Christian Faith International Ministries

4/23/12 Monday

Esther sent a taxi to pick up Carl and Ed and bring them to her house.  She served us lunch and had some of her family including two older brothers come over for prayer. One wanted prayer for himself and the other brought his deaf grandson for prayer – he had a vibration device and read lips.  After that we went to a church to meet with Esther’s prayer group.  That group has a goal to experience at least one miracle each week.  Eighteen of the thirty some members were present.  Carl handed out copies of his book Keys to Answered Prayer and shared about that subject and exhorted them to pray the solutions of God’s promises, not the problems.  Then we prayed for them.  Esther interpreted for Carl and her sister interpreted for Ed.

Steve stayed behind with Cas and reviewed the final draft of the Prayer Keys for Kids book.  This is a 40 page book based on Carl’s Keys to Answered Prayer book but aimed to teach child and young people the same principles at their level.  The book was translated to Romanian with some pictures for coloring and fill in the blanks questions and answers for review.  The lessons were also printed in English so the children can learn our language at the same time they are learning the prayer keys.  Several edits and re-edits were required but it was ready for the printer by late afternoon.

4/24/12 Tuesday

In the late afternoon, all four of us went in Steve’s rental car to Glina.  Eleana went with us to help with directions and to coordinate by phone with Jon Calin to guide us to the place when we were close. (Carl was with Jon when they did street evangelization in this village last spring. Jon plugged his sound equipment into a local bar for electric power.)  The meeting was set up in the courtyard and the crowd extended out into the street.  There was much music.  A bass player was added to the band made up of Jon’s family.  The meeting centered around the ordination of the Pastor of this church.  Carl called the wife up and explained that he ordains couples because the support of the wife is the strength of the husband.  Carl prophesied over them and Ed prayed for them.  There was more music.  Ed, Steve and Carl taught.  One of Jon’s sons interpreted for them.  Carl prayed a corporate prayer while Steve and Ed annointed everyone present except a few bystanders out in the street who didn’t receive the anointing.  Then people gathered to be prayed for individually.  In total about 50 people were prayed for by Carl, Ed, and Steve.  Jon’s son interpreted for Carl.  Zerbina interpreted for Steve and Eleana interpreted for Ed.

4/25/12 Wednesday

In the morning we went to the mall to shop for gifts, etc. and to replenish Ed’s phone with minutes.  In the afternoon Carl, Cas, Ed, and Steve went to Martin’s church to meet with him and the people he works with to discuss the various areas of work we support, what changes need to be made, and plans for the future.  We were served a wonderful meal prepared by the sister of the musician who works with Martin.  After that some people Martin had invited came over for fellowship.  Carl shared a brief message and prayed for them.

4/26/12 Thursday

This is a day for winding down, packing and taking care of emergencies and loose ends. In the morning Steve took Carl to visit two sisters and their mother to bless them, pray for them, and tell them goodbye for this trip.  They have been friends of Carl for many years.  Carl and Steve prayed for them and Carl exhorted them to be thankful for what they have been given from God.  After this, Carl and Steve went to Juliana’s workplace to see her, Cornelia (her daughter), Andre (her son) who also work there.  Carl prayed for all three of them and asked that they stay in touch with him if they need further prayer after he returns to the US.

Brother Martin came in the afternoon and brought some copies of Steve’s Prayer Keys for Kids workbooks hot off the printer.  Carl and Steve plan to bring copies back to the US to show to people who support the work in Romania.  He also had some pictures and videos which Steve copied onto our media.

In the evening about fifteen people gathered for fellowship at Cornell’s house.  Juliana translated while Steve and Carl taught.  Steve taught about how we need to be led by the spirit and not the flesh, that the spirit is willing and wants to obey but the flesh is weak.  Jesus knew they could not obey because they did not have the spirit of God in them, they could not truly follow Christ until the holy spirit was given after he was resurrected and ascended into heaven. (It was Jesus who died on the cross but He got up as the Christ and the power is in the resurrected Christ.)  Carl warned about religious doctrines and shared about how when he was about twelve years old he read in the Bible how Jesus healed the sick and did miracles and said that those who believe should do the works He did and greater works.  When he asked the elders in the church why this was not happening they put him down and eventually put him out of the church.  Carl had connected the church with God and when he was rejected there he thought God had rejected him.  Years later after he repented he asked God to forgive him and told God he was sorry for his rebellion.  He said God told him he wasn’t rebelling against Him, he was rebelling against religion.  Carl exhorted them to pray with faith, believe what God said in the Bible, and don’t get caught up in religious doctrines.  At the end of his teaching, Carl prayed for them corporately.  It was early to bed after this because we were off to the airport for our departure at about 3am Friday morning.

4/17/12 Tuesday

Carl Fox, Cas Scheibner, and Ed Johnson arrived in Bucharest about 4:30 PM. Steve Roy was already there, having arrived about 1:30 PM. Martin Mallette had met him and taken him to rent a car. With 2 cars we were able to get to the place where we are staying with all the luggage. All the luggage arrived pretty much intact except Carl’s Romanian cell phone and another item were not in his luggage and an inside pocket was torn in Cas’ duffel bag.

4/18/12 Wednesday

Carl and Ed were awake by 2:00 AM in the morning. Steve and Cas joined them soon thereafter and get acquainted with Cas, a high school senior from Yakima, WA, who chose to spend his spring break with Carl’s team in Romania. He has wanted to go to Romania with Carl since he was six years old.

Martin came later in the morning and brought his son, Elijah, and Niki, his friend, who has translated for us many times in the past. He has been ill so Carl prayed for him and he was healed. Cas noticed color coming back into Niki’s face when Carl was praying for him. Also the healing was confirmed that afternoon when Niki was able to do all the translating for Steve’s teaching.

