We need your prayers!  The people of Draganesti-Olt, they need your prayers!
Here, the people are poor; so poor, in fact, that some of them prefer animals more than kids, as I found out recently to my surprise and dismay!
Today, I visited a family that comes to our church.  They have been coming now for two months.  They came to our church because a few months ago, my brother, Alex, helped a man to save one of his twenty-five goats from the floods.  Alex saved just one goat – but the family was very happy and grateful!
The father-in-law, of the lady who now comes to our church, asked her why she did not try to save the goats. She replied that she had been alone with two small children, and that the water came and rose suddenly.  She continued that she had to choose between the children (his grandchildren) and the goats.  “I value the children more highly than the goats!” she said.  The man replied “Why? How can we live without the goats?  I do not want you to stay with us any longer! Please leave us and move somewhere else!”  Now the lady has to live with some friends because she valued her children more highly than the goats!!
There is happy conclusion to this sad story, though, in that the lady now comes to our church, is reading the Bible and is seeking God!!!
Please pray for her!  By the way, her name is Bibica.
Raul

Prayer requests:
- the ministry from Draganesti
- we hope to see 100 new born again Christians before the end of the year
- the youth from the church
- for the families from the church - spiritual grouth, unity
- for the high-school - for teachers and students to get to know Christ
- for our mayor
- for a new place and a new church building, in the central area of the town
- for a new women's group
- for the ministry in Stoenesti, Comani, Coteana and Corabia
- For the ministry in Bulgaria
- for people to send christian magazines and literature to the people here, in Draganesti
- for the "letter" project

My name is Raul Costea, I am married to Ana and we have a child, Samuel. Veronica was an orphan, but now she is part of our family. After I was born again, I understood that the greatest thing you could do for Him on this earth is to bring others to Christ. I have spiritualy grown in cell groups and began getting involved in the Lord's work. He put me step-by-step through several stages of growth concerning character and the Lord's work as well.

Certain verses in the Bible began to powerfully talk to me and I understood the Lord wanted me to dedicate myself entirely to His work. One of these verses is the one in Isaiah 53 where the Scripture says "He will see the fruit of His work and enliven". I understood I only had one motivation in this missionary work: Jesus to be enlivened by many gained souls. From then on my hearts desire is that at the end of every day Jesus would be pleased with me and I would hear the words: "well done good servant".

I attended a Bible college and also followed His guidence to an area where there were only 0.2% evangelical(from all the denomination's) christians. Here I started working in the villages around Slatina. Also, after a year the Lord impelled us to start a work with orphans. Since then we have found a christian family to take over the work with orphans.

After a period of several years the Lord impelled us to move south to the city Draganesti, Olt. I am sent to Draganesti by the Baptist Church in Alba Iulia.

Here in Corabia, another city, and the surrounding villages we wish to plant churches. We know the work is the Lords, who works through the church so we thought we could make available a missionary house where missionaries from our or other countries can come and work in the area.

Everything the Lord did through us and everything He will do is to His praise.


Raul