On August 24th the Meador family will be leaving Romania for a three month medical leave of absence. We want to thank you for your continued prayer and support as we seek care for Cindy's health issues and discern God's direction for our lives. Please pray for spiritual growth for the people and work of the Church of the Nazarene in Romania.

Tigmandru Baptism

We just returned from Tigmandru where Pastor Roberta Bustin baptised four believers in a lake near the village. Rev. Norman Patterson and I assisted her. After the baptism we enjoyed a grilled sausage picnic together. I preached in Sighisoara on Sunday morning where I shared some of the signs of a great church: a community of people who need God, obey him, worship him and speak boldly for him - (based on the church of Acts chapter two).

Click here to view more photos.

Source: Scott, Cindy, & Olivia in Romania

Roberta's Ordination

On Thursday, June 19, 2008, at the North Arkansas District Assembly, Dr. Roberta Bustin was ordained an elder in the Church of the Nazarene. Roberta has served for the past 11 years as a volunteer missionary in Sighişoara, Romania, pastoring the Sighişoara Church of the Nazarene. Six years ago, she helped plant a church in Ţigmandru (read more), a village about 15 miles from Sighişoara. Roberta now pastors both churches.

As a missionary, Roberta has maintained her church membership at her home church on the North Arkansas District, while pursuing ordination. When I discovered the North Arkansas District Assembly was just over 3 hours from Kansas City, I invited friends of Roberta to send cards to my address, which I would deliver personally. She received cards from friends around the world. Paula (Cini) Creely (who grew up in the Sighişoara church and now lives with her husband and infant son in Pennsylvania) decided to fly to Kansas City with her 11-month old and travel with me, Nancy Cantrell, and Chris Strickland to surprise Roberta.

Needless to say, Roberta was surprised. We spent time visiting with Roberta (as well as members of her family and life-long friends from Arkansas) before and after the ordination service before heading back to Kansas City. Since ordination is the authenticating and authorizing act of the Church which recognizes and confirms God's call to ministerial leadership, it was meaningful that representatives of Roberta's ministry in Romania be present to recognize and confirm her ministry.

Here are some pictures from the ordination ceremony:

General Superintendent Jesse Middendorf ordains Roberta.

The ordained elders of the district lay hands on Roberta.

Roberta is presented with her Certificate of Ordination.

Roberta and the 3 other newly-ordained ministers are presented to the assembly.

Click here for more photos I took at the District Assembly. Paula took many more pictures from the 3 days she was in Kansas City and Rogers, including the ordination reception and an EuNC reunion with the Staples. Visit http://picasaweb.google.com/gscreely to view her pictures.

Source: On the Journey by Jonathan Phillips

Renewal

Monica and Cristi renewed their commitment to one another this past weekend at a Marriage Retreat in Balchik Bulgaria. Monica had wanted to celebrate her union with her husband in a Christian ceremony for years. She wanted to pray with her beloved and celebrate their union in a more meaningful way. They were married years ago in an Orthodox church where their focus was more on getting the traditions right on their wedding day. Years later they came together and this time focused their attention on their commitment to one another and they prayed together. It was a precious ceremony to witness.

May God cover them and bless them.

Pray that God would give both vision and direction for new church planting opportunities in Romania.

Pray for a new generation of God-called pastors and leaders in every na­tion of SE Europe, that God will give them the courage, perseverance and passion for ministry.

Source: Where Worlds Meet – Year 5, Issue 2 – March 2008

Lives of Compassion

Bucharest, Romania––Romanian District leaders and their families came together on 4 April at the La Castani restaurant in Bucharest to show appreciation and gratitude to the OCEAD* [the Romanian equivalent of Nazarene Compassionate Ministries] staff that had faithfully and diligently served since the Nazarene work in Romania began in the early 1990s. Each of them shared how they had first found the Nazarene church and when they had begun their work. Some have served in hospital ministry, some through administration, and others in an endless variety of ways. They received framed certificates and Romanian Bibles in recognition of their ministry. -Joel Mullen

Source: Where Worlds Meet – Year 5, Issue 4 – May 2008

Thank You

Each of them shared how they had found the church and when they began their work with the church. Some had served in the hospital ministry, others had served through their administrative abilities, and others had served in a variety of ways. We had gathered that Friday night in the banquet room at the La Castani restaurant to show our appreciation to the employees that had faithfully and diligently served the church since the work in Romania began. Through their years of service, God has worked through each of them to further His kingdom - His work in Romania. The work in Romania is very young, but the foundation in which it is being built is strong. We want to thank Magda, Cristi, Gigi, Doina, Dan, and Clara for their faithful service to God and His church. May God’s richest blessings be theirs.