Moldovans in Mission: Moldova, Republic of

Country Profile

Moldovans in Mission

OM International

Many Christian workers come to Moldova for a short or longer time, but did you know that there are also Christian workers sent from Moldova?

More than half of OM Moldova's team members are Moldovans. They all have a vision to serve God in their own country. Besides the Moldovan Christian workers who are serving in their own country, we also send Moldovans out to other countries. At the moment there is one Moldovan serving in North Africa and a couple working in the Middle East.

One of our team members is currently preparing to serve in Central Asia. Natasha started working with OM Moldova in 2006. She has had a heart for people in the Muslim world her whole life. When she heard about the needs in Central Asia from the leaders of OM, she decided to go to one of the Central Asian countries. “Many people there are Muslim. The countries are closed although some of the countries are more open than others. I want to go to a country that is closed. I know God works there, and I think I will see Him working there more than in my own country.”

During the last four months, Natasha has had intensive preparation together with one of the OM Moldova leaders. “I learnt about mission and the Muslim world. I had to read a lot of English books and biographies, and after each book write a report. I travelled a lot in Moldova. Every Sunday I did a presentation in different churches about the work I will do in Central Asia. The reactions of my friends and family are different. Some of them encourage me to go and pray for me. Others tell me that it’s too dangerous to go there and that I would be better to stay at home and serve my church. But I’m convinced that I have to go. My parents and my church agree and have given me their blessing.”

One of OM Moldova's purposes is to help the church get a vision for world mission. For Moldovans it’s often easier to get a visa for "closed countries". Another positive is the language. Historically, people in all the former Soviet countries can speak Russian, and thus Natasha spoke both Romanian and Russian from a young age. While she has been with OM she has learnt English and so learning a fourth language in Central Asia will probably come more naturally.