Hudson Family Easter 2010 Greetings
Dear Friends,
He is risen! He is risen indeed! These are the words of greeting we hear everywhere we go these days just after Easter here in Romania.
This is the biggest celebration of the year and we have heard that approximately 98% of Romanians attend church for Easter; hundreds of thousands of people attending the midnight service on Saturday evening. As the priest lights the candles inside the church he calls out "come and take the light of Christ"! Then one by one candles are lit, illuminating the dark church building and spilling out into the streets around. People carry their candles home and keep them lit throughout the Easter celebration. While we were not in Romania for the Easter celebration this year we could imagine the people walking through our neighbourhood carrying their "lights" safely home.
We enjoyed an Easter trip to Albania where we visited the churches in Kombinat and Gorre. We visited with friends, ate lots of good Albanian food and enjoyed several days of rest on our favourite beach at Dhermi on the south coast. With the mountains behind us, the bright sun overhead, the white pebble beach and fluorescent blue water around us we marvelled at the beauty of God's creation. People asked us if we got in the water and yes, we all went swimming. We tell people it is no colder in March there then Lake Ontario or Georgian Bay in the summer!
One day while walking we found a little Orthodox chapel just off the beach. On "Great Friday" we decided to hold a family service there together with the Beiler family. We walked up the road, got all the kids safely across the creek and climbed up the stone steps to the quiet chapel. We read scripture and prayed for the people of Dhermi and of Albania that they would truly know and experience the light of Christ in their hearts. Then we filled the evening air with songs of praise. We are so thankful for the opportunity to have spent some quiet days with friends in beautiful Albania.
After a total of about 2000 km of driving we returned home to Bucharest where our Romanian church family had food waiting for us. We enjoyed a meal of cabbage rolls, lamb, potatoes and of course "cozonac" (Romanian sweet bread). We were also given a nice plate of sweets. Before we could finish them off our dog, Echo found them and decided to help herself! Happy Easter, Echo! Yes, she is still incorrigible!
We are very excited about things here in Romania these days. We are finishing up the Introduction to Old Testament course that was taught here and watched on video in Albania and Kosova. Please continue to pray for those God has called to minister as they study and serve.
We are also very excited about the Youth in Mission Team that is coming this summer to work with us in children's and youth ministry. Please pray for the team as they prepare to come and as they travel and minister alongside young people in Romania and north eastern Bulgaria.
On Easter Sunday the Bucharest Church was once again filled to overflowing. Praise the Lord that lives are being changed by His grace! A new family attended on Easter Sunday for the first time and the husband exclaimed that he feels like he finally heard the "truth". Please pray for this family as they begin to read the Bible and grow in their new walk with the Lord. We are praying for resources to expand the sanctuary to accomodate the new believers and plans are underway to install a bapistry. We are excited to have friends coming from Canada this summer to help us with some of the remodeling in the Bucharest church. We are still praying for Work & Witness teams to come and help with the projects in Bucharest and Sighisoara.
We wish each of you a belated Happy Easter! May you know the joy and peace of the Lord as you trust in Him today!
With our love and prayers,
Terry Michael, Tamara, Julia, Emily & Elena Hudson
"I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." John 10:10
