“It didn’t matter that I was young. I saw the need and felt God’s calling. I knew that I could make a difference.”
Jennifer Iacob was 17 years old the first time she travelled to Romania in 1998. On that short-term mission trip, she was exposed to the harsh reality of widespread child abandonment that plagued this post-communist country. That year alone, 10,000 children were left in Romanian hospitals. What was meant to be a month-long trip turned into a 25-year devotion to the cause of orphan care in Romania—and ultimately led to Jennifer becoming a humanitarian worker overnight when war broke out in Ukraine.
From High School Graduate to Orphan-Care Specialist
When Jennifer returned home to Canada after that first trip, she knew what expectations awaited her; she needed to choose a career, go to college, and start her life. But at Bible camp that summer, God told her, “You need to go back to Romania.”
Jennifer knew from a young age that she wanted to become a missionary, but she never thought God would call her to Romania. In fact, she had no interest in Eastern Europe. But Jennifer kept an open heart. “I was willing, and I said yes.”
So, Jennifer went back to Romania, this time with the PAOC, and started an orphan-care ministry while studying nursing in parallel.
That’s how Jennifer created Arms of Love, a program for early years development. The program designed plans to help workers and volunteers best care for the specific needs of each baby. This way, babies could reach developmental milestones and grow into physically and emotionally healthy children.
The Cry of a Mother’s Heart
When Jennifer was pregnant with her third child, she drove by one of the hospitals she used to work in. A burden for the many babies inside was heavy on her heart. “Everything is ready for our family to welcome our baby, and then in this hospital, there are rooms full of babies that people don’t know or care about. They are left in a crib all day long without touch, love and connection.” Jennifer thought, “Lord, my heart is aching for these children because they are Your children. You love them, and I love them, too. What can I do?”
As successful as Arms of Love was, Jennifer really wanted to see orphanages closed and kids in families. Jennifer and Arms of Love were invited to join Romania Without Orphans, a national alliance of organizations that shared the same vision: every child deserves a family. By combining their efforts, these NGOs instigated important changes in the child protection system. They were able to encourage many people, especially in churches, to adopt kids—not because they needed a child, but because a child needed a family. As a result, the number of children in need of a family in Romania decreased each year.
From Orphan-Care Specialist to Humanitarian
Romania shares two borders with Ukraine. When Jennifer learned about the Russian invasion and saw the images of utter destruction on the news, she immediately knew that people would be fleeing their homes and seeking refuge in her own country of adoption.
Jennifer and her team filled their van with blankets, pillows, food and medicine and drove for eight hours to one of the borders. They went to a church that had turned all its rooms into dormitories. People would arrive with nothing but a small backpack, having left everything behind, and would sleep in the church until they could go on to the next leg of their journey. On the drive back to Bucharest, Jennifer and her team filled the van with refugees. Over the next few months, they drove to the Ukrainian border countless times, taking in supplies and driving people back.
Jennifer started wondering where she would get the funds to keep this operation running, until one day, she received an email from ERDO (Emergency Relief and Development Overseas) offering their help. “We heard what you’re doing. What do you need?” Knowing support was coming from Canada, her home, and knowing that people there cared despite the distance, was very special to Jennifer. Thanks to ERDO’s partnership, she and her team kept bringing aid to Ukrainian refugees in those first important weeks.
Faith Beyond Fear
As they were driving to another church on the border that welcomed refugees, Jennifer noticed a sign for an airport. On the other side of the fence, just beside the church, was a military airport. “Are you afraid that you might get bombed?” Jennifer asked one of the local staff. The girl replied, “Why would we be fearful? God has us here for a reason, and if we get bombed, we know where we’re going.”
“Crazy” Alex
Jennifer joined a Romanian team that brought aid further into Ukraine than she was used to travelling. The team kept talking about a “crazy” guy named Alex who would go near the front lines to bring aid where others wouldn’t. He was bold despite having a wife and children. He thought of the elderly who were hiding in the bomb shelters of their apartment buildings without any possibility of getting food. As they were talking one day, Alex walked in. Jennifer recognized him immediately. “Alex, you’re the crazy person they’re talking about?!” He had been the youth pastor at a church in Bucharest.
Still Serving
After 25 years of faithful service in Eastern Europe, Jennifer is now back in Canada. She teaches trauma-informed care, “So that when kids come out of orphanages, they receive the best care they can, their needs are being met, and families are strong and healthy.”
When telling her story, Jennifer recounts how, despite not having a passion for Romania at first, her heart grew for it. “Just go,” she says. “You don’t have to feel a calling, you don’t have to know where you’re going. You just need to go and be open. If you’re willing, God will use you.”
Although Jennifer is home in Canada, ERDO is still supporting humanitarian workers like her in Ukraine, bringing food, supplies and shelter to thousands of families each year.
Ève Lacroix is the digital communications officer at ERDO. She lives in Quebec with her husband, Timothy, and is passionate about seeing families and communities released from poverty and impacted by the gospel message of hope.
This article appeared in the July/August/September 2024 issue of testimony/Enrich, a quarterly publication of The Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada. © 2024 The Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada. Photo © ERDO.