2024
II) DECEMBER
Dear Brothers and sisters,
I hope that the celebration of the coming of Jesus and the beginning of this New Year have been, as they have been for me, wonderful moments of sharing with your friends, families and church members. On 24 December, with 13 children, 10 young people and 15 adults from my church, from 2pm to 10pm, we sang from house to house to announce the birth of Jesus. And on 25 December, from 6pm to 10pm, we did the same thing with 8 young people and 6 adults. In Romania, this is truly a church activity that is firmly rooted with the period of the birth of Jesus. We had a wonderful time with the people we were singing for.
During the second half of 2024, 2 verses kept coming to mind:
1) Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me more than these? He said to him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you. Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my lambs’ (John 21:15)
2) Yes, ‘he who knows how to do good and does not do it is guilty of sin’ (James 4:17)
The meaning of these 2 verses prompted me to think and act about sharing the Gospel in a more personal way. Since October, I’ve been looking after a group of 9 young people aged between 14 and 17, mainly from Orthodox families. I also look after a second group of 9 gypsy children aged 7 to 12, from a small village 25 km from where I live, the town of Hateg. These teenagers and children took part in our summer camps in 2024, most of them for the first time.
Missionary activity news:
– As part of our Youth For Christ Romania mission.
1) Our Poarta Oilor summer camp centre hosted 11 camps, with an average of 60 young people, during the period from 16 June to 6 September, and about ten small groups of about 20 people before the summer and during the autumn. We are delighted to welcome all these young people. They hear the Gospel in a context that is adapted to them. Around 30 young Christian volunteers helped us throughout the summer season.
2) Our missionary team is currently made up of 7 Romanian missionary families who proclaim the Gospel to young people with perseverance, and we also have 3 people who manage the finances and the secretariat. After 32 years of missionary life, I am happy to see God’s faithfulness through these years, with many moments of joy but also with difficulties. And the more I look back on these years, the more I realise how important it is for us, missionaries and missionary organisations, to work and collaborate closely with the local Church if we want to have a long-term perspective and for the proper growth of all the young people who hear the Gospel.
– As part of my local church.
1) The youth group
. Every Friday evening from 17.00 to 21.00 we have between 45 and 60 young people aged between 14 and 20. From 17.00 to 18.00 we have a time of free interaction (table tennis, volleyball, a little chat at the table over a drink and crisps etc). From 18.00 to 19.45, we start with songs of praise, followed by ice-breaker games. Then there’s the message, and sometimes discussions in small groups. From 19.45 to 21.00, we still have time for free interaction, and we eat together (pizza or crisps and biscuits etc.). Since September 2024, a young couple has joined our team of youth leaders, so there are now 6 of us.
. In October, we started 5 small sharing groups during the week, 3 for boys and 2 for girls. My small group is made up of 9 young people. 2 of these young people come to church on Sunday mornings. The other 7 rarely come to the youth group, maybe once a month. So every week my aim isn’t to do Bible studies with them, but I organise little 2-hour activities with them where I integrate the Gospel in some way. As I like to cook and young people like to eat, I make a lot of meals with them. And during the meal I ask simple questions about the Gospel. Sometimes we organise an evening of board games, other times we go go-karting, and so on. My aim with them is to show them that being a Christian is not about believing that God exists but about living with God every day in every area of our lives.
. 83 young people took part in the summer camp in July. Some of the young people really became aware of the importance of the Gospel. And 2 of them were baptised in November. Several want to be baptised in 2025. 160 young people attended the Christmas party. We sang and praised, listened to a good message and ate together. These were really powerful moments of communion between the young people. New Year’s Eve was also extraordinary, with 8 adults and 25 young people in our church. From 19.00 to 7.00 in the morning, we ate, sang and played together in a truly fraternal communion. The 8 young people stayed to sing and praise the Lord until 10am.
2) The children’s group
. Since November, I have been helping the Sunday School teachers. After our summer camp for children, there were 65 of them, and more than 10 children started coming to our church. Of these 65 children, 13 gypsy children took part in the camp. Of these 13 children, 9 wanted to come to church. So every Sunday since October, I’ve been going to pick them up so that they can join our church and take part in Sunday school. Then I eat a meal with them that I’ve prepared the day before. And then all afternoon, from 1.30 to 5.00 pm, I do activities with them, walks, visits to places of interest in the region, such as castles and small parks, and so on. These 9 children live in very, very difficult and very poor conditions.
. 65 children took part in our summer camp in August. The camp was located in a protected park in the midst of extraordinary nature. For a week, the children discovered the Bible in a fun and recreational way. We also invited a singer to lead and teach the children new songs
. From 14 to 16 August, 20 gypsy children took part in our little day camp at the end of August in the village of Rau de Mori. A very good friend from Belgium, Lara Zander, came to help us. She’s really good at singing and learning foreign languages quickly. She showed a lot of courage and willingness to serve in conditions that are not always easy.
. 180 children attended the Christmas party. This year’s theme was the Magi in search of Jesus. From 17.00 to 21.00, the children took part in 9 recreational workshops and then sang together. It was really moving to see the joy radiating from their faces.
