COME TO THE ONE WHO IS THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD

"Jesus spoke to them again, saying, 'I am the Light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.'" (John 8:12)

Dear Partners in Christ,

We had a special time visiting families—both believers and unbelievers—sharing the Good News of salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ. Joining me were two faithful sisters from California, Melodee and Carolina.

For the believers, these visits were a source of encouragement to continue walking faithfully with God each day. For the unbelievers, they were a heartfelt call to salvation. With God's help and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we were able to visit the communities of Sohodol, Ponorel, and the mission point in Brăzești.

I want to share that these two sisters from California demonstrated remarkable faith and power in prayer. In several unbelieving families we visited, as they prayed for them, we witnessed tears of repentance. Many of those we visited did not want us to leave because they were so deeply touched by God's presence.

One especially memorable afternoon, Melodee and Carolina met with both believing and unbelieving women at the church in Ponorel. The Scriptures they shared, their personal testimonies of God's work in their lives, and the song they presented all pointed to a loving Savior who desires to save every person.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the women from Ponorel prepared homemade doughnuts and refreshments, and the fellowship that followed was filled with holy joy.

One of the unbelieving women who attended the gathering told me:

"How great and good God is to us! I am so happy that I came to this meeting. I found so much peace here."

Prayer Requests:

·  Please pray for my daughter, Ana Maria, as she prepares for a very difficult medical school examination in September.

·  Pray for the Vacation Bible School (VBS) that will begin in Ponorel on August 17.

·  Pray for the families we visited this month in Sohodol, Ponorel, and the Brăzești mission point, that God's Word will continue to bear fruit in their hearts.

·  Pray for my friend and brother in Christ, Daniel, who is suffering from liver cirrhosis.

May grace and peace be multiplied to you!

For God's ministry in the Apuseni Mountains and for my family, you are a wonderful blessing. We love you very much in the Lord Jesus.

Florin Botar - PIEI Romania Missionary

GOD IS OUR ETERNAL REFUGE

“Lord, You have been our dwelling place throughout all generations.” (Psalm 90:1)

 Dear Partners in Christ,

 On the afternoon of June 28, at 5:00 p.m., we held a special evangelistic service together with our guests, Pastor Mihai Mureșan and a group of young people from Someșul Rece Baptist Church in Cluj County.

 The evangelistic message was based on Psalm 90 and was entitled, “God Is Our Eternal Refuge.” The songs presented by the youth group were beautiful and inspiring, inviting every soul to come to God and proclaiming that through Jesus Christ, every sinner who repents is welcomed into God’s holy Kingdom.

 We were especially encouraged that, once again, several of our unbelieving friends accepted our invitation to attend this evangelistic meeting. They remain close to our hearts and in our prayers. We would also like to ask you to pray for them by name: Mr. Jicu, Mr. Ducu, Mr. Ștefan, Mrs. Lenuța, Mrs. Marcela, Mrs. Iulica, Mrs. Rafila, and Mrs. Lucica.

 As we do after each evangelistic service, we enjoyed a time of Christian fellowship together with everyone who attended. The sisters from the church in Ponorel lovingly prepared sandwiches and homemade desserts for everyone. This was a wonderful opportunity to spend time together, build stronger friendships with our unbelieving guests, and encourage them. I also promised to visit them in their homes so that we can continue discussing God’s Word together.

 Prayer Requests

 * Please pray for Mr. Nicu, a man whose heart is open to the message of the Gospel but who has not yet taken the step of surrendering his life to God.

* Please pray for Brother Todor and Sister Viorica from Ponorel, who are facing serious health problems.

 Praise God that the pain in my back has become much less severe. Thank you for your faithful prayers and your loving support.

 Please receive our heartfelt Christian greetings in the precious Name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We deeply appreciate everything you do for us.

 May God’s grace and peace be multiplied to you!

Florin Botar - PIEI Romania Missionary

THE LIGHT OF THE GOSPEL SHINING OVER THE BRĂZEȘTI MISSION POINT

Dear Partners in Christ,

“And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”

(2 Corinthians 4:3–4)

This year, I have continued visiting individuals and families in the village of Brăzești (Photos: Brăzești 1, 2, and 3), sharing with them the Good News of salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ.

Throughout these visits, I have noticed two very different responses. On one hand, there are people who are genuinely interested in the teachings of Scripture and eager to learn more about God. On the other hand, there are those who strongly oppose the Gospel. The spiritual battle between darkness and light is very real.

For example, I was regularly visiting a family of unbelievers—a set of grandparents and their three grandchildren. They welcomed me warmly and were eager to listen to the Gospel message. However, when the children’s father returned home from work in another part of the country, heavily influenced by the local Orthodox priest, he strictly forbade me from visiting them again. Furthermore, he persuaded a neighboring family to stop welcoming me into their home as well.

