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
