Off to Romania!!!

Well, the day has finally arrived. The TCS Mission Team will be off to Romania in less than 24 hours! We appreciate everyone's prayers as we leave and we look forward to how God will use His Word and us as His instruments. As we leave, we must do so with His Word on our lips. Here are the verses of Scripture that we have meditating on as a team in preparation for this trip:

2 Corinthians 4:5-7

For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said, Let light shine out of darkness, made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.

Philippians 2:1-8

If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross!

These passages point us to the One we are preaching, the One we are serving, the One whose example we are following, and the One who gives us the strength and power to serve!

As we leave, here are some prayer requests for our team to keep in mind...

1. For our consistent time in Scripture and prayer to continue to impact our lives as we prepare to serve.
2. For those who will be teaching, giving testimonies, playing and singing music, serving in the Village Ministry of VBS to the children, and witnessing in the village homes.
3. For a boldness to share the gospel and a heart to be others-minded.
4. For a life that is willing to “deny self” and live as Jesus did.
5. That we would be a genuine blessing and an encouragement to our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ at Emanuel Baptist Church in Oradea.
6. That we would show the love of Christ and compassion to the children in the orphanages and hospitals

Thank you for your prayers! See you on the blog soon!

Going for the sake of His Name,

Pastor Stephen