In some situations, I simply meet people on the streets of Brăzești, engage them in conversation, and distribute evangelistic literature. I would like to take this opportunity to thank PIEI for providing these valuable resources that help us share the Gospel.

Dear brothers and sisters, my family, as well as God’s work in the Apuseni Mountains region, continue to be greatly encouraged by your prayers and by your faithful monthly financial support, which is a tremendous blessing to us.

Please continue to pray with us for the following needs:

* Several people in Brăzești who are open and willing to hear the Gospel: Ileana, Irina, Nicu, Elena (who undergoes dialysis three times a week), Cristina, Teodora, Muntea, Hanga, Alexiu, Radu, David, and Maria.

* Vesa, the Orthodox priest in Brăzești, who remains strongly opposed to the Gospel and to the message of repentance.

* A special evangelistic outreach that will take place at our church in Ponorel on June 28, in the afternoon service.

* Mrs. Iulica, who is facing serious health challenges and is currently undergoing chemotherapy treatments.

Please receive our heartfelt love in Christ. You are in our thoughts and in our prayers, and we carry you in our hearts with gratitude.

May grace and peace be multiplied to you.

 In Christ’s service,

 Florin Botar - PIEI Romania Missionary

The Power of God

“For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Greek. For in the Gospel a righteousness from God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: ‘The righteous will live by faith.’” (Romans 1:16–17)

Every week I visit several families of unbelievers from the villages of Ponorel, Sohodol, and Brazasti (as well as orphans and their caregivers in Abrud), and I lovingly share with them the Gospel of salvation through the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus. Each person, each family, has different particularities and a different level of understanding of God’s wonderful Word.

Among the unbelievers, some receive the Gospel with joy and have many questions to ask—such as the Sandici family and the Cioara family (photos: Ponorel A and Sohodol B). With others, much patience and understanding are needed, because they have many ties to the state church, which strongly opposes us who are born again.

Some of my Orthodox friends do not agree with all the forms and rituals in the Orthodox Church and even condemn them, but taking the step toward the Lord Jesus is very difficult—there is a strong spiritual battle.

Please support us in prayer:

·  for the Sandici family – Ponorel (they have no born-again relatives)

·  for the Cioara family – Sohodol

·  for Traian and his family from Ponorel

·  for Viorica and her family from Ponorel

·  for the Berindei family from Sohodol

May God bless you with wonderful blessings and protect you with His goodness.
May grace and peace be multiplied to you.

In His service,

Florin Botar - PIEI Romania Missionary

The victory belongs to the Lord Jesus.

Dear partners in Christ,

On February 22, 2026, in Sohodol, we baptized Mrs. Elena after a very intense spiritual battle. Some of her relatives tried with all their power to stop her from taking this step toward God (see photos: Baptism 1 and Baptism 2).

She prayed very much for this, and we as a church lifted up many prayers. I visited her at home many times, spoke with her from the Word of God, and encouraged her. Through all these things we can only say: Praise be to the Lord for His wonderful victory.

But you should know that the spiritual battle has not ended. Sister Elena is at the beginning of a journey of faith that is not easy at all. She has a great need for prayer support every day.

I remember that several years ago, also in Sohodol, there was a sister named Jenica. She was elderly and for many years she could no longer come to church. She had a son who was very strongly opposed to believers and to our church. Sister Jenica would call me to come with the Lord’s Supper when she knew that her son was away from town.

One day she called me again and said that her son had left home for another town, so I went up the hill on foot to her with the Lord’s Supper. The path was a cart road about two and a half meters wide, going through a forest of very thick thorn bushes (you could not move to the right or to the left, only walk on that narrow path).

As I kept climbing on that road for about half an hour, I suddenly saw Sister Jenica’s son coming down the same path. I became very frightened (he liked to drink alcohol and became very violent afterward). He had left home but had stopped for a while at a neighbor’s house further down.

I began to pray. I could not run off that narrow road either to the right or to the left. But a great miracle happened: he came down the same path I was climbing, passing about a meter and a half from me without seeing me. God struck him with blindness when he passed by me; otherwise I would have had serious problems with him (it was very possible that he would have attacked me).

Why did I tell you this story? Because it is very, very difficult on the path of faith when members of your own family persecute you. You need great strength from God every single day.

Please support us in prayer for:

·  The members of the church in Sohodol – there is a great need for young believing families.

·  Sister Elena – for spiritual strength and patience from God.

·  The members of the church in Ponorel – for a strong testimony among unbelievers.

·  The mission point in Brăzăști – for open doors for the Gospel among unbelievers.

May grace and peace be multiplied to you.
We thank you for your spiritual and financial support each month. You have a special place in our hearts. The work of God in my area is blessed and continues to grow through you.

