Bill Grubs shares his impressions after working with Moldova For Christ ministry for several years, doing crusades in Soroca, Cupcini, Cahul, Comrat, Dondușeni, Edinet, Briceni, and Balti.

Gailen D. Marshall, MD PhD, University of Mississippi shares his impressions after partnering with Moldova For Christ for a crusade and medical clinic in Cupcini, Edineț, Moldova.

You can read more about this project here.

Dozens of our leaders from different cities joined the effort in Cahul for outreach and church planting October 17-20, 2009. Among many activities, we conducted street evangelism outreach. In this project we formed teams of two to three people and went on the streets of Cahul with questionnaires that included subjects such as God, Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit, sin, salvation, devil, and prayer requests from responders.

Dima shares Jesus in open door market

God gave us more than 500 people to contact and ask about their spiritual condition using our questionnaires. After filling out the sheets we asked people how we could pray for them, and we heard the most amazing things. Many people began crying and asked us to pray for their salvation; others told us that nobody asked them these questions in their whole life. Others asked us to tell them how they can be saved. Our teams were trained to present the Gospel and to lead people to Christ, and this is what actually took place on the streets of Cahul.

One of the stories took place on the Technical College campus. Anna and her team approached two girls walking and asked if they had a couple of minutes to talk. The answer was positive, so the discussion began. After answering all their questions, they prayed for the girls. But it was not the end of the discussion because these girls had questions about Jesus and about salvation. The Gospel was presented to them, but by that time, a dozen students surrounded our team and were listening very attentively. At the end of the Gospel presentation these girls prayed to trust Jesus. Praise the Lord! They were invited to join our home Bible study groups.

Aurel preaching in the street

Paul and his team began witnessing to two ladies on another street, but these ladies happened to be Jehovah’s Witnesses. After the discussion was started these ladies tried to leave, but our team followed them, asking the questions based on the Gospel of John where it is stated that Jesus is God. Finally, the Jehovah’s Witnesses ran from our team because they did not know what to say and where afraid of our prayers for them.

Iurii and his team were talking to people in the center of the city when a police patrol spotted them and began following our street preachers. After a while Iurii saw them and went straight to the police to start a discussion with them directly about the Word of God. The policemen asked for a Bible and could not believe our team would really pray for them. After the prayer they had tears and thanked them for support and for the Good News of Jesus.

Please pray as our local missionaries are visiting all of these addresses in order to start home Bible studies with them. Please pray for protection for our missionaries and for wisdom as they start the Bible study groups and prepare these new believers for Baptism, which will mark the beginning of a church in Cahul.

Moldova for Christ Team in Cahul

In October 2008, God opened a door for Moldova for Christ ministry to start new radio ministry in South Moldova. Yuriy and Vlada Semeniuc moved from Balti to Cahul to lead this new ministry. As result of the effort in Cahul, not only did thousands of people hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but also a door was opened and the hearts of the people were prepared to start a new church in the same city.

First, we organized a prayer chain for 32 hours: 64 people from all over Moldova and our church members signed the list of prayer, each taking 30 minutes to pray for the city of Cahul and the new church plant.

Many children came to our Puppet Shows

Second, we fasted for the people who live in Cahul – for the Lord to call people from our churches to join us in the effort of setting up an evangelistic campaign. We prayed for 30 people to answer the call and go on a short-term mission to Cahul. Little did we know what God was about to do!

God began calling one after another of church members, and the first five people were enlisted. Then, more and more people joined the team until we had 46 people from all over Moldova! The team was ready to go and start working.

Travel took almost the whole day and invitations were printed.  Since we did not have places to house our people, we had to pray for a place for everybody to stay. God provided six homes of people who were glad to receive our people without knowing us. Thus, our team went door-to-door and shared 10,000 invitations to evangelistic meetings that the mayor of Cahul let us conduct in the City Culture Hall. To our surprise, while sharing the invitations, 11 families invited us to come back and start home Bible study groups in their homes! And we had not even started the meetings yet!

Precept materials presentation at Culture Hall, Cahul

The weather was not favorable – the temperature dropped and it was constantly raining. On top of that, when we started the evangelistic meetings we had to face another major problem – the city stopped providing running water for three days…but it did not stop the work! Our guys carried water in buckets and plastic bottles of water from the nearest public well that was about 2 km away, making four trips daily to the well. The Lord was at work and we saw more than 110 people at our evening programs, plus dozens of children.

We thank God for Bill Grubbs, (Gainesville, GA) and Neal Walls (Memphis, TN) who shared the Word of God and their personal testimonies with everybody during the meetings. Twenty-seven men and women trusted Jesus and were saved. Children enjoyed watching the Agape Puppet Show team presentations every night and became close friends with our children’s ministry leaders. We were glad to serve children’s ministry leaders from other churches in the area who came every evening to take notes during our Puppet Show programs and Gospel presentation for children. Gospel songs, personal testimonies and Precept Bible Study materials were presented as part of the everyday program at the Culture Hall.

Many got very interested in Precept Bible Study Materials

The whole mission project lasted nine days. We spent the last four days surveying the population on spiritual beliefs. We asked questions about God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, church and the devil. 470 discussions occurred and the Gospel was presented right on the streets during these meetings. We prayed for each person and asked if they would like to learn more. 270 people said, “Yes,” and they wanted us to visit them at home and teach them the Bible, and gave their addresses and phone numbers.

We were also blessed to hear so many people thanking us for the radio station we have in Cahul and for Christian music and Bible study we offer live on the radio 24/7. Other people said our radio station is the only radio station they listen to.

