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A Report From James Hamilton
August 2004
James Hamilton
Str. Siretului, Nr. 42 Constanta - 900675 Romania Europa
jhhamilton2001@yahoo.com 011 40 241 665 835
[When the apostle Paul returned to Antioch in Acts 14, he gathered the church together and “reported all that God had done with them, and that He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.”(v27) The following report is more than just a letter describing the work in Romania. Here is the story of a family who dedicated their lives to serve the Kingdom of God in another country. As you read this report, you will be moved by the realization of the decade long pursuit of teaching the gospel that James and his family have given so joyfully. Some might suggest that this has been a sacrifice for them. In part this would be true but in the full impact of their work, this is their love for doing what they are doing. It will be fitting that you write a note to these fine people and commend their efforts for the gospel of Christ. Pray for them, pray that we may also have their spirit. Pray for lost souls. Kent]
This month marks ten years since I moved to Romania. I am thankful to the Lord for blessing me in many ways in these past ten years. It has been a privilege to labor for such a worthy cause as God's kingdom in Eastern Europe.
I passed several other milestones this summer. July 7 marked our 25th wedding anniversary. We had no chance to celebrate in a special way. We had Marcela staying with us at the time; since she had no place to stay (she does now). Kristopher Gardana made it a special day for us by calling and asking for my permission to ask Rena to marry him. The next day, he proposed to her, and she accepted. I just had my 45th birthday Sunday.
Though there have been many changes in the past ten years (KFC just came to Constanta), some things are still the same. Our hot water system is turned off every year around this time in order for the city to make repairs. Socially, the biggest change is the decline of spirituality in the country. People were much more receptive to Bible studies than they are today. Still, this is a good place to find people seeking the truth. We pray that the Lord will continue to open doors of opportunity to serve Him and proclaim His Son's glory.
CONSTANTA
We are blessed with good events and challenged by some setbacks in Constanta. We rejoice that Madalina returned and made things right with the church which she left for nearly a year. Please pray for her to grow stronger.
Doru's brother Ovidiu was baptized on the 1st of August. Several of the guys had a part in teaching him, especially Iulian and Doru. He has changed very much from the way he was before. The gospel l has the power to change people for the better. We are encouraged by the improvement he has shown.
We have had to withdraw from Marius for fornication and bad language when he was unwilling to repent of these sins. Florin asked to be accepted into the church but did not show works of repentance, so he was marked again. On the other hand, Iulian returned to the church in much the same way that Florin wanted to, but Iulian seems to be making more of an effort now.
Some have recently tried to directly contact Christians in the U.S. to ask for help. Wise Christians have asked me if those who have written are faithful members and are truly in need. Through the years, I have known of several members who have tried to evade God's plan for benevolence through the local church (who knows a person's situation the best) to get help from Americans who are not in a position to know what the true needs are. If someone asks for help from someone outside the local church, it might be good to ask that person if he has gone for help to the local church first.
Eugen is still having many health problems because of his damaged liver. Ion and Doru have been helping him a lot. Eugen has also made some trips to Piatra Neamt to qualify for less expensive treatment.
Doru has just left for the Bahamas again. He was called because of an urgent need there. We will miss him very much. George made furniture for Ronnie's room, and Doru painted it before the new furniture was installed. Both Christians gave of their time and effort.
A problem recently erupted during one of our Bible classes. It has apparently been brewing for a while, until one of the older ladies (in a misguided attempt at rebuking others) started speaking in a bad way toward one of the members and his wife. Neither lady came to services for a month, and we are working on getting the one who caused the disturbance to repent. We had a talk with the other lady, who has come back to services, and we see an improvement in her.
Bogdan no longer wants to continue studying with us. He wished to be a member here without being in agreement with several things we teach. I continue to study with Maricica, who has been in a similar situation as Bogdan.
DROBETA TURNU SEVERIN
I joined the group from the U.S. who went to Timisoara and Severin in June. Doug Seaton brought a few Christians (Mariana Cherry, Heather Dees, and Ginny Deweese) from the East Shelby congregation in Memphis, TN with him, along with Shawn Bain (who preaches in Bartlett, TN), Glenn Seaton (who preaches in Paducah, KY) and Dr. Shawn Jones, who practices in Paducah. All the men came to teach publicly and privately; the other members also helped with teaching and encouraging members in individual settings.
They spent the first few days in the Timisoara area visiting and teaching Christians. Glenn and Shawn Jones went to Bucharest and Falfani with Marian Otvos and taught lessons at these places. Marian then accompanied them to Drobeta Turnu Severin. The Christians from Memphis spent that weekend in Severin and Pades.
