History Makers in Romania - Part IV

Hey Prayer Partners and Friends,

I wanted to continue my thoughts about two additional History Makers in the "making" in Romania.  They are the sisters Serb...Magda, who attended the HM conference and Aura, her younger sister.  They also live in Fagaras and are active at Bethany Baptist Church where Kyle and Petry Groza are involved with the youth.  I met so many fine young people from BBC---special blessings to Pastor Petru Groza and his ministry team.  Visit Bethany Baptist Church for information about their ministries.

Here's a picture of Kyle and Petra at their baby Miriam's dedication.

                                        

Magdalena is very concerned about teenagers whose parents leave Romania for work abroad leaving their children with relatives to raise and care for them.  I've chronicled that over 40,000 are orphaned each year in Romania; Magda and I talked a long time about the growing problem of absentee parenting.  She is determined to offer some help to teens facing these difficult and trying times without parental supervision; Magda calls them orphaned teenagers with parents.  She will be forming support groups of Christian teens in major cities in Romania to offer spiritual and emotional support as a first step.  We talked a lot about similar support groups in the U.S. for displaced workers, U.S. military on active duty and parent support groups for expatiate Americans. 

             

                  Aurelina Serb                                 Magdalena Serb

During the week, Magda mentioned her younger sister, Aurelina, who was just finishing high school.  Aura has been praying since she was seven for Africa....that's right, Church, on her knees praying for the children of Africa for eleven years.

I became interested in her story and Aurelina wrote me saying, "It was Sunday evening, 11 years ago. I was sitting on the second row in church watching black and white colored slides my cousin Dan Serb, a missionary from South Africa, was presenting. One thought came into my mind as I was watching the tragedies and sorrow of the African people in the pictures:  “When I grow up, I will be a missionary in Africa”.  in 2007, she had the opportunity to go to Africa with her cousin and, again in her words "Yes, I want to go back. I am to be more helpful. I want to teach there. I love children and they are in so much need of teachers. “Oh Lord, make me an instrument of Your love wherever You will send me.

Aurelina is one of four I was privileged to meet during my trip that has dedicated their life to full-time foreign missions.  First, Aura is on to another adventure...college...and yes, it is a big challenge as well.  Although as an excellent student she qualified for a full scholarship in Romania, Aura feels that she is being called to attend college in the United States.  She's been accepted at California Lutheran University on a scholarship and is trusting God to raise the additional $6,500 she needs to begin this Fall.  At last count, she was almost there with her miracle.

I'll share more about her remarkable adventure with God at a later time in A Lofter's Life.....needless to say, the sisters Serb are His Story Makers in action.

Tomorrow, I will end the five part story of History Makers in Romania with some thoughts from my devotional time with 1 Thessalonians during my stay there.  As did Paul have for Timothy, I, too, have some encouraging words for the History Makers I met in Sibiu.

Until then....Selah