A Van That Carried a Ministry

For 18 years, this van has been in the middle of almost everything we’ve done in Romania. When we first bought it, we hoped it would last around 600,000 miles. We didn’t quite get there, a little over 300,000, but it gave us everything it could. Somewhere along the years, it stopped being “the van” and simply became part of the ministry.

It’s hard to explain how many memories are tied to it. We used it to carry food packages into villages in the winter, when the roads were covered in snow and everyone prayed it wouldn’t get stuck. It drove kids and teens from Casa Iosif to school, church, camp, and so many activities that I’ve lost count. Later on, it brought Roma children safely to our after school program, usually with backpacks falling open and someone telling a story from the back seat.

When the war in Ukraine began, that same van was suddenly used for something none of us expected, bringing refugees to safety. It also carried medical supplies and volunteers for our medical outreaches, helping us reach families who otherwise would not have gotten the care they needed.

And on ordinary days, it hauled everything you can imagine: tools, wood, groceries, donated clothes, medical equipment, camp materials and whatever else the ministry needed. It took us to churches, both near and far, where we preached, served, and helped wherever we could. It brought volunteer teams into areas smaller cars couldn’t get to, bumping over roads that would make most people nervous. We repaired it so many times I’m not sure anyone remembers all the stories behind those fixes. But somehow, it just kept going.

The Day We Lost It

This fall, the van caught fire because of an electrical fault. It happened while it was parked, and thankfully no one was inside. But the moment we saw it, we knew it was gone.

And it hit us harder than we expected. Losing the van felt like losing a piece of our history. Eighteen years is a long time. Hundreds of trips. Thousands of people helped. More memories than we could possibly fit into photos.

And suddenly, it was just gone.

Why We Need a New One

Since the fire, we’ve felt the loss every single week. A dependable van is something we rely on constantly. Without it, a lot of the ministry slows down or becomes impossible.

We still need to bring food packages to families.
We still need to reach churches and communities.
We still have teams to transport and projects to support.

We still need to reach families through our medical outreaches, which often require carrying supplies and volunteers to places where good transportation really matters
And there are always unexpected needs that pop up, needs we can normally jump into quickly because we have wheels.

A van isn’t a small thing. It’s how we get the work done.

If You Would Like to Help

We’re trying to raise $40,000 for a replacement van, something reliable that will carry us through the next many years of ministry. We want to purchase it new so it will be safe, dependable, and able to handle the long distances and tough roads we travel every week. A good, solid van gives us peace of mind and allows us to focus fully on the work, not on constant repairs.

If you feel led to help, thank you. Every gift matters. And thank you for praying with us and standing with us through all these seasons. We’ve seen God’s faithfulness over and over again, and we trust Him now too.

— REMM Team