A Search For Identity

Antonio Moldovan moved to Ireland with his family when he was 11 years old but he struggled to find his identity until he encountered Jesus in a Brazilian Bible Study!

(From the July - September 2020 issue of VOX)

I come from Romania but I’m actually from three different backgrounds - Romanian, Hungarian and Gypsy. Growing up, I was always trying to find my identity. It seemed a bit unfair because I would hear comments that people didn’t like me because I looked like “those people”.

When I moved to Ireland in 2003, I think we must have been amongst the first foreigners in our area and I did not have a word of English.

My parents bought me my uniform and said the best way to learn is to go to school with your brother. It was incredibly tough because of the language barrier and there was a lot of bullying, because I could not communicate. Gradually that improved, with the help of my teachers but I never really had the courage to tell people about my background.

I was concerned that Romanians don’t always have the best reputation here and especially in job interviews, I kept quiet.

All that changed in 2011. I was a college student and working a part time job in a shop. One day a Brazilian gentleman came over to me and I helped him find what he needed. He invited me to his house and so I went the following day.

Little did I know that he had actually invited me to a Bible Study! I turned up and the entire service was in Portuguese from beginning to end. I had no clue about God but at the end of the evening I gave my life to the Lord.

Growing up in the Romanian Orthodox Church was very boring. You just went to pay respects, not to enjoy being there.

“There are a lot of people who struggle with their identity or are embarrassed about where they come from.”

No one had ever spoken about the Lord Jesus the way these people did. They were so joyful! I had no understanding of what was going on but I knew I was in the right place.

I would meet up with the gentleman who had invited me to the Bible Study and he began to teach me everything about the Bible and to answer all the questions I had.

I began to realise that God made me unique and I stopped blaming Him for my background. There are a lot of people who struggle with their identity or are embarrassed about where they come from. Only people who are truly confident in what Jesus has done on the cross can understand, accept and love themselves for who they are. This is why I am here and I am comfortable talking about the things that God has done for me.

I’m probably the only person from my village with a Masters Degree. I’m very proud that God has enabled me to achieve this. I now work for Dublin Airport Authority.

Two years ago, I got married to Almudena, a beautiful Spanish lady. I had prayed for about six months and there she was! God is involved in every part of our lives. Even when I play football, I get on my knees before the game and pray that I will play with everything that I have.

Today, I’m a deacon in the church and a lot of my energy goes into investing in people and helping them to grow in their relationship with God. We are meant to demonstrate the life we have as Christians. Our church has also been involved in feeding the homeless and that has been a testimony to our family members. They see how we love others and they want to help.