3) Prayer meeting and sound system
. At the beginning of November, the church started prayer meetings on Wednesday mornings from 6.30 to 8.00 and from 18.30 to 20.00. The young pastor and I are responsible for these meetings. I’m in charge of the morning prayer meeting
. Once or twice a month, I’m also in charge of the sound system for the worship group. We have rehearsals on Saturday evenings and Sundays 2 hours before the service.
– With local churches in the Hateg area
. On 6 May, during the Easter period, I helped a friend organise a jog for parents to run with their children. A few hundred people took part in this event in the town of Timisoara. From 20 to 22 September, together with several local churches in the Hateg region, we organised a major open-air conference on the theme of the relationship between parents and their children (teenagers and young people). Over 800 people took part in the various discussions over the 3 days.
. On 2 November, together with 2 Hateg churches, we organised a big evening for young people. Over 300 young people came to this special evening for them.
Personal news:
– From 29 January to 2 April, I’ll be in South Korea. I was last in Korea in February 2019. I am grateful to God that He is able to allow me to see several churches and friends again. Until February 17 I will be in Seoul and from February 17 to April 2 I will be more in the south … Busan .
.. – My health in 2024 has been good in general. I haven’t had any major health problems. The arthritis in my fingers is progressing very slowly. Now I have a third finger, the ring finger on my right hand, which starts to lock up from time to time. But I continue to do specific exercises. If any of you know of a good remedy, please don’t hesitate to share it with me.
– Building my house. I’m very encouraged by the progress of the work on my little house measuring 6m by 5m (photos …) The main work is finished; the roof, the 4 windows and the door are installed. In June 2024 I was connected to the water supply and in December I was connected to the gas and electricity. I started the interior work by insulating the roof. But in January this year, I had to stop the work because I no longer had the finances. This little house has already cost €19,000 to build, including the materials and all the building permits, water, gas and electricity. I didn’t have to pay for any labour because I built it myself and also with the help of a few friends. I’ll need €15,000 to finish the interior, so I’ll need 3 months of work to be able to live in it. For the last 2 years, I’ve been living in a guest room in the administration building of a company owned by a very good friend of mine. The space isn’t very big but it’s a blessing because I don’t have to pay rent.
My financial situation:
My monthly financial support at the end of 2024 has increased slightly to around €1,300 per month. A total of 10 churches support me financially, 6 churches in Korea, 3 churches in Belgium and 1 church in the USA. There are also 10 people, 8 from Belgium, 1 from France and 1 from Switzerland. I also receive specific donations from time to time, such as for the building of the house. Many thanks to all of you for your generosity over these 32 years. With your help, support and prayers, together we contribute to sharing the Gospel and to the growth of God’s Church. Without you, the missionary that I am and am happy to be would not exist.
Prayers :
1) For my trip to Korea from 29 January to 2 April 2025
2) That I may be a good example to the younger generation. For wisdom and zeal to share the Gospel.
3) For my physical, moral and spiritual health.
4) To fulfil my responsibilities within the framework of the YPC mission and my local church.
4) For my sister, Pascale, and my brother Michel in Belgium.
5) For the building of my house and finances.
7) For my monthly financial support,
Your brother in Christ, Myung Soo Merchie
I) February
Dear friends,
I have just read chapter 14 of Luke’s Gospel. Verses 27 to 35 particularly caught my attention, and more specifically verse 31:
… Or what king, if he goes to war against another king, DOES NOT FIRST SEE IF HE CAN, with 10,000 men, march to meet the one who comes to attack him with 20,000 men? If he can’t, while this other king IS STILL FAR AWAY, he sends him an embassy to ask for peace.
Over the last 3-4 years, my life has changed and I’m getting older. In February I turned 58 and had been on mission in Romania for 32 years. I told myself I had to sit down and take stock of my situation to adapt my missionary life to my resources and obligations. And I need to plan ahead (… IS STILL FAR AWAY …) so that I’m as unprepared as possible.
A new period of my life is beginning, the second part of my missionary life. I’d like to share my current situation with you, so that together, with your support, we can help many young people hear the good news of Jesus Christ.
My geographical situation: For 27 years I lived in the city of Arad (photo1), population 150,000. Then I lived for 3 years in our Christian camp in Poarta Oilor, on the outskirts of a village of 2,000 inhabitants. Since November 2022, I’ve been living in Hateg, a small town of 9,000 inhabitants. And I’m a member of a small baptized church with 45 members.
My Responsibilities:
- As part of our mission Youth For Christ -Romania (YFC-R): A) My current role is to help YFC stay on track with our goal of proclaiming the gospel to young people in collaboration with local churches. From 1992 to 2009, I started and developed the missionary work of Youth For Christ in Romania in collaboration with several local churches across Romania as Mission Director. In 2010, my friend and colleague Jean Philippe took over as Director. From 2010 to 2018, I served as President of our YFC-R Missionary Association. In 2019, a Romanian friend took on the role of President of our Missionary Association and I became the Vice President. B) I’m on the management team of our Poarta Oilor camp. The camp can accommodate 120 young people. For the past 4 years, we’ve hosted between 12 and 14 camps every summer. The first 3 years I participated in all the camps and daily activities. In 2023, I only took part in 3 summer camps at Poarta Oilor. And during the year my responsibility is to develop and improve the camp’s infrastructure to welcome young people in the best conditions.
