CAMPUS OUTREACH

I visited Mihai from Buzau. He had given an overnight party for the orthodox holiday of the angels, Michael and Gabriel. He bought booze, called fiddlers and invited his friends. They partied until morning. After he told me about their party I asked him honestly how could he say he believed in God and have such a party. He answered "I am very well with my belief in God!!!" I ask him again, "Do you think God loves immorality, loves the fact you booze up, you commit immorality with your girlfriend?" He admitted he has qualms of conscience. He was very open to listen to the Gospel. I shared with him my testimony. We sat near the table and talked, although the room was full of students. Everyone was preoccupied with something other than listening to the Word. I gave him a New Testament to read because he told me he had never read the Bible.

Ciprian is Mihai's room-mate. I started to share with him because he wished to hear about God. I asked him if he saw God's power in his life. He answered, "When I was a child I fell into a coma and I had a clinical death. I saw my parents who were in another room. I read the Bible and I am aware of the existence of Heaven and Hell". I came back again to see Mihai and Ciprian but they were pretty disinterested. It is impossible for them to be interested in God and holiness in a dorm where everything is permissive, early and late.

After looking for a while for someone else to talk to, I finally got to talk with two boys. One of them was from Moldova and he asked me if I was orthodox. He was open to hear the Word of God. He told me God had performed miracles in his life, but he did not want to tell me what kind of miracles. For a nonbeliever a miracle means something like a beautiful girl stepped into his life. I mentioned what is written in James 4 "You ask, ... that you may consume it upon your lusts". His colleague played on the computer while we talked. At first he did not pay attention to the discussion, but then he listened to the Gospel. I met among them other young people who have parents of my age. Almost all of them are addicted to the computer as they play on it all the time.

I went with my son, Timothy, and looked for Stefan who filled out on Gallup poll card that he is interested to hear about God. In his room I met Mihai, Adi and Ervin from Sfantu Gheorghe village. I proclaimed the Word to them. They were very open and listened quietly. When I finished, Stefan said, "For me was very deep what I heard". Ervin told me, "I am moral, but at school I have learned that everything is relative including the good and the bad". All agreed that we have to live by the Christian moral.

My son, David, invited to our home two schoolmates to watch Christian movies. After they watch the movies, God put into my heart the desire to share with them the Gospel. I rejoiced hearing that they read the New Testament which my son David had given them both. David had also witnessed to them. They prayed to receive the Lord Jesus. I told them if God came into their lives, they will see a transformation in the future or they only offered a prayer as many others.

After Bible study meetings with the families we went home. While we drove home on the boulevard I saw a police car, a television, and pieces of glass on the pavement. I did not see any wrecked car. It was 9:30 p.m. We went to one of our church family's homes where we have fellowship and prayer together. We got to bed late that night. In the morning we woke up tired. It is Friday morning - January 31, 2009. My wife's mother called us: "Are you all right? The TV said there was an attempted robbery on Tampa Street." We live on Tampa Street. In a few moments the door bell rang. I was in the bedroom having my worship time before the Lord. My wife came to me deeply touched and said, "Alex, those from PROTV television are here. One of the men shot in the robbery attempt was our neighbor from the 2nd floor - Mr. Lala." I was speechless. I could not believe it. I had seen him 2-3 days ago. We spoke to each other. When our children were little we drove them to school at times. He had been in our home. I had visited his family and had proclaimed the Gospel to them. He listened to me but nothing more. He had a yacht in the Danube's Delta where he invited us to spend a vacation with his family. We refused the invitation because their interests were different than ours. They helped us with some clothes for the children. We used to pray for them. A year ago Dana, Mr. Lala's wife, spoked with Simona, my wife. She told her how grieved she was because her husband rejected her for another woman. Before that Dana, said to my wife "I am leaving my children to watch pornography, to commit fornication, to have fun". But Simona told her "Dana, what you are doing is not right. God does not like this." After the husband left her she told my wife that she was immoral. My wife counseled her with some books about children's education and she started to look at them and read them. Their son, Sebi, came to our home several times and he heard the Gospel. When he became a teenager he went his own way. When his father left him he cried and our family tried to encourage them.

Mr. Lala went to buy some drugs from the pharmacy and apparently had attempted to steal something. He was shot in the chest and later died in the ambulance. He had everything that his heart wished for. But that was not of any use because he lost his soul. My heart is still grieved. Especially when you speak to someone about God and he leaves showing contempt for it. Through his death the neighbors were emotionally stirred. Mihaela, a neighbor, was very open to hear the Gospel when she came to our home. When we returned from the funeral, which was on television, we proclaim the Gospel to another neighbor who we had never had the chance to talk to.

After PROTV interviewed me, I shared with them my personal testimony and how God saved me and Simona.

Mr. Laszlo has his own business. I had the occasion to tell him the testimony of my returning to the Lord Jesus years ago. He listen to me very attentively. While he was listening I thought "this man is looking for God". When I finished he told me, "I listened you carefully, but I am practicing yoga and my religion is Unitarianism. Unitarians do not believe in the Holy Trinity. Through yoga, I was led to believe that there is a Holy Trinity. If you go to Bucharest, you should visit the place where I attend and you will see what peace the people receive there. It is exactly the way you received peace in your religion". I said, "Mr. Laszlo, I read about yoga and as far as I know there is no salvation from sins in yoga. Where will you go if you die tonight?" He answered, "I shall go to heaven because my sins are forgiven." I asked, "By whom?" He said, "By yoga." Than I told him, "Nobody forgives sins except Jesus Christ only." But he said, "Also by yoga you can reach God". I said, "God does not work against His Word. He is not dual. He works according to His Word". Mr. Laszlo said, "It is true I have not read the Bible. I do not know much about Christ, but I believe we can reach God and be saved not only by the Bible". "Mr. Laszlo, Jesus said I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes unto the Father, but by Me". I came away from there thinking how far the evil one went in lying to the people. With some he leaves them believing there is the Holy Trinity, but he works so strongly that he makes them believe they are saved and they have their sins forgiven, not by Jesus Christ, but by something else. I felt that I was knocking my head against a brick wall when I talked to Mr. Laszlo. I felt in my spirit the resistance. Satan makes people believe they are forgiven, saved without the Bible, without Christ's sacrifice, giving them a false assurance. How great is his work of deception!!!

PRAYER REQUESTS

Please pray for me to know Him more and to be hungry after the Lord.

Please pray for the salvation of our girl, Estera. May the Lord also work in the hearts of our teenage boys that they would have great desire after God and His Word.

Pray for the health of my wife and the baby who is to be born in March of 2009 by God's grace.

Please also that God will make our saved students strong in faith against the insults of their colleagues who mock them because they are repenters.

Please pray for the Lord to convince of sins in the students' hearts.

Also pray for guidance in the ministry with the families in the church where we attend.