I remember thinking: It has to be really awesome to work in such a place! But the years passed by and that thought faded away, also. As our family grew – our Lord blessed us with two children, and we’ve been contemplating the possibility of offering them a Christian education and the need to live in the nature, away of the noises of the cities, we decided to begin searching for a place where to move. We’ve had in mind three requirements: a Christian school nearby, a SDA Church nearby and an employment possibility for me. We’ve began to look, here and there, but for a while nothing seemed proper for us: either would not meet the criteria or we just didn’t like the place or the prices were too high for our financial possibilities. But an event of 2007 really made a difference in this process’ dynamics… A family of friends that have been patients in Herghelia, decided to look for a place to move in this area and invited us to join them in a small vacation. This was the second time of our coming in Herghelia… Although we never thought before to consider moving so far away from Bucharest, it seems that the Lord brought us in this direction. The prices for land here were affordable and amazing enough, soon we realized that the other two criteria are met in a location we’ve found: it was located at a walking distance from the Health Center and being a nurse with many years of experience I’ve had hope that in the future I could join Herghelia’s team. As far as our children’s education, just 4 km away is Dr.Lind K-12 School that Herghelia started many years ago for it’s own staff.

I have to admit that besides the beauty of the place, the unexpected Christian school presence in this area scored very high in our decision to go for it. So we decided to buy the place and in 2008 we’ve began to build the house and after a long, tedious process in 2016 the house was ready and we’ve moved in. I want to also mention one other event that happened sometimes between 2008 and 2016, that also confirmed to us that we are heading in the right direction: One particular sabbath we’ve found out that Dan Family from Herghelia is visiting our church in Bucharest. At the end of their presentation, Mrs. Valentina had an appeal for those of us that love the medical missionary work to join their team in Herghelia. That call fell so timing so welcomed for my soul that I remember I began to envision myself, one day when the house would be ready and we would move to Herghelia happily stepping in Herghelia’s medical department.

I have no doubt that the call to come and work here it was God’s call for me – I seriously took it this way. And today I am here to confirm that these years were the most beautiful, the best and more fulfilling years of my life. My previous job in Bucharest as a nurse in a private Jewish hospital also brought me joy and satisfaction but nothing can be compared with Herghelia – what is here is quite special, unique. The joy of working with people, of ministering to their not only physical but also their spiritual needs, the opportunity to pray for them and with them, to introduce God to them as the best solution to their dilemmas, troubles and on top of all these, the privilege of working in a Christian setting and be part of the medical missionary work, of “God’s medical kit” ( I see myself as a instrument in His healing hands) brought me unspeakable satisfaction, fulfilment. Looking back on our journey, I am amazed on how a small thought that developed long ago in a small corner of my mind was brought to the reality. We could not see back then the way the Lord will work in our behalf but now in awe I could not help but thank and give Him glory. Seeing my joy in service at Herghelia, in many occasions my husband mentioned the fact that definitely we’ve had to move in this far corner of the country for the only reason that I may work in Herghelia. And I believe he is perfectly right!

By, Ioana Bajan – nurse and therapist in Herghelia