The work God has entrusted to me is a ministry in His harvest field. Therefore, I understand the big responsibility on my shoulders. My name is Petru Antoceanu, and I work as a social worker and leader with JMI in our Boys2Leaders (B2L) Transitional Living program in Balti. I work alongside my wife, Vera, and our two dear babies, Eva and Noe. We try to be a good example each day of what a family looks like for the boys who live in our home. We are investing in the next generation of men as they follow God with a strong and resilient character.
The guys we work with come from different backgrounds and most of them have terribly difficult pasts. Most of them come into our home with problems and consequences from the past, as they’ve run from responsibility, and are seeking anyone to blame. They have a bitter story to tell, as some of them had only one parent or fathers and mothers who left them as children; others ran away from home because they feared being abused by their stepfathers, or were left alone in the care of aging and sick grandparents. When we first meet them, you can see that their smiles disappeared from their faces a long time ago.
However, after several months of living in our home and participating in the Transitional Living Program, we begin to see changes in these boys’ lives. We begin to see the transformation of their character and help them to discover the talents and strengths that have been hidden away. My ultimate goal is that by discovering all these good things in them, they will grow to be strong and useful men in the society in which they will live.
In our home the boys have many responsibilities, like having devotional time, reading the word of God every day, involvement in the activities of the program, which include volunteering, monthly meetings, rehearsals, training with different topics, teamwork, joint outings, personal counseling, psychologist meetings, discussions with the social assistant, etc…After all, this works together, and with the help of God, we start to see the transformation of character and this is what impacts me the most.
Something I can’t overlook and that is equally important, is the responsibility placed upon my shoulders is helping me to also grow and become a better leader. I learn so many good things from these boys, and I’ll never forget the experiences I have with them. When problems arise, we solve them with love and patience. After all, this is what makes a family a family, and these boys are our family.
304 44th Ave. N
