Students on Mission: Max C.

​(Below is the testimony authored by Max C. and photo report from the ministry of ЛОГОС Church that Max serves with in the orphanages across Moldova.) 

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I was born in Chisinau. Now I am 25 years old and I never left my country. But since I am christian God give me the opportunity to travel through the whole Moldova and visited many cities and villages.

I came from a family of 4 children, 3 brothers and a sister and I am the eldest child. All I remember from my childhood is poverty, permanent hunger of food and my parents' fights. After my parents' poor financial decisions we lost our apartment and all the money we had. My father left us and never come back. Our relationship was broken forever. Now I know only few things about him, that he went in a prison for few years. When he was released he use to live on the streets as a homeless. I believe that my Heavenly Father took care of him and this year when my father died he took him on His hands. Hope one day to see him in Heaven.

My Mom wanted to send us to the school but the only one option that she had at that moment was the orphanage from the city were living(Straseni). First few years she used to come and visit as. With every year our relations got colder and colder. When I graduated 9 classes and moved to Cupcini, a small town in the north part of Moldova, we were so distant one to another that I used to consider my self as an orphan.

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As I was growing up in the orphanage among those 700 children in 9 years I was like a sponge absorbing all that I saw others doing. From smoking to drinking alcohol, even stealing goods from others I tried all possible self destructive things. If not Jesus and His Gospel, I am sure that I was at one step distance of getting in prison, like many of my colleagues and friends from the orphanage. Or maybe like my father.

But God had an other plan for my life. He showed his grace and mercy for me and all my family. 
One day I was invited to a evangelical church by one of my teachers from the professional school. Her name is Mrs. Rodica Caraus. That day God helped me to understand from the parable of 4 soils that Jesus told, that not all those who claim that they are Christians are true Christians. But I wanted to be a real one. I knew that Jesus was able to change my heart and all my life. And I decided to follow Him. I started to visit that Church in Cupcini with regularity. God's Word was planted more and more in my heart and after a while I decided to totally dedicate myself to God. I was baptized, and the Church became my new family.

​When I realized the great love of God for the sinners I started to pray for all my family members. Through some miraculous events God made possible the restauration of our family. I could invite them to a summer camp organized by my church. My two brothers, Artiom and Alex, my sister Anastasia, and even my Mom Tatiana they all came to Cupcini. God started to work in their hearts to, and they all believed in Jesus.

Being a student at the Moldavian Bible Seminary helped me in some incredible ways. Day by day I get to know God better and better. Every day I am learning how I could serve others in a way that God wants me to do. From our teachers and lectors I get a clearer pictures of what means to love God and my neighbor.

I realize that I will never deserve God's forgiveness, it was only by His grace that I get saved. And all this was possible only due to what Jesus did on the cross for me. There are so many people in this world who are lost in their sins like I was once, who don't have any hope for a real change in their lives. My greatest desire is that God to use me even more efficient anywhere He wants. That through His Word and my personal example He will bring His hope to many other people who have a similar past to mine.
Now I use to be involved like a volunteer in many different Christian organizations which are focused on serving to the children from orphanages and those from poor families. Every summer I go to 3 or more christian camps to help others to know Jesus personally.
I am sure that God has an amazing future for me here on the earth, and not only this but in the Heavens He is preparing something even greater than everything I know or that I could possible imagine.