Dana Stanciu

Currently, I am preparing to start my PHD and start teaching (and mentoring students) at the University of Medicine and Pharmacy (in Cluj-Napoca). Through this ministry I will be working with young people and helping them to develop and grow. Being in this position, I want to bring the Gospel to my future students, in this environment where God is not only excluded from everything, but also strongly denied.
I was born into a Christian family. We went to church every Sunday and I also used to go to Bible study and sing in the choir. I grew up following God's rules. After I left home and moved to another city to study Pharmacy (Cluj-Napoca/Romania, where I also live right now) my life changed. I went through very hard trials and I suffered a lot. Still, I am very grateful for it because everything happened for a very good reason - I have changed completely. I became a different/new me. It was also the time when I realized how sinful I am, and I totally repented. I found my only hope in Jesus. I decided that I wanted to publicly confess my faith and get baptized on the 8th of July 2018.
In the summer of 2017, while visiting Brussels/Belgium, I met a fellow Christian. We had a conversation regarding his testimony, his life, and how he found God and accepted Jesus as his Savior. This testimony and seeing such unshakable faith touched me. I have never met someone with such a strong, pure, almost perfect connection with our Father. Something clicked inside my soul. This was the beginning of my change, the beginning of a new life for me, and the real starting point of my faith. I wanted to have the same unshakable faith, and to trust and follow God like never before since I felt His presence that day. There were many other situations and people who impacted my faith, and this moment represents the beginning of my testimony.
I believe that attending ELF in 2022 will help me better prepare for my upcoming ministry and studies. I will encounter other scientists that are more experienced in working with students, with other scientists, and in bringing the Gospel into the "science world".
I find that bringing the Gospel into a scientific workplace is a very delicate and difficult matter. With the help of God, and other people willing to invest in my training and ministry, I want to bring those around me at the University closer to Him.