Story from Romania

The campus staff in Bucuresti who met Ionuţ were convinced that they had just given this 2nd year student the best gift in the world. They shared the Gospel with him explaining that there is hope for forgiveness and new life at the Cross. Ionuţ responded to that gift and received Christ as his savior.

Not long after Ionuţ’s miraculous transfer from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light his parents found out about his decision. They had a different assessment about the Good News Ionuţ had accepted. Ionuţ was roughed up by his own family and thrown out of the house.

With the door to his own home shut in his face Ionuţ was left to roam the streets of his home town and to contemplate what in the world he was going to do next. As he walked the streets he met a former high school friend – Andrei. Andrei could see that all was not well with Ionuţ, and a conversation started. Ionuţ told his story…about receiving Christ, growing in his faith and then abruptly being kicked out of his own home.

The Lord chose to use that conversation on street and transform it into the most important moment of Andrei’s life. By 5 a.m. Andrei had decided that he wanted to accept Christ was well. There is a verse in the Bible that talks about how our God has the capacity to transform our mourning into dancing. The story of Ionuţ underlines that truth.

The picture that you see here is of Ionuţ and Andrei at an evangelistic project in the mountains of Romania. Both men were eager to have an opportunity to share their faith with others and to grow in their understanding of their Great Lord.