In His Name,
Florin Botar - PIEI Romania Missionary

"I am with you"

“Do not fear, for I am with you; do not look around anxiously, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; indeed, I will help you. I will uphold you with My victorious right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10)

This verse has been real and of great help to me and to many brothers and sisters in Ponorel and Sohodol who have gone through, and are still going through, health problems. Immediately after Christmas, winter became very harsh in our area, and many of those who used to come to church were no longer able to come.

I began visiting them one by one, encouraging them, praying together, and sharing from the Word of God—this brought great comfort to them. (Photo: brother Todor, brother Mircea, and sister Viorica.) In almost every home I found elderly unbelieving family members to whom I was able to lovingly present the Good News.

Please support us in prayer for the sick believers:

– Sister Vetuta, sister Viorica, sister Lidia, brother Mircea, brother Todor, sister Emilia, brother Vasile and sister Jantea, sister Oaida, and also the child Ionut, who recently had colon surgery and is recovering.

– Please also pray for brother Benone (from Sohodol), whose wife Lili—whom he loved deeply—went to be with the Lord one year ago (at the beginning of February). Many times I have encouraged him and we have prayed together, but his heart is still very heavy and troubled whenever he speaks about Lili.

– Also pray for sister Dorica, who is a powerful example of faith to her unbelieving neighbors.

– This week I have started my own recovery treatment for my back (spine) in Alba Iulia—please pray for me as well.

May the wonderful goodness of God overwhelm you every day. We love you and keep you in our hearts.

May grace and peace be multiplied to you!

In His service,
Florin and Magda Botar - PIEI Romania Missionaries

Bringing Joy Before Christmas

First situation:
The first situation I encountered was meeting Dănuț (42 years old), a man with a disability. He was dragging himself across the floor of the room, which moved my heart to tears. I did everything I could to bring him a wheelchair. With the help of his older brother, we placed him in the wheelchair, and Dănuț, with his deformed hands, began to move the wheelchair around the kitchen. The joy I saw on his face is hard to describe. Now, the family said, they can easily move him from one room to another, and in the spring they will be able to take him outside in front of the house to get fresh air. I promised to visit them again in the new year and to tell them about the wonderful love of the Lord Jesus (photos: Dănuț 1 and Dănuț 2).

Second situation:
The medical assistant from the commune told me about Aunt Ana (80 years old), who some time ago fell and broke several ribs. She now has a great need for a walker for people with disabilities so she can move around the kitchen (she lives with a daughter who is also ill and cannot support her while walking). With God’s help, I was able to bring this walker to Aunt Ana, who, filled with joy, took a few steps through her kitchen (photo: Ana). It is very hard for me to see helpless people who thank me so beautifully; I try with all my strength to help them lift their eyes and hearts toward God and to thank Him instead. With this family as well, I have a wide-open door to present the Gospel to them.

Third situation:
Also before Christmas, I met a poor family in my area of work who were in great need of help.
Filaret and Maria—two children; their mother is mentally ill; their grandmother is ill—88 years old; their father had abandoned them many years ago. I realized they would have nothing for Christmas—no food (only very little), no sweets, no fruit. They had made a Christmas tree that looked very poor.
I bought them food: oil, sugar, flour, rice, beans (I asked Maria, the daughter of this family, if she could make some sweets, and she said she could if she had the ingredients). I also bought them oranges, bananas, and cozonac.
Again, they did not know how to thank me, especially Filaret and Maria. I promised this family that I would visit them again in the new year and, as much as I can, help them with food. I also promised to bring each of these children a beautiful, new Bible.

Prayer support:

·  I gave Christmas packages to 35 children (in the localities of Ponorel, Sohodol, and the Brazești mission point). Of these, 15 packages were for children from non-believing families—this is, for me, a “bridge” to connect with these families and bring them the message of the Gospel in their homes.

·  For Dănuț’s family mentioned above—all unbelievers.

·  For Aunt Ana and her daughter—unbelievers.

·  For the family of Filaret and Maria, their mother Daniela (mental health problems), and their grandmother Burz—all unbelievers.

·  For my back problems—I need to go this month for 11 days of rehabilitation in Alba Iulia, a three-hour round trip by car (if there is no snow; otherwise, even longer).

May grace and peace be multiplied to you also in 2026. Thank you very much for the entire past year; you are a great blessing to us.

The motto for my family and me this year is Psalm 116:1–2:
“I love the Lord, for He hears my voice, my pleas. Yes, He has inclined His ear to me; therefore I will call on Him all my life.”

In His Name,

Florin and Magda Botar - PIEI Romania Missionaries

Update from Apuseni Mountains

The ministry with orphans and widows – “Leave your orphans; I will keep them alive. And let your widows trust in Me!” (Jeremiah 49:11)

This fall, with God’s help, we continued the ministry to orphans and widows in my area of service: Ponorel, Sohodol, Brazăști, and Abrud.

