Are you being called to join a Short-Term Mission Trip?

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. -Acts 1:8

My friends,

As the daughter of Romanian immigrants who have been called to missions in their native country, I have been witness to God’s power in ways that I could not have imagined. It has been both an honor and a privilege that I have had the opportunity to participate in short-term mission trips to Romania and Ukraine many times since I was a young child. I started as a simple observer, but quickly became a participant, and now as a leader I see over and over again the life-long impact that missions trips have on team members. It is an experience that I would recommend to every follower of Christ.

Short-term mission trips can involve so many different types of ministry. When we plan trips, we find the gifts that God has given each team member, and find ways to bless the missionaries using those gifts. Are you a teacher? You can teach. Are you handy? You can build. Are you an encourager? You can visit those in need. Are you a child? You can show love to other children. Are you unsure what your gifts are? God will use the trip to reveal your gifts to you!

Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. -1 Peter 4:10

Each time a short-term mission team works with our missionaries, they experience tremendous joy. The nationals pour their souls into their mission work, so our teams replenish their souls through our love, support, and encouragement. In return, we gain life-changing experiences that will grow our own relationship with Christ tenfold.

I encourage you all to pray and see if God is calling you to go on a short-term mission trip this year. No experience required!

Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails. -Proverbs 19:21

In Christ,

Sarah Stef (daughter of Cornel and Gabi Stef)

A Glimpse of God’s Faithfulness in 2022 and Hope for His Enduring Love, Guidance, and Protection for 2023

“And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who

seek You. Psalm 9:10

„Cei ce cunosc Numele Tău se încred în Tine, căci Tu nu-i părăseşti pe cei ce Te caută, Doamne!” Psalm 9:10

Looking Back at 2022 - This is the Will of God

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ

Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 16-18

2022 was a unique year in so many ways.

Rejoice! We rejoice*

● that in spite of the war going on in Ukraine, the LORD has protected all our PIEI national

missionaries and all of their families

● That God started a great spiritual harvest among the war refugees through the ministry and

work of our national missionaries

● That the partnership between the Romanian and Ukrainian national missionaries and the U.S.

PIEI leadership has increased to a new level due to the multiple trips with convoys of supplies

for the refugees from Romania to Ukraine

● For many who have received the LORD at the PIEI Camp in Ukraine

● For short term mission trips from the U.S. able to go to Ukraine even during war time

Pray without Ceasing

● We would like to thank everyone who has sustained us in prayer, prayers for our missionaries

both in Romania and Ukraine

● prayers for the safety of all the families in Ukraine during this war with Russia

● prayers for many to come to know the saving knowledge of our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ

● prayers for the ministry, leadership, health issues, financial needs, etc.

● We know that, considering the time difference between the U.S. time zones and Romania and

Ukraine, prayers have been lifted up to the throne of grace without ceasing. We have many

prayer warriors who are bathing our ministry in their prayers.

In everything Give Thanks

● Thank you for praying, giving, and going!

● So thankful for all the funds that were received for the refugees in Ukraine! Thank you for

giving! Many boxes have been shipped, many supplies have been purchased in Romania and

our mission team drove several convoys of vehicles packed with supplies from Romania into

Ukraine with food and clothing, toys, and all necessities for the refugees.

● Thankful for our national leaders Timotei in Romania and Pavel in Ukraine who were

outstanding in their leadership and direct involvement with the supplies and distribution.

● Thankful for all the missionaries involved in collection, packing, storing, distribution, driving the

vans

● Thankful for all the missionaries’ wives and the women involved in cooking and hosting the

teams and events, feeding the refugees, and hosting people in their homes.

● So thankful for 50+ kids and youth who have accepted the Lord as their Savior at the PIEI camp

in the summer in Ukraine, a camp that was normally not allowed to be held! Pastor Pavel was

able to have this Camp as a “training event”, and they trained the kids in the word of God!

● Thankful for 250+ refugees that became believers last year under the ministry of our PIEI

missionaries in Ukraine

● Thankful for the three New Properties that PIEI in Romania has acquired: one as a training

facility in the South (Oltenia Region), second one in the Western Carpathian Mountains (1 h

from Alba Iulia) as a Retreat Camp and the third one nearby the city of Victoria in the

mountains as a Campsite.

This is the Will of God

● Trust and Obey, for there’s no other way! This is the way we follow, Jesus.

● We know that God has a plan with each of our lives. Jesus suffered and died, he was

not spared suffering and pain, and neither are we, His followers. He came back to life

again, and is a living Savior. There is life after death, and we have the living hope.