Please pray for Yuri and Vlada as they do follow-up work in Cahul as well as continue the radio ministry. Pray God will call more missionaries to Cahul and that we will be able to involve all these people in home Bible Studies.

That is, that I may be encouraged together with you while among you, each of us by the other’s faith, both yours and mine.   Romans 1:12

Briceni meeting at the Music School

As we have partnered with the Youth With A Mission organization for several years, God continues to give us new ministry opportunities in the cities where we currently work, as well as in new cities and villages. This year we hosted a YWAM team from Norway that visited us from May 21-24.

Not having previously met, it was fun finding each other at the International Airport in Chisinau.  After some time, we found each other and drove to Northern Moldova where ministry opportunities were planned for the coming weekend.  Together in a van, we got to know each other, share testimonies and ministry stories from our churches.  We were ready to go as one and preach the Word of God to the people of Moldova.

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.                                              Ephesians 6:18

Praying for Romania in Costesti city

As we were approaching Cupcini, our hometown, we made a left turn toward the Western Moldovan border with Romania and stopped in the city of Costesti, which is situated right on the border with Romania.  In the center of the city we went to a small hill, where for one hour we prayed for Romania and for Christians in this neighboring country.  We could actually see Romania on other side of the Prut River, which is the border between the two countries.  After worshipping God through song and prayer, we thanked Him for the believers in Romania, asked Him for more churches to be planted and more people to be saved in this country.

Fetesti outreach meeting

Ministry in Northern Moldova included home church services in the villages of Fetesti, Parcova and in cities of Cupcini, Balti and Briceni.  We were blessed to see new faces at every service that came to hear the Word of God.  In the Village of Parcova, we met under a small roof in brother Vasile’s yard, where many children and adults came. In the Village of Fetesti, we met in a home, around a ping-pong table, where neighbors and relatives joined us in the meeting.  In the city of Briceni, we had our service at the local music school where we began with a concert.  In the city of Balti, we had our prayer meeting on the second floor of a bank.  And in Cupcini, we met at the church building.  The most requested song was a Norwegian song, which is well known worldwide.  “Blessed Assurance” is sung in dozens of languages in today’s churches all around the world, and our brothers sang it in their native language.

When they had arrived and gathered the church together, they began to report all things that God had done with them and how He had opened a door of faith.     Acts 14:27

Balti church meeting

Everywhere we went the Word of God was proclaimed, testimonies of God’s work in our lives were presented, and prayers for the country of Moldova and for personal needs were given.  As it was the first team we ever hosted from Norway, it was very insightful and encouraging to hear about the church in Norway and about their stand for God.

We thank God for the partnership He built for us with the Youth With A Mission organization.  We pray God will allow us to partner with them again in the future, for His Glory and for the salvation of new souls!

In July 2005, Moldova had the privilege of hosting Franklin Graham as a guest preacher for the greatest evangelistic meeting in Moldovan history that was organized in partnership with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. For three days Franklin Graham presented the Gospel to over 100,000 people from all parts of Moldova. It has become the headline news for the whole country.

Franklin Graham Crusade at the national Stadium in Chisinau, almost 100,000 came in 3 days

Initially these meetings were planned to be held in the center of Chisinau, the capital of Moldova, on the Great National Gathering Square, where in 1991 Moldovan independency from the Soviet Union was proclaimed. But it became more and more difficult to get a permit for such a meeting on the most important square in the country.

God gave Christians of Moldova another place, not far from the center of the city – the National Soccer Stadium, which seats over 30,000 people. Every square meter was used to put a chair for people that would listen to the Word of God. So, around the stadium we had several thousand people who sat and listened to the program through extended sound system although they could not see anything.

Every evening almost 5,000 were saved

More than 700 evangelical churches have joined the effort in organizing this project, representing Evangelical Christian Baptist Union, Pentecostal Union, Bible Church, Evangelical Christians, and other denominations. Moldova for Christ Ministry was able to organize transportation from many cities in order to bring people to this event to hear the Gospel, believe it and be saved. God gave us more than 700 people who agreed to dedicate the whole day for travel and hearing the Word of God. As we were traveling with them, our church members spent time with them on the bus, getting to know them and singing church hymns on the way.

Some of the best singers and worship leaders from Eastern Europe took part in the programs. A united choir sang praises to the Lord and prepared the hearts of visitors to receive the Word of God. Franklin Graham presented the Gospel in a very simple way, so that everyone would understand it and be able to receive it.

Nelly brought 3 people and all got saved, 2 were baptized later

God has blessed the effort. In three evenings more than 13,000 people trusted Jesus! Many were from cities and villages where we work planting churches. We continued to work with each one of them by teaching the Bible in their homes.  As a result, many have joined our churches and have continued learning the Word of God with other believers and brought others to the church services.

Satan did not like what was going on during this outreach and tried to stop us from organizing this event by trying to prevent people from attending the meetings. The Russian Orthodox Church sent their people with posters that had anti-evangelism content to try to stop people right in front of the main entrance to the stadium. They sang Russian Orthodox Church songs, calling people not to attend the meetings. But people did not listen to them and still came to the programs, which was a demonstration of God’s victory over the powers of darkness.

Russian Orthodox Chruch opposed the event

We praise God for the freedom He granted Moldova to have such meetings and for the believers of Moldova who united their efforts to reach our generation with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It was a true celebration of God’s grace and a great encouragement to both believers and unbelievers as we saw thousands trusting Jesus every day!