Romania 2008
“..you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)
Dear Brethren,
Greetings in the wonderful name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Chaplains for Christ International formed a team that traveled to Romania during this time. The team consisted of Constantin Lupancu, Pavel Sav, (Stefan) Fanel Cornel Tohatan, Grigore Aluculesei, Randy Steven Chandler from Dallas TX, and Willie Ripple from Chicago each of which had the privilege to minister to inmates and churches in Romania. Together with Triumph of Hope Mission led by Daniel and Emilia Husar from Romania, they ministered in about 14 prisons and jails. This mission was different from others because they concentrated more on reaching those behind bars with the Gospel of freedom from Jesus Christ.
From among those 25 prisons with maximum security in Romania they were able to visit the southeastern part of the country with God’s help. Our team arrived in Bucharest on February 12 at noon. Our contacts, Daniel & Emilia Husar and Costel Gramada (a pastor from Urziceni Church), met us at the airport in Bucharest and drove us on the same day to the first prison in Tirgusor which is close to the capital of Romania and arrived around 3 pm. This prison is a women prison and about eighty women attended the meeting. The message presented by Steven Chandler, Willie Ripple, Constantin Lupancu, and Daniel Husar lifted up and encouraged those women and many of them rededicated their life to Christ. Some of them committed for the first time to change their lifestyle and to receive Christ. At the end of the service we gave them bibles and some clothes that we brought for them.
On February 13th our team visited Jilava Jail in the morning where we ministered to about 50 inmates that were very open to the Gospel. We gave them bibles at the end of the service. In the afternoon, we’ve been granted access to another prison in Bucharest named Rahova. In this prison some inmates appeared resistant towards our ministry but during the worship part of the service, the songs sung by Daniel & Emilia Husar, broke their resistance and when the message of Jesus Christ was presented, their hearts were open to receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
The administration of the prison asked us if we can remodel and old building that was previously a movie theatre during the communist regime and to transform that into a place of worship. Our mission was not to transform buildings but 
lives, being the most important. The gospel and the worship songs had a big impact on about 100 inmates that attended. Many of them committed their life to Jesus. In the afternoon, the same day, we traveled to Tulcea, a city in a delta close to where the Dunav River empties into the Black Sea. We arrived there at about 2 pm and were granted access in the prison, which is located in the city of Tulcea. In order for our team to minister more efficiently, we divided into two teams. Constantin and Brother Ripple ministered to about 80 youth inmates. They were very interested in hearing the Gospel and testimonies of lives transformed by the Power of the Holy Spirit and they asked us to pray for them at the end of the service so that they receive Jesus Christ. A asked if he could receive Jesus because he understood that only Jesus can make any real difference in his life and the lives of human beings. We gave them bibles and encouraged them to read the bibles and pray everyday. The other group ministered in other wings of the prison, and returned with a joy that the transforming power of Jesus confirmed the message they presented. Brother Daniel Husar (former inmate), noticed an inmate without any shoes, instead he was wearing slippers on a cold day. Daniel took his new shoes and gave them to the inmate and took the inmates slippers and walked outside of the prison. Outside the prison, Brother Ripple (also a former inmate) saw Daniel without shoes but in slippers and asked him what happened. Daniel gave him the testimony of the shoe and slipper trade. William took $100 and handed them to Daniel to go and buy himself a new pair of shoes. What a great illustration of Jesus leaving the glory of God and walked in our ‘slippers’ to put us in a better spiritual condition and save us from death and hell. He identified with us and our needs; He took our nature and became flesh. No one understands us better than Jesus and no one understands the life of an inmate than a former inmate
.
On February 15th we ministered in the prison of Braila where we have an attendance of about 75 inmates. At the end of the service, we gave them bibles and prayed for them so they will be strong in faith. In the afternoon, we traveled to the city Galati where we ministered in the prison of Galati. We brought a message of encouragement. We worshipped God, gave them bibles and prayed for the inmates. On the morning of February 16th we traveled to a city named Focsani where there was a lot of opposition for Christ in that area. Despite the opposition, we were very welcomed in the Focsani prison by the director and administration of the prison. Not only the inmates but also the guards and director attended the meeting. We ministered with songs and the message of Hope for the hopeless inmates. We pointed the guards towards Christ, whom has the power of transforming the lives of those inmates into a good citizen for the country and for Heaven. The orthodox priest/Chaplain also attended the meeting and was very welcoming. At the end of the service, we gave bibles and prayed for those that were open to receive Christ as the only “Rope of Hope”. In Vaslui we were granted access to the prison in the afternoon (even though it was a Saturday). The director came from home to meet us at the prison and gave us access to visit two dormitories, where we shared with the crowded inmates, the love of Jesus Christ and the difference that Christ made in the life of those that accept Him. The testimony and the Word of God was powerful and anointed and even the director said that she sensed something about that day she had never sensed before. She was so grateful that we came and ministered to these inmates. We apologized that she had to go out of her way to attend, but she stated that she was so blessed herself, because God had touched her. An orthodox priest was arrested and was living in one of the dormitories, and we presented the Gospel to him and the established with Christ in order to be saved – not the tradition of religion.
On the morning of February 17th we split into two teams. At the Church of Bacau, we met Nelu Albu, a former inmate and a testimony of a life transformed by the Power of Jesus Christ. The second team, together with Daniel Husar, went and ministered in the prison of Bacau and distributed bibles to the inmates.
On February 18th we left to minister in another prison in Iasi. We arrived in Iasi at about 12 pm and the director invited us to his office. There he questioned us for about 45 minutes. One of his concerns was what we used to transform the lives of people. We gave him a lot of testimonies and presented the Word of God who has the power to change lives. Then, he gathered together all the chiefs of security in the prison, and presented us with a dilemma. There wasn’t enough room for us to minister there, but if we minister to the chiefs of the rooms, they would in turn, minister to the inmates. We accepted this method and we went to that room where all the chiefs of security were gathered along with the guards. We presented the Gospel of Jesus Christ to them who were attentive, open and responsive. We gave them bibles, courses for the mission in prison and also goods such as toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap, notebooks, and writing utensils
On the morning of February 19th, brother Chandler and I traveled to the prison of Botosani where we had a meeting upon arrival at noon. The prison administration welcomed us to come and minister but when we got inside, the orthodox priest/Chaplain tried to confine our ministry only to certain people. But despite his resistance, there were about 75 people that came to hear us. God moved and many of them rededicated and dedicated their lives to Jesus Christ. We gave them bibles and prayed for them.
On February 26th brother Stefan Torac came early in the morning and drove us from Suceava to the Bucharest Airport. In the meantime brother Pavel Sav from our team, after he separated from us, ministered in the prison of Popa Sapca Timisoara and the prison in the city of Arad with brother Silviu Grigoras. Finally, the team departed from Bucharest to Chicago and safely returned home in America after a great but long mission trip.
May all the Glory and Honor and Power be to God who protected, sustained, and blessed the team and their families during this mission trip. May the Lord of all creation richly bless all of you.
Staff Chaplain Rob Brown
Executive Director
