In God we trust

In God we trust

When we say, “I reached the bottom”, we expresses the end of human ability, capability or power. We at PTJM Romania experienced another level of this expression last week when “the bottom dropped out”. I will give you a few examples:
- Our PTJM Romania office was robbed last week.
- Two of our vehicles were damaged while parked.
- Ben (7) was hit in the head by a heavy piece of metal
- Alex (3) swallowed a large coin. Two days later, she developed high fever, was dehydrated and admitted as a patient in the same hospital we care for the orphan children.

This is not all, but enough to make a point; we are under spiritual attack and need your prayers. More than ever under these circumstances, I realized that God is there even when the bottom falls out; His grace is sufficient and enables us to move forward. It is in these kinds of situations that the believer experiences God’s presence and provisions. When He is the only one we have, we realize that He is the only one we need. His grace is sufficient, and we need to learn to let go and learn how to lean on Jesus. When the bottom drops out, when there are no crutches, no resources, no one to turn to; Jesus is sufficient and He is always there.
While going through this valley of tribulations I asked myself, “Am I really trusting God? Is God real even in these circumstances? Am I experiencing a religion or a relationship?” Only when the bottom drops out we discover who we really are and who He truly is. As I searched my soul, I was not certain what the answers would be but in the end, I discovered that love and faith are His gifts and we need to practice and cultivate them in order to stand firm in difficult times. “He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved.” (Ps 62:6)
PTJM and the Bucurs lost much during the last few days but gain even more, more faith and love for God, more friends and prayer partners. While we are under attack by the enemy, we are more than conquers because we are His and that settles it. Thank you so very much for partnering with us financially and in prayer for the work we do in Romania.

Cornel & Karen Bucur

Blessed to be a Blessing

Blessed to be a Blessing

Apostle Paul says: “be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.” (2 Cor. 1:4) According to Paul, we are comforted by God so that when we see others going through hardship we begin to imitate God and offer comfort. In a very short verse, God communicates his desire for all Christians; each of us need to experience the grace of God and become a blessing to others, so that, “when one member suffer, all the members suffer with it...” (1Cor 12:26) It is in this text that God shows us the key to human happiness so many seeks; in helping others we find our own happiness.

We live in a selfish world and it is difficult even for Christians to understand that our own happiness and fulfillment is tied up with the fate of others. We are not called to be the hermits of God but the people of God. The togetherness of the saints of God.

When in trouble many of us pray for deliverance from our afflictions. God answers our prayer, but goes beyond that, He also wants to bless the people around us through the comfort He extends to us. Through our own pain, He wants us to grow into God’s Grace Dispensing Agents (GDA). We are special people called to give out the same grace we ourselves so much enjoy when received.
“Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; [and] them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body.” (Heb 13:3)

Last Sunday together with my wife, we visited a very poor Romanian family with three children. The mother abandoned the family three years ago, the father is raising alone two girls and one boy. Martha (14) is one of the girls she is paralyzed since birth. She could move around on her own but she is lacking a wheel chair. Thus, she lives indoor most of her time. This family have no indoor plumbing; the father washes Martha’s body in a bucket. There is no heat in the whole house except a little cooking stove in the kitchen where the whole family is forced to live. As I was sitting there, listening to their story God was growing in my heart the desire to be His GDA for this family.

I asked myself what Jesus would do in this situation. I would not know I am so limited He is so limitless. Nevertheless, I know two things for sure. First, through Him and in partnership with you we are called “to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.”
Second, that together we are called to extend God’s grace to people like Martha and her family. Thanks so much for your faithfulness in support and prayer.

In His service,

Cornel & Karen Bucur



Prayer Requests
Please pray for:
† Construction Project in Tinca: For funds to finish the church building that will be used for the Youth Ministry and for the Gypsy School of Ministry.
† Construction Project in Sabolciu: for funds to finish the new church building, build a water well for the Gypsy community in addition, a playground for the children.
† The children (33) in our Foster Care ministry.
† Orphans (22) abandoned at the Oradea Children’s Hospital.
† Orphan youth (120) at CP2.
† More partners to join our prayer and support team to be able to help Martha and families in need.

“Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them” (Heb 13:3, KJV)
“When one member suffer, all the members suffer with it...” (1Cor 12:26, KJV)

The Person God Uses

The Person God Uses

“For you see your calling, brothers” (1Cor 1:26, WEB)

Each year we have mission groups from different churches come and serve with us here in Romania. Every time they leave, our hearts ache. The friendships developed during this time, the experiences we shared, the mighty presence of God seen at work in our lives and in the lives of those we minister to brings us close to each other and closer to God. In time, many of these people had become my heroes. They left western comfort, vacation time, families, and other pleasant situations and came across the world to work with a missionary family they only heard about and with people of a different race, language and culture. Many come motivated by one thing, to share the love of Christ with people in need.

