We go tell the youth of Romania how Christ came to the world, so they, in turn, may... Come to Christ! In his book, More Than A Carpenter, Josh McDowell wrote, "Christianity is not a religion. Religion is humans trying to work their way to God through good works. Christianity is God coming to men and women through Jesus Christ.” In a month that features so much atypical service, there is a danger on either side. On one side, it could be tempting to think we didn't "do" much toward "the ministry" toward youth – nothing out of the ordinary. On the other, there's a draw to exalt the support we did for others, as though this is somehow more than we're called to do by Christ. That's the difficulty of doing a monthly newsletter. Do we inform enough about our activities that you wish we'd share more about those we reach, or do we focus so much on others that you're left wondering, "But what did you do?" Oh, what a tangled web we seize when first we think our task to please! I know, that's not how it goes, but I've had several reminders this month of the One we serve, and the danger of being a people-pleaser. Of course we strive to give our best to everyone, and a good bit of the time we may fail, but we will fail more painfully if our drive is to please fallible people more than our perfect God. So much of our work involves a conversation we can't talk about, investing in those who are facing difficulties we won't share, talking about a Bible question a student has, and daily proving that the cost of discipleship isn't just a book on our shelf. In fact, those are some of the most rewarding times in our lives! It's the beginning of September and though we're tired of traveling, we know that more is coming. It's wonderful and hard. We're thankful for it and prayerful for some rest! We'd love to connect with you personally and tell you about a bit more than we can share here. There are all kinds of ways to reach us, even from across the pond, so please let us know of a time that's good for you and we'll make it happen... even with the eight-hour time difference! Here's a break-down of the past month:
Prayer, Praise, People Here's a snapshot of how to pray for the ministry right now:
The Month In PicturesSPOTLIGHT: Alina CruceruShe's family, she's a servant, and she's this month's focus! You may remember her husband's SPOTLIGHT in this earlier month, but Alina is a willing servant of the church and children in Slatina as well. I thought it might be nice for you to hear about her ministry, and their ministry from her perspective as well. It's good to know – especially if you've ever got the mind to join us here in Romania for a mission trip – the place your team will likely stay is where Beni, Alina, and the kids live year round. The building is regularly used to house guests to Slatina who are either visiting (or serving with) the ministry done here, on missions trips, or participating in one of the regular learning opportunities the church makes available in its facilities, but I'll let her tell you more about that... here she is! Hello everyone! As David already said, my name is Alina Cruceru. I am one of the pastor’s wives in our church, Beni Cruceru’s wife. You might remember him from another spotlight he did earlier this year. I am also a mom of boys, Ellis (6) and Emmet (3), and I just want to say right here, it is the most rewarding job I have ever done. I love these two little monkeys of mine so much, that I need to remind myself constantly they are the blessing, but there is the Giver, the One who blessed me beyond measure with my husband and my kids, and for that (and so many other blessings) I will always be thankful. I didn't expect your SPOTLIGHT to hit me the way it did, but I remember it all, and how God so faithfully wove together what we couldn't see at the time. Tearful prayers from overseas eventually led to us locking arms here, and we can't thank you enough for all you mean to us personally (I say that as your eldest plays with our kids in Chàris' room). I'm thankful for so much, and you and your family are a big part of that. Now, I happily segue into our now world-famous (even if not really) UNITY Questions! So Alina...:
Have a wonderful rest of your month, and thank you for reading our E-Newsletter! If you'd like to view posts from other months this year, use these navigation buttons! |
AuthorThe Clinkscales' here share their monthly passion for reaching Youth for Christ, progress in the marathon of discipleship, and their Hope for Slatina. Archives
December 2021
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