David and Gwen Stone together with their five children: Daniel (13), Anne Marie (11), James (8), Henry (5) and Timothy (<1) have joined Friendship International to answer God’s call to serve in Romania. Both David and Gwen felt called to missions in their youth and have been serving in their home town of Nampa Idaho in children’s ministry and in their local church. Through God ordained circumstances, they were able to visit Romania in April of 2019. While they were there, it was evident that the Lord was calling their family to serve in Romania. They are planning to move to Romania this summer and begin language study as well as help with Friendship camp. Please pray for their family as they prepare to move to Romania and adjust to life there. Pray also that they will be able to learn the language quickly and that they will be a light and a blessing effectively sharing the gospel in Romania.
- UPDATE March 2023Here is your link to your March UPDATE. Please read it and share it. In this issue: Insights into St. Patrick, the work of Friendship International in Ukraine, Romania and Hungary, and the status of the Stone family. Remember, our e-Giving page gives you a way to make online donations safely and securely.
- A Visit to the USAIt’s hard to believe that we have been in the USA for 11 days now! We finished our 4th week of Good News Club on March 26. The children had been earning points during those 4 weeks and were able to turn in their points for toys or snacks on that day. We had greatContinue reading “A Visit to the USA”
- Connecting with peopleFebruary 16, we had to say, “See you later” to David’s sister and his parents. It was hard to see them leave, but we are so thankful for the time that we had with them here! I remember reading a quote that said, “Don’t cry because it’s over! Rejoice that it happened!” While there wereContinue reading “Connecting with people”
- Bear each other’s burdens.Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ. Galatioans 6:2 February 4th, we were overjoyed to welcome David’s parents and his sister Havilah for a visit! Just having family here has been such an encouragement and a great help to us! David’s dad, Harold noticed a lack ofContinue reading “Bear each other’s burdens.”
- La Multi Ani!
As we look back at 2021, We have so much to be thankful for! 2021 was the year that we moved to Romania one year to the day of the terrible car accident. God in His great mercy redeemed the 29th of June for our family and now it marks the beginning of our adventuresContinue reading “La Multi Ani!” - God has a plan“When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Your comforts delight me.” Psalm 94:19 AMP When people ask us how life in Romania is, I often respond with, “It is good, and it is hard.” We love living in the rural village of Şiştarovăţ! We thoroughly enjoy the walk to school every morning, the agricultural lifestyleContinue reading “God has a plan”
- Blessings in Bucharest
A man’s heart plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps. Proverbs 16:9 Before we moved to Romania, a teacher of mine from high school reached out to me and let me know that she was planning to be in Bucharest towards the end of August. She and her husband had been planning toContinue reading “Blessings in Bucharest” - Let your Kingdom come Lord“Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” Matthew 6:10 July 17, 2021 my father passed from this life to the next. We had been able to visit him many times before moving to Romania, and he gave us his blessing in moving although he was on hospice care.Continue reading “Let your Kingdom come Lord”
- Praise God, we arrived safely in Romania!
Buna Ziua, greetings from Romania!!! Yes, we are finally here in Romania and we are so thankful for all that the Lord has done to bring us to this place! We arrived in Timisoara Romania June 29 with all 23 pieces of luggage! Not one bag was lost, praise God!!! Adi and Callum picked usContinue reading “Praise God, we arrived safely in Romania!” - Pressing Towards the Prize“but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark of the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13b-14 We have been blessed and privileged to share our testimony and calling with 9 churchesContinue reading “Pressing Towards the Prize”
- Fixing Our Eyes on JesusMay has always been a hectic month for our family with 6 birthdays between myself and our extended family who live in Idaho. Then there are the anniversaries. David and I will celebrate 14 years of marriage on the 19th and David’s parents will celebrate 43 years on the 23rd. Throw in graduations and finishingContinue reading “Fixing Our Eyes on Jesus”
- Happy Easter!March 21 we were blessed and privileged to dedicate Timothy Miracle Stone to the Lord. It was a joyous celebration of everything that the Lord has brought our family through and the huge miracle of Timothy’s life! We are so thankful that he is growing and thriving! Everyone comments that he is such a goodContinue reading “Happy Easter!”
