God's Protection and People's Gratefulness

Andrew with some of the people in the village of Plopi

Dear Friends and Family,
We hope and pray that all is well with you, and that you continue to be blessed and see God's hand in your lives on a daily basis.In June the we saw the lower floor (most of it) of the multipurpose building here on the property completed, which has been areal blessing. It turned out very nice and "homey" feeling, and is a very pleasant atmosphere to be in for Sunday services and fellowship times in the afternoons - although most of the fellowship time is spent outdoors these summer days.
Sunday afternoons continue to be a great time of fellowship here as people from several different churches come to spend time together, whether that is visiting around a picnic table with drinks and sunflower seeds (the hang-out snack of choice here) or friendly competition in a game of volleyball. It is also a good opportunity to include/get to know more non-believers, as several have come when they have opportunity.
We saw God's hand of protection in our family a while back as we went to a village near the city of Targu Jiu. When we were about 20km from the city, in a curve, the front driver's side wheel of the van came off and shot off into a nearby field. Needless to say it was quite a surprise, but praise God, I was able to hold onto the wheel until we slid along and came to a stop mostly off the road. Turns out the big screw in the middle of the wheel came out somewhere along the line. But God's hand was certainly upon us, as none of us was hurt, no other cars or people were anywhere near when it happened, and not more damage was done to the car. To make a long story short, We have a friend in Targu Jiu who helped us non stop in the next two days to get the car to the city, find parts. etc. we really thank God for the people he has put in our lives!
Late in June, the planter of the church where we serve, and his wife left with their family to move back to America. It was a sad day for everyone here, and hard on all the kids to see their friends leave for good. But we are convinced that God is bringing even more good from this than we can dream of. Church is continuing, and we believe God is going to do great things. Please pray for the people still here, the leaders, and those whom God will put in our path and in the church's sphere of influence.
Near the end of June, I had the opportunity to help some friends take several mattresses, boxes of clothes, etc. to the village of Plopi to some needy people, about 50 kilometers away. We went to a couple different families, and people and kids just crowded around to see what was going on. (The picture at the top is me with some adults and the adorable kids) I am still amazed at the profound gratefulness of people in the villages when they receive something.
Thank you for your continued prayers for us and for Romania. May God continue to pour out his blessings and fill your lives!
In Christ,
Andrew & Geta Roby

Thank You / Support Information

Our family at the St. Ana's Monastery in Orsova, May 2011. We went there one Sunday afternoon with a number of people from church.

Our family would like to thank each one of you for the many ways you continue to bless us here in Romania. Your friendship and support of our family have been an immense encouragement to us. Thank you for keeping us before the throne of God in prayer, no matter what the circumstances. God continues to show us how good he is!

Thank you also to MCII (Mission Churches International, Inc.) for allowing us for the last year to be a part of their organization, and for the help that they are to us in prayer, finances, and accountability. We have been missionaries now with MCII for the last year. MCII is the only non-profit organization we are affiliated with, and through which our support is sent. (http://www.mcii.org/)

If you are interested in what the Lord is doing in Romania, and continuing to support us and our ministry financially, whether that would be ongoing monthly support or a one time gift which is tax deductible, a check would be made out to: MCII; and it would be sent to: P.O. Box 354, Ellsworth, KS., 67439; please note that it should also have our name (Roby) written in the memo line.

We also have a new mailing address here in Romania (it's a p.o.box). If anyone would like to write to us, the new address is as follows:
Andrew & Geta Roby
OF. Dr. Tr. Severin 1,Ghiseul 2
C.P. Nr. 12
Dr. Tr. Severin
Jud. Mehedinti
Romania.

Thank you again, and God be with you!
In Christ,
Andrew & Geta and family

Give Us Your Eyes...

Andrew visiting with Panas, a woman in a nursing home in Satu Mare.

On April 28 - May 1, 2011, myself (Andrew) and three other leaders from the church had an opportunity to take a trip together to a different city to be at a gathering of missional churches - churches that are not cast in the mold of traditional churches at all.

So we left from Drobeta Turnu-Severin on April 28th and drove to Timisoara where we stayed the night. The next morning at 3:30 we got up and left for the rest of our journey which would take us through Arad, Oradea, (and a myriad of small villages) and finally to Satu Mare, our destination - about 570km total (about 10 hours' drive!)