As I observe each group upon arrival I always wonder about each person; what made him come, what is she able to do, what each person have to share? At the end of each trip, we are always amazed how God used each individual. I want to share with you a few things I noticed about the person God uses.
· Doesn’t think much of himself
· Marvels at why God chose him
· Doesn’t talk much but listens intensively
· Has little natural ability or experience
· Knows his poverty and dependence on God
While the team blesses us in many ways, at the end of the stay, two things are visible; the powerful relationship they have with God and the flagrance they live behind. In the words of Oswald Chambers, “The main thing about Christianity is not the work we do, but the relationship we maintain and the atmosphere produced by that relationship.” In the Old Testament, the people that were at the Temple carried with them on their clothes the flagrance of incense. Everybody they met on their way home knew they spent time with God. When we maintain our relationship with God, something happens and those around us know it. His presence in our lives is powerful in their nostrils. “God chose the foolish things of the world...God chose the lowly things of the world, and the things that are despised...that no flesh should boast before God. (1Cor 1:29, WEB)

We praise God for the team that came from River Oaks Community Church in Goshen, IN to serve alongside us recently. We had a blast doing God’s work together and many lives were touched.

The babies we care for at the Oradea Children’s Hospital, the children in our foster families, the young men being discipled at Placement Center nr. 2, the new believers in the three Gypsy churches started in Lugas, Sabolciu and Tinca, all of them were able to observe true Christianity and are able to benefit and be changed by God because men and women that walk with Him visited them. In Romania and elsewhere God is doing His work through people that think a lot about Him and very little of themselves.

As we are busy more than ever during the summer months, please continue to help this ministry through your financial support and prayer.

In His Grace,

Cornel & Karen Bucur


Prayer Requests
Please pray for:
† Construction Project in Tinca: For funds to finish the church building that will be used for Youth Ministry and for Gypsy School of Ministry.
† Construction Project in Sabolciu: for a work team that will remodel the old building, build the new church, build water well for the Gypsy community and a playground for the children.
† The children (33) in our Foster Care ministry.
† Orphans (22) abandoned at the Oradea Children’s Hospital.
† Orphan youth (90) at CP2.
† More partners to join our prayer and support team.

Mentoring Orphans in Romania

Mentoring Orphans in Romania

Out of concern for orphaned children and youth who spend their developing years coping with the loss of family, security and opportunity, Pathway to Joy Ministries established the Orphan Mentoring Program in 2006 to promote healing and wellbeing among the orphan youth who currently reside at the local “orphanage” in Oradea, Romania. This summer, as an extension of this ministry, we organized a Christian Camp in partnership with Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale, our home church. What an amazing time of ministry, fellowship and fun we all had! We saw many lives changed, some accepted Christ for the first time and others rededicated their lives to Him.

Last year we had a similar camp where I met Rudy for the first time. He was 17 then, rude and rowdy. Rudy grew up in the local orphanage. From the time he was 3 years old, Rudy suffered within a system and environment that prevented the development of his talents and abilities. Many times, he felt alone and unloved. Rudy never knew his father and has had no contact with his mother for over 7 years.

After 12 months of investing in his life as part of the Orphan Mentoring Program, Rudy changed. This year at camp, he was intent on developing relationships and growing spiritually. I saw Rudy again after camp, and the change in his life was evident. Rudy says, “I’ve been challenged to accept God’s love last year at camp, and my mentor is teaching me how to love and to live differently.”

This year at camp we had 53 young people, aged 4-22, who face the daily challenge of growing up alone without a family. They lack hope and are searching for meaning and significance in all the wrong places. Loss in one area of a child’s life often leads to multiple losses in other areas. Most of these kids struggle with low self-esteem and lack of confidence, focus and motivation. Although loss is sometimes inevitable, many times with intervention further losses can be prevented.

Pathway to Joy’s Orphan Mentoring Program aims to help orphaned young people like Rudy to grow in confidence, esteem and their personal relationship with God. We hope to accomplish this aim by treating them with courtesy and respect, providing them with intentional discipleship and considering their personal life story and dreams for the future.

If you would like to partner with us to see people like Rudy changed forever, please consider supporting our ministry financially. It costs $30 a month to support one of these kids in our Mentoring Program. Your monthly sponsorship gift will provide the following opportunities: a personal mentor, spiritual discipleship and development, vocational counseling, educational activities and recreational events.

Thank you for your continued prayers and faithful support for all our projects.

Through His Grace,

Cornel & Karen Bucur


Prayer Requests

Please pray for:
† Orphan Mentoring Program: The 90 orphan youth and mentors.
† Foster Care Ministry: The 33 children.
† Oradea Children’s Hospital Ministry: The 22 abandoned orphans.
† Church Planting Ministry: Three churches and two building projects in Tinca and Sabolciu.
† The Bucur family.