2026
January
Dear brothers and sisters,
I wish you all a happy new year 2026. This week, it snowed 45 cm in a single day. The nature and landscape were magnificent… God created all things good… and surely very beautiful.
In Luke 1:17, it is written of John that: “And he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.” During my 34 years of missionary life, John and his ministry have inspired me greatly. John knew how to speak directly but in a very humble manner about himself, because he emphasized and repeated that after him, Jesus would come. In the verse, I would like to emphasize “to prepare for the Lord a people well DISPOSED.” John was the one who cried out in the desert, crying out so that as many people as possible would hear. The term “cried out” also makes me think of a state of emergency, of the importance of the message that John had to announce and deliver to the people and his fellow citizens.
Ministry in my local Church (Quo Vadis):
With this idea of preparing a willing people, I realize that most of my activities, my involvement in the mission and my church are focused on this goal. In October 2024, I began taking care of 12 children from four very poor Roma (Gypsy) families. The parents have no steady work, no car, and live in very precarious housing, with only electricity and an outdoor water fountain. They live in small villages 30 minutes from the city. I prepare meals for them, organize various sports activities, take them to the movies, visit castles, go for walks in the mountains, etc., but above all, I give them the opportunity to integrate into the life of our church every Sunday. My desire is to spend time with them over several years in order to provide them with a favorable context so that they can gradually understand the Gospel and, one day, welcome Jesus into their lives on their own. I have started my second year with them and, even though they are sometimes very noisy and restless, but it is a pleasure and a joy to take care of them.
In the same idea, during the summer of 2025, my athletic friend, Edi, began promoting Baseball in our town. We organized a short week day camp to give kids a taste of Baseball. In October, my friend started training sessions for children and teens. In December, I committed to helping him. Every day, Monday through Friday, after school, we had between 5 and 15 children or teens for an hour and a half. Our goal through this sports activity is to prepare and create a good environment where we can guide them and enable them to hear and understand the message of the Gospel better and better. Eighty percent of these children do not attend church, but their parents are well aware that we are Christians. For Christmas, we organized a special evening for them in our church. Thirty-five children and teenagers participated.
Our youth group is growing in numbers, but above all spiritually. In November, four new young people were baptized. We regularly have an average of 50 to 55 young people every Friday. There are six of us leaders and our team is really close-knit. Each of us has gifts and abilities that really complement each other.
The children’s group is also progressing very well. In 2024, we had two groups of about ten children every Sunday. In September 2025, we started with three Sunday school groups. We now have 40 children every Sunday. There are six of us leaders and five young volunteers. Every two months, we organize special activities so that the children can invite their friends. For the Christmas party, 160 children came for a three-hour program.
Prayer meetings. Since September 2025, every Wednesday from 7 to 9 a.m., I have been leading the prayer meeting that takes place at the church. I try to motivate our church members to come. Our church has a great capacity for organizing events, both large and small. I am sure that many people pray at home. However, we lack a specific time for communal prayer, with the whole church gathered together. But I persevere and do not lose heart.
Ministry as part of our Youth for Christ Romania (YFC-Romania) mission.
Eleven camps were organized at our campsite in Poarta Oilor. Approximately 650 young people participated. Attendance was lower than usual because the camp’s swimming pool was still undergoing renovations until August 12. I participated in three of these camps with five young volunteers from my church. A great blessing in September 2025 was that we finished paying for the camp, which now belongs 100% to our mission organization Youth for Christ Romania. Jean-Philippe (JP), our mission director, worked hard for six years to raise the €900,000.
In 2026, our director JP and his family will take over the running of our camp, as the missionary family who were in charge of it have returned to the USA. They managed our camp very well for four years.
The summer camps 2025.
I was involved in seven camps during the summer.
In June:
– From the 23rd to the 28th, a camp for 70 children and teenagers (aged 8-14) at our Poarta Oilor camp (YFC-Ro).
In July:
– From 7th to the 11th, camp with 20 young people (ages 16-18): I helped a pastor friend from another church.
– From 14th to the 18th, day camp. Baseball practice. 50 children (ages 7-14) in my town of Hateg
– From 21 to 26th, camp with 60 young people from our church and an American team (Quo Vadis)
August:
– From 11th to 15th, camp with 70 children from my church in a mountain camp (Quo Vadis)
– From 25th to 29: Camp with 60 Roma (Gypsies) at our camp in Poarta Oilor (YFC-Ro)
September:
– From 1th to 5th: Help at a family camp with 40 people in Poarta Oilor (YFC-Ro)
Special Activities
On August 23 and 24, in collaboration with several Baptist and Pentecostal churches in the Sebes city, we organized two days of evangelism in a public park. On the first day, 350 people came to attend the program, and the next day, more than 600 people came to hear the Gospel.
On September 28, in collaboration with the Baptist church in the village of Rau de Mori, we organized a harvest festival day. More than 700 people came to attend the various activities and enjoy a large communal meal prepared by the local church.
Personal news.
My health has been generally good, but my stomach, which remains sensitive, has sometimes forced me to be more careful and take a little rest.
The construction of my little house is going well. I haven’t moved in yet because I couldn’t install the gas boiler before winter and I ran out of money. The bathroom is 90% finished and the kitchen is 50% finished. I pray that I will be able to move in by Easter.
2025 has been a really good year for me. I am truly happy in my church and in my city. God is showing us opportunities for ministry. It is up to each of us to seize them.
In less than a month, on February 5, I will celebrate my 60th birthday. It’s a little hard to believe, but many people go through this. There’s no way around it or turning back, but I’m happy to start my life as a young old man.
Prayer Topics:
Thank you for praying for the activities you have read about in the news above.
I would especially like to share a project with you, and therefore a topic for prayer. My financial support is difficult. At the moment, I have between €1,100 and €1,200 per month. I am getting older, and I understand that churches tend to favor younger missionaries. That is why I have launched my “Miel Douce Mission” (Sweet Honey Mission) project. I have a very good friend in my Romanian church who is an organic beekeeper. I buy honey from him that I would like to sell in several churches in Belgium, France, Holland, and Germany. For this first year, I would like to find 10 churches that can help me. My hope is that these 10 churches will be able to sell this honey during 2026 in their local churches. I have polyfloral, acacia, rapeseed, and manna honey. Selling this honey would bring a certain sweetness to my missionary work. Thank you so much for your prayers; I really need you. If you know of any churches, pastors, or church leaders who would like to help me, please contact me (myungsoo.romania@gmail.com or send me a message on my phone +40 744133439).
A big thank you to the churches and to each of you for your perseverance and generosity in your financial support and prayers.
A big thank you to all of you for taking the time to read my newsletter.
Your brother in Christ, Myung Soo Merchie
http://myungsoo.ro (my page is not up to date, but you can find a lot of information there)