My name is Liviu Sarcinschi; I am 48 years old and I work as an electrician for a major industry in Romania. I have been working for Laymen Ministries sponsored Humanitarian Prison Services (HPS) for many years, and also for the street people. Many believe that these are just low life people, will not change, and should stay where they are. I believe God thinks differently! He doesn’t want us to forget about them—and more than that, He wants us to teach them to help themselves and find a new way of life in Christ. Let me tell you about someone whom Christ has helped.
I met him one day at the door of Brincoveanu church, where I am a member. He was a little scary looking—a long beard, eyes hauntingly protruding, and smelly, filthy clothes—the kind of guy everyone tries to avoid on the street. Reeking of alcohol, he came up to me and asked for help. I admit my thoughts were somewhat negative—still I was touched by this man’s intense suffering. I gave him money to buy some food, but not too much, as I thought nothing good would come from it.
I was surprised to see this same man a few days later at a funeral of one of our church brethren. I didn’trecognize him. He was totally different—his appearance completely changed. His beard was gone. He had nice clothes on and was talking kindly. As I spoke with him I learned that he was an ex-convict who had no support from his family. But I will let him tell his own story:
Beniamin’s Story
“I thank God for His love, and for the fact that now I am able to praise the One who died for us all, including me.
“My name is Beniamin Rusu, and I am 49 year old. I was born in Mures, Romania, and my parents were Baptist Christians. My mother died when I was a little boy, and my father tried to give my six siblings and me a Christian education, but unfortunately he had many bad habits which I need not mention. This background contributed to my choice to turn toward criminal activities when I was only 17 years of age. I was constantly in trouble with the law. I was first sentenced to three years in prison. After that I was arrested nine more times and each time I was sentenced to two, three and even five years. Altogether I have spent more than 20 years in prison!
“In 1998, when I was sentenced to five years, some of my colleagues in prison advised me to appeal to have the sentence cut, as my crime was only car theft. The odds were against me. To my great surprise, my sentence was reduced to only two years—very rare for a repeated offender. It was unbelievable that they spared me three years of my sentence!
Battle for a Soul
“On the night before the appeal, I began to experience the unseen battle raging around me. I heard many voices shouting at me: ‘Kill yourself! Look at you, you are nothing but a failure!’ Lucifer had sent demons to harass me—they knew I might be released, and they wanted me to put an end to my life.
“I used to go to many Christian meetings in prison: Orthodox, Baptist, Adventist and others groups. I went simply to ask for pens, pencils, or anything else I might get for ‘free.’ Then someone gave me an Adventist magazine, Experiences on the Narrow Path. I started writing to the publishers, hoping to get from them as many magazines as possible.
After that, many Adventists came to visit me, and even sent me parcels. I remember one day a young man by the name of Nistor Serafim brought copies of the Advent Review. I was surprised to find in one of them an article about an ex-inmate named Nistor Serafim. That was how I found out Nistor Serafim himself had been in prison, experienced the same problems as mine, but had changed his life through Christ’s help.
Desire for Change
“I said to myself, ‘If this man could experience a life change, maybe Christ can change mine, too.’ I started to pray, but there was no change. Why? Because I was trying to change myself, not allowing God to make His changes in me. But I also started to read the Bible and my eyes were being opened. I began to understand what the Adventists were teaching.
“I found a verse in the second chapter of Proverbs which helped me: ‘And if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.’ The 17th chapter of Acts told me that, ‘In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now He commands all people everywhere to repent.’ In the book of Joel it is written that, ‘we should return to the Lord with all our heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.’ I began to realize that God can forgive my millions of sins.
“I also read the messages of the three angels and I understood who are the saints who obey God’s commandments and remain faithful to Jesus. I realized that the Seventh-day Adventists keep these commandments, and that the great controversy between Christ and Satan will be brought to its climax over the observance of the seventh day Sabbath.
Living As a Free Man
“I live in Bucharest now and go to Brincoveanu Church, where I feel wonderfully welcome. The day I asked for help at the Adventist Church was the turning point in my life. Now my family is the church members who understand me, help me, and who have given me support. I have been in touch with my sister in Bucharest, and with my brother in Iasi, but they don’t yet believe I’ve changed—I must prove to them I am a different person.
