Cave Spring Baptist in Romania 

                                                                                                                                        Vol. XVI, No. 5, May/June 2003

A mission team sponsored by Cave Spring Baptist Church Roanoke (CSBC) went to Filiasi Romania. The team was headed by Hayden Furrow and included Glen Pearce Interim Pastor CSBC, his wife Jerrye, and Bob Rouse, Youth Pastor Beaverdam Baptist Church. The trip was planned to make tentative plans for CSBC to lead a large team effort in 2004. The work would center in the towns of Filiasi, Butoiesti, and Bilta located in south central Romania in the region of Oltenia. Much prayer time was spent in planning the trip and asking God to go before us and prepare the way that we might know that we were planning activities where God wanted CSBC to be involved.

This trip only allowed Saturday, Sunday, and Monday on the mission site. The schedule was very full. Preaching services were conducted on Friday night, Saturday morning and evening, four services on Sunday, and one on Monday evening. Pastor Glen preached at all the services and on Monday evening Hayden gave a second message.

On Monday meetings were held with the mayors of Filiasi and Butoiesti, the High School Administrator in Filiasi, the Doctor of a medical clinic in Butoiesti and with a church planning session that included the pastor of the church in Filiasi, who also serves as mission pastor in Butoiesti and Bilta, the Filiasi church council, the President of the Oltenia Baptist Association and Bob Wagstaff the IMB missionary serving in Oltenia.

The meetings and discussions revealed that God had truly gone ahead of us and prepared the way for us. The meetings were all very informative and enthusiastic. All the officials we met with displayed genuine interest in working with us, and we feel that God has opened a mission opportunity that could involve multiple churches here at home.

In addition to the usual evangelistic effort in the churches including preaching, children's and youth/sports activities, there is also the possibility for pastor and church council training, medical evangelism, and teaching in the public school. The pastor and church council desire help in reaching their people. The doctor we met with runs her own clinic and is desirous for us to set up a clinic with multiple doctors in her clinic. She is very happy to work with us and for us to distribute Christian literature. The school administrator is receptive for us to place Christian teachers in the classrooms and teach English, American History, Geography and in one "religion" class we can teach bible.

Please join us at Cave Spring and Beaverdam in prayer as we seek the leadership of The Holy Sprit in determining how to accomplish the work laid out before us.

Hayden Furrow, CSBC Mission Committee