Mission church activities 2009

Dear friends. I am very implied in the church work and in the same time in the University life, where I have some activity in Research Department of the Alba Iulia University. I work on the grant about Transylvanian idea of tolerance, Reformation, and history of historiography. I try to attend in some conference about church history, especially about XVII-XVIIIth centuries.

The church life in the winter months is more silent then usual. A large part of the believers are old, what, making it difficult to move, and in few of theme are very lonely people. However, winter is busy now, because we try to finish some works on the new pharmacy building in Sard, and on the floor replacement in Zlatna’s church. But we preparing ourselves for the spring’s biggest efforts.

Christmas was wonderful. Magyarigen we celebrated together with many guests and with the Catholics believers from Igen (this is a great mission possibilities). In Zalatna’s church the girls sang and recited after the church service. We have begun in January the visitation of the families. The past year has not passed without many work and implementations around of the congregations. As you know, my region is mission field of the Hung. Presbyterian church, so I it is a large possibility of the church work.

In Magyarigen (Ighiu):

In my congregations the Presbyterian theologians from Agoston Sandor Foundation, Budapest and many other students were busy in the church renovation work, but us well in the church services. My congregation, Magyarigen provide to them, free accommodation and the students done a lot of work around the churches. Fortunately, the church watery mushrooms do not recur; therefore, we are very pleased. In our summer work was a great help that agricultural equipment what was donated from Nurnberg Presb. Church (Through elder Mr Tibor Salanky). The trailer was really useful in the transport, which would have been very expensive with the official transport. Whit those equipment we help us well the Romanian orthodox peoples, not only for our church members. Unfortunately, the central heating boiler broke up, and also the automated bell became wrong, what gave us a serious financial test before Christmas. This was necessary to replace because the large, thick walls, what keep the pastoral office rather cold in the winter.

Last spring, the EU has started a program (2.5) around the architectural monument restorations. We try to prepare on evaluation plan of the church monument from Magyarigen. At least five companies (engineering, economics) worked on the plan, partly free and partly supported by our local church and Reformed Bishopric from Cluj. A lot of deficiencies observed in the Alba EU Implementation Center around of the project, and in my opinion he did say a lot of obstacles in the front of implementation of this. It looks like the first level has been exceeded, the second processing level, unfortunately means the possibilities to be only on the waiting list…. …. Maybe it will be something ....God knows. I put in this a lot of work, energy and money; will be wonderful if I will succeed.

Unfortunately, two trials make our lives hard. One is brought against the Church, under the pretext of expropriation. Great anxieties, the topographer is corrupt, and he identified the neighboring, where land and houses were in the ancient Church and cemetery proprieties plots. There resides the elder of our church, de 70th years old, Sándor Tollas, who now have every opportunity to obtain a deliberation from the trial in wrong way. The other litigation is about an unauthorized transcription due to a neighboring family, in their propriety from the old Church sites. Both of the causes are very expensive, and we are stress wit them.

In Boroskrakko (Cricau):

We have three believers, among the most loyal, Magda Tibori is very sick now. I took home the Worship of God, Lord's Supper, and I also spent a couple of hours with her in Christmas. It is difficult to be old, but even harder to be alone (or just with the reverend) in the Lord's Supper. Krakkó church tiles, shingles, here and there, shows weakness, so we must start in 2010 new renovation. It is 800 years old church!!!! Krakow, most of the problems are around the land. From the former Teleki propriety, Church was compensating with 3 ha land, because of the former nationalization into the communist time. This former grapes yard is completely extinct, so we try to find something to start there. A new implantation means very high cost and effort. We try to remove the concrete pillars to permit agriculture. Fortunately, there is inside parcel. The church arable land was still through communist collectivization, and was distributed to house parcels. I hope we will receive compensation (when I do not know). On the remaining 1.5 ha I order a topographical survey maybe that is returned to us. Instead of it, Mayor Office gave this to the County Council; the county is donated to others. We try to start a legal process to recover the propriety… but the truth is not always measured for us.

In Sard (Sard):

2009 was year of the Sárd community. With the support of the Agoston Sandor Foundation, and the theologians, we succeeded, after three years of work to renovate 600 years old church building interior. We renovate a completely ruined and collapsed church, for the glory of the Lord. A moment for the congregation what became memorable. Without the financial support we have no chance to done it. I am very grateful for this to all the contributors. The exterior of the old church is in ruin, but the church inside is in the old glory shine. The work was carried out at discounted prices by the Janos Szekely, whose embraced the church objectives, and was an enthusiastic worker. After the church restoration we have two big events. We celebrated 20 of August, one of our national Holiday, in companion of the 400 peoples, coming from abroad. Shortly after this we celebrated the confirmation in faith of the two young people. Was a remarkable event because into the last 30 years in the church was not same events. The renovated church and the youth confirmation make a memorable year 2009. We have only 13 members in Sard.

In the autumn-winter 2009 (until now) in Sard we continue to work around to the health center. The continuation of the work with the gas and electricity was prevented by the very long administrative barrier. For this reason the work became difficult for a long time. Not only the time, but the cost was a really impediment in implementation. The cost incurred by either the gas or electricity was more than EUR 2000. In addition, the Electricity Provider Office, (!!!!!) still do not made the contract, because is dropped down their computer program. The financial support for this building was donated by the Swift Creek Presbyterian Church, whose contribution permitted us, to realize an important part of the project through Bod Peter Foundation. With their support we started the construction of partition walls, and the internal solution of the electricity, and not the list, we started plastering and ceiling. Until now we has been ready with the introduction of electricity on the internal wall, we dividing walls with the intermediate parts, ceiling and the first rooms has plasters. Because of the outside temperature (often we have minus 20) and sickness of Janos Szekely we move slowly forward, just step by step. I hope the speed of the work flow will be increasing, more so because some of the fees were paid already, for others we have no founds. I hope in few months we succeeded to finish electrical, gas supply, pastures, walls and if we have financial possibilities we continue with tiles, ceramics, water adduction, pipes and effluent water and heating system.

In Zalatna (Zlatna):

Together with the help of the theologians from the Agoston Sandor Foundation, Budapest we organized the summer missionary work camp. This meant work both in the Zalatna church renovation and in Sard, and church services in the all of congregations (we invite youngsters from the Alba and the will ages around us). We had to break cement thicker than 20 cm (this is absorbed and leading to the wall ground water).. After breaking the concrete/cement, we put sand and gravel into what we placed brick. Whit this we improved drainage of the church, but this is more aesthetic as well. Parallel to this we repair the failed ceiling.

Janos Cimbalmos the elder of the church in autumns renovated the parish house. In Christmas we kept the worship of God in the clean and freshly painted rooms.

In 2010, we wish to continue to work in Sard, Magyarigen and Zalatna. More important is the pharmacy building of the Medical Center from Sard.

Before Christmas the poorer families from Ighiu, Sard, Zlatna and Cricau Communities received the very consistent food packet, with the help of the “ De Bron Hervormde Kerk” from Zeist, through Alba Iulia Reformed Church. We are very thankfull for that.