EXTENDED HANDS MINISTRIES

“…whatever you did for one of the least of these …”

APRIL   2006    NEWSLETTER

“And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the Lord’s ….” (I Samuel 17:47)

Truly the battle is the Lord’s and we wait for His salvation to come to our community, to the country of  Romania, to the world, yes, even to our hearts!  We have indeed been facing giants in our lives lately and sometimes it is easier to see the negative than to see the positive and sometimes one wonders if there truly is hope.  BUT – we serve an awesome God and we know that He works on different timetables than us and in His time – salvation WILL come and we will have victory!

We are heading into a busy season here.  On the 24th of April a new session at the School for Harvest and Ministries begins.  We are excited as we have 7 new students enrolled from outside of our community!  We are humbled by the opportunity to reach into Romania and receive men and women who are eager to learn more about God and how to share their faith with their country.   We are blessed to have a Romanian teacher join us who will be translating for Albert as well as teaching a course to help the students in their studies.   We will also be joined by 2 professors from the Bible School in Holland with which we are affiliated.  Along with them will come 18 students who will do community evangelism and some work projects.   We will be housing and feeding over 30 people during that time, so, please do not forget to remember us in prayer!

One of the questions most frequently asked when we receive communication:  How is Valentina’s adoption and citizenship coming?   We will be so thankful when we can finally put this issue to rest.  No change!  Still waiting!  Don’t know anything!  This battle is also the Lord’s and we truly are waiting for His hand to move and to finish it!  However, for now – we continue to wait and believe that it will come to a good end, soon!

Those of you who communicate more frequently with us may have seen that our e-mail address has changed.  We now have internet in our home – another amazing development that the community can not fathom!   This has made it possible to get back in touch with things that are happening around the world as we can receive English news!   Therefore, for further e-mail communications we ask you to use our new address:   albert@ehm-romania.info  or elvira@ehm-romania.info.   We do communicate back and forth but for fastest response direct your e-mails to whoever you think would best service you.  This may be an interesting adventure!  Our web page is also up and we will try to keep it updated so you can receive info more quickly.  It is www.ehm-romania.info.   We are just new at all this and we are old, so we ask you be patient and we will try to improve!

Immediately following the Bible School session we will be blessed by some help from Holland as we begin to destroy and rebuild!  The back room of the existing ministry house along with the wood shed will be removed and replaced with office space, housing and a teaching room.   Towards the end of May a team from England will be joining us to help in this process, followed by several men from Holland.  Therefore, we ask that you not forget us this summer as it will be busy and we need the strength of the Lord to accomplish all that is required!  If  some of you handy men find yourself with some spare time this summer – you may want to join us and help with this project!

In July a team from Holland will join us with some of their youth and assist us with our summer camps.  Our children and youth look forward to this time as for most of them it is the only time they get away from their homes and the stresses that exist there and get lots of food, fun and fellowship!  We are still working on acquiring our own property at the river which we could develop but this takes time in Romania!

Our Romania children:   we thank the Lord that we can report that they are all doing well.  Valentina once again brought home an outstanding report card although she was disappointed that she had one 9 in the middle of all her 10’s!    Dana has improved her marks so remarkably that we truly are in awe!   We thank God for working in her heart and in her life and pray that she keeps going ahead for Him!   Rita is doing awesome although she tells us she is very homesick.   Her boss tells us that she is doing a great job and is a big blessing.  She is so eager to serve the Lord and to bring people into the Kingdom of God that we are humbled to think that we had a small part in the development of her love for the Lord!

Once again we are very heavy hearted to report that Marin has decided to ‘live his own life’.   He has been rebelling for the last while and is involved with a young lady –who claims to be a Christian – however, we have seen serious deterioration in Marin’s spiritual life since he has been courting her.   He is no longer working together with Albert, but is instead serving in the community pub!  This brings much pain to our hearts and we know that Satan would like to steal and to kill – however, we know ‘the battle is the Lord’s’ and we wait for deliverance!

Our homemade children:   Karl and Patricia and their children have been reunited and at present are living in Leduc while their new home in New Sarepta is being built.  Patricia reports that she if feeling much better and we thank the Lord for this.  We spoke with our grandchildren – through our internet connection- and they were very happy and it was so special to hear their sweet little voices.  Shauna continues to do well living in Manitoba, but is already missing the presence of her brother and his family.

Perhaps you have been following the news about Romania and it’s desire to enter the Euro Union.   We have said from the beginning that this is not a good thing for Romania.  However, they have visions of wealth and prosperity and refused to see.  However, the reality is hitting and as we get closer to ‘joining’ the economic situation here is worsening!   The price of utilities alone is enough to consume the average household income!  People are becoming desperate and we are concerned about their mental condition and what this will mean to our community and the country of Romania!   ‘… the battle is the Lord’s’!

FMÎ RAPORTURI DE LAUDĂ ȘI CERERI DE RUGĂCIUNE

HEALTH:   It is sort of like our citizenship and adoptions – no change!  We continue to be reminded that we are getting old and our bodies love to tell us so.  However, we continue to thank God for His strength and we believe that He can heal our bodies – in His perfect timing!

BIBLE SCHOOL:  Session begins on April 24-May 6.   Please be in prayer during this time that God would open the hearts of the students and they would be able to learn and receive what He has for them.  Also pray for the professors that they would be able to teach these students in a way that is easily understood and received.

WORK PROJECTS:   Much construction will be taking place this summer.  Please pray for safety as well as for unity of the workers.

SUMMER CAMPS:  Pray that God would bless these young people and that they might truly come to know Him in a personal and real way.  Pray for good weather and for wisdom in nurturing these lives.  Pray for the team coming to assist us- for travel mercies as well as for God’s blessing on their lives as they sacrifice their time and energies for the Kingdom of God!

ECONOMIC SITUATION:   Pray for the people of Romania as they continue to face extreme poverty in many cases and as their situations worsen.  Pray that they would see their need for God and that they might know that He is their source of salvation and that only He can deliver them from the despair which is falling upon them.
The economic situation also affects us in that raising prices makes it harder for us to stretch our dollars far enough.   We continue to thank God for His provisions and know that He will continue to do so as we reach out to His people!

CHILDREN:  We thank God for His protection over our children both in Canada and here in Romania!  We have been so blessed by His provisions for them all and we continue to pray that He will watch over them all as they follow Him!

‘…the battle is the Lord’s…’