“I had problems with alcohol until one day I got so sick that I poured out what was left in the bottle. I felt so ill and ashamed of myself I decided to stop drinking. I confessed my sin to my church family, and their prayers sustain me.
“I don’t have an ordinary place to live yet. My home is in the basement of the block of flats where my friend Liviu Sarcinschi lives. He helped me, advised me, and he reproved me as if I were his own child. God bless him. The other residents of these flats were upset by my presence at first. But as they saw I was hard working and keeping the whole place clean they got used to me—God touched their hearts.
“I have trouble getting a job, as I haven’t had any documents for more than 15 years, but my brethren struggle to get an identity card for me so that I can start working and get back to normal.
“Now I understand that God’s mission for me is to share Him with those who know nothing of His goodness so they may come out of spiritual darkness into His light. The world I used to live in was the world of convicts on the one hand, and of street people on the other. They live an awful life. All these people are precious in God’s eyes and they need Jesus’ salvation. The people who knew me once think I am crazy to have chosen to become a religious man. They don’t understand the advantage of having Jesus in their lives. I pray that God will help me to bring them to Christ.
“I keep reminding myself that if Jesus suffered, then I might have to suffer, too. So I do not complain when things go wrong—and lots of things have gone wrong! I can say I am happy living with my brother in Christ. And I long for my family to come to Christ. I pray for them.
“There is hope. If someone like me could be forgiven, then many others can be forgiven, too! I am thankful to my heavenly father for the sacrifice of His Son, for the fact that His Holy Spirit took me to the door of His church, where I entered, and where I have stayed.
“Love and hope, Beniamin Rusu”
One Simple Contact
So you have it—the story of our dear friend, Beniamin Rusu, whom the Lord has touched. It all began with his contact with HPS workers in prison, and continued with church members after his release. Something as simple as one person’s willingness to help another in need was the turning point in this man’s life.
This experience has made me more aware of how we are so suspicious when we meet someone who doesn’t seem to fit in. An ex-convict is still considered a convict, even though released from prison. In some cases, rejection causes relapse into a life of crime. While there is good reason to be cautious, we must still try to reach out and help those who are sincerely needing it.
I have visited many prisons in Romania, and I find the living conditions there better now than several years ago. The inmates are well cared for and have at least one decent meal a day. Because of this, I asked Beniamin why he didn’t want to go back to the prison, to a secure life, as many others inmates choose to do, instead of living in the streets, eating out of garbage cans. He answered, ‘I don’t want to debase myself anymore as a criminal.’ I do not know if my poor English can convey the importance of these words—for a man to stop a life of crime and choose the condemnation and filth of sleeping in the street, eating from the garbage and living in the worst misery! Beniamin was ripe for help, and HPS was there to give him a new start.
The leaders of HPS, Pastors Valeriu Petrescu, George Uba, president of the Central Organization of HPS and the Territorial Organization of HPS (HPS Muntenia), as well as Olimpiu Celea, the Program Coordinator, have personally taken an interest in and sponsored Beniamin. The members of Brincoveanu Church offered him their love and support, as well as food and clothes. Couldn’t we do more for those who suffer the same kind of life?
We are now praying for a job for Beniamin. His original problem of a place to live is solved. But what about those who will be set free from prison but have no place to go? HPS desires to render the members of the church and of society sensitive in order to find a solution for these cases. There are places for children to find shelter, but for adults it is very difficult.
So much needs to be done. Ex–convicts are often cheated by crooks and lose their homes; the mentally handicapped are abandoned in the streets by their own families. Then there are disabled people and drunkards, or others with many kinds of problems—all of these are people for whom Christ died. Can we do something for them? May God grant us wisdom and a desire to help others in need. Please pray for the work of HPS—an organization founded and sponsored by Laymen Ministries—that has found people who want to share God’s love in a very tangible way with those who are neglected and rejected.
Liviu Sarcinshi and his family live in Romania, where he is sponsored by Laymen Ministries through Humanitarian Prison Services.
In his 49 years of life, Beniamin had spent more than 20 years of it in prison, arrested numerous times and sentenced to 2, 3, or 5 years. As a repeat offender, there was little hope for his rehabilitation—until he met Christ through the workers of HPS.
Beniamin and Liviu share a Bible study in Beniamin's basement room in Liviu's apartment building. At first the other tenants were nervous to have Beniamin there, but his changed heart and Christian actions won them over.