Campus Apprentice in Moldova

Moldova is a tiny country wedged between Ukraine and Romania. It is a former Soviet country and gained its independence from the USSR in 1991. Moldova is a fledgling democracy, on the road to recovery after a small civil war in 1992, and trying to cope with all the difficulties of the post-communist / Soviet transition. The official language here is Romanian but many people also still speak Russian. Moldova is an Orthodox Christian country but has so far resisted any Russian-type restrictive religious laws. There is a fair amount of liberty to share the gospel here, relative to other former Soviet countries – something to Praise God for!! Indeed the church here is healthily sized and seems to be growing in numbers.

Many students consider themselves Christians. Many students are searching for a reality in their faith. On the flip side, few people go to church more often than once a year, and few have much understanding of the gospel, even if they are familiar with its stories.

Within the territory of the Republic of Moldova, there are 46 colleges and High schools with a total of 32,000 pupils. Also, there are 33 institutions of Higher education with a total of 60,000 Moldovan students and 1,000 foreign students from Israel, Ukraine, Russia, Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, and Syria.

The Community of Christian Students from Moldova (CSC Moldova) is a growing student ministry in the two largest cities in Moldova – Chisinau, and Balti. Through social engagement, clubs, and regular small groups, evangelization camps, discipleship conferences, CSC engages both Christian and non-Christian students with the claims of Christ. CSC Moldova is made up of several local city groups. The students in these groups come from all possible fields of studies and educational institutions, such as universities, universities of applied sciences, academics, and others. The groups are led by students who are trained and supervised by staff or volunteer group leaders.