Merchant to Romania

When the curtain came down

MERCHANT TO ROMANIA
Business as Missions in Post-Communist Eastern Europe
By Jeri Little
Day One. 224 pages. £8.00
ISBN 978-1-846251-71-9

This story is about an American businessman and his family called to witness to Christ in the confusion and chaos of post-Communist Romania.

It is a realistic account of courage, commitment, creativity and innovation wedded to a desire to make Christ known. How do we demonstrate the kingdom coming in ways people can see? The struggles are real and honest. The frustration and fatigue are palpable. The battle is against flesh and spirit.

This is also a story told ‘in mid stream’; the final chapters have yet to be lived out, a man is known by his fruits and many fruits are still hidden. Evaluation is, therefore, difficult from the point of view of mission because the long-term impact is not yet clear. Maybe evaluation is not necessary, but rather it is better to sit back and live within the story for a while and celebrate the innovation and joys and feel for the struggles and losses of the journey. This is not difficult to do because the book is well written and easy to read.

There are many heroes in Eastern Europe. Many faithful witnesses in times, first of suffering and then of transition. So, at first, I found myself fighting a sort of jealousy for the untold stories about my heroes. It is perhaps best to think of this story as a symbol of the many thousands who have given themselves to God in mission and to allow this very realistic account to move one to prayer.

Marsh Moyle,
who works in Central and Eastern Europe with http://www.CityGate.org
when not travelling in Eastern Europe, he is based at L’Abri, Greatham, Hampshire

© Evangelicals Now - November 2009
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