My Story

For years, I’ve been blessed to serve alongside the Ghermanschi and Lauren families, helping share the Gospel with the Romanian community in Portland, Oregon. This summer, God has opened an incredible door for us to take that mission even further—this time in Romania itself. Through a partnership with OSCEC, we’ll be working directly with Romanian students, showing them the love of Jesus and equipping them with practical tools to share the Gospel with their peers. I’m especially excited to return to this work with my dear friends Oana and Razvan Ghermanschi, who were once part of OSCEC before moving away from Romania. As we prepare to serve in Craiova, my heart is full of anticipation for how God will move. I see this as a beautiful opportunity to expand His kingdom, serve others with love, and glorify His name.

There are a few key characteristics that uniquely position this team to mobilize short-term mission trips to Romania:

A Romanian team leading mission trips to Romania facilitates a more authentic collaboration between U.S. and Romanian team members.

Living in the U.S. has given them a deeper understanding of the needs of believers, especially younger generations, and how to equip them more effectively. That’s why I’m excited to be part of a mission experience that can help me in my discipleship journey.

Like much of Western Europe, and increasingly the United States, Romania has become more and more secularized, shaped by its 50-year history of communism. As a result, the American team stands to gain immensely from observing and experiencing what ministry looks like in this context. This experience will shape and inform the way I approach ministry in the changing landscape in US cities such as Portland and Austin, preparing me to share the gospel strategically in my own community. 

About OSCEC

With a college student population of over 20,000, Craiova stands as one of Romania’s major university cities. The Evangelical Christian Student Organization from Craiova (OSCEC) started in the 90s as an interdenominational movement of college students and graduates that came together to glorify God, grow to be more like Jesus through a strategic discipleship process, and be equipped for relational evangelism on their college campuses.

The same vision that has impacted hundreds of students over the years continues to guide OSCEC today. To adapt to the shorter college programs, the target group has expanded to include high school juniors and seniors, ensuring that more young people are equipped for discipleship and evangelism before entering university.

OSCEC Summer Camp

The main way we will be supporting OSCEC this summer is by partnering with them in their yearly summer camp. For the members of OSCEC, this event is an important step in the evangelistic process, where they get to connect with their unchurched friends in a natural, engaging way, and begin walking with them in their journey towards becoming followers of Jesus.

Camp Goals

To create a welcoming environment where Christian college students, as well as high-school juniors and seniors can invite their unchurched friends to connect, build meaningful relationships, and explore life’s big questions about faith and the Bible.

Camp Activities

All the activities at camp - worship, creative teaching, large group activities, small group discussions, games, crafts, outdoor activities, swimming, and hiking are wrapped up in a fun and interactive theme that college students can relate to.

One way we are specifically planning to enhance the camp experience is by mobilizing American believers with specialized skills and training to lead workshops on topics relevant to Romanian students.This year our team will teach two worshops: apologetics and natural behavior profiles.

Last year’s theme was OSCEC Express inspired by a reality TV show popular in Romania: https://www.instagram.com/p/C-PeSGWIWMN or https://www.instagram.com/p/BzKY9x7IAoH/.

Check out OSCEC’s Instagram account for photos and videos of previous camps: @o.s.c.e.c

Trip Information 

Trip dates: July 15-25

Camp dates: July 18-23

Complex Turistic Cheile Cibinului: www.cheilecibinului.ro 

Trip Budget

Travel expenses + Fees

$1050.00

Housing

$300.00

Meals

$200.00

Water & Drinks

$15.00

Snacks

$10.00

Camp welcome packet

$25.00

Camp supplies (games, prizes, crafts, office supplies, set up materials, etc.)

$20.00

Gifts for hosts

$30.00

GRAND TOTAL

$1650.00

Camp Schedule

Our team will arrive in Romania a few days before camp to finalize preparations with the OSCEC team. During this time, we will connect with local church leaders involved in college student ministry, explore Craiova, and take care of logistical details. The day before camp begins, we will travel with the Romanian team to the camp location to set up and prepare for the students' arrival.

Our Team

The missions team I am part of is lead by Razvan and Oana Ghermanschi and Filip Lauran who were part of OSCEC before relocating to the US. Over the years they’ve stayed connected with the leaders and the ministry in Craiova, continuing to pray for guidance and for God to bring about an opportunity to help.

Other members on the team are: Hannah Douglas (University of Texas, Austin student), David Lauran (Junior in high school), and Adrian Toader (Speaker with the Apologetics Forum).

Our/My Role at Camp

Before camp I will be part of developing the teaching content for camp, with Oana, Filip, and the team from OSCEC. We will come up with the main structure of the messages, discussion questions for small groups, and creative ways of communicating the Gospel. 

At camp my focus will be on connecting with the OSCEC team and building relationships with college students.

Filip and I will lead daily small group discussions in English for students who are fluent and would benefit from conversations with native speakers. 

I will support the Romanian team with practical aspects, freeing them to focus more on connecting with students.

Contact Info:

Hannah Douglas

(432)-208-3864

hannahgrace1112@gmail.com