Carpet in Simeria

 

In 1998 my dear friend, Brother Florin Doboş was pastoring a church in Simeria, Romania.  The congregation at Bethel Baptist Church had outgrown their little building and was trying to build a new church building in Simeria, Romania.  But Romania had double-digit inflation and the congregation in Simeria couldn’t seem to get ahead.  The money that they collected on Sunday was worth 10% less the following Sunday!  So, Brother Florin came to America to get financial support.  We traveled to Michigan, Ohio, Georgia and Tennessee sharing his need.  Churches were receptive and generous.  Pastor Frank Gagliano at South Haven Baptist Church in Springfield Tennessee inspired his people to get behind Brother Florin, and the last of the $50,000 was raised.  Brother Florin returned to Romania and the church was completed!  Brother Florin had a specific vision for the flooring.  Let me explain.  With the help of Precept Ministries in Chattanooga, we shipped carpet and glue to the church in Simeria.  Brother Florin was an engineer by trade and had developed a plan for the older folk in his congregation.  Brother Florin spread heating pipe across the sanctuary sub-floor and then poured the final concrete floor over it.  When the carpet was installed, the floor was toasty for the old ladies of the church who had arthritis in their legs and feet.  They came to church for a spiritual blessing but left with their old bones comforted too!  They could say with David in Psalm 122:1, “I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD.”  Praise the Lord for a loving pastor who was concerned with the spiritual condition of his members as well as their physical condition.