Yesterday our friend Eric Villanueva, who trains church planters in Romania, spoke at New Life Community Church in Concord, Massachusetts. During the year of 1989 our Sunday School children here were actively engaged in praying for the children and people of Romania. The overthrow of a communist dictatorship in December of that year was a real faith builder for our children (and for all of us)!

How thrilling it is to hear of the fact that thousands of new churches have been planted in that country in the last three years. When we hear of such things, knowing the hardships that Christians have endured under years of oppression there, we feel like "men who dreamed." (Psalm 126).

For 40 years it was illegal to celebrate the birth of Christ. Now church bells ring freely. Eric described the joy of celebrating Christmas in Romania this way:

A poem about Christmas in Romania

The eighth Christmas comes this year
to celebrate without fear
The old dictator he refused
to the nation he abused
a day off work to commemorate Jesus,
and to celebrate the birth of the Son of God
Forty years of communism
and enforced atheism
just could not eliminate
the fervor of Romania's faith
On Christmas day of eighty - nine
many for the very first time
heard the bells from the church
announce the Savior's holy birth
With midnight visits just to sing
about the glory of Christ the King
Non - stop caroling is how
Christmas is celebrated now
Aromatic pine and lots of food smiles,
laughs, a joyful mood cabbage sarmale,
cookies, and cakes
that only a Romanian grandma makes
Christ means more than commerciality
Romanians believe in nativity
family, friends, and lots of song
where have all the atheists gone?

-Eric Villanueva, United World Mission, Romania

Let us never cease to wonder at the Gift of Immanuel ("God with us"). May our hearts be filled with joy, our tongues with singing, and our mouths with laughter. God has sent His Son to release us from our bondage to sin and death.