As we are planting churches and teaching Bible courses to different congregations, we have found studying one book of the Bible at a time, verse by verse, to be very insightful. This approach gives you a good context of the book you are studying and reveals the whole counsel of God from a certain book of the Bible.

The Lord gave us a vision of teaching the whole Bible in our churches, book by book. We developed a plan of Bible study for our churches: the midweek meetings are dedicated to the study of an Old Testament book, on Sunday morning we study a New Testament book, and on Sunday evening we cover a topical course or do a character study. For curriculum, we use Precept Bible Study materials.

In Edinet Grace Church we just finished studying the book of Deuteronomy, verse by verse and chapter by chapter. It took us one year to do the study. The church does not have a permanent place to worship; many times the church services and Bible studies were held under a tree in the central part of the city. When it rained, we were not able to have church services. But everybody was so eager to learn God’s truth, even in the middle of city noise by reading Bible texts aloud, taking notes and participating in discussion. Nicolai, who recently had a difficult surgery on his back and cannot sit down, does not want to miss a Bible study lesson and attends every meeting and stands the whole time.

Edinet Grace Church Bible Study

It is such a joy to study the Word with these precious children of God who love Him and His Word so much! Here are some thoughts from our brothers and sisters after we finished the study of Deuteronomy:

-          Through the study of Deuteronomy, God is preparing us to enter the heavenly land, teaching us every single detail in following Him (Irina)

-          When Israel was so close to the Promise Land, God was not in a hurry. He gave the whole Law again, showing the importance of God’s Word and His guidance (Alina)

-          In preparation of the people of Israel to enter the Promise Land, God gives them teaching and warning about both the blessings and the curses (Andrei)

-          Once again, we see the holiness of the Lord and perfection of His laws (Alex)

-          All of Israel was very well organized, each person was put in the list of his family and tribe and everyone knew his place in Israel (Efrosinia)

-          Moses is a great example to us of obedience, even at his death, when God told him to go up to the mountain to die, and later in the last chapter, we see how Moses fulfills the Word of the Lord exactly (Alexei)

-          Moses loved this nation, in spite of their condition (Elena)

-          Today we have the same options from the Lord: to choose life or death (Nicolai)

-          Moses was brave in telling the Word of God to the people of Israel, not being afraid of people (Tatiana)

-          – In the book of Deuteronomy we can see God’s character very clearly in different circumstances. He is the Great I Am, Faithful, The One who keeps His Word in spite of what people say or do. Israel did not listen to the Lord, but He remains Holy, ready to bless you in every step if you will obey His Word (Natalia)

-          God is preparing His people for all possible situations of life – when there is peace in the land, when there is war, when you are on the field, when you are at home. (Silvia)

-          God was preparing Israel for something much better then what they had in Egypt or wilderness. (Rodica)

-           The Lord always wanted Israel to be a Holy land and even blood had to be washed out. (Tonia)

-          Many times we think that if we do not do it ourselves and right now – it will never be accomplished. But Moses learned to wait on the Lord and obey Him. (Arcadie)

-          Our God is a God whose blessings go for a thousand generations and curses just to the third one. And from the very first people did not live til a thousand generations, so His blessings cover us all. (Valentina)

Please pray for us as we are starting to study the next book of the Bible – the book of Joshua — that this will be a blessed time with many insights from the Lord for everybody of Edinet Grace Church.

By Barb Nave, Sanibel Community Church

When I was twelve years old, my parents allowed me to go to church camp.  It was a lovely lakeside camp and our days were filled with fun activities and Bible study.  During the week at camp I heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ and accepted Him as my Savior.  Because camp is where I met Christ, I have always had a heart to make camp experiences possible for children and teenagers to have a similar opportunity as I did.

