Summer 2026

We’re thrilled to share something that’s been on our hearts! When we returned to

Romania in February, we felt a strong sense that God had a plan for us, even though we were surprised when He started closing some doors and opening new ones. Originally, we planned to stay in Constanta after our wedding, but God had something even better in mind. Our leadership gave us the chance to travel and explore the needs in the country, seeking God’s guidance for His plan. After much prayer and countless hours on the road, we believe God is leading us to Bistrița.

Bistrița is located in the northern part of the country, in the Transylvania region. It’s a place Ellena has always felt a special connection to, having moved there in 2000.

We’re excited to work with Peniel Church and support the pastoral team.

In Bistrița, we reconnected with an old friend, Pastor Oli, who started a ministry called 30 years ago. Initially, Peniel focused on Romania’s youth, providing the first

Christian camps and conferences. As the students grew older and started families, the ministry expanded to include families. Today, Peniel ministries have touched the lives of over 40,000 Romanians, with members spread worldwide.

Seven years ago, God led Oli and Veronica to establish a church for the unchurched in Bistrița. Over the past seven years, they’ve witnessed over 85 baptisms and are actively helping new believers and leaders grow. Although it’s a relatively new church, it’s dedicated to serving its city, country, and even those beyond its borders.

But the vision God has given us is even bigger! We believe God is calling us to connect with other ministries in Transylvania and be a resource to them. It’s been over 15 years since we had any AG missionaries in the northern part of the country, so in some ways, we’re going to be rebuilding connections with leaders and churches. So, in addition to working with Peniel, we’ll be working with our new friends in Sibiu and helping start their Ukrainian church’s Royal Ranger program. We’ll also try to help with other projects as we can. We’re so excited to start building these connections and see what other doors God will open for us.

We want to say thank you to each and every one of you who have been praying for us.I know most of you didn’t know what you were specifically praying for, but both Tim and I have been given multiple confirmations on where we were supposed to go and who we were supposed to meet. We’re excited to start this new chapter of ministry together and with all of you.

Please join us in prayer as we embark on this new chapter. We still have to pack up our old apartment in Constanta, find a new place to live, and move everything 10 hours away to Bistrița. After that, we’ll start the process of obtaining our new visas. Finally, we’ll integrate into the church and begin building relationships.