ALBA LULIA, ROMANIA — The “Philippi Vision” charitable association from Alba Iulia carries out missionary and social projects in Romania, Europe and Africa. The organization was founded in 2018 by some young men, Florin Lupean and David Murza, out of the desire to help people in poor areas and to make God known. We will continue the project as we discover how the association is involved in building a school in the Ethiopia town of Ziway – continent of Africa.

The “Smile for Ethiopia” project is run by the “Philippi Vision” Association in collaboration with the Pentecostal Foreign Mission Agency. One of the goals is to build a school with grades 1-8 in the Ethiopian town of Ziway.

Florin Lupean – President, “Philippi Vision” Association:

We started with $1,000. That’s all I had, $1,000. We prayed to the Lord and started to hold fairs.

David Murza – Founding Member, “Philippi Vision” Association:

While we were in Africa, God spoke to us personally, and through certain people, that we have a work to do together, Florin and I.

The construction of the school started two years ago.

Florin:

I was in Ethiopia three times after I created the NGO. We work together with the Pentecostal Foreign Mission Agency. We have reached the stage where the roof will be put on the school. We intend to open the school in two years.

The costs for building the school are estimated at about 300,000 dollars.

Florin:

Probably the costs will reach, by the end of the construction, somewhere around 300,000 dollars. It will be a fairly large school, it will consist of two buildings, in total there will be 1,600 square meters, there will be a sports field, a library, study rooms, laboratories.

It’s Florin Lupean’s desire that God be glorified through this work.

Florin:

The children, when they come to study at that school, should say: extraordinary school, not only is it teaching in an extraordinary way, but it was done well. We are called to do things in a good way, well. “Well done good and faithful servant, you are good, you have done things as they should be done.” We want to have a school where people glorify God, and why not us, as Romanians, to be seen as we should be.

The president of the “Philippi Vision” Association explains why the school is Romanian-Ethiopian.

Florin:

The first reason is for them to learn the Romanian language and to give them the opportunity to come and study here in the country after they finish school. The second reason is that we want it to be a corner of our country there in Ethiopia. A school well made to speak to them about a country that functions well. This is my belief: a Romanian-Ethiopian Christian school to speak to them about the fact that we are a Christian people.

Following his travels in Africa, Florin Lupean believes that for the transformation of this continent, both God and education are necessary.

Florin:

Third world countries don’t need just food. We have the impression that they only need food. But they need education and God to rise up. Without education and without God we can feed them as much as we want. It will remain the same, and in 50 years there will be the same needs.

Education, social work and evangelism are all components of the Church’s work.

Florin:

I am one hundred percent sure, according to the Scriptures, that the Church, the Body of Christ has a role in helping people out of poverty, it has a role in educating people and directing them to Christ.

Serving people in areas of Africa or Asia is a life-changing experience.

David:

It’s not just a simple experience, experience is an understatement. I think it’s an encounter with God, and I think God is humbling us so much through this, that we end up wanting to humble ourselves, in that other things don’t matter anymore. And it can even be a step towards change in everyone’s life.

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