Adventures WorldRace SethBarnes Sponsorship Giving

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Pace! (pa-ch-ay) Peace to you from Arcalia, Romania! It was God’s providence that brought us to this small gypsy village in a valley in Transylvania. After arriving by plane from Dublin into Bucharest, Romania, several teams took a 10-hour coach bus and a van to our different ministry locations. Fortunately, God orchestrated a swap of ministry locations. Instead of being in the van, our team stayed on the coach bus. When we arrived to Arcalia, (ar-ka-lay-ah) we realized that we were in the wrong vehicle according to our plans and that another team was several hours away in the location we were originally assigned. Although it seemed as though we were in the wrong location, God knew better.  He had taken us on a divine detour that led to Arcalia.
The translator in the town we were originally assigned fell through, but because of the switch, the team currently located there has Stacy Povian, whose family is from Romania and speaks fluent Romania. She’s now able to translate for her team, while we have an English translator here. The Viman family we’re staying with has 5 sisters, Admena, twins, Dana, and Diana, Andreda, Damaris, who are learning English in school and want to go to the United States someday. So we’ve been communicating with simple English and hand gestures and they’re having great fun teaching us a few words and phrases in Romanian. 
 
l to r: Andreda, Admena, Diana, Damaris, Priscilla, Dana
 
Originally, we were supposed to stay in a ministry house with another team and cook our own meals. Here in Arcalia, we are staying in the living room of the Viman family, who have been cooking us traditional Romanian dishes like cabbage rolls, stuffed bell peppers, etc. We’ve been able to experience traditional life in a small village of Romania, picking fresh fruit and vegetables for meals, feeding the chickens, pigs, and dog our left over crumbs, baking fresh bread daily, and playing down by the river with the town’s children.

Three weeks ago, a church was planted in Arcalia by an American, John, and his Romanian family through marriage. Arcalia may be a small village, but this town has been hurt by the class divisions in the local Pentecostal church. Many people do not trust the church anymore. We are only the second team of American missionaries here and our ministry predominantly consists of church planting, children’s ministry, home visit evangelism, and discipleship of the Viman family to be leaders in the church plant. We’ve only begun our ministry here, but I am confident that God has great things planned for this church in Arcalia. Please pray for the Viman family and the Arcalia church plant. Elia Viman, our host father, is already being cultivated to be the local pastor. Pray that God will raise up leaders among the local believers and an uncanny love for all people that mimics that of Christ that will draw people from the community. 

Gabi Cozac (translator) and Elia Viman