English Camp in Moldova is a wonderful and valuable opportunity for children and teenagers to experience the Love of Christ in a community of believers.  Each day is packed full of fun activities.  Students work with American English speaking teens and adults and increase their vocabulary and speaking skills throughout the camp time.  We study God’s Word in the English language which also helps to equip the students for their general studies in school as well.  God’s Word is presented in understandable terms and each student has opportunity to be transformed by the Word of God.

One of the things I enjoy the most about English Camp is the relationships I build during the camp time and the friendships that have grown over the years.  It is wonderful as students return each year and I can see their academic growth as well as their spiritual growth!

My husband’s passion is coming to Moldova for English Camps and teaching baseball in the afternoons.  During activity time, the students can choose many sports, crafts or arts to enjoy.  Chuck does “baseball”!  He helps the students learn to play this favorite American game.  He also has opportunity to share with the students what to do when “life” throws you a “curveball”…..or in other words…..how God can help you through difficult times and circumstances.  He is always amazed at the skill of the children and youth and their passion to learn new things.

We excitedly pray all year and are anxious to go when summer comes and it is time to go to Moldova for ENGLISH CAMP!

I will also make You a light of the nations, so that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth.                                                  Isaiah 49:6

On the Horse Cart

Many times, our God works in the ways that are different from what we expect and what we plan. One of the examples is how God has lead Moldova for Christ Ministry to start new work in the remote village of Chislea in Telenesti county.

It all started at a Youth Sports Evangelistic camp in Cupcini when a young guy came and joined the group. His name is Vasile, and when he came he did not know the Lord but decided to come in order to learn to fight and beat up several guys in his village. The Lord groped his heart when he heard the Gospel and surrendered to Jesus! Vasile came home a changed person and began witnessing about Jesus to his family and friends in the village.

Listening to the Word of God

On January 15, the Lord blessed us with opportunity of visiting Vasile’s village, the village of Chislea. People enlisted for this mission project and a van with six men went to the village to present God’s Word to Vasile’s family. The trip was not exactly what we expected it to be because as soon as we got into the village and tried to drive on the road with no pavement our van got completely stuck in the mud. We got out of the van and tried to push it out of the mud swamp, but we were unsuccessful. It took several village people more in to get our van on the road back.

We still had a distance to travel in order to get to the house where the meeting was to be held. With guitar and Bibles we traveled on a horse cart several more blocks almost getting stuck in the mud again. Finally, we got to Vasile’s house! We were so glad to finally see the family who waited for us half of the day! They fasted and did not eat until we got into their home and read the Bible together. The whole family gave up all their work and gathered around the Word of God.

Liviu, thinking about the Gospel

We started with songs and testimonies of how God changed us and gave us new hearts through faith in Jesus Christ. Then we read from the Gospel of John, chapter three, where Jesus speaks about new birth with Nicodemus:

Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God. (John 3:3).

Everybody listened with such a hunger for the Word of God that we continued the meeting in a room filled with people who assisted at an evangelical meeting for the first time in their lives. After three hours of meeting in their home and in their village, they were ready to take a break and offered a meal with fresh, homemade pastry with cheese and potato right from the oven. We were also offered a national drink, called compot. But the spiritual food from the Word of God came first.

New congregation in Chislea village

The fellowship, songs and testimonies continued during late lunch when we were able to answer many questions about the Bible the family had. They invited us to come back at any time and continue to study the Word of God. Vasile’s sister and niece were saved and now they are planning to join the church. Please pray for the village of Chislea as we follow up on this new church plant in the village dominated by the Russian Orthodox Church, and the village that never heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ presented before.

As we were leaving the village we took the horse cart first, and we were able to drive our van on the edge of the village. As we were leaving, many people were on the road, trying to find out who visited the village. With some of them we were able to stop and shake hands and to other we just waved. But all of them are in our hearts now, as people who are precious in God’s eyes and for whom Jesus died on the cross in order to bring them back into His family.

