Elder Curtis Pugh - Sovereign Grace Landmark Baptist Missionary To Romania

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 JANUARY, 2008

Friday, February 15, 2008
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).

    We are so glad that God the Spirit has shed abroad His love in our hearts, one for the other. We are sometimes lonely for fellowship with our kind of Baptists from America, but always aware that while we may be denied that privilege here, we have Brethren who do love us and pray often for us!
    Mission Trip: Since our last writing, Raul and Aurel have made a four-day mission trip to new cities. They journeyed to Zalau and Cluj-Napoca in Transylvania. They met with representatives of 6 families who have been asking questions about “our kind” of Baptists. The brothers were able to answer many questions on both grace and church truth. We expect to return to the people in Cluj-Napoca are working toward preaching meetings there. One Brother in Cluj is seeking to find a meeting place that can be rented.
    Bocsa and Filiasi: Services continue in these two places with members being faithful and visitors present at nearly all Sunday services. Brother Virgil of Filiasi still has medical problems and needs prayer.
    Medical: Significant good news? As I wrote last month the hematologist insists that I have myelodysplasia, but I have a host of other symptoms that do not quite “fit.” I still have many troublesome symptoms – some of which come and go, but something has happened or is happening. I received my last transfusion (2 units) of blood about December 20th 2007. I have not yet had to return for more blood and it has been more than a month-and-a-half since I received blood! Usually I have to go for blood every 3 or 4 weeks! My 2 doctors do not know what to think, but say it is too soon to change their conclusions or to do anything different. So I continue to have my hemoglobin monitored by a lab here in Bocsa and if and when it gets low enough it will be necessary to make the trip to Budapest, HU for more blood. Keep praying, please!
    Janet continues to have her usual handicaps, but keeps going. I am continually amazed as to what she is able to get done. Surely God enables her! One eye, especially, does not manufacture tears and the other only a miniscule amount. The drops she must use are costly, but there is no choice. To allow her corneas to dry out would mean not only terrible pain, but eventual blindness. Do pray for Janet regarding these things!
    Get Acquainted With Romania: The Romanian government provides health care for all citizens of Romania. But you would not believe the poor quality of the care and the conditions that exist in many hospitals. Some private labs are now modern, but some still, for instance, take blood samples and put them in little containers open to the air, wipe up with bloody rags, reuse needles, etc. These are things we have observed and know to be true. The blood supply in this country is not safeguarded and to receive blood may mean exposing yourself to AIDS and other diseases. Many people here, including doctors, are afraid of breezes – even summer ones! They ride in cars with the windows rolled up in summertime with no air conditioners! They will not open windows on opposite sides of the house for fear of a breeze. Moving air through a house or a car can cause abscessed teeth, headaches, facial paralysis and other serious ailments according to many Romanians. A church building may be filled to capacity in the hot summer time, but no windows will be opened for fear of a breeze! While it is not our business here to change people’s medical beliefs, we have asked why such breezes in cars and buildings are dangerous when Romanians will work in the fields when there are breezes, ride bicycles, etc. Usually they just shrug as they have no answer. It is also thought to be dangerous to sit on the ground, even in summer, or on cement steps etc. Sitting on the ground or on cement is the root cause of kidney disorders!
    It still is possible to bribe professors in order to get good grades – in university and in medical school. If you want “good” medical care, you must bribe your doctor! And the doctors are not shy about demanding such payments. The Romanian people accept this corrupt system and even have jokes about it. Medical care is so poor that the President of Romania and the Prime Minister, as well as others who can afford it, go out of the country to Austria or to Italy for treatment and surgeries. This is a fact reported on Romanian national news! We grieve for poor Romanians who cannot afford adequate medical care because we know the conditions here in most medical facilities – and some of those who suffer at the hands of such doctors are our Brethren.
    Projects: There are always things to do here and I am sure this is the case with most of you. The biggest difference in the States and Romania is FINDING what you need here. For instance the two bottom elements in Janet’s oven have completely burned out. We have contacted everybody we can find who deals in such things and they are not available. So I guess we must buy a new cook stove. We have purchased the paint and have gotten most of the outside windows and doors stripped and filled in preparation for painting – but cold weather caught us and we were not able to get it done. As soon as warm weather comes, we hope to get these things painted. It is usual for “adobe” house walls to have tiny cracks. If water ever gets into mud walls, they melt. So we also need to make some minor repairs to the front walls of the mission house this Spring. We do as much of the work as we can, but we cannot stop the spiritual work in order to take care of natural things. So please pray that we will have wisdom and ability beyond our own so that we can get these things done when warm weather comes.
    As always I am out of space before I am out of things to say. We thank you for your prayers, especially, as well as your financial help. We have written letters of appreciation to those who have made special efforts to help us, but we never know if the mail gets out of Romania or not. Pray for us all here as we labor together in the midst of opposition to our doctrine, and our practice.
    In the cause of God and truth with you,
    Curtis and Janet Pugh
    curtis@xnet.ro

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