Marian Jipa has the heart of a true evangelist as he sacrificially ministers to the needs of the people in his community. Presently, he shepherds the Hope Church faith family and oversees three more church plants in the villages of Margineanu, Casota and Florica. He and his wife, Coco, have three children. In this month’s report he shares:
” …. I want to thank to the Lord for the Conference that we had in Bran. It was a good time with powerful messages, a beautiful fellowship and … many encouragements through our brothers. Encouragement is a very precious gift and all that is needed for it is love and honesty.
I want to thank the Lord for the personal encouragements that I have received from His hand, especially an encouragement concerning the ministry in Margineanu. Last week, I received a request concerning a medical project that we could organize in that village. I answered positively to this request. Lately, things have changed a lot in this place and I couldn’t hope for anything better than what happened. It was the most successful evangelistic project that we have had in the last eight years, where I had been working with them for 12 years.
Two hundred and twenty-one people came to this medical project where they also received spiritual counseling. A hundred and fifteen of them gave us their phone number and mentioned that they want to be visited at home, professing to receive Jesus into their hearts. Many of these people who knew me listened to me as I talked to them about salvation and the grace of God. I had talked to them many times, both publically and privately, but never invited them to receive Jesus. However now, when I did it, this was beyond expectations. I understood that the work that we had done was never in vain. Any conversation and opportunity to show and prove our faith in Christ is never without value. It brings fruit in due season.
God prepares a way in people’s lives through our ministry, and even when we don’t have any hope, he will bring salvation at the right time. Now I have a hundred and fifteen addresses and phone numbers of people to visit.
Another big surprise was that the brothers who came for the medical project told me that they will return next July for a new ministry. And this is not all! They told me about their desire to build a house of prayer in this village. I asked them to pray for these people to be saved and to pray for me. I need a lot of prayer support to be a good harvester of such a big field.
Yesterday I returned from the evangelistic outreach in Stoenesti. I talked to many people and met men and women of different ages, with various levels of understanding and with different life issues. Every time when I return from the mission field I ask myself if it was worth. I try to identify at least one soul that I can rejoice over; someone who came to meet Christ. I met a man who was 62 years old. He had suffered a stroke. He was now paralyzed on his right side, couldn’t talk and could barely make any sounds. Yet, with patience, we could understand each other. While he was standing at the gate, he made a sign `telling` me to leave because he could not speak. However, something prompted me not to give up. Talking through signs I found out that he had worked as a mechanic and driver. I discovered that we had many things in common. I told him some experiences from my life and career and then I told him how God changed my life. Toward the end of our conversation I explained to him that our sufferings now help us to avoid the big suffering in eternity. Joseph was much safer in a prison in Egypt that in his father’s house. So God protects us from problems through trials. I could spot a light in his eyes when we said good bye to each other. He was ill, but a happy person. If it was only for him that I went to Stoenesti it was worth it.
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.
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