Welcome to the Journal of Dr. Gerald Whitely
Stuck in a Cornfield
In 1992 we were distributing New Testaments around Haţeg, where we were staying with Brother Florin Doboş. We had three vans where we would stay in the same general area, but go separate ways in order to cover more territory. I had a group of five young people with me and we were near Strei. Romania had huge collective farms, but communism was over. Anyone who could prove ownership of land that was confiscated could have the land returned. Small 20 hectare plots were showing up everywhere, but the work on those fields was done by hand. We had to walk too far, so I drove down one of the dirt roads used by the wagons. The kids would get out and hand out New Testaments to a few folk, and then we would move on. As we went further and further, by driving skills were not as good as my confidence. The van slid in a wet area, and we were stuck. But not to worry. Two young men came over to help push. But no luck. So they went back, unhitched their horse, brought him over, hitched him to the van, and we were free within moments. We gave them each a New Testament as payment, and they were happy. After another round of thanks and goodbyes, we were off to the next field.
Bugs!
My dear wife is absolutely paranoid about bed bugs and fleas. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t like them either, but she is looking for them where they simply ain’t – if you know what I mean. In 1993 we were with a group of twenty Americans in Vatra Dornei up in the Carpathian Mountains handing out New Testaments at an evangelistic meeting of an American preacher. A Romanian brother had made our reservations for the hotel, and it was a dump. But we had no other place to go. Kathy went around to each room spraying everything down and examining every bedsheet and pillowcase for any speck that even looked like a bug. I could barely lay my head on the pillow because it was soaked with chemicals. I don’t think Kathy slept at all that night. But she slept well in the van as we traveled to Haţeg the next day.
Overnight train to Simeria, Romania
In 1996 I organized a trip to Romania, Moldova, and the Ukraine for Dr. Kent Hovind. He lectured on Biblical Creationism and we flew between most of our speaking points. But from Suceava to Simeria, we took the train – there is no airport near Simeria. Pastor Viorel Condreanu took our passports and went to downtown Suceava and bought the train tickets. We left at 11 PM and took the sleeper car. Brother Kent had three pieces of luggage, and we had difficulty getting everything into the small cabin on board. But the conductor was professional and was glad to help – after a generous tip. The sheets were clean and we were rocked to sleep by the motion of the train and the clickity-clack noise of the rails. The conductor came by and woke us up at 6 AM, just in time to drag the suitcases off of the train in Simeria. Brother Florin Doboş was waiting at the station. He knew that the train would stop for only 90 seconds. The train is the only thing that is on time in Romania. And it was a bargain. The 360 Km trip, including clean sheets, was $20 per person!
Crown in Brasov, Romania
In 2000 I was in Romania for a conference at the resort town of Braşov. I was eating supper and surprised by something crunchy. It turned out to be a piece of my tooth. It had broken off down to the gum line. I could imagine the pain I might have on the plane trip back home as they pressurized the cabin. I had to get it taken care of, but I was a continent away from my dentist. So I asked several people on the street about a dentist. When I got a dentist’s name twice, I figured he must be good, so went to his office. But the dentist didn’t speak English. A local ski instructor who spoke a little English was in the waiting room and explained my situation to the dentist. So the dentist called a taxi and sent me to get an x-ray at another office. The x-ray office was one room with everyone sitting around waiting their turn at the seat in the middle. No secure room; no lead shield; nothing. The cost was 4,000 lei – about 12¢. When I returned with the x-ray, the dentist explained that I needed a root canal. He drilled out my tooth, extracted the nerve, and packed the cavity with antibiotic soaked gauze. I had to return in two days. At the next session, he cleaned out the tooth canal and installed a titanium post that would hold the new crown. He finished the crown in about an hour. The total cost for root canal and crown build-up was $58!
Minsk, Belarus
In 1991 I was challenged to do more to get Scriptures in to Romania. We had bought New Testaments printed in Oskosh, Wisconsin, but they were too expensive to buy in bulk. Keith Vanderlinden at Source of Light Ministries referred me to Gilbert Lindsey, a printer in Richardson, Texas. Brother Gilbert had a contact in Minsk in Belarus at a printing company. Just after the iron curtain had collapsed in 1989, the Russian Academy of Sciences printing operations had run out of funding, and had stopped printing. They had presses and workers, but no money and no work. I contracted with them to print 40,000 Romanian New Testaments and 10,000 Russian new Testaments. They sold them to me for 30¢ each, delivered to Romania! We couldn’t even get New Testaments shipped to Romania from America for that price if we had them for free! They were delivered to Chernovski, Ukraine and Alba Iulia, Romania and we distributed them the following summer. I was amazed at how God had worked! I grew up under the Cold War cloud of Soviet aggression. The USSR was a constant threat with its atheism and iron-fisted control over its people. But God is in control of the world. In 1991, New Testaments were printed in Russia, on government presses, and then exported to Romania!
My Bad Day April 2, 2015
Thursday I was having a bad day, so I decided to stop by McDonald’s for an ice cream cone. But by the time I got there, it was raining. That was bad. But when I hopped out of the truck, there was an awning over the door. That was good. Then I walked by the manager, who said they were closed due to an electrical fire. That was bad. But he said, “Wait a minute, we just got it fixed and they might have things up and running.” That was good. But when we walked inside, the kid behind the counter said “We don’t have the grill up yet, so we can’t open.” That was bad. But I said, “All I want is ice cream.” So he said “Let me check.” That was good. But the Ice cream machine had been off and when he tried to make a cone, the ice cream wasn’t firm enough to sell. That was bad. But the manager told him to give me the cone for free. That was good. So McDonald’s was having a bad day too – but my day had just gotten a little better.
