Aim member, Helen, was not brought up in a Christian home in fact she was brought up in a country where even to gather to worship was against the law. Although Romania has changed, Helen is now looking to serve in North Africa, where being a Christian may mean facing persecution.

I was born in a small town in south central Romania, at the time when Communism still ruled my country. At school I was told that God didn’t exist and, like a good student, I believed my teachers. As far as I can remember, not one of my classmates ever talked to me about God. Under Communism it was forbidden to do so – especially in school. In my last year of high school, however, my geography professor was bold enough to tell us about Jesus. I doubted God’s existence. I reasoned, “If God really existed, then he would not have let so many bad things happen in my life.”

I asked my friend to buy me a Bible and I began to read it daily for the next two years, eventually going through the entire Bible all by myself.

While I was in my fourth year as a mechanical engineering student, a friend from school attempted to tell me about her faith in Christ. At the time, I really didn’t understand anything she said. I had never read the Bible, nor had I ever even owned one. She suggested another book to me, ‘The Robe’ by Lloyd Douglas. Through this book, God touched my heart and I cried as I realized that I was a sinner and needed God. I asked my friend to buy me a Bible and I began to read it daily for the next two years, eventually going through the entire Bible all by myself. I just went to my local orthodox church, hoping to find out more about God. But unfortunately, I learned nothing about Jesus, how to live as a Christian, or how to grow spiritually. I continued like this for four years.

One day, feeling like a lost soul, I knelt and asked God to show me a church where I could grow, have fellowship and learn how to pray. As I rose from my knees, I remembered that I had been told of a woman in my apartment block who went to another church. The following Sunday, I met the missionary family that had planted the church. They welcomed me, and for the next year, I matured in my Christian faith and was baptized.

The following year I moved to a job in the capital, Bucharest. The day I left, the people in my church took me to the train station and they prayed for me saying they were sending me like a missionary to Bucharest. Over the next seven years in Bucharest I was content in my new job and my financial and personal independence. Although I did not think so much about becoming a missionary myself, I became involved in praying for and supporting missionaries. I remember praying specifically for the persecuted church in many nations and for God to raise up workers for his harvest, as Christ has asked us to do. I never even thought to ask him to send me! But that is exactly what happened! Little by little, the desire to be a missionary grew. I prayed, “Lord, if you want me to be a missionary, please let my mother be in agreement with this call.” I was so surprised when I called her a few days later – even though she is not yet a believer, she agreed to let me go!

Not knowing much about what was involved in being a missionary, I began to seek out as many mission-related activities, courses and books that I could find. I did the Perspectives course, learned about the 10/40 window and the great need for missionaries in Muslim nations.

When I heard about Muslims in North Africa, my heart was filled with a special passion for them.

But when I heard about Muslims in North Africa, my heart was filled with a special passion for them. I felt God calling me especially to such a ministry. Through conversations with my pastor I learned that Aim International had an established ministry in North Africa and was willing to consider me as a candidate for their North Africa Timo team.

I praise God for the miracles he has performed in my family. Though they are not yet believers, they are supportive of my call. I also know without a doubt that when God begins a good work in us, he will be faithful to complete it. God gave me a missionary vision for North Africa, and I know that he will work in my life to bring this vision to fruition.

(Helen is not her real name.)

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