● Pastor Pavel wrote this Bible quote when the war in Ukraine started, from Romans 14:8

“For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we

live or die, we are the Lord’s.”

PLANS FOR 2023

• Short Term Mission Teams already set up for March/April- Start preparing the building for summer camps

• The Stefs will be in Romania and Ukraine in July, beginning of August.

• PIEI Kids Camp in Ukraine: July 24-29; teachers / translators needed

• 2 week Short Term Mission Team to Romania with traveling to Ukraine for Camp Week and

then returning to Romania (tentative dates: July 20-Aug 3); looking for people to sign up for

this trip. Use your spiritual gifts in a variety of ways: teaching (bible teaching, English), crafts /

art, evangelism, sports, etc.

• Work Teams needed for all three Campsites. Lots of renovation needed, from drywall,

carpentry, electrical, cleaning, construction, etc. These teams can be scheduled anytime, no

specific timeframe. We would like to have one of the sites ready for this summer if we can get

some workers there earlier this spring and early summer, so please, if you have some skills

and time, please sign up. Contact us asap.

• Other STMT (short term mission teams) throughout the year work; with individual

missionaries, either with kids programs (day camps, VBS, etc) or whatever project the

missionary has and needs help.

○ Use your spiritual gift: bible teaching, training, women ministry, arts and crafts, music, etc.

We can custom make the trip to fit your gifts and serve the needs of our national

missionaries to benefit their spiritual growth and their mission field.

• Investors; you might not be able to physically go, but you may be able to give. Invest in a

project or a person who is going. It makes an eternal difference.

○ We continue to send supplies to Ukraine for the refugees; this week there is another

convoy leaving Romania to travel to Ukraine with our national director Timotei leading

○ Lots of funds needed for the renovation of the three campsites. All of them need major

work before they can be used

○ Summer Camp in Ukraine needs funds, usually 100-120 campers

○ STMT of team members who need to raise funds

● Prayer Partners: Our most important partners in ministry are our prayer partners. From the

beginning of our ministry we always put prayer first! You might be able to give and support our

ministry financially, and you might be able to come alongside us on mission trips; but most

importantly are your prayers, whether you give and go or not. Your prayers make the

circulatory system connecting us with our Lord and that keeps our ministry alive and continues

to bring people from the darkness into the saving light of the Savior.

■ Pray -- thank you for praying in 2023

■ Give -- thank you for giving in 2023

Concept plan for the camp in Victoria

■ Go -- thank you for going in 2023!

*To God be the glory

Great things He has done

So loved He the world that He gave us His Son

Who yielded His life an atonement for sin

And opened the life-gate that all may go in

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord

Let the earth hear His voice

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord

Let the people rejoice.

(partial lyrics from “To God be the Glory” song by Lou Fellingham)

Cornel Stef - PIEI - Chairmen for Romania and Ukraine

Refugees and Retreats

At the beginning of July I had the privilege to join my daughter and a team from my home church of Liberty Bible Church in serving the missionaries in both Ukraine and Romania. What a joy it is to see my daughter thrive doing the ministry work that I love!

Liberty Bible church is one church with three campuses in Chesterton, Valparaiso, and La Porte, IN. Our team was unique in that all three campuses were represented in our team, and included Kevin Cram, the Pastor of Global & Local Engagement at Liberty. Some of us had never met until we planned this trip, so it was a blessing to bring together such widespread church members for a common purpose. Every one of us felt God calling us to make a difference to the people of Ukraine and Romania.

The trip was not without its difficulties. We had less than half the time than we usually have to meet and plan the trip, and for every meeting there was one or more team member who was unable to make it due to other obligations- the first time we all managed to come together was at the airport leaving for Romania! We also struggled to prepare for our trip, as there were so many unknown factors involved in travelling to Ukraine.

One of our major set backs came on the morning we were meant to leave. Two of our team members were a mother and daughter, but right before we met at the airport we heard that the daughter tested positive for Covid and would be unable to leave with us. Her mother was of course devastated not to serve with her daughter, and all of our plans in Ukraine had to be changed last minute to accommodate the smaller number of team members. This trip was certainly a lesson in flexibility!

Thankfully we all arrived in Romania on schedule, and the next day drove to Ukraine without incident. The line of trucks to the border was several kilometers long, but due to our humanitarian purpose, we got through the border in under an hour. Once there we met up with the Ukrainian missionaries and unloaded the supplies that we had brought.

