In December 2006 I had the wonderful privilege of going on a second short-term mission trip with GRN. It was on this trip, to Papua New Guinea, where I found myself confronted by the thought and prayer- "Lord, I'm going home in a weeks time- I don't want to just go back to my normal job as a childcare worker- where to from here?" Well to my shock, it was at this point that I audibly heard the word 'Romania'. Whilst I didn't know what this word meant, I trusted that God knew what He was doing and would reveal this word's importance if this was what He wanted.

 

The next day, another member of my team approached me and, not knowing what had gone on the night before, said to me "Manda, I've been praying about this and I think you would be good in the orphanages in Romania," to which I responded: "So it's a place!?"

 

As God provided further clear confirmations, I found myself applying and being accepted by International Teams in November 2007. I then completed various trainings to equip me for the journey ahead, before raising my support for an initial two year period within just five weeks, landing in Timișoara, Romania in May 2008.

 

Convicted that this was what God wanted, Castle Hill Baptist Church and I agreed that I would complete my first term in Romania, and, if I thought this was going to be a long-term option, I would return to Australia to attend Bible College, before returning to Romania to continue the next steps of this journey. So that is what I did. I returned to Sydney and completed my Theology Degree at the end of 2012 with the aim of returning to Romania long-term. However, it was at this stage that God threw a spanner in the works when my Dad unexpectedly passed away just 19 days after my college graduation. In utter shock, I could only let Jesus intercede for me, as I was lost for words as to what all this meant. When reality began to hit, I started asking God if I should even return to Romania!? After various discussions with trusted friends and colleages and much prayer, I made the decision to stay in Australia for 2013, but continue to plan toward returning to Romania in mid 2014.

 

Allowing time to grieve and heal and spend time with family and friends, I began looking forward with a new peace and a sense that, in leaving, I was not abandoning those I love but yet, I was being obedient to the one to whom I love and serve overall- Christ Jesus! Time gives a deeper understanding of God's bigger plan, as we look on the experiences and trials He takes us through. Time also allows us to see some of God's sense of humour, as I regularly remind myself to 'expect the unexpected'- something I learnt well, back on that first short term mission in 2004. 

 

Something of a blessing that I can now see, is how God orchestrated March 2013-April 2015 in particular. You see, had Dad not passed away, MY plans would have continued as originally planned, with the aim of moving long-term to Romania in mid-2013. Had this been the case, things would be very different today. The reality is, the first week I went back to church after Dad passed away, though still off in another world, I was introduced to a man who, though he had been attending the church for about a year by that stage, I had not met due to being at college. Due to my decision to stay in Australia for that year, I made the decision to join one of the church's bible care groups (BCGs), which this man also attended. Long story short, over the next twelve months we got to know eachother better before he stepped out in faith and asked me out!

 

Acknowledging that it was going to be a complicated scenario, we decided to pursue a relationship, in the middle of which I spent four and a half months in Vâlcea, Romania, beginning to work on the foundations of the Rroma-Workers Network (RWN)- something God began putting on my heart whilst at college. It was in the middle of my time in Vâlcea, that he flew over to visit and proposed on the mountainside in the stunning Transylvanian Alps... I think you can guess that I said Yes! And this was, of course, followed by much planning and a beautiful wedding celebration in April, 2015.