MY TESTIMONY

I was raised in a moral Orthodox family in Romania during the time of Communism.  My parents, both university graduates, taught my brother and me that in order to be successful in life we should be socially, intellectually, and professionally accomplished.  Therefore, we attended all the available forms of education.

 

When I was 22, studying engineering in my fifth year at the university and working full time, I started thinking that if this was all there was to life, then life could end there for me, as I found no meaning in the things I had.

 

As we grew up we were not allowed to have a Bible in our homes or to be too involved in a church, since the Communist Party thought of itself as being God and expected everyone to worship Communism.  After Communism fell in Romania God started to get my attention through the day to day needs I had, like my exams at the university and through supernatural events that happened that year, like earthquakes.  There was a period of three months when God was showing that He was “interested” in me, as He would answer my small, selfish prayers. 

 

It was then that I had a desire in my heart to do something for God in return for His care for me.  I only knew to light candles for the living ones or dead ones from my family, an Orthodox custom.  But I didn’t want to do this for me; I wanted to light a candle for God.  With this in mind as I was walking from class one day, I turned my head and I saw a building with a big cross on top.  This had been my day to day walk for the last five years, and yet I had never before seen that church.  A teenage boy came out to talk with me, being kind of hesitant in letting me know that this was not an Orthodox church, but a Baptist one and had no candles.  This was truly a miracle because this was the only Baptist church in a city of 450,000 people, but Orthodox churches are at every corner, like McDonald’s in the States! 

 

The boy showed me from the Bible he was carrying how Jesus, the only Son of God, lived a sinless life, died for the sins of the world including mine, and was resurrected the 3^rd day.  I had known that I was a sinner and unable to change myself.  It was at that time that I believed that He died for me; and I could see in my mind the exchange taking place, me giving Him a five-cent candle and Him giving me His life in return.

 

Sinful habits disappeared immediately, others in time; and in His grace God is still working to make me more like His Son.  Day by day I am grateful that He has never given up on me.  I started to share about the Lord Jesus Christ to those around me, not because I was required to evangelize (I had no idea of the concept), but there was no one else I wanted to talk about except Jesus.  My boss, her sister, and her niece came to know the Lord during that time.

 

My family has been the most resistant.  My dad is an economist who comes from generations of Orthodox priests.  Therefore, it is taking unconditional love and a bold, but quiet witness, to reach them.  My mom and sister-in-law have recently confessed they received the Lord, yet my dad and brother remain unsaved even today.

 

As I wanted to know God directly from His Word, not from what others said about Him, God gave me the privilege to attend Word of Life Bible Institute, where I graduated in 1997.  Since then I have been serving as a missionary in the church where I had gone to light a candle when I was 22, and I am evangelizing and discipling young ladies from Galati and surrounding villages.

 

My heart is mainly burdened for the girls from these villages that have no high schools. Their families are poor and cannot afford sending them to a high school in another city.  Many of the girls end up running away with older men and have children as early as 12 or 13 years old! 

 

My church, through the help of friends in the States, has been able to help support five girls in a high school all throughout this time.  Three abandoned their studies, but two sisters continued their education and graduated.  One is in college now, probably the first one in the history of her village.

 

It is my earnest desire that many other children from these village, would be given the chance to study in a high school under the direct supervision of Christian leaders and live in a Christian dormitory—not only to become better educated, but most of all to become followers of Christ as they watch the example of their leaders.

 

God’s Word says that the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; and in Romania it is no different. There are many ministry opportunities among Romanians who have great economic and social needs.  My country needs committed workers.  It is my prayer that God would lead Christians to partner with my church to increase God’s kingdom in eastern Romania.  You may contact me at this email address.  cignatovici@gmail.com

God Bless