The week at Severin was the highlight of their trip. The men visiting from America taught teacher training classes during the day for men interested in preaching, and evenings were filled with singing, evangelistic lessons for the community taught by several different men, and a separate study for the young people conducted by Shawn Bain. Marian and I both were invited to teach publicly as well as visit in some of the villages and participate in the teacher training sessions.
The church in Severin is very evangelistic. Three very active men have come from that church and are preaching full-time. They have taught the people they know in the neighborhoods and villages of their origin. Churches in Pades and Izvorul Anestilor were started as a result of the members' zeal. Converts are also in the villages of Birda, Vaguilesti, and Lac.
Ionut Corlan worked with the group in Severin for quite a while. Now he works full-time with the group in Pades. Nelu Stanciulescu makes monthly trips to Birda and to Vagiulesti. He is the full-time preacher in Timisoara, and he is doing a wonderful work there, too. Neculae Carnaru is the full-time preacher in the city of Severin.
The church in Severin prepared well for the week. Christians came from surrounding villages, members provided places to stay for American and Romanian visitors, they invited their friends to evening lessons, and several who were not members attended.
With so much ground to cover in such a short time, I went to Lac on the way back to Bucuresti on Wednesday to meet Ellen and Ronnie at the airport. Some others went to other places at the same time. Mr. and Mrs. Popescu, a couple of members in Severin, arranged for the study in the village where Mr. Popescu is from. They had already taught two others who became Christians. Neculae drove us out there in his car. I thought the purpose of the trip was to help the Popescus and the other two Christians to start a group in the village, but I was told on the way that we were to study with some other of their friends and family. The visitors at the study were receptive to the passages we used. I tried to keep it simple by using 1 Peter 2 to cover several points about what the church is and is not. After the study, I was told that they would go to the meeting that night in Severin.
A few days later, I received word that three of the people baptized in Severin that evening were involved in the study at the village. Altogether twelve people were baptized that week in the Severin area. I counted 74 present for the Tuesday evening singing and studies.
Everyone was edified by this positive experience. The men participated well in the training sessions, and we applied the lessons in the excursions into the villages later in the day. The evening sessions were more for first principle lessons for the community. The singing was excellent as able men led us.
TRIP TO THE CZECH REPUBLIC
Every year in the first week of August, Christians in the Czech Republic and Slovakia meet for a lectureship in a country setting. Ellen went last year and was greatly edified, so she wanted me to go this year. It was a wonderful week. Terrell Bunting, from Norway, and Rick Liggin, from Rockport, IL spoke each day. Serghei Corcimaru, from Moldova, spoke each evening.
There were also question and answer sessions in the afternoon. Rick and I shared a room at the college dorms in Komenice where everyone stayed. It was a privilege to meet Rick and be encouraged by his godly attitude and behavior. It was also a privilege to finally meet Mike Morrow and his wife Tatyana, who live in Prague. I was also glad to meet Steven Baxley and his wife Ivana, who work with Christians in northeastern Czech Republic. I had met Fred Newman and Bill Bynum before, so I especially glad to see Fred, who came with a large contingent from Slovakia, and Bill, who now splits his time between Budapest, Hungary and Sofia, Bulgaria. It was good to meet their good families, too.
I was impressed with the spiritual maturity of the Christians in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Another good thing was that there were several families who are working to raise the next generation of native Christians there.
After the lectureship, I spent Saturday and Sunday in Prague with the Buntings. We stayed at the home of the Novac family. It was a special treat getting reacquainted with Terrell and the work in Norway (Ellen lived there for five years when she was a child). Terrell is also helpful in the effort to evangelize in South Africa and Namibia, so spending time with the Buntings was a very pleasant experience. I had the privilege of preaching in Prague on Sunday before I departed that evening.
FELLOW WORKERS
We are thankful for all who were involved in the western Romania trip in June. The support of members in Paducah, KY; Bartlett, TN; and East Shelby (Memphis, TN) contributed to the success of the work. The Lord will also remember the sacrifices made by the families of those Christians who came. May the Lord bless each and every one who was involved.
Thanks also to everyone who had a part in making it possible for me to live and work in Romania in the last ten years. College View in Florence, AL; Southwest in Lakeland, FL; Woodland Hills in Nashville, TN; Fairview park and W. 65th St. in Little Rock, AR; Prince St. in Conway, AR; Spring Warrior in Perry, FL; Trenton, FL; Titusville, FL; New Smyrna Beach, FL; Eastside in Florence, AL; Reg Ginn of Pinson, AL; the Barnes from North Carolina. And thank you all for laboring fervently in prayer (Col. 4:12) for us and for your words of encouragement and edification. May God bless you according to His power and wisdom.
James Hamilton
Str. Siretului, Nr. 42
Constanta - 900675
Romania Europa
jhhamilton2001@yahoo.com
011 40 241 665 835