Ellena Mungia
Ellena in Romania
Twenty-five years ago, I was preparing to embark on my first trip to Romania. I had a strong sense that God had called me to this place, and I knew that this was just the beginning of an incredible adventure. As a clueless twenty-something, I was filled with excitement and uncertainty about what awaited me. All I knew was that God had chosen me, had a plan for me, and that no matter what challenges I faced, He would be with me. It was that unwavering promise that has carried me through the difficult times that no one ever talks about. Ministry is not always easy, and there are times when you feel like you're not cut out for it. But my faith in God and the prayers of my faithful supporters have been my strength during those tough moments.
One thing I've learned over the past twenty-five years of living in Romania is that if I had known the entire plan, I probably wouldn't have been so eager to accept it. I love what I do, but God has pushed me to do things that I never thought I was capable of. If you've heard my testimony, you'll know that when God called me, I initially doubted my qualifications and even listed all my flaws to Him to prove that I wasn't the one. But in God's sweet voice, He reassured me that He had chosen me. He knew my flaws and still chose to use me. So whenever God asked me to do something that I had listed as one of my weaknesses, I knew that it was God who gave me the ability to do it.
Twenty-five years later, I still consider Romania my home and continue to follow wherever God leads me. My ministry may have evolved over the years, but I remain committed to doing what God has called me to do. He called me to love His children, and that now includes all ages. I am incredibly grateful for each of you who has stood beside me and supported me financially and in prayer. I know that I would not be able to fulfill my calling without your unwavering faithfulness.
I'm returning to the US next summer to start itineration. I'm excited to reconnect with all of you. However, I have an urgent need to stay in Romania until next summer. For the past year or so, my monthly budget has been $1200 short. I've been supplementing it from my work account and trying to cut out expenses, but my work budget is currently at zero. This is difficult to ask, but I need to either raise more monthly support or raise one-time cash for my work account to stay on the field until the end of my term. Would you kindly consider either increasing your monthly support or giving a one-time gift so that I can remain in Romania until next summer?
I want to express my gratitude for all that you've done for me over the years. Your prayers and support have been invaluable to me. I pray that God will continue to bless you in all that you do.
Ellena in Romania
Earlier this year, I was invited to join the United International Church team. I'm super excited about this new opportunity to reach out to Romanians who are searching for God and also to the international community that calls Constanta home. Our church is right in the heart of the old city, just a stone's throw away from the sea. Every year, thousands of people walk past our building. Our prayer is that they'll come in and find Jesus and a community of believers to grow with.
Today, I'm sitting here in the old city, and I can't help but feel like Constanta really needs Jesus. Even though this country is Orthodox, Constanta is a unique place. There is an Orthodox church in every neighborhood, but it also has the country's largest Muslim population. Whenever I'm in the old city, I hear the call to prayer from one of the mosques nearby. It's a bit strange to think that I'm still in Romania, but when I hear that call, I stop what I'm doing and pray for my city. I pray that God will use us to meet the needs of those who are lost.
Earlier this month, we hosted our first Inspire Romania women's event. Inspire Global Sisterhood isn't a conference, it's a movement to inspire women and girls to share their faith with others. As I think back on the event and hear what the participants had to say, I know that no matter how stressed I was organizing it, it's always worth it to hear the lives that were touched. On our volunteer night, we gave away free tickets to our volunteers to share with a friend. One of my preteen girls got up and took two tickets for her friends. When she was asked who was going to invite, she named her neighbor and classmate. Both of them showed up on Saturday, and one of them gave her heart to the Lord.
After Inspire, I had a chat with a friend who has attended this event in other countries. She was so excited to finally be able to attend it in her own country and language. At the others, she usually missed out on stuff because she had to translate from English all the time. By the time it was time to worship, she was exhausted. But this time, we had an amazing translator who translated for the speakers, and our worship team led worship in Romanian. She was able to fully enjoy everything.
I'm so grateful for everyone who prays and supports me here in Romania. I know this is where I'm supposed to be, and I know God has big plans for me in this new season at United. God has blessed us with an incredible team to work with, and they know how to hear and follow the voice of the Lord.
CONTACT & SUPPORT INFORMATION
ellena.munguia@eu.agwm.org
www.Ellenamunguia.com
1445 Boonville Ave
Springfield, MO 65802
Acct#2928869
