March-April Update

Life’s Happenings

Celebrating My Grandmother’s Life. My dad called me a week and a half before Easter, telling me that my grandmother, who has been in and out of the hospital the last few weeks, had taken a turn for the worse. The doctors said she would live only a few days longer. I had a few hours to make the decision of if and when I would return home to the US. My grandma had requested that I officiate at her funeral – my first funeral. I was able to fly to the US on Thursday, March 25 and spend time with my grandma before she passed away on Saturday, March 27. While at home, I was able to celebrate Easter with my family – the first time in 10 years – and visit other relatives before I returned to Romania on April 9.


Ministry Highlights

Lay Training & Discipleship Ministries. In less than a month, I will lead the first training session for children’s workers in all our churches in Romania. I am also helping with the launch of a new adult discipleship group in Țigmandru in the coming weeks. Please be in prayer for these opportunities.

Join the Mission
Pray. Click here for an updated list of specific ways you pray for me and the ministries here in Romania. I am thankful to be one of the missionaries in this month’s missionary prayer focus for the month of April on the Church of the Nazarene’s Prayer Mobilization Line.

Mark Your Calendars! I will be in the United States for 6 weeks this summer, speaking in churches to raise financial and prayer support for the next year. I need to raise about $15,000 per year. I still have several openings in my schedule which need to be filled. Click here to view my schedule. Contact me at jep_jon@yahoo.com if you would like to schedule me to speak at your church.

Culture Corner
Trip to Biertan. In mid-March, I had the opportunity to visit Biertan, a village near Sighișoara known for its medieval fortified church. Click here to read more about the history of this unique historical site and to see pictures I took.

For additional updates (like how I celebrated my birthday in early March), please visit my blog, jepjon.blogspot.com.

Blessings!

Rev. Jonathan E. Phillips
Romania District - Church of the Nazarene