Mission Profile:
Gary and Marina Garvin

Ministry Focus

College and Seminary Professor, Church Planting

Update

We have been in the States since mid-February meeting with supporters and with our sending church, Christian Family Chapel. In the process of getting some rest here in the States, we are seeing a restoration in our vision for the church in Moldova. The initial vision that we had four years ago involved training young men for pastoral and educational leadership. We still maintain the necessity of fulfilling that call in the Seminary and Bible College. Our vision for the church in Moldova can be reduced to three principal desires:

• To teach young men the Word of God. To prepare future leaders for the church in Moldova
• To emphasize grace. We want to turn the spiritual direction of the country away from legalism to grace.
• To start new churches. By God's grace we began a church last summer in the village of Cozhuzhna. We believe many people there will come to faith in Christ as we continue to reach out to them.

Personal Journey

Gary:

The first week of January 1984, was a defining week in my life. I had begun to attend a small Baptist church in December and was repeatedly convinced that the preacher spoke the truth. I had, during the previous few months, listened to a daily radio broadcast almost every day. Chuck Swindoll was speaking from the book of Hebrews, which, one night, led me to read on in the book from the place of his text. I came to Hebrews 10:26 and was convicted to the point of dread fear. I was completely convinced that this verse was speaking of me. The verse says: "For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth there remains no sacrifice for sins." I prayed for God's mercy like never before. Deep brokenness and repentance followed. On January 6, 1984 I fully yielded my life to Christ and was the recipient of a peace in my soul that "passes understanding." The next two months were the most joyous of my life as Christ continued to reveal Himself unto me. My interest in the Bible and the things of Christ became so intense that for six weeks I ate and slept very little. I was truly a new creature in Christ.

Marina:

On May 27, 1998 I had been in the hospital with Sasha for three weeks. One man approached me and asked if I had heard about Jesus Christ. I went to the room where he was giving out the gospel. He started talking about the life and work of Christ and why He came. This was the first time I ever heard the gospel. He asked if anyone wanted to receive Christ, and if so, to repeat the words he was praying. I started to repeat the words he was saying, which were not idle words. I realized I completely understood the reason why Jesus came for the first time in my life. I asked God to forgive me after recognizing how dark my heart was. I prayed with tears and felt that I now had a cleansed heart. After this my life was completely exchanged because I believed in Jesus Christ. The Bible gives me direction for my life. I have gone from trials to blessings, to trials to blessings, and the Lord is continually molding me through these trials as the Potter shapes the clay. He is making me according to His purpose, taking away all that does not look like Christ.

Call to Missions Service

In April of 1999, I (Gary) was invited to travel to the Republic of Moldova to teach a course in Old Testament Introduction. Returning to the country six times during the next two years gave me an undeniable burden for these people of the former Soviet Union. The Missions Committee and Elders of Christian Family Chapel commended me in July 2001 to work full-time in Moldova as a professor in the Moldova Bible Seminary. I immediately sold many personal possessions and shipped the remainder to Moldova, arriving here the first week of August 2001. There is no other place in the world where we would rather be.

Making Disciples

As relationships grow, trust develops. Tough questions about God, morality, about life and death, are worked through. Friends are gathered into a small group where the message of Jesus Christ is freely shared. Unbelievers see and hear the gospel lived out. Lives are impacted as the message bears fruit. New believers are taught God's Word and nurtured in their faith.

Fruits of Our Labor

We had some excellent courses and student dialogue in the Moldova Bible Seminary during the fall of 2004. There are four or five young men in the Class of 2005 who show much promise in spiritual leadership. Sergie, one of my former students who graduated from MBS three years ago, translated for me in Cozhuzhna this past fall and winter.

We had a very good initial experience with the College of Theology and Education in the first semester of 2004. My time with the Asian students was both a blessing and a challenge. For me it was like taking a trip to another culture beyond Moldova. I think I have a genuine love for them. It takes time to get to know new students, and this is always a challenge for the teacher. They are very receptive to the Word. There were a total of 29 students in the two classes that I taught on Mondays and Tuesdays. Some of them are very excited to be studying in a Christian school for the first time. Many are from the far eastern part of the former USSR where a strong hostility to Christianity now exists.

By God's grace we began a church last summer in the village of Cozhuzhna. We believe many people there will come to faith in Christ as we continue to reach out to them. Maria is one such person. Her daughter is a strong Jehovah's Witness. One Saturday as we spoke with her she brought out a whole stack of Watchtower magazines. Maria needs somebody to instruct her in the Way. There are many, many others in bondage to tradition, legalism, and ritual, who want to be free. We have personally met them.

Financial Needs

• Housing in Moldova
• $900 in monthly support (we have increased our monthly budget from $1800 to $2700 due primarily to housing, medical, food, and clothing needs ).

Prayer Requests

• Marina's health. She has been extremely weary with fighting psoriasis. We are trying some different treatment for her in SW Florida which seems to be working.
• Sasha's health. She will be fitted for leg braces soon. Pray that she will be compliant to the discipline of wearing them. Sasha is also in need of dental treatment to remove several secondary teeth.
• Temporary housing in Jacksonville. We expect to be in NE Florida during Mother's Day weekend and also during the last week of May through June 8 when we return to Eastern Europe. 
• Support meetings in Jacksonville this spring. We want to meet with as many people as possible.
• Housing in Moldova. We will be looking for a larger place upon our return this summer. This is a very important need for our family.
• The church in Cozhuzhna. Pray specifically for Simeon as he leads during this time.
• That the Lord would draw young men to the Moldova Bible Seminary.
• That the Lord of the harvest would send a ministry partner to help us in Moldova.
• That we would make the gospel message clear as we ought.

Care Package Favorites

Music, cake mixes, Stove Top stuffing, hand sanitizer.

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