Elder Curtis Pugh - Sovereign Grace Landmark Baptist Missionary To Romania

    May this report find all of you well and above all, doing well in your walk with the Lord Jesus Christ!
    Janet and I are both "OK" for us. Since our last prayer letter I have had some very painful back problems which required two trips to Hungary to obtain medical care. For two weeks I was unable to sit up except in a very reclined position and walking was all but impossible. The doctor in Budapest wanted to shoot pain killer into my spine and hospitalize me because of the pinched nerve, but was persuaded instead to prescribe very strong pain medication, anti-inflamatory drugs, and muscle relaxants and I survived at home! After 14 days in bed, I am now almost back to normal and do appreciate your prayers and concern during this time.
    Translation and Literature work:
    This phase of the work has continued despite my back problem. We continue to have requests for our publications and are working on new titles as well. In next month's report I plan on reporting statistics regarding the total number of titles we have produced, distributed, etc. We have both smaller and larger literature projects underway; things that are needed in the Romanian language. We solicit your earnest prayers on behalf of this important part of our work. We have seen no other literature other than ours which stands for both historic Baptist Church truth and the doctrine of free grace in salvation and to our knowledge nobody else is trying to fill this need. Our new Baptist Collection CD has more than 120 full length books on it and many good articles by our kind of Baptists; mostly in English, but also includes those we have translated into Romanian. Pastors and seminary students are interested in this and are receiving it along with the Bible study program. Only in eternity will we see the effect of sound books and literature in the lives of God's children.
    Bocsa Mission:
    Since the mission meets in our living quarters here at the property, even though I was flat on my back, I was able to attend the services, listening through an open bedroom door! Brother Raul Enyedi taught and preached in my place for two weekends and did a good job. Since our last prayer letter we have had, besides our "regular visitors" two men visit on the Lord's Day. One came for the first time, seemed interested, and said he would return. "Gypsies" exist in Romania pretty much as a segregated society and this is the first of these people who have come to our meetings. Most of these people in the Bocsa area are Pentecostals.
    Oltenia Preaching Point:
    The work in Oltenia seems to be going well. Due to my back problem, I was unable to go there on two successive Lord's Days. The Brothers there are very zealous for the truth and busy in distribution of our literature in their city and other cities round about. Since they needed a considerable amount of literature, Brother Aurel and Brother Raul made a delivery run down there one evening while I was bedfast. Since my last report there have been 3 visitors present at the meetings there, one of them returning. One older Brother, caught up in the Plymouth Brethren movement is interested and we have preached to him and had long discussions with him. He seems honest-hearted. Perhaps God will open his heart to the truths of His Word. A younger man, Mircea, attended for the first time this past Sunday evening. He listened with good attention and indicated his desire to return. Please pray for these two especially and for those who regularly attend, but who are not saved.
    Republic of Moldova:
    I was invited to return to Moldova to preach in December, but had to decline this opportunity due to the work here. Another group of unregistered Baptists in that country seem interested in our literature and we do hope to return to Moldova as we are able. I do not know how much news you are getting about the problems going on in the Republic of Moldova, but internal divisions between the native Romanian population and the immigrant Russian population have resulted in much-hated legislation being passed and demonstrations in the streets against governmental policy. Pray for the Lord's children there in this troubled time.