Greetings from the Tomeci family!

" 25 grams, 10 lei"
We don't find them in the market but in the student dorms. 10 lei is the price of 25 grams of "bath salts." (legally sold hallucinogens) People can make three cigarettes out of this amount. Octav is a student I get together with on a regular basis. He is a freshman and studies mechanics in English. He has two more younger brothers. Octav's family became Christian when he was a child so he became familiar with the Word of God ever since elementary school. When we talked about his family, he told me he was a little worried about his father because he had the feeling he was drifting away from God.

Octav and his mother are more dedicated to God than his father. His brothers are not how they are supposed to be either. They go with the flow of this world. Octav is an introvert but wants to be useful for the Kingdom of God. He shares the room with two other people, another freshman and a senior. Not long ago, they had a roommate who would sell "bath-salts" (these are drugs legally accepted by the laws here). There were many people who came to see this guy and buy drugs. Octav has seen even his roommates snorting this drug a few times before going to bed. There are many young people in Romania who snort bath-salts. Octav confessed, "I was afraid that he would put the drugs in my locker". We don't know how legal it is to sell them in the dorms. That is why Ocatv was afraid of a possible inspection in his room. He prayed for this specific situation and a few weeks ago his roommate moved out of their room. The one that took his place is a senior and he has a job and therefore he kind of makes the other roommate go to bed at a decent time. The Christian students that live in a dorm deal with a great pressure from a lack of privacy and mocking. Let's keep Octav and all the Christian students living in the dorms in our prayers. They need strength to carry on and be good testimonies to the unbelievers.

The Bible conference in Brasov , April 11-13 - "The Biblical Doctrine of the Last Days"

The Lord helped us to organize a Bible conference. The biblical doctrine about the last days. We had a special guest who shared his thoughts and proved to be an example of humbleness as well. His name is Dr. Bruce Ware, theology professor at the Southern Seminary in Louisville, KY, USA.
The conference was hosted by the Hungarian Baptist Church from Brasov. We invited the Christians from the area, especially the ministers. This conference has helped me to have a better and biblical  perspective about the last days. Our walk with God and our giving are not in vain. There are great things in store for us. The reality of His kingdom may seem remote due to the circumstances of life but if we abide in the Word, it seems very real and the lack of faith seems totally foolish. You can listen to the conference online at www.heartcryeuropa.ro.

"I wanted to commit suicide..." Vanesa is a 18-year old student who has six more brothers. She is a senior in high school and studies design. Vanesa also used to sing and dance. But, she fell in love with a young man who became her idol. He meant the world to her. Like always, when people become way too important for us, her boyfriend let her down and she had a nervous breakdown.  She started to talk to God even though she did not know Him. The emptiness in her heart got deeper and deeper and she grew worse and worse. During those days she felt her life no longer meant anything and she decided to put an end to it. She climbed a mountain in the area and wanted to jump off the cliff. Her parents realized there was something wrong with her and convinced her former boyfriend to go and talk to her. He went and talk her out of it. Vanesa came back home and made this request, "Lord, if you really exist, please let me know you!" And as we know, God listens to a broken heart. She sought the Lord without being taught how. It was the Holy Spirit that guided her. A neighbor of hers invited her to come to church and she agreed. That day, she dedicated her life to the Lord. Her love has been the same ever since. She is passionate about doing outreach. She does that every Friday in the park. Although she doesn't talk a great deal, she is quite a testimony for the people who listen.

Outreach in the Park

Together with several people from our church, we made the decision to do outreach and share the Word in the park every Friday evening. I went with Adi, a young man whose life was changed by God several years ago. He has a great passion to tell people about God. We talked to four men that Friday. I realized that older people usually lead the discussion towards politics. It was not easy. One of them had read a lot of books but he was rather philosophic. Two other men would mostly listen.  The fourth would say something now and then, he was closer to biblical truth than the others. We managed to tell them about God. Then, one by one, they started to leave. The one that was closer to the Bible was still there. His name is Viorel and he is 48 years old. He grew up in an evangelical family. His father used to be a minister but he no longer is. He said, "it is interesting that when an evangelical church here in Brasov was dedicated, I traveled 200 km, but now, I live in the neighborhood and I don't go to church."  I wonder what happened in this man's life. He somehow stumbled and gave up living for Christ. I don't know whether it was from some mistakes or an inadequate marriage or other people. He said he was still looking for answers. Pray for Viorel. He is married and has two children. Pray that God will make him part of His family for good.