There is special training conference for church leaders and their wives from the south of Romania starting this week at Sinaia. There are about 45 families participating at this event in partnership with Zionville Presbyterian Church. Here is a testimony about this decade-long connection:
After several years of intense work in south-east Romania between 1994 – 2002 in the only church at that time in Ialomita county – Holy Trinity Baptist Church in Fetesti – I was confident the Lord confirmed that it was His call for me to be in this city and area. The small church of 25-30 members increased, we had a team of 5 equipped workers, three young men sent to the Seminary in Bucharest (who returned as workers in the area).
Then I began to fear for the future of the ministry, we felt abandoned and I was really close to getting discouraged but I’ve learned to trust in the Lord and even though I was feeling sick after a pre-infarction, I learned to believe and have patience. I prayed and called the church to prayer.
Then the Lord led me to brother Eugen Groza, he knew a little about our situation, understood me and visited us in Fetesti and after a while, God found a solution through him and Mr. Dave Gall and Zionsville Presbyterian Church started partnering with us. ZPC was the hand of God for us, our friends and partners in ministry. It was an answer to our prayers, more than we asked for or thought or deserved. It was His grace.
The Lord was and is our connection, through MLI here in the country and brother Eugen with brothers and sisters from the USA and the relationships and support have been of great help and encouragement this far.
The missionary work was revived, the construction of the largest first church in the area continued and was concluded, and other churches like Tandarei and Bordusani were also built. Many people converted and the church grew from 25 members to over 200. With ZPCs help, several mission houses were bought: two in Bordusani, then one in Jegalia and Facaieni. Also a home for orphans was built and opened in Bordusani
Because we had the same vision with our partners in ministry, new churches were planted and pastors and their families had the joy of serving the Lord with continuous support knowing that they are not forgotten or isolated.
Christian camps, annual conferences, blessings for young students through scholarships, the opportunity to have two messages on the local radio every week, help for the poor, help with transportation in ministry and help with surgery in the US when I was about to lose my sight – these are all abundant blessings that we’ve had in the past ten years and I believe and hope this partnership will continue.
I have many things to learn from ZPC and Mr. Dave Gall, but I am so sorry I could not learn English so far.
I pray God would bless you and reward your efforts and that we would serve Him to the end of our lives.
God bless you!
Pastor Joseph Pop.