Cas, Niki, and Elijah went with Steve to minister to the children in a village out in the country. It seemed to Cas that they were driving out in the sticks for about 2 hours. Cas noticed that the culture was very different out there than in America. For instance, you hardly ever see horses and buggies in America but that is what
you were seeing and passing with your car out there. Cas and Elijah talked about that.

The people in the village where they went were very nice. The room in which they met was about the same size as the room Cas and Ed share at Cornell’s house. Steve taught on Jesus Christ dying on the cross for our sins and how when we feel God is far away from us, He is always with us. He said we are all different and explained that if we appreciate our differences it makes us stronger because some are strong where others are weak. He also taught about how to pray, what to pray for, and when to pray. He used examples where the gypsy children acted it out in costumes with robes and ropes.

Martin took Carl and Ed to the mall to exchange money and get phones and supplies. After we returned, Jon Calin came over to Cornell’s house. He wanted Carl to attend a baptism at his church where he had brought in new people from the surrounding area his ministry had brought to the Lord. We were all tired, but Carl and Steve attended part of the ceremonies. Carl gave a brief message about how the water baptism is about confessing Jesus Christ as Lord and committing one’s life to be conformed to His life. Then Carl and Steve prayed for people and dedicated babies that were brought to them as they were working there way to the door. Cas and Ed crashed and slept through until the wee hours of the morning.

4/19/12 Thursday

Cas and Ed awoke about 2:00 AM and were not going back to sleep so they arose and began work on this report. Carl and Steve were able to sleep longer having attended the baptism service the night before.
Steve and Niki went to the printer to review the draft of a Bible Study workbook. They agreed to send a copy to Steve to tweak after some edits in work are incorporated.

Cas, Niki, and Elijah went with Steve to minister to the children in Monestia, a village on the delta of the Danube. Steve taught the same message to the children there that he taught to the children at the other village the day before.

4/20/12 Friday

In the morning Martin took Carl and Ed to the mall to get some problems with the phones fixed.
In the afternoon, a Romanian couple of Ukrainian descent brought a sick baby to be healed. Her name is Sarah. Her lips were black on the inside. After Carl prayed for her, she was more relaxed and the color of her lips returned to pink all over.

Cas, Niki, and Elijah went with Steve to minister to the children in the village they visited the first day. Steve had Cas go up and introduce himself and instructed the children to ask him some questions. They asked Cas questions like how many animals he had. Steve said, “Why do you think I had you ask Cas those questions? Because the way you asked Cas questions is the same way you ask God questions. You ask God and that is the way you pray.” This illustrated how to pray. He taught them to pray when they are doing something they do every day like putting on their clothes, illustrating how to choose a time to pray every day. Steve taught on Jesus Christ being on earth for 40 days after His resurrection and how He was seen by more than 500 people. He had the children act out the account on the Road to Emmaus.

In the evening Carl and Ed went to Jon Calin’s church. They were already started and were singing praise songs when Carl and Ed arrived. The band was made up of Jon’s children and grandchildren. Isaac, who played the keyboard last fall was singing and an older son was playing the keyboard. Ed shared his belief that God has always wanted His people to be witnesses of Him to the nations. His vision for Israel was that they should live righteously in obedience to the law before Him so He could bless them in the sight of the nations according to Deuteronomy 4:5-8 in the old covenant. Acts 1:8 says we are to be witnesses in the new covenant. Galatians 5:14 says that all the law is fulfilled in one word that we should love our neighbor as ourselves. Jesus raised the bar with a new commandment which is to love one another as He loved us according to John 13:34. Jesus loved us better than we love ourselves. Carl delivered a stirring and challenging message about how we should be followers of God and not men. We should be doing the works Jesus did and greater works. The message included both much reproof and much exhortation. He was then led to speak in tongues and interpret. The interpretation not only confirmed the message but included the promise to be there for us. Carl and Ed ministered to about 40 people. There were a lot of healing including several spines and digestive issues. After everyone was prayed for, people started coming up to receive the baptism of the holy spirit and kept coming until about 20 people spoke in tongues for the first time.

4/21/12 Saturday

Carl didn’t sleep until after 4:30 AM and got up at 7:30 A”M, so he only got about 3 hours sleep.
Cas, Niki, and Elijah went with Steve to Monestia a second time. This time there were teenagers present as well as the smaller children. Steve taught about God’s view on marriage. He used a rope to illustrate how a married couple is bound together. He handed a rope to a young married man and told him that when he accepted God he became part of God’s kingdom. He gave another rope to the man’s wife and told her the same thing. He told them that when they got married it looked something like this and he tied the two ropes together. He said marriage is like God tying the spiritual ropes together and that is why people hurt so bad when a spouse dies or there is a divorce.

Martin took Carl and Ed to the house of a prominent family in Bucharest that Carl always ministers to when he comes to Romania. There have been many miracles in this house. Over a meal they had together, there developed some lively discussions on subjects such as salvation and the origin of the Gypsies. The ability to explore areas of disagreement in such depth revealed great humility in this gathering. After that Carl prayed for the children, neices, nephews, cousins, and a friend who was present when the mother was healed of cancer. While dedicating a baby Carl spoke the words that this birth was no accident but this boy would become a strong spokesman for God and he should be taught the Bible. Later in the prophecy he said Andrai would be a tough prophet. Carl prayed for everyone who wanted prayer, which was all but one or two.

4/22/12 Sunday

This was a family day. The whole family met at Daniel’s and Georgeanna’s house to dedicate their baby. It was a feast indeed.