Container to Romania June 5, 2015
40′ sea container headed for Romania June 5, 2015
Today, June 5, 2015, we loaded out a forty foot container for Romania. We had used ski jackets, Bibles, printed materials, books for pastors, kitchen supplies, folding tables, and chairs for the Bible Study Center in Surduc. What a blessing to think of the pastors and their wives who will receive the items! Pray as the container winds its way for five weeks through Europe crossing five borders before it makes it to Romania. We have sent one container a year since 1990 – some years two or three. I never get over the generosity of Americans and the thrill of the recipients overseas. I fully understand, the Lord Jesus said, “…It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Acts 20:35
Balaur Bondoc, Romanian Dinosaur
Balaur Bondoc, a Velociraptor-like dinosaur from the Hateg area.
I had an afternoon off while in Romania in March,2015, so Brother Florin Doboş took me to the dinosaur museum in Haţeg. During the late Cretaceous period Haţeg had been an island and home to some interesting creatures. The Dinosaur Museum of Transylvania in Haţeg is where school children are “indoctrinated” in evolution. The bones and a life-sized reproduction of the famous Balaur Bondoc are on display. But the details are telling: no neck vertebrae or skull bones have been found. How do they know what the head looked like? No tail vertebrae have been found. How do they know what the tail looked like? The Balaur Bondoc model on display has contour feathers, flight feathers, and wing-like forearms. But no feathers were found at all. Why are feathers displayed on the model? The janitor snickered and told me that the feathers on the model were actually from four turkeys! And this model of Balaur Bondoc – with its fake head and fake tail and fake feathers – is shown to school children as factual science!
Misspelled Name on Driver’s License
In 2002, I went to Dalton to renew my Georgia driver’s license. But when I got the license back in the mail, (with that good-looking picture) my last name was misspelled. I had to go back to Dalton to get another “great” picture and fill out forms. My new license soon arrived with the correct last name. But no one had collected the misspelled license. So, for the next ten years, I had two licenses, which came in handy while driving in Romania. When the Romanian police stop you, they are looking for a bribe. For even minor infractions, the police can send your license to Buchareşt. You have to travel all the way to Buchareşt to pay the fine before your license is returned. But for ten years I was fearless! I had two licenses! I could afford to lose the misspelled one! I was stopped in Simeria and threatened by the police. “I can send your license to Buchareşt!” the officer said. “Go ahead,” I replied. He was taken aback with my confidence. He shrugged, returned the misspelled license, and waved me on.
My “Book”
Professor and friend
In 2005 I was in Cameroon Africa and held Creation/Evolution Seminars. At the end of each I use the Creation story from Genesis 1-3. Ben Sinclair had mobilized his people at Faith Baptist Church and Bible Baptist Church and they had handed out hundreds of invitations to attend my lecture at Congress Hall in Bamenda. Ben and I were walking down the street in town when a total stranger recognized me from a poster in the grocery store. He was so glad to meet “the professor” and shook my hand over and over. He assured me that he had read my book and that he would be at the lecture that evening. Only one problem: I have never written a book.
Lowell, Indiana
We were in Moldova Noua staying in a hotel in town and conducting evangelistic meetings while distributing John/Romans Scriptures during the day. One of our group, Brother Ron Kuhns was staying with the pastor, Adolphie Copriva in his village. Ron was out for a morning stroll and said, “Buna Diminaţa” to a passerby. The man replied, “Good morning.” Ron said, “You speak good English.” The man replied, “I should, I am an American.” Ron said, “Really! Where are you from?” The man replied, “Indiana.” Ron said, “Really! I am from Indiana! Where exactly?” The man said, “Oh you probably haven’t heard of it – it’s a small town in the northwest corner named Lowell.” Ron said, “Really! I am from Crown Point – it’s five miles from Lowell!” The man had married a Romanian and was visiting Romania with his wife. Ron said, “I have a pastor friend speaking tonight in town,. Would you like to come?” The man readily agreed. He was in Romania and didn’t speak the language and was staying in a small town bored to tears. Ron later introduced him to Dan Arsenault, a pastor from Lowell. The man hung around with us for three days enjoying the company of fellow Americans. He also heard six good salvation messages … in English!
Airplane in Romania
In 1996 Dr. Kent Hovind wanted to go to Romania and teach Biblical Creationism. He knew that I had traveled several times to Romania, so he contacted me to organize the details. Mia and Costel Oglicia knew many preachers and churches and helped with other contacts. We flew in to Frankfort, Germany and then on to Arad, Romania. After several meetings in Arad and Timişoara, we flew to Buchareşt, then to Chişinău, Moldova. Next we flew to Suceava, Romania and then to Simeria by train. Besides his personal suitcase, Brother Kent had a slide projector, ten carousels of slides, and a heavy voltage transformer. Each time we flew, had to pay for the extra weight. But when we got onto the plane in Buchareşt bound for Chişinău, I was excited. The airline scales were broken and we did not have to pay for any extra weight. But then I began to think. Because the scales were broken, the Romanian airlines had no idea how much the plane’s contents weighed – the same plane that we were flying on!