UKRAINE

In Ukraine we split up into 3 teams to minimize travel and the size of our groups: Kevin and I met with missionaries and refugees and preached in several churches. David and Carole (husband and wife) went into the city of Chernivtsi and did street evangelism and radio programs. Martha, Sarah, and Elizabeth visited refugees and did children’s programs in different villages. At the end of our time in Ukraine, we gathered with all of the Ukrainian missionaries to have fellowship and share how God was working through this trip.

I’ve asked the team members to describe in their own words what they experienced in Ukraine.

David and Carole

Carole and I came home from the mission trip with a deep sense the softness of our life here in the USA is a barrier to our pursuit of closeness with Christ. We saw lives in Ukraine and Romania visibly poured out for Christ. The Ukrainian missionaries expend themselves selflessly showing love to the refugees. God is bringing so many to them and they create more and more ministries to reach the lost from sewing bullet proof wear to children’s camps, providing food and shelter when needed.

Martha

I am humbled and so very grateful to my Lord for using me to be his hands and feet in Ukraine. I am thankful for all of the refugees who allowed me to tell them about Jesus. All praise, honor and glory to God when the woman from Igor's village repented! I am also thankful to the missionary wives who shared their prayer requests with me. What a privilege it is and will continue to be to lift you up to the Lord in prayer.

Blessings to each pastor and wife who are so faithfully working with the refugee crisis despite their exhaustion. Each of them are a true testimony to what it means to be the hands and feet of Jesus in such difficult circumstances. My time serving with you in Ukraine was much too short. May God bless them all!

Sarah

In Ukraine many of the stories that stuck with me were those of the refugees we visited in the mornings and evenings. In one household, a grandmother was taking care of her two grandchildren, and she worried because the boy was acting out. I suggested that she bring them to the children’s program we would give later that day. I was so thrilled to see both children come, and that little boy participated and had a lot of fun! He said that he was looking forward to returning for VBS in a couple of weeks.

I could really feel God at work as we visited the refugees. Martha usually took the lead in those visits, but I often felt the Holy Spirit compelling me to add a verse or some words of my own. I pray that God used me to tell those people exactly what they needed to hear.

Elizabeth

The days we were in Ukraine I assisted with a short one day VBS in three different villages. First village had 15 kids. The second one had 20-25 kids. So we thought that two medium sized bags of snacks and a single gallon size bag of candy were enough for the third day. Boy were we wrong. Lol. 55 kids showed up! And there was no way any of what we brought would be enough.

The pastor of that church opened a door to a small room full of extra snacks from previous events. Telling us that they don’t have any events coming up for a long while. Please use as much as you can. Which we gladly did. At the end we handed out the individual wrapped snacks and candy. Each child leaving with both arms full of snacks. After all the kids left we realize we still had the original bags of snacks and a half bag of candy left. Jesus just fed the 5,000 again! But on a much smaller scale.

From the moment we arrived I felt at peace. As if a piece of me was found. No I had never been to Ukraine before. Yet I felt as if I were home. I found information that I wasn’t expecting to find. On the questions I had held since I was 12. Though they were not answers they have directed my steps. I can’t wait to see where God leads me next.

Kevin

Throughout our time in Romania and Ukraine, we witnessed numerous examples of God answering prayers above and beyond what we anticipated. Leading up to the trip, we weren’t sure what to expect – knowing only what we saw on the news, we weren’t sure what our experience would be like visiting a country currently affected by war. What we found in Ukraine was an area of the country that was relatively untouched by the conflict. However, in every life that we encountered, there were real-life stories of the war’s impact. At one point, Cornel Stef and I attended a gathering in one of the villages with families who had fled the war. One particularly story broke my heart – we listened to a mother with her 10-year-old daughter share how they survived the bombing of Kharkiv living for 2 weeks underground in a metro station. There were tears in everyone’s eyes as we concluded that gathering. Perhaps the most blessed interactions I had while in Ukraine involved spending time with many of the PIEI missionaries serving in the region. Certainly, there were great moments of ministry with numerous outreaches, home visits, and preaching opportunities. But, I’ll always remember the mornings spent sharing time with Igor and his family as we talked about the joys and trials of ministry. These Gospel laborers are working so hard under incredible circumstances – it was an honor to experience life with them for this brief time.

ROMANIA

When the team returned to Romania, we invited all the missionaries there to the Christian Center in Alba Iulia for a 3-day retreat. We spent some time hearing each missionary’s story, and had some fellowship together. We also had sessions scheduled throughout led by Kevin, David, Martha, Carole, and even Sarah.

