February 2005

As We Go in Romania

The new year started out with Faith Bible College on our hearts and in our minds. It is a whole new adventure in ministry for all of us here. We had lots of questions but with few answers until we got started. January 11th was the big day. We began to register students that week and began classes formally on the 18th of January. We have 18 students that attend classes at Schitu Duca on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and another 6 Wednesday night students that attend at the Dacia church.

We have four courses being taught at Schitu Duca. Course #1 is on "How to Study the Bible", Course #2 "Old Testament Survey", Course #3 "Book of Acts", & Course #4 is a teaching methods class using "Experiencing God". Only courses 1 & 2 are being taught at Dacia. The students come from as far away as Ten Sticks (a gypsy village) which is about 75 miles away and from another gypsy village named Solbozia which is about 32 miles away. We also have students from Negresti and Iasi.

The students are hungry for sound Biblical teaching. We have chapel services each day and everyone gets a chance to do the preaching in these services. We even have guest speakers as they become available. Our vision is not just to equip through study only but equip through practical experience. Two of the students have started a Bible study in Schitu Duca and both teach and preach every Sunday. Others students are also involved in ministry in their villages.

Students are encouraged and are beginning to be taught how to see where God is working and how to join Him as He works through them to accomplish His will. The students are excited about this and we have encouraged pastors to begin to write newsletter articles that will help you get to know some of them. We are grateful for the two translators Roxanna and George who help us in the classes and for Charles Maynard for getting and keeping the web site up and running.

What's it like to start a college at the ground level? Materials have to be gathered for student courses (we use Bible Training Center for Pastors and Leaders) for Courses #1 & #2. This material is already in Romanian and works very well in the classroom. Student transportation costs, book expenses plus lots of Xerox aids, accommodations for overnight stays, food for students and staff (4 meals are fixed weekly by Ruby and Rody), utilities, bottled gas for heat, gas for vehicles and putting a web site up were some of the things that had to be considered as we began this God sized assignment of equipping national leaders for church leadership here in Romania.

You can begin to get a picture of the logistics of starting what God has called us to do. This is no small assignment and we depend on the Lord for all our needs. Our prayer is that the Lord will touch many hearts in many ways to help in His work here. We pray that He will lay it on peoples' hearts to pray for this work. We pray that He will touch hearts to give because much financial aid is needed and the Lord will lead many others to co-operate in many others ways to help accomplish what He has set before us.

We were thankful for the extremely nice weather we had in December and January but it finally did snow and turn cold. We thank the Lord for all He provides and for all He allows us to go through as we serve Him in Iasi, Romania.

Christ's Servants in Romania
Charles/Ruby Price & David/Rody Maynard