Elder
Curtis Pugh
Missionary
to Romania
sent
by the
Berea
Baptist Church
P.O.
Box 39
Mantachie,
Mississippi 38855
(601)
282-7794
PRAYER LETTER FOR
JANUARY, 2002
Monday, February 18, 2002
Dear Pastors and Churches:
Warmest greetings in the Name of Jesus Christ from Romania! Our prayer
is that this letter finds
each of you well and
serving the Lord in all things. The Pughs are about as usual.
January has been an unusually busy month, but God has enabled us to accomplish
more than we
thought possible.
I believe God is blessing His Word in the places where I preach.
Some are still troubled at the idea that God has a plan and is carrying
out that plan. Others are rejoicing in the great truths
associated with this
concept. The Baptist church at Vermes requested that I preach the
concluding
message at their recent
series of evangelistic meetings. I preach there almost every month
and they are
always glad to see
us and listen with great attention to the free grace preaching. The
Baptists at
Ghertenis have asked
me to preach a 3 day evangelistic meeting for them sometime in the next
few
weeks. It thrills
my heart to see that these people understand that there is more to preaching
the Gospel
than the Arminian
junk so many are trying to feed them.
We continue to make progress in acquiring the language. It seems
awfully slow to us right now,
but we were told we
would reach this stage and not to be discouraged. We understand most of
what we
hear and can make
ourselves understood. I continue to add bits of Romanian in my sermons,
but do not
yet have the ability
to preach from my heart to the heart of the hearers in the Romanian language.
Please
continue to pray for
us in this area. I long to be able to really “preach” in Romanian!
We continue to receive requests for literature from Romania and now also
from the Republic of
Moldova. One
Brother there wrote to me that THE TRAIL OF BLOOD had caused him to completely
change his perspective
of church history. He is a teacher in a church in Orhei and stated
that he is
anxious to teach these
things there. Raul and I are planning on a preaching tour in the
Republic of
Moldova before summer.
I have conferred with their Consulate as to the paperwork necessary for
me to
enter their country.
A visa must be purchased, but literature can be taken in without cost by
American
citizens! Please
pray about this trip. The people in the Republic of Moldova elected
a majority of
Communist party legislators
and they have passed a law excluding the use of the Romanian language,
at
least in the schools
and perhaps elsewhere, in favor of using the Russian language only.
The citizens are
objecting strenuously.
There have been protest marches and meetings in the cities with sometimes
as
many as 30,000 people
in attendance. So far, as much as we are able to learn, there has
been no
significant violence
in these protests. While Romania turns to the West and seeks membership
in the
European Union and
NATO, the Republic of Moldova, once a part of Romania, turns toward Russia
and
holds on to fragments
of Communism. We are informed that Moldova is poorer than Romania
and that we ought to be prepared for pickpockets, scams, and thieves of
all sorts. So in this trip as in all things we
must trust the Lord
for protection and so ask for your prayers.
In January, God enabled us, through the generous giving of some of His
Churches, to purchase
and accept delivery
on the Risograph, and also a folder stapler machine, an up-grade computer,
a laser
printer, and some
smaller items such as a small paper cutter, curtains, etc. We were
also able to
purchase rough lumber,
which a local carpenter planed and turned into two large shelving units
and two
tables needed for
the literature work. We are almost completely moved into the “office”
which I rented in Bocsa. This “office” serves as a location for Bible
study, the English language Bible Institute, and the
place where translation,
printing, and further preparation of literature takes place. So far,
Janet has been
able to keep up with
the wrapping of books and tracts for shipment. While there is a definite
need for
literature for those
who are believers already, there is also a need for sound Gospel materials
and we are
working on some of
these now. We are without suitable words to express our appreciation,
but we do
want to say “Thank
You” to those of you who prayed about these needed machines, and to those
of you
who gave to make their
existence possible. May God bless you!
Besides continuing writing materials for children (presently she is at
work on a study in Acts
which will continue
as a Baptist history course for boys and girls) Janet is helping in this
fledgling work by formatting the literature and designing booklet covers
and the fronts of tracts.
Brothers and Sisters, God, through you, has placed in our hands significant
tools for spreading the
truth. We want
to use this printing equipment in the best way for Him. We need the
Lord's wisdom. I have downloaded and continue to download many sermons,
articles and books from various sovereign grace Baptist sites on the Internet.
This saves us the time of keyboarding them. Raul is often busy with
translation, but also
has his studies and other things he must do. (Spring is coming and
he must help his
family work in the
garden, etc. so they will have food to eat. This takes some of his
time.) Again, we
thank you for your
help through prayer and through giving! Now, we ask that you pray
for us in the wise use of these tools! We have purchased a supply
of paper and have on hand some ink and masters;
these “consumables”
must be purchased on an ongoing basis as we print more literature and tracts.
Please continue to
help us through prayer! Only as God guides and sustains us will we
accomplish those
things we believe
He has put in our hearts to do.
In the cause of God and truth,
Curtis and Janet Pugh
Pray for the Pughs.
Pray for Raul Enyedi, our helper and translator.
curtis@xnet.ro
CURTIS PUGH
str. Tudor Vladimirescu nr. 376
1742 Berzovia, jud. Caras-Severin
Romania
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