- Covid Recovery and Blessings
I think it’s just like the Lord to take a date that was very traumatic for our family and redeem it, changing it into something good! - Through a Wedding and a Funeral, the Love of God holds us Together.
February 2 has a very strange holiday which involves pulling a ground hog out of it’s burrow in order to prognosticate whether or not there will be an early spring. Well, we didn’t have any ground hogs, but the forecast of our future move to Romania seems to be that there will be delays. AtContinue reading “Through a Wedding and a Funeral, the Love of God holds us Together.” - La mulți ani!
Happy New Year! Everyone is hoping that 2021 will be better than 2020 was. Whatever this new year holds, we will not be disappointed if we put our hope in the Lord! In uncertain times we can put our hope and trust in Christ Jesus. He never leaves us or forsakes us. Our family wasContinue reading “La mulți ani!” - Merry Christmas Everyone
What a year! 2020 has been crazy for everyone, but our family has experienced an extra layer of crazy! We were expecting to move to Romania for missions this year to answer God’s call. Several things happened to delay this move and as 2020 comes to an end, we find ourselves still in Nampa. GodContinue reading “Merry Christmas Everyone” - Trials bring growth
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds - The Lord will complete the good work He began!I had planned to share an update about our recovery and how the Lord has answered so many prayers for us. I am able to walk again without the aid of a walker or a cane! Both David and I are able to drive again! David is working part time! And we have been strongContinue reading “The Lord will complete the good work He began!”
- School during the In BetweenSeptember is the first month of fall. It is also the beginning of school for many children and families around the world. This year is different and stressful for most families. With Covid-19, nothing seems normal anymore! Difficult decisions need to be made whether homeschooling, doing online school, or sending children to a traditional brickContinue reading “School during the In Between”
- Being Restored to LifeI was recently in a terrible auto accident and many of you have probably seen the many updates about it. I wanted to write a complete account of what happened and what God has been teaching me through this process. During this experience we were reading from Romans 8 and we stumbled upon this verse:Continue reading “Being Restored to Life”
- Update 2 on the Stone FamilyWe felt it necessary to give you one more important update on the developments with the Stones since the accident they were involved in almost 2 weeks ago. As you recall they were in a terrible accident with the entire family on their return home from visiting friends, family and churches in the Portland area.Continue reading “Update 2 on the Stone Family”
- UPDATE on the Stone FamilyHopefully you had a wonderful Independence Day celebration. Well, the Stones didn’t necessarily, but, praise God they are alive and recovering. We want to share with you a short report personally written by Gwen Stone from her hospital room. Hospital stay, July 2020. Because 2020 is the year that keeps on giving!! We were headedContinue reading “UPDATE on the Stone Family”
- Stones Stepping out, episode 2Bags are getting packed, furniture has been sold, our kiddos are sleeping on mattresses on the floor. The upcoming move to Romania is starting to get real! June 12-13 we had a huge garage sale and were able to sell most of our furniture including our dressers and bed frames. We are praising the Lord forContinue reading “Stones Stepping out, episode 2”
- Restless for RomaniaThe Call We’ve know since April last year that God has called us to Romania. God enabled us to visit Romania just before Easter 2019. While we were there it was clearly evident that the Lord was calling us to move there as missionaries. Since then we have been praying and searching for a MissionContinue reading “Restless for Romania”
- He is risen!
We hope you had a wonderful celebration of our Lord’s resurrection! This has been a very different celebration from any other year. I’m sure you also have been affected by Covid-19. It seems that no matter where you go in the world, this virus is affecting everyone! While it is a great inconvenience for usContinue reading “He is risen!”