First Graduation at the Bible Institute
For those of you who faithfully supported our family for two years as we lived and taught at the Eurasian Baptist Bible Institute and Trade School, we have an exciting announcement. On Friday, the first ever class of students graduated from the Bible Institute!
As we look at the faces of the thirteen students pictured above, we remember that first year when none of us knew what to expect. Despite our weaknesses, God blessed us and established the Bible Institute under the prayerful leadership of Eric and Stephanie Chapman (also pictured above). We cannot communicate the privilege we felt to watch as these young men and women were transformed by the Holy Spirit from eager, immature students to responsible exegetes of God’s Word.
On Thursday, Stacy Leigh, Jude, and I were able to Skype with the graduating class. Some will be returning to their villages to pastor their home churches. Many others will be sent out by their home churches to plant new churches in the unevangelized villages nearby. As these students begin a lifetime of ministry for the glory of God, please pray that God would keep them faithful until the End.
Also, if seeing this excites you as much as it does me, please pray about supporting a student at the Bible Institute. For $50/month or $600/year, you can fund the education and housing of one student. Looking at these smiling faces, it is hard to think of any other investment that could be as profitable for the Kingdom of God. (You can give by going to the EurAsian Baptist Mission website. If you have questions, you can direct them to EBMgiving@gmail.com)
These men and women are mighty warriors of the Lord, who are now leaving their training and going to the front lines, in order to engage in the combat of Gospel-proclamation where otherwise the Gospel would never be proclaimed! I praise God for them. Please join me in praying for them.
Sylvia’s Placinte
By Stacy Leigh Hutchens
Mmm… plăcinte. Having to give these up has been one of the hardest things about going gluten-free in Moldova. The flaky crust, the warm oozing filling… you just really can’t beat a good plăcintă. Today, I’d like to share with you the recipe that Sylvia, our school cook, uses and shared with me.
Our students singing in chapel. Below are the lyrics in both Romanian and our own feeble translation into English. I think you will recognize the tune, which is the same as “Just Over in the Glory Land.”
Cânt Lui Dumnezeu Glorie
Cânt Domnului căci mi-a făcut bine;
Lui Dumnezeu, glorie!
Mi se bucură inima mine;
Lui Dumnezue, glorie!
Chorus:
Cânt Lui Dumnezeu glorie,
Și tot pământul să-I cânte!
Lui Dumnezeu, glorie!
El mi-a adus mântuire,
Deaceia cânt pe vecie:
Lui Dumnezeu, glorie!
Cu natura întreagă să-I cânt aș vrea
Lui Dumnezeu, glorie!
Să-L slăvească munții și apele;
Lui Dumnezeu, glorie!
Cu cei ce-L iubesc, în veci vom cânta;
Lui Dumnezeu, glorie!
Și-n nesfârșită viață vom avea;
Lui Dumnezeu, glorie!
Sing the Glory of God
Sing to the Lord because He made you well;
Glory to God!
My heart is joyful;
Glory to God
Chorus:
Sing the glory of God,
All the earth sings!
Glory to God!
He gave me salvation,
so sing forever:
Glory to God!
Together with nature, I want to sing
Glory to God!
The mountains and the waters praise him;
Glory to God!
With those who love Him, we will sing forever;
Glory to God!
And when we have endless life;
Glory to God!
Moldova on the Radio
In July, Bro. Bob Burney visited Moldova to preach at our central camp. While here, he continued to broadcast his live radio show on WRFD 880AM in Columbus, Ohio.
We are thankful for the programs he did because he was able to capture the stories of what God is doing here in Moldova. With his permission, I’ve posted the programs below so that you may hear these God-stories from Moldova.
Bob Burney LIVE! from Moldova
July 26, 2010
Segment 1: Dr. Eric Chapman, the missionary we work with, tells the history of our camps and the problems caused by Communism. Listen.
Segment 2: Dr. Eric Chapman continues to talk about the history of Moldova and the difficulties of doing missions in Moldova today. Listen.
July 27, 2010
Segment 1: Sasha, our good friend, shares his testimony of salvation, and Eduard, our camp director, tells about camp ministry in Moldova. Listen.
Segment 2: Mihai, our program director, speaks about the privilege of seeing God work in the lives of campers; Victor, the teacher of Old Testament at the Bible Institute, tells how he went from being an atheist to a child of God. Listen.
July 28, 2010
Segment 1: Stephanie Chapman gives a woman’s perspective on mission work in Moldova. The young missionary who consults Betty Crocker is Stacy Leigh. Listen.
Segment 2: Josiah and Steve reflect on their mission trip to Moldova. Listen.
July 29, 2010
Segment 1: Marcela tells how God used camp to transform her life. Victor tells how an evangelism team had their lives threatened by an Orthodox priest in a nearby village. Alin shares how God saved him in camp this summer. Listen.
Segment 2: Valeriu and Daniela, returning students to the Bible Institute, tell how they turned from the idolatry of Orthodoxy to the true God. Listen.
July 30, 2010
Segment 1: Ștefan, a new student at the Bible Institute, and his brother Vasile, a returning student, tell how God worked in their family through camp this summer. Listen.
Segment 2: We discuss short-term missions, and Dr. Eric Chapman closes the program with some final thoughts. Listen.
July 2010 Update
On Tuesday night at our training week for camp leaders, Josh preached from 1 Thessalonians 2:3: “For our appeal does not spring from error or impurity or any attempt to deceive.” As we begin the month of July and our summer camp ministry, we are entering a new battle. Camp has been used by God to change so many lives, including our own. Therefore, Satan hates camp, and, as Josh warned the leaders, Satan wants to ruin our efforts by compromising our message, motives, and methods.
The first week of camp begin on Monday, July 5th, and we will have five one-week camps, ending on August 7th. We have two camps: one in the center of the country in Vatici, and one in the far north near the village of Balasinești. We will have one week with a sports focus and another for teenagers who want to learn English. Other weeks are more general in focus but all are meant to share the Gospel in a clear and understandable way.
So, please earnestly pray for us in Moldova over the next five weeks. Remember that you are just as engaged in this battle as we are. The combat you wage on your knees is essential for our cause.
Josh will be preaching two weeks at the northern camp: July 19-24, which will serve Romanian speakers, and August 2-7, which will serve Russian speakers. Pray for the Holy Spirit’s power to work through the preached Word in the lives of these youth.
As we mentioned in our June update, you can also be involved by supporting a camper. $20 sends a kid to camp who otherwise could not afford it. If the Holy Spirit leads you, your church, or your group to give, you can find giving instructions on the website of the EurAsian Baptist Mission. Thank you to everyone who has already given!
Keep coming back to our website over the next several weeks as Stacy Leigh, the camp photographer, will be sharing many pictures of the children and youth you will be praying for.
One final note, please pray for our families as Josh’s mom and dad and Stacy Leigh’s mom are coming for a two-week visit, arriving on July 4th. Josh’s sister, Jessi, has already joined us, and we are excited about this reunion. But traveling to and from Moldova can be an exhausting experience. Keep them in your thoughts and prayers and you celebrate this weekend.
During World War II, our camp at Vatici was one of the main battle fronts as the Soviet Union assaulted the German and Romanian occupying forces, and even today some old ammunition shells can be found. But the war we are engaged in at the same site is much more important. World War II had temporary consequences, but our war for the Kingdom of God will have eternal consequences. Please fight with us, because with Christ as our King we are destined to triumph.
