Petre's story

Childhood

I grew up as a child from the country. For those of you who don't know the lingo, that's short for "peasant's kid". Needless to say, I was raised in a Christian home with two loving parents and was introduced to God at a young age. I don't remember a specific day when I first "accepted" Christ, but I think it was probably in the days school when I was six to seven.

If you know very much about peasant's kids, you also know that they are inclined to streaks of opposition; especially during the teenage years. I was no exception. Like many teenage oppositions, it had everything to do with the group of friends I was spending my time with. I started falling into that group in sixth or seventh grade. By the end of seventh grade I had been suspended from school a few weeks for various attitudes of tramp.

Teenage

By the end of seventh grade I tried to smoke every day at the school together my schoolmates in our breaks. Then my family was noticed by my teachers and I was punished of my parents and my teachers substracted my mark of behavior.

Next year I leaved my natal village to Bucharest our capital.and I entered medium school as boarding school for two years.Here I teached the first technical backgrounds and I was enrolled to a footbal team.

This is one of old photo during the medium school.

Then I followed a vocational school near a factory builder of boilers where I was an year apprentice at their mechanical workshop where I teached trade of lacatus.

When I was of sixteenage I was employed as califyed worker in a new factory builder of buses for eight years.First 4 years I was determinat to live in a single room away of factory where I worked.I often frequented in the evening the House of Culture to get friends and to spend my spare time where I meet my future wife Ioana .Since 1960 year both followed for four years the evening courses of secondary school and we lived close by our school in a little room.

Major Events

Since then I've walked through valleys and over mountains in my journey of faith. Of course I've stumbled many times, but God's grace is always there. There have been several life "events" that have caused me to go through periods of spiritual renewal and growth. The first major event was getting married in Feb/1964 to Ioana, my high school sweetheart and love of my life. There are attributes of God that I believe can be best understood in the context of marriage. My relationship with Ioana parallel's Christ's relationship with the church, and with us as individuals. I now have a passion for marriage, and helping other marriages succeed.

The next event that changed my life was the birth of our children, starting with our daughter Marilena in 1964 . Again, there are certain things that can only be understood when you actually become a parent, and again there are so many lessons that God teaches through the parent-child relationship. It's amazing to think that He loves us more than we could even love our children, and when he disciplines us, it's out of love; just as we must discipline our own children in love. It's also a great responsibility to raise a child.

The next event that changed my life was in the autumn of 1964 year when I succeeded at Politechnical University of Bucharest to become engineer over 5 years.

Over three years in 1967 was born our son Oleg Florin.Notice that most of my testimony took place during my first eighteen years, and my core values were essentially formed by that point. It's no small wonder that statistics show 80% of Christians come to their salvation before the age of eighteen.

Over another three years was born our daughter Nicoleta.

So each day I try to remember that it may be my last, and that my purpose is to bring glory to God. I don't always remember my mission, but as life's experiences keep giving me new reminders of God's love, I hope that I will continue to grow closer to where God wants me to be. I've come a long way, and yet have a long way to go; so come run the race with me as we partake in this journey called life.