Beginning Friday the 29th until Sunday May 1st at about lunch time, the people and churches that had gathered from many different parts of Romania shared their experiences, asked questions,learned and interacted with each another, with the goal of understanding more what missional churches are and how they function. Some were there to share how they function as a missional church, and others were there to try hear more, and try to see if that is the direction God may be leading them.

The overall goal was sharing about and understanding more about what missional churches are and how they function. The missional church movement here in Romania is mostly made up of groups of people who meet in their houses once or more per week, similar to small study groups, except these are considered churches. In a given city or area, any number of these "house churches" meet together in a larger group setting, once a month or more, whatever the groups decide together should be the case. These types of churches are very interactional within themselves and with each other - and they are a phenomenal way to reach many unbelievers that people come in contact with on a daily basis (work, school, neighborhood, etc.), people who may not be interested in church in the traditional sense, but may be open to a gathering of friends and saints in a house setting (a house church). Based on the testimonies and stories shared at the gathering, this way of missional church - of living church daily in our every day way of life and touching the lives of those we come in contact - has opened many doors, and changed many lives.

At one point we broke into three large groups and went to visit three different places: a retirement home, an orphanage, and a psychiatric hospital. I was able to go to the retirement home, and it was very moving to see how happy and thankful the people were, just to have someone to listen to them for a few minutes. We also had a singer with us - Cristian Cazacu - who sang a few songs for them, to their great enjoyment. I think we stayed there a good hour or so, and during that time I got to visit at length with a woman who had just had her 86th birthday the day before, believes in God, but is tired of "religion". It was a great opportunity, we had a very nice talk, and just before we left she let me pray for her. It was a profound experience, and if you would like to pray for this woman, that God would touch her and turn her heart to him, her name is Panas. (She is the elderly woman in the picture with me at the top of this blog entry).

I have to say that this is an exciting time in Romania, and in the church around the world. As many of you already know, the missional church movement is not something that new, and did not originate in Romania. It is something that has been growing and building for some time, and one of the ways we believe God is using his people and working through them as time for the world grows short.

We learned a lot over that weekend (at least I did), and got to spend a lot of time visiting with and getting to know others who think in this same way. We were also blessed to stay with a family who has one of these churches in their house, and it was great to get to know them a little as well. Definitely my favorite part of the weekend, how I was blessed the most, was the time I got to spend meeting new people and in fellowship with others. There always seems to be that nearly instant bond with others that love the Lord that makes talking and getting to know one another so much easier.

And, praise the Lord, Sunday at lunchtime we headed home, and 10 hours and 570km later we arrived safe and sound back with our families in Drobeta Turnu-Severin.
Thank you Lord for keeping us safe, and helping us understand more of how you are working in our lives and the lives of those around us. Give us your eyes to see others the way you see them...Amen!
Andrew & Geta and family

News from Andrew & Geta

April 24, 2011: Easter Sunday.
Top row: Geta, Jeremiah, Andrew.
Bottom row: Elijah, Joseph, Ammishaddai

Dear Friends and Family,
Greetings from Romania! We pray that all is well with you and trust that your Easter was a blessed time of remembering and celebrating what Jesus has done for each one of us.
Our family is doing well in Romania. God continues to hold us in the palm of his hand, continually blessing us and leading us one step at a time. The kids continue to grow and learn new things. It's hard to believe that Joseph is 8 years old now, Ammi 6, Elijah 5, and Jeremiah 3!
We have continued to serve God to the best of our ability where he has placed us. I (Andrew) continue to serve as an elder, leader, and teacher in the church; I have also recently started discipling/mentoring a couple of boys from the church, using the study book “Experiencing God”, a book that had a profound impact on my life when I went through it years ago with Pastor Ron Sutter. Geta continues to teach children's church using the Betty Lukens Bible Felt, and is involved in a bi-weekly women's Bible study with women from different churches, and they are currently going through the book “A Woman After God's Own Heart”.
Work on the property where we live has also picked up in recent weeks, including everything from making a new main entrance gate for the property, to working on the multipurpose building including mixing and pouring concrete, installing insulation, and putting up drywall. It is work, but the building is looking more and more complete and ready for use, whether for church services, conferences, times of fellowship, whatever the Lord desires!
We appreciate all of your continued prayers, and continued support. You have given sacrificially for us to be able to live here and serve the Lord in Romania; and we believe you have spent much time in prayer before God on our behalf, and continuing would be difficult if not for your prayers. We do have a few prayer requests, things that you can be praying for specifically as the year continues.