For the orphans in Abrud, we brought new clothes and shoes with the help of brother Beni T., and at other times we brought only fruits, sweets, and juice for the children (Photo: Orphans Ab, Orphans Ab1, Orphans Ab2, Orphans Ab3). Each time they were full of joy; often the emotion was so strong that they trembled, and they would take my hand and place it on their heads so I could comfort them. They are in great need of parental love. They have good conditions regarding food and warmth in the home where they live, but they rejoice greatly when someone visits them and talks with them. I speak to them from the Bible, and they know many things about the Lord Jesus (among them are some whose mental development is at the level of a second- or third-grade child).

Many times I have brought them Christian coloring books, which bring them great joy. Each time I also talk with the teachers, who are very open to Christian discussions.

For the widows who cannot come to church—especially in Ponorel and Sohodol—I visit them, bring them the Lord’s Supper, we sing together, we pray together, and I have a very good field for evangelism with the unbelievers in their families (Photo: S. Viorica).

Reasons for praising God and for prayer support:

·  Little Ionuț, 4 years old, has begun to eat solid food after many prayers lifted up for him. This is a great joy for all—praise be to the Lord, full of goodness!

·  Mrs. Elena (from Sohodol) wishes to be baptized after the holidays, and I believe she will not be the only one to confess her faith in the Lord Jesus.

·  Pray for December 21, in the afternoon—a Christmas carol service and evangelistic evening at the church in Ponorel. We pray for many unbelievers to attend this meeting.

·  For my health problems with my spine—I do not have much hope of starting the recovery program in December in Alba Iulia (because it is extremely crowded).

At the end of this year, my heart and the heart of my wife Magda are filled with love and gratitude for you. You are a wonderful church; God has poured countless blessings upon us and upon His work in Romania through you.

Our hearts are also full of gratitude for the PIEI organization, which throughout the year has been our partner at the highest spiritual level.

May grace and peace be multiplied to you!

Florin Botar - PIEI Romania Missionary

Brothers and sisters of HCBC

"But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." — Romans 5:8

God’s love and goodness toward all people were the central themes of our two recent evangelistic programs and the thanksgiving celebrations held in Sohodol (October 19) and Ponorel (October 26).
(Photos: Sohodol A, Sohodol B, Ponorel 1, Ponorel 2)

Around 90 people—both believers and unbelievers—attended these two gatherings. At each meeting, we deeply felt God’s presence and His blessings poured out upon our souls.

We rejoiced to see new unbelievers attending both the Sohodol and Ponorel meetings for the first time. This has opened a wonderful opportunity for me to visit their homes and personally share the Gospel with them.

Each meeting concluded with a time of Christian fellowship (agape meal)—a beautiful opportunity to strengthen relationships and get to know one another better.

We were especially grateful to see brothers Mircea and Todor, who had been seriously ill and unable to attend the Ponorel church for a long time, joining us once again. Their heartfelt prayers of thanksgiving to God, even for their trials, deeply touched everyone present.

We sincerely thank you for your faithful prayers—especially for these two evangelistic programs. We clearly felt the power of the Holy Spirit at work, touching many hearts. The Word of God, the songs, the poems, and all the worship were truly filled with power from above.
Glory and praise be to the Lord!

Please continue to support us in prayer for:

·  Sohodol: Mrs. Rodica, Mr. Avram, Mr. Nicolae, Mr. Nelu, Mr. Sebi, Mr. Nicu, and Mrs. Elena — all non-believers.

·  Ponorel: Mrs. Ileana, Mrs. Lenuța, Mrs. Viorica, Mrs. Marcela, Mr. Titu, and Mr. Traian — all still without faith.

·  Brazesti (our mission point): Unbelieving families we visit regularly, especially Mrs. Elena (who undergoes dialysis three times a week) and her entire family, who are deeply affected by her illness.

·  Abrud: The eight orphans and their caregivers to whom we bring the Good News.

We carry you in our hearts and prayers and are deeply grateful to God, who blesses us richly through your faithful partnership.

A special thank you to PIEI for their continued care and preparation for the Lord’s work. The most recent training at the PIEI Center in Alba Iulia focused on discipleship using the excellent Romanian translation of “Your Life in Christ” by Greg Ogden.

May the grace and peace be multiplied to you!

In His service,
Florin and Magda Botar - PIEI Romania Missionaries

Keep us in your prayers

Dear HCBC Church,
“We always give thanks to God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers; we continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Thessalonians 1:2–3)

For the third Sunday in September, I would like to ask you to support me in prayer for the Brazasti mission point:

·  For Brother Ion and Sister Paraschiva (they are over 80 years old and are ill) – see photo Brazasti 1.

·  For Mrs. Elena (unbeliever) – she undergoes dialysis twice a week.

