Today, Sunday, is a day that the church we are working with is having a big evangelist come and speak at their church. This church currently has about 30 members and is desperately grow and flourish in God’s love. They have asked us to hand out invitations to the village in hopes to draw people into the church.
It is interesting to me how the people responded to this. Last Wednesday as I walked through the street market I went up to people and said Good Morning and handed them an invitation. Many people were not appreciative or even willing to look at this invite. I handed two invitations to a couple of ladies standing around. Immediately they took them and threw them in the dirt and literally stomped on them. Considering I don’t know Romanian I just smiled and walked on to hand more invitations out. One of the Moldovan girls, Ana, that we work with went up to the ladies to try to talk with them. Their response to this was to push her.
Friday I went with Veronica to ask people in the village their thoughts on God. Vitali wanted us to record people’s answers and make a video about it. We asked him what his goal of the video was, he response was that he simply wanted to know what people thought about God. Veronica and I went to a shelter for abandoned woman. Most of these woman are young girls who have gotten pregnant and rejected from their families. All of the girls said that they believed in God and all go to the Eastern Orthodox Church. We asked them what they thought about the Protestant Church like Vitali’s. Many of them are under the impression that the Protestant Church does not believe in God, thus making them decide that they are evil and they do not like them.
This week I saw first hand the types of struggles that Vitali and his church are up against. On top of this the area has a Union that all must belong to. They tend to control the financial aspect of the churches and lay down rules/regulations that must be followed. Thus hindering even more the growth, fire, and passion that Vitali has for his vision.
Vitali’s vision is called Sinai 30. He believes that God has called him to this village of Cornesti to spread the Word of God through opening churches. Not just a couple but 30 churches in 30 years. His energy and passion for this vision is absolutely contagious and helps everyone around him to be re-kindled in their faith and walk with the Lord.
LOVE!
