EUD Annual Council

Euro-Africa Division Annual Council is over and all I can say is: Praise God for our leaders who understand the need of prayer and united prayer. We were able to lead the EUD council in united prayer all the mornings except for one.

I know that those of you who read my blog are wondering why I am talking about EUD Annual Council? I should be talking about GYC Indonesia. Yes, it is true that I was supposed to go there, it is true that I have bought my ticket. But a few weeks after I bought my ticket I have received an invitation to go to EUD Annual Council and lead united prayer there. I have prayed about it and after wrestling with the Lord for a day and a half, I finally gave in and accepted to cancel my ticket. It was not easy to give up to my dream to go back to SE Asia, to the jungle, to the tropics, but I know that God knows very well why He asked me to give up on my dream. And I gladly accepted His plan knowing that He knows the end from the beginning and that He wants what is best for me. 

I found it very interesing that EUD talked at this annual council about Adventist Mission. Elder Maurer, the Executive Secretary of the EUD, told us that it is for the first time in 17 years since he started to take part in these annual councils when they talk extensively about mission work. Elder Gary Krause was one of the three invitees from GC and he talked about the Global Mission. In fact, they dedicated 2 days to the Global Mission.

On Sabbath, the delegations from two unions came to the prayer room. The first one was the Romanian Union (yes, I am proud of them!!!) and the second was the Bulgarian Union. Though there were no more organized groups, we had many other individuals who came to pray with us. Most of the leader from EUD came and spent time in the prayer room. EUD President and Treasurer came and pray once or twice. Elder Maurer came almost every day and spent some time in the prayer room. Another leader who came a few times to pray with us is Paolo Benini, the Sabbath School and Ministerial Association Director from EUD. He even asked if we would be available to go to Italy for a Women Ministry retreat and to another Italian SDA church from Switzerland.

The EUD Annual Council also opened doors here in Romania. The President of the Adventist Theological Institute asked me if we can meet to talk about united prayer and see what can they do in their university. Another Conference President asked me if I can train young people to lead united prayer in the churches from his conference. 

We were able to give away a lot of United Prayer Handbooks. Elder Barna Magyarosi, EUD Education Director, told me that many union presidents told him that they are determined to take united prayer back to their countries.

As we were there, we managed to meet some people we had previously met at GYC France. It was a blessing to be able to reconnect and pray with them. I had especially prayed that I would meet a girl I met a certain girl. She gave me her email address and phone no, but I somehow lost them. She was living in Collognes, but she never stopped by to say hi. I prayed that God will bring her again my way so we could pray more together, but it seemed that the days were passing by and I still did not meet her. On Friday night I saw her in the back of the meeting hall, but she left before I could tell her hi. Sunday morning, as I was going to eat with a girl who is a missionary in Congo (we had also met at GYC France), I finally met her. She was going home from a Bible study. So, I praise God for being able to reconnect with her. It was a miracle that we met. 

I was so happy when I found out that two of the translator we had at ASI Spain and another girl who had been in the prayer room hosted at AMiCUS Congress in Paris hosted a prayer room at a Youth Meeting in a Spanish church from Madrid. It is so interesting that, one of our translators from ASI Spain told my friend who organized the schedule of the translators that she does not want to spend too much time in the prayer room because she paid and she wants to be able to listen to the workshops and sermons. But she ended up loving the prayer room and spending more time than she said she would. Now, she was one of the united prayer facilitators. Another girl who facilitated united prayer has been in the prayer room but did not pray. She only listened. Now, she was a prayer facilitator, as well.

So, praise God for all the divine appointments! It is no greater joy than to see Him at work and to see Him changing lives!