This summer, while Voicu and Ana Marian have been in Ohio, we have been celebrating the 21 years of faithful service that they have given to our Lord in Romania. At the same time the Marians have been wrapping up their missionary service under EFM and making arrangements for retirement. Now they are getting ready to return to their home in Romania. If all goes as planned, they leave October 1.

Our desire is to send them home with a generous financial love gift. We invite you to be part of this celebration by contributing to the gift. Please take a look at the Marian’s Retirement Celebration Newsletter here and prayerfully consider how much the Lord would have you give. The different options for how to contribute are listed below.

We would also like to give you a taste of this summer’s celebration by sharing with you a letter prepared by Rick Sams, former pastor of Alliance Friends Church in Ohio. As you will see in the letter, Rick has been a pastor to Voicu and Ana for a long time!

All offerings marked “Marian Love Gift” will be passed on to them in full. You can:

• Donate online here on the Marian’s personal EFM donation page. Make sure to select Marian Love Gift as the designation.
• Donate by credit card over the phone at 303-421-8100.
• Mail a check marked with “Marian Love Gift” to EFM, PO Box 771139, Wichita, KS 67277.

Thank you for considering a love gift to the Marians as they step into this next chapter of ministry.

Together in Christ’s service,

Dan Cammack, Field Director

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Como puede ver en su mensaje a continuación, Voicu y Ana se están retirando del servicio misional y planean estar en Ohio este verano. Esperamos celebrar con ellos lo que Dios ha hecho en ellos y a través de ellos. Por favor manténgalos en sus oraciones mientras se preparan para viajar y mientras atraviesan esta transición llamada “jubilación”. No es una transición fácil de hacer, pero sienten que es hora de hacerlo.

Voicu y Ana, en nombre de EFM quiero agradecerles por su obediencia al Señor y su fidelidad en el ministerio que les ha dado. No tengo ninguna duda de que ustedes continuarán ministrando dondequiera que vivan. ¡No pueden evitarlo! Es una parte tan importante de quiénes ustedes son. Esperamos, junto con ustedes, ver cómo la semilla que han sembrado y continuaran sembrando producirá frutos.

Daniel Cammack

Director Ejecutitvo

The post Anuncio de la Jubilación de los Marian first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.

During the 1980s Ana, and then Voicu, came to the Lord through the ministry of Evangelical Friends in Alliance, Ohio. They were from Romania but living and working in the U.S. at the time. After they gave their lives to Christ they heard him calling them back to the country from which they came. Voicu and Ana, along with their two children, Christina and John, obeyed the Lord’s call and returned to Romania in the year 2000.  They settled in the region of Sibiu where the Lord has used them to touch the lives of many, many people over the last twenty plus years. They have sown a lot of Gospel seed and they rejoice every time they see signs that it is bearing fruit.

As you can see from their message below, Voicu and Ana are retiring from missionary service and plan to be in Ohio this summer. We are looking forward to celebrating with them what God has done in and through them. Please hold them in your prayers as they get ready to travel and as they go through this transition called “retirement.” It’s not an easy transition to make, but they are feeling that it is time to do it.

Voicu and Ana, on behalf of EFM I want to thank you for your obedience to the Lord and your faithfulness in the ministry he has given you. There is no doubt in my mind that you will continue to minister wherever you live. You can’t help it!  It’s so much a part of who you are. We look forward, along with you, to seeing how the seed you have sown and are sowing will continue to bear fruit.

Dan Cammack

Executive Director of EFM

The post Marian Retirement Announcement first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.

Hace casi 22 años en la Junta Anual de la Región Este, dijimos: “¡Aquí estamos, envíanos!” Aquellos no fueron “tiempos mejores” para responder al llamado de Dios; simplemente nos sentimos abrumados por su invitación llena de Gracia. Venimos a Sibiu para ser una familia de niñas huérfanas. No estábamos preparados emocionalmente para atender sus necesidades, aparte de hablar el idioma, pero confiamos en la fuerza y la sabiduría de Dios un día a la vez. Y con el tiempo aprendimos lo que significaba “amar con el amor de Cristo”. Este amor nos ha cambiado más que nada o que nadie, a medida que fluía a través de nosotros.

Un par de años más tarde, cuando conocimos la zona, nos enteramos de una aldea cercana que se jactaba de no tener presencia evangélica (“arrepentidos”). Después de orar durante un año, Dios nos abrió las puertas para enseñar en su escuela pública. El estricto escrutinio del personal y los padres ese primer año fue opresivo, pero recordamos vívidamente la cálida bienvenida de los niños. Los amamos a ellos y a sus familias, y enseñar a estos niños de quinto a octavo grado parecía ser el instrumento de Dios para llegar a sus corazones.