·  For the Muntea family – parents Liviu and Maria, children Maria, Matei, Antonie (all unbelievers) – see photo Brazasti 2.

·  For the Hanga family – grandmother Ileana, mother Ioana, daughter Irina (all unbelievers).

·  For Mrs. Ionescu Ana and her daughter Ana Maria (unbelievers).

We send you holy greetings from Romania with love and gratitude.
In His Name,
Florin and Magda Botar - PIEI Romania Missionaries

The Kingdom of God belong to such as these...

Dear brothers and sisters in the Lord Jesus,

“Let the little children come to Me and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these” (Matthew 19:14), said the Son of God. These words remind us how precious children are to our Father in heaven—and how important they must also be in our ministry here on earth.

Beginning on August 19, we held a four-day Vacation Bible School in Ponorel, hosted in the gymnasium, for children from both believing and unbelieving families. The theme was: “The Greatest Character in History – Jesus Christ.”

·  Day 1: Jesus, King of Heaven and Earth (Jesus as God and Creator)

·  Day 2: Jesus Became Man (the birth and childhood of Jesus)

·  Day 3: Jesus, the Best Friend (what He said and what He did)

·  Day 4: Do You Want to Receive Jesus Into Your Heart? (the death and resurrection of Jesus)

On Sunday, August 24, we invited all the children to the Baptist Church in Ponorel for a special worship service where they were at the center of the program.

A total of 25 children of different ages and backgrounds participated. Each day included crafts, volleyball, soccer, and many exciting games. Among the children, one in particular stood out—Ionut, from a non-believing family—who listened attentively and showed a very open heart to the message of Jesus.

This outreach with the children has become an “open door” for us to visit other unbelieving families in Ponorel and bring the message of the Gospel to those who are still far from God and resistant to His Kingdom.

Prayer Requests:

·  For all the children who participated in VBS and for their parents (especially Ionut, who is in our prayers).

·  For brother Mircea, deacon of the church in Ponorel, who is struggling with serious health issues.

·  For Mrs. Lenuta (a non-believer from Ponorel) who faces strong opposition from her family and neighbors after attending our church several times.

·  For Mr. Ioan and his wife Ana (non-believers from Sohodol) who have open hearts to God’s Word. Since the passing of their believing mother, we have visited them often and shared the Good News.

Every day we pray with joy for all of you, asking our heavenly Father to give you health and strength in all you do for Him and for us here in Romania. We are deeply grateful for you. May the grace of Christ be with you in full measure!

Florin & Magda Botar – PIEI Romania Missionaries

Summer ministry in Romania

Dear brothers and sisters in the Lord Jesus,

 I had the joy of being visited by brother Cornel Ștef and a group of three sisters from America in the village of Sohodol. We visited several families—both believers and non-believers—and the fellowship through songs and personal testimonies was truly special.

 On Sunday, brother Cornel and sister Rozi attended the church gathering in Ponorel, and once again we were encouraged by their words, filled with power and the Holy Spirit.

 After these meetings, we took five children from Ponorel to the first camp organized by PIEI in Necrilești, set in a wonderfully beautiful landscape (for a week). The theme of the camp was: “Be strong and courageous like Joshua.”

 During the days spent at the camp, the children learned Bible verses and captivating stories, made many crafts, and enjoyed exciting team games.

A particularly blessed time was the daily worship through singing (the children learned some new, very engaging songs with motions).

 It was a beautiful experience for everyone present, and one that will remain a special memory. Among the children, some gave their lives to Jesus for the first time—this is a great blessing for this camp.

 Please support in prayer:

            •           For Mrs. Iulica and Mrs. Viorica (from Ponorel—non-believers) who came to church when brother Cornel Ștef was with us;

            •           For all the children who attended the camp in Necrilești organized by PIEI, especially for those who gave their lives to the Lord;

            •           For Mr. Dan from Sohodol, who knows much of the Gospel but is still unable to take the step of repentance.

 Please receive all our love and daily prayers for you. It is our heartfelt desire that our wonderful God will overwhelm you with blessings.

 In His service,

Florin & Magda Botar - PIEI Romania Missionaries

Serving with Love

Dear brothers and sisters in the Lord Jesus,

“Pure and undefiled religion before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.”

– James 1:27

We are thankful to share how the Lord has been working in our region through acts of love and service. Recently, a team of young believers from Germany, along with Gicu and Pedro from Moldova, and our PIEI Director, Brother Timotei Stanea, joined us in serving widows, orphans, and those in need.

Acts of Mercy in Action:

            •          Firewood was purchased, chopped, and stacked for several widows.

            •          Fences and outhouses were repaired and freshly painted.

            •          Grass was mowed around the homes of poor families.

            •          Essential food supplies were distributed to many struggling individuals.