John 8:31-32.  So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My Word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”

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From the very beginning of our work with students in Chisinau, and later with adults and youth in Cupcini, the Lord laid on our hearts to begin home Bible studies that would offer daily homework to participants.  We know the benefits of personal inductive study of the Word of God.  The Lord changed our hearts and opened many truths when we began studying the Bible using Precept Ministries’ inductive study materials from the “Precept upon Precept” series.  These study books are tools that spiritually nurture everyone, in the Word of God, who participates.  The series also help us in forming Biblical views and make The Scriptures truly personal.  It is wonderful to listen to sermons, read good Christian books, watch Christian TV channels, and listen to Christian radio stations, but these are personal experiences and insights from people that are presenting what they have personally learned and know.  At the same time, each of us are called to meet personally with the Lord and get to know Him as the great God and Author of the Scriptures.  When you realize the Lord is personally speaking to you through His Word, you begin to grasp a beautiful view of His divine truths.  The Bible no longer is just an informative book, but it is an extraordinary book with extraordinary power!

We personally experienced the power of the “One on One With God Bible Study” and the Lord showed us that nothing is more powerful, more inspiring or more effective than His Word by itself.  So, when we started our first church services in Cupcini, with the first group of people that were interested in hearing God’s Word, we immediately began home Bible study groups.  The beauty of these study books is that the answers to your questions are not given directly to you, but rather you are directed to the Word of God to find answers for yourself – where you meet with God in prayer and He gives you His answers to your questions.

The Precept upon Precept Series are built in such a way, that each student does his homework, and once a week the group meets for one hour of sharing with the group.  A leader who helps build a full picture of the truths students personally studied at home leads the discussions.  Optionally, a video with the same lesson can be viewed in the group after discussion.  As result of this approach, confidence is built and each student is strengthened spiritually.  These students are no longer “tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine”, but become strong in the face of any teaching and practice that is not according to the Word of God.  They are able to spot the lie and guard themselves against it, because it can eventually destroy anyone embracing it.

The homework requirement is very important in these study books.  They help a new convert build a discipline of systematic and perpetual Bible Study and assist you in becoming more responsible to God and to the group.  They also make you a more organized person.  As result, you grow in your knowledge of Christ, and the better you know Christ, the more you are able to live your life in such a manner that will bring glory to God and blessing to you, your family, your church and society.

To personally study the Bible, using this inductive study method, and to cement your insights through group discussion, this personal study allows you to discover the truth for yourself, and to abide in the Word of God that sets you free.  As said in 2 Timothy 3:16-17.  “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

Hasnasenii Mari is a village with 1,600 of people, but almost half of the people have left the country to work abroad in order to help their families in the village survive. No evangelical presence was in this village.

A few years ago, my father, Pastor Vasile Sanduleac, was invited by a local mayor to plant an evangelical church in the village. A home Bible study was started and people began to come one by one. It was a joy to see their curiosity and hunger for God’s Word. The only one who was not happy was the local Russian Orthodox priest, who began visiting door to door trying to stop the people from attending our Bible study. The priest even told them that when they die, he will not do the funeral for them.

In spite of the threats, people continued to come every week. And as a result several people were saved! Six of them were baptized in churches in Chisinau and Balti. But this year we had our first baptismal service in the history of Hasnasenii Mari village, which was a great testimony for the village people. Each of the new church members invited his relatives and friends to attend their baptism and to celebrate with them. The Vintu family from Balti church had worship program and led everyone in worship.

Now, all new church members are growing in the Lord and continuing in the study of the God’s word weekly. You should hear their prayers for the rest of the village to get to know the Lord and be saved.

Now, we praise God for the youth and students from our Balti City Church of Hope that are helping us in this church plant. They work with children, teaching them God’s Word and doing door to door visits every week, presenting the Gospel and proposing a free Bible study in homes.

We praise the Lord for the work He is doing in this village, and we know He will accomplish it! We know that we have to stay faithful to His call. Please continue to pray for this village and for His light to shine brighter in the dark though all of us.