On February 9, 2020, the Moldova Mission Network in conjunction with National Presbyterian’s Building Up the Global Church team hosted long-time NPC friend Reverend Valeriu Ghiletchi and his colleague from Parliament Reverend Ion Groza. Valieriu founded UDG with the assistance of NPC Associate Minister Peg Cantwell and others, and both Valeriu and Ion serve on UDG’s Board of Directors. Valeriu and Ion talked at luncheon afterwards how God had led them in their careers as pastors and as Members of Parliament. The two were visiting Washington as they attended the National Prayer Breakfast. Ion talked about the influence that his parents, both orphans, had had on him and that this influence had been important for him in his congregational work and his work on orphans at the school and in his community. Valeriu spoke about how God had protected him as a student and young adult because he would not join the age-appropriate Communist organization as he grew up. He noted the “motto” his parents had imparted of “Do your best, and let God handle the rest!,” which he said had remained good guidance as an adult during the times he was founding UDG, serving as Bishop of the Baptist Church, and serving in Parliament. Valeriu talked about the theological aspects of the UDG students’ education, about the social work program there, and about UDG’s outreach to Central Asia. The previous evening, friends of the Moldova Missions Network at NPC and other churches hosted Valeriu and Ion at a private home. The group enjoyed a lengthy discussion about UDG, church life in Moldova, and orphan care.