These practical acts of kindness have deeply impacted the local community. Many non-believers have witnessed the love of Christ through the lives of those who serve, creating powerful opportunities for evangelism and sowing seeds of faith.

How You Can Help:

We kindly ask you to continue supporting us in prayer. Pray that:

            •          Many hearts would be touched by the Gospel of Salvation.

            •          People would respond with repentance and turn to Christ.

            •          God would continue to use these acts of service to glorify His name.

Thank you for being part of this mission through your prayers and support.

With gratitude in Christ,

Florin & Magda Botar – PIEI Romania Missionaries

Different forms of service

Dear brothers and sisters in the Lord Jesus,

I would like to happily present to you some forms of me and my wife Magda's ministry in recent times.

I have many elderly people who, due to old age illnesses, can no longer come to church meetings in Ponorel and Sohodol, so Magda and I visit them and every month we give them the Lord's Supper (to the faithful).

Usually in these families there are also unrepentant members who have many questions from the Bible, and on a few occasions even unrepentant neighbors have come to meet with us (this is a wonderful opportunity to present the Good News (photo: Lord's Supper)

Another service that I do with joy is helping the poor within the churches of Ponorel and Sohodol and the poor in the two towns plus the town of Brazasti (my church planting point).

The Cioara family, Viorel and Anisoara, are one of the poorest families in Sohodol - when I last went to them with food, Viorel had been in the hospital for two weeks, very ill, and his wife Anisoara didn't know which hospital he was hospitalized in - she has certain psychological problems.

I believe wholeheartedly in the power of prayer - from the age of 8 days, Sister Felicia from the church in Sohodol took in a little girl abandoned in the hospital named Alis, raised her until she was over 2 years old with a lot of love, but the system tried to take the girl away from her after 2 years to give her to another woman in foster care on the grounds that Sister Felicia is old and cannot adopt her.

Sister Felicia's entire family has become very attached to Alis, who is a sweet girl.

Their family tried another option: adopting Alis, the daughter of Felicia's sister Lidia, who was married and could not have children.

This is where the great battle in prayer began for me, Magda and the entire churches in Sohodol. We went through a period this spring through many difficult moments regarding Alis' situation, but God is a God of miracles and blessed us with a great blessing - Lidia, the daughter of Sister Felicia, managed to get the documents done and now Alis is in her name - Glory be to the Lord and praise be to His Name for He showed His goodness and answered our prayers (photo: Alis)

Support in prayer

-for the camp in Necrilesti with the children which starts at the end of June

-for Viorica, Lidia, Vetuta (widows from Sohodol who cannot come to church)

-for Emilia and Todor (from Ponorel who also cannot come to church)

-for Mrs. Lenuta (non-believer, neighbor of the church in Sohodol-ia, always comes to church meetings)

-for the Cioara family - a very poor family from Sohodol

-for Alis and her new family, blessings and protection from God every day

Florin and Magda Botar - PIEI Romania Missionaries

The endless joy of resurrection

Dear brothers and sisters

I, my family, the churches in Ponorel and Sohodol celebrated with great joy the resurrection of the Lord Jesus.

In our area, almost every family eats pasca at the Easter table, a particularly delicious sweet cheese pie. They also bring eggs to exchange between family members as a tradition.

At the Easter program, everyone participates with poems, songs, and verses from the Holy Scripture appropriate to this celebration.

Both in Ponorel and in Sohodol we are like a family, the blessed family of the Lord Jesus .

My wife Magda and I were filled with joy because God blessed us with health and strength from above to proclaim the Good News of the Resurrection of the Son of God.

Please support us in prayer:

-for Mr. Claudiu and Mrs. Viorica (from Ponorel), they are not far from the Kingdom of God

-for Mrs. Vetuta (an elderly, unbelieving woman) from Sohodol whom I visit often

-for Gusti, one of the very sick orphans from Abrud

-for a new family of unbelievers (in addition to the 4) from the Brazasti mission point

With our hearts full of joy, we raise our prayers for you every day and we desire that our heavenly Father will pour out His wonderful blessings upon your souls.

In His service

Florin and Magda Botar - PIEI Romania Missionaries

A review of my ministry...

Dear brothers and sisters, i would like to start by saying how greatfull i am because I saw that for some time now I have been receiving a monthly financial aid that is larger than usual, which is a great blessing for my family and God's work in Apuseni. So, thank you and may God bless your efforts.

I want to tell you some news from my work with the gospel in this part of Romania:

-The Apuseni area is a mountain area in the northwest of Romania, with very difficult roads due to snow during the winter,

-I started working for the Lord in 1993 in two small churches - Ponorel and Tarsa where there were no workers with the Gospel

-In 1996, in the town of Sohodol, we started a church planting project. There was a family of believers here (Vasile and Lidia) who came almost every Sunday, a 20 km round trip to Campeni, on foot, where there was a small church.

