An Open Door to Hope: Ministering to Trafficking Survivors in Romania

By Amy Heckman

During Freedom Sunday, churches that participate collect an offering to support anti-trafficking ministries around the world. This year, part of that offering will go to support the ministry of Open Door Foundation in Romania. Keep reading to learn how they’re extending hope and care.

Residents enjoy preparing dinner together

In Bucharest, Romania, the local Nazarene church works in partnership with Open Door Foundation to serve women subjected to sex trafficking. Open Door is the only emergency shelter within Romania that offers a holistic approach to care for trafficking survivors.

Survivors are helped through medical treatment, dental care, legal assistance, continuing education and occupational training, job placement assistance, life skill and home management training, emotional and spiritual counseling, and financial assistance. Some women live full time in the shelter, but many more attend support groups and counseling on an outpatient basis. The Open Door staff works with all women on the goal of their full autonomy and reintegration into society, lowering the risk level of being trafficked again.

Residents learn to make jewelry and other crafts

Minors are also treated at Open Door through a day program that meets twice a week at the Nazarene church. Participants are offered therapy, medical and social assistance, legal care, and food supplies.

The local Church of the Nazarene is committed to support this ministry with prayer, and four of the shelter staff are part of the Nazarene church. Volunteers from this and other churches offer workshops and lessons to the residents in cooking, health, and beauty training, and spend time with the residents gardening, crafting, or providing transportation. Many of the Open Door residents attend services at the Nazarene church, and there they find supportive relationships as they learn more about the abundant love and care of God. Recently, two young women from the shelter accepted Christ into their lives, and their family members are starting to attend church with them.

Delivering items to a community where Open Door does prevention work

In the future, the staff of Open Door hope to expand their work to include a shelter for minors and a second shelter for women.

This Freedom Sunday, pray for the staff of Open Door Foundation, the local Nazarene church partnering with them, and the 124 survivors of exploitation currently receiving care there.

Learn more about the Open Door Foundation and leadership.

Learn more about Freedom Sunday, held this year on September 22, 2019. 

Reposted from NCM Blog, September 16, 2019.

Volunteer learns flexibility is key

James Clarkson’s year in Romania as an M+Power volunteer stretches him to try new things, jump in wherever needed

On 5 July 2018, James Clarkson graduated with his bachelor’s degree in accounting and finance. On 6 July, he was on a plane for Romania.

If Clarkson, originally from Scotland, could have left a few days sooner, he would have. He was eager to hit the ground on his six-month volunteer assignment through M+Power.

Called to Romania
He first had the sense that God was calling him to cross-cultural service when he attended the Church of the Nazarene’s 2017 General Assembly, a global gathering of Nazarenes held every four years.

“I really felt in my heart that God had something special for me. I really felt God was laying on my heart going to volunteer in Romania for a year,” Clarkson said.

Growing up in a missions-minded family, including a grandfather who is currently volunteering in another part of the region through M+Power, Clarkson had a personal connection with Romania: a cousin, Dorothy Tarrant, had ministered there for many years.

In January 2018, Clarkson attended the Glasgow M+Power training, which he says helped prepare him to be adaptable, and equipped him with other skills he would need for a successful year of cross-cultural service.

“The training I loved, I thought it was really good. We did [role playing scenarios],” he said. “It was funny: my role-playing group was a group going to Romania. I was randomly assigned to it. And then that’s where I ended up going.”

Josh Herndon (right) is the district
superintendent for the Romania District, where
James Clarkson (left) volunteered for a year.

Adapting to cross-cultural ministry challenges

Clarkson initially committed to six months in Brasov, the city where the Romania District’s superintendent family, Josh and Shannon Herndon, is working to plant a church.

His initial challenge was one that faces many cross-cultural workers: a feeling of isolation. It was the first time he had lived alone, in his own apartment; and it was across town from the missionaries.

And, like most other volunteers, Clarkson also needed to adjust to the unexpected: He had come to Romania hoping to be involved with the new church plant, but because there had never been an official Nazarene presence in Brasov, Romania, before, more time was needed to get to know the city, build relationships with people, and find the right ministry location.

Clarkson adapted to the changing circumstances by volunteering to help wherever he found a need in the local Nazarene ministries, including technology support for the ministries in Romania, and across the Central Europe Field.

For instance, he fixed computers for the Veritas Project, and provided IT support for the field strategy coordinator, who oversees the countries that make up the Central Europe Field. Clarkson also created graphic designs and supplied website support for the field. He helped run the technology for the Central Europe Field’s conference in Albania.

But he also contributed to local ministries, such as getting involved with the kids’ club reaching Roma children in Tigmandru and volunteering in Sighisoara Church of the Nazarene’s youth group. He supported the district superintendent family in whatever they needed, such as hosting Work & Witness teams, construction and painting.

“I was kind of a jack of all trades. You do so many different things,” he said.

His third challenge was trying to learn the language. He’d already started studying Romanian through the Duolingo smart phone app before he left Scotland. And once he arrived, he used his free time to continue.

“I thought I was prepared. But then when I showed up, I discovered that whatever you learned before moving there isn’t really good enough,” he said. “Then I found it way better when I had a good friend who was a translator.…You pick up words way more when you’re around people.”

Thanks to the sufficient support funds he raised by hiking the United Kingdom’s highest mountain, as well as generous gifts from his home church, Clarkson was able to extend his time in Romania by four months. He moved to Sighisoara to be closer to the church and youth group where he gave much of his volunteer time.

Learning to try, not give up
The 10 months of ministry in Romania were a positive learning experience, Clarkson said.