Muchos estudiantes vinieron a la clase de Inglés y algunos vinieron a un taller que comenzó Voicu. Dado que ambas clases eran extracurriculares, saber cómo atraer a los niños era a menudo el mayor desafío. ¡Una receta ganadora que encontramos fue la de bananas splits caseras! A partir de esa primera generación, desarrollamos una fuerte amistad con Mihaela, quien era la numero uno de su clase (en la foto, la tercera de izquierda a derecha).

En 2004 hicimos nuestro primer campamento cristiano con niños de Orlat. Lejos de ser “expertos” en pastoreo juvenil … simplemente oramos mucho, aprendimos de los demás e hicimos lo mejor que pudimos. Dios bendijo cada aspecto de nuestros esfuerzos, mientras preparamos algunas buenas canciones de adoración, un mensaje claro del evangelio y muchas actividades divertidas.

En el otoño, cuando muchos de ellos comenzaron a viajar a Sibiu para la escuela secundaria, los invitamos a nuestro apartamento para un programa juvenil los viernes por la noche. Estas reuniones no solo fueron divertidas para los adolescentes, sino también un tiempo para adorar y estudiar la Biblia juntos y para nosotros realmente se sintió como una Iglesia en casa.

Durante esa temporada tuvimos innumerables formas de involucrarnos en sus vidas. Mihaela, siendo una estudiante de alto rendimiento, quería convertirse en Arquitecta y Voicu le dió lecciones de dibujo. A medida que pasamos más tiempo juntos, hablamos en profundidad sobre la Biblia y pronto recibió a Jesús como Señor y

Salvador. Mihaela compartió abiertamente sobre haber nacido de nuevo con su familia y compañeros, incluídos los que asistieron a nuestro grupo de los viernes. Su vida floreció y su familia se convirtió en nuestros amigos en el pueblo.

Permanecimos cerca de Mihaela durante la Universidad, donde comenzó a salir con Adrián, también estudiante de Arquitectura. Asistimos a su boda fuimos su apoyo de oración cuando se mudaron a Francia con becas académicas. Actualmente viven en Marsella, donde han iniciado su propia firma de arquitectura.

Durante el último año hemos estado unidos especialmente durante el embarazo de Mihaela. Después de años de oración por un niño, ¡nos regocijamos con ellos, cuando nacieron sus pequeños trillizos! ¡Estos son simplemente un vistazo a la obra milagrosa de Dios! Y estoy hablando en un sentido mucho más amplio aquí. O

rlat y Gura Raului se sienten como casa con nosotros debido a la gente con la que hemos llegado a convivir y  amar en el camino. La historia de Mihaela es solo una entre muchas, pero sentimos que realmente refleja el Poder de la Palabra de Dios para salir y lograr lo que Él desea (Isa 55:10, 11).

Vemos una clara evidencia de vidas transformadas, ya sea a través del ministerio de niñas huérfanas, la juventud local o un estudio bíblico en curso, pero sabemos que mucho de lo que Dios comenzó se revelará en la Eternidad … y esa es la parte más emocionante de eso.

Lee mas…

The post Carta de Oración de Abril 2021 first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.

I can’t remember a time when I was so happy for a year-end, but I am especially grateful now, for lessons learned and battles won in 2020, and for the strong assurance that GOD IS in charge. In the last three months we experienced periods of lock down in different parts of Romania, a scary number of COVID-19 cases, and the reality of it being not only “out there,” but in and around our home. I (Ana) contracted the virus and struggled awhile, but praise God I didn’t need hospitalization, and Voicu remained healthy the whole time. We’ve learned to treasure each moment and each person, as several people in our community and church family lost this battle in the ICU.

We surely appreciated a real family Christmas, with Christina visiting from the US and John visiting from half an hour away. We weren’t sure it would work out to be together due to various travel restrictions, but it did!  Our spiritual daughters, Aurelia, Petruta and Loredana, were with us as well. They wanted to talk and play board games non-stop, and it was nice being together after lockdown.

The last three months we continued teaching primarily online. God helped us strengthen relationships during this difficult time. Shop classes had to stop but English continued, proving quite valuable not only for our junior high and high school students, but also for the four ladies who use it at work. I was able to help them meet school requirements, and not only that, but also encourage them during some critical moments. We had opportunities to read scripture together and discussed many timely topics.

With schools being online since October, there are major challenges, especially for kids from poor families who lack adequate equipment or necessary parental support.

It was a real joy to surprise twin sisters Ana and Sonia with a new laptop computer for Christmas. We’ve known them since they were born, and they come from a rather large family. Their older sister Maria was also our pupil, and now she has her own family and has remained a dear friend. Ana and Sonia are hard-working 9th grade students, and quite active in our youth group.