In their house every Sunday after dinner we gather for prayer and during the week we visit neighbors of this family and their acquaintances from Sohodol and discuss the Holy Scripture with them. For 2 years, other people have joined this prayer group and

In August 1999, we opened the first Baptist church in Sohodol, with 25 adults and children.

-For more than 20 years, the PIEI organization has come along side with me and through them I met you, the HCBC church, which every day, every month and every year, PIEI and you have been and are a wonderful blessing to me, my family and the work of the Lord.

-Currently (2025) I work in two localities Ponorel and Sohodol (two small churches) I have a church planting work in Brazasti where I encounter great opposition from the Orthodox priest (on this location there are 2 elderly believers over 80 years old, who cannot help me in the evangelism work). For a long time I did evangelism on the street with people who wanted to talk to me, in 2023 I received some Christmas packages for children and I went to 3 families where I knew there were children and I took these packages to them. I was very well received by their parents and I was able to take the Gospel to them, after that the whole year 2024 I had an open door to these families to take the Good News to them. In 2024 I had entry to the fourth family of unbelievers in this locality. This year I pray for other families to receive me into their homes with the Gospel.

-For several years now I have been going to an orphanage in Abrud (8 orphans). Whenever possible, I buy them clothes, shoes, fruit, and sweets, and every time I tell them something from the Bible and I also talk about the Scriptures with their educators.

-every year I have a special VBS program with the children in my work area during the summer

-My most important evangelistic work is the visits to unbelieving families every week in the three localities (Ponorel, Sohodol, Brazasti) as well as the evangelistic programs at the church (Ponorel and Sohodol) at least twice a year in each church.

I need you to support me in prayer with your church for the following reasons:

-health and spiritual wisdom from above for me and my wife Magda (who helps me a lot)

-strong spiritual awakening in Ponorel and Sohodol

-forming a prayer group that will meet regularly in Brazasti (the locality where I pray and work for a new church)

-for the Orthodox priest-Vesa Ioan (Brazasti), very opposed to penitence

-for orphans from Abrud and their educators to take steps towards salvation

- for VBS programs with children

-for Vladimir (9 months old) operated on this week on his heart - nephew of sister Maria Rus from Baia de Aries

Once again I wish to express my heartfelt appreciation and gratitude for all your spiritual and financial help, especially- "for the part you have taken in the Gospel from the first day until now"

Special thanks also to PIEI for the strong connection it maintains with you all the time.

Here are photos from my most recent visit to the Brazasti church planting site, to three unbelieving families (the Hangau family, the Muntea family, the Ionescu family) - photos: Brazasti 1.; Brazasti 2.; Brazasti 3.

In HIS service

Florin and Magda Botar - PIEI Romania Missionaries

The true religion...

Dear brothers and sisters in the Lord Jesus

My family and the churches where I work (Ponorel and Sohodol) await the holidays that lie ahead of us - Holy Week and the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus with real soul searching.

I wish before the Easter holidays to reach with the Lord's Supper every member of the two churches who are sick and cannot come to our meetings, this being a great opportunity for evangelization to unbelieving members of these families.

For the orphans from Abrud, I always buy them new clothes (with the help of brother Beni T), fruits and sweets (photo: orphans 1 and orphans 2). Many times in the eyes of these orphans I saw tears of joy, something that touched my heart. I discussed with them and with the teaching ladies about the sufferings of the Lord Jesus during Holy Week, about His death on the cross for our sins, as well as about His great victory on the day of resurrection.

Every time on the occasions of these holidays, I invited non-believers from Ponorel and Sohodol to the divine services and we all prayed that they would be examined by the Holy Word and choose the path of salvation.

Support in prayer

-for a powerful word through the Holy Spirit that will touch many hearts on the occasion of these holidays

-for sister Vetuta (Sohodol) very ill hospitalized in Campeni

-for brother Todor (Ponorel) must be operated on for the third time in the last two years (photo.f.Todor)

-for evangelization in unbelieving families in the Brazasti locality

-for young families (believers) in my area of ​​work who want to work for the Lord

With all love in the name of the Savior, we wish you blessed holidays with peace, health and heavenly joy alive every day. Through you we are blessed, encouraged in the work with the Gospel and for this we appreciate you very much and we pray for you every day.

Botar Florin - PIEI Romania Missionary

People receiving grace from God

Dear HCBC Church

This March I visited several families of believers and non-believers in Ponorel and Sohodol.

New prayer requests have appeared on my prayer list (please support me in these prayer requests for both believers and non-believers)

In Ponorel our sister Viorica - please pray for her daughter Mariana (her only support in her old age) - May God give her good health (Mariana has had many health problems for a long time)

-we also have sister Dorica - please pray for her brother Titu and her sister Livia(both non-believers)-May God give them salvation, may He search them through the Holy Spirit so that they may understand the sacrifice of Lord Jesus

-a friend of our churc, Mrs. Iulica - please pray for her grandchildren Sergiu and Alex who have several difficult exams at school this year. I visit this family all the time and I can share with love the call of the Gospel (Mrs. Iulica came to our church several times).