1. The man and his family (Ionut, Jenni, and children) who started the church where we are serving is moving to the states in June. This will leave a void in our church leadership at least for awhile as we adjust to their absence. Please pray that the leadership team that remains will continue to be united and seek after God and his will and direction without fail. Pray that we will be able to touch more lives for the kingdom of God.

2. With Ionut and family moving to the states, our family will be put in a position of more responsibility here at the property where we live, everything from paying bills and overseeing repairs that need to take place, to supervising who comes and goes, and overseeing events that may take place here at the property. Please pray that we will exercise discretion and be wise stewards of what God is placing into our hands for a time.

3. Please pray for the women's Bible study that Geta is involved in, that it would continue to bless the lives of ladies from different churches.

4. Please pray that my (Andrew's) time discipling/mentoring the two boys from church will be a great time of discovery about God and his ways, and a time of growth in the Lord in their lives. If you would like to pray for the boys as well, their names are Vlad and Mihai.
Thank you again for your continued support, and your prayers for our family and ministry. May God continue to pour out his blessings upon you as you follow him with your lives.
Be Blessed!
Andrew, Geta, and family

“In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” -- John 16:33b

A Mission III: Rast Nou

Mission to Rast Nou. Left in picture: afternoon soccer game with church and villagers; right in picture: kids from both churches and village playing together.

Toward the end of 2010, our church family had another opportunity to go to be together with other believers. So on the morning of November 14, we set out and drove about 135 kilometers to the village of Rast Nou (New Rast). There, a good friend of ours Adi, together with his wife Monica and their baby daughter pastor a church and minister to the people there.
Our purpose for this mission was very similar to the other two ministry missions we were previously able to go on, to Bals(h) and Hobita. Our purpose was to go together as a church body to another, and spend the day first in praise and worship of our Lord together, learning from his word together, and then fellowshiping as brothers and sisters together in the Lord. Although not a new church, this church is relatively young, and has a good number of people that attend. While again one of the goals was to build unity within our own body through this experience together, the greater goal was that of building up and encouraging other members of the body of Christ, and being in fellowship with them.
As with the previous two missions, by the grace of God, this mission was also a success. There were more than twenty of us who went from our church, and we had a great time together with the people from the church at Rast Nou. We had a great worship leader with us named Ana, and were able to sing a number of songs for the people there which was enjoyed; Ana also sang several solo songs, which were a great blessing. That was followed by teaching from the word of God, and then lunch together with Adi, Monica, and several members of the church.
The church in Rast Nou has a fenced in soccer field right next to it, to which Adi and Monica hold the keys. After lunch and some fellowship, people were invited and many came to play soccer together with people from our church. It was a lot of fun to watch the games between people from the two churches and others from the village, and what a great opportunity to reach out to others!
Another aspect of the afternoon which was thoroughly enjoyable was the large number of young children that came to watch the games and "hang out" in the general area. Our group had brought several kids along, and for us personally, it was a blessing and an encouragement to see our children playing together all afternoon with kids of all ages and backgrounds from the village. Geta and I also spent a lot of time with the kids who came to play; it was a joy.
Our trip as a church body to Rast Nou did come to an end in the late afternoon, and we headed back to Turnu-Severin. It was a good trip, and it was great to see old friends and get to know new ones. People from both churches were blessed and encouraged.
We are praying that these sorts of opportunities to meet together and encourage other believers will continue to happen when the Lord determines the right time. We also continue to be hopeful that through ministry opportunities and experiences like this, many believers will be encouraged, that unity within the church on a local level and beyond will grow, and above all that God will be glorified!
As you hear of the encouragement of your brothers and sisters on the other side of the globe in Romania, may you be blessed and encouraged as well. Remember to pray for Adi and Monica and their family, and that God will continue to bless the church and ministry in Rast Nou.
May Jesus Be Lifted Higher in 2011!
Andrew & Geta & family