defaming” religious groups and symbols, it provides for no penalty for such an offense!  So it is unenforceable, according to our Romanian Baptist lawyer-friend!  Of course it is possible that further legislation in the future might put more “teeth” into this law, but probably nothing will ever be done against us because of this law.  So, we thank you for your prayers regarding this, believing that God has heard and answered all our prayers on this matter.  We ask that you continue to pray for us.  We are ever mindful that we are here only by the grace of God and so live daily trusting Him in all things.
   Financial Information:  We are not complaining, but informing and asking for special prayer in the matter I need to present to you.  Less than 2 years ago a Dollar bought 3.1 Lei (official rate – we receive less).  A month or so ago the Dollar hit its lowest ever value against the Euro (and Romanian Lei are tagged to the Euro).  A Dollar dropped so that it would only purchase 2.5 Lei (official rate – we receive less).  This means that while a year ago $1,000 equaled 3,100 Lei: after the drop in value, $1,000 only equals 2,500 Lei – a drop of 600 Lei or $240.  If we received $4,000 support then, it now equals only $3,040 – a loss of $960 in purchasing power.  We need wisdom and grace to continue all our projects and efforts under these circumstances.  At this writing, the Dollar has inched back up in value, but we still receive less than 2.6 Lei to the dollar and do not know whether the Dollar will rise more or go down.  Please pray concerning this matter.
   Literature:  Before I run out of room, I must tell you what God has done through you in 2006 regarding the literature ministry. We printed, in 2006, more than 61,000 pieces of literature (booklets and tracts).  More than 59,000 of them were requested and shipped by the end of the year!  Brothers and Sisters, this does not seem possible to me, but the figures check out – the records have been kept.  I am sure Brother Aurel “knows for sure,” because he has printed every one of them on the Risograph, helped in collating most of them, put many of them through the folder-stapler and trimmed them all 3 times on the lever-powered paper cutter.  This guillotine-type cutter operates on “Aurel-power.”  Besides this he has wrapped almost all of them at least twice and shipped most of them.  We have not had time to keep up with putting little flags on the map showing where our literature has gone, but it has been distributed in most of the counties of Romania.  We hear from pastors, youth workers, individuals who feel led to distribute our literature as they are able, prisoners and we even have received good letters from two men in maximum security mental institutions – both there for murder.  One of them, aged 26, killed his father 4 years ago.  He wrote that he will regret his act for the rest of his life and made no attempt to evade his guilt.  Someone gave him 3 of our tracts.  Often we get requests for clothing, shoes, money, etc., from prisoners and seldom are they “guilty.”  This young man asked for a Bible and more information about the Gospel!  I hope you will pray for him and others like him about whom we may never hear, but who, along with men and women on the “outside” also need to hear the true gospel of the grace of God.
    Thank you for your faithful prayers and interest and financial support!  Sowing the seed in a country that has forgotten the gospel and almost wholly turned to idols and works-for-salvation will surely bring forth fruit in due season if we faint not.  The Brothers here and in Filiasi send greeting!  Pray, please, for us all!
    In the cause of God and truth with you,
    Curtis and Janet Pugh
    curtis@xnet.ro
 

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