My name is Elena Culcea, and I am a fifth-year student at the University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Craiova, specializing in Dentistry. With joy, I realized that God has guided me toward a special calling: to participate in a missionary training program called “Equipped to Equip.”

I was raised in an Orthodox family, where our relationship with God was maintained through traditions and observing holidays. However, my connection to God was only at a mental level and not a personal one. This changed when I lost my great-grandfather, an event that filled my mind with questions and doubts. Instead of feeling closer to God during my suffering, I found myself distancing from Him, to the extent that I stopped participating in Christian traditions with my family.

Following this, during my adolescent years, I was influenced negatively by ungodly groups of friends. Their influence impacted my choices and left a painful mark on my life. I found myself in a self-destructive cycle, seeking happiness in worldly things such as alcohol and drugs. This path provided only temporary relief and served as a mere escape from reality. A particularly painful consequence was the deterioration of my relationship with my family. This behavior failed to address the inner void I felt; it only deepened my feelings of emptiness and led to more severe consequences.

The height of my turmoil was last summer when mixing antidepressants with alcohol plunged my internal world into chaos, leaving me lost and disoriented. Those dark times were marked by an unbearable daily burden, and the future seemed devoid of any positive prospects.

However, during these challenging times, I was fortunate to meet someone from Hope Church. This person shared their experiences with faith and their relationship with God, embodying Christian compassion and love. They showed me that there is a way out of the darkness engulfing my soul and spoke of how faith in God can be a source of comfort and strength at all times. It was then I understood that only God could fill the emptiness within me.

As I began reading the Bible, it felt like my eyes were being opened. I transformed from a person shrouded in darkness to one stepping into the light. Reading the Bible and conversing with God about my thoughts, fears, and aspirations became a pathway through which I let Him manifest His plans in my life. I learned that by entrusting my life to God, I could find peace and confidence in any situation.

I surrendered my life entirely to God on December 21, 2022, recognizing that Jesus Christ died for my sins—past, present, and future.

Today, as I reflect on my past and write these words, I see myself as a new person, one who has been brought into the light. I have relinquished all temporary pleasures to focus on eternal happiness with God. Despite the dark moments I’ve experienced, God has lifted me from them. Now, my joy and purpose lie in leading others to faith, offering the same support, compassion, and love that guided me on my journey to God.