Friday, December 20, 2013

December Outreach

December Outreach


For 4 cold days in December the OSCEB students organized a proxy station about Christmas in the center of Bucuresti. 

We stopped students to ask them to take a quick test to see what Character of Christmas they most represented (the Grinch, Santa Claus, Rudolf or the Magi)

Then the students would put a sticker in one of the 4 characters


Most people who took the test ended up as Santa, meaning Christmas to them was a time to be with family & friends and lots of Christmas parties


Then we would engage the students in a discussion about the true meaning of Christmas



 Many of the students enjoyed talking and many knew that the birth of Christ was the reason for Christmas, but they saw no connection with this to their own life.  Most Romanians still see Christmas as a religious holiday and most know the meaning of the holiday.  We find many students open to talking at Christmas and Easter about a spiritual subject. But then when you want to go deeper into what does the Bible say and about faith in Christ, most respond that these are things they will think about when they are older.


On Monday night we invited students to come to a Christmas concert held in a lecture hall in the literature university.  A group from our church led the singing and did a very good job.



Fall Happenings!!

Our fall was full of many events.  We feel so privileged to see God working in many different ways in the lives of students!

Formacion

Our bi-annual discipleship conference was held in Micesti at the Word of Life camp!


Florin, from Suceava, was in Mike's group and upon returning home the students in Suceava have started 13 discipleship groups.  This is amazing because for the past 2 years they have not had one group!


It was nice to have some fun activities during Formacion as well, here we had an afternoon of paintball and above this we had a teamwork game.


Taking time to hear about some of the history of OSCER.  I was privileged to be in a panel discussion with 2 of our former national leaders (Titi & Alex)

BCA Secondary Retreat



In late September we were part of a team that presented the theme of studying the Bible to the students of BCA at their annual secondary fall retreat.  The students got really excited as they saw God speaking to them through the discovery Bible study method.  We have even had one chapel a month were the students have continued to go through Luke using this method!


OSCER's National Leaders Assembly


In Oct we met with over 30 leaders from OSCER to discuss the upcoming years and what goals we have as a national movement.  We were also encouraged as the national evaluation of last year was presented and we saw how we are growing in evangelism and discipleship.  This year we are praying for God to give us even more fruit as we try and touch more students across Romania with the Gospel

Saturday, June 29, 2013

Recent Activity in the York Family!





This spring around 30 leaders from across Romania met in our anual meeting, where we talked about evangelism, and the students from Cluj shared with the others about their Mission Week.  There is  great anticipation in OSCER for having another mission week next year!!  Pray as we seek the best city to host our next mission week.



BCA's spring drama production was Annie!


Hannah played one of the lead orphans


Andrew played Rooster, the smooth talking brother of Miss Hannigan! 


Andrew & Hannah with two of their classmates!


Our small group from church met with 30 children from very challenging home situations a few weeks ago for an afternoon picnic.  It was one of the hardest things we have done.  We felt that for 4 hours no one listened to us, or could organize themselves as we wished.  We felt like we had planned all these fun activities, but were unable to really do them with the children.  In the end the woman who had organized it and has had contact with these children for many years, said they really did have a good time and even though it didn't feel organized to us, they just enjoyed being at the park and having folks take an interest in them!



We recently had a wonderful time in the mountains of southern Romania.  We stayed at a friend's house and were able to relax, read and play games together!




As well as take a cruise down the Danube River!

On the way back to Bucharest we saw some of the famous sculptures of Brancusi.  Here we sit at the table of silence, made as a WWI  memorial! 


The Graduates from OSCEB this year!

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Spring Update!

 During the weekend of 5-7 April OSCER teamed up with the IFES movement in Moldova (CSC) to have an evangelistic camp.  The theme was ways we try to cover up or hide behind things rather than allow Jesus to define our identity.  It was a super weekend and there were about 50 Moldovan students and staff along with 10 of us from Romania (pictured below).

This was the first time  Kris and & I have gone to something by ourselves as Kris was able to get one day off from school to participate.  We left early on Friday morning and returned on Sunday evening.  It was very interesting to see many of the cultural similarities and yet many differences!

 We had small group discussions after each talk so that we could process things together.  About 20 of the students there were not followers of Jesus and we had opportunities to talk more deeply about what it means to follow Jesus.




Below are pictures from our Mission week in Cluj (March 25-28). 



Lunch time discussions

A highlight was working together with a team of students from across the country!

Thursday, March 7, 2013

Balkan Staff Conference

Each year we gather with other staff and leaders from across the Balkans to hear what the Lord is doing in other countries.  I (Mike) always find it an encouraging time to meet and talk with others doing similar work in a similar setting.  We always leave the conference refreshed and with new ideas for ministry.

 The conference is always hosted by one of the countries in our region.  This year it was in Montenegro.  A fairly new country gaining their independence from Serbia in 2006.   We met in the city of Bar that has NO evangelical church, and our conference of about 50 people was the largest gathering of evangelical believers on Sunday morning in the whole country.

 The national leaders from Romania, Macedonia, Albania, Bosnia & Serbia along with 2 leaders from IFES

My Small group with folks from Bosnia, Serbia, Macedonia, & Albania


The Romanian representatives!!


Dragos, Martin (IFES Regional Leader) & Mike


Montenegro is a very beautiful and mountainous country with a boarder on the Adriatic Sea



I even got to meet and shake hands with the President of Montenegro!!!!



Wednesday, February 27, 2013

2013 Basketball Tournament in Budapest

 Andrew in action

 The weekend before this tournament Andrew had hurt his foot so we were thankful that it healed some so that he could play!

 Hannah is in her first season of playing basketball and has improved greatly!

She really enjoys playing and is already looking forward to next year.