Moldova Report
By Trevin Wax on Oct 2, 2008 in Reaching Moldova | 
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My heart is so full that it’s heavy.
On Monday night, I arrived back in the United States after leading a small mission team to the Republic of Moldova for eleven days. Moldova is a former Soviet country nestled in between Romania and Ukraine. Once a part of Romania, Moldova is a country caught between two worlds – Russia to the East and Europe to the West.
Assuming that the culture would resemble that of Romania, I thought I would be the “pro” on this mission trip, the one that could steer the team into places of effective ministry. But this trip surprised me.
I didn’t experience culture shock. I didn’t have any difficulty speaking Romanian. But the good things that are happening in this country moved me deeply.
The evangelical church in Moldova does not have a history as long or rich as that of Romania. I quickly realized that my five years of mission work in Romania had been devoted to strengthening an already-established church. In Moldova, I found myself on the front lines of church planting, watching a large number of young people “on fire” for Christ, young people who were passionately seeking to make disciples.
In a small village where 90% of the population is Jehovah’s Witness, I realized that our entourage of college students was bigger than the crowd that showed up for our evangelistic service. But no hint of disappointment shown on the faces of these students. 
As our car rattled over the notoriously-uneven Moldovan roads, a nineteen-year-old college student pointed out a local village without an evangelical church. This summer, he and his friend bought two tents and headed out to that village to do door-to-door evangelism and Bible study for two weeks. They camped out as missionaries. Six people trusted Christ. A new church is being born.
Rarely have I seen such fervor and devotion. After three nights of low turnouts at our evangelistic services, the college students were as excited as ever. And when I got the chance to lead a Moldovan lady to Christ on the last night, they turned to me and said, “See? It was all worth it!”
Another element of this trip that surprised me was the hunger of new Christians for Bible teaching. I have always enjoyed teaching in Eastern Europe, and even now, the aspect of Romanian ministry that I miss most is the opportunity to preach in Romanian every week in Romanian village churches.
But the Moldovan experience was different. The church that held our Bible conference occupies a building that is still in construction. In many ways, “in construction” is a good metaphor for all Moldovan evangelical ministry.
Since the church is not quite as established and is still in its infancy stages, most Bible teaching comes from inductive Bible study books. There is not yet a large number of strong preacher/teachers. So our leader’s conference on Saturday was packed full of people who seemed to be starving for good Bible teaching.
And here is why my heart is so full it’s heavy. Doing ministry in the United States might actually be harder than in Moldova. We are so easily satisfied by our wealth and entertainment that our senses have been dulled. I was greatly encouraged to see such desire for Bible Study, and yet greatly discouraged to think about how hard it is to find that desire in many of our churches in the U.S.
I plan on reflecting more about this trip to Moldova in the future. I do thank those of you who prayed for our team. God blessed us in many ways, and I look forward to seeing what he will do next.
(Click here to see a brief mission video of our trip to Moldova.)
(Readers of this blog who speak either Romanian or Russian might like to listen to Session 1 of last Saturday’s conference: Being the Church for the World. I am delivering the message in Romanian, and a Moldovan pastor is translating it into Russian. Click here for the mp3.)
© Copyright by Trevin Wax | Print This Post | Share (Twitter, Email, Facebook)
As full-time missionaries to the Republic of Ireland, I have to agree about ministry in the States actually being more difficult. We are serving in a country that is less than 1% evangelical (the lowest percentage of all English-speaking countries), yet the small remnant here is devoted to spreading the Gospel and working together. It appears that the lack of ability to “shop around churches” or pick-and-choose ministry, coupled with the European attitude of “less is better” breeds a healthier attitude about Bible study and walking with Jesus. Of course, ministry here is slow and can be difficult, but it’s true that (in a broad sense) there is a disturbing apathy amongst most American Christians today. God Bless, and thank you for your blog!
Alisha | Oct 2, 2008 | Reply
Thank you for sharing this. I can’t wait to hear the testimonies and more details on Sunday. God bless you!
Cristina | Oct 2, 2008 | Reply
Just over two years ago my wife spent 10 days in a Moldovan orphanage. It was a profoundly moving time for her. Thanks for sharing your experience there.
Zach Nielsen | Oct 2, 2008 | Reply
Why do the American Protestants feel the urge to spread their “good news” to Eastern Europe and to Eastern Christians, in general, as if they were some sort of “terrae missionis” or “partes infidelium”?
I was reading the reports written by American Protestant missionaries of their efforts, during the 19th and early 20 th centuries, to spread their version of the Gospel to the Nestorians and other Eastern Churches. Such childish naivety and historical ignorance combined with Anglo-Saxon/White messianic fervor (the white man’s burden)!
