Cornerstone Arts :: Newsletters

Greetings from Nisporeni, Moldova! Yes, it's true, I'm back again! I think that many people are surprised that I would return to Moldova, after my arrest and detainment here, thinking I would be discouraged from ever returning. Actually, just the opposite has occurred. I'm more on fire to change Moldova than ever before!

Back to Moldova

First of all, the Lord loves Moldova. Second, Satan hates this place. So far, because of communism and atheism, the enemy has got a strong foothold here. By bringing a message of hope through the Gospel of Jesus Christ, my work was seen as bringing "western propaganda to confuse the people", but it's this very message that is going to change this country from being a country of corruption and oppression, to one of godliness and freedom.

Visiting the past: As nice as this building looks, this is where I spent alot of my three weeks in confinement while in Moldova in February.

Tonight, we open "The Judgment Seat", now for the 5th time this year. Originally, we were supposed to only do one show, and we saw just over 100 people saved in January. However, after my arrest, I was stuck here for 3 weeks, so we went to work and did the show twice more in February. After my release, the group did another performance in the capital in April, and now again in July. Altogether, to date, we've seen 1,000 people saved! Praise the Lord! Pray for the productions this weekend, that many will come to Christ.

Life in Moldova

Richard Salad

You can have an effect on the people in the strangest ways. In Poland I have introduced them to the omelette, and here in Moldova, I have introduced them to tuna salad sandwiches, since they've never had them. They now have named the salad after me! It's now called "Richard Salad"!

Feeding Frenzy

Pastor Victor, my dear friend and host, drove us to the northern part of Moldova, to Korjeuts, to meet a friend of ours. On our way, during a 3 hour trip, he got 5 speeding tickets! The most amazing thing of all is that he wasn't even affected by it. The sad fact is that the corruption is so widespread, that even the police take advantage of it. Ironically, the poorer the country, the more the people prey on one another. Moldova is no exception. The police want to make more money, so they stop most cars for any reason at all, and "fine" them. As an American, I'm shocked, and my natural instinct is to want to "fight" the corruption. Not so fast. If they do fine you, the government sides with the police, and you're hard pressed to win your battle, no matter how right you are. First of all, you lose half a day getting the correct paperwork done, and fees paid, and wait for court hearings. Secondly, you must have exact records, notorized and authenticated. Lastly, once you're proven guilty (and you would be) , you still must pay the fine, usually triple to quadruple the amount! Your other alternative? Bribe the policeman. At 20 lei, or $1.60, it's certainly easier. It's a feeding frenzy at some intersections, as police stop many cars to make a few dollars. Most shocking of all is that it's met with the same response as you or I would take at stopping at a red light.

In Korjeuts, I had a very basic meal of pork and bread with this family. The elderly man on the left has served 25 years in prison and in Siberia for not renouncing his faith in Jesus Christ. God has a special reward for saints like him.

Russian Pan Baths

Russian Pan Baths are back, because there is no sufficient running water here. So, the way to bathe is to boil hot water, pour it in a large tin pan, and mix cold water, and place all in the bathtub. By using one cup of warm water at a time and pouring over your head, you can take a pretty effective bath. You start by lathering your hair, and as you rinse, cup by cup, you use the lather to wash your body, and continue to rinse until the water is gone. It's not a hot shower, but I'm still clean!

Disciplined Disciples

In my walk with the Lord, especially as a missionary, I have found that the challenge in living a Christian life is to let Jesus be Lord. I have found that without God's help, it's impossible to live a life that is pleasing to God.

God's wonderful plan of salvation wasn't just for Jesus to die on the cross for us, but also to give us a power to live as victorious Christians. He gives us the power to love others, to forgive, and to accomplish His will and purpose for us. We don't have that power on our own. Yet, how do we get that power? It comes through Discipline.

After rehearsal, part of my Moldovan cast mugs for the camera. Kneeling with me is Pastor Victor Antoci.

Paul wrote in I Timothy 4:7,8, "Exercise yourself rather to godliness. For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things." In other words, strength, physique and grace were just as important back then, but Paul emphasized our care for our spiritual man was more important. Why? Because it's not just for this world that we're preparing for, but for eternity. Our physical man is only important as long as we're alive on earth.

The objective to spiritual discipline is actually simple. Keep your soul, like your body, fit and well fed, if you want to accomplish great things.

1. Read God's Word First of all, we must feed our spiritual man. By reading God's Word, it's food for our hungry soul. It will cleanse us, keep us from sin, increase our faith and will protect us as a spiritual weapon. Someone asked a woman one day, "How can you prove that the Bible is the Word of God?" She replied by asking a question, "How can you prove that there is a sun in the sky?" He said, "I can feel it's heat and see it's light." She said, "Then in the same way, I know the Bible is true because it warms my soul and gives light to my path."

Several have asked, "What do the homes look like?" I took a picture of a more modern and newer Moldovan home. They are small, but very comfortable.

2. Pray Working in Korea now, I've heard Dr. David Yonggi Cho share this, "The three most important things a Christian can do is 1. To pray, 2. To pray, and finally 3. To pray". I could write an entire subject one this, so I will leave this alone…. For now!

This message is getting long, so I'm going to continue it next week, so that I can expound on prayer. Looks like a series in the making! "Tune in next week" for the rest of this message on Disciplined Disciples.

Domnul Sa Va Binecuvan Teze!

That's Moldovan for "May God's blessings be on you!" It's truly a beautiful country, and it's blessed with fruit, vegetables, wheat and lots of other crops. With Christianity at Moldova's threshold, their best days are just ahead! Pray for these very special people. Thank you, my friends, for your prayers for this weekend's performances. God bless you!