Winter 2021

Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation. (Psalm 24:3-5)

"Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord?" In other words, who is worthy to enter the presence of the Lord? The response, "He that hath clean hands." This is a call to a life of holiness. These verses also remind us to remain humble and honest. Otherwise, how can we expect to receive His blessings? How can we be pure in God's eyes if we are polluted by the world? Righteousness is what matters to a Holy God. Lord, help us overcome the evil influences of this world!

COVID-19 Update

We continue to keep a close watch on the pandemic here in Romania, particularly as it relates to the ministry. The daily number of cases peaked in late November when additional restrictions were implemented, including nighttime travel restrictions after 11 p.m. and moving schools to entirely online. Thankfully, the total number of cases has continued to decline, and the vaccination program is well under way.

In November, one of our teammates entered isolation after a friend came down with the virus. Fortunately, the rest of us were able to continue regular activities. Then, in December, another teammate tested positive for the virus, so we all needed to isolate for two weeks under Romanian law. Thankfully, our family and the rest of the team remained well, and we busied ourselves preparing for the holidays. However, the timing meant we were unable to have services Christmas week.

Christmas Outreach

Although we were not able to hold the children’s Christmas program nor the teen Christmas concert this year, we were able to continue other annual Christmas ministries and to maintain a caring presence in the Roma community.

For the seventh year in a row, we hosted a family photo shoot at church and took photos of many families within the community. We then presented the framed photos to the families. These photos are more than just eagerly anticipated gifts. They give us opportunities to connect with those who seldom or never come to church. We also gave a Christmas gift bag to nearly every family in the community, 54 families in all.

Several days before Christmas, we distributed lots of wonderful Christmas presents to happy children. Weeks earlier, Ruth had hand-selected and hand-packed gift bags for the Roma children, from newborns to 11-year-olds. In one busy afternoon, we distributed the gifts to 81 excited children! And we didn’t forget our teenagers. Our team also gave gifts to 32 teens.

These gifts serve as an annual reminder of what we strive to communicate all year round, that God loves these Roma families and that, through Him, we do too. We pray that these visible touches of Christ’s love will bear fruit in their lives this year.

We also pray that you treasure the impact that you make through us when you support us prayerfully and financially. Thank you for giving to us so that we can continue to give to others.

Strive for a life of righteousness and holiness in 2021!

Dave, Ruth, Celeste, and Amber

Furlough 2021

Amid all the life changes happening as a result of the pandemic, we are preparing to return to the US for the second half of 2021, beginning in mid-May. Our youngest daughter, Amber, will be graduating from high school and starting college in the fall. She has worked very hard this year, especially taking dual enrollment courses while maintaining strong grades. Amber has applied to several colleges and is awaiting their response. Please pray for her in these next few months that God will lead her as she chooses a college, a roommate, and a future career.

We plan to follow a similar schedule as we did in 2018 with Celeste, who is now in her third year of college. Amber’s first priority will be taking driver’s ed so she can have her driver’s license in time for fall, but there are other things that also need to be accomplished before college. Pray for her as she adjusts to living in a new place and beginning her college education.

While in the US, we are also hoping to visit as many of our supporting churches as possible. If you would like to have us come for a specific date or event, please let us know soon.