When her turn came to introduce herself at the welcome gathering that session, Mrs. M — one of our guests — openly admitted that she had been afraid to come to Herghelia. I was eager to learn more, and later that evening we had a chance to talk. She shared with me that she had been planning to come for a long time and genuinely needed our services but had hesitated. Although all of her friends who knew us had exceptionally good things to say about our medical care, when it came to the fact that we are Adventists, everyone had advised her to be cautious. I appreciated her honesty and assured her that Herghelia is the safest place on earth as far as her soul is concerned — her personal relationship with God.
I also learned that evening that she had come to Herghelia accompanied by an SDA lady from her area whom a mutual friend had introduced to her — and she had even paid for this lady’s stay. Later in the session, our psychologist made me aware that, unfortunately, this SDA lady was not behaving well toward Mrs. M. She appeared to be a fanatical Christian who was pushing her beliefs and practices on Mrs. M in an overbearing way. As you can imagine, that was the last thing we wanted to happen in Mrs. M’s case. So, I took the time to speak with her and offered to address the matter with the SDA lady — but Mrs. M thanked me and, at the same time, asked me not to intervene, assuring me she could handle it herself.
In every other respect, Mrs. M truly enjoyed her stay at Herghelia. She found solutions to her medical concerns, formed friendships with staff and fellow guests, and showed a genuine interest in everything happening in our program. I stayed close to her throughout the week, answering her many curious questions about various aspects of what we do. To my surprise, Sabbath morning she appeared in church. She loved the Sabbath School and mentioned that this was the first time in her life she had attended a church with a regular Bible study program. That same evening, she also joined my husband’s presentation on Herghelia’s history, and made very insightful, heartfelt remarks about God’s providence in our story.
We stayed in touch after the session ended, and again to my surprise, she told me she had decided to stop attending her previous church — Lord’s Army, a branch of the Orthodox Church with Protestant-like practices — and to start attending the SDA church in her area. She has been doing so for several months now. As her husband was away working in Germany at the time, she shared her concern about how he might react to her decision when he returned. We decided to pray about it together. We spoke on the phone daily, as she had many questions about our beliefs. Seeing how excited she was about the Sabbath and the Sabbath School, I suggested we study Steps to Christ together on Zoom. She always looked forward to those sessions.
She shared her enthusiasm for Herghelia with her husband and convinced him to come with her in the summer. She is also an avid promoter of Herghelia — three other friends of hers are planning to join them in the same session. After her husband returned home, we continued our studies together, and Mrs. M proposed that they come to visit us for a weekend so he could also experience our Sabbath School and worship. That visit took place and went well — the following Sabbath, they both attended the SDA church in their area. During their visit I gave them The Desire of Ages and The Great Controversy, and encouraged them to read the New Testament alongside The Desire of Ages. They are doing so and enjoying it very much.
Sometime later, a new challenge arose. As one of the more experienced and versatile workers at her workplace, her employer asked her to put in extra hours to train colleagues across different lines of work. Unfortunately, this program was scheduled on Sabbath. She is firmly determined not to accept this and plans to speak openly with the administration. She is willing to work on Sunday or any other day — except Saturday, as she is now fully convinced that the seventh day is the Sabbath, the Lord’s Day, set apart for worship since Creation, and it would be against her conscience to work on it.
Let us keep this dear new believer in our prayers, as she is already facing challenges in her walk with the Lord. May she be strong in her determination to obey Him — no matter what — for His glory and her own spiritual growth and maturity!
By Valentina Dan
Newsletter XXII Summary
The patient program at Herghelia continues to function well, though due to economic hardship in Romania, the average number of patients per session in 2025 declined from 51 to 48.
Following the cancellation of the presidential elections in December 2024, social trust declined and social anxiety increased, compounded by economic downturn and the broader global crisis.
My name is Ovidiu, and I am a nurse and therapist at Herghelia. After nearly 22 years of repeating that introduction to patients, it feels completely natural — but the road that brought me here was one I never could have planned on my own.
I grew up in the flatlands of southeastern Romania, in a large and beautiful village, the way all the places of our childhood seem beautiful. My family was traditional, and like most people in our area, we were Orthodox. My grandmother had a deep spiritual side and passed that on to me from an early age. We even had a relative who served in the local church, and my grandmother dreamed that her grandson would one day become a priest.
As the chaplain of the institution, I spend one hour with our guests each session during the first week, meeting as a group on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. I usually teach them a couple of Scripture songs and deliver a short spiritual message.
This session, two gentlemen are joining us at Herghelia for the first time, one of whom is a magistrate. At our first meeting, they both arrived a little after my presentation had begun. I was speaking about the importance of a positive attitude in life and how we can develop one. Basing my message on Psalm 42, I highlighted three main ideas, supporting each with illustrations
I am grateful to God for what He continues to do at Herghelia. I come here every year in my role as auditor for the institution, but I always look forward to the spiritual experiences God has in store for me beyond my professional duties.
Some of you may remember Isaiah, my Pentecostal friend whom I first met at Herghelia four years ago — I shared that story in a previous newsletter. Last autumn we were here together again, and we made plans to return this spring for a fourth visit. In September I stopped by to see him and his family in their hometown. We spent a wonderful few days together — enjoying the scenery, visiting local sights, and hiking in the Jiu Valley. We paused now and then to pray and thank God for the beauty of nature. When we said goodbye, we were looking forward to meeting again at Herghelia in the spring. But then something unexpected happened.
When her turn came to introduce herself at the welcome gathering that session, Mrs. M — one of our guests — openly admitted that she had been afraid to come to Herghelia. I was eager to learn more, and later that evening we had a chance to talk. She shared with me that she had been planning to come for a long time and genuinely needed our services but had hesitated. Although all of her friends who knew us had exceptionally good things to say about our medical care, when it came to the fact that we are Adventists, everyone had advised her to be cautious. I appreciated her honesty and assured her that Herghelia is the safest place on earth as far as her soul is concerned — her personal relationship with God.
Five years since a bold idea took root at Herghelia — and today we can say with gratitude: every step has been worth it.
Two graduating classes. A generation of character.
Before we tell you about the new school year, we want to celebrate with you the second graduating class of the “Vasile Dan” Herghelia Nursing School.
HERGHELIA – URGENT NEEDS
- Scholarship Ethiopia: 7500 USD
- Scholarship Uganda: 6000 USD
- New Wing Project: 160.000 USD
- Medical Missionary Nursing School – Online/On-site Pilot Program – $15,000
2 ways to donate via OCI tax deductible:
A. Donate ONLINE:
Go to OCI website: https://outpostcenters.org/en/oci-website/donate
Choose Herghelia Institute as the recipient, choose or write the amount of donation and in the cassette where is written “Leave them a note” please write “For Ethiopians training” or “For dr. Ivan’s training” or “Scholarship Ethiopia and Uganda” or “ New wing” or “ Nursing School”
B. Write a check to:
OCI International
5132 Layton Lane, Apison, TN
37302 United StatesIn the MEMO please write: For Herghelia Institute – Scholarship Ethiopia and/or Uganda or, For Herghelia Insitute New wing or, For Herghelia Institute Nursing School
- Contact person: Valentina Dan
Phone: +40-748-118-084
E-mail: valentinadan1964@yahoo.com