David and Carole

I am so humbled by the commitment I see in the Romanian believers to be God’s hands and feet. They live sacrificing all their time and energies assisting and bringing Jesus to all the lost. They see the harvest is great and take every opportunity to find ways to help people and children in need of a Savior. They are so spent in their energy and you can see it in their faces. How I pray that there would be more to share their burden. They carry a burden not many could understand without seeing and hearing them. Each has the people living around them that are trapped in a culture that doesn’t understand God’s love besides the people entrapped by war. We are praying for their strength and more workers as God enlarges their ministry.

Martha

I am thankful for the rapport the Lord gave me with the pastors wives and cooks. The time spent with the missionaries’ wives was a blessing and they welcomed me, but I was told what they really needed was counselors, mentors, and pastor's wives who could relate to them. They are struggling and I pray the next mission team will include women who are able to truly provide what is so desperately needed.

Sarah

In Romania I saw a group of missionaries with an immense passion for the Gospel. However, I also saw that they were disjointed and often felt isolated. I was so grateful that this retreat gave them the opportunity to fellowship together, and I hope that in the future they learn to work together more often and lean on each other for support and fellowship.

Elizabeth

I was able to spend time with a few little girls during our stay in Romania. They were an absolute blessing. Even though I couldn’t speak their language and didn’t have any translator we connected. It was amazing seeing one of the young girls come up to me later and pull me to come play with her again. It so warmed my heart. God showed me once again that kindness and love needs no words to be understood.

On this trip I briefly mentioned my desire to work with special needs orphans. God gave me the biggest response! I wasn’t prepared for the information I was to receive. I know God had led me here, but there was no way I would have even considered finding the information that I did. That wasn’t even the reason why I went, but God clearly had something bigger planned for my time there.

Kevin

We spent several days in fellowship with the PIEI-Romania missionaries at the PIEI center in Alba Iulia. It was amazing to connect with these wonderful servants of Jesus. Gratefully, I was able to facilitate times of teaching and discussion in the Scriptures that were a welcomed blessing to these new friends. My fondest memories though involved all of the incredible stories of God’s working in Romania that I got to hear. We stayed up late one night listening to Traian share story after story of witnessing and church planting during the Communist era. I can truly say that our time in both Ukraine and Romania was a significant encouragement and blessing for me as I pray that it was for the missionaries we were serving alongside.

NEXT STEPS

God was clearly watching out for this team, as he kept us all safe throughout our travels. The rest of the team went back to America after the trip, but I am staying in Romania until August, when I plan on bringing another shipment of supplies to Ukraine.

Continue praying for all the missionaries in both Ukraine and Romania, as they are overworked and exhausted. I am so happy that this team was able to bring them some encouragement, and look forward to seeing what God will do next in their lives.

God Bless you all, and thank you for your support!

Cornel Stef - Chairman for Romania and Ukraine

PIEI-Ukraine Missionaries Say Thank You

In all the years that we have worked with National Missionaries in Ukraine, they have never needed our support more than right now- and I am overjoyed that we have been able to rise to the challenge!

God in his wisdom placed our Ukrainian Nationals exactly where they were needed to be ready to minister to the thousands of refugees that have flooded the region of Noua Solita. About three weeks ago I was able to travel to Ukraine alongside a large shipment of goods from Romania. While I was there, I heard many stories of how the Ukrainian Nationals have felt tremendously blessed by the prayers and support from their American partners as well as their fellow missionaries across the border in Romania. They have worked together to supply, minister to, and be Jesus to the refugees.

The Ukrainian Nationals felt that it was very important to express their gratitude to all their partners around the world. You can listen to their stories in the video below.

In one week I will be returning to Ukraine with a team of 8 from Liberty Bible Church. While there we plan to minister to refugees, children, believers, and the nationals themselves so that their spirits may be replenished and their hearts be made glad.

Pray for our team, that we see the Spirit of God move in amazing and unexpected ways, and that we are protected from harm during our stay.

In Christ,

Cornel Stef

TRIP OF A LIFELINE

Carpathian Mountains

The day begins as a normal drive through the beautiful Carpathian Mountains of Romania with members of the PIEI – USA Partnership Committee for Romania-Ukraine. Cornel Stef (Chairman), Rodica Popa (Treasurer), Alex Popa (Member), and Walter Windsor (Missions Director – Romania) are responsible for all the funds you have provided to go directly to the refugees for food and supplies. We are all volunteers, giving of our resources to spread the Gospel. We are bringing with us another shipment of food and supplies from Romania.

The scenery is breathtaking, while the roads are filled with automobiles, horses, and wagons (there are no lights at night whatsoever on the wagons), and people are just walking along the road. The mountains give way to the Alluvial Plains near the border with Ukraine. The first indication that something is not right is the long line of trucks (two wide – for over three miles) waiting to get into Ukraine. As we are a humanitarian convoy, we have no trouble and no lines in which to wait, which brings the thought that things aren’t so bad after all. Once we are through customs and immigration (both sides – of course), we see another line of trucks waiting to cross from Ukraine into Romania. This line is only one deep; however, we soon discover it goes on and on for miles and miles.

