Welcome To Timisoara!

Well after been two years since I was here on a "dipolomatic" mission to visit the youth work in Romania and to build bridges with the Romanians who not had relations for 10 years with the EBF, we are here with the annual Youth and Children's Conference!  Delegates from across Europe are here at the warm invitation of Romania and we are enjoying wonderful hospitality.  We had our opening evening "roll call" and welcomed those who have travelled from long distances to be with us.  This is a shot of the square in Timisora that overlooks the Metropolitan Orthodox church.  This is one of the regions in Romania that enjoys a warm relationship with the Orthodox church and great cooperation between evangelical traditions.  The Baptists are strong here with 14 churches in the city and over 22,000 Baptists in just this region alone.  There are elected officials in levels of governments and education who are Baptists is so refreshing to see Baptists as not a minorty or treated like a sect as so often is the case in Europe.  This week promises to be a great week of encouragement and challenge for the delegates.