We had a few moments of the Lord’s confirmation this past year… but this one instance speaks for itself. Dr. Marilena Vasile, whom we’ve supported since she came to our city back in 2006, is a dear friend and sister in Christ. After graduation from medical school she specialized in family practice, and instead of pursuing a prosperous career in Sibiu chose to return to her native city of Calarasi, to care for the most destitute in the southern region. We’ve watched her serve as an example of integrity and professional excellence among colleagues, doing her best to visit patients and save lives without the latest technology or medicine, not even owning a vehicle.

A couple of dear saints from Alliance and Columbus donated funds for a car, which ended up a very memorable Christmas gift. We rejoiced with her, marveling at God’s perfect ways and timing. Her “Thank you” was best expressed in tears of gratitude!

Recently we visited the home of a single mom with three daughters. Their deep appreciation was visible, and perhaps not so much for the gifts but for taking the time to really listen to their life story, for loving them in a way they could relate to.

THANK YOU for being present in our lives and in the lives of many others around the world, with your prayers and with loving, generous hearts. Christ’s Kingdom work far exceeds our limits and imaginations.

I will leave you with what has been a very uplifting verse in 2020, which may be the most wonderful COMMAND for the coming 2021: Joshua 1:9, “This is my command – be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord, your God is with you wherever you go.”

Love,

Voicu and Ana

Christina and John

The post March 2021 Marian Update first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.

The post COVID-19 Testimonio Pandémico de Rumania first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.

If you would like to receive on a regular basis prayer requests and praises for how God is working I encourage you to sign up for EFM’s monthly prayer letter. You can do that by clicking on the button below.

Also, EFM is still receiving donations to our emergency fund for COVID-19 related relief efforts. If you would like to contribute at this time you can do so by clicking here or using the button below.

The post COVID Pandemic Testimony from Romania first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.

Así es como Voicu y Ana respondieron a las cuatro preguntas que envié a todos nuestros misioneros la semana pasada:

¿Cómo está afectando COVID-19 a quienes viven en el área donde ustedes viven y ministras?

• Al igual que el resto del mundo, Rumania se ve afectada por esta crisis, especialmente con todos los trabajadores que están regresando de Italia, España y otros países de Europa occidental donde vivieron y trabajaron durante muchos,       muchos años. Se requiere que la mayoría de estos entren en cuarentena durante dos semanas, pero muchos otros han vuelto a ingresar sin control.
• El 16 de marzo, el presidente declaró el estado de emergencia durante al menos 30 días. Todas las escuelas, iglesias, restaurantes y otros negocios similares están cerrados hasta nuevo aviso. Debido al pánico, muchas personas se han    abastecido de alimentos básicos, lo que ya ha creado una escasez.

¿Cómo está afectando esta situación al ministerio que ustedes llevan acabo?

• Como las escuelas están cerradas, ya no enseñamos en las instalaciones, pero hemos tenido varios estudiantes que vienen a nuestra casa para recibir clases de inglés, uno o dos a la vez. Sus padres les han dado permiso. En cuanto a la carpintería, estará fuera por el resto del toque de emergencia. La misma situación es con las reuniones juveniles de los domingos por la noche. Continuamos manteniéndonos en contacto por teléfono con cada uno de ellos, confiando en que Dios protegerá la semilla que fue plantada.

¿Cuáles son algunas oportunidades que están viendo para compartir las buenas nuevas de Jesucristo con aquellos que aún no lo conocen?

• Ana tiene cinco nuevos estudiantes (mujeres jóvenes profesionales) que ahora trabajan desde casa y necesitan capacitación adicional de inglés. Ella les ha estado enseñando por separado en nuestro hogar. Esto le ha dado a Ana la oportunidad de compartir su fe mientras satisface una necesidad urgente.
• Mientras aún interactuamos con las personas en el pueblo, compartimos un mensaje de esperanza, dirigiendo a las personas hacia la Biblia. El 15 de marzo tuvimos iglesia en nuestra casa. Vimos un mensaje en video con otra pareja, padres de un ex alumno. Notamos que sus corazones están más abiertos durante este tiempo, y también se sienten más seguros en un hogar. Después servimos el almuerzo y fue un momento bendecido.

¿Cuáles son dos o tres peticiones de oración que podemos usar para orar por ustedes y por los que ministran?

• Agradeceríamos sus oraciones por seguridad. A pesar de que no hemos tenido ningún caso de infección por COVID-19 en nuestra área, necesitamos que Dios nos proteja de cualquier tipo de enfermedad. Y por favor oren contra el espíritu de miedo que se ha apoderado de muchas personas. Oren por las puertas abiertas que aún continúan para el ministerio.