The drive to the area churches is uneventful. There are no damaged buildings, no streams of people along the road, and no damaged property; just a quiet calm that seems to say, “prepare yourself.” We notice the gas stations and are curious why there are no prices on the signs. We soon learn it is because there is no fuel! We are traveling early on Sunday, so we think nothing of the closed businesses. We soon learn most have been closed since the start of the war!

We meet at one of the area churches served by the PIEI missionaries. Then we’re welcomed quite enthusiastically, given food and drink, and pray together before separating to go to various churches in the region. Cornel Stef and I are taken to a church located in a village called, Dynivtsi. The pastor’s home is a few minutes away, so we go there and are provided with more food and drink. We then have fellowship until it is time for church. It was interesting to note that everyone stands for every prayer, and a prayer is offered before AND after every meal.

Our church is quite beautiful, similar in size to a 150-congregation church; however, these churches are quite ornate. Everyone gathers for prayer in the sanctuary to begin the service, which lasts from 2.5 to 3 hours. The one thing that is exactly like our local USA church is that everyone shows up about 10 to 15 minutes after the service starts! If you are a foreign visitor, you will be asked to say a few words (30 minutes or more), and you must always accept. It is taken seriously that every Christian must always be ready to share the Gospel.

We always have an English and Romanian interpreter in Romania, so the message is quite easily translated. In Ukraine, people speak Romanian, Ukrainian, and/or Russian! This makes a 30-minute message last for two hours! WOW, this is a first for me. Even with all this translating, many of the congregation understood the message! There were many questions (some even in English) and comments as I learned more and more about these beautiful people and the challenges this war has presented.

Now, the difficult part of this report; the refugees! They are easy to pick out of the crowd in the church. The first thing I noticed was all the women and children! It came to me rather suddenly, “Where are the men?” Then I remembered they are either fighting, have passed away, or are prisoners. In most instances, the women and children do not have any information regarding their husbands/fathers. Many do not know if their men are alive, dead, or wounded! The fear of the unknown saturates their presence, and they grasp for any hope that the life they once knew might be restored.

The many children are full of life, joy, and happiness as they play together in the churchyard! They seem to have forgotten (of course, they have not) that their lives have been turned upside down. They play just like children here in the USA. Your heart breaks that life for them will most likely never be the same.

The impacts any war has on the parents drastically change the way they see their lives and ultimately can have devasting effects on the children. We see the mothers with characteristics of PTSD and other emotional issues which require counseling and support from those who assist in managing these psychological challenges.

The good news is that we witness the food and supplies you have provided being distributed every day to the refugees. They are very thankful to have these necessities for themselves and their families. It amazed me how no one was complaining. Everyone was very appreciative and wanted anyone who donated to know how much it meant to have someone care enough to make sure they had food for their families. Along with the food, the PIEI missionaries work to share the love of Jesus and build relationships, finding additional ways to serve. Some people require medications; some need transportation, and most just want someone to lean on! We want Jesus to be the one the refugees can count on to love them, care about them, and support them through this conflict.

The best news is that God is alive and well in Ukraine! He is bringing new souls into His Kingdom and using PIEI missionaries to demonstrate the love of Christ to everyone, no matter their situation. This war is truly evil; however, God has shown us how He can use evil to bring His People together for the Kingdom! Everywhere you see evil in this conflict, you can see God working to bring His Greater Good to the hearts of humanity.

There are many stories from the war which would break your heart! The worst of humanity is being showered on these people. Torn from family and friends in the current conflict areas, most do not have news of those left behind. The people in the war zones controlled by the Russians are cut off with no communication, no money (forced to only use rubles), no one to turn to, and literally no hope for an end to this conflict. It is quite a different experience to see the impacts of war on these people rather than only seeing what is reported on television.

Where do we go from here? We will continue to ask for your help as this conflict progresses. Once the war ends, rebuilding will be required, and lives will demand support in all areas of life as we know it. We pray that those He has called will continue to work alongside us! PIEI cannot do this without you! We are here to serve, and we pray for those who can give of their time, treasure, and talents to bring peace to the people of Ukraine! May God Bring His Workers to the Harvest! Join the Lifeline for the experience of your Lifetime. God has called us; has He called you?

Walter Windsor- Missions Director, PIEI-Romania

www.PIEI.org/ukraine