Understanding the title before you begin to read the rest of this post is most important. Picture me, frozen in time, gripping the handle tightly as my driver friend (insert favorite NASCAR joke here) races through the rainy, very slick roads of a small town in an Eastern European country, with a determined look on his face which speaks to his desire to make it to his intended destination—a church he pastors, or otherwise scrape the paint off the next vehicle ahead. I’m convinced this guy is passionate about seeing souls coming into the kingdom of God, based not on the attention he gives to the road, but rather the passion in his heart for the people of Hirbovat, Moldova.

Faithfully serving and teaching those gathered on a cold Sunday morning, where there are no padded pews or ladies who persist on having the thermostat adjusted (there is no thermostat here). The temperature is just fine, thank you. A warm 45 degrees Fahrenheit. The sermon comes with a dose of bundled up worshippers who sing with breath-you-can-see joy after walking fifteen minutes over mud, bumps, potholes; enduring splashes from passing vehicles and nosey loose pets. Such people are grateful for a space to call their own, although this is the second time they have moved, and are moving for a third very soon.

What is behind the passion of this pastor and the commitment of such people as these? It is, simply and profoundly put, trust. A trust in a faithful God who asks for reckless abandon to all who would come and follow him, no matter the cost. God will see us through. Through the sanctifying work of Christ, God will see us through. Trust that shows faith and courage when the power from a single power cord stretched to the limit goes out and the worshippers continue, not missing a beat. Trust that points to the power of prayer as family members come to Christ, and needs are met, proving God cares for his children.

Trust that even at speeds that feel like 80mph to me, are echoed by laughter and proclamation of a pastor who says, “I LOVE working for God”! To the God who owns the silver and the gold, everything is His, He proves himself faithful to this young pastor.

The same can be said of others who have come before this pastor, fervently working to plant a church that plants churches. Having moved multiple times and to multiple locations, there are many in Filadelfia Church who desire to see everyone in Aneni Noi come to faith and repentance in Christ Jesus. From young women being discipled, the widow’s needs being met, the student’s questions being patiently answered, orphans being rescued, to passionate missions teams eager to lock arms from across the ocean, this church stands on the front lines in the spread of the gospel.