My adventure began in 2007 as I asked God to show me His heart for Romania. In the stillness I sensed His Spirit say, "Jer. 8:18." When I opened my Bible it read, "My heart is faint in me. Listen! The voice, the cry of the daughter of my people from a far country." The cry that He wanted me to hear was the cry of the orphan. He was calling me to restore their innocence. So I responded, "Yes God, I'll go! Whatever you ask of me I'll do." That is when I set off on the journey that I am still on today... a journey of listening... of hearing God's heart and following.

At first He sent me as a teacher at an afterschool program for poor Roma children where I taught English and Bible. There I organized a girls group to help prevent the cycle of teen pregnancies and lead them to faith in Christ. Later on I also began volunteering at an orphanage where God transformed me from being a teacher for the poor to becoming a mother for the orphan.

That is when my calling became even more clear. God was urging me not just to go to the little ones, who had at least a small chance of being adopted, but to go to the older ones who had no more chance of ever being wanted. The ones completely without hope who still very much needed a mother's love and guidance. This is what has changed me so dramatically, because the more I see God's love for them, the more I understand His love for me.

So many people ask me, "Why Romania?" Which I could respond by saying, "Why me?"  I'm just one person from a tiny town in Vermont who never thought I would ever cross the ocean. But Jesus called me to the other side... just as He called His disciples to the other side of the sea... the other side of what they could see... beyond what they thought was possible so He could increase their faith.

Stepping out of the boat and onto the water, I moved to Romania in 2013 to live as a full time missionary. Since then God has continually been increasing my faith and taking me deeper into His heart, teaching me how to love, in order to fulfill the purpose for which He sent me: To restore the dreams of the poor and fatherless of Romania through education and discipleship.

Will you hear their cry? God asked me. Is He asking you to do the same? If you would like to join me in this journey I pray that God will bless you with the joy of His presence each and every day as you follow His voice.

Thank you for your prayers and support!

Andrea