- In my local church: A) I’m on the team responsible for the older children-teens, aged 8-14. B) I’ve been part of the youth group leadership team, 15-18 year olds, since September 2023 C) I’m part of the church’s technical team, sound and media.
My financial situation: My current monthly financial support is €1018. Since the beginning of Covid, I have been aware that many churches are struggling economically. Several have stopped or decreased my monthly financial support. Before Covid, 75% of my support came from Korea and now it’s 50% because the Korean currency has also lost a lot in relation to the Euro.
Missionary News: For 30 years I have traveled almost 1,500,000 km in Romania to help local churches share the gospel with young people. In this new period of my life, I’d like to focus more on my areas of work. My local church in Hateg and the Poarta Oilor camp of our JPC Romania mission are my priorities. Camp Poarta Oilor is 1h15 from the town of Hateg.
– As part of my local church in Hateg
Work with the children-teens (8-14 years) is progressing well. On Sundays, around twenty of them take part in the various Sunday school classes. We have between 40 and 60 during our monthly evangelism activities. 65 teenagers took part in our 2023 summer camp and 48 in our 2024 winter camp in February.
Work with young people (aged 15-18). In one year, the number of young people attending our Friday meetings has risen from 10 to 50. Once a month we have a special evangelism meeting where over 100 young people take part. 18 months ago, we had no more than 5 young people at Sunday services. Today, an average of 15 young people attend Sunday services. The vast majority, 85%, of young people attending Friday youth meetings come from non-Christian families.
Projects :
- 3 Times Young : In April this year, I’d like to start a “3 times young” meeting in our church. Why 3 times young, because for me at every stage of our lives we are young, which means we have to learn. Between the ages of 0-20, we learn who we are. Between the ages of 20-60, we learn about adult life and all its responsibilities. After 60, we learn how to be “useful” to the younger generations and to society, as our biological capacities gradually diminish. And we learn and seek to use all the experience we have acquired during our lives for the good of our fellow peoples. This is a weekly meeting for people aged 60 and over. We have about ten elderly people in our church. And when I meet them every Sunday, I ask myself why we don’t have a specific activity for them every week. I’m sure that in many of your churches you have activities for seniors. And so my desire is that during our meetings we can – Pray for the children-teens and young people of our church – Do social activities, spend time together, playing various board games or cultural programs etc. – End by sharing a meal together. One of our aims is also to invite elderly people who are isolated.
- Days Camp : during the summer, as part of the week-long evangelism day camps, with the collaboration of a church in Belgium, young Romanians will come to Belgium for a week in July. And a team of young Belgians will come to our church for a week in August. This partnership will enable young people from the respective countries to acquire life experiences in order to learn and grow in their Christian lives.
– As part of our YFC Romania mission
During this last year of 2023, the team grew again and the number of regions where we are directly involved in the proclamation of the Gospel increased from 6 to 9. In 2024, I’m responsible for my region in Hateg and its province. And I spend between 7 and 10 days a month renovating our Christian camp in Poarta Oilor. For the summer of 2024, I hope to be able to renovate a new, larger meeting room with a capacity of 150 people.
Personal News : My physical health has been good over the past year. For a few months now, I’ve been exercising very regularly so as not to get “rusty” and for the sake of my joints. The pain in my finger joints has diminished since I started doing specific exercises for my fingers. To save money, I live in a very good friend’s office building. He has provided me with an 8 m2 room and a meeting room, with a kitchen and a shower. My friend is allowing me to stay there until I finish building my house. His help is truly a great blessing. Building my house takes more time, and I’m making do with the financial aid I receive (photos 7-9). A big thank you to the people who gave me a specific donation for the construction of the house. I’m really happy to be living in the town of Hateg. And to see that I am useful and that I can contribute to proclaiming the Gospel in our community in and around Hateg. In February this year, I returned to Belgium for a short stay, to visit my sister and brother, and also my friends. God allowed me to regain my strength, and it’s always a joy and a refreshment to see old friends again. This year, the Korean Church in Brussels gave me Korean food in large quantities. Many thanks to them and I think of them during the many meals. In October and November of this year, I’d like to return to Korea to visit the churches and people who support me. Since 2019 and the Covid, I haven’t had the opportunity to go there.
And finally, I’d like to thank all the people and churches who have faithfully supported me over the years. Especially 3 people who have supported me financially for 32 years. A big heartfelt thank you to them and to all of you.
Prayer topics:
1) That I may be faithful to God and in the mission He asks us to share the Gospel.
2) To assume and have wisdom in the responsibilities within the framework of my Hateg church and our JPC mission.
3) To manage my physical, moral and spiritual health.
4) For my sister and brother in Belgium.
5) For wisdom and strength to build my house.
6) For my trip to Korea (2024 October and November)
7) For my financial support
Your brother in Christ, Myung Soo Merchie
You’ll find more information about me on my missionary website.