Where do the Bad Dragons live?
here's an article from the April 2010 Winslow Vineyard monthly newsletter about our friends Sorin and Monica, in Bucharest Romania.
Well, actually it is the "Badragans", and Sorin and Monica Badragan live with their two little girls in Bucharest, Romania. To answer a second question, "How come Winslow Vineyard are supporting them?" - that takes a bit longer!
When Communism fell in Romania in 1989 many images appeared on television of the conditions under which people had been living and a large number of people filled lorries with aid. Philip King was among them, and his interest and visits to Romania continue. It was through this interest that Philip attended a meeting in England and met a young Romanian student called Sorin who had been chosen to study for his divinity doctorate at Oxford. As Philip lived not far away, Sorin was invited for a weekend.
Sorin is now the pastor of Providence Baptist church with 400 people and situated in the poorest area of Bucharest. Many of these people are the dispossessed Romanies and others who find it very difficult to climb out of poverty.
About 12 years ago a school for the children of these families was started in the basement of the church - called the Ruth School, and a child from this school is supported by some folk in Winslow Vineyard. Sorin has been able to take a large team of young people to Moldova to encourage Christians there, - and the church work in the local 'children's homes' means more doors are open to them. From time to time some of the church's mandolin band that leads the singing on Sundays, have visited England.
Sorin also lectures in the Bucharest Baptist Seminary which has blessed many young people, not only from Bucharest but from countries further east, where there has been and still is a dearth of Christian teaching, a legacy of the 40 years under Communism.
Over the years, Winslow Vineyard has been privileged to help the Badragans when buying a flat and a car. The Communion offering for March 2010 was given to help Sorin and a small team of pastors to visit Keswick Convention with a view to introducing "Keswick" to Romania. Winslow Vineyard supports Sorin monthly from the regular tithe of the church's general funds.
The current financial situation in Romania is still very serious and Sorin and Monica always express their deep gratitude for all the help they receive, but also for your continued prayers for all they do in the Lord's name.
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