Voicu y Ana cierran su informe con un versículo. Nos están animando a todos a aferrarnos a esta verdad: “Pues si vivimos, para el Señor vivimos; y si morimos, para el Señor morimos. Así pues, sea que vivamos, o que muramos, del Señor somos.”  Romanos 14:8

The post Actualizaciones de EFM COVID-19 | Orar por Rumania first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.

Here is how Voicu and Ana responded to the four questions that I sent to all our missionaries last week:

How is COVID-19 affecting those who live in the area where you live and minister?

• Like the rest of the world, Romania is affected by this crisis, especially with all the workers returning from Italy, Spain, and other western European countries where they lived and worked for many, many years. Most of these are required to go into quarantine for two weeks, but lots of others have re-entered unchecked.
• On March 16 the president declared a state of emergency for at least 30 days. All schools, churches, restaurants and other similar businesses are closed until further notice. Because of the panic, many people have stocked up on basic foodstuffs, which has already created some shortages.

How is this situation affecting the ministry you lead?

• Since schools are closed we no longer teach on the premises, but we’ve had several students come to our home for English tutoring, one or two at a time. Their parents have given them permission. As far as the wood shop, it will be off for the rest of the state of emergency. The same situation is with Sunday evening youth meetings. We continue to keep in touch over the phone with every one of them, trusting God to protect the seed that was planted.

What are some opportunities you are seeing for sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with those who don’t know him?

• Ana has 5 new students, (young professional women) who are now working from home and needing additional English training. She has been teaching them separately in our home, which is compliant. This has given Ana a chance to share her faith while meeting an urgent need.
• As we still interact with people in the village, we share a message of hope, pointing people to the Bible. On March 15 we had church in our home. We watched a message on video with another couple, parents of a former student. We noticed that their hearts are more open during this time, but they also feel safer in a home setting. Afterwards we served lunch and it was a blessed time.

What are two or three prayer requests we can use to pray for you and those you lead?

• We would appreciate prayers for safety. Even though we haven’t had any cases of COVID-19 infection in our area, we need God to protect us from sickness of any kind. And please pray against the spirit of fear that has gripped many people. Please pray for continued open doors for ministry.

Voicu and Ana close their report with a verse.  They are encouraging us all to hold on to this truth: “If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.” Romans 14:8.

While we are providing this special round of updates to EFM’s largest email list (due to the world-wide impact of COVID-19), we will continue, as always, providing brief praise and prayer requests from each contributing field through our monthly EFM Prayer Letter. This is the easiest way to get regular, brief updates from missionaries and national leaders. If you do not currently receive the EFM Prayer Letter, we encourage you to subscribe by clicking the button below.

The post EFM COVID-19 Updates | Pray for Romania first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.

We immigrated to the US from communist Romania in the late 70s, in search of “the good life.” In our atheistic view, that meant abundance of things and the freedom to do what we wanted. Upon arriving in Ohio, we came in contact with God’s people through the Evangelical Friends Church. They embodied the love of Jesus and gave us a taste of “the blessed life.” In the year 2000 we returned to our people with a new passion: to proclaim the gospel to the lost.

Starting out in the city of Sibiu, we ministered to orphaned and abandoned girls, and some of those became Christians and part of our family. Though no longer children, they continue to bring a special spark to our holidays.

God enlarged our vision into teaching children in the public school. Through English and Woodworking classes we met some great kids, gained favor with their parents and soon started to do Christian camps. These were followed by weekly youth meetings, and over the years many confessed Jesus as Savior. We continue to work in the villages of Orlat and Gura Raului.

In the Acorn Shop, Voicu teaches woodworking to junior high boys. More than woodworking, they learn how to become real men, according to the Bible. As we’ve done many times in the past, this year for Thanksgiving we invited students for a special meal and celebration. The American history account was used as platform for a better lesson: Gratitude as a Way of Life. And this Christmas season we read about the birth of Jesus with several of our students, and sang, “O Come Let Us Adore Him.”

We’ve witnessed great changes, especially since Romania became part of the EU in 2007. With open borders and boundless digital access, in flooded “the good life,” and with it, plenty of evil. Having come to know these children, we’ve grown to love them deeply. Their life stories have become part of ours, and it’s quite painful to see some harden their hearts when they become adults. The Lord reminds us that our purpose here is not to change people, but to live for Him. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (Heb.13:8) He remains faithful and he deserves all the glory!

A recent picture, for those who’ve never met the Marians: Ana and Voicu, with son John (Sibiu, Romania) and daughter Christina (Columbus, OH).

Please Pray…

• That we’d keep proclaiming the gospel and loving people as unto the Lord.
• For the Word sown through the years to bear fruit, and God to call workers into the harvest (now and after our retirement).
• For wisdom as we plan weekly activities, God’s leading for the future, spring and, summer ministries.

Read more…

The post January 2020 Prayer Letter first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.