Nov. 2013 – Aiajlon Valley, Israel – Josh 10:12, 1 Sam 14:31

Dear Companions in Travel,

  My last letter had me ready to enter BG & Greece.  I went out on distribution with the Baptist pastor Ivalo’s son Theodore in Russe, BG.  I have known Pastor Ivalo many years and he needs our prayers.  I remember first coming to Russe in 1972 and always enjoy returning.  I met Nedko Popov in Russe and we drove together to his house in Plovdiv.  He has a job with a businessman from Holland and he needs our prayers, as he is not good at business and economics.  I met a Jew in Plovdiv who is originally from Plovdiv but immigrated to Israel.  He was saved in Israel and has returned to Plovdiv to be a witness to the Jews of BG.  From Plovdiv I follow the road to Sandansky that passes through a Muslim area so I can give literature to the Muslims selling along the road.  I especially like to buy blueberries.  It is an expensive run but literature is received.  These are Bulgarian Christians who converted To Islam during the Ottoman Empire.  (c. 1500-1900) Mitcho (Dimitir) Podgorsky continues the outreach of the Baptist church in Sandansky.  I spoke in one of the branch churches and his health care services continue.   I met the daughter of a doctor from this church who had a burden for the Jews.  The family immigrated to Toronto, CN and the daughter is studying to be a doctor.  I gave her the book “To Kabul with Love” by Faith Goldberg who lives in Israel.  Her father was a medical missionary to Afghanistan.  I got it on Amazon.  I have so many memories of being here since I guess 1990.  The brother from France who funded the building of this church has lost or is in the process of losing his memory, Br. Charles Checks.

  I went into Greece for a short trip to see Linda Callahan-Sinopidis whom I have been visiting since 1972.  Linda was very weak but husband Yiotis was working hard on his farm and I went one day with him to the farm.  The economic situation in Greece is catastrophic.  The Sinopidis family feels the pressure.  I made a distribution in a nearby beach town.  There wee several cars from Serbia and I was able to give Serbian booklets.  It is the literature distribution, which encourages me to return to these areas.  Linda’s daughter Virginia married in 2013 in NY.  I returned through BG stopping in the capital Sofia to be with Christo & Tanya Rossovsky.  Their son George was there who was on a break from his computer studies in England.  George is an evangelist.  I was blessed to teach in their church.  Christo needs an expensive lens for his camera which he uses in producing a Christian magazine and yearly Biblical calendar.  I was glad to spend time with Christo’s brother Anton, we also distributed together and he is an evangelist.

  In RO I spoke in 2 churches in Giurgiu.  I was with the Baptist pastor Viorel Dimitru.  He helped me when I had my second stroke here in 2008.  I then went to the Baptist church in Rosiori de Veda to Pastor Viorel Traska.  I was impressed to see how they have an evening service each night of the week in preparation for the Lord’s Supper.  I had the Rucar camp again and we had an extra day so I taught Is 42-50.  Nely translated and her husband Ovidiu greatly helped with the camp activities.  We had some campers leave and others came but we had about 60 campers by the end.  This camp is planned for next year.  I had 2 camps to cancel this summer.  I got potatoes from Ghimbov in August from pastor John Dragushin and delivered some of then to Medias to Gusti & Eugeni Rosian.  Their youngest of 2 daughters is studying in China.  The rest of the potatoes I gave to Pastor Peter Beltechi of the Baptist church of Beius.  He always gives me tomato juice from his father in law’s garden, which helps me to get back to France.  My computer was not working well and it was not until in Israel I found what was wrong with it.  I had to buy a used one in Israel.

  There was another Jewish outreach in Budapest, HU.  I started to talk to a Muslim background man from Azerbaijan, Gamal.  He was open and listened.  Jews were coming out of the synagogue but I stayed with Gamal.  I later met an Italian Jew who was somewhat religious but willing to talk.  I spoke of the composite unity of God.  He understood some Hebrew.  I quoted Is 7:14 and other verses.  I did not meet Israelis, perhaps it was too late in the summer as it was Aug. 25.  WOL Hungary has a new leader Br. Gabor and he is friendly to me.  I always have a place to stay there.  I pressed on to Zagreb, HR to see Neda Alexis and to distribute. It was slow but my lit. went out. In Slovenia I did not have a lot of lit. but what I had went out.  At a camp the receptionist sometimes reads the Bible with his grandfather.  He said the SLO church does not read the Bible but follow church traditions.   At another campsite a SLO worker was really impressed that I had a SLO book for him.  In Italy I met again David Borman from the USA.  One of the members of the church bought a building so by next August they should be in it after renovations.  I had another good distribution on a seaside wall about 1 kilometer long on Sunday afternoon in Trieste, IT where David lives. Thee were other distributions in IT and in a camp in the Alps I touched two persons.  One was a Buddhist from Holland.  Also I spoke with a German woman who said she had been searching for God all her life.  While I was talking to her the Dutchman came to say good-bye.  When the German woman left for a hike she came to me and thanked me for what I had shared.  There were some good distributions in Austria in 2 camps and in post boxes.  I distributed in Bratislava, Slovak near the center.  It was slow but I gave the Jesus Our Hope booklets and.

 Then I went on to Brno, CZ to be with the Zeman family.  Peter died and his wife Daniela is there and the family of their son Daniel.  Daniel works at Trans World Radio and TWR is doing well in CZ.  I spoke in their mid-week service.  I did a distribution there but met no Jews.  The Jewish cemetery is near their home but it was closed when I went there.  Daniela’s brother is in Prague and his family cares for me in Prague.  They were not home so I stayed in the church and taught there Sunday morning.  I did go down to the Jewish area to look for Jews on Sunday afternoon.  A mother & her son took Help from Above in Heb. which is 48 pages of verses.  Two Jewish women from NY who are Holocaust Survivors took a tract.  An Israeli-American took Betrayed by Stan Telson. In Germany I met the optician  Gerhard Goetsel and there was good fellowship. I met his assistant who fellowships with the Brethren Assemblies.  His new wife lost her first baby.  Gerhard’s wife is Elak and 2 children Robert & Maria.  This is his second family.  Robert is saved.  They are both about 12.  I then went to see Vera & Vladimir Voroniuc.  They started WOL Ukraine.  They have several old age persons in their home.  They have some big boys.  I then went to Michael Gabe & family.  Gabi is a Muslim who was saved in Jerusalem and I have tried to keep contact with him.  His wife is a Christina from Syria.  As I left Michael & I went to Gerlingen, which is the area where my grandfather came from.  I did a distribution there.  The Day of Atonement started in the evening and I headed to France.  I drove through to my apartment praying for the Jews instead of stopping in a campground.  I prayed at home on Sat.

 I was in France-F 5 months.  The Wed. morning prayer meetings were a blessing.  Good to get to know my Pastor Leon Mondesire better.  Wed. night we meet in home groups,which gives ample opportunity for individual sharing.  I shared about my summer and planed trip to Israel in the winter in the church.  Posters were put up during my time in F.  The posters by the university dorms stay for months even a year.  I made the annual trip in F and Switzerland-CH putting up Biblical posters, meeting brothers and sisters in Christ and speaking in the church in Saone.  I got literature in CH and visited Pastor Hans & Sylvie Rufenact. 

  Oct. 1 I came to Israel and will leave Dec. 30.  I went to Haifa and was blessed to be again in Bethel Hostel, which ministers to the Russian ex-drug addicts. Ruslan is on his own after 3 years in Bethel.  He has a job and I saw him in BeitHesda church where I was able to share.  Michael the Muslim is faithful and praying his wife and son will be saved and come to live with him.  It gives me great joy to walk the streets of Israel talking to those who stop.  I carry on my ministry of praying for believers in Israel and have several times passed my prayed day on the Month of Olives.  I had a special time for prayer for 7 days is a Christian Community.  Being in contact with believers helps me to be up to date for praying for them.  Much of Christ’s work started in Jerusalem and He will return there to continue His work.

Acts 1:8  Michael Bentley