Interview with Cristian and Tania
Community center Lumina has been open for almost 5 months. As mentioned in a previous news item, Cristian and Tania are involved in the daily activities. Tania is employed full-time and organizes the children’s programs, sewing classes, and women’s evenings, while Cristian focuses on the youth and men’s groups and volunteers his support. In this interview, Tania and Cristian share why they are committed to community center Lumina and their experiences so far.
Let’s Introduce Ourselves…
We are Tania & Cristian; we have been a couple for 10 years, united by the same faith and love for each other and for God. Tania is of Russian descent, and Cristian is Romanian. After Cristian worked in the Netherlands for 12 years, we’ve now been living in Romania for 12 years and recently moved to Codlea. Because Cristian has worked and lived in the Netherlands, he speaks Dutch. Tania has lived in Romania for 10 years and has extensive experience in children’s and youth work.
Why do you work at community center Lumina?
After years of praying to be able to serve God more, the Lumina project came our way. When Martin & Jacqueline told us about the plans for the community center, we were immediately excited. We have a heart for people, especially children. They are the future, and we want to inspire them to become the best version of themselves, adding real value to their lives. he community center doesn’t feel like a workplace but truly like our own “child” that needs 100% of our focus.
How has your experience been so far?
We anticipated a difficult start, but the progress of the project has exceeded all our expectations! Especially the children respond very enthusiastically to the activities. We see that the youth and adults need a bit more time and attention, but we trust and believe that they too will find their place at Lumina. This shows us that the vision of the project is aligned with God, and we believe that His vision always leads to success!
What are your biggest challenges?
Primarily that children get bored quickly…. It forces us to continually look for activities that keep them focused and interested. Tania is always searching for biblical games and discussions and develops formats that keep the children curious.
Another challenge is continuously seeking connection with the youth, men, and women from the neighborhood. We try to find activities that align with their needs.
What has impressed you?
We felt very encouraged by the children’s reactions after the first children’s programs. They were so enthusiastic that they returned the very next day. They would love to come every day. Their reactions and love show us that they are positively influenced here and that they feel our love and dedication to them.
How do you see the future of Lumina?
We believe that the arrival of community center Lumina is positive because we want to focus on God’s vision and not on the vision of people. We want to bring light to the neighborhood with Lumina, introduce people to God, and thereby expand His Kingdom. We are committed to making Lumina an increasingly recognized name in the neighborhood.
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