Missions Trip Report From Romania, 1996

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In November 1996, Central sent to Romania 14 Good News ambassadors: Andrew & Carolyn Brooks, Ingrid & Jerry Cooper, Debbie & Mark Dininno, Bob & Elaine Hale, Ron Kone, Pat Pearl, Maria Scharrer, Cyndy Smith, and Benny & Bob Summers.

We did not see Count Dracula, but we did see a modern-day Saint Paul. That was Iosif (pronounced Yoseph) Ignatoaie, the Romanian director for the International Bible Society (IBS). Iosif served as our guide, interpreter, and frequent host. During our time in Timisoara he even took us to the square where Christians united in 1989 to bring down the 45-year-old Communist regime. (Chuck Colson tells this thrilling story in his book, The Body.)

Our team visited 7 state orphanages, a Christian orphanage, and a factory-related kindergarten. We sang to the children in Romanian, told and acted out Bible stories, and shared the gospel through testimonies and hugs. The most popular element was pregnant Debbie Dininno's clown portrayal of Noah as she gathered from the audience children & adults representing pairs of various animals. Cyndy Smith's testimony was especially effective because she also grew up without her own family. To each child we handed out gifts: "My First Bible" and a comic-book of Bible stories, both in Romanian, as well as crayons, drawing paper, pencils, pens, bookmarks, candy and toothbrushes. As Bob Summers said, "We brought Christmas to hundreds of children in Romania." We will never forget their shining eyes and their laughter.

Traveling with us was our missionary, Joe Parker, the IBS Regional Director for 11 countries in Central & Eastern Europe. Also along for the trip were Ryann Cooley, a freelance photographer, and Cathe Temmerman, Director of Donor Communications at the IBS office in Colorado Springs, CO. Cathe, seeing how our team learned to work together, told us "You are part of the body of Christ, woven together for a task."

If you would like to learn more about our trip to Romania feel free to ask any member of our team.

Jerome D. Cooper

See also:

• The report from the 1999 missions trip to Romania.