Something Greater

Our path to full-time ministry and missions came about primarily through a desire to see the lost won to Christ. We had already experienced the joy of serving the Lord in our local church, and we could have easily remained there for many more years. However, we sensed the Lord had something greater in store for us—something with eternal significance.

We are blessed to be serving the Lord in Romania, a wonderful country full of rich history and natural beauty. We work in the rural village of Luncsoara, and our ministry is specifically to the Roma (preferred over the derogatory term, “Gypsy”) people who are an ethnic minority in Romania and throughout the world.

Since coming to Romania in 2009, we have witnessed how the Roma people are looked down upon and openly discriminated against. Ethnic stereotypes abound, and life is particularly challenging now because of the pandemic. A further provocation is that many Roma families, which often include four or more children, have multiple family members working outside the country for months at a time as their primary income. Parents often leave children behind with grandparents or older siblings, and the family structure suffers. Young teens are thus involved in inappropriate relationships, and teenage pregnancies are the norm. Thus, we are convinced that the Roma people need the Lord now more than ever, and we are thankful for the privilege to be used by the Lord to reach them for Christ.

We have experienced the ups and downs of ministry just like our BMM colleagues around the world. Our greatest joy has been being part of a talented team that the Lord granted the responsibility of raising a new generation for Him. Many of these children have heard the gospel from the time they could walk, and each week they are learning about God, the Bible, and their need for salvation.

Although we have not often seen or heard public expressions of faith in Christ in our ministry (it is difficult to go against family and community pressures), we do sense that the Lord is working in hearts. Our prayer is that in time some of the older children and teens who have grown up under our team’s ministry will begin to make decisions for the Lord and choose to serve Him with their lives. Thus, it is incumbent upon us to continue to remain faithful to the call that the Lord has given us and to see to fruition the outcome of years of effort. And that means a joy that will last throughout heaven!