November 2010

This is my first prayer letter ever. This is the first month I have served as a full time worker with Word Made Flesh Romania.

If you haven’t already read about me joining in from other people’s prayer letters, I am now letting you know that I have recently become a member of this amazing community. It’s been a busy and exciting month, full of activities, full of things to learn and full of responsibilities that I have had to assume.

This letter should include a few things about me so here they are: I come from a large Christian loving family. I am the second of eight siblings.

I came to know Christ in 2000, on a Christian camp, where I was challenged to lose everything, my pride and my plans so that I could have Jesus.

I first visited the WMF Community Center in Galati in 2004. A friend of mine was actually going to the center and I ended up there “by accident”. Even though I wasn’t impressed by this place at first, I came to love it as I got involved in many of the activities here. I served as a volunteer at for two years and later on, after I got married, both my wife and I became a part of the Advocacy team.

One of the things that I found amazing about this organization is how it views people and relationship as more important than programs.

It was through the people here that I discovered Jesus’ heart for the poor and His passion for our broken world.

In 2010, I met Chris and Phileena Heuertz in person, after having heard so many things about them. The time we spent together urged me to renew and refresh everything I knew of Jesus and of the work He calls us to be a part of. The two books Chris has written, Simple Spirituality and Friendships at the margins have helped me see how passionately Jesus loves the marginalized and the broken. God’s call upon my life has become very clear. And Word Made Flesh has been the setting for that.

My wife and I joined the WMF community on a much needed retreat in the mountains in the spring of 2010. The time we spent there was decisive in discerning my call. For the rest of this year I have been compelled to trust in the Lord for all my decisions and live out the faith that He would provide for all my needs. I did at times try to “help” God in the process like Uzzah did in the New Testament and unlike him, I am still alive.

In an attempt to make ourselves available for God, my wife and I thought a few things would have to happen. We even ordered the coming events according to the importance we assigned to each of them, and then we waited. When God started to move things in our lives, He reversed the order we thought we knew better. We felt like the firm ground was shaking beneath our feet but it turned out it was for the better.

Today I call the WMF Community Center the place where I am supposed to be in; the administrative and financial responsibilities that I have assumed are the way I want to serve the Lord here.

I am now beginning a new season in my life. I am excited about the things I will experience, learn from and hopefully will bring me closer to understanding more of who our God is!

I am leaving you with a few specific prayer requests:

- wisdom in managing the resources that God gives us;

- approval of our financial request to the mayor’s office;

- that the kids who have recently come to the center would see God’s love through us;

- the Ispas baby – Bela and April Ispas who moved back to the US are expecting a baby girl.

Thank you for taking the time to read this letter and for wanting to journey with me in this!

With gratitude,

Bogdan Chelariu

Galati, Romania