The only things they were able to see in those Christians who still clung to their faith after so many centuries of far more hostile circumstances than the West has ever known, were-I quote_
“heartless worship” (as if they could measure that), “dead rituals” (not being aware that they were the innovators here, having done away with almost everything that could have been recognized as Christian liturgy, from a historical retrospective), “dead churches” (but their faithful’s blood has continually been poured by one oppressor or another), “superstitious Christians” (that is, untouched yet by the Enlightenment) etc. It made me sick.
Does this urge to “evangelize” other older Churches result from the Protestant’s deep fear that they are cut off the historic Christianity? Is this a way of reassuring themselves that the reformation was right by spreading it to Christians untouched by it?
I am an Eastern Christians, my family has been like that from times immemorial and quite happy with things as they are.
C.N. Ille | Oct 4, 2008 | Reply
C.N.,
Our efforts at evangelism are not an attempt to destroy the Orthodox Church. Most Eastern Europeans see Orthodoxy as a national identity. They would claim Christian faith, but many have little understanding of true Scriptural teaching and few know Christ personally.
I believe the same problem exists in the United States – specifically in the South, in the Bible Belt, where almost everyone claims to be “Baptist.” Though I am a Baptist, I do not believe that everyone who takes the moniker of “Baptist” in the South is truly a believer in Christ. For many, it is a cultural identity that goes no deeper.
Again, the issue is not Eastern Orthodoxy itself (although as a Protestant, I do differ significantly with Eastern Christianity on several important issues). The issue is true belief versus false faith. I preach the same gospel in the South to “nominal Baptists” that I preach in Moldova to the nominally Orthodox: Repent and believe in the gospel.
Trevin Wax | Oct 4, 2008 | Reply
I quite say that your aim is to build ‘evangelical churches” in as many villages as possible, yet you disown any attempt on your part to “destroy the OC”. May I ask, whom do you build those churches for? For the Muslims of Moldova?
For the Buddhists?
I guess not, but for the local Orthodox Christians whom you try to convert to your version of Christianity (which, btw, differs, in several important issues with the Scriptures, the Fathers and the Ecumenical Councils).
At least call a spade a spade.
C.N. Ille | Oct 4, 2008 | Reply
Correction :
“You quite say…”
C.N. Ille | Oct 4, 2008 | Reply
Hello there… I’ve been a missionary in Romania for 12 years serving in a very dead part of the country (Oltenia). Here everyone is “Orthodox” but have no faith in the gospel… They have faith in everything but the fact that Jesus’ blood is the answer… I believe that’s why we are here. To awaken a sleeping “Christian” people… It is the Gospel that saves, sanctifies and causes us to enjoy God… Yes there are many American “Christians” who are very far away from the truth as well… I don’t deny that. Christians should be people that rejoice in Jesus. Honestly I don’t meet too many people here who do that… So few know anything about Jesus… I guess that happens when you don’t believe the Bible is the inspired word of God.
Trevin, where were/are you serving? I’m in Ramnicu Valcea.
We’ve got a blog as well in Romanian and English if you want to check it out.
http://bisericabetesda.wordpress.com
http://itsallbygrace.wordpress.com
Domnul sa va binecuvanteze!!!
TOTUL PRIN HAR | Oct 5, 2008 | Reply
I see, every “part of the country” that has fewer Protestant conventicles (adunari pocaiesti) is dead!!!
You are “there” to proselytize and spread YOUR version of what you call the “Gospel”.
Other “pocaiti” will try to spread theirs.
Yet, in every village that has an Orthodox church, as all villages and towns of Romania are, the holy Gospel is intoned and proclaim at every Matins (utrenia) and Liturgy, on every Sunday and feast day, which are very numerous. Count then the baptisms and funerals. All these offices have plenty of readings from the Holy Gospels themselves, without any personal interpretation of the priest’s.
All the offices (slujbele) of the Orthodox Church are full of Scripture readings, Scripture hints and they speak themselves the language of the Divine Scriptures.
What our folks don’t know- and what you mis-identify as “the Gospel” are those very specific Protestant mantras and the very specific Protestant language of personal saviors, decisions etc.
C.N. Ille | Oct 5, 2008 | Reply
C.N.Ilie- Let it be known that I’m not here to build a certain church… I’m here so that Christ will be exalted in people claiming to be Christians… I realize that the Protestant (Penticostal and Baptist) churches here have the same exact problems as does the Orthodox church… That problem is LEGALISM… Believing that Christ plus works equals salvation… The Apostle Paul called that kind of Doctrine foolish, regardless of what church you go to… He said let them be accursed who preach a different Gospel… I don’t care if you call yourself Orthodox,Baptist Pentecostal or Presbyterian… If you rejoice in Christ alone, you are my brother!!!
I do understand where a lot of the traditions came from in the Orthodox Church, but I do believe that the real meaning of them has been abused and forgotten in many of the churches…
May God bless you with a joy in our Saviour
TOTUL PRIN HAR | Oct 6, 2008 | Reply
I like your post. It’s a great encouragement
Thanks
paulsanduleac | Oct 11, 2008 | Reply