Growing Up in Eastern Europe

Against the background of a ruthless, communist dictatorship, where Christians were persecuted, Bibles confiscated, pastors tortured and imprisoned, Churches burned and bulldozed, we often referred to that time as the “Dark Days.” Yet out of all that, God has given unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness…that He might be glorified. Isaiah 61:3

Some of the beauty emerging from these ashes includes ITMI’s Dr. Adrian Ban and his wife Ema. Theirs is a Christian success story that needs to be told. Both came from Christian homes. Ema’s dad is Dr. Nick Gheorghita, Romania’s number one endocrinologist and former Pastor of Emanuel Baptist Church in Oradea. Adrian has his doctorate from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (TEDS) in Deerfield, Illinois. Ema has her Masters from Wheaton.

The Bans have a multifaceted ministry. Adrian (known to his friends as Adi) lectures on several subjects at Emanuel University in Oradea, under the leadership of our long time friend, Dr. Paul Negrut. EUO is the largest Christian university in Europe. He serves on the Board of Elders at Emmanuel Baptist Church (EBC) where he recently began overseeing the Sunday School program involving about 1,000 children. EBC is the largest Baptist Church in Europe, East or West.

Dr. Nick and Bill, two old friends sharing the pulpit like in the old days.

Ema sings in the choir at EBC and writes the monthly Choir Newsletter. She is actively involved in two women’s prayer groups learning how to pray for their husbands and keeping accountable to God in their own prayer life. She teaches English to preschool kids (ages 4 and 5) and in her spare time is translating Bill’s book, Going Through into Romanian.

In addition to their individual ministries, Adi and Ema pioneered a Pre-Marital class at their church, which they jointly teach. Last year they launched a ministry geared to families with young children called Family Fellowship Bible Study Group that meets in their home. Recently they began a Young Couples Fellowship, for newly weds. This is the next logical step to follow the Premarital Seminar. They have 12 couples who attend on a regular basis.

In this way they are strengthening the foundation of the Church.

The Bans have three fine boys; Andi in 2nd grade, Eduard in pre-School (who kept going into Andi’s class and telling everyone “I’m in the second grade!”) and Tommy who three times a week (while mommy teaches English in pre-school) attends “Grandma and Grandpa’s Special School for Little Boys.”

The Ban family generally enjoys good health, but Eduard gives cause for concern. His legs are slightly bowed. His condition was diagnosed in Wheaton last summer as Blount’s disease. The outward cartilage around his knees developed faster than the inner cartilage, thus causing the bow. He will need corrective surgery when he is around 12. He also has an eye problem that is being corrected with glasses.

When Steve Evers and Bill Bathman were in Romania last Easter, they discussed future growth plans for ITMI in Eastern Europe. During the past few months Adi has been in contact with a former EUO student of his, Pavel Vilcov, from Moldova. Pavel is now a missionary to Bulgaria and in dire need of some practical support.

Adi explained the problem. “Romanians do not yet have the concept of ministry overseas or in a foreign country.” Pavel is one of many dedicated young people who leave EUO with an excellent Christian education and a heart on fire to serve the Lord, but virtually no funds to support their ministry. Adi challenged us: “What would it take to initiate a new program of supporting young missionaries like Pavel Vilcov?”

The reality is that Romanian nationals (and indeed most foreign nationals) can live on a fraction of the support needed to keep American missionaries on the field. ITMI has a long track record of supporting nationals. We pass Adi’s challenge on to you. “Could ITMI become a platform of networking various people and ministries, encouraging and supporting them so the kingdom of God is enlarged?” The answer is in your hands. Please, ask the Lord about it.