My name is Liliana, but I go by Lily. I am 100% Romanian, but was born in Detroit, MI. I'm 35 years old, and still feel and think I'm 23, HA!! I'm one of eight sibling, the middle child and let me tell you, it wasn't always fun but it taught me resilience, ingenuity, perseverance and that working hard will always pay off. I graduated with my BA majoring in Business Management and minoring in Health Administration, back in 2010, and my nursing credentials in 2013. I worked Corporate America for eight years before working in the medical field for two years. I lived in Michigan until the age of 22, when I moved out to Washington, where I lived for a little over 4 years. In January 2017 I moved to Uganda and am planning on being here for however long it takes to know I've fulfilled the purpose God has given me. Though life here in Uganda is not always easy and just about a daily adjustment, I wouldn't change any of it because it has made me a better person. Here in Uganda, I'm working on quite a number of different projects within the ministry.
I was raised in a Christian home, surrounded by a big Romanian family. My father was the Assistant Pastor at our local Romanian Church for many years. But even though I grew up in a Christian home, I never felt adequate enough to call myself a missionary, or even see myself as one. I had this mentality that Missionaries were these unique flawless saints and culturally, females were and still are seen as wives and mothers only. But God had such a different path for me, and I'm eternally grateful I had a personal RELATIONSHIP with Jesus to see His will for my life! I allowed myself to truly be immersed in God's will and my life drastically changed.
I started my life as a missionary back in 2009. I started by going to Romania for short term trips, a few months every summer. I worked with street kids, orphans and women. I would have never guessed that a decade later I'd be immersed completely as a missionary in Uganda. From Romania, to Mexico, to Uganda, God started this fire within me and there was no going back! When I moved out here permanently in January 2017, I was on my own. I knew God called me out here, so I started my nonprofit brave.Beautiful.BOLD Ministries of Uganda. It was so hard, going through it on my own. IF you're not a tough skinned cookie, I wouldn't recommend it,lol! But God was faithful in His promises and I held on for dear life. Here we are in 2022, with tens of thousands impacted, 50+ families supported weekly through various jobs on our campus, and continuing to grow very quickly. I lost my mom at the end of December 2016, and am still in the process of comprehension and healing. I don't know if I'll ever truly understand death and all the heartache it brings. What I can say is that for the first time in my life I'm experiencing supernatural strength in ways I've never experienced before. The Women's Workshop is a dedication to my mother and all the love she poured into our lives.
I currently have 2 fostered children and am in process of adoption. It has been over six years since I've started the adoption process with Noah, and the struggle is unreal. Noah was to be aborted but God brought him into my life, and what a blessing and comfort he is! Prize was a completely malnourished child, left to die at 8 months and the district officials allowed foster care for her. My prayer is that I'll be able to have complete adoption and provide them both with the life they deserve. I pray that I'm able to be used as an instrument in their lives of God's perfect blessings. I love life, I love people, I love traveling, I love laughing & I love Sun, but most importantly I LOVE Jesus! I love Sushi & Pho and miss it dearly now that I'm in Africa. I love cleaning, I know, a bit strange... but that has a lot to do with my darling mom, I'll tell you more one day! My top love languages are quality time and gifts... I tell my friends all the time, I take your time and your money, so this friendship is super expensive :)
Why Uganda?
God has always given me this extraordinary love and compassion for women and children, from all walks of life. When I first came to Uganda in 2012, I knew I would eventually move here. I couldn't go back to a life of comfort when I knew women were abused and mistreated beyond anything I had ever thought humanly possible. Women that live with HIV, that are physically and emotionally abused on a daily basis, and that work with children tied to their backs, all to try and provide for their families. Most of their husbands are drunk by midday, bring no finances home to help care for the family and also take everything the women work for and drink it away. I was tired of seeing so much hurt, need, and no one stepping up to try and truly help. So when I made the decision in October 2016 to finally make this life altering change, give up everything I had in America and move to Uganda, to start my own nonprofit organization, I knew it was going to be an adventure like no other. Though I, along with an amazing local team and seasonal volunteers, provide medical care, education and food to children on a weekly basis, the scope for BBB Ministries of Uganda is to create jobs, sustainability, and safe environments for abused and battered women and their families. This project includes different careers, along with classes of learning how to speak, read and write English, Financial Budgeting, Organizational and Effective Life Skills and most importantly learning about God's love for each and every one of them. Through a Christlike approach, love and hard work, I am confident that it's all attainable. So if you have talents such as writing, reading, gardening, cooking, child caring, loving and so many more that we take for granted elsewhere, COME HERE TO UGANDA AND JOIN ME!
Follow me on this unknown adventure here in Uganda, and see where life not only takes me, but can also inspire and take you as well!