“One thing I learned was to take on the challenge, even though in your head you think you can’t do it. I’d rather strive to do it,” he said. “My faith was really challenged a few times. The first few months I was ready to give up and go home. But I just trusted what God had for me and just strived to do that.”

He witnessed firsthand the obstacles, the struggles and even the opposition that missionaries experience when engaged in ministry, especially when trying to start something new.

“James is the first M+Power volunteer that we have worked with. We feel he is a great example of a young person stepping completely out of his comfort zone to participate in ministry outside of his own cultural context,” said Shannon Herndon. “James jumped in and did his absolute best at any task we asked him to tackle. He didn’t let his comfort or personal preferences dictate what he would or would not do during his time in Romania. He pushed through challenges and uncomfortable moments and, because of his perseverance, he grew as a person, and contributed well to the multiple ministries he was a part of during his year in Romania!”

Now that he’s back home, Clarkson is considering theological studies as the next calling God may have for him.

Find out more about how to volunteer at www.eurasiaregion.org/volunteers

This article has been written by Gina Grate Pottenger and published in the September 2019 edition of Where Worlds Meet.

Veritas Teens Study Science

Adapted from Veritas View newsletter spring 2019

In mid-March the teens at Veritas began to study science with the help of Roberta Bustin. Roberta taught chemistry in college and worked as a NASA scientist in the summers. Her first lesson included information on space and each teen was able to set off their own rocket. They were even able to hold an authentic space shuttle tile and see how it was insulated. Roberta will continue this series once a week for several months, leading the class in discussions and experiments in ecology and chemistry.

Roberta Bustin in her NASA suit

Roberta demonstrates how a torch does
not burn through a space shuttle tile.

Scottish lad volunteers at Veritas

Originally published in the Veritas View newsletter, Spring 2019

James Clarkson moved to Sighisoara in February of this year. He is volunteering in Romania under the Nazarene Church and spent the summer and fall of 2018 living in Brasov. On James’ Facebook page he describes himself as, “Just an ordinary guy following God's call to do extraordinary things.” For Veritas, that has meant using his skills with technology to set up networked computers for the teen club, and answer questions from staff who are experiencing problems with their computers. James’ degree from Abertay University in Dundee, Scotland, was in accounting and finance. But if he doesn’t know how to do something on the computers, he knows how to find the answers. He has saved staff a lot of time and stress! James also volunteers one afternoon each week with the Special Needs club.

James says of his time in Romania, “It’s challenged me to do things outside of my comfort zone: trying new foods, trying to learn a new language; working with children. People have been very hospitable and helpful.” 

Veritas has benefitted from James’ desire to follow God’s call by coming to Romania. We wish him the best as he returns to Scotland at the end of May, where he will continue his education.

Elderly Club leader retires

Mia Golea

Originally published in Veritas View newsletter, Spring 2019

After 20 years of working in a variety of roles at Veritas, Mia Golea has retired. Her work was celebrated in a special devotional and reception time on February 22. 

Mia’s work with Veritas began when she became the first manager of the International Café. She took care of the paperwork necessary to start this for-profit business, never easy here in Romania. 

Mia’s real love, however, was caring for people, so when asked to consider leading an Elderly Club in the Baragan area of Sighisoara, she went door-to-door to see if people were interested. The club began, grew rapidly, and exists today as one of three Elderly Clubs. Mia worked with clients in all three locations. 

Mia expressed her care for the elderly in quiet service. She knew their names, their family histories, their preferences, their struggles. She laughed and cried with them. She baked cakes and visited those who couldn’t leave their homes, she visited them in the hospital. Dorothy Tarrant said, “She brought joy, peace and hope into many fragile lives.” 

Jonathan, Mia, Petra and Roberta look 
at the scrapbook gift given to Mia.

Of all her jobs, Mia enjoyed most working with the elderly. She said, “They needed attention and it felt good to be able to give it.” At the time of Mia’s retirement, it was decided to have the Elderly Club that meets at the Nazarene Church become a program of the church, rather than one of the clubs within Veritas. So, now as a volunteer, Mia continues her work with these club members. This was very important to Mia, both for the clients so their club wasn’t disrupted, and for herself. 

The Veritas staff wish Mia God’s grace and presence as she enters this new stage in her life.

Romania NYI Leaders Meet

By Teanna Sunberg

Romania NYI leaders met this past weekend in Sinaia, Romania to make plans for the future. There is a concerted effort all across the field to focus on reaching young people with the awesome message that Christ loves them and wants them to be a transformational part of what is happening in the world.

Pastor Relu Cristurean came home from Field Conference in September and said, "Well, we have to do something to reach youth in our community." He created a team and they have seen the youth group grow to 15 young people consistently showing up for weekly games and Bible study. Suddenly, the church is filling with young people.

The retreat at Sinaia was organized by Alexandra, who is the Romania district NYI leader. Eurasia Regional NYI director, Diego Lopez, was a part of the weekend. Carol Skinner, volunteer at the field office and part of the NYI Field Focus team was able to be at the weekend as well.

Go Romania NYI!!

Missionary Prayer Focus: March 20

Join in prayer for:

Joshua “Josh” and Shannon Herndon, serving in Romania

• REQUEST: Please pray for Josh and Shannon as they disciple and teach those who desire to serve.
• REQUEST: Please pray for compassionate ministries within the Church of the Nazarene in Romania, serving many people in various walks of life.

Jonathan Phillips, serving in Romania

• PRAISE: In the past two years, the Central Europe Field has emphasized new ways to prepare and support ministers. These efforts are producing tangible results.
• REQUEST: Pray for Romanians who are answering God's call to ministry, and for those working towards the completion of ordination requirements.