Saturday, April 28, 2012

Hughes News #35

Dear Friends,

Unlike America, Moldova includes the Monday after Easter as part of the holiday.  Both days our church had special services remembering our Savior’s resurrection, following which we were invited to friends’ homes for special meals and fellowship.
 
In order to challenge him, we have given our nephew several books to read.  He has diligently worked to learn from these books and to seek God’s will concerning the next step in His life.  We expected his visit to be enjoyable, but we did not anticipate the benefits it would bring us!  Several people have invited us to their homes, giving us additional practice speaking Russian and further insight into the culture.

This past Monday Moldova celebrated Remembrance Day.  For some people, it is simply a day to remember their deceased relatives.  For others, the holiday excuses them to drink and party.  However,  the Eastern Orthodox Church considers it to be an important day.  In a newspaper article, a priest explained how and why the day should be celebrated.  His explanation reminded me why the Lord has called us here.  He wrote, “Love for the dead relatives imposes on us still alive the holy duty of praying for the salvation of their souls.  Praying for the dead relatives, we deliver to them the only good which their souls yearn for, pardon from the Lord.”  While this practice has no Scriptural justification, many people believe it because it is church dogma.  This is just one example of how the Orthodox Church is misleading people.  There is a great need for believers to share the truth about salvation!

In His service,
Jacob and Viola Hughes

For Prayer:    
1. The remainder of our nephew’s stay to be profitable
2. Continued progress learning Russian          
3. A family with which to team up
           
For Praise:    
1. Good settings to practice Russian and to learn the culture
2. A few helpful lessons of introductory Romanian
3. Profitable discussions and lots of fun with our nephew

“Tie your shoes and pray for the Hughes.”