- At Sohodol - Sister Lidia wants us to pray for her health (liver problems, dizziness, stomach problems) also for her grandson Dani-special health problems

- Sister Vetuta please pray for her sons Dan and Radu (non-believers)- I have spoken with Mr. Dan many times from the Bible, but he is still far from the path of faith

-Mrs. Eleonora-for her health (she was diagnosed with cancer) and for her grandchildren: Lucica, Diana and Andrei-May God protect them every day

-Mr. Nicu- says to pray for him and his wife Lenut to be able to make a covenant with the Lord Jesus and also to pray for his son Cristi who is going through big problems in life (family problems)

At the church in Ponorel we are full of joy and gratitude before God that brother Mircea after a very hard and long illness has returned to church meetings-Glory be to the Lord!

Thank you very much for all the wonderful work you do for us, every day we raise our hands in prayer and blessing for you.

In His service

Florin and Magda Botar - PIEI Romania Missionaries

Our church going through some rough time

Dear brothers and sisters,

For our church in Sohodol and for the Ignat family, the beginning of February was very sad because Sister Lili (which was not yet 54 years old) went to be with the Lord. She had been suffering from pancreatic cancer for the past year and despite all the treatment that seemed to be going well, she passed away.

She is survived by her husband Benone and two children, Andrea and Andrei, who are very affected now. They are in great need of support in prayer and spiritual counseling (Sister Lili's mother also died last fall). I promised them that I would visit them as often as I can, and also encourage their brothers in the church.

Every evening of the vigil (there were two vigils held at the church in Sohodol) was attended by 40-50 people, mostly non-believers from Sohodol. This was a good opportunity for evangelization. At the funeral there were over 40 people, only their relatives (mostly non-believers, some were very, very attentive to the Word of God)

Also this month at both churches, Ponorel and Sohodol, there were many cases of very, very bad flu. I pray every night that the Heavenly Father will protect me and give me health every day.

At the church in Ponorel, brother Mircea (who had heart surgery last year) has been very sick with the flu for 3 weeks. He is the church deacon and a key figure in the ministry among the brothers. I and the whole church are praying for him and his entire family.

Please pray for sister Lili’s family left behind, her husband and the 2 children and also pray for our church deacon, brother Mircea.

Thank you for praying for us (this is a great encouragement) and we in return will pray for the entire HCBC church.

In His service

Florin and Magda Botar - PIEI Romania Missionaries

Church Planting in Brazesti

Breaking ground in the village of Brazaesti,

Last year I set a goal in my life of service with the Gospel to reach the Brazaesti village every Wednesday of every week - but I didn't succeed, on several occasions I had other emergencies in my ministry (funerals, trips to the hospital in Alba Iulia with the brothers from the church, situations where I had to go with the Lord's Supper to the very sick)

But the desire remains to go in 2025 at least one day a week with the Good News to these people who are very attached to the customs of the Orthodox church (photo Brazasti - I often stop at the entrance to this town and pray for the people in it).

Until 2023 at Christmas I did not have a single unbelieving family to welcome me into their homes, we would go on the street and share Christian tracts and New Testaments. But near Christmas I received some packages for children from Brother Tomotei Stanea and I went with them to three families: the Muntea family, the Ionescu family and the Oana family (their grandmother Handa) so throughout 2024 I was very well received by these families and I brought them the Good News of the Gospel. This year I went again with packages and the joy of the parents and children was great. In addition to these three families I also met the Lup family, unbelieving without children (photo: the Muntea family has three children, Maria, Matei and Antonio, the Ionescu family has one child - Ana Maria and the Oana family has Irina). Now they are on my prayer list.

In the work of spreading the Gospel in the Apuseni Mountains area, I work in collaboration with my brother preachers: Relu Rodean, Eugen Nicula, Puscau Ionica, Marius Iancu, Farcas Nicolae and sometimes brothers from Alba-Mircea Vatamaniuc

(photo: workers together with the Lord)

Please support us in prayer for

-Brazasti village-many people live in the darkness of sin-may the Light of life rise upon them-Lord Jesus

-for the four families who welcome me into their homes-fam. Muntea, fam. Ionescu, fam. Oana (their grandmother Handa) and fam. Lup

-for doors opened in other families in 2025

-for the small group of brothers working with the Gospel in the Apuseni area

-for my car that has served me for 17 years and needs some repairs this spring

Please accept all our love, we appreciate you very much for everything you do for us.

In HIS service,

Floring & Magda Botar - PIEI Romania Missionary