HeartCry missionary, Ruxi Vandici, serves as a college campus missionary in Bucharest. Although she continues to battle poor health, the Lord sustains her in her discipleship ministry with university women. This month, she reports:
The highlight of this past month was the conversion of a roommate of one girl I have been discipling in the last two years. As John says in his third epistle, verse 4: “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” It has been a great joy to see not only their own growth in grace, but also their wonderful witness to their colleagues and friends. One of the things we try to teach our students is how to share the gospel with their colleagues. This girl started witnessing to her roommate about two years ago. The Lord started to work in this girl’s heart last summer. She began to fervently read the Bible every evening and asking about everything she did not understand. She also attended some evangelistic meetings. In the fall she started attending an evangelical church. Throughout this time, she had such a hunger to read the Word, and no matter how tired she was in the evening, she kept reading. During this reading she would wrestle with the Word, not understanding it. She continued asking lots of questions. Then about a month ago a sudden change ocured in her life. She shared with much joy that she had surrendered to Christ, and that she desired to be baptized! This is a very big step in our Greek Orthodox culture where adult baptism almost equals joining a cult! In only several weeks her life completely changed. She used to be very resentful against her parents, talking to them only twice a year, but now she seeks to restore her relationship with them! When she understood that God forbids fornication, she felt deep sorrow for having sinned in this way. Then she erased all her pictures with immodest dress. Meanwhile, their other non-Christian roommate was watching her and being so amazed seeing this incredible change and overflowing of joy, she also started reading the Bible, hoping she would experience the same change in her life! I just love when non-Christians realize that there is a connection between our lives and the Bible we read! I praise the Lord for the miracle of the new birth in this girl, and I rejoice greatly seeing another soul saved by Christ!
This past month I met several times with one of the non-Christian young women I was sharing about in my last report. The Lord gave me a wonderful opportunity to explain the gospel to her once again. She seems to seek the Lord, but she still doesn’t understand that salvation is only through Christ. She still believes she somehow needs to prepare herself, to grow in spiritual things in order to be able to attend to this faith. I have been trying to explain to her what simple trust in Christ and His sacrifice in our place means. She always listens very carefully, and I am encouraged by any sign of seeking after God, like praying and reading the Bible. My friend has a baby and she was very interested to talk to an older believer about raising children wisely. So I visited her with an older lady who shared about parenting. I was surprised to see how well my non-Christian friend received the advice from Proverbs, especially about the need of child discipline, when lately, even many Christians refuse to discipline their children! They will continue to meet to talk about parenting, and I pray that the Lord would use all this to work in her heart and bring her to Himself!
As I was sharing before, lately we have been facing terrible heresies which are slowly creeping in. Many of the young people, especially those who are not well grounded in the Scriptures, are very vulnerable to this avalanche of false teachings. The Oneness heresy denies the Trinity and the deity of Jesus Christ. Recently I talked to a girl who listened to their arguments and got confused over the doctrine of the Trinity, whether the Holy Spirit is a distinct Person. I read with her through John 14, 16 and other passages. The Bible warned us this will happen, but it is still shocking for me. May the Lord help us watch over ourselves and give us pastors and teachers who will faithfully and lovingly watch over their flock (Acts 20:28-30).
We thank the Lord for about 25 unbelievers who have registered for our evangelistic Ski Camp coming up in February! Please pray for the Lord’s gracious work in their hearts to lead them to repentance and faith in Jesus. Please pray for a clear and powerful Gospel presentation, for good discussions in the small Bible study groups, for a loving Christian witness and for spiritual and physical protection.
Don is serving as the HeartCry Coordinator for Eastern Europe. As an itinerant evangelist, his pulpit ministry is directed toward preaching on the inner life of the believer and the spiritual need of the lost. With HeartCry, his ministry includes organizing Bible conferences and corresponding with the HeartCry missionaries in Europe. He and his lovely wife Cindy live in Tuscumbia, AL.
More By Don Currin