On this, my second visit to Romania, it was a joy to again hear the warm, Italian-sounding greetings from my Romanian brothers and sisters in Christ. I suppose I could review all the ministry opportunities we have had in these couple of days — preaching in churches, doing purity conferences, meeting pastors and church leaders and teaching seminary students. We were even invited to the Romanian Parliament for a private tour and a time of prayer with one of the senators, a born-again Christian. However, the highlight of the trip involved two substantial history lessons.

The first history lesson involved a walking tour of downtown Bucharest with two well-informed professors who shared the political and spiritual history of this amazing part of the world. They took us back to the time of the Apostle Andrew and later the Roman soldiers who had converted to Christianity and brought the knowledge of Christ to this eastern-most outpost of the Roman Empire. We walked in a historic  church and discussed the influences and the impacts of other cultures. We also heard about the impact of two World Wars and stood in the place where many gave their lives in the Romanian Revolution that saw the end of communist rule. In the midst of all this was the profound reminder of the faithfulness of God in protecting the Church. Much of Romanian history is really His-story.

The second history lesson was more personal. After teaching a purity seminar, we met a young woman who was obviously deeply affected. She shared about her sense of emptiness, even though she had a history of religious activity. We were able to share with her about a loving Heavenly Father who forgives and a Savior who redeems. It was as if she was hearing this for the first time. Within minutes she came to a personal faith in Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior. Her history is really His-story. I thank God for His faithfulness to these precious people over these many centuries — one life at a time.

On to Moldova…