Ministry update and Merry Christmas from the Dumitrascu's!

As we are getting close to celebrating Christmas once again, let's remember the words of Matthew concluding the record of our Saviour's birth: "All of this took place that it might be fulfilled which the Lord has spoken through the prophet: 'Behold the virgin shall become pregnant and give birth to a Son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel' - which when translated, means, God with us..." Matthew 1:22-23


The simple truth of Christmas is that this was the only way to bring us back into relationship with God. God become man. In His entire splendour God came as a baby, grew to be a man and walked, talked and fellowshipped with humanity in the person of Jesus – Emmanuel - God with us. And today we can enjoy the presence of God and fellowship with Him through our faith in Jesus. Let's all enjoy Emmanuel - God with us!

Ministry Update: Student Evangelism in Albania

In the first week of November, George had the opportunity to minister with East European Connection (Las Vegas, Nevada) and "Instituti Jeta e Re" team in Tirana for one-to-one student evangelism and soccer ministry. It was a wonderful experience to evangelize, re-connect with Albania and with the Albanian ministry after no less than ten years. I arrived at the airport in Rinas (Tirana) almost not finding my way around. It was amazing! Albania has changed soooo much in these years. 

I praise the Lord for the souls that we touched with this occasion and for the future plans of getting more involved in Albania and short-term ministry. 

Along the way I also realized that God was at work not only through us but also in us: miraculously my Albanian language skills recovered after about ten years without practice. We all saw people coming to the knowledge of the redeeming grace we have in Jesus.


Ministry Update: North-American Romanian and Albanian Ministries

"What is all this Christmas about?" I was recently asked by an Albanian living in Las Vegas. First I could not believed my ears... but the guy really meant that he did not know anything about Christmas. As I continued to explain the good news of Jesus’ coming, I reflected on a plain truth: although we do not realize, there are people living among us in North America that never heard about the celebration of Jesus birth.

It was my joy in this past period to evangelize and serve as a speaker to a few events in Las Vegas and Abbotsford area among Albanians and Romanians. Connecting with diaspora is often a challenge but I feel every moment that God is working among these ethnicities with strong hand.

Pray for us...

Continue to pray for Albania - as God is providing open doors for the Gospel, that the people will continue to come to Christ. Pray for Instituti Jeta e Re and their involvement in student evangelism

Pray for Eastern European Connection (Las Vegas, Nevada) outreach: God is opening new ways to a good community of Eastern Europeans living in Las Vegas. Pray for Jeremy Dollar and for efficient ministry.

Continue to pray for our ministry among refugees, newcomers and Romanians in Abbotsford, BC. May the Lord continue to enlarge his kingdom among the "people of peace". May the nations come to His knowledge. Continue to pray for Dina, pastor Cornel Ardelean's daughter suffering from cancer.

PLEASE SUPPORT OUR MINISTRY: new opportunities for ministering toward refugees, Romanians and Albanians are opening in North-America and abroad. Would you like to be part of our family's ministry? For this Christmas please consider supprting us by donating toward to Eastern European Connection, 101 W. Flamingo Rd. #2012, Las Vegas, NV 89147, USA. Please don't forget to mention "For George Dumitrascu support"

Leaving Philippines

Two weeks ago I left Vancouver for Palawan Island in Philippines. Before falling asleep in the long 14 hour flight, I remember praying in Bob Pierce’s famous words “Let my heart be broken by the things that break the heart of God”. As I now write these lines from Manila’s airport on the way back to Vancouver, I can definitely return having the sense of being broken by what I have seen in Palawan: poverty, need, hospitality and faithfulness things that break the heart of God.

Along the past two weeks I had the privilege to see scarcity as I never saw before, meet people that I never met before, speak to the Palawan Association of Bible Churches, visit and encourage about 13 churches, notice suffering at levels yet new to me, speak to tribes that I never knew existed and meet a variety of pastors and deacons. All of these in a dusty awful truck (or sometimes traveling by pamboat) hovering an area of about 400 kilometers of bad, tough country road.

I have returned with a new sense of understanding my culture and God’s calling for us, those happening to live in one of the most blessed countries in the world. We are here to demonstrate God’s love in practice. They are not forgotten. We are here to minister to them, and with them to take Palawan for Christ. We invite you our donors to join with us again in this wonderful opportunity. God works, but thorough us.

Mission Insights: ready for the Philippines

In just two days I will head to Philippines, and I am looking forward to another great adventure with God. My missionary focus will be this time for tribes of Tagbanua and Palwanon in the island of Palawan.

Few insights about the Philippines: The official name of the country is actually Republic of the Philippines. It's a mountainous country made up of 7107 islands. Here there are an amazing 79 provinces. About 88 million Filipino people live here, made up of a number of ethnic groups, including Tagalog, Cebuano and Ilocano. As you might guess, the languages are varied too. There are two official languages - Filipino (which is based on Tagalog) and English. But there are many other dialects used, such as, again, Tagalog, Cebuano and Ilocano, and five others. It's not surprising that things like sugarcane, rice and coconuts grow here, but you may have seen a lot of other things in the store from the Philippines. Major industries include assembling electronics, clothing, and various chemicals and pharmaceuticals.

Our mission’s focus started more than 20 years ago and it developed to a virtual network of churches and pastors that cover most of the Palawan Island. I am looking forward to a few challenges: visiting remote tribes, meeting pastors in the lower plain and speaking at the annual Association of the Baptist Bible Churches of Palawan conference. This year’s topic is “Be a blessing”. Any ideas